Tag Archives: 91 points

Marques de Casa Concha Carmenere 2019, Peumo, Chile

30 Saturday Oct 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


During the 10th Virtual Wine Tasting in September of 2020 I introduced the Carmenere grape to our group.  It was met with skepticism.  Read all about the Massal 1945.  I did not care for the herbaceous nature of the bottle and was put off varietal for a while, until I saw this one from Concha Y Toro.  One of my favorite brands, they have good, consistent wines.  This grape needs to properly ripen or else it is green and disgusting.

Our group felt this bottle was very good, some thinking it was the wine of the night.  Flavors and aromas of this semi-opaque wine consisted of raspberry, chocolate, plum, capsicum and black pepper.  Medium tannins, medium body and gentle acidity made for a nice mouthfeel alongside a relatively short finish.  I scored it a 91, which is below the pros.  At $18 it’s a great way to discover Chile’s signature grape that gets 5 stars from me.  Whew, relief that it was good rather than controversial.  Drink till 2024.  Salut….

Chateau Pegau Cotes du Rhone Cuvee Maclura 2019, Rhone, France

27 Wednesday Oct 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


I have a bottle of the famous Pegau from CDP in my cellar so when I saw this little brother- I had to try it.  A blend of Grenache 60%, Syrah 20%, Mourvèdre 10%, Cinsault 10% it is opaque ruby.  Nose is medium intense with raspberry, red plum, black pepper, game, black currant, vanilla and clove.  The palate has medium (+) tannins, medium acidity and medium body.  The fruit flavors are medium intensity and carry through to a decent length finish that is laced with grippy tannins.  This is a young, delicious Rhone wine that can be drunk young or cellar till 2030.  91 points gets this $15 bottle 5 stars.  Drink with rustic foods, stews or Venison.  Salut….

Chimney Rock Arete Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Stags Leap District, California

16 Saturday Oct 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Opaque AF.  Bright blueberry, plum, blackcurrants and mint on the nose with some heady oak by way of vanilla and coconut.  On the palate it has medium (+) tannins, medium acidity and black fruit flavors of blackcurrant and blackberry alongside the greenish mint and oak notes plus charcoal.  Medium finish and  medium body with some high alcohol levels giving it weight.  Yummy stuff that tastes like California sunshine. 91 points and for $110 it gets 4 stars . Whilst young it drinks beautifully now and should get better with age till 2028.  Salut….

Matt Parish Tino 2018, Napa Valley, California

13 Wednesday Oct 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


The label says it’s a red wine blend.  Let’s see if I can discern the grapes.  First off- it’s deep ruby which rules out Pinot Noir.  Number two- it runs 14.5% ABV even though the legs are quite watery in the glass. The nose is of medium intensity and I get aromas of blackcurrant, black cherry, smoke, licorice, chocolate, black plum, and a grape note.  The palate is dry, with high acidity and high tannins.  The alcohol is evident and the body is medium (+).  The flavors are medium intensity and mirror the nose, although there is a black tea component on the mid palate.  The tannins are searing on the finish which is decent in length.  Overall a tasty wine that I believe will age well for another 5-7 years.  As for the varietals- here goes.  Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and perhaps Merlot would be my guess.  91 points for this rather big red that can be had for $25.  5 stars.  ps. it needs a big, juicy steak.  Salut….

Domaine Queylus Tradition Pinot Noir 2018, Niagara Peninsula, Canada

09 Saturday Oct 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


I’m grilling a spatchcocked chicken on the charcoal- it’s either a white wine or a Pinot. This one is pale garnet in color with almost no legs- indicative of the low 12.5% ABV.  Th nose has medium intensity aromas of red cherry, strawberry, straw, perfume, red licorice and wet stone.  It’s quite complex and certainly interesting.  The palate is dry with good acidity and lithe tannins.  The red fruit flavors intermingle with some black cherry and hints of oak.  The wine has a light to medium body and a decently long finish where the very slight tannins make themselves present.  It’s a delicious, lighter style of Pinot that is showing very nice primary fruit flavors in a layered manner with good structure.  If you prefer a more delicate and seductive Pinot, this one is right up our alley.  91 points from me for this $26  charmer (I paid $33 CAD in Quebec) makes it a 5 star effort.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Daou Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Paso Robles, California

06 Wednesday Oct 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


When I saw this vintage I had to buy it- the 2018 Daou was amazing so I’m hoping for a repeat.  This one is opaque purple.  On the nose it is rich with pronounced intensity aromas of blackberry, black plum, black cherry, tomato leaf, mint and charred oak.  The  palate is sweet from ripe fruit- blackberry jam, licorice, charred oak, black tea, good acidity and a hefty dose of back-end tannins.  Medium to full bodied it fills the mouth with great fruit notes and ripe tannins.  The California sunshine is evident in this fruit bomb.  I really like it for what it is- Cali Cab with great structure that will pair beautifully with steaks, pasta and game.  91 points for this $20 steal makes it a 5 star home-run.  Buy in bulk and drink till 2026.  Salut….

