Tag Archives: 91 points

Boeckel Zotzenberg Gewurztraminer 2017, Alsace Grand Cru, France

02 Monday Aug 2021

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I’ve been cooking Sous Vide Pork Belly steaks in a fiery Sambal Oelek sauce for the past 18 hours, it’s going on a fried rice dish.  The spice of this dish needs an aromatic white I do believe, so this Grand Cru Alsatian is getting the nod.

It is deep lemon in the glass and has pronounced aromas of lychee, rosewater, strawberry, blossom and some nuttiness.  On the palate it is semi-dry with medium acidity, medium (+) body, medium alcohol and medium (+) intensity flavors of lychee, rose, strawberry, honeysuckle and blossom.  The nutty note comes on the back end, where the finish is medium in length.  It’s a flavorful, yummy wine that has a touch of residual sugar to help offset the chilies in the marinade.  The floral and tropical fruit will meld well with the white meat and veggies.  This wine seems like it will develop some more in the bottle, so there’s no rush to pop’n’pour.  I’m really enjoying it and think it is a 91 pointer.  At $40 it’s a serious player that gets 5 stars.  Salut….

Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz 2018, South Australia

02 Monday Aug 2021

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For the finale at our Virtual Wine tasting #20 I selected an oldie but goodie.  It’s been a few years since I drank any Mollydooker wines.  They are a treat but buyer beware- they pack a punch.  It all starts with the obligatory Mollydooker Shake, which is an important part of tasting this wine correctly.  I had all the participants open the screw cap and pour off a half cup of wine into another wine glass.  After re-sealing the bottle we shook vigorously to help release the Nitrogen that these wines are bottled under.  Once done I had them pour regular glasses and we compared the smell of the original wine versus the shaken version- a stunning difference in aroma.

The wine is bright purple, opaque and menacing in the glass once you read the label and realize it has 16% ABV.  On the nose it is jammy with blackberry, raisin, plum, pepper, coffee, black tea and vanilla.  Our group got flavors of coffee, blackberry jam, cinnamon, and someone mentioned ‘grape’.  Lithe tannins and medium (-) acidity make for an easy mouthfeel once you clear the alcohol hurdle.  A decent finish was enjoyed as I reflected on the length and depth of fruit flavor coming out of this bottle. The body is most def full, the grapes being extracted to the max.  This is not a lightweight.  I am a little stumped as to what I would pair it with- the richness will overpower most foods- oh well…drink it all by itself.  91 points from me make this $30 wine a 5 star effort that needs to be on your short list.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Spier 21 Gables Pinotage 2017, Stellenbosch, South Africa

02 Monday Aug 2021

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My wine tasting group has not tried Pinotage yet, so I though it would be appropriate to introduce this unique South African varietal to them.  Spier is well known and produces several different cuvees, ranging from the lighter everyday wines to blockbuster collectables.  This one is middle of the road and offers a glimpse into the style of wine that can be enjoyed over time.  Quite brooding and inky it has a funky nose with forest floor, tar, licorice, fresh cut wood, plantain, creamy coffee, Sel Gris and blackberry.  On the palate it exhibited textbook flavors of coffee, blackberry, Rooibos tea, baked raspberry, blueberry, acetate and raisin.  The word jammy was used.  Tannins were medium as was the acidity.  This cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault is much darker and intense than either of its parents, which surprised many in the group.  Overall it was well received and got 91 points from me.  We paid $36 per bottle making it a 5 star effort that can be drunk now or cellared till 2026.  Salut….

Chateau Mayne Guyon 2014, Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux, France

27 Tuesday Jul 2021

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My friend Tracy got this at Trader Joes, for $8.  I am absolutely blown away.  Seriously delicious, with cellaring capacity and yummy flavors.  Opaque, purple, inky.  The nose is exactly what I expect from a 7 year old Bordeaux- some cassis, cedar, earth, game and black plum.  Tertiary flavors are coming out whilst primal fruit is still very fresh.  The palate is silky with nicely integrated tannins, a touch of acidity and layered fruit.  A medium length finish makes for a delicious, tidy package of rich fruit and good structure.  Yummy stuff to drink till 2025.  91 points!  Yup, for $8 at TJ’s, this is probably my bottle of the year when it comes to QPR (quality price ratio).  5 stars, only cause I can’t go 6.  WAY TO GO!  Salut….

Marchesi Frescobaldi Castello di Nipozzano 2014, Chianti Rufina Riserva DOCG, Italy

25 Sunday Jul 2021

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I had to buy this funky bottle, it is gold.  As in they sprayed the bottle, there is no looking through the glass.  With a bit of age on it, there may be some hope of tertiary development in this Reserva.  It’s pretty dark in the glass, a lovely shade of ruby.  On the nose I get red cherry, cooked red cherry, earth, mushroom, pomegranate and oak.  The palate is very delicious, smooth and not biting.  I am really enjoying lush flavors of dark cherry, earth, game and cooked red cherry.  The tannins are really well integrated and meet up on the back end with some vibrant acidity.  The body is decent, heavier than I was expecting and certainly welcome, the mouthfeel is balanced and smooth.  I am thoroughly enjoying this Sangiovese, and feeling that most people would not buy it due to the strange packaging- I’m off to get the remnants, it’s that yummy for the barebones price of $15.  A veritable steal that gets 91 points and 5 stars.  Drink till 2025 with pasta, duh!  Salut….

