16 Thursday Feb 2017
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Very dark purple in the glass. A nose of plum, blue berries and a funky earthiness. The initial taste is of plum sauce, black olive and acai berry. Really interesting. On the mid palate I am getting dark fruits and some fig. It’s not until the finish do I sense the dryness of tannins, with some very slight acidity. This is a tasty wine with good mouthfeel that is drinking well right now and may reward some short term cellaring. 89 points. $22 make this a 3 star wine in my books. Salut….
07 Tuesday Feb 2017
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I have never tried or even heard of the Ruche grape, so I just had to give it a go. I’m winging it here with ratings and recommendations as I am flying blind and don’t know what to expect or what is typical.
A see through lighter purple in the glass. Nose of candy, strawberry and red licorice, very reminiscent of California Syrah. The initial tastes are peppery strawberry, red currants and some rather astringent tannins. The mid palate changes it up and introduces some tar, more red fruits and a very dry mouthfeel. Interesting to say the least. The tannins keep going through to the end where they mix it up with more strawberry. Somewhat one dimensional in my opinion. I bought it for $25 and it apparently got 98 points from a critic. I cannot agree nor can I argue, I just don’t know this grape- but for my money it comes in at 89 points and 2 stars. I would pass unless you like the lighter style of California Syrah, with some perky tannins thrown in. Salut….
05 Sunday Feb 2017
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From Sonoma comes this delicious Cabernet Sauvignon that got great reviews. I was excited to try it when I saw the bottle and was not disappointed.
Dark purple in the glass with a nose of red berries, a touch of oak and some cinnamon. On the palate, red fruits, bright acidity and some cola. On the mid palate , a hint of sasparilla, some eucalyptus and the ever present sharpness of the acidity, now with some offsetting tannins. The finish is decent in length and gives off strawberry notes with vanilla overtones. Overall a nice wine for the short to medium term. 89 points and for $18 it should be on your radar. 4 stars. Salut….
05 Sunday Feb 2017
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This is a dessert style red wine that my brother and sister in law gave us for Christmas. In hails from Virginia and proves yet again that this state is an up and coming wine region.
Reddish purple with a nose of stewed raspberries, honey, raisin. On the palate- prunes, smoke and stewed plum. Caramel notes with sherry hints show up on the mid palate. The 17.9 % alcohol is well disguised, so beware! The finish has some delectable tannins that mingle with a rather long rendition of plum torte meets blueberry pie. I’m no expert on this style of wine but I reckon it might be worth 89 points and a delightful way to end a big roast supper! For $39 it gets 3 stars from me. Made from the Chambourcin grape and fortified with grape spirit brandy. Salut….
21 Saturday Jan 2017
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$12, 4 stars, 89 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, paso robles, paso robles cabernet sauvignon
A buddy of mine brought this along. He paid $12 at Costco for it and I was impressed.
Nose of sweet cassis, blackberry and pepper. The palate shows dark fruits, solid tannins and juicy acidity. The mid palate gives plum, dark cherry and a hint of cedar. The finish is laced with mouth drying tannins and plum torte. I would pair it with many different dishes, pasta, steak, cheese plate. A really decent drop for a party and something to buy by the case. 89 points and 4 stars from me. Salut….
14 Saturday Jan 2017
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If you have never had a Ripasso wine before you need to hurry along and get one. It all starts with the Amarone wines, where the grapes are air dried for several months on wire racks and the fruit loses volume and increases its sugars. Once they press the grapes what is left over are the skins and seeds, minus the juices but still yielding some tannins and flavors that basic Valpolicella lacks. Once they ferment the Valpolicella wine they then ‘pass’ it over the remaining Amarone grape skins to impart a deeper color, structure, tannins and a depth of flavor. Some call them the baby Amarones. I have been a fan of this particular wine for a long time and was super excited to get a bottle the other day. Priced at $24, it is a good intro to the style.