Pedro Rodriguez e Hijos ‘Mil Pesetas’ Pedro Ximenez Sherry NV, Andalucia, Spain

02 Saturday Oct 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Several months ago I purchased every style of Sherry made by the same producer that I could find- in hopes of expanding my knowledge and palate.  I tried the dry ones, the off dry ones and now we get to the sweet one.  Made from the the Pedro Ximenez grape in the Solera system, it promises to be a lush dessert wine.

In the glass it is amber and weeping, it looks very viscous.  On the nose it is exactly what I was hoping for.  Dried sultanas, walnuts, prunes, coffee, dried cherry, chocolate  and stewed apricot.  The palate is very thick, unctuous and sweet.  Delicious flavors of nuts, dried fruit, honey, gentle acidity make for a very velvety and luxuriously rich mouthfeel.  The sweetness is something to behold.  Low acidity is actually key here as it would be a detractor if there were loads of it.  This is lovely stuff that gets 91 points from me and for the $25/500ml price point it gets 5 stars.  A great dessert wine if you like ’em sweet.  Salut….

Masciarelli Marina Cvetic S. Martino Rosso 2016, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Italy

01 Friday Oct 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


Tonight I am preparing stuffed shells on a bed of Kale with meatballs on the side- the classic Italian dish that this varietal was made for.  It’s a bit murky in the glass and semi opaque.  The nose is brimming with red fruit, rose, violets, walnut and cedar.  There might be a hint of tea in there as well.  The palate is dry, acidic and carries some medium tannins.  The red currants, red cherry, raspberry and pomegranate notes are all there along with the florals and oak notes.  It’s quite tart on the back end but that’s what I was hoping for.  It’s labelled Reserva, which means nothing officially but it’s a way the producer tries to identify a superior product in this region.  I did a bit of research following my tasting- it’s interesting that three different pros described three different fruit profiles.  One said red fruit, one said blue and the last stated black.  Either way, it got decent scores and I would agree with the 91 pointer.  For $25, it’s a good Friday-with-Pasta wine that gets 5 stars from me.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Chambers Rosewood Vineyards Muscadelle NV, Rutherglen, Australia

30 Thursday Sep 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


I’m delving into the unknown with this one.  I have never tried a Muscadelle, but I have heard about it in my wine course.  In an effort to expand my palate I went looking for one of these and boy is it a rich amber color.  It looked syrupy when I was pouring it and the legs are just a watery sheen on the glass which is surprising considering this sweet dessert wine weighs in at 18.5% ABV.  The nose is interesting- some oxidation with stewed fruit and nuts, almost peanuts…  On the palate it is very thick and rich with aromatic fruit.  Pecans, honey, tangerine peel, burnt sugar, dried apricots, medicinal- think lemon and honey cough drops.  It is unctuous and sweet for sure but there is a bitterness too.  The acidity is medium and the finish is also medium in length.  To say it is full bodied would be an understatement, but the mouthfeel is great.  I am liking this intro to the style yet miss a botrytized white, that’s more down my sweet wine alley.  This bottle will eventually get finished, unlike a good Sauternes which won’t last but a few short hours.  Not knowing what to score this $15/375ML offering, I will defer to the pros who gave it 91 points.  5 stars, drink with dessert!  Salut…

Two Hands Wines Bella’s Garden Shiraz 2016, Barossa Valley, Australia

21 Tuesday Sep 2021

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


I’ve been a fan of this winery for many years.  In fact I have written about several wines from them and each one got a glowing review.  I just realized that this bottling  is named after the founder’s daughter who is but 3 days older than my youngest son, Jet.  This vintage runs a little less ABV than previous, 14.2%.  In the glass it is deep purple and showing youth rather than maturity.  The nose is very pronounced with aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant and white pepper.  There’s oak for sure, it’s just seamless and presents itself in vanilla and perhaps some chocolate notes.  As I swirl the flavor profile shifts towards blue fruit- think blueberry and plum.  There is a sweetness to this wine that might manifest into a jammy component on the palate- let’s see.

On the initial attack I get blueberry cobbler, vanilla, grippy tannins, juicy acidity and ever so slight jamminess.  It’s not overly thick like some Aussie Shirtaz-bombs can be, more subtle.  I get a distinct smoky note which is actually not playing well into my aspirations, it’s a bit disjointed.  The mid palate is quite dry and the finish is definitely where the tannins are showing up.  It’s quite a long affair with plenty of fruit flavors, but the grip is very present.  I like it.  This wine will pair well with my char-grilled strip steak and Chorizo sausages.  I think it drinks nicely now and will continue to evolve and get better with time.  Cellar or drink till 2028 for this 91 point wine that gets 4 stars for it’s $55 entry fee.  Salut….