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Tag Archives: 91 points

Domaine Des Versauds 2019, Morgon, France

02 Sunday Oct 2022

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$25, 5 stars, 91 points, beaujolais, france, gamay


The Gamay grape is traditionally made into wine using the carbonic maceration method in the Beaujolais region of France. This wine is a deep purple color with medium intensity aromas of blueberry, blackberry, dried flowers, orange peel, cherry bubble gum and perhaps a touch of banana.  The palate is dry with crisp tannins and medium (-) acidity.  I was not expecting the tannic grip to be so forthright.  I get flavors of blackberry, blueberry and açaí berry with a faint hint of charred oak and some orange peel.  Oak influence? A full-bodied and full-throttle expression of this usually benign grape has really thrown me as I am pairing it with a slow-cooked Eye of Round Roast, which is a low fat cut of meat.  I would prefer to pair this wine in its youth with a fattier cut of meat like Ribeye, Leg of Lamb or grilled Goat.  The finish is quite decent in length, adding to the complexity and depth of this wine.  For $25 you are getting a cru-level bottle that has decent cellaring capacity and gets 91 points from me.  5 stars- drink till 2027.  Salut….

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Lapis Luna Wines Zinfandel 2020, Lodi California,

16 Friday Sep 2022

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$15, 5 stars, 91 points, california, Lodi, zinfandel


Medium ruby colored this Zinfandel was amazing.  Rich, smooth aromas and flavors of ripe plum, blackberry, blueberry pie and baking spice with a hint of vanilla.  Low acidity, medium (-) tannins and a full body lead to a long finish.  Amazing value at $15 for this 91 pointer that gets 5 stars.   I would drink this in the shorter term with stews, game and hearty pasta dishes with rich red sauces.  Salut….

ZINFANDEL 2020 - LAPIS LUNA

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Rebellious Red Blend 2019, California

16 Friday Sep 2022

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$20, 5 stars, 91 points, california, petite sirah, winetasting, zinfandel


I was tasting wines for a prospective class and wanted to stick to single varietals, the bartender convinced me to try this red blend of Zinfandel, Cab Sav, Merlot, Petite Sirah and Syrah.  In one word- Delicious!  Medium ruby colored with a slight blue edge it has aromas and flavors of ripe plum, blueberry pie, coconut, charred oak, cracked pepper and allspice.  Medium (-) acidity and medium tannins lead to a full bodied, mouth coating experience.  A long finish adds to this wine’s appeal and solidifies my score of 91 points. Not bad for a sub $20 effort that gets 5 stars.  At 15% ABV, it is obvious the winemaker has used really ripe, sun-drenched grapes to achieve this level of flavor.  Yummy stuff to pair with a thick Tomahawk steak or some braised Beef ribs.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….

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Quinta Das Carvalhas Tinto 2017, Douro, Portugal

18 Thursday Aug 2022

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$16, 5 stars, 91 points, Douro, portugal, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, touring nacional


A blend of 60% Touriga Nacional with the balance between Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) from the Douro, it is medium to deep purple colored.  The nose has a bit of heat initially but then I get aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, saddle leather, vanilla, a touch of raisin and star anise. The palate is dry with medium (+) tannins and medium acidity.  Think black tea meets charcoal with a melange of very sun-ripened black fruits.  It’s a full bodied wine that sports a hefty 14.5% ABV (which I noticed on the nose) and carries through to a medium length finish.  For $16 this is a delicious wine that will cellar well till 2028 and drink nicely now if you like a touch of dryness.  91 points and 5 stars.  Salut….

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Lucien Albrecht Riesling Tradition 2020, Alsace, France

09 Tuesday Aug 2022

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$22, 5 stars, 91 points, alsace, france, riesling


Medium lemon colored, this rather young Riesling has pronounced aromas of citrus, apple, pineapple, ginger and acacia.  The palate is dry (at 13% ABV that was an obvious assumption) with bracing acidity and a medium body.  Lemon, grapefruit, green apple, pineapple and some spice coat my palate to a medium length finish that is jaw watering.  This is a very refreshing thirst quencher that I am enjoying immensely.  Tonight’s pairing is fish and chips so this will work out quite well.  I would think this wine can age for a few years, say till 2030 and hopefully pick up some tertiary notes.  91 points from me makes this $22 bottle a 5 star quaffer to look for.  Salut….

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Castelli del Grevepesa Panzano Gran Selezione 2016, Chianti Classico DOCG, Italy

18 Monday Jul 2022

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$28, 4 stars, 91 points, chianti classico, Italy, sangiovese


Medium ruby colored with a bit of cloudiness in the glass.  The nose of this Sangiovese is medium intensity with aromas of crushed rose petals, tomato stem, red cherry, dusty earth, dried leather, vanilla and baking spice.  The palate is dry and tart with high acidity and medium tannins.  Fruit-wise I get tart cherry, roses and that green tomato stem note followed by secondary flavors of earth, leather, vanilla and spice box.  The wine runs 14% ABV giving it a medium (+) body.  The finish is long and sour with the cherry component that lingers.  I would pair this with a fatty cut of meat, think lamb or ribeye steaks.  It needs something to offset the acidity and tame the tannins.  It has good structure to cellar till 2030.  91 points from me for this $28 effort makes it a 4 star wine.  Salut….

