Tag Archives: 90 points

Weingut Winzer Krems ‘Kremser Goldberg’ Kellermeister Privat Gruner Veltliner Trocken 2020, Kremstal DAC, Austria

15 Wednesday Mar 2023

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Medium lemon with a touch of petillance and medium legs (13% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon rind, pomelo, white flowers, crushed gravel and pith.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a touch of bitterness and medium body.  The flavors I get are citrus dominated per the nose but I also get a rounded, creamy textured note of lemon curd.  The finish is medium to long and the crispness of the acidity lingers but is not biting.  I like this $25 effort and give it 90 points and 5 stars.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….

Lustau Jerez Palo Cortado Peninsula Sherry, Jerez, Spain

08 Wednesday Mar 2023

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This is my first Palo Cortado style sherry.  It looks divine- pale amber in the glass.  The nose offers up nuts, yeasty notes from Flor, caramel and toffee with dried orange rind. It has quite a bitter entry with exotic flavors I have never come across.  Dry with medium (+) acidity and a full body, this wine coats my mouth with tangy yeast and nuts with a citrus twist.  It’s unique for sure and offers a glimpse into another style of winemaking that is quite different- google Palo Cortado, you’ll see what I mean.  The fortification of this wine makes it a touch hot on the back end but I am really enjoying the nutty finish with that very singular Flor component.  I paid $26 to get this bottle- it rated 90 with the pros, who am I to argue?  4 stars.  Drink upon opening, Salut….

Raul Perez Ultreia Saint Jacques 2019, Bierzo, Spain

21 Tuesday Feb 2023

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This Mencia was a medium magenta/ruby color in the glass.  An earthy nose of crushed gravel and licorice with blackberry and lilac aromas.  The palate had medium (+) acidity, medium (-) tannins and a hefty body.  Blackberry, gravel, licorice all featured and the finish was medium in length.  Pairings for this wine would include lamb chops, beef stew or even roast duck.  Drink this 90 point wine till 2026.  I paid $20 but it can found for a few bucks cheaper, not bad and worthy of 5 stars.  Salut….

Cooper’s Hawk Cab/Zin NV, America

06 Monday Feb 2023

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Medium ruby colored with thin, speedy legs in the glass (13.5% ABV).  The nose of this blend shouts Zinfandel before I get Cabernet Sauvignon.  Interesting as the mix favors Cab by 60/40.  Ripe black plum with black cherry, bramble, smoke, coffee and crushed stone.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins.  Full bodied, this wine coats my mouth with dark, very ripe fruit and some interesting smoky, resinous notes.  Minerality is slight but there is a definite earthiness to this big wine.  The finish is medium in length and I get really nice black berry notes with some cocoa.  The tannins slide away nicely leaving ripe fruit.  I like it for what it is- an atypical blend of non-vintage wine that runs $25- probably one of my favorite wines from Cooper’s Hawk.  It gets 90 points from me and 5 stars.  Hard to give a drink-by window for an NV wine, but it’s ready to go now and will cellar for a year or three.  I’m pairing with burgers on the grill, but some stews or smoked meats would also do the trick.  (My guess is California Zinfandel with a mix of Cab from Washington and Cali) Salut….

Cataldi Madonna Malandrino Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2020, Abruzzo, Italy

23 Monday Jan 2023

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Moxie and I just dropped off our daughter at university in NYC.  We had a last dinner with her at this amazing Italian restaurant.  I dined on herb-infused papardelle with an oxtail ragout that screamed for a juicy, yet not overly tannic red.  My choices included this $20 (at retail) bottle of Montepulciano.  No notes were taken but from memory I recall it being the perfect choice.  Red fruit driven with medium (+) acidity, a modicum of tannic grip and a medium body.  The freshness of the fruit was evident as was a touch of spice, some herbs and a hint of oak.  The finish was medium in length with red fruit driving the flavors.  It was thoroughly enjoyed and I will be looking for more, at that price-point this 90 point wine is getting 5 stars.  I would drink it with all manner of pasta until 2025.  Salut….

