Tag Archives: 91 points

CAM Collection Chardonnay 2018, Russian River Valley, California

14 Monday Sep 2020

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This Russian River Valley Chard has a beautiful gold sheen to it.  The nose is floral and full of citrus.  Lemons, lime and vanilla bean all hit me.  On the palate it is very rich and warm.  The citrus theme continues but I note popcorn and honeysuckle join the fray.  The mid palate is full bodied with a nice mouthfeel.  I am enjoying the citrus without too much acidic cut.  I was looking forward to a somewhat fuller wine and this one hits all the notes.  The finish is crisp and clean with a core of marzipan to go alongside the refreshing fruit flavors of lemon, lime and green apple.  Judicious oak use is noted and appreciated.  I am pan searing some King Salmon to go with Battata Harra, a spicy Middle Eastern potato dish- I think the weight of this Chardy will go well with the fish and stand up to the fiery spices of the side dish.  91 points from me and 5 stars for this $16 wine.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Mt. Luxxe Vineyards Zinfandel 2017, Lodi, California

09 Wednesday Sep 2020

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I don’t drink Zins very often, but when I find one I like- I remember it and revisit.  I was not a huge fan initially of the last Zin I drank, the Turley Zin turned out much better after a day or so.

This one shows semi opaque in the glass and has a lovely reddish hue to the purple color.  On the nose I get raspberries, red currants and cinnamon stick.  The palate is very rich with a nice thrust of raspberry coulis and mulling spices.  There’s a really nice set of tannins that caress the gums without stripping the enamel off my teeth alongside a juicy acidity that hits the mid palate.  The red fruit theme continues with some steeped rhubarb and spices.  This is not a jammy Zin, but is full bodied with rich flavors and a really nice, long finish.  The warmth I get on the backend is also very interesting.  Really tasty with a decent level of complexity and aging capacity make this a 91 point wine IMHO.  I paid a paltry $9.99 for it but it normally retails for $40.  4 stars with a drinking window till 2027.  I’m flash cooking some thin Ribeyes that will pair nicely.  Salut….

Turley Wine Cellars Old Vines Zinfandel 2017, California, USA

30 Sunday Aug 2020

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The last wine of our Virtual tasting #8 was this highly regarded Zin which rolls in at $35.  I selected it because I really like this winery and was thinking it would be interesting to have two wines from the same winemaker, albeit different varietals to showcase the winemaker’s style and skill.  There were 8 different groups tasting this wine and I recorded their collective notes.

The wine starts off with a nice purple shade of medium opacity.  Fine legs on the sidewalls gave away the 15.5% alcohol, which was not evident on the palate- well disguised!  The immediate reaction to the nose was ‘Grandmothers attic!  A good swirl and more traditional aromas of baked cherries, rhubarb, cherry, currant, plum and dusty mocha were mentioned alongside descriptors of svelte, brooding, jammy and finally mothballs.  Back to the closet I guess!

On the palate members of the group noted sassafras, huckleberry, cinnamon and Jalapeño.  I found the wine to be complex but the finish brought up some interesting comments.  Stinky Brie, green and bitter notes were mentioned but I thought the wine was balanced between lithe tannins and gentle acidity.  Pepper was the predominant feature for me.  I was not overly impressed by this wine on night one and will re-taste tonight.  For now I’m going with 89 points, a stark contrast fro the 92 it got from some of the pros.  3 stars initially.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….

UPDATE- I re-tasted the wine after a 24 hour period and have revised my score to 91. It improved dramatically.  The complexity was evident- 4 stars.

 

Champalou Vouvray 2019, Loire, France

30 Sunday Aug 2020

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The second wine of Tasting #8 was another Chenin Blanc, this time from Vouvray.  Served at room temperature first we noted a pale gold color.  The nose was flowery, with honeycrisp apple, honey, green apples, honeysuckle and pear.  The palate is somewhat sweet with several participants noting canned pear with it’s syrupy goodness.  I got passion fruit but the wine had a bitter aftertaste.

The chilled version was very interesting.  Oatmeal, burnt honey, Graham cracker, butter and white pepper were noted.  The wine had more citrus on the finish and I tasted sweet tangerine and pear as well.  I scored the chilled version the second highest wine of the night and really enjoyed this $25 wine, giving it 91 points and 5 stars.  Pairing suggestions would include grilled Swordfish, roasted Quail or even Moussaka.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Abadia Retuerta Seleccion Especial Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon 2016, Spain

