Tag Archives: 89 points

Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage La Chapelle 1999

15 Monday Dec 2014

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An iconic wine from a crappy year.  Yup, I bought a wine that I knew was not very good.  The pro’s originally gave it high 80’s scores.  It was priced at $120 per but I picked up a case at $70 a bottle, probably because nobody was buying this vintage.  La Chapelle is a huge name in the wine world, some vintages are worth thousands, yes $1000’s of US dollars.  It is a world class Syrah, from the famed Hermitage appellation in the Rhone Valley. Buying this wine was a once in a lifetime look into something amazing, with a storied and solid history- albeit in a mediocre year.  I cellared the case for a decade before I tried the first bottle.  I was hugely disappointed, it was crap.  I couldn’t believe it, I had wasted nearly $850 on a whim.  I tried several bottles and gave one away.  The rest just sat there, forlorn in their OWC (Original Wood Case).  Until Thanksgiving, when I cellar-dove to pull out some gems for the holiday season.  I found the case of Hermitage and decided to empty it out and get ready to either drink or pour the last 5 bottles.

Glad I resisted the urge to dump, this wine has turned around and offers a modest drinking experience and may even be on an upswing.  Vintages of this wine have been known to age gracefully for nearly a century.  It is a huge wine.

Inky purple glass which is a good sign.  The bottle had large deposits of sediment on the sides but there were none in the glass.  Nose of garigue, violets, game and dark fruits.  Mellow and smooth opening with bright fruit flavors of ripe plum, blueberry and cassis, not what I was expecting considering my previous experiences with this wine.  An earthy component on the mid palate which melded well with some acidity. The tannins are fully integrated and this wine is at peak. 88/89 points were my initial and final impressions.  The pro’s have since upgraded their scores to reflect the wine’s true personality.  It is drinking at its best now and will go for another 5 years.  If you like finesse this is a wine for you, but at this price point I think there are far better wines to search out.  2 Stars unfortunately for this rather expensive yet average drinking wine.  Salut…

paul jaboulet aine hermitage la chapelle

Chateau De Camparian 2010

18 Saturday Oct 2014

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Whenever I see ’09 or 2010 Bordeaux on sale I take note.  These two vintages were stellar and you can’t go wrong.  Hence the urge for me to pick up a case of this stuff sight unseen, without any knowledge or forbearance.  I simply saw a rating, a price and my wallet.

Bright purples hues in the glass as to be expected.  Nose of black currants and blue berries was somewhat less than expected, perhaps the youth of the bottle?  An interesting attack of black and blue fruits with a core of acidity and brisk tannins which led to a cork and dusty component which add to the fruits in a funky way that I enjoyed. Black tea finish with that tannic bite made for an interesting closure.  89 points with a 2014-2020 window.  I paid $18 per bottle making this a 3 star effort.  Salut….

chateau de camparian

Smith Wooton Cabernet Franc Napa Valley 2011

03 Friday Oct 2014

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This wine came highly recommended from a little wine shop in North Carolina where I visited last summer.  I paid around $36 for it and there were only 135 cases made.  I love this varietal and was waiting to pair this bottle with some Strip steaks, it was tasty starting with the raisin and cranberry nose.  A floral hit with black plums and lavender greeted me on the initial attack. Gripping tannins and juicy acidity gave this wine some serious structure yet I felt it was slightly one dimensional on the mid palate.  Heat on the back end that hit the nostrils made me look up the level-14.5%.  A slightly green finish dropped one point off this otherwise good wine.  89 points and 3 stars from me.  I would hold off and cellar this wine, drinking from 2016-2020.  Salut….

smith wooton cabernet franc

Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz 2011

22 Monday Sep 2014

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Seems like 2011 was the favored vintage this past week.  This wine was the last of them and unfortunately came after the Indian Wells Merlot that banged out 91 points.  Nevertheless it was a respectable showing that garnered 89 points from me.  It started off with noticeable heat and plums on the nose that translated onto the initial palate with a juiciness of blueberries and plum jam.  Slightly unbalanced it took some time to come around, which it did nicely.  The telltale signs of Barossa and the style of Shiraz they make was evident in this wine.  I paid $14 for it and reckon it’s a 3 star effort.  It could use some decanting or perhaps a year or two to mellow out some.  Salut….

jacob's creek reserve shiraz

Michael David Winery Earthquake Zinfandel 2011

22 Monday Sep 2014

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Continuing with our Reno weekend collection of wines, this Lodi Zin was a real treat.  However, I was starting to suffer ‘palate fatigue’ not to mention a slight buzz so my notes got shorter and less detailed.  The essence of this wine is as follows-

Black cherries
Purple plums and black currant mid
89 points
Good acidity and a mild tannic hint

That’s what it comes to at 2 am after a gut full of vino and good times.  I found it online for $22 and was surprised to see that it only got 84 points from WE yet my peers at cellartracker gave it 90.  Strange variation but I’m going with 3 stars for my 89 points and it’s 22 price.  Sorry for the brevity!  Salut….

earthquake zinfandel

Sass Pinot Noir 2012

31 Sunday Aug 2014

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I took Moxie out for a late supper last night at our local Korean/Cajun fusion restaurant called Mokomandy.  We were deep in conversation when the drink order was up, so I asked the waiter what he would recommend and ended up with this Willamette Valley Pinot to go with our eclectic dinner.

