20 Thursday Jun 2019
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
$38, 4 stars, 90 points, california, livermore, orange muscat
Very pale yellow. Blood oranges, gardenia, rose water all hit my nose- from a foot away. This is very aromatic. On the palate it tastes just it smells- plus lychee. Delicious and tight. 90 points and 4 stars even though it’s a bit pricey at $38, it’s a treat. Salut….
20 Thursday Jun 2019
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
Golden yellow in the glass. The nose is chock full of citrus and pineapple. On the palate I get a tinge of butter alongside the citrus notes and elderberry. 90 points, $48 makes this a 3 star wine. Sip with grilled prawns. Salut….
09 Sunday Jun 2019
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
$40, 3 stars, 90 points, chianti classico, Italy, sangiovese
Quite dark and opaque for a Sangiovese. On the nose it’s quite purply ( is that even a word?). Plum pie, black currants and a dose of chocolate cake. On the palate it is quite fresh, young in presence and fruit forward. Cherry essence is the first on a list of palate notes- rhubarb comes in second. There are some strawberry hints as well as kirsch- but no dark fruits. Very strange, I was expecting more black notes and ended up with red. The mid palate has some heat and the comings of some young tannins. The dryness hits the base of my teeth. Nice. On the back end it’s all red fruits and some acidic charm to counter the tannic pinch. Overall a decent wine that will drink nicely to 2024. 90 points and 3 stars for this $40 wine. Salut….
09 Sunday Jun 2019
Posted in Wine reviews
Dark shades of purple in the glass. The nose is overflowing with blackberries. There’s a slight oak tint as well as blueberry torte once the blackberry subsided. On the palate it is a touch astringent right up front but good fruit structure rolls in as well as some gripping tannins. Black stone fruits are the main focus, with violets and cranberries- for their tartness- seem to coexist. The tannins are relentless. Aerating would be key here unless you have a fatty, juicy steak. Nice finish with blackberry and dry tea. Astringent as heck but mouth watering and tasty. 90 points and 4 stars for this $40 effort. Drink till 2025. Salut….
25 Thursday Apr 2019
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
Darker and more opaque than most Pinot Noirs. The nose has a strawberry candy note plus blueberry paste and a fig component. Sounds strange- I know. On the palate it delivers on that fig thing, surprisingly. I also get blueberry and some oak. The tannins are crispy, appearing on the midpalate and carrying us through to the finish which has blueberry and charcoal. Very tasty indeed. The tannins are long lived, drying out my gums for well over a minute. This will will age nicely methinks . 90 points and 5 stars for this $11 wine. Salut….
21 Sunday Apr 2019
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
Wow- inky, dark, thick and brooding in appearance. The nose is focused, plum torte and blackberry extract are my first impressions. On the palate it’s full of dark fruits, tar, mint and a meaty component. The tannins are so mild, melded and unobtrusive- making this a great sipping wine. It’s flavorful, easygoing, adaptable yet complex. The finish is really smooth with nice blackberry jam and bacon notes. Medium length. This is not a dry nor sweet wine- just nicely balanced between the extremes. Drink till 2022. 90 points and 4 stars for this $20 effort. The pros went higher, perhaps I need to re-calibrate! Salut….
21 Thursday Mar 2019
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
$19, 5 stars, 90 points, marlborough, new zealand, pinot noir
Quite dark but lacking much opacity in the glass. On the nose it reeks of New World Pinot goodness. Cherry cobbler, vanilla and strawberry coulis all hit me on the nose. The palate has a gorgeous initial streak of bing cherry, blueberry (yup), cedar and spice box. There is a fruitcake note on the midpalate that tempers some acidity. The wine finishes with a slightly green note- capsicum comes to mind, but it’s quite nice. The vegetal twist alongside the red fruit works well here. There is an underlying astringency from the very feint tannins. This is a delicious wine for immediate consumption or a few years in the cellar. 90 points and 5 stars for this $19 effort. Pair with roast chicken, grilled salmon or Veal chops. You can read my previous reviews of the Saint Clair lineup to see I am a huge fan, for good reason. Salut….
18 Monday Mar 2019
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
$29, 3 stars, 90 points, bordeaux, bordeaux blend, cabernet sauvignon, france, margaux, merlot
A slightly dull purple in the glass, gives me concern. On the nose however- violets, black currants, a touch of oak. On the palate it is much darker- blackberry, cherry extract, graphite and singed oak. There is a leather component too, it just comes along later, towards the mid palate. The wine transitions very nicely with good tannic structure that is not obtrusive and acidic enough to balance. This is the third wine of Brane Cantenac, a Second Growth Margaux. They use the young plots for source fruit, giving us an approachable young wine that drinks very nicely with good mouthfeel and medium term cellaring potential. 90 points from me for this $29 effort that gets 3 stars. Drink now till 2024. Salut….
08 Friday Mar 2019
Posted in Wine reviews
Typical Pinot Noir in the glass, light, reddish, totally see through. I can smell it from four feet away, the waft is amazing. It’s rather young on the nose- cherries, mushroom, spruce. On the initial palate it presents with loads of fine grained tannins. The fruit comes later. Cherry, strawberry, balsamic essence and cola hit me. The mid palate is one-dimensional- sour bing cherry. The tannins really grip on the finish and leave me with a very dry set of gums, almost painful- which is rare for me and Pinot. The finish also shows off rhubarb, the sour kind. The acidity presents itself in mysterious ways some times! There is a uniqueness to this wine, I can’t pinpoint it. Could it be the freshness of the acidity, the gushing amounts of tannin or the way it leaves my mouth feeling? Anyways- I am enjoying it and will probably run some through the Vinturi to soften it a bit. For now, 90 points and 4 stars for this $45 bottle. Drink from 2022-2033. Salut….
04 Monday Mar 2019
Posted in Wine reviews
Bright purple, semi opaque. Bramble, earthiness and blackberry on the nose. On the palate I get more black fruits, delicious integrated oak, lithe tannins and good acidity. There is a juicy fruit preserve component on the midpalate that I’m really enjoying. Licorice hits me on the back end alongside chocolate powder, interesting. This wine is not overly built, it drinks well and has some cellaring potential . 90 points and 4 stars for this $14 value. Salut….
