Tag Archives: 90 points

Hacienda El Indiano 2011, Rioja DOCa, Spain

09 Tuesday Feb 2021

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This Tempranillo blend is 10 years old but still showing youth in the glass- inky purple and opaque. The nose is classic Rioja with leather, bramble, blackberry and singed alder. I love that combo. The palate is showing just a touch of age with tertiary nuances popping up. Black currants, juicy acidity and medium strength tannins all greet me. The leather, alder and dried bramble notes are also present. The mid palate has a vanilla component as well as coffee bean. Black licorice hits me on the back end where the finish is a touch dry and long. Black cherry, blackberry and tertiary flavors are persistent, as is the juicy acidity and tannic grip. This wine was a steal at $12. It is still young and should drink nicely till 2027. I am pairing it with grilled Hanger steak, air fried potatoes and steamed asparagus. 90 points and 5 stars. Salut….

Dave Harvey Cabernet Franc 2019, Columbia Valley, Washington

03 Wednesday Feb 2021

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I love Cab Franc as a standalone varietal. It offers up so much sophistication, is svelte and has great structure. Found mainly in blends, it does really well on its own in my book. This one is bright purple and semi opaque in the glass. The nose is exploding as it just sits there, I can smell it a mile away. Black pepper, violets, spice box and black raspberry all greet me. The palate is very muscular and fruity. Rich purple fruit notes alongside the spiciness make for an interesting taste. Very nice tannins are present from the get go, but not over powering. Oak nuances are present as is a fair dose of acidity. The mid palate is a touch less dry, with the flavors turning a little darker. Black currants take over alongside some tea notes. The finish is quite dry and decent in length. I am enjoying this rather full bodied wine, it’s not as perfumed and lithe as I was expecting but it will rock my Goat stew for dinner. Other pairings would include grilled Hanger steak with Frites or even Lamb Chops with mint sauce. 90 points for this $12 stunner make it a 5 star effort. Drink till 2025. Salut….

Diatom Bar-M Chardonnay 2018, Santa Barbara County, California

31 Sunday Jan 2021

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I hosted the 14th Virtual Wine tasting last night but this wine was tasted twice. We originally planned to have the tasting a few weeks ago, so I opened my bottle that morning to decant some to taste at room temp and the rest was chilled. The actual group tasting was delayed but I did sample this wine with one other couple. I will reveal the scores at the end, which are somewhat consistent.

The wine itself is a light shade of gold. The nose on the room temp glass gave us apple, brioche, butter, honeysuckle, melon and pears. The palate tasted better than the smell with tangerine, green apples, nuts and pear on the decent length finish. The chilled version showed more minerality on the nose with butter, lemons, melon and a metallic note reminiscent of tin foil. It was noted as being more pungent. The palate was refreshing but I wrote originally that it had less flavor. Subsequently the group noted a touch of oak, green apples and Maraschino cherries.

My original rating was 16 and 13 but last night I docked the room temp version down to 13, and upped the chilled one to 14 points on my scoring system. Overall, both times the wine got a solid 90 points on the official scale and for $23, it’s a 5 star effort that rated 92+ from the pros. Drink till 2025 with all kinds of seafood. Salut….

Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs Brut 2015, North Coast, California

25 Monday Jan 2021

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Peach colored with small bubbles.  The nose gives me fresh baked bread, yellow apples and faint pineapple.  On the palate the mousse is fine, smooth and refreshing.  Flavors of Brioche, Bartlett pear and more yellow apple are present with a touch of lithe acidity.  The mouthfeel is very soft thanks to the finesse of the bubbles and the modicum of zest.  Yummy stuff that gets 90 points from me. At $37 it’s a very good sparkler worthy of 4 stars. Drink till 2024 with Oysters, Ceviche or even grilled Trout. This is a Pinot and Chardonnay blend. Salut….

Watchful Maker Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Columbia Valley, Washington

12 Tuesday Jan 2021

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This Washington State Cab Sav is a murky, dark shade of purple and totally opaque. On the nose I get a whiff of alcohol followed by plums, black currants and cedar shake. The palate starts off with a healthy dose of tannins and black fruit salad. When I say healthy, I mean teeth coating astringency- wow. The fruit flavors are having a hella time trying to get center stage here. The mid palate has black currants and tea notes that are vying for space with the grip of tannins. On the finish it is a very dry affair that is short lived from the fruit. I need to get the Vinturi out and re-try. I picked the right wine for tonight’s pairing- Picanha steaks, which have a thick edge of fat in need of some hefty tannins. This wine has tremendous structure and will cellar nicely for a few years but if you need it now, aerate it or you will be lost in a sea of mouth searing tannins. Overall I think this wine will end up really nice and considering the aging capacity I am going with 90 points. It retails for $23 and gets 5 stars from me. Drink from 2023 till 2027. Salut….

