31 Wednesday Jul 2013
Posted in Wine reviews
A decent bottle of Barossa Shiraz that won’t break the bank. Unlike many jammy wines from this region, the Yalumba was more refined, perhaps a little leaner. Chocolate and plums on the nose translated into dark fruits and gentle tannins in the mouth. Good balance and acidity made this an easy wine to drink. I’m not sure it could handle a big fatty steak, but it should pair well with Veal chops or roasted chicken. 88 points and 3 stars for me…
13 Saturday Jul 2013
Posted in Wine reviews
I’m a big fan of this winery, having had their Zinfandel on several occasions. You can’t beat the sub $10 price for this inky purple offering that plays like a 25 dollar wine. On the nose, some spice and blue fruits that translated into plum and blackberries on the palate. Not overly complex, but interesting. I am into Petite Sirah in a big way (not to be confused with Sirah-totally different grape folks). It offers power, yet not in a jammy, over the top style. This wine was very balanced in my opinion and hit the spot with some teriyaki skirt steaks and corn. Structure wise, I am not sure it will age beyond 5 years, but who cares, it’s ready to tango right now. I might need a few bottles in the cellar in case a party breaks out, this wine won’t disappoint. Technically speaking, this would probably rate an 88 by the pro’s but it’s a 5 star wine for me.
27 Monday May 2013
Posted in Wine reviews
From the south of Italy comes this almost black wine, made from Aglianico grapes. I once had a waiter correct me on the pronunciation, which is technically “ahl-YAH-nee-koe”. He insisted that it was Ag-lee-a-nicko. His tip was commensurate to his wine knowledge…..
Anyway, I digress. Aglianicos are tannic monsters, and this particular wine was tighter than a drum. I had to pry it open with my Vinturi just to coax any semblance of juice from beneath its lurking , brooding shell. Once there, it showed off some really nice blackberry and bramble. A hint of earth and some flowers were noticed. Extremely tannic, almost like painting your teeth with purple tannins, yet surprisingly fresh. This wine is already 5 years into its aging and is still an infant. The acidity is setup for long term cellaring, which should allow this wine to evolve, mellow and show itself much better. It would be unfair to judge it too soon, however- 88 points initially and 3 stars for now. I have more, and will re-taste them in the future after a severe decanting for several hours.
If you have never had an Aglianico, they are really delicious when ready, very similar to Tannat and perhaps Nero D’Avola from Sicily. I enjoy these varietals as off-the-beaten path wines, they offer intrigue and spice up my cellar.
21 Tuesday May 2013
Posted in Wine reviews
An interesting blend of white wines from California, from the same clan that make Caymus and Belle Glos. Obviously a thoroughbred wine, this bottle is delicious. The label does not name varietals, but I am guessing a healthy dose of Viognier, a good proportion of Sauvignon Blanc, some Chardonnay and what else?
The Viognier is forefront, giving it that rose and floral scent that I love. Some apricots are also indicative of the semillon, let’s add that to the fray. I sense some cat pee and grass, telltale signs of Sauvignon Blanc and the balancer is the chardonnay. Acidity is decent, albeit not as sharp as I like in a white. Elegant and smooth on the palate, it has a long finish.
This wine is intriguing. It offers pre-dinner pleasure and paired well for my midweek fish and chips with the kids meal. In fact, Moxie even had a glass, which says something. It is not in everyone’s taste, yet I think it scores well technically and I really enjoyed it for the price. As an aside, I served Moxie hers in a Riedel Vinum Sauvignon Blanc glass while mine was poured into the Chardonnay version. Whilst you may be laughing at the sublety, there is a difference. Hers tasted more cat-peeish and had stronger green grass notes, while mine was more aromatic and fuller in the mouth. I had to really work hard at differentiating, but the proof is in the glass. Make sure you use the right one, and always go for a quality brand, versus some fancy crystal one with useless carvings and engravings. You can read about my unofficial taste test here. Meantime, 4 stars and 88 points. Great for a summer’s eve.
