Tag Archives: 91 points

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….

Domaine Jean Fery & Fils Les Vergelesses 2010, Savigny-les-Beaune Premier Cru, France

10 Friday Jul 2020

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This Pinot Noir from Burgundy has been sitting in my cellar for a while now.  I opened it for friends who I am introducing to other regions and varietals.  The wine has a nice shade of red and is see through. The nose offers up cherry, red cola and an earthy spiciness.  The palate is very smooth- floral with red fruits, nice fine grained acidity, pomegranate and rhubarb.  The long finish was zesty with some acidic juiciness and a trace of tannic backbone.  While young at 10 years of cellaring, this one is a candidate for extended time in the dark, it will reward the patient and develop some nice tertiary flavors.  It has the fruit and structure to go another 10-15 years.  I paired it with seared Trout, Rostì, some salad and steamed green veggies.  It worked a treat.  For $80 it is pricy, but then again good Burgundy is never cheap.  91 points and 5 stars from me.  Drink till 2035.  Salut….

Domaine Serene ‘Yamhill Cuvee’ Pinot Noir 2016, Willamette Valley, USA

28 Sunday Jun 2020

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This was the star of the 4th Virtual Wine Tasting.  I would normally taste a Pinot Noir right after the whites/Rosès and well before a hearty Merlot- but this wine was the ringer.  I knew it would be the overall favorite so I wanted it to come last and stand on it’s own merits.  It was stunning.  It showed very nicely in the glass, see through with medium shades of purple.  On the nose I immediately got the telltale cherry.  Others noted cinnamon, chocolate and strawberry.  It was not heavily tilted on any one component, rather a very nice melangè of all the smells.  On the palate it showed off black cherry, spice box, cedar in the form of cigar box.  Fine grained tannins and a very balanced acidity made this wine very balanced and gave it a nice crisp mouthfeel.  Many in the group did not like some of the tannic wines- this one was right up their alley.  Pinot, being such a delicate and light grape is difficult to grow and make into a balanced and delicious offering- once again this winery has done it very nicely.  This cuvee is their lower priced offering that hits on all cylinders.   I am going with 91 points and 5 stars for this $45 beaut.  Drink till 2028 with lighter fare.  Salut….

Vultour Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Napa Valley, California

03 Wednesday Jun 2020

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Bright purple in color and fully opaque.  On the nose I get lush blackberry, iodine, tar and currants.  The initial palate is very round and mouthfilling.  Black currants, fresh tannins and violets. The mid palate is quite dry with more black fruits, oolong tea, tar and mocha.  The finish is quite tannic and long.  Ribena, black berries and tea take center stage.  There’s a smokiness from the oak that hits rights at the end as well as some Sasafrass.  A really delicious, medium weight Napa Cab. 91 points and 4 stars for this $118 dazzler.  Drink till 2028 with some grilled meat.  Salut….

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Barboursville Vineyards Malvaxia 2007, Virginia, USA

26 Tuesday May 2020

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Golden brown in the glass, appropriate for a 13 year old.  On the nose it has hazelnut, honey, orange peel, quince and Marmalade.  The palate is quite tart with orange reduction, more honey, nuts, nutmeg and Cointreau.  It’s nicely balanced with acidity, fruit, unctuous mouthfeel and loads of orange Marmalade.  The thickness of the wine is really delicious, it gives warmth and body to the elixir.  The mid palate concentrates on the oranges, with the sweetness of honey and apricots.  The finish is medium in length but full on with more oranges, sweet syrup and some tart acidity that balances out the sugars.  91 points. Drink now till 2030.  Delicious, a real treat after all these years in the cellar.  Newer vintages can be had for $35 per half bottle.  5 stars.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 713 Merlot 2017, Carneros, California

23 Saturday May 2020

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This Merlot has a really deep purple hue in the glass with very nice thin legs.  The nose is plummy with anise and blueberry notes.  On the initial palate I get inky dark berries, some iodine, black tea and really nice gentle tannins.  The mid palate is a bit more gripping with the fine grained tannins, they start to cling to the gums.  Black cherry and more plum are hitting me up with some slight oak notes.  The finish is a touch dusty with some spice box and leather.  Plums are my main theme with this wine and the tannic structure is really good.  Juicy, dry and built for the medium haul.  I like this wine- it’s easy going yet has some depth and structure to it.  Drink till 2027.  91 points from me and at $18 a pop- 5 stars.  Cellar some for later.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 690 Petite Sirah 2017, Amador County, California

20 Wednesday May 2020

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It’s got a beautiful shade of purple in the glass and I can almost see through.  The nose is lush and rich with blackberry jam, fig paste, blueberries.  On the palate it is very dark fruit heavy.  Black berries, currants and chocolate. There’s a gripping set of tannins that get to work on my gums immediately.  This is to be expected with this varietal, also known as Durif.  On the mid palate there is more plum than blackberry, but it’s still black fruit dominant.  There’s a juiciness to this wine that begs for hearty steaks.  The finish reverts back to blackberry jam and some charcoal.  It is shockingly dry and delicious.  I am really enjoying this wine and it will pair beautifully with the grilled Skirt and Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus I am cooking.  If you like a dry wine, or want to cellar something long term, this is it.  92 points, and 5 stars for this $13 steal  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Chateau Greysac 2015, Medoc, France

20 Wednesday May 2020

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The nose on the third wine of our virtual tasting was wild.  Gamy AF, with loads of mushroom, forest floor, bacon fat and some semblance of black fruits.  On the palate it was much more manageable and in line with expectations.  Bramble, blackberry reduction, leather and some really nice tannins all came together on the palate.  The wine smoothed out some on the mid palate and it showed some nice balance between the fruit, the tertiary flavors, tannins and acidity.  The funk wore off but there were trace elements of morel mushrooms, leather and blackberry.  The finish was where this wine finally came on pointe.  Good fruit presentation, some nice touches of those secondary flavors and a decent amount of astringency from the lithe tannins.  Overall I really enjoyed this wine, but the nose was offputting for many on the tasting.  91 points for me.  Drink till 2026, but let it breathe for at least an hour to help dispel the funk.  For $20, it gets 5 stars.  Salut….

E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone 2016, France

20 Wednesday May 2020

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The second wine of our tasting lineup showed bright purple in the glass with nice legs giving caution to the 14.5% alcohol.  I listened to all the inputs from our group and concurred that this wine had loads of pepper, game, plum and garrigue.  The longer the wine sat out, the smoother it got and the terroir really shone.  Mass produced yet very good at 91 points from me.  Drink this blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre till 2027 with stews, leg of lamb or a hearty pasta.  5 stars for this sub $15 ringer.  Salut….