Tag Archives: 87 points

Kourtaki Mavrodaphne of Patras NV, Peloponnese, Greece

24 Friday May 2024

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Medium garnet colored with high viscosity (15% ABV), which is expected.  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of prune, baked strawberry, walnut, raisins, soaked oak, (wafting alcohol, burning my nostrils!) and dried herbs.  The palate is sweet with medium (+) acidity, a full body and medium tannins.  Flavors of stewed and baked plums, strawberry and blueberry with walnuts, raisins and old oak.  The finish is long, held that way by the potent alcohol yet nicely balanced with acidity and a a touch of tannic grip.  I love dessert wines so this one is a treat to savor after our grilled steaks with blue cheese sauce.  Drink this non-vintage wine on purchase. It gets 87 points from me and for $13, 3 stars. Salut….

Diseno Old Vine Malbec 2021, Mendoza, Argentina

25 Sunday Feb 2024

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From a recent dinner I took very basic notes of this Argentinian Malbec that runs a mere $11.

Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (13% ABV). On the nose I get aromas of plum, acai, blueberry and coffee. The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium (-) tannins and a medium body. Flavors of blueberry, coffee, mocha, plum and a mineral note lead to a medium length finish.  I like the balance of this wine and its mouthfeel- not overly done with pleasing acidity and tannins that are smooth and unobtrusive.  87 points makes this a 3 star wine to drink soon.  Salut….

 

Arraigo Benegas Estate Wine Cabernet Franc 2021, Mendoza, Argentina

12 Tuesday Dec 2023

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Deep purple colored with slight staining and medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of blueberry pie, with vanilla and baking spices really prominent.  Acai berry and black plum support alongside bell pepper and mint.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (-) tannins.  A medium body shows off ripe blue fruit, vanilla, spices and a hint of greeness.  The finish is a little bit tart with the blueberry tending to slightly underripe which is interesting.  The length is short to medium and very pleasant.  I like this somewhat basic wine for what it is- a $20 weekday quaffer.  It gets 87 points from me and 3 stars.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Neethlingshof Estate Pinotage 2021, Stellenbosch, South Africa

02 Thursday Nov 2023

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Deep ruby colored with some light staining and a high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black cherry, dark plums, dried coconut, violets and baking spice.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins.  A medium to full-body ensues with some tartness that hits me right off the bat.  The dark fruit I got on the nose are present as is the violets and baking spice, not so much the coconut though.  The finish is tart with some charcoal notes along with the cherry and plum notes.  It’s a bit disjointed for me, the tartness plays agains the ripeness of the fruit.  I am pairing this 87 point wine with grilled Tri-tip and Greek potatoes.   Drink till 2025.  Salut….

Famille Bougrier Vouvray V ‘Douce France’ 2020, Loire, France

20 Friday Oct 2023

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Medium lemon, bordering on light gold with medium viscosity legs (12% ABV).  The nose of this Chenin Blanc has medium (+) intensity aromas of lemon pith, wool, grapefruit zest, orange blossom and honeysuckle.  The palate is off-dry with some high acidity and a medium body.  The citrus melange and floral notes are of good intensity and the wine begs to be drunk.  It finishes with a medium (-) length but it entices me back for more.  A delicious aperitif which I will pair with Peruvian chicken in the air fryer and a Middle Eastern rice dish laced with cinnamon. It gets 87 points from me and at $16, 3 stars.  Drink now.  Salut….

Terra d’Uro ‘La Enfermera’ 2021, Toro, Spain

29 Friday Sep 2023

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Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose on this Tempranillo has medium intensity aromas of black plum, charred oak, licorice, candied black cherry, dusty earth and acai berry.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that are a touch astringent and grippy.  Flavors of sour black cherry, black plum, licorice and brambly earth coat my mouth in this full bodied wine. The finish is short to medium in length and a touch tart and bitter.  Overall this $ 12 bottle gets 87 points from me making it a 4 star effort to drink till 2026.  Salut….

Clos des Fous Pour Ma Gueule 2019, Maule Valley, Central Valley, Chile

14 Thursday Sep 2023

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Pale ruby colored with a bit of haze and medium viscosity ((13% ABV).  The nose needs a bit of coaxing but once there- red and black cherry, baking spice, blueberry pie and herbs.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and low tannins.  A medium body that reveals a smooth mouthfeel with flavors of cherry, a medicinal note, coffee and herbs.  The finish is short to medium in length and ends on a bit of a sour note.  It’s a decent drop that gets 87 points from me and should drink nicely till 2027.  For $15 it gets 3 stars. This Cinsault blend has some Pais and Carignan.  It got 91 points from others, I don’t see how.  Salut….

La Vostra Prosecco NV, Veneto, Italy

05 Tuesday Sep 2023

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Pale straw colored with very little mousse.  The nose has aromas of white flower, apricot, green almond and melon.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a light body, the effervescence finally appearing and in a not-too-subtle way.  Florals are the main driver on the palate with some melon, pear and almond backing them up.  The finish is medium in length.  87 points from me for this $12 bottle makes it a 3 star wine that I actually bought to mix with Vincenzi Rosso- like a spritz.  It was on sale for a penny, the catch being that you need to mix it with something fizzy so I had to pop for the bubbly.  The bottle I got is cherry flavored and the resulting cocktail is decent on a hot summer’s eve.  Salut….

David Akiyoshi Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, California

01 Saturday Jul 2023

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Deep ruby colored, this Cali Cab has medium viscosity (13.9% ABV)m and slight staining.  The nose has aromas of bright red fruit with some candied notes along with some floral and oak notes.  Cherry candy, ripe red raspberry, red plum, licorice, mocha powder and lavender.  It’s an interesting mix.  The palate is dry? Dare I say a touch of RS?   Medium acidity with medium tannins that are very smooth and integrated.  The medium body of this wine carries the red fruits forth along with some slight oak notes.  It tastes like very ripe red fruit plus I can’t get past the residual sugar thought.  The finish is short to medium in length.  From a technical standpoint- this wine gets 87 points. For $12, it’s a decent bargain that gets 3 stars from me.  I’m grilling Try-tip to pair.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….

O de Mer Muscadet 2021, Loire, France

15 Thursday Jun 2023

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Bright lemon colored with low viscosity (12% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon peel, white flowers, pink grapefruit zest, green melon and a hint of seaspray.  The palate is dry with a slightly oily, weighty texture.  Medium (+) acidity and a medium (-) body with citrus and floral flavors along with some lanolin.  The melon hits on the mid palate that leads to a short-medium length finish that invites me to sip more.  A refreshing drink that would serve as an aperitif yet pair nicely with fresh caught seafood.  87 points for this $12 quaffer makes it a 4 star effort to stock up on and chill for this summer.  100% Melon de Bourgogne grapes with no apparent Sur lie aging that is quite common to the Pais Nantais.  Salut….