01 Sunday Sep 2013
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A tannic Cabernet Franc from Napa Valley that brims with dark cherries and anise. Dark purple in the glass hints to the seriousness of the wine. I can sense some complexity evolving, but it is overwhelmed by the youthful tannic grip that has closed this one down. I think it needs at least 3-4 years to be approachable and will drink for another 10. Potential for 90 points and 3 stars for this $43 offering. It does offer an extended finish though… Salut
01 Monday Jul 2013
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I’m a big fan of this winery and have had this wine from the 2008 and 2009 vintages. I sang the praises of the 2009 yet missed out on the 2010 for some reason. Anyway, this latest wine is a little young in my opinion. Delicious and inviting with its dark fruit and brooding tannins. Inky purple in the glass, it exudes power and depth. The acidity is quite pressing, and the tannins are a little green, but given time this wine is going to be delicious. I imagine it will start to rock in 2015 and continue to roll until 2020 at the very least. Potentially a 90 point wine, at $22 it rates 5 stars with me. I am going to cellar a few of these and watch the evolution.
25 Tuesday Jun 2013
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Moxie and I traveled to Bali for a wedding, via Napa Valley. We ended up getting delayed on our arrival and missed out on winery visits, but the hotel had a beautiful terrace where we ordered this bottle to enjoy as an aperitif. Very young, and served from 375 ml, this was definitely a treat. Not too oaky or buttery, it was slightly more austere. Great apple meets lemon on the nose traversed to the palate where it was smoothly mixed with some butterscotch on the back end. Reminiscent of Burgundy, I sensed very aligned acidity, yet not razor sharp. There is a time and a place for that kind of component. This wine was very balanced and smooth. I enjoyed my glass immensely and would highly recommend it for a pre-dinner drink, but it would pair amazingly with some poached salmon and boiled new potatoes. I’m guessing this wine has at least 10 years in it and would be interesting to watch it’s development. At $36 per bottle on average, you are getting what you pay for here. Quality Napa Chardonnay at a fair price. 4 stars, 90 points….
12 Sunday May 2013
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From the Santa Cruz mountains comes this little gem. You know I like the varietal and I am also a big fan of this AVA, where the cooler climate refines the wines into ‘my style’ but not stripping the Cabernet Franc of its character. Layered with black berry and plum flavors, it offers up good tannins and balanced acidity. At 5 years of age, it is drinking on point and still has another 5 to run. We drank it with an Italian meal of spicy shrimp and red sauce, allowing the boldness of the wine to offset the acidity of the tomato based sauce. It worked a charm and I highly recommend it! I think this is a good wine worthy of 90 points and at $25 it gets 4 stars.
08 Wednesday May 2013
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I prefer finesse to powerhouse, but every once in a while along comes something that makes me pause. Petite Sirah is that pause. This varietal is juicy, tannic, bold, flavorful and not at all subtle.
In the glass, this particular wine was inky purple. On the nose, definite Cherry and pepper components. Once it hit, I was amazed at the fruit and body of this wine. Cherry, but not in the Pinot Noir sense, mixed with oak and spice. A powerful combination that had depth. This wine is muscular with teeth-coating tannins that are just starting to mellow. If you like a dry wine, this baby is right up your alley. The fruit is well integrated with the wood and the wine is extremely ‘juicy’, making me salivate at the mere thought of it. My only concern with this bottle was a slight metallic tinge that I noticed on the back end. Apart from that, a solid 90 pointer worthy of 4 stars. If you have never had Petite Sirah, you need to explore it. Yum……
05 Sunday May 2013
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Taking one whiff of this wine reveals all. Napa Cabernet done in a fruit forward style. Jammy plums and red currants closeted in an oak drape. A powerful wine that probably needs some time to integrate and take on some secondary flavors. Right now, the tannins are delicious and will hold it together for a while. Excellent acidity bring the package in nicely, yet I am somewhat bothered by this style of wine. I prefer seduction and finesse as you know. If you like it in your face, this is one for you, but take warning. It is priced at $75 and only got a 91 point pro rating. I would only go with 90, and considering the price and style, 2 stars. This is a big commitment, I can think of many better uses for the cash.
