Tag Archives: 89 points

Marques de Murrieta Reserva 2015, Rioja DOCa, Spain

08 Friday May 2020

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It’s showing dark purple in the glass with barely perceptible legs- almost opaque.  On the nose I get jammy black currants, mint, cedar shake and bramble.  On the palate it is inky, with a nice grip of tannins right off the bat.  Black fruits, some earth and sour cherry notes all meet me after the initial wave of those tannins.  The mid palate is a little more tart, with a nice touch of acidity.  I was hoping for a little more earth out of this Tempranillo.  It delivers a more fresh and fruity wine that has its own nuances and attractions.  I am enjoying its youth.  The finish is a nice tart affair with some sour blackberries and a diminishing tannic presence.  The wine is still young but I think it will drink well for 5 more years.  I was looking forward to a bit more oak to be honest. Overall- decent, not great.  89 points and 3 stars for this $25 wine that garnered 90+ points from the pros.  Maybe I need to let it sit longer before I popped and poured, I don’t understand.  Perhaps it’s in a dumb stage.  Salut….

Cusumano Nero d’Avola Terre Siciliane IGT 2018, Sicily, Italy

26 Sunday Apr 2020

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Number two in the virtual line-up was this Nero D’Avola from Sicily.  I wanted to add a relatively unknown varietal to try and introduce new wines to my friends.  This one was a steal at $12 and scored highly amongst the attendees.  I gave it 89 points and will go with 4 stars.  It had some very nice black fruits, good tannic structure and a decent finish of licorice and oak adding to plums.  Cellar for up to 6 years.  A good wine to have in case you need a quick go-to bottle.  Salut….  

Chateau Langoa-Barton 2008, Saint-Julien, France

21 Tuesday Apr 2020

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A stunning, deep purple in the glass that belies this wine’s age.  On the nose it’s somewhat muted but I do manage to coax some graphite,  plum reduction and anise.  On the palate it’s still young, acerbic yet relatively fruit forward.  Blueberry, sour cherry and that minerality all show up.  The mix of acid and tannins battle each other as the midpalate shows more blueberries and some rhubarb.  I have to say- it’s quite tart and lacking much wood influence.  The finish is pretty much the same with a decent 30 second tail.  I’m serving this with Sunday roast, and somewhat regret opening such a young wine.  Give it 3-5 more years.  For now, 89 points and 2 stars for this $70 offering.  Salut….

St. Michael-Eppan San Michele Appiano Pinot Grigio Sudtirol – Alto Adige 2018, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

06 Monday Apr 2020

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Very light shade of yellow/orange in the glass.  The nose offers spiced lemon zest, some green apples and honeysuckle.  The palate is crisp, with gobs of the green apple, some citrus and a modicum of acidity.  The mid palate softens and has a glycerin-like mouthfeel.  The green fruits are alive and well.  The tail end gives me a note of hazelnut- intriguing.  It’s rather a short finish but it is well balanced.  This wine will drink nicely till 2023 and I would pair it with salad Niçoise, herbed chicken breast or even a stir fry.  89 points and 4 stars for this $14 quaffer.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 678 Pinot Noir 2017, Willamette Valley, Oregon

01 Wednesday Apr 2020

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Absolutely see-through and a very pale shade of red. The nose gives me bing cherry, wild strawberry and clove.  The palate is quite intriguing.  A muted red fruit presence with a touch of cinnamon and mushroom. Raspberries represent on the mid palate alongside rooibos tea and sour cherry.  The acidity slides in nicely, not overdone nor abrupt.  It’s a nice mouthfeel with a touch of heat on the finish.  There is a cedar component as well that I’m enjoying.  Overall it’s a decent Pinot that I’m giving 89 points.  4 stars for this $16 effort.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 696 Pinot Noir 2017, Chehalem Mountains, Oregon

27 Friday Mar 2020

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Typical for Pinot- this wine is reddish in color and see through. On the nose it’s very fruity, strawberry and cherry.  On the palate is has a sour cherry note as well as cola.  The sourness is refreshing and accentuates the cherry theme.  The mid palate is much the same and the finish gets a crescendo of the sour cherry component.  It’s a bit gritty though, and my teeth are a little tinged.  It’s a nice length that tapers off.  I’m enjoying this wine and would pair it with roast Duck, perhaps a pasta casserole.  I’m going 89 points on this $20 Pinot.  3 stars- drink till 2027.  Salut….

Chateau Pelan Bellevue 2016, Cotes de Bordeaux Francs, France

16 Monday Mar 2020

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I did not make notes on the first night, palate fatigue…On night two- it’s a rich purple and opaque.  On the nose it’s very earthy with notes of tobacco, iodine and blackberry.  On the palate it is very interesting- the uniqueness of the secondary flavors piques my interest.  Black cherries come out along with very concise tannins.  There’s a touch of astringency on the midpalate that I’m willing to overlook- the wine is multilayered enough for me to concentrate on the other facets.  It’s interesting, of decent quality and intriguing.  The finish leaves me with a desire for another mouthful.  89 points 5 stars for this $14 Merlot/Cab/Franc blend.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Inniskillin Pinot Noir Niagara Peninsula 2018, Canada

16 Monday Mar 2020

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I drank an Inniskillin Pinot last summer that blew my socks off.  I wanted to find it again on a recent trip to Montreal.  This was the best the shop had.  See through, medium purple.  Strawberry ganache and cherry on the nose.  The palate- I get sour cherry, charcoal and earthiness.  The mid palate is focused, cherry and rhubarb.  On the finish it’s rather short but tannins emerge to round it out.  89 points and a little underwhelming considering the hype I built over the other bottle.  $14 makes it a 3 star effort to drink till 2026.  Salut….

PS. Stock photo as I forgot to take one

Cameron Hughes Lot 622 Riesling 2016, Columbia Valley, Washington

04 Wednesday Mar 2020

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Tonight I’m cooking outside the box, chicken livers in peri-peri sauce and some in a Port wine reduction.  I’m grilling a pork loin as a backup.  So, I needed something white that will take the heat of the spicy sauce, Riesling is the obvious choice.

It’s a light shade of yellow in the glass,  the nose is very fresh with citrus, melon, apple peel.  On the palate it’s quite sweet, round and full bodied.  It’s not as focused and acidic as I was hoping for, it’s more of a salmon or pate on toast kinda wine.   It will work I think, but the style is wrong for the pairing.

The palate offers up yellow pear, banana, melon and a touch of candied apple.  Not a lemon or lime in sight.  The midpalate is really rich, expanding into those flavors whilst the finish is short and sweet- literally.  I’m enjoying this wine all by itself, really tasty and easy to drink.  I’m going 89 points and 4 stars for this $12 bottle.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 676 White Blend 2016, Santa Barbara, California

02 Monday Mar 2020

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Very golden in the glass, beautiful and rich.  On the nose I get peach stone, yellow apple, melon.  On the palate it’s quite different- I still get peach stone, but the focus is more pineapple, honeydew, lanolin.  The mouthfeel is quite full, a nice level of acidity and some glycerin.  The mid palate shows off stone fruit and a touch of sour apple.  The finish is medium length and continues the theme nicely.  This is a good blend of Roussane, Viognier and Marsanne that I would serve with caeser salad, smoked salmon or grilled chicken.  89 points, $14 and 4 stars.  Salut….