Sav Blanc | Chardonnay
08 Wednesday May 2013
Posted in Wine reviews
I recently had the 2008 Meaume and enjoyed it for its price, quality and mass appeal. The 2009 version takes it a step further. More intense than the ’08 with red fruits and currant on the nose, the oak is cleverly masked. On the palate, an appealing tannic presentation of plum and red berries that is evenly balanced with the acidity. Not overly complex, it is clearly made to appeal to the masses, yet I find myself wanting to cellar a few bottles just to see. I think it would pair greatly with duck confit, beef burgundy, even sloppy joe’s! At under $15, well worth searching out this charming Bordeaux. 4 stars easily for its goodness ratio, and 88 points if you want to get technical.
05 Sunday May 2013
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
I have had this label many vintages ago and it rings well for good value and taste. Not overly done, it is also far from restrained. Offering up black pepper, blackcurrants and some oaky smokiness. It is rounded in the mouth and the tannins are very smooth. For $15 you are getting an excellent party wine that will impress yet not break the bank. I imagine another 5 years is tops for cellaring and it might benefit from a few of those. I reckon 3 stars and 88 points for this Barossa offering.
21 Sunday Apr 2013
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
I bought two magnums of this St. Emilion several years ago to test a theory on storing magnums versus regular sized bottles. I just needed to prove to myself that a magnum ages slower. Damn straight. This bottle is still young and exhibits plenty of youth with its rather obtrusive tannins. Not overly complex or heralded, it is nonetheless a Bordeaux. Bright cherries on the nose translated into cranberry and leather on the palate. A decent finish and balance were evident as were the tannins. I don’t think I paid very much for these magnums and am pleasantly surprised. I will hold the other one for another 3-4 years and re-visit. I might mention that I drank from this bottle over three nights, with the second night being the smoothest. The third night showed too much oxidation and the first night it needed air.
I just did a quick price search, the ’09 can be had for $20. Bang for the buck, 4 stars. Quality-wise I reckon this wine would have to be 88 points.
14 Sunday Apr 2013
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
My friend brought this bottle to the party, claiming “France- 2009, you can’t go wrong”….. He is quite correct. At $9.99 a bottle, this little beauty is a winner. Blended with 70% Grenache, 20% Carignan and the last 10% Cinsault, this wine has much to offer. A deep purple color in the glass, it translated into dark fruits on the nose and the palate. Blackberry and red currants meet an earthy quality swirling around in some pretty young tannins. This wine is still young, with some tannins still to be resolved. I reckon it will develop nicely in two years and be much better. For now, 88 points and 4 stars.
07 Sunday Apr 2013
Posted in Stuff....
Tags
I don’t normally pop and pour such young Bordeaux, but this vintage was stunning and has produced some really tasty early drinkers. A St. Emilion blend of 75% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Cabernet Franc (love that grape..). Too young I’m afraid. But I managed to massage the wine with my Vinturi, artificially aging it in the process and softening the tannins.
On the nose, blueberry and coffee lead into a tannic blueberry and earth on the palate. The tannins are very strong with this one, yet they are smooth. This bodes well as the wine has a backbone on which it can age. I cannot however find much complexity, so where it evolves is anybody’s guess.
I lit the charcoal tonight and served up some searingly spicy Jerk Lamb to which I figured this wine would match- I was correct. Most red wines cannot hang with spicy foods, especially Indian. The lamb, well trimmed and charred on charcoal, was fatty enough to warrant a tannic monster, yet was not overpowering on the spices to dull the fruit of this wine.
Post-dinner, I had the opportunity to swirl this wine some more, trying to coax additional notes. The bottle has been open for almost two hours and I am still getting loads of earth on the nose. On the palate there is a nagging alcohol compound that is worrisome. The tannins are searing now, really coating my gums. Overall, this wine has aging potential, yet lacks depth. It has tasty fruit, yet one dimensional. I can’t give it more than 3 stars and fathom it’s worth 88 points. Drink from 2015-2020.
18 Monday Feb 2013
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
A Cru Bourgeois from the 2009 that has textbook qualities at an affordable price. Plums and earth on the nose translate well to the palate. Slightly edgy and a touch acidic it has decent tannins and should cellar well for another 5 years. Not our favorite of the tasting, but all things considered I would buy this again. 3 stars, 88 points.
Wine reviews 