05 Sunday May 2013
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There once was a time that this wine was my go-to Cabernet. Back in the day, it was a 90 pointer for about $13- amazing value for amazing quality. It now prices at $19, and still hammers out a consistent 90 point rating. You cannot go wrong with this wine. It is mass produced in Chile under the Concha Y Toro brand. I liken it to their second best offering. Dark purple in the glass, it smell of Black Currants and some mint. Eucalyptus is another trademark of Chilean Cabernet, it shows up on the mid palate along with some plum and blueberry dipped in chocolate. It really is amazing what depths this wine can pull for such an affordable price. Not overly tannic, it has a structure that will help it mellow out for a few more years, with good acidity to balance. Are you salivating yet? I completely agree with the pro’s, 90 points all day long, and for the price- a 4 star wine. Stashing a case of this in the cellar is an insurance policy should all your friends descend on you uninvited. They will drink well! Salut……
30 Tuesday Apr 2013
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I hate it when the host waits for us to get half-in-the-bag before pulling out a really good (read expensive) bottle. Well, that’s what happened, yet again. The facts: I did not buy this so I had to look it up, $40 ish. Pro points- 90. Blend: 51% Zinfandel, 19%Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 12% Petite Sirah and some Charbono and Grenache to finish it off.
My take, initially….. in-your-face-Cali-Cab, fruit forward, New World bomb. I instinctively thought Napa Cab overdone, but now realize it was the ripe Zinfandel that was leading me astray. Dark purple in the glass, a huge blueberry nose leads into a blackberry and fruit compote palate. This is not my style of wine, way over-extracted and too much fruit. It was miraculously balanced and slightly tannic. Miraculous in the sense that you have to work really hard to mess with very ripe fruit, extract the last ounce out of it and still maintain acidity balance and control the alcohol (It weighs in at a whopping 15.2%, yet it is well cloaked- beware). The tannins are much more subdued than I had expected of such a young wine, perhaps the Zinfandel is the culprit again.
The wine has a long finish that translated back into a certain blueberry note that I enjoyed. Overall though, a 3 pointer for me. I would have guessed at 90 points and agree with WS. For $40 there are others out there I’m afraid. If you like highly extracted (I don’t mean complex or heavy) wines that are really fruity, this might fit right up your alley. For me, I prefer a little finesse and slightly lower alcohol.
14 Sunday Apr 2013
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By the time we got to this wine, it was late and our ‘palates’ were suffering ‘fatigue’. Let me re-phrase… we were plain old drunk by this point, or we would have realized that we had brought the best bottle out last. The number one rule of wine drinking (versus tasting) is to start with the best and finish with the rotgut because everyone is usually hammered and can’t taste much.
Oh well, I do remember that this was a really good bottle, yet again from the much heralded 2009 Bordeaux vintage. Beautiful purple color in the glass and a very defined blueberry note on the nose translated into a gorgeous palate of oak, cassis and plums. A certain earthiness lent itself well to this wine and should be interesting to watch it evolve. I wish I had been in a better position to really taste this wine, because I reckon it would have more depth than I was able to record. For the price, a 4 star wine that I estimate deserves 90 points. Definitely stick some in the cellar and start drinking in 2-3 years. Delicious.
14 Sunday Apr 2013
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On the nose, distinctive aromas of spice. Dark purple in the glass, the spice shapes up on the initial attack and comes in with some plum flavors as well. Very ‘sharp’ tannins are intriguing, as well as tasty. The finish was long on this one and I really enjoyed it. I think it has good aging potential and will mellow in three years to be quite delicious. The wine is well made and warrants 90 points but for the price, I am giving it 3 stars. I would cellar some bottles and drink them with juicy NY Strip steaks and sauteed mushrooms.
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