Tag Archives: 90 points

Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

17 Saturday May 2014

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Originally priced at $17, this was the other Wolf Blass I mentioned yesterday that was on sale for $10.  A steal, and tasty to boot.  This one came out of the gate with all cylinders firing.  It was inky purple in the glass and showed off a delightful nose of black currants and star anise.  My initial impression was very positive when I got Blackberry pie and some interesting vanilla on the first sip.  I enjoyed the ‘crispy’ tannins as they carried the wine to the mid palate where I tasted plums with a touch of acidity.  A very enjoyable wine that is a good buy at it’s regular price, making it a steal at the sale price.  It had a good amount of length and the mouthfeel was just right.  I would easily serve this up with beef stew on a cold night, or a juicy NY strip on the grill in the summer time.  I am going 90 points and 4 stars for this easy to find wine.  Salut….

wolf glass yellow label cabernet sauvignon

Louis Guntrum Oppenheimer Herrenberg Riesling Auslese 2006

19 Saturday Apr 2014

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I figured we needed a treat, so Moxie fixed up some pan seared scallops while I grilled some garlic and lemon infused Lobster tails with Chorizo on the grill.  I had one bottle of this outstanding German Riesling left and figured it had spent enough time in the cellar and needed to be unleashed.

Not being very well versed in Rieslings, I had to look a few terms up.  Auslese means ‘selected harvest’, I was in for a slightly sweeter wine of a higher quality.  Perfecto…  The label said 8.5 % alcohol, 72% residual sweetness and 88 g/l fruit acidity (no idea what that means).

In layman’s terms, I shall proceed with my basic notes-  Petrol and apricots on the nose, a lovely combination to go with the golden syrupy texture that came pouring out of the bottle.  Slightly sweet on the initial attack but with cutting acidity that was amazing.  Mid-palate is where it got very interesting with apricots, baked apple and some guava (which I have never sensed in a wine before).  The finish is long and the acidity won’t let go.  The wine became more unctuous as the night went on and it was an amazing hit with the butter drizzled lobster and seared scallops.  I had a small salad on the side but it was mainly a distraction from the three pivotal players.

This wine can be found for about $30, scores 90 with me and gets 4 points.  It won’t go with everything due to its sweeter essence, but if you like Foie Gras or perhaps a blue cheese platter this is your wine.  Salut….IMG_0906

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Trivento Golden Reserve Chardonnay 2011

18 Friday Apr 2014

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I forgot to take a picture of the bottle, but I did capture the moment.  We put together some cheese, apple, nuts and chocolate sticks to start out the tasting.  The wine was poured and I noticed it was a very crisp looking pale yellow.  It had a nose of apples and gooseberry which translated well onto the palate.  In addition, I tasted citrus notes and green melon on the mid palate.  Good clean acidity and a sharp mouthfeel made this a delightful wine for an afternoon tasting.  Others have noted the use of oak and vanilla flavors, I did not.  I would pair it with baked salmon, perhaps grilled chicken and most definitely oysters on the half shell.  This Argentinian winery has always over-delivered for me and the pricing is excellent.  When in doubt at the wine shop I always look for the telltale golden capsule of their Reserve line and am never disappointed.  I paid $19 for it and am going with 90 points and 4 stars.  Salut….

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Artisan Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2010

25 Tuesday Mar 2014

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The label says ‘By Artesa’ but I could not find out much about this wine except I know what I paid for it and what it retails for, $50 or so.

It’s a young vibrant Napa Cab with not much going on right now.  I believe it is hibernating and waiting to explode in about 2 years time.  For now, the structure is in place awaiting some bottle age to allow the various components to meld and the fruit to re-appear.  I managed to coax Plum Torte and wild flowers out of it, but the nose was very muted.  Young and vibrant tannins are all you will get right now with some bracing acidity.  I would cellar this bad boy for a few years and look at it in 2016 at the earliest.  Potentially a 90 point wine, but I am no expert at this.  For the price, a 3 star wine with potential to go up, it’s just a matter of time.  Salut….

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Ty Caton Cabernet Sauvignon Caton Vineyard 2011

09 Sunday Mar 2014

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Napa Cabernet is to me big, bold and beautiful.  Sonoma is more refined, less in your face and more about finesse.  Both are delicious, both have a time and a place.  I often think that Napa is synonymous with Cab and Sonoma is relegated to Pinot.  I wonder what gives me those thoughts…..

This wine was good, smooth and silky.  It showed up as a lighter shade of purple in the glass and had a nice bouquet of dark fruits and jam.  On the palate I noted rich plums and berry compote.  Good acidity and fine-grained tannins were also noted and the wine had a good length to it.  It packed an unnoticeable 14.4% alcohol and did not show any heat whatsoever, a deft hand in the cellar.  Later on I got dried figs and blue berry on the finish which was really delicious.  We served this up at a birthday dinner with some grilled meats and Chorizo sausage.  It was a perfect match and I would highly recommend it.  90 points from me and 4 stars for this $44 effort.  It could use some short term cellaring, but is drinking nicely and will do so for another 5 years minimum.  Salut….

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Handcraft Petite Sirah 2012

06 Thursday Mar 2014

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I just love Petite Sirah.   It’s thick, powerful and in my face.  I also like delicate wines that ooze class and reek of finesse.  Tonight though is for the unabashed.  This wine is a serious dark shade of purple, a warning shot of what is to come.  Blackberry and creosote on the nose, in a good way.  Dark fruits and a jammy plum element hit me right off the bat.  The grape is full on with tannins and juicy acidity.  This is night 2 of this bottle and it is drinking beautifully.  Balanced with tons of potential make this a stellar wine.  Retailing at $12 it gets a solid 90 points from me for its depth and complexity.  You know what that means folks- 5 stars!  I am in need of a few more bottles for a dark and stormy nice with some chili, or a beef Bourguignon.   Cellaring for another 5 years would reveal a treasure.  Salut….

