Tag Archives: 88 points

Concha Y Toro Grand Reserva Series Ribera del Cachapoal Carmenere Chile 2014

03 Saturday Dec 2016

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Dark purple. Nose of earthy plums and black currant.  On the palate – blackberry, plum and dusty tannins.  Half way through I’m getting some blueberry hints and the telltale earthy component that Tempranillo often shows.  The acidity is a little off for me but the tannins are ever present and leave the finish a nice shade of dry.  WS gave this wine 90 points.  I’m going with 88.  A decent drop for a pop-n-pour night at home with some spaghetti, maybe a thin crust pizza.  $12 make this a 4 star wine.  Salut….

concha y toro gran reserva carmenere

Chateau Ste. Michelle Pinot Gris Columbia Valley 2015

24 Monday Oct 2016

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Pale yellow, almost cloud-like in the glass.  A nose of lemon curd, green melon and kumquat.  The flavors on the initial attack are pear, lemon and seven-up.  This wine reminds me of a steely Chablis, very minerally and biting.  Acidity is present but subsides nicely into a mid palate and finish of green pear and lemon drops.  This winery is very consistent and I really enjoy what they make.  88 points and 5 stars for this $9 effort.  A go-to winery in a pinch and on a budget.  I served it up with grilled Salmon. Salut….

set michelle pinot gris

Charles Smith ‘Eve’ Chardonnay Columbia Valley Washington 2014

08 Saturday Oct 2016

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Pale yellow and offering apple, quince and lemon notes on the nose.  Somewhat subdued on the palate on day one, I am writing this on day two where the wine has really opened up.  The mouthfeel is really nice, not flabby or overly acidic.  Yellow apples are the key ingredient and they are backed up with lemon zest and nutmeg.
This is a relatively ‘clean’ chard that provides good balance without going heavy into the buttery side or steely on to the minerally side.  88 points and a great wine for sipping or pairing with some cajun seafood.  I’m going 4 stars on this $10 effort.  I am a big fan of this winery, they produce very consistent wines at several price points.  Salut….
eve chardonnay

Sigston Swift Tatachilla Block Reserve Shiraz 2011, McLaren Vale

31 Wednesday Aug 2016

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This was the second Sigston Swift bottle at our tasting, the other being the Aunt Prissy Tempranillo.  This Reserve Shiraz has a bit of bottle age on it and is drinking well.  A nice purple color that leaves a sexy set of legs on the glass and introduces you to a nose of gorgeous black and blue currants. I’m missing the telltale white pepper notes associated with Mclaren Vale Shiraz, but they are replaced with some vanilla that I’m really liking. On the initial attack I get black berry torte, some blueberry pie and a touch of cinnamon. Mid palate wise it just flows on from the front end. The wine finishes with perfume, some slight tannins and black cherries. I think this wine is worthy of 87 points and 3 stars for its $15 price point.  Drink now-2018.  Salut….

sigston swift tatachilla block reserve shiraz

Sigston Swift Aunt Prissy Tempranillo 2014, McLaren Vale

31 Wednesday Aug 2016

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A friend brought this to the tasting, and I was impressed.  I was not expecting a Tempranillo from Australia, nor one that was this delicious.

Dark purple, with lots of extraction.  A full on nose of black currants, a hint of earth/dust and possibly some eucalyptus. A super smooth intro of Ribena, black olive and spice on the palate.  The tannins are very integrated and there is a nice touch of acidity.  The mid palate gives black fruit and an interesting note of bell peppers.  This wine drinks well now and will drink nicely all by itself or perhaps with some charcuterie.  It may have some cellaring capacity but the structure calls for pop-n-pour.  It closes with a sour cherry note and a mid length finish that I enjoyed.  I’m not sure if much oak influenced this wine but the relatively low 13% alcohol makes it a treat to drink.  I really like this wine and look forward to it becoming more widely available.  A very respectable 88 points from me and 4 stars for its $15 price point.  Salut….

sigston swift aunt prissy tempranillo

Mollydooker Miss Molly Sparkling Shiraz, South Australia 2010

31 Wednesday Aug 2016

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I first opened a Miss Molly in January of 2014.  This second bottle has been cellared in hopes of seeing evolution.  I only drank it in a flute, rather than tasting it as I did the first time.