David Marchesi Provare Sauvignon Blanc 2019, California

22 Tuesday Dec 2020

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This Sauvignon Blanc is light yellow in the glass. The nose has the expected citrus notes but there’s something else lurking there. Melon I think but it’s papaya that really had me fooled. On the palate it is quite sprite with some lively acidity and a pop of lemon burst flavors. Really tasty and refreshing. The flavor profile mellows out as the wine transcends the palate until I am left with ripe papaya and lemon curd on the long finish. Candied Ginger is another note that I picked up on at the very end, interesting. I’m intrigued by this wine. It started out very sharp, transitioned to a warmer, fuller mouthfeel and finished with exotic flavors that rolled on for quite a while. I’m on a Sav Blanc journey right now and this is a great example of the light and zesty varietal. 90 points from me. I would pair it all day long with seafood or even spicy Indian curry. $10 makes this a 5 star effort. Drink till 2021. Salut….

Diez-Caballero Reserva 2011, Rioja DOCa, Spain

18 Friday Dec 2020

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This Tempranillo is inky and opaque in the glass. The nose gives me black berries, iodine, espresso bean and earthy bramble. The palate is textbook Rioja- dusty, earthy, black fruit driven, smoky and delicious. The tannins of this 9 year old wine are well integrated but the acidity is what I’m really enjoying. Jaw dripping and long. The mid palate continues the black fruit theme and I pick up some oaky notes. The finish is quite dry from the remnants of tannins that are holding this wine together and will allow it to cellar for another 5 years. Yummy stuff that I am pairing with Middle Eastern Goat stew. 90 points from me and at $15 per bottle it gets 5 stars. Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 727 Knights Valley Merlot 2018, Sonoma County, California

14 Monday Dec 2020

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This Merlot is opaque and a dark shade of purple with a gorgeous nose of steeped plum, toasty oak, licorice and iodine. On the palate it offers rich fruit, nice acidity and grippy tannins. Blackberry, plums, charred oak and blueberry pie all hit me. The mid palate is quite smooth with lush fruit interlacing the rather powerful tannins that slightly overtake the acidity. The finish is medium length and quite dry. I sense this wine is a tad young and will drink nicely till 2028. I am roasting up a rack of Lamb with mint sauce and steamed greens- should work a treat. I’m enjoying the softness of the varietal but am surprised at the structure, the tannins just won’t quit. Yummy stuff. 90 points and 5 stars from me for this $16 wine. Salut….

Devils Advocate Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, California

03 Thursday Dec 2020

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Semi opaque and a light shade of purple in the glass. The nose gives me rich plum, black cherry and fruit cake. On the palate it starts out with a rush of tannins. The fruit comes later- black in nature and laced with mocha, oak and a touch of acidity. The mid palate is very much a fruit salad of blackberry, black cherry and damson plum, it’s very tasty. The tannins take over the long finish, masking the fruit with gum coating astringency- ‘hairy’ is a descriptor Moxie likes to use. I am going to run some of this through the Vinturi and try to soften the grip a touch. Much better if you don’t like the bite. Personally, I enjoy a tannic wine with the right food, this one would pair beautifully with Beef stew, leg of Lamb or Lasagna. Drink till 2026. 90 points and for $17 it gets 5 stars. Salut….

Quivira Vineyards Zinfandel 2016, Dry Creek Valley, California

03 Thursday Dec 2020

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Very dark purple and fully opaque.  Loads of pepper, purple plums and blackcurrant preserves on the nose.  On the palate I get a whack of iodine, ink and black fruit.  There’s a very definitive tannic streak but without the gum coating astringency.  Cranberry and tart cherry are noted on the mid palate.  The tannins are a touch green on the back end and they really start to grip on the long finish.  This wine scored big with the pros, I can see why. In my books the greeness detracts- 90 points and 4 stars for this $23 Zin. Drink till 2024. Salut….