23 Sunday Aug 2020

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This blend shows up as very dark purple in the glass.  On the nose I get blackberry reduction, charred oak, black tea and blueberries.  The palate is sublime- dark fruits intertwined with lush oak, bramble, black tea and fine grained tannins.  The mid palate is very satisfying.  Gobs of blackberry, lashings of wood, crunchy tannins and juicy acidity all come together.  The wine finishes semi dry with good mouthfeel and a medium length serving of those delicious, ripe fruits.  Figs also come into play right at the end with the last vestige of gum searing tannins. This is a young wine that can be enjoyed now if you like them very dry.  I would drink till 2030 with all sorts of roasted meat, venison in particular.  Yummy stuff.  91 points from me and at $26, it get 5 stars.  Buy a few for the cellar, it will reward you.  Tempranillo 75%, Cab Sav 12%, Shiraz 9%, Merlot 3% and Petit Verdot at 1%.Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 675 Chardonnay 2017, Santa Barbara County, California

23 Sunday Aug 2020

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It’s got a really bright yellow/gold color in the glass.  The nose has butterscotch, green apple and melon.  The palate is full bodied with a nice round mouthfeel.  Apples, pear and some lemon interlaced with a touch of acidity open up for me on the palate.  The mid palate is very smooth with more of the same flavors coming forth.  I get some nutty notes and caramel on the back end along with the pear and apple melange.  It’s quite a complex wine, punching way above its $14 price point.  I am thoroughly enjoying it.  The mouthfeel is great, the fruit is prominent, the acidity is apparent without cutting too much and the whole package rolls off the palate very nicely.  91 points from me and a 5 stars for sure.  If you like Chardonnay, stock up on this one.  Drink till 2024.  Salut….

CVNE ‘Cune’ Gran Reserva 2012, Rioja DOCa, Spain

14 Friday Aug 2020

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Bright purple in the glass, semi opaque.  The nose is lovely, warm and chock full of dark berry fruits, charcoal and bramble.  On the palate I get a really smooth intro to the blackberries, Ribena and earthy notes that allow some oak to mingle.  There is a certain rustic twist to this wine.  On the mid palate I start to get tertiary flavors of leather and bramble, that earthiness I love in aged Riojas.  The wine is quite juicy at this point, the acidity making its presence known.  Lithe tannins crop up and the whole mouthfeel is really nice.  The finish is a touch dry, acidic and medium in length.  The black fruits really present alongside that charred oaky wood note.  91 points, drink till 2027 with steaks, grilled goat.  At $30, it’s a 4 star effort that I really enjoyed.  Salut….

Charles Smith CasaSmith ‘Vino’ Evergreen Vineyard Pinot Grigio 2018, Columbia Valley, USA

09 Sunday Aug 2020

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This was our first wine at the #7 virtual tasting event.  It turned out to be my wine of the night.  Charles Smith makes good wine, and is very reasonable.  I’m a fan and was happy this wine rocked.

We tasted the wine at room temp and chilled.  I preferred the room temp wine as it had a far wider nose, more generous fruit flavors and was more complex.  The chilled version was still very good.  Apples, lemon, pineapple and pear notes were recorded with the first tasting while Granny Smith apples, honeysuckle and more acidity were noted with the chilled version.  It’s difficult for me to do a proper tasting while conducting the virtual tastings but this wine gets an overall score of 91 from me.  At $12 per bottle this needs to bought by the case, 5 stars.  Drink till 2023.  Salut….

Barboursville Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Franc 2010, Virginia, USA

20 Monday Jul 2020

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The third Magnum of my Barboursville vertical was well worth the wait.  After breaking the wet cork the bottom half fell into the bottle, that was the only negative.  In the glass this 10 year old showed bits of floating cork, semi opaque red to dark red color.  On the nose- tobacco, leather, ripe plum, licorice and a whiff of alcohol.  On the palate it gives off a mature palate of secondary flavors already mentioned, some well integrated tannins, cassis and dark blueberry compote.  Delicious, aged correctly and offering a mix of fruit and tertiary flavors.  There is a nice acidity, not overbearing but just ever so present on the long finish.  Nice mouthfeel, good structure and juicy fruitiness makes this a 91 point wine. Available at the winery for $180 in large format, it has paid dividends.  5 stars for yet another example of great Virginian Cabernet Franc.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….

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

12 Sunday Jul 2020

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This is the second go at this Pouilly-Fuissé.  It is tasty as before and has evolved somewhat with new flavors evident.

Light gold in the glass.  Pineapple, white peach and honeycomb on the nose.  The palate is round with notes of almond, pineapple, melon and that honey twist.  The mid palate is plump with nice honeyed tones, some lemon marmalade, a waxy component and lanolin.  The finish is quite long and pleasing.  There is a touch of lingering acidity but it doesn’t cut, the rounder mouthfeel is evident and very pleasant.  It lacks much minerality, focusing more on fruit flavors with a touch of wood influence.  91 points and for $40, a great intro to Burgundy and the hallowed Chardonnay.  Drink this 4 star effort till 2027.  Salut….