Tag Archives: 90 points

Cooper’s Hawk Winery Lux Cabernet Sauvignon NV, California

30 Monday Oct 2023

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Medium ruby colored with high viscosity (13.9% ABV) and very slight staining.  The nose gives me aromas of dark red fruit- raspberry, black cherry, red plum, star anise, evergreen, toasty oak and baking spices.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins.  A relatively full body is rich with ripe dark red fruits long with blackberry and a definitive charcoal note.  I also get some baking spice and a herbal green note.  The finish is short to medium in length.  This is a nicely balanced wine that has acidity and tannins tipping each other whilst the fruit takes center stage.  It gets 90 points from me and for $36- 4 stars.  Since this is an NV wine I would drink within 5 years of purchase.  Salut….

Camillle Benitah Volute 2020, Napa Valley, California

19 Thursday Oct 2023

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Deep ruby colored with staining on the walls and a high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose of this Bordeaux blend has medium intensity aromas of black plum, blackberry, black currants, a hint of eucalyptus, baking spices, vanilla, cedar and mint.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are polished.  The intensity on the palate is greater than the nose.  I get lots more black fruit which which is ripe along with mint, vanilla and baking spice.  The tannins turn a bit chalky on the back end of this full bodied wine and the finish is medium in length.  I love this style of wine  and when done with ripe fruit it can be very delicious, but this bottle seems to lack a certain depth for me.  It’s good, but not great (I’m a big fan of the winemaker btw).   90 points from me and for $25- it gets 4 stars.  I’m pairing with marinated grilled steaks and Lemon roasted potatoes.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Clarendelle Blanc 2021, Bordeaux, France

15 Sunday Oct 2023

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Pale lemon with titanium edges and a low viscosity (12.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of lemon, waxy lemon peel, gooseberry, yellow apple and lanolin.  The palate is dry with high acidity and a media (-) body.  The fresh citrus combines with a waxiness that has both a tart and silky mouthfeel.  The apple and gooseberry add dimension.  It’s delicious and refreshing with a longish finish.  This Sauvignon Blanc/ Semillon blend gets 90 points from me and at $24- 4 stars.  Pairing is baked Trout and Jolly rice with seafood.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Aldi Specially Selected Reserve 2018, Rioja, Spain

09 Monday Oct 2023

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Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose is earthy with dried plum, black berry, vanilla, dust, graphite and aloe.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that are pretty smooth.  The medium weight body carries the oak laced dark fruit along to a medium length finish that is fresh with a touch of red fruit.  The earthy nature of a classic Rioja shows itself in this $9 wine that has been aged for 30 months in oak.  I like it- 90 points worth which makes this Aldi branded Tempranillo a 5 star effort to stock up on.  It’s a great value.  Drink till 2026 with hearty meat dishes.  Salut….

Chateau Valandraud ‘Virginie de Valandraud’ 2015, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France

05 Thursday Oct 2023

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Deep ruby, inky in fact with medium viscosity (14.5% ABV) and some staining.  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, cassis, mint, charred oak, black tea, cigar tobacco, a hint of vanilla and some iron.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (+) tannins that are fine grained but firm.  A full body with black fruit along with oak influence and a definite minty note carry through to a medium length finish that is a touch hot from the high alcohol.  I was hoping for more development and tbh- more depth here.  The second wine of this famed winery, it has a 70/30 split of Merlot and Cab Franc that gets 90 points from me and for $67, it’s a 3 star effort to drink till 2029.  I’m pairing with chargrilled steaks and peppercorn sauce.  Salut….

Anton Bauer Rosenberg Gruner Veltliner 2021, Wagram, Austria

13 Wednesday Sep 2023

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Pale lemon colored with a hint of petillance and medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose gives me lemon zest, peach, white pepper, orange blossom and pear drops.  The palate has high acidity and a medium to full body.  I’m getting lemon pith and zest now, there’s a slight bitterness.  The florals are there and the telltale white pepper is too.  The peach has mellowed and it’s more of a citrus affair now.  The finish is tangy, slightly salty and quite long in length.  I chose this wine as I am grilling Turkey breasts on the charcoal, I think the pairing will work as they are quite heavily spiced and need something sharp to oppose.  90 points for this $17 effort makes it a 5 star wine to drink till 2027.  Salut….

 

Spier Seaward Pinotage 2020, Coastal Region, South Africa

02 Saturday Sep 2023

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Bright ruby that is nearly deep in opacity and has high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose reminds me of Pinotage wines I drank early on in my wine career, they had a bit of a medicinal aroma along with tar-meets-the-road.  Additionally I get dark berries, black plum, brambleberry, mocha, spice box and vanilla.  The palate is a dry affair with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins.  The full body shows off flavors of dark fruit, black cherry and nicely integrated oak.   The fruit is quite ripe and passes itself off as a touch sweet on the initial attack but I doubt there’s any RS.  The finish is where it turns a touch tart, but I am loving the interesting wave of flavors that have come across.  Medium length- it leaves me wanting to sip again.  90 points for this $20 bottling makes it a 5 star wine to drink till 2028.  I’m pairing with chargrilled chuk, fries and a side salad.  Salut….

Egervin Egri Bikaver Bulls Blood 2020, Eger, Hungary

07 Monday Aug 2023

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Next up at our tasting was this interesting red from Hungary.  I have read in numerous books about the Bull’s Blood, a blend of Blaufrankish, aka Kekfrankos, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Oporto. In the glass- medium ruby colored with low viscosity which belied the 12% ABV.  On the nose we got butterscotch, super ripe cherry, new leather, vanilla, caramel, licorice, cedar funk and a medicinal note (quite complex with lots of wood derived notes).  On the palate it had medium acidity, medium (-) tannins and a light body, as was to be expected.  Sour cherry dominated the palate along with grape, licorice, funk, neutral white oak and burnt raisin. It finished medium and had several people scratching their heads.  It was way more complex than I was expecting and was a real treat- especially at $10.  I gave it a respectable 14 points and on a technical side- 90.  5 stars for sure and a must try if you’ve never had this blend.  Drink now.  Salut….

 

Jean-Marc Lafont Domaine de Bel Air Brouilly Briante 2020, Beaujolais, France

26 Monday Jun 2023

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Medium purple colored with medium viscosity (13% ABV). The nose reminds me of Paris, where I drank this style of Beaujolais by the bucketful in the cafes and restaurants.  I get aromas of candied black cherry, tons of florals, strawberry and redcurrant.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins that are powdery and integrated.  Medium to full bodied- this Gamay based wine takes on a touch of bitterness right off the bat that is offset by ripe red fruit- strawberry, black cherry and currants.  The main floral component is lavender but there is a black tea note coming through on the mid palate.  The wine finishes a touch tart but its length is quite impressive.  The tannins very gently caressing and the acidity ever-present.  This bottle is a magnum and will last till 2028, regular bottles retail for $25.  It gets 90 points from me- 4 stars.  Salut….

Lustau Los Arcos Dry Amontillado Sherry NV, Andalucia, Spain

16 Friday Jun 2023

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Pale amber colored with high viscosity (18.5% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of yeast, lemon peel, hazelnuts, saline and dried orange.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a full body.  A combination of Biological and Oxidative aging gives this wine a unique flavor profile- nutty, it features desiccated fruit with saltiness and a citrus twist.  It’s a real treat to drink this aperitif wine that finishes long with a yeasty note on the back end.  90 points for this $18 effort makes it a 5 star wine to sip with charcuterie.  Salut….