Quevedo Family Alegria Vineyard Touriga Nacional 2018, Douro, Portugal

17 Tuesday Jan 2023

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Deep purple colored it stains the walls and has a slight bluish tinge on the edges.  On the nose it is very heady with aromas of dark, ripe blueberry, black currants, blue plum, violets, mint and a touch of oak by way of baking spices and chocolate powder.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and high tannins that are fine grained.  This full bodied wine has plenty going on flavorwise.  Blueberry, cacao, blackcurrant, plum, florals and some spices.  The question of balance comes into mind as the alcohol (15% ABV) is noticeable on the nose and the mid palate.  I will get over it but buyer beware.  The finish is medium in length and blue fruited.  The tannins having vanished, leaving a touch of refreshing acidity.  The Douro Valley and this varietal, Touriga Nacional are well known to Port lovers worldwide.  They make delicious and full throttle fortified wines, so having ripe, sun-drenched grapes to make a still wine is not an issue.  The results are in this bottle- a yummy delight to pair with hearty dishes.  Mine is Steak and Ale pie tonight but it will do well with grilled leg of Lamb or even Osso Bucco.  I would drink this wine till 2030, it has the structure needed to cellar.  90 points (the slight imbalance alcohol cost a point) and for $19- 5 stars.  Look for this wine or even this varietal and region when you are searching for something new.  Salut….

Nova Cadamatre Reserve Riesling 2021, Finger Lakes, New York

11 Wednesday Jan 2023

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Medium lemon colored with a medium (+) intensity nose.  Right off the bat I get aromas of creamy tropical flowers- bizarre, I know.  Then…. Nougat mixed with tangerine, more bizarreness.  Followed by saline and some pithy citrus as well as a touch of petrol.  I am really perplexed by this wine.  The palate is dry and slightly bitter with medium body and high acidity, which I was expecting.  Flavors of subdued citrus and florals alongside the bitterness from pith carry through to the medium length finish.  I must say this is not what I was expecting, the flavors and aromas are off my normal path for this varietal.  I like the precision, minerality and cut of this wine- it’s like a laser, I just need to recalibrate to these new flavors and aromas.  I would give this $18 wine 90 points and drink with charcuterie or oysters on the half shell.  Be ready for some mouth puckering vibrancy- 5 stars.  Salut….

Phebus Torrontes 2021, Mendoza, Argentina

09 Monday Jan 2023

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Pale straw colored this aromatic grape has an intense nose.  Aromas of grape, orange zest, lemon, lime, florals and wet slate.  The palate is dry with cutting medium level acidity and a medium body.  Citrus driven with a hint of pith layered in floral notes make for a very delicious flavor profile.  The finish is quite long, concentrating on orange pith and lemon zest, the acidity doesn’t stop.  I like this wine- 90 points worth and for $14 it’s a 5 star porch-pounder that rings in at 12.5% ABV.  Get some in preparation for summer.  I would pair this with spice laden dishes, seafood or a crisp salad with grilled chicken.  Salut….

Ixsir Altitudes Blanc 2021, Batroun, Lebanon

20 Tuesday Dec 2022

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Having just visited this winery where I tasted the 2022 from the still unbottled vats I had to bring home a bottle to share with Moxie.  It shows a beautiful medium straw-lemon color in the glass.  The nose has pronounced aromas of lemon, grapefruit, lychee, pineapple, white flower, a hint of vanilla bean and perhaps some bread.  The palate is dry and a touch bitter with grapefruit pith, lemon, rose, lychee, pineapple and a floral note making it quite a complex array of delicious flavors.  Medium acidity and a medium to full body take me to a finish that lasts a good 20 seconds and delves into the citrus and pith world.  It’s very floral and fruity with just the right amount of cut to make it a pleasing aperitif wine that I would pair with chicken and dare I say- spicy foods.  So glad this bottle survived my extensive travels from Beirut to the UK and finally home, well worth the effort.  A blend of Obeideh, Muscat and Viognier it can be found for $18 and gets 90 points from me making it a 5 star effort.  Salut….

Drinking from the vat

 

Rainstorm Pinot Noir 2021, Willamette Valley, Oregon

13 Tuesday Dec 2022

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Pale ruby with a touch of effervescence on the rim. The nose offers up medium intensity aromas of strawberry, cherry, cranberry, singed alder, cinnamon, pomegranate syrup and a tart red apple. The palate has juicy acidity that is medium along with very lithe tannins. Medium bodied- I get the same red fruit driven flavors with a kiss of oak. The wine finishes medium length with a touch of tartness. I like this $15 wine, it’s moderately complex with primal fruit and for the price it gets 5 stars. 90 points, drink till 2025. Salut…..