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Tag Archives: 90 points

Jose Hernandez Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Uco Valley, Argentina

15 Tuesday Sep 2020

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$11, 5 stars, 90 points, Argentina, cabernet sauvignon, Malbec, Mendoza, Naked Wines, Uco Valley


I recently ordered six different bottles from Naked Wines.  This Mendoza wine is the first of the series.  At $11, I’m not sure what to expect, here goes.

It’s a nice shade of purple and semi opaque in the glass.  I sense dark plums, black currants and spice box on the nose.  The palate is really juicy with a fruit forward approach.  Dark fruits dominate with black cherry as the leader.  There is a really nice tannic component that is not too astringent but gives just the right amount of dryness.   The mid palate is really juicy with a nice rounded acidity and good mouthfeel.  The fruit is very warm and satisfying.  The fruit components are joined by some black tea notes and more spice box.  Cedar shake also comes to mind as I ponder the finish.  It’s decent in length and has the right amount of tannic grip to keep me interested without making my gums wince.  The acidity is very gentle and balanced.. I really like this wine for an everyday drinker and give it 90 points.  At that price it’s worthy of 5 stars and a stock up, drink till 2026.  A blend of Malbec and Cab Sav that I’m pairing with grilled Santa Maria Tri-Tip roast and baked potatoes.  Well done.  Salut….

 

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Graham Beck The Game Reserve Chenin Blanc 2018, Robertson, South Africa

30 Sunday Aug 2020

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$18, 5 stars, 90 points, chenin blanc, South Africa, VWTC


As with the past seven Virtual Wine tastings, it’s difficult for me to objectively write a review and run the tasting, so I take basic notes of what others are tasting and smelling.

This Chenin Blanc kicked off the evening with us tasting it at room temperature followed by a chilled glass of the same wine.  It’s really amazing how the wine morphs when served at different temps.  The one thing that is constant is the color- in this case a light golden shade, really pretty in the glass.  The warm version gave us melon, fruity lemon, pear, citrus, stone fruit and green apple on the nose. The palate notes are ‘very fruity’, citrusy, tangerine, oakiness, lime and yellow apple.

The chilled version was a bit muted but introduced Brioche, minerality, piecrust, toast, green pepper, slightly more acidity and ‘crisp’.

Keep in mind there were 8 different bottles being served in different environments- some inside and some outside all up and down the east coast.  My overall impression was that I enjoyed the room temp glass more as it was open for business and the nose and palate were fuller.  I am going with 90 points and 5 stars for this $18 effort.  Drink  till 2024 with seafood, perhaps a grilled Salmon filet.  Salut….

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Ascua Rubia Red 2019, Mendoza, Argentina

27 Thursday Aug 2020

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90 points, Argentina, Malbec blend, Mendoza, splash wines


Very deep purple in the glass and totally opaque.  The nose is fresh and offers up black currants, mocha and black cherry.  On the palate it has a juiciness, black fruits galore and medium grained tannins.  The mid palate shows off dark, bold cherry, like a really ripe maraschino.  Black tea components kick in and the wine gets quite dry.  The combo of the acidity on the front end and the tannins on the back make for a nice mouthfeel if you’re into a bit of a rough ride.  I’m liking it and and thinking it would pair very well with some carne asada.  The finish is quite tart from the residual acidity but I still get some decent dark fruit, Christmas pudding and spice box on the very end.  A decent drop that gets 90 points from me.  No pricing info unfortunately.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….

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Lady of The Mandrake Warrior and Craftsman 2016, Paso Robles, California

25 Tuesday Aug 2020

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$20, 5 stars, 90 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, merlot, paso robles, paso robles cabernet sauvignon, splash wines


Dark purple, opaque.  The nose is chock full of blackcurrants, spicy oak and some dusty tobacco.  The palate is stark- dark and brooding with blackcurrants, oolong tea, nice gentle tannins and a touch of acidity.  The midpalate is a bit edgy with some oak influence, charred wood, dark fruit and an increasing dryness from the tannins that are ramping up.  The finish is really enjoyable- a nice dry mouthfeel, decent acidity and gobs of fruit.  The blackcurrants are really delicious.  This is a yummy wine for everyday that will cellar nicely for a few years and be a hit whether you are serving steaks or pizza.  Drink till 2025.  90 points and 5 stars for this $20 effort.  Ps.  The label is one of coolest out there.  Salut….

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Slang Wines Pinot Noir 2014, Sonoma County, California

01 Saturday Aug 2020

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90 points, california, pinot noir, sonoma county


It’s a broody looking Pinot, dark shade of purple and semi opaque in the glass.  The nose is clearly New World in style.  Ripe cranberry, rich cherry coulis and cloves.  On the palate it’s a touch sweet- like cherry jam and pomegranate syrup.  It’s got an intense spiciness that I am enjoying to go alongside the sweetness.  There is an underlying level of heat that I only sense on the mid palate- the 14.4% alcohol being well masked.  I also get a touch of fizziness which is intriguing.  The finish shows off some lithe tannins and more cherry coulis.  There’s a modicum of oak present that I am enjoying but I also get a touch of tartness, not from acidity, that is nagging at me.  Right at the end is where the acidity kicks in on the medium length finish.  Overall, not a bad drop to alongside T-Bones and hand cut fries with Bearnais.  I am giving this wine 90 points with a drinking window of 2020-2026.  No pricing info available as it was given to me by a friend.  Salut….

