Tag Archives: 88 points

Castellani Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2012, Tuscany, Italy

25 Thursday Oct 2018

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After a cork failure, I had to sift through the debris to find a light purple wine that is nearly see-through. The nose has pencil lead, plums, sour cherries.  The palate is somewhat lighter than I imagined, cherry being the prime player here.  There is a certain amount of garigue I sense in addition to mushroom and leather.  The acidity is slightly overpowering the mild tannins, but I don’t mind.  It has a nice cut to it.  The astringency hits on the finish, where the tannic dryness grips the gums.  I would say the fruit has really taken a back seat here.  Drink till 2021 with pasta, pizza or charcuterie.  88 points and 3 stars from me for this $15 wine.  Salut….

The Vineyards at Hershey Merlot NV, Hershey PA

22 Monday Oct 2018

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My old college buddy Japes took me to this winery for a tasting.  I enjoyed the Merlot the most out of their offerings in red and brought home this $25 non-vintage bottle.  It is slightly cloudy in the glass, with nice shades of lighter purple.  On the nose- damson, sea salt, iodine and blueberry pie.  The palate is very smooth with flavors of blueberry, plum ganache and cedar shake.  The tannins grip slightly more than I remember and are a welcome addition to the mid palate.  The wine transitions to the back end in a seamless manner, the flavors are consistent throughout.  The acidity is very nicely balanced with the structure and gives this wine a 3-5 year drinking window.  Since there are no vintages, it’s anyones guess when this bottle was made.  The label quotes Cherry as the initial flavor, I somewhat disagree, could be bottle or vintage variation.  Anyway, it is tasty and the vineyard is a neat place to visit, especially if they have an event going on.  It gets 88 points and 3 stars from me.   Salut….

Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Central Valley, Chile

04 Thursday Oct 2018

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Medium opacity, good color.  Nose is full of espresso, black berry and lush plums.  The palate is very smooth, slightly acidic and starts off with black currants, charred oak and olives.  The mid palate has more black fruit with the tannins starting to grip.  I like the deft use of oak here and it smooths the wine nicely.  The finish is medium in length, brimming with black cherry with the tannins receding nicely.  88 points and 5 stars for this $11 wine.  Great value from Chile.  Salut….

Quinta de Roriz Prazo de Roriz 2016, Douro, Portugal

17 Friday Aug 2018

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Medium intensity in the glass.  The nose is a bit funky, heavy on the oak and reeking of red fruits.  Not particularly my favorite profile btw.  The palate is very woody- raspberry and black cherry are the predominant flavors with a tart note to boot.  There is a greeness to the midpalate to go along with the medium tannins.  Acidity is decent and the wine balances on the finish.  It’s a bit disjointed initially but comes together on a decent length ending.  88 points and 3 stars for this $11 effort.  I may not purchase again as I don’t like the profile, some others may enjoy it though.  Touriga Naconal 38%, Tinta Barroca 26%, Tinta Roriz 20%, Touriga Franca 14%, Tinto Cao 2%.  Salut….

Kirkland Signature Reserva 2013, Rioja DOCa, Spain

11 Monday Jun 2018

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I have only tasted two other Kirkland branded wines.  They were both just okay.  This is a shot at redemption.  I have purchased this bottle and a Cabernet that I will get to next week.  Here’s hoping for the best!

In the glass it is of medium opacity, with a lighter shade of purple.  The nose offers up plums, star anise and vanilla bean.  On the palate, I am surprised and happy.  Smooth, balanced and very tasty.  The plums give way to blue fruits, juicy acidity and tannins that are present but not impeding.  The anise flavor really hits me on the mid palate.  Earthy Tempranillo hints peek out every so often and the tar component that I like in Rioja finally emerges.  Decent length finish of black cherry and oak.  The wine has backbone and good balance.  It offers immediate pleasure with some cellaring potential.  Drink with hard cheeses, a lamb stew or even some kebabs and rice.  88 points and 5 stars for this relative bargain at $7, yup, $7.  Salut….

Spier Signature Pinotage 2015, Western Cape, South Africa

09 Saturday Jun 2018

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Picked this one up for $10 in Delaware, cause I was bored and wandered into a wine shop.  I also happen to really like Pinotage.  This one shows pretty light in the glass.  It’s a pretty purple though.  On the nose- textbook.  Creosote, black fruit, earth and charred wood.  On the palate, it is very fruity- plums, black berry and unique Kumquat note that I find very intriguing.  An orange like testiness with some acidity to it.  Very interesting.  The mid palate has tons of that creosote flavor I associate with Pinotage.  The tannins get a grip on the back end, but not overly so.  The finish has an oak tinge to it along with black berry cobbler.  A touch of vanilla rounds it all out.  I must say, I really like this wine.  It’s not very complex but it is really drinkable, is unique and is priced right.  88 points from me and 5 stars.  It will pair well with the marinated Flap Steaks I have on the grill.  Salut….

Castello d’Albola Chianti Classico DOCG 2014, Tuscany, Italy

01 Friday Jun 2018

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Another one in the value range I am working through from Costco.  It retailed for $14.  In the glass it is very see-through, pale and fresh looking.  Strawberry, hay and some pomegranate hit me on the nose, typical for young Sangiovese.  The wine is rather light on the initial palate, strawberry and some cherry juice are the predominant flavors.  The mid palate is very juicy, the acidity being prominent but curtailed by some nice tannins that appear toward the finish.  Basic flavors, easy to drink and priced right.  I would pair it with pizza, pasta and maybe roast chicken on the charcoal.  88 points from me and 4 stars.  Drink now till 2020.  Salut….

Chateau Giscours 2013, Margaux, France

30 Monday Apr 2018

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Purple, nice.  Mint, plums, wintergreen on the palate.  Very interesting.  The palate is fresh, young and tannic.  Blue fruits, sasparilla and cedar dominate.  Fine-grained tannins are evident but not overwhelming.  On the mid palate I get a strong blueberry component along with cedar.  The finish is short to medium in length and offers blue fruits, gentle tannins and some mild acidity.  This wine is rather basic, bland and thin.  It offers short term pleasure but is not age worthy.  Drink now.  88 points and 2 stars for this $50 Third-growth Margaux.  Salut….

Oberon Merlot 2016, Napa Valley, USA

30 Monday Apr 2018

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Solid, dark and brooding.  On the nose it is somewhat muted in this particular glass but I managed to coax black cherry, olives, cinnamon stick.  On the palate it is much more defined, albeit a bit tannic at first.  Plum and black berries come out with some nuttiness to go along with the mouth drying tannins, which are rather forceful by the mid palate.  Figs, a touch of oak and some more blue fruits tie it up with a mid length finish.  The wine is young, the tannins are quite untamed.  I would give this wine another 2 years in cellar and drink from 2020-2028.  88 points and 3 stars for this $19 effort.  Salut….

Spellbound Petite Sirah 2014, California, USA

06 Saturday Jan 2018

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I’ve tasted the 2010 Spellbound and liked it.  For dinner tonight I ordered it as I wasn’t in the mood for a big pricy bottle.  It was $33 on the menu, the cheapest offering at this Bay Area steak house.  Dark, inky purple in the glass as is to be expected for the varietal.  The nose offers black fruits, bramble and dusty tannins.  The palate gives me a nice, easy drinking black fruited wine with easy going acidity, smooth, lithe tannins and a nice dose of sunshine.  This basic wine offers much gratification, lots of primal flavor and a great mouthfeel.  88 points and 5 stars for this $12 effort that I enjoyed quite a bit.  Salut….