Tag Archives: 91 points

Marianot Garblet Barolo DOCG 2014, Piedmont, Italy

08 Sunday Sep 2019

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Quite see-through with a darker purple hue in the glass.  The nose has violets, cherry essence, bramble and leather.  On the palate it is fruity, lighter than expected and a touch dry.  Blueberry is the primary flavor alongside some cedar plank and those violets.  The tannins start to really grip on the mid palate to go along with the blue fruit compote and wood.  The wine finishes strong, with the tannins really getting stuck in and the gums really getting pounded.  The fruit remains for a while but is eclipsed by the 60 second plus grip of the astringency.  Very young wine, but thoroughly enjoyable if you like ‘em dry.  I would personally drink this wine now with veal chops on the grill, a heavy duty pasta dish or  perhaps Moroccon lamb in the tagine.  If you have patience, this one will mellow nicely for a few years and be presentable from 2024- 2030.  91 points, $35 and 4 stars for this Nebbiolo.  Salut….

Domaine Jean-Michel Guillon & Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvee Pere Galland 2012, Cote de Nuits, France

08 Sunday Sep 2019

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We just had a delightful dinner at our favorite restaurant, L’Auberge Chez Francois located in the D.C suburbs.  They have a great wine list but this evening was a very special occasion so I took a bottle of the amazing 2000 Lynch Bages to start off with.  It was spectacular and did not last long.  We needed more vino and my friend wanted a Pinot.  I figured we should order something a little more stout, Gevrey being the obvious choice in a French restaurant.

 

 

 

See-through medium intensity purple.  On the nose sage brush, cherry, oregano.  On the palate it’s very smooth with cherries, cedar, asparagus and lithe tannins.  Medium intensity acidity gives the wine a cutting edge without sourness.  The mid palate shows raspberries alongside the cherry- very tasty and full bodied.  The finish is all sour cherry with acidity, medium tannins and a touch of wood. 91 points and 4 stars for this $50 Burgundy.  Drink till 2035.  Salut….

Domaine Pascal & Mireille Renaud Pouilly-Fuisse Cuvee Vieilles Vignes 2017, Maconnais, France

24 Saturday Aug 2019

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It’s a medium gold in the glass with a nose of pear, apricot and banana.  The palate is tasty, with nice flavors of that pear, some citrus by way of grapefruit and some lanolin.  The mid palate has some weight, with silky smooth popcorn notes along with the fruit.  Acidity is lithe and balanced.  It makes the wine refreshing without too much cut.  The finale’ has more of that pear fruit meets lemon with a decent length finish that has me wondering how good this is going to be with the roasted Cornish Hens I am grilling.  91 points.  I paid $20, but it lists for up to $50, this is a 4 star effort at the first price. Drink till 2027.  Salut….

Chapel Hill Parson Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale, Australia

09 Tuesday Jul 2019

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Very dark purple, nearly black in the glass.  On the nose I get fresh blackberries, cedar, vanilla and coffee bean.  On the palate this wine is delicious- chock full of black fruits, a beautiful oak integration, medium grained tannins that caress at the right time and some very gentle acidity.  Aussie wines can sometimes get too jammy, especially with Shiraz- but this Cab Sav has ripeness and body without going over the edge.  The mid palate just continues the black fruit theme and the finish is long, dry and adds cinnamon and licorice to the back end.  Delightful.  91 points and 5 stars for this $20 bottle.  Drink till 2028 with steaks.  Salut….

Castello di Gabbiano Chianti Classico DOCG 2016, Tuscany, Italy

07 Sunday Jul 2019

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Semi opaque yet intriguingly purple in the glass.  On the nose I’m getting sour cherry kirsch, strawberries and rooibos tea.  On the palate it is light, tart and tasty- just what I was expecting.  The opening notes are much the same…. cherry juice, strawberry coulis and rhubarb.  There are some gripping tannins that hit the mid palate and that sour cherry must be the source of the bracing acidity.  These factors, combined with the young fruit are going to bode well for a patient lover of Sangiovese.  It will evolve nicely I think.  91 points and 5 stars for this $12 wine.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Barboursville Vineyards Reserve Viognier 2017, Virginia, USA

07 Sunday Jul 2019

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Very pale yellow in the glass, I was expecting a more honeyed glint.  On the nose it’s very refreshing with a peach hint, some beeswax and papaya.  I’m excited!  On the palate it is super delicious- crisp, clean with just a hint of acidity let the flavors of peach stone, nectarine and pink grapefruit really shine.  The mid palate allows the gentle acidity some room to refresh the palate.  The finish is medium in length with a great mouthfeel that balances freshness with a touch of flab that just tastes and feels right.  This is a rather nice bottle- Virginia really does great Viognier and Barboursville perfects it.  91 points and 5 stars for this $22 charmer.  Drink till 2027 with grilled fish, chicken kebabs or raw clams.  Salut…. 

Murrieta’s Well Port 2017, Livermore Valley, USA

20 Thursday Jun 2019

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Opaque and very dark in the glass.  Super concentrated nose of plum, almond and strangely enough- lemon peel (only a touch).  Currants and raisins pop in as well but in a supporting role.  On the palate this is a refreshing style of Port that gives me blackcurrants, espresso and mocha dust.  It’s delicious and fruity with a nice yet lithe set of tannins that very gently apply a dryness right on the finish.  This is a nice treat.  Absolutely pair this with soft, ripe cheese or perhaps a chocolate ganache.  91 points. $40 and 3 stars.  Salut….

Murrieta’s Well Zarzuela 2016, Livermore Valley, USA

20 Thursday Jun 2019

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Nearly black and definitely opaque in the glass, this wine promises to be a brooding monster.  On the nose I get charcoal, iodine, black cherry, olive and bacon fat. On the palate this is such an atypical wine- intriguing.  Twizzler meets black currants and Rooibos tea.  Delightful tannins and great mouthfeel. It’s got a long finish that keeps on giving. I’m actually at a loss for descriptors on this unique blend.  It’s not everyone’s cup of vino but it is well made, tasty and worthy of a try.  91 points for this blend of 45% Touriga, 35% Tempranillo, 20% Souzao make it a 3 star effort at $64.  Drink with charcuterie, steak and wild boar until 2028.  Salut….

Murrieta’s Well The Spur Red 2016, Livermore Valley, USA

20 Thursday Jun 2019

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Dark purple, opaque.  On the nose I get red fruits, mainly raspberries and dark cherry. On the palate I sense a definitive Cali sunshine component that differentiates this blend from a more traditional Medoc. It’s more fruit forward and fresher.  There’s more concentration and the wine is rich.  I start to get plums, black currants and quinine on the mid palate.  This is multidimensional and very tasty with a nice tannic structure and good acidic balance.  I would suggest a few years in cellar and then let ‘er rip till 2028.  Steaks, rich stew in the fall or osso bucco beg for this 91 point blend of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 22% Petite Sirah, 9% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec.  $35 and 4 stars.  Salut….

 

Murrieta’s Well Tempranillo 2017, Livermore Valley, USA

20 Thursday Jun 2019

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Very dark purple.  On the nose it is showing off sweet blackberries with a spicy component.  Plum reduction also comes to mind.  On the palate sour plum combines beautifully with blackberry and coffee bean.  The midpalate introduces the tannins which ramp up nicely to caress the gums on the finish without being too dry and obtrusive.  Drink now till 2024 with game dishes, charcuterie or all by itself.  91 points makes this $50 charmer a 4 star wine.  I was impressed BTW.  Salut….