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Domaine Durieu Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Reserve Lucile Avril 2016, Rhone, France

17 Sunday Jul 2022

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$50, 3 stars, 91 points, Chateauneuf-du-pape, france, grenache, Mourvèdre, southern rhone, syrah, VWTC


I love a CDP, as does our virtual tasting group but this one was not a crowd pleaser.  Medium ruby colored it had pronounced aromas of game (road kill), tomato, sawdust, violets, herbs de Provence and baked/stewed blueberry.  The palate was dry with well integrated medium (+) tannins, low acidity and a medium body.  Flavors of game, stewed blueberry, charcoal, smoke, and a waxy component were noted.  The finish was decently long for this 91 point wine.  I scored it 15 points on our grading scale and for $50 it only gets 3 stars from me.  The pro’s went as high as 96 points for this old vine Grenache blended with Syrah and Mourvedre.  I would drink this angular wine with stews or perhaps a venison roast.  Cellar wise- it should go till 2030.  Salut…..

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Castelli del Grevepesa Lamole 2016, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG, Italy

11 Monday Jul 2022

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$28, 4 stars, 91 points, chianti classico, Italy, sangiovese


Medium ruby colored this Sangiovese has pretty thick legs running down the glass that would concur with the 14% ABV.  The nose gives me coconut, red cherry, rose, cedar and coffee.  The palate is a dry and tart affair with fine grained tannins that are medium intensity and well integrated.  The high acidity really takes center stage on the initial attack.  Flavors of red cherry, coconut, rose, rhubarb and cranberry fill my mouth with a red fruit cocktail laced with tart, almost underripe cherry at the core.  It’s an interesting wine that feels a bit out of balance yet I keep wanting to take another sip.  The finish is medium length and really jaw watering.  The tannins are fighting the acidity.  This wine will pair beautifully with a pasta of sautéed veggies and olives in thin spaghetti.  I would even put it up against Osso Bucco or Veal parmigiana.  I’m going 91 points, slightly lower than the pros but at $28 it is a respectable 4 star wine to drink till 2030.  Salut….

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Chateau Kefraya 2016, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

26 Sunday Jun 2022

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$20, 5 stars, 91 points, bekaa valley, cabernet sauvignon, lebanon


If you read my previous post about the Basque white we enjoyed at dinner, this is the follow up wine we ordered to accompany the Crescent Duck Breast, Young Broccoli, Rhubarb and Black Barley dish.  Spectacular is what I remember as there were no notes taken.  At 6 years of age this bottle looked a bit beat up but tasted great.  A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with Cab Franc, Syrah and Cinsault thrown in for good measure it combines red fruit aromas/flavors with nicely integrated oak, supple tannins and spice box nuance alongside some tertiary notes of leather and tobacco. Really great mouthfeel and a decent length finish. If tasted properly I would score this 91 points and give it a drink till 2028 window to pair with red meat, Duck (obviously!) or even a hearty Ragout.  Yummy stuff to be had for under $20 that gets 5 stars from me. Salut….

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Herencia Altes La Peluda 2016, Terra Alta, Spain

15 Wednesday Jun 2022

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$15, 5 stars, 91 points, garnaxa peluda, spain, Terra Alta


I had to look up the varietal- Garnaxa Peluda.  It literally translates into “hairy Grenache”, a variant of the workhorse grape that develops a thin film layer on the underside of the leaves to protect the vine from transpiration in a warm climate.  This particularly offering is medium garnet colored and has slow moving legs confirming a high ABV (15%).  The nose has pronounced aromas of red raspberry, garigue, ripe black cherry, menthol, vanilla, coffee, popcorn? and bramble.  I’m surprised I did not get tertiary notes from aging as this wine is already 6 years old.  The palate is dry with grippy tannins and medium (+) acidity.  The body is medium in weight and I get nice flavors of raspberry, black cherry, some charred oak, coffee and vanilla.  I lost the popcorn and menthol along the way.  The tannins really take over on the finish, leaving my mouth covered in a black tea component.  The flavors last a decent length even when masked by the tannins.  The mouthfeel is a little rough, the astringency being a little out of balance for me.  I would need to throw a juicy, fatty steak at this wine, which is probably what it was made for.  I give this 91 points and think it should cellar for a little longer.  For $15 it’s a steal btw that gets 5 stars.  Be patient with this blockbuster as it needs to meld a touch more.  Salut….

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