30 Saturday Oct 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
We kicked off the 21st Virtual Wine Tasting with this aromatic varietal from Argentina. We tasted it at room temperature as well as chilled. Basically it offers up aromas and flavors of apricot, honeysuckle, lychee, rose, peach, citrus, spice and white pepper. The group felt the wine had good acidity, medium body and a long finish. The chilled version was a little lighter bodied and a touch muted. 90 points from me make this $10 wine a 5 star effort that should be drunk soon. Salut….
27 Wednesday Oct 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
Wow- opaque AF. The nose is loaded with black fruits, charred wood, cassis- very complex but I’m at a loss for descriptors. The palate is dry with a herbaceous entry that leads to the blackberry, blackcurrants and black cherry notes. The tannins are mid grade and a touch astringent, they may need more integration. The finish is medium length and gives me more of that charred wood note. This wine is mid weight and a touch out of balance right now but I think it will flesh out. Drink from 2024-2029. 90 points from me at this stage but the pros averaged 92, give it time. It’s a pricy bottle at $140 so pick the right moment to enjoy this 4 star gem. Salut….
20 Wednesday Oct 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
Many years ago I bought the 2009 Prima and wrote about it- I liked the wine and my clumsy notes reflected that so when I saw this 2015 it took zero time for me to add it to my cart. I think I paid $13 for this Tempranillo. It is deep ruby in the glass and the nose has medium intensity aromas of dried cherry, blackberry jam, charred wood, leather and earth. The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins. High alcohol and medium (+) body with medium intensity flavors of black cherry, dried black cherry, blackberry, charred wood and those typical Spanish notes of leather and earth. The finish is decent in length and is nice and tannic. I like this wine and will go 90 points, it will drink well till 2026 and pair with charred steak. For the price it gets 5 stars from me. Glad I ran into an old friend. Salut….
06 Wednesday Oct 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
I recently tried the 2019 Lamothe and enjoyed it- so when the latest bottling came out I had to give it a go. I’m banging up some clams in garlic and butter, this crisp wine is hopefully the perfect pairing. It is quite a deep lemon color in the glass. The aromas are quite pronounced and I get lemon zest, honeysuckle, asparagus, geranium and pineapple. The palate is dry, with medium acidity and medium weight body. The alcohol is low at 12.5% which makes for a crisp mouthfeel. The flavors are quite pronounced and echo the nose although I also get some lychee and other tropical notes. It’s quite complex for a basic white Bordeaux blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc that runs $15. I am thinking 90 points and 5 stars, drink now for the freshness. Salut….
29 Wednesday Sep 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
I have been getting into Grenache more and more lately so when this bottle showed up with 9 years of cellaring- I had to try it. In the glass it is of medium opacity and still bright ruby. The nose has earthy Spanish dirt alongside blackberry, blackcurrant, vanilla, bramble, dried herbs and eucalyptus. The palate is gorgeous. The richness and freshness of the black fruit is amazing. The earthiness is somewhat subdued, allowing the fruit to shine. Lithe tannins and medium acidity make for a lighter than expected body but the mouthfeel is great. The finish is short but makes me reach for more, it’s that delicious. My pairing is Lamb chops and roasted sweet potatoes. This wine has plenty of age but is youthful. Drink till 2028 and for $12, this 90 point wine is a 5 star winner. Salut….
23 Thursday Sep 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
I find Spanish wine to be the most consistent. You always know what to expect and you know it will taste great- it’s my go-to in a pinch. This particular bottle is short and squat, unlike any other wine bottle I have seen so I had to try it. The wine is semi opaque and a nice shade of ruby. On the nose it’s a medium intensity with aromas of stewed black plum, graphite, blackberry and that earthy/dusty quality I love in Riojas. The palate is dry and offers up rich blackberry, black plum, dust, charred wood and chocolate. The tannins are grippy and the acidity is quite lithe. I get black tea and earthy bramble on the mid plate and the finish is a dry affair with medium length. Overall its a decent wine that I would cellar for another year or two unless you like them tannic. It should drink well after that till 2028. I’m pairing mine with Honey Bourbon London Broil. 90 points for this $40 wine makes it a 4 star effort. Salut….
22 Wednesday Sep 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
$15, 5 stars, 90 points, cabernet sauvignon, caladoc, lebanon, syrah, tempranillo
It’s Middle Eastern cuisine tonight so I pulled out this Lebanese blend of 35% Cab Sav, 26% Caladoc (?), 22% Syrah and 17% Tempranillo. Interesting varietals all mixed together. The wine itself is semi opaque in the glass and has medium intensity aromas of red currants, raspberry, blackberry and cloves. The palate is dry but has a blackberry jam sweetness to it, I doubt there’s any residual sugar here, it just tastes that way. The black and red fruit components are well balanced with the lithe tannins and medium acidity. There is a black tea hint on the mid-palate and I also get charcoal on the back end. The finish is mid length and tasty. There is a medium weight body to this wine and good mouthfeel. I am enjoying it and think it’s a 90 pointer that gets 5 stars for the reasonable $15 price point. Drink till 2025 with grilled meats aka shish kebab! Salut….
05 Sunday Sep 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
As part of my wine education I have purchased all the major types of Sherry to try. It started out with an Amontillado, then I tried Fino and Oloroso. Now it’s time for a Manzanilla. This is a dry, fortified white wine that is aged under Flor and is served chilled.
This particular bottling is very pale lemon in the glass and has a nose of green almonds, yeast, baked bread, sea spray and citrus rind. The palate is quite dry and bitter. The Flor gives these wines a definitive bread component, yeast and all. The characteristic flavors of lemon in whites is somewhat muted by the saline and baking notes. I’m starting to get my head around what a dry sherry is supposed to taste like- certainly not like a sweet Cream Sherry. It has a nuttiness and it begs for food. Tapas, cold appetizers and certainly olives are fit for the role. I can’t even score something I am completely unfamiliar with but I’m enjoying the experience of expanding my palate and slowly getting accustomed to this unique flavor profile. $17 gets you an intro to a unique taste that the pro’s gave 90 points. Salut….
27 Tuesday Jul 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
$30, 3 stars, 90 points, australia, pinot noir, Yarra valley
When I drank this wine at my mates place, I was thinking of my wine course so I used the standard lexicon to describe it. Having said that, I will add a few personal notes. I’ve never had a wine from Yarra Valley. A cooler climate area that allows Pinot to grow, I found this wine to be well developed, almost over the hill at a mere 6 years of age. Perhaps my mate Johny stored it incorrectly? It was tasty to be sure, but was very much ripe and stewed. It may have a few years left but drink now to enjoy it the most. I give it 90 points even though it got upwards of 93 from the pros. At $30 plus, it gets 3 stars from me. Salut…
11 Sunday Jul 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
This Malbec was the second wine in the 19th Virtual Wine tasting. Deep purple with nice legs it had aromas of tobacco, smoke, pepper, black cherry, plum, chocolate and black licorice. The tasters got rich plum, medium tannins, medium acidity, pepper, raspberry, cocoa powder, black cherry and licorice on a medium finish . No apparent oak notes btw. I liked it and for $26 this 90 point effort is getting 4 stars. Drink til 2028 with grilled meat. Salut….
