02 Tuesday Jun 2015
Posted in Wine reviews
I have had the Elderton Shiraz of the same label and I thought it was a great drop so when I saw this Cab I had to try it. It just wasn’t the same caliber unfortunately. Starting off with a floral nose and purple plum paste I was hopeful. Very smooth entry of black berries and blueberry jam. Nice easy acidity with a short finish. Mid palate hints of red currants and very gentle tannins. 87 points from me with a drinking window of 2015-2017. 3 stars and $11. Salut….
19 Tuesday May 2015
Posted in Wine reviews
With a nose of candied plum and some oak I kinda knew what I was getting into. First sip was a pleasant surprise. Easy drinking and not overly cloying with some plum, currants and a generous amount of acidity. This is a pop-n-pour wine that should be consumed young. The tannins are very slight and the balance is slightly off yet it is a fun drop that will entertain many at a party. Cooking burgers? This one will fit the bill. 87 points for this basic red wine that is fresh and lively from Argentina. $12 makes it a 3 star effort. Salut….
18 Saturday Apr 2015
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$17, 3 stars, 87 points, grenache blanc, muscat, paso robles, riesling
The third wine from Jettlynn that I purchased at Costco for about $17. Pale yellow with a citrus nose and perhaps a touch of yeast welcomed me. A creamy mouthfeel of green pear, yellow apple and cardamom. An interesting blend of 65% Grenache Blanc, 15% Muscat, 10% Chardonnay and 10% Riesling. Mild acidity and a decent finish for 87 points make it a solid 3 star wine in my books. 12.9% alcohol was light and refreshing. This wine would rock some blackened fish, perhaps a brick oven white pizza….mmmm. Non-vintage from Paso Robles. Salut….
21 Wednesday Jan 2015
Posted in Wine reviews
Some friends and I were at a Costco yesterday and decided to try a few of the Kirkland brand wines. This was our first attempt, it cost $11 and is a blend of 49% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% each Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. I took some basic notes:
Plummy with oak and currants.
Young and fresh, with hints of eucalyptus and oregano
87 points
At this price point it is a very serviceable party wine that won’t disappoint. It could use another year of cellaring and drink till 2019. 3 stars from me. Salut….
08 Saturday Nov 2014
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A Columbia Valley charmer that Moxie picked up a while back. She meant to make Sangria and bought a bunch of different whites to try. The party never materialized so I got to open her choices. This one was very pale gold in the glass and had aromas of pineapple, citrus, cantaloupe and ginger. It was not as acidic as I like but had a mouthful of lemon/lime, melon and some apple. A mid palate switch to blood oranges and the spice mix again. 87 points and 3 stars for this $11 wine. Drink now with light fare or by the pool on a hot day. It has a unique flavor profile that should appeal to many as an easy drinker. Salut….
07 Tuesday Oct 2014
Posted in Wine reviews
A wine with great pedigree from Colchagua in Chile yet it failed to impress me. It was on special, 3 for $28, regularly priced at $14. Plum and oak on the nose from a very dark purple glass made for a promising drop. Unfortunately it was tart and thin on the opening leaving me puzzled. I did manage to get some plums and eucalyptus on the palate along with some very basic tannins. Black berries finally showed up on the mid palate with a certain sourness that was a little too unbalanced for me. I initially gave this wine 86 points, but after opening the other two bottles I think I may have had some bottle variation. Final verdict- 87 points and 2 stars overall. I plan on re-tasting this one. Salut….
11 Monday Aug 2014
Posted in Wine reviews
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$20, 2 stars, 87 points, aussie shiraz, mclaren vale, shiraz
Every once in a while I come across a score that I totally disagree with. This one is definitely in that camp. The wine was a dark purple in the glass which was a good start. On the nose I coaxed fruits of blue and red currants by swirling like crazy. Once I tasted the wine I wrote ‘Picture blue plums’. That’s all I could muster. Bracing acidity with mild tannins made for a rather boring drink that I was trying to pair with some Hanger steak. Two of the reviews gave this McLaren Vale Shiraz 93 points and WS gave it 88. I’m going with 87 personally and for the $20 retail price, it gets 2 stars. Salut….
22 Tuesday Jul 2014
Posted in Wine reviews
I must admit that I am in total disagreement with this wine’s rating. I bought it on sale with the high hopes that it’s 95 point badge was going to be right up my alley. I paid $25 or so dollars for it which would have made it a 5 star wine worthy of kings. Alas, it was not to be. Here is what the critics wrote…”Deep purple-crimson; the class of wine shines through from the first whiff to the long finish and aftertaste; multi-spice, licorice and black pepper are woven through the blackberry and plum fruit, fine-grained tannins in support.”
Here are my notes:Plums and dark cherry nose, lithe and thin with alcohol notes. Plums and spice with a touch of wood. That is all I could write, I was so underwhelmed that I did not bother to seek deeper into the glass. I may have opened a bad bottle, perhaps it is in a coma state. Either way, I have one more and will wait a while to see if this Western Australian Shiraz comes any where near its claimed score. For me 87 points and 2 stars. Salut….
27 Friday Jun 2014
Posted in Wine reviews
If you have read my last two posts you will know I jetted off to Bali for the weekend. This is the wine I sipped on my first morning there, sitting poolside reading my wine book. It was the perfect setting, and a great refreshing wine to start my Balinese adventure off with. Here are my notes, I guessed the retail price for fun and hit it right on.
Very aromatic nose with apricots and floral notes
A cross between Riesling and Albariño
Marked effervescence
Very smooth mouthfeel with a creamy mousse
Not very acidic but well balanced
87 points
$12
That makes this wine a 3 star effort in my books and worthy of any summer picnic, pool party or early evening aperitif. Salut….
27 Friday Jun 2014
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Last week I had the opportunity to nip down to Bali for two nights. I seized the day and jumped on a southbound jet. The lunch menu on my flight screamed ‘white wine’ for starters and a red for the main course. I managed to take notes on my phone and the purser was kind enough to hold the bottle still so I could snap a pick. This Burgundy white is 100% Chardonnay and aged in stainless vats.
The wine had a pale yellow complexion and started off with a fruity aroma, apples and pears being quite dominant. Not overly acidic, it was fresh and zesty with pear and green apples opening the show with a touch of nectarine on the mid palate. The stone fruits really came through on the back end and the wine showed good minerality. Many times I find some of these wines to be over-oaked, not so in this case. This wine should be drunk young and went really well with my seafood appetizer and salad. I gave it 87 points and a quick search on the internet says you can find it for about $12, a bargain. 4 stars for the price! Salut….
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