It’s funny how some wines taste a certain way to some people, yet others have totally different opinions.  Here we go…

Pinot Purple in the glass, with the telltale see-through hues of a this fickle grape.  Red fruits and a straw component hit me on the nose, I was excited to discover what shade of ‘New World’ this wine would be.  I immediately got sour cherry, strawberry and cranberries on the initial attack, and when I say sour- yowsah….  This wine is most definitely Oregonian in style with some bracing acidity and melded tannins.  The finish was decent with a lingering note of forest floor and strawberry.  The acidity was a little too much for me, making the wine seem a tad off-balance.  I bet it will hold up well in the cellar though and perhaps come out strong in a few years.  Back to the differing of opinions- the winemaker’s website claims flavors of blackberry and black cherry with peppery notes.  I went the other direction with red fruits and certainly no pepper, interesting.  89 points from me for this tasty effort and 3 stars for it’s $22 price tag.  Salut….

sass pinot noir

Vina Eguia Rioja

07 Thursday Aug 2014

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I forgot to make note of the vintage and did not see it in the picture but I will definitely be on the lookout for this charmer.  My friend bought it at Costco in California for $7.99.  I was blown away by it’s complexity and structure.  Dark purple hues were a welcome sight in the glass.  On the nose there were hints of cinnamon and chocolate with Bramble.  Floral notes and black berries caressed the palate as the melded tannins gave way to a smoke and leather finish.  Classic Tempranillo from Rioja and an absolute steal.  I love being introduced to wines like this!  89 points and 5 stars for sure.  Salut….

vina eguia

Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

14 Monday Jul 2014

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This bottle has been cellared for a few years, waiting the right moment.  I pulled it out the other night for a red meat pairing, hoping it would live up to it’s pedigree.  Gorgeous purple in the glass with a nose of plums and sawdust.  I was intrigued.  It then showed cassis and black currants after I swirled the heck out of the glass.  Subdued plums and eaucalyptus come out initially on the first taste with some oak on the nose after airing.  The tannins are completely melded and there is a clear acidic component.  Mouth filling aromas and tastes of plum torte with briar patch and Napa dirt were the strong flavors after a little ‘glass time’.  I feel that this wine is nearing it’s peak and will start to fade after 2017 which is a far cry from the 1996 Burgess that I so adore.  89 points for this $50 effort making it a 2 star wine in my books.  Don’t get me wrong, it is a delicious wine, yet lacks technical merits to warrant a higher score.  Salut….

burgess cellars cabernet sauvignon

Mockingbird Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Sonoma County 2012

08 Tuesday Jul 2014

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One of my friends brought this bottle to the party so I have no idea the price or where to get it.  My first impressions were good with a nice color to the glass and blueberries on the nose with some vanilla.  Spice box and cedar with blue fruits and plums came across on the palate which was coated in mellow tannins and sweet oak.  Decent acidity brought the whole package together for me until the back end heat showed up.  I missed the actual percentage, but it was not well integrated, which cost it a point or two.  We ate appetizers of shrimp and crab cakes, hardly the best pairing but we enjoyed the whole ambiance of the moment.  I would prefer a leg of lamb, perhaps even a grilled pork chop to go with this particular bottle.  89 points and potentially a three star wine if it goes for the $25 price I imagine it to be.  Salut….

mockingbird hill reserve sonoma

Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Santa Barbara County 2011

27 Friday Jun 2014

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I just returned home from my whirlwind Asian tour to find Moxie fixing up some BBQ chicken and veggies.  I decided to try this well known California Chardonnay that I have been saving.  Straw yellow in the glass it had a buttery nose of apple and lemon zest.  More citrus and cloves on the initial with a marked acidity lurking in the background.  Quince on the back end with a long finish which I found quite interesting.  The wine appears to have undergone Malolactic fermentation with an oak influence, but it is not overdone.  Balanced and bright without the flabbiness usually associated with this style of Cali chardonnay.  I picked it up for $18 and give it 89 points.  It went well with the Barbecue sauce by the way.  I would pair it with seafood all day, it would kill a dozen oysters with ease.  The wine sits at 13.5% alcohol, so be careful if you plan on sipping it poolside.  A good effort from this well respected winery making it worthy of 4 Stars.  Salut….

au bon climat santa barbara chardonnay