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Cameron Hughes Lot 704 Pinot Noir 2018, Carneros, California

12 Sunday Jul 2020

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$16, 5 stars, 90 points, california, carneros, carneros pinot noir, napa valley, pinot noir


Talk about a New World version of Pinot.  This wine was full of stuffing- evident right away.  In the glass it was brooding, dark and semi opaque.  The nose was full throttle- big, ripe cherry, cinnamon, plum and sassafras.  A heady palate ensued with fruit flavors clamoring for attention, pushing aside the lithe tannins and making the acidity stand in line to be noticed.  If you like big, fruit forward versions of Pinot, this one is right up your alley.  Technically speaking, it gets 90 points from me but is not really my cup of tea.  I prefer a more restrained style of Pinot, a là Burgundy, or even cooler climate a là Oregon.  This wine comes from a great appellation and is well made.  At $16 a pop, it’s well worth stashing a few and drinking over the next 6 years.  5 stars.  Salut….

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Cameron Hughes Lot 680 Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

28 Sunday Jun 2020

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$14, 5 stars, 90 points, marlborough, new zealand, Sauvignon blanc


This wine kicked off our 4th Virtual Wine Tasting.   As in the past, I had all the attendees reserve half the bottle at room temperature and the other half chilled.  My brief notes include a very nice shade of light gold in the glass.  The nose was very floral and included grapefruit, citrus, green apple and pear.  The palate was very much in line with the nose and had a modicum of tangy acidity, citrus and floral notes with a decent length finish.  The room temperature version offered a much fuller nose, more emphasis on the flowers while the chilled version focused on the citrus and acidic components.  Both were delicious but I preferred the cold version whilst scoring the room temp slightly higher using my own 20 point scale.  Interestingly, the nose of this wine did not exhibit the telltale cat pee aromas that I usually note in Kiwi Sav-Blancs.  I don’t necessarily miss it, but I was hoping to showcase it as a prominent feature of the varietal from this region.  The wine did display some nice minerality that is reminiscent of a French Sancerre.  I am going with 90 points and 5 stars for this $14 deal.  Try and stock up for the hot summer and pair it with steamed shrimp, grilled fish or chicken breast and salad.  Drink till 2024.  Salut….

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Angela Estate Pinot Noir 2015, Yamhill-Carlton District, USA

28 Thursday May 2020

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$35, 4 stars, 90 points, oregon, pinot noir, splash wines, Yamhill-Carlton District


This Pinot is quite dark, and barely see-through in the glass.  The nose gives me gobs of New World cherry, strawberry and licorice.  On the palate I get cherry, a woodsy, earthy note and some spices, cinnamon in particular.  The mid palate is quite smooth with rhubarb, cherry and crunchy acidity.  The finish is fruit driven with red berries and cherry carrying gentle tartness to a medium length ending.  It has a decent flavor profile and is typical of the region- somewhat more full bodied than say Burgundy, more red fruit, a touch of earthiness and it’s growing on me.  I would go 90 points for this $35 offer that gets 4 stars from me.  I’m pairing with rack of Lamb and grilled Zucchini.  Drink till 2025.  ps. this was the 4th bottle from my Splashwines delivery.  Salut….

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Cameron Hughes Lot 717 Super Tuscan 2015, Toscana, Italy

19 Tuesday May 2020

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$20, 4 stars, 90 points, Italy, sangiovese, tuscany


Very rich purple in the glass and semi opaque.  The nose gives off cherry, baking spices, bakers yeast and red currants.  On the palate it is very drinkable, smooth and fruity.  Raspberries, red currants and those spices hit the palate.  As the wine rolls over the mid palate I get a sour rhubarb note that gives the wine some zing.  Very fine grained tannins appear on the finish to leave a rather pleasant mouthfeel.  This light to medium bodied wine calls for white pasta dishes, roast chicken or Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus.  It gets 90 points from me and I would drink till 2024.  For $20, it’s a good deal on Super Tuscan juice.  4 stars.  Salut….

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Cameron Hughes Lot 725 Zinfandel 2018, Russian River Valley, California

11 Monday May 2020

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$17, 5 stars, 90 points, california, Russian river valley, zinfandel


I was looking for a spicy wine for tonights dinner- Chicken and Rice, Middle Eastern style.  This Zin was up next on the tasting rack.  In the glass it is a semi opaque purple with globby legs.  The nose presents rich purple fruit.  Plums, licorice, black cherry and a noticeable dose of sassafras.  The palate is what I had hoped for.  Luscious ripe fruit- blackberries, plums, that sassafras note and some nice, charred oak.  The wine has a nice acidity, not piercing but just enough to liven things up.  Tannins become evident on the back end and the wine finishes with a nice dry note, akin to leather.  Blackcurrant jam and spice box round out the finish that lasts a good 30 seconds.  Tasty wine with some cellaring potential.  Drink till 2027.  90 points and 5 stars for this $17 effort.  Salut….

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