Chateau Musar White 2010, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

21 Wednesday Jul 2021

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Here is my class note on a wine I have tasted before that is divine and should feature in any cellar worth its salt. For $55, it’s not a cheap intro to these two unique grapes that make the blend, but this winery has done something very special here and it needs to be tried. I am going with 91 points and 4 stars. Salut….

Chateau Musar White 2010, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon 12.5% ABV

  • Appearance- deep gold.
  • Nose- pronounced aromas of lemon, grapefruit, quince, wet stones, passion fruit, blossom, acacia and nuts.  Developing.
  • Palate- dry, medium acidity, medium alcohol, medium (+) body, medium (+) intensity flavors of lemon, grapefruit, quince, wet stones, passion fruit, blossom, acacia and nuts with a long finish.
  • Conclusion- very good quality wine that can be drunk now, but has potential for aging.

An amazing blend of Merwah and Obaideh from my native Lebanon.  These two grapes are thought to be closely related to Semillon and Chardonnay.  This is a young wine at 10 years of age from this iconic winery who make whites that will outlast their reds.  A cellar tour in 2008 showed thousands of bottles that were vinted in the 1930’s and ‘40s.  Their wines are long lived even though the acidity is not high, a strange phenomenon.  The body is quite weighty even though the alcohol is relatively low.  Delicious now, this will no doubt start to gain more tertiary flavors and aromas and continue to evolve for many years to come.  Unique stuff.

Dievole Novecento Riserva 2015, Chianti Classico DOCG, Italy

11 Sunday Jul 2021

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The third wine at tasting #19 was this 100% Sangiovese. Medium purple, it was more opaque than I was expecting from this varietal. The tasters got aromas of raspberry, flowers, iodine, chocolate, black cherry and a medicinal note (Oak influence?). On the palate it was very smooth with grippy tannins and medium plus acidity. Flavors of black cherry, coffee, iodine, licorice and black tea were accompanied by that medicinal note which someone stated was akin to cherry cough syrup. It is a tasty, bold wine with lots of aging capacity. It will drink well now if you like them tannic, or mellow out in a cellar and be more approachable in 2025 till 2030. 91 points from me for this $33 effort makes it a 4 star wine. Salut….

Caparsa Chianti Classico DOCG 2016, Tuscany, Italy

08 Thursday Jul 2021

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This week’s tasting assignment for school is a wine from Italy or Spain. I’ll end up doing both but here is the Tuscan one that I paid $20 for. It gets 91 points from me and is a brooding baby. This one needs a good aeration or several years in the cellar. 5 stars. Salut….

  • Appearance- Medium garnet with thin legs.
  • Nose- Medium (+) intensity with aromas of red cherry, red plum, cranberry, coffee, earth.  Developing.
  • Palate- dry, medium (+) acidity, high tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, medium (+) flavor intensity of red cherry, cranberry, tobacco, earth and coffee with medium (+) finish.
  • Conclusion- very good quality wine that can be drunk now, but has potential for aging.

Delicious but young Sangiovese, paired with dry-aged T-bone steak and baked potatoes.

 

Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Napa Valley, California

02 Friday Jul 2021

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I was visiting friends this past weekend and he popped this Napa gem for us to enjoy. Opaque purple- extracted to be sure. Rich nose of plums, blackberry, iodine, coffee and blueberry. Super smooth with fully integrated tannins, rich fruit, full body and medium acidity. Bright Cali sunshine is evident- the depth of flavor is deep. Structurally this is not built for long term, it’s delicious now. 91 points for this velvety elixir that runs $70 and gets 4 stars. Salut….

Vignoble Guillaume Pinot Noir 2009, IGP Franche-Comte, France

20 Sunday Jun 2021

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My friend Arty was tidying up her office last week and stumbled upon three bottles of wine that had been left over from various functions. They were all standing upright and at least 8-14 years old. I promised to dispose of them for her, so last night we sampled two of the three. I started out with this Pinot Noir from France. The bottle suffered from severe cork failure. However- this entry level Pinot is actually holding up quite well in the glass. It is showing a touch of bricking, a Garnet color and it’s see-through with a bit of sediment. The nose gives me stewed plums, cherries and strawberry. There is a hay component that I’m finding very interesting but it’s mostly cooked fruit which signifies it’s plateau of maturity. The tannins are fully integrated at this point and there is a modicum of acidity that gives me a little bite at the finish. I’m surprised this one has made it so long but it’s a drink now situation. Overall 91 points and kudos to the winemaker for crafting such a pleasurable mature Vin de Pays. Surprisingly it only runs 12.5% abv, a relative lightweight! Newer vintages will cost $18, making this wine a steal worthy of 5 stars. Salut….