Tag Archives: 89 points

Arabella Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Western Cape, South Africa

02 Friday May 2025

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Medium ruby colored with slight staining, and a medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black cherry, black plum, licorice, charred oak, mint, tomato stalk, and coffee.  The palate is dry with medium (-) acidity, a medium body and medium tannins that are plush. Slightly more intense flavors of black cherry, black plum, licorice, coffee, and a hint of tomato leaf.  The finish is very smooth and lush, the tannins completely melded and the ripe fruit shining through.  It’s a tasty drop with a structure to age short term that will pair nicely with filet, veal or a hearty roast duck.  I enjoyed the 2019 vintage and think this one is on par at 89 points.  Still running $13, it’s a solid 4 star wine.  Salut….

Arabella Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Franck Massard Garnacha 2021, Spain

29 Tuesday Apr 2025

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Pale ruby colored, with medium viscosity (14.2% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of red raspberry, garrigue, strawberry, funky mushroom, violet, and rhubarb.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium tannins.  There’s a noticeable astringency on the mid palate.  Medium intensity flavors of red raspberry, rhubarb, pomegranate, strawberry, earthy dried herbs and some barnyard funk.  The finish is a lively, tart affair that goes on medium length.  An interesting wine that I am enjoying, as I did the 2019 vintage.  It will pair well with lighter meat dishes, tapas, or even a roast hen.  Drink till 2028.  89 points for this $15 bottling makes it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Franck Massard Garnacha

Domaine la Soumade Rasteau 2019, Rhone, France

06 Sunday Apr 2025

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Deep purple colored with copper highlights, slight staining, and a high viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of red and black raspberry, black cherry, violets, game, blackberry, black licorice, and saline.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that are youthful and frontal.  The intensity of the palate is slightly less than the nose but echoes the varied red and black fruit, spice nuance and gamy note.  It’s a touch astringent, the tannins feel a bit green and persistent.  The alcohol is noticeable, not only on the nose, but on the mid palate and finish.  It eventually blows off.  The finish is medium (+) in length and concentrates on the black raspberry and game notes. I picked this wine to pair with rack of lamb, I think it will work out nicely, the tannins should resolve with the fat of the dish.  89 points from me for this Southern Rhone blend of Grenache (70%), Syrah (20%), and Mourvèdre (10%).  At $17, it gets 3 stars from me.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Domaine la Soumade Rasteau

Brothers Miller Thankfulness Red 2022, Central Coast, California

05 Saturday Apr 2025

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Medium ruby colored, with medium viscosity (14.1% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black cherry, black raspberry, acai berry, a touch of game, and red licorice.  The palate is dry (perhaps a touch of RS? ), with medium acidity, a medium body, and medium tannins that are crunchy.  Medium intensity flavors of black cherry, acai berry, charred oak, baking spice, black raspberry, and a medicinal hint.  The finish has quite a bit of tannic grip but the fruit flavors go on mid length.  My initial reaction to the nose was not overly favorable, but after a few sips I find myself enjoying it quite a lot.  It has an interesting bitterness to it yet the fruit is quite ripe.  Somewhat one-dimensional it lacks much complexity yet it delivers on what it has.  I like it, 89 points worth.  It came as part of a mixed case from a club and runs $15. This blend of Pinot Noir, Barbera, Grenache, and Valdigué gets 4 stars from me.  I would drink it till 2028 and pair it with corned beef, filet or even a roast chicken.  Salut….

Brothers Miller Central Coast Thankfulness Red

Signature des Princes Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2023, Rhone, France

14 Friday Mar 2025

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Medium ruby colored, with medium viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of red raspberry, rhubarb, cranberry, acai berry, violet, orange peel, dusty oak (reminiscent of sawdust), licorice, and some spice box.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a medium body, and medium tannins.  Medium (+) intensity flavors with a touch of bitterness lead to a red-fruit dominated finish that is medium in length with some obvious heat coming through.  It’s quite nicely balanced except for the alcohol hit at the end. A blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre- typical for the region.  89 points from me and for $35, it gets 3 stars.  It will cellar nicely till 2028 and pair with lighter game, filet mignon or a hearty stew.  Salut….