Nose of cassis syrup, with an effervescent plum component.  On the palate is where it all starts- pepper, spice, black berries, plum jam and cassis.  The mousse keeps bringing back the blackberry and cassis throughout the mid palate and on to the finish.  The wine ends with a white pepper and cassis note in a somewhat short fashion.  I don’t detect any tannins but there is a definite acidity that keeps the wine fresh and bracing.  I previously gave this wine 90 points, but at this stage it gets 88 points.  We drank it with grilled salmon and Caeser salad.  It would rock some raw clams or perhaps roasted quail.  3 stars for this $25 offering.  Salut….
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Phebus Reserva Malbec 2014

16 Saturday Jul 2016

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My buddy brought this over for dinner recently and we popped it right away with some appetizers of Goat Brie, Olives, Gruyere and charcuterie.  It drank very well and was a nice intro to a big night.  I did not get very detailed in the notes as I was busy entertaining and cooking, needless to say, I would buy this again as an everyday go-to Malbec.

Dark purple. Pepper, plum and capsicum on the nose. Good acidity that frames the dark fruits with some very gentle tannins. Easy going mid-palate that takes you through to the blackberry filled finish.  88 points and at $14 it gets 3 stars from me.  Salut….

phebus malbec reserva

La Mitre Chateauneuf Du Pape 2010

11 Monday Jul 2016

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I wrote about La Mitre three years ago and recommended giving it a 2-3 year cellaring.  I opened one up the other night and here is what I had to say about this offering that is now selling for $30.

A lighter purple that is somewhat opaque. Interesting nose of game, plum, rhubarb and an earthiness. On the palate it reveals some astringent tannins that are prominent yet dissipate to reveal cherry, garrigue and cola. There’s a certain imbalance between the tannins, fruit and acidity that I can’t my head around. This wine is 6 years old and needs a little more time. 88 points from me and 3 stars.  I plan on re-tasting in a year or two.  Salut….

la mitre chateaupneuf du pape

Alain Roy Givry en Vauvry 2012

30 Thursday Jun 2016

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alain roy givryBurgundian Pinot Noir is a minefield for me.  So many different villages, so many producers, so many vintage variations and so little time to taste them all.  I’m happy to get busy though!

This one started out a pale purple in the glass with a crimson cherry nose with green notes, very fruit forward for a Burgundy.  The thing that makes this region so alluring is the terroir and what it brings out of the finicky Pinot grape.  I always think of earth, barnyard, funk and restrained fruit.  This one is different with initial tastes of strawberry, tart rhubarb and violet. Streaking acidity with gentle tannins balance each other well. A decent, if short finish of floral notes and some cherry with acidity swirling around the gums along with the tannins. I think this one needs some cellar time. 2017-2022. 88 points for this tasty yet atypical Burgundy. 3 stars for this $24 effort.  Salut….

ED Note.  I found this article in drafts from May of 2015 and just now published it.

Albert Bichot Bourgogne Vieilles Vignes 2006

14 Saturday May 2016

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I bought this bottle at a wine shop that was closing and sat on it (forgot about it) until recently.  Nice, rich looking see-through purple in the glass. A nose of cherry, cola and earth. On the initial taste I got blue berries, lingonberry and a swath of swirling acidity. After a few minutes of air time the wine opens up even more, with sharper concentration of fruit with some tannins mingling with the acidity. A mid palate of plum puree hits me now and the tannins are defined, which for Pinot is rare. This wine is 10 years young and has much life left in it, I reckon maturity will hit in 2020 at the earliest. An entry level Burgundy that I really enjoyed. 88 points. $17 or so make this 3 stars in my books.  Salut….

albert bichot bourgogne vielille vignes