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Tag Archives: 91 points

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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Aubert Lefas Bourgogne Rouge Les Grandes Carelles 2018, Burgundy, France

08 Wednesday Jun 2022

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$24, 5 stars, 91 points, burgundy, france, pinot noir, pommard


This Pinot Noir is slightly more extracted than usual showing a medium ruby color in the glass with small, fast moving legs showing off the moderate 13% ABV.  The nose gives me telltale rose and funky barnyard aromas typically associated with this varietal.  I also get cherry, strawberry, straw and orange peel.  The palate is dry, low in tannins, silky smooth and delicious.  Juicy acidity hits by way of sour cherry and pomegranate- the strawberry and orange peel having vanished by now.  Light to medium bodied this racy wine has got a tart yet delightful finish that is medium (+) in length.  Pommard produces some delicious, powerful and rich wines, this regional example is true to the style.  At $24 this 91 point wine gets 5 stars from me.  Pair it with duck, venison, roast Cornish hens or just by itself!  I would drink this wine till 2028.  Salut….

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Domaine de Saint Gens Gigondas Cuvee de l’Ancien Oratoire 2017, Rhone, France

28 Saturday May 2022

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$30, 4 stars, 91 points, france, Gigondas, grenache, rhone, syrah


A blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah, this Rhone wine has a medium ruby color in the glass.  The nose has a perfume meets rich plums and blackberry.  I am desperate to find the garigue and game these two varietals are known for but they elude me for oak influence of vanilla and coffee along with some green leaf hints.  The palate is interesting- dry and a touch tart with medium (+) tannins and medium to full body.  I get a definitive charred wood note along with the black fruit, vanilla, coffee and tomato leaf. There might be a touch of licorice in there to boot.  The wine gets pretty grippy on the back end as it flexes its muscles on the medium length finish.  I like it but feel it could use some cellaring.  It’s a bit one dimensional right now and the tannins need to mellow out a bit.  It got big scores from the pros but in my book this $30 bottle is a 91 pointer that gets 4 stars.  Drink from 2024-2030.  Salut….

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Clarendon Hills Grenache ‘Clarendon’ 2011, McLaren Vale, Australia

09 Monday May 2022

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$45, 4 stars, 91 points, australia, grenache, mclaren vale


I recently tasted the 2009 Clarendon Grenache and loved it.  I hope this newer bottling is as good!  Deep garnet in the glass with medium intensity aromas of raspberry, dried sage, black cherry, dust, charred wood, coffee, blueberry jam and vanilla.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and bracing tannins.  A full body with medium (+) intensity flavors of red fruit, oaky coffee, vanilla and charred wood along with some steeped blue fruit and rustic dust.  The finish is a dry, short to medium length affair that hones in on the charcoal and black cherry notes.  Overall, not as good as the ’09- it gets 91 points from me with a drinking window till 2028.  I give this $45 wine 4 stars.  Salut….

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Raats Family Cabernet Franc 2017, Stellenbosch, South Africa

07 Saturday May 2022

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$45, 4 stars, 91 points, Cabernet franc, South Africa, stellenbosch, VWTC


Our second Cab Franc at tasting #27 was this much more restrained version from S.A. Our first foray into the varietal was a powerhouse Chinon.  This wine was more elegant and softer- beginning with the medium ruby color in the glass.  On the nose the group found aromas of lavender, violets, blackberry leaf, blueberry, cherry (cola), black pepper, creamy coffee (froth), caramel and a medicinal note as well as a touch of cough syrup (?).  The palate was dry and we debated the acidity- High was the consensus.  Lush, nicely integrated tannins led to a medium bodied wine with lovely flavors of blackberry leaf, lavender, vanilla, violets, and that medicinal note.  A medium  (-) finish took off a point or two from me yet I love this wine.  91 points for a $45 wine makes it a 4 star effort to drink till 2026 with Steak au Poivre.  Salut….

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Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Clos Guillot 2018, Loire, France

07 Saturday May 2022

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$38, 5 stars, 91 points, Cabernet franc, chinon, france, loire valley, VWTC


The red wine theme for our 27th VWTC tasting was Cabernet Franc.  We kicked it off with this classic Chinon from the Loire valley.  As I opened the bottle and took a sniff I was very worried about the wine’s acceptance into our group.  It was very, very funky with loads of herbaceous aromas- not everyones cup of tea mind you.  This wine is deep purple colored with pronounced aromas of green pepper, dried herbs and earth.  We also got funk, cave moss, overripe blackberry, sea salt, lavender, violet, plastic band aid, overripe cherry and sarsaparilla.  There was definitely some minerality in this very complex wine.  The palate was dry with medium (+) tannins, medium (+) acidity and was full bodied.  In addition to the herbaceous notes we also got flavors of tart cherry on the plate, especially towards the back end.  Oak was present by way of svelte cinnamon and nutmeg flavors and the wine finished to a medium length. I was pleasantly surprised how this $38 monster developed in the glass and became one of the group’s favorite wines.  Some just love the funk!  I gave it 91 points and would drink this over a 10 year window with hearty steaks, venison or rich stews.  It gets 5 stars from me, just beware of the herbaceous quality of this varietal- times 10.  Salut….

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