Tag Archives: 86 points

Liberty Road Zinfandel 2018, Lodi, California

26 Wednesday Aug 2020

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Semi opaque, medium shade of purple. The nose is somewhat subdued in the BAG (big assed glass). After a vigorous swirl session I get blueberries, violet and pepper.  On the palate it’s a touch spicy with blue fruits, fig and cedar.  The mid palate is a bit tart, backward and thin on the fruit.  The finish is bitter with more blue fruits and that woodsy note.  I enjoy Zins for their fruitiness.  This one lacks a bit on several points unfortunately.  86 points is all I can muster.  $10 makes this a 2 star wine.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Lodi, California

17 Monday Aug 2020

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A pretty shade of purple and nearly opaque.  On the nose it’s brimming with red fruit, some oak and a red licorice note.  The palate is easy going- red berries, chocolate nibs, some oak and a touch of acidity.  The mid palate is very smooth with a smidge of tannin and more red fruit melange.  The finish is simple, decent in length and features the addition of cranberries with their inherent tartness.  This is a very basic wine that will feature well at a burgers and brats barbecue.  The tannins are very slight and the structure is not intended for much cellaring.  It’s a pop’n pour weekday quaffer that gets 86 points from me and at $15- 3 stars.  Drink now.  Salut….

F E Trimbach Riesling 2017, Alsace, France

09 Sunday Aug 2020

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The second wine of our #7 virtual wine tasting was very disappointing.  I ordered this Trimbach having really enjoyed it before, the reviews were great and the brand is solid.  No one in the tasting group enjoyed either the room temp version nor the chilled.

Paint thinner, petrol, pine, grass and pineapple were descriptors that we heard.  Personally I found the wine disjointed, the nose muted and the flavors were just off.  I am going to re-taste tonight but don’t have much hope.  Interestingly, I tasted the 2013 Riesling twice in 2017 and had very different tasting notes, but they were both consistent 90 point wines.  This one is 86, and at $17 it’s a 2 point wine.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Cinergi Red Blend 2018, Lodi, California

14 Sunday Jun 2020

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The second wine of our virtual tasting was this Lodi blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot and Cab Sav.  The nose was magnificent- lush, jammy blackberry, cocoa, dark plums.  The palate was a different matter.  We all immediately sensed a certain sweetness that we were not expecting.  The wine is very fruity and concentrated with loads of black fruits.  Tannins are apparent but not overbearing and there is a decent level of acidity to make for a nice mouthfeel.  The cloying fruit however was a detractor for many in the group.  Funnily enough, it was voted the best wine by a third of the attendees.  I guess that sweetness appeals to some but not all.  Each to his own.  For me it was an 86 point wine that I feel was a little too manufactured and lacked finesse relying heavily on gobs of jammy fruit.  Drink now.  For $14 it gets 3 stars.  Salut….

Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou ‘La Croix de Beaucaillou’ 2010, Saint-Julien, France

05 Friday Jun 2020

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It’s inky, brooding, opaque and shows fine legs in the glass.  On the nose I get graphite, plums, oaky vanilla and cedar.  On the palate there are black currants, green plums, black tea and dry tannins.  The mid palate is very astringent with more tea, strange tannins, some black fruit and not much acidity.  I’m not enjoying this wine very much, too off-balance and way too dry without fruit to back it up.  The finish is very dark and austere- over-steeped tea, some plums and a woodsy note.  The grip of the tannins hold on for a while but the fruit fades quickly.  Overall a disappointing wine from a great Bordeaux vintage.  86 points from me, the pros went much higher but I don’t see it.  It may mellow out in the near future.  Drink till 2025.  For $75 it gets  1 star and a pass from yours truly.  Salut….