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Paco and Lola Albarino 2011

06 Thursday Mar 2014

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Last night was Moxie’s birthday dinner at The Melting Pot fondue restaurant.  After perusing the menu and deciding on going the whole hog 4 course extravaganza I needed a white to pair with the cheese course.    Apparently every Wednesday night is half price wine on bottles costing less than $40.  I scanned the wine menu and was impressed with the offerings and prices.  Seems most bottles were in the more palatable 2X retail range rather than the more obnoxious 3X that most restaurants deem is fair for a bottle of wine.  I digress…

I picked this Spanish Albarino from the Rias Baixas region and was rewarded with a delicious, chilled bottle that hit every note I asked of it.  Straw colored it offered up a melange of fruits and spices on the nose that were delicious to smell.  On the palate it was very true to varietal with great aromatics mingling with some peaches and dried apricots, kinda like Viognier but with far more acidity.  This wine was crisp and lithe which paired very well with our cheese.  This varietal is well planted in Spain and Portugal and is definitely one which I will be purchasing for the summer.  I can imagine  sipping this one on the patio in the evenings with some cold cuts and crudités.  I bet it would rock a baked salmon and risotto dish.  When was the last time you had an Albarino?  Retailing at about $18 I am going with 90 points and 5 stars.  I hope my local shop carries it!  Salut….

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The family plus Nick's girlfriend

The family plus Nick’s girlfriend

 

Mouton Cadet 2011

20 Thursday Feb 2014

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When Moxie and I first met we used to get a bottle of this plonk, a baguette and some cheese for a midnight snack.  She used to work until late at night and this was our go-to bottle for the unwind and relax part of the evening.  Priced at $9, this flashback was brought to the party by my friend Edvard.  A good choice methinks because it brought back great memories of my early wine drinking career and the initial romance that Moxie and I started over 23 years ago.  

The wine is a bulk produced blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot made by the Rothschild group.  It is considered the premier bargain wine of the Bordeaux region, and for good reason.  It came in at $9 and offered amazing value for money.  I noted Merlot flavors with Cabernet backbone on my quick sheet.  The broader notes include the black fruit and dark cherry components with some plum intermingled.  Good juicy tannins and balanced acidity made this a pleasure to drink.  The profile was very Bordeaux like and I could sense a certain terroir that was unmistakable.  90 points from me and 5 stars.  Most of all- thanks for the memories, I will be buying this wine again.  Salut….

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Mollydooker Miss Molly 2010

18 Saturday Jan 2014

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A sparkling Shiraz that Moxie and I opened on a Friday night while cooking up some Scallops.  I tried a further experiment by pouring myself a flute and a wide brimmed glass.  The results were quiet enlightening.  I will start with the flute.

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A concentrated nose of red currants, black berry and cola.  The mousse was dark purple when I poured the glass.  On the palate there was black cherry, black berries and some cola with a mid palate addition of some bubbly blueberry pie.  The wine shows some tannins, very strange in a sparkler but hides the whopping 15% alcohol very well.  The finish is long with a drying mouthfeel and trace of oak- very interesting.

The wide mouthed glass was a different beast altogether.  The nose was very subdued, given the shape of the rim.  The effervescence is wasted on this glass as I got almost nothing even after swirling the heck out of it.  On the palate, a whole different story.  The glass shape allows the wine to really open up and bring black fruits, blue berries and a raft of differing plums to the palate with a good dose of cola and some vanilla.  The mousse was not as tasty in this glass but the overall flavors were much more pronounced.

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Between the two I would sniff from the flute and drink from the wide rimmed glass.  I am going to balance the results and go with 90 points.  This is an interesting take on sparkling wine.  If you have never had a sparkling red, this is the one you should try.  For $25 this will be a treat for your palate.  4 Stars for a really tasty yet different effort.  PS.  I ended the tasting with a bit of cheese, the perfect combo if I might add.  I had some Cypress Grove Chèvre ‘Humbolt Fog’ goat cheese.  Perhaps one of the most intricate, complex and creamiest cheeses I have ever tasted.  The Shiraz was the perfect accompaniment to the acidic blue nature of this gamey, earthy yet really creamy concoction.  An amazing cheese, really.  Salut….

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Merryvale Merlot Napa Valley 2007

15 Wednesday Jan 2014

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Several points about this wine.  Firstly, I don’t remember buying it, or the second bottle I found in my ‘to drink’ rack.  Perhaps one of my mates brought them over for Thanksgiving when I was not here yet Moxie has no recollection of this occurring.  Oh well, free booze is free booze.

Secondly, the cork on bottle #1 was badly stained, never a good sign.  I sliced the second one open to see, it is safe.  So…. I will write based on the fact that I suspect this wine to be flawed, which is a shame considering it’s heritage, reputation and price.

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As you can see, pretty grim on the left side.  I shall endeavor to open the other one soon so I have a fresh recollection.   Anyway, back to the details.  Mostly Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc make this more of a Right Bank blend which excites me.  The wine is inky dark in the glass and unfortunately had a slightly oxidized nose of plums and blackberry.  On the palate I was in for a surprise.  The wine had survived nearly intact.  Big juicy black berries and dark plums with a deft addition of the wood and some spices make this a full-on wine of great depth.  The tannic structure is great with some dryness on the back end, right where it should be. I did not sense any imbalance but did notice a slight oxidized note on the finish.  I am lucky this bottle showed so well, now if only I could find it’s source!  I am giving a provisional 90 points and found it online for about $46.  Potentially a 4 star wine for me, we shall have to wait for the re-taste to confirm.  Salut….

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