Signature des Princes Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Sam Plunkett The Butterfly Effect Cabernet Shiraz 2021, Victoria, Australia

11 Tuesday Feb 2025

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Deep purple colored turning slightly bluer on the edges with slight staining and medium viscosity (14.3% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of ripe plum, eucalyptus, vanilla, blackberry, brambleberry, baking spices, purple licorice, tomato leaf, green and black peppercorns, and acai berry.  It’s jam packed with dark fruit aromas.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium tannins that are plush.  The ripe black fruit weaves through eucalyptus, vanilla and spice notes.  The green note I caught on the nose repeats on the mid palate with a touch of unripe stem coupled with some charred oak notes.  The finish is juicy and medium (-) in length.  I am enjoying the melange of flavors in this $13 bottle and think it will benefit from some short term cellaring.  I give it 89 points and 4 stars.  Salut….

Sam Plunkett The Butterfly Effect Cabernet Shiraz

Albert Bichot Bourgogne Pinot Noir Origines 2022, Burgundy, France

10 Monday Feb 2025

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Pale ruby colored fading to a platinum rim, with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose of this Pinot Noir has medium intensity aromas of forest floor, cranberry, white strawberry, pomegranate, vanilla, baking spices, and a green stalk note.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a light body, and low tannins that make for a very gentle and caressing mouthfeel.  The flavors are of medium (-) intensity and echo the nose particularly with the red fruit notes.  It’s not as earthy on the palate and the green notes are very feint.  The finish is a slightly tart affair that is medium in length and refreshing.  It’s a crisp red that is pleasing without being overly complex, a good weekday drop.  For $23 it’s a pretty decent bottle that gets 89 points from me and 3 stars.  Drink till 2027 with lighter meats, salmon or poultry.  Salut….

Albert Bichot Bourgogne Pinot Noir Origines

Ruca Malen Capitulo Dos Petit Verdot 2020, Los Chacayes, Argentina

05 Sunday Jan 2025

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Tasted at the 38th virtual wine tasting, this single varietal Petit Verdot performed as I had hoped, introducing the group to this grape that is normally blended.  This bottling was deep ruby colored with moderate staining, and a high viscosity (14.9% ABV).  Medium intensity aromas of Maduro, with smoke, black licorice, red Twizzler, blackberry, and tobacco.  On the palate we got medium (-) acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins.  Blackberry led the charge with pencil lead, red beet, tobacco, pomegranate and sour cherry supporting.  A tart finish that lasted medium length led me to award 13 points on our scoring sheet.  Technically speaking, this $20 effort gets 89 points and 3 stars.  Drink till 2029.  Salut….

Ruca Malen Capitulo Dos Petit Verdot

Artazu Pasos de San Martin Garnacha 2016, Navarra, Spain

05 Sunday Jan 2025

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Tasted at our 38th virtual wine tasting- this Garnacha performed decently for many in the group.  It had a a medium garnet complexion with medium viscosity (14.5% ABV).  On the nose we smelled lavender, smoke, peat, barnyard funk, cranberry, blackberry, raspberry, black olives, and some funky blue cheese.  The palate had medium (-) acidity, a medium body, and medium (+) tannins that are nicely integrated.  Green peppercorn flavors with black olives, red raspberry, black cherry, black pepper, and that funky blue cheese led to a medium length finish.  This wine was just okay for me and got 11 points on our tasting sheet but scored 89 points for technical merit.  At $20, I would like to revisit this 3 star effort and give it a chance to open up and release the funk.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Artazu Pasos de San Martin Garnacha

Precision Wine Company Circumference Chardonnay 2023, Russian River Valley, California

01 Wednesday Jan 2025

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Pale lemon colored with gold highlights, and a watery sheen that gives way to some thick, slow moving legs (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of ripe tropical fruit.  Pink guava, apricot, papaya, nectarine, green almond, a touch of butter, and a hit of baking spice.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body and ripe fruit flavors that echo the nose.  The finish is silky and medium (+) in length, showing off the fruit rather nicely.  There are subtle secondary notes, the focus being the fruit profile.  It’s a heavy wine with a rather substantial alcohol content that would probably need to be served well chilled as I can see it ballooning out of control once it gets warmed up.  I am pairing it with Chinese food and it’s working rather nicely.  89 points for this $25 effort makes it a 4 star wine to drink till 2030.  Salut….

precision wine company Circumference Russian River Valley Chardonnay