Dark purple, with a nose of raisins, funk and plums (all good I assure you). On the palate I am getting rich plums, black cherry and delightful tannins. The mid palate shows off dried cherry, oak and more tannins which really hit the gums at this point. The finish tapers off with plum jam and raisins. The wine is not as ‘thick and unctuous’ as I remembered nor does it present the depth I have had in other vintages but it is still really good and gets 89 points from me. 85% Corvina, 10% Rondinella and 5% Oseleta. I had an old colleague over for dinner that saw me pair this with Pasta and Meatballs/Mild Italian Sausage. It was a great match and even made the Caeser Salad and Garlic bread more on pointe. The whole evening was a good time but this wine had a special place in our visit. Drink till 2022. 3 stars. Salut….
05 Thursday Jan 2017
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If you read my last post on the Beringer Pinot Noir you may put two and two together to figure out that this is the second bottle we bought that took the price up to $18 for 2 instead of $11 for one. I saved the heartier wine for later, and I am glad I did. I really enjoyed the Pinot and was hoping for a repeat performance with this Cab. I was not disappointed.
Purple with a nose of plums, eucalyptus, black currant. On the initial attack, more plums, chocolate powder and currants. Medium tannins arise on the mid palate and complement the gentle acidity for a nice mouthfeel. The finish is medium in length and offers star anise, plum ganache and black currant. I’m going with another 89 points for the Beringer twins and give this one a thumbs up 4 stars. Pair with steaks, pizza, pasta and drink till 2020. Salut….
03 Tuesday Jan 2017
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I picked up two bottles for $18, but it really should be priced at $11 per. The wine is a see through light purple in the glass, commensurate with the varietal. On the nose I am getting strawberry, cherry and pomegranate. All three primal flavors are typical for the Pinot grape. On the initial taste there are more cherries and some really nice strawberry candy notes. In and amongst the mid palate flavors there lurks some tannins. If you have read my notes for a while, you may recall that I have a hard time distinguishing tannin levels in Pinot Noir, but when I sense they are present then there must be a boatload of ’em. This wine drinks in a dry style and is leaving the telltale sensation on my gums. There is an acidity that comes out as sour cherry on the mid to finish that I am digging. On my second go at this wine I got a very strong hit of rock candy on the front end, interesting.
This wine drinks very nicely and is a definite bargain for Pinot Noir. It will do nicely with some Roast Chicken, a killer pairing with Coq Au Vin and it will ride nicely with my mother’s Steak and Kidney Pie. (She’s very British you know…). Drinking window is wide open from 2017-2022. 89 point and 4 stars from me. Salut….
31 Saturday Dec 2016
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My buddy brought this over in November and I finally managed to open it. When I say my buddy, he is a 6ft+ redheaded black man who is larger than life and always manages to dress or find something appropriate for every occasion. A real hoot…
For about $11 this wine delivers the goods! Medium purple in the glass with a nose of black currant and cola. The initial palate gives off plum and rhubarb. The mouthfeel is really nice with smooth tannins gliding along with some barely perceptible acidity. The mid palate continues with the cola and currant theme that ends in a shortish finish of cherry and cola. This is a very nice quaffing wine that I’m enjoying with dry rubbed beef ribs. A good combo that brings out the best of the wine and the meat. 89 points all day long and 4 stars from me for its value and quality. Salut….
26 Saturday Nov 2016
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When I visited the Wine Library in New Jersey last week they had this wine on sale and I sampled it. Delicious and fresh with unique flavors that reminded me somewhat of Conundrum White. It was my first experience with the Fiano grape varietal. I bought a bottle of this 94 point (Decanter rated) wine for only $16, making it a supremely good deal. Unfortunately I must have had a bottle with variation as it was not reminiscent of my first taste.
Light straw color in the glass. Nose of lemon zest and sea salt/iodine. The initial attack is lemon, green apple skin and an interesting acid component that is hitting the gums. This acidity moves swiftly to the mid palate where is sticks. The finish is of a decent length that consists of yet more lemon, acidity and a hint of cardamom. This wine strikes me as a bit one-dimensional but it is refreshing and would pair nicely with raw oysters. 89 points. I think it warrants a re-taste as my initial notes (mental) were totally different and I really enjoyed the wine much more then. Even at 89 points it is a decent QPR and I would give it 3 stars. Salut….
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