Baywood Cellars Classic Red NV, California

26 Tuesday May 2020

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Number 2 from SplashWines is this non-vintage blend that rings the bells at 13.5%.  Semi opaque with a reddish tint in the glass.  The nose is intriguing- strawberries, by the bucketful.  Red currants and sweet pomegranate to boot.  Oh…. and Apricots.  Yup- Apricots.  The palate is very unique, a touch sweet but very red fruit forward.  It’s a very interesting flavor profile. The mid palate is very easy going, red Twizzlers and a touch of cherry cola.  The acidity is very gentle which makes up for the lack of much tannin.  The finish is more cherry and rhubarb with that crispy acidity adding zest.  It’s decent in length and tasty.  I must say I was a bit biased when I unscrewed this bottle, but I reckon it’s very easy going, fun to drink and will appeal to the novice as well as anyone coming over for a barbecue.  This is a $13 party wine and it gets 86 points from me. 3 stars. Drink now.  Salut….

Gran Via 90 Bullish Blend 2016, Spain

24 Sunday May 2020

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It looks very dark and brooding in the glass, the legs barely evident- 13.5% alcohol will do that.  On the nose it is spicy with dark cherry, cola and a touch of oak.  I also notice a spice box component.  On the palate it is a bit abrupt- black cherry, green pepper, iodine and anise all greet me.  There’s a frontal wave of tannins that also hit right off the bat, quite dry and relentless.  The mid palate is more red cherry meets blackberry, with a nice acidic touch to refresh the palate.  The tannins are certainly players here, enveloping my gums and making me pucker.  The brooding nature of this wine is evident on the palate now as it finishes with crunchy black berries, that tannic grip and some toasty oak nuances.  The finish is quite long.  I was not sure what to expect from this wine, it was part of a SplashWine shipment.   I did see it for sale at $12 online and it got 83 points from one reviewer.  I would guess it’s got some Syrah, Grenache and maybe a touch of Tempranillo.  Who knows….  For me it’s decent for everyday, gets 86 points and 3 stars.  Drink till 2024 with some Jamon, a steak or pasta.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 636 Zinfandel 2016, Lodi, California

24 Friday Jan 2020

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Nice shades of purple with medium opacity.  Zins tend to have higher alcohol and this one shows off its 15.5% very nicely on the legs.  The nose is interesting- honey, blackberry preserves, cinnamon stick and black oak.  On the palate it is very approachable right off the bat with blackberries, tea leaf and an intro to the very fine grained tannins.  On the midpalate there is a stringy astringency that is putting me out of whack.  The fruit subsided very quickly to make way for some bitter tannins unfortunately.  Greeness prevails from that point to the finish.  I’m trying to coax more of that delightful, jammy goodness but I’m being overpowered.  This wine might need some cellaring but the green tannins will always be green unfortunately.  86 points from me and 3 stars for this $13 wine. Drink now. Salut….

McWilliam’s Hanwood Estates Merlot 2018, South Eastern Australia

18 Friday Oct 2019

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Very dark purple in the glass with barely traceable legs.  The aromas spilled over when I swirled the glass.  On the nose I am sensing that candied licorice that I don’t care for.  I also get pine and eucalyptus.  On the palate, it is decent for an $8 bottle.  I wasn’t expecting much complexity but this one has some nice primal fruit flavors of blackberry alongside anise, cedar and wood smoke.  What it lacks in structure it makes up for with fruitiness and verve.  A decent drink that has a trace of tannins, a bit of acidity and an easy going quaffability.  86 points would be generous but at this price, it’s good for a BBQ or a day at the picnic site.  Drink now.  3 stars.  Salut….

Familia Blanco Mairena Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Mendoza, Argentina

14 Thursday Mar 2019

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Pretty purple in the glass, quite opaque.  On the nose it is all blackberry.  The initial palate is black cherry, an awkward greenness and tar.  The mid palate offers much the same, with more vegetal notes than I care for.  This wine rates well with the pros at 90+ but I don’t get it.  The finish is sour, green, the tannins are astringent.  Not my cup of tea at all.  There might be some of you who enjoy austere wines, this one might be up your alley.  I’m going 86 points.  For $18, it is a pass from me but you may want to give it a try- 2 stars.  Drink now.  Salut….