Tag Archives: 89 points

Les 7 Hommes 2011

18 Sunday Nov 2012

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From Sancerre, this Sauvignon Blanc is delicious and very typical of the region.
On the nose, citrus and slate, which slide into the palate very smoothly. Grapefruit and lemon zest differentiate Loire valley wines from New World (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blancs. Leaner, more precise, this style is ‘sharper’. The acidity is not racy in this wine, but it is balanced.
I bought some bottles for Thanksgiving, it will do great with Turkey…. and cranberry. I tasted this wine at room temperature and was impressed. Chilled slightly, it’s gonna rock the white wine house! 4 stars, 89 points.

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Greenock Creek Alice’s Shiraz 2008

18 Thursday Oct 2012

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There’s Aussie Shiraz, and then there is Shiraz from Australia. A big difference in style, quality and enjoyment. This wine runs along the Shiraz from Australia line and it is good.
Nose-wise …. Red fruit compote. On the palate, rich and warm raspberry meets cocoa. A slight touch of plum and graphite make this a complex wine that has me excited. The tannins are well integrated and there is no imbalance. A normal finish leaves me feeling this is a 3 star wine at 89 points.

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Prima 2009

05 Wednesday Sep 2012

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I’m excited…. Tempranillo always has the opportunity to rock my world, this one did. Vegetal, herbal and a certain stink of donkey all come through from the nose to the palate. Mixed with a fruity compote of cherries and flower (violets?),a smooth mouthfeel give loads of entertainment. A long finish and good balance offset the lack of long term tannic backbone, but at this price- who cares???
I am truly impressed and think this one is 4 star worthy. With more backbone, it would have been a 5- 89 points.

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Lyeth Meritage 2009

31 Friday Aug 2012

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A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot and Cabernet Franc that make this my style of wine. Purple in the glass and full of blueberry on the nose it hits the palate with a nice dose of tannin, acidity and blue fruitiness. Definitely California in heritage, it shows what can be done in the blending room. Rich and mature fruit combined in a Bordeaux style that us drinkable right now and has some cellaring potential. I would be really excited to see this vintage in 3-5 years. I reckon it has potential to develop some tertiary flavors which gets me excited. For the price, this is good and I will give it 5 stars for its sheer ability to impress at such a great QPR. I think it got high 80’s scoring. 89 would be about right. I’m serving it up with some London Broil tonight- yummy.

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Sean minor Pinot Noir 2009

21 Tuesday Aug 2012

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Known as Four Bears, this is bang-for-the-buck Pinot that I am digging.

Given to me as a gift, I researched the price- $13 on average. Can you say “I’ll take a case…..”

Strawberry on the nose, lots of it. A clean attack of raspberry meets strawberry on a really nice palate with very subdued tannins and excellent balance of acidity. Massive 14.5% alcohol is not noticeable (until later), with a great feeling in the mouth. My cheeks are puckering, and also anticipating the next mouthfull. This is really enjoyable, either by itself or with a medium dish (I had Jerk Chicken). Loving the value of this well crafted Pinot at 5 stars… Seriously. Perhaps an 89 pointer because it shows good primal characteristics, yet I doubt there is an afterlife. Everyone needs some of this- gitsum………

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Irony Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

13 Monday Aug 2012

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A very decent offering from Napa that won’t break the bank.  A nice nose full of blue fruits gives way to a blueberry infused compote on the palate.  Very slight tannins are set up nicely for immediate drinking that will last until 2015 at least.  I must say, it’s rather ‘juicy’, which is perfect for me right now.  They have a done a great job with this wine.  For QPR, it doesn’t get much better than this.  A good buy for just about any occasion that balances pleasure, drinkability and budget.  Bang for the buck gets this one 5 stars and perhaps a pro rating of 89-  go get some…..

Rivetto Barbaresco 2006

19 Thursday Jul 2012

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Little brother to Barolo, the Barbaresco’s are made from the Nebbiolo grape. You know how I love it!

A few extra swirls finally got this wine to give me the typical nose I was looking for, Nebbiolo all the way baby. Red fruits are predominant on the palate, with slightly green tannins protruding. Perhaps they will meld away, one can hope. A long finish and good acidity are a bonus here. This region is not known for aging potential like Barolo, but I think this wine can hang in there for another 10 years easy. Oh look, I finished my glass…. Yummy. 4 stars and 89 points.

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Clifton Springs Merlot 2010

18 Wednesday Jul 2012

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Dubbed “The California Kings” this is the first of three Cali wines in the flight at Vino Volo. I am serving a 4 hour delay in absolute misery… Leather chairs, soft music, charcuterie and tasting portions of some amazing wines.

On the nose- typical Merlot… Oh oh. Never mind, it all comes good. The initial palate is a smoothed out dark cherry that is somewhat muted, not so ‘in your face’. Very smooth, I must say, with a hint of dryness, a touch of heat and a good balance. Not built for the long run, this one is a very good effort for near term drinking. Weighing in at only 12.5%, I’m somewhat surprised. I can make out some oak, which may bother some hedonists, but it integrates well and adds smoothness. I am picturing this wine as a good Flank steak partner, it needs meat to come out and join the party. 4 stars because I like it and it’s a decent priced wine… Possibly an 89 pointer from the big guys. It’s time to get back into Merlot people, it was just a movie….

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Apolloni V Cuvée 2009

18 Wednesday Jul 2012

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The second wine in my Pinot Noir tasting flight….. Different, somewhat funky. Not the earthy, ass of donkey kind of funky that I like. Just funky. I finally got over it and started to enjoy the red fruits that came out on the initial palate, accompanied by some subdued cherry flavors. I did not notice any tannins(see previous post) and thought the balance was very good. No noticeable alcohol is a great feature of the this wine that really grew on me. Initial funk aside, I enjoyed the new world twist on his varietal. A decent finish and I’m done tasting this 4 star effort. 89 points (see my previous post on ratings).

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Barboursville Chardonnay 2011

09 Monday Jul 2012

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Holy smokes- run and get some of this. I just tasted a few sips of this and several descriptors come to mind:
Crunchy
Acidic
Smooth
Svelte
Apple-e?
Clean, refreshing
I can’t even tell you how good this wine is. On the nose is typical Chardonnay that gives way to really bright citrus mixed with green apple. No hint of over oaking, the wine is light and springy, not heavy and oily. The acidity was great, razor sharp and balancing. This wine had tremendous mouthfeel, perfect for the dinner of Halibut, but was fantastic by itself as an aperitif. Everyone at the party thought this wine rocked. On a QPR (quality/Price ratio) this one is a homerun. 5 stars for sure and I would guess an 89 pointer from the boys upstairs. Running to the store……

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