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Tag Archives: 91 points

3000 Anos Bullas 2006

24 Wednesday Jun 2015

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$30, 3 stars, 91 points, monastrell, old vine monastery, shiraz


An interesting blend of Old Vine Monastrell and Shiraz from the Spanish Bullas.  It’s a town in the southeast part of Spain in the Murcia region.  Nose of earth and plum jam with an initial attack of blue fruits and stone. A hint of oak and some cardamom come through. Very integrated tannins meld with the balanced acidity giving a nice mouthfeel. This wine is aging well and will go till 2018 . Back end lights up with some violets and rustic charm. An overly optimistic MSRP of $90 make it a major pass even with 93 RP points.  I found it online for $30, which makes a lot more sense.  91 points from me and 3 stars.  Pair it with some earthy game or perhaps goat cheese pizza.  It yearns for tapas as well.  Salut….

3000 anos bullas

 

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Cosentino ‘The Poet’ Meritage 2012

02 Tuesday Jun 2015

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$36, 4 stars, 91 points, bordeaux blend, meritage, Napa, napa blend


I picked this bottle up at the Napa tasting room, where I joined the club and indulged in tasting just about everything they had.  I really enjoy the wines from this winery, they suit my style, budget and usually have enough unique character to set them apart from the thousands of others in the valley.  This one was $36 for club members, $45 for the rest.  It opens up in the glass and shows off a bright purple color.  On the nose- nice plum and blue fruit compote.  A nice intro of plum, currant, black cherry and gripping tannins.  Acidity is very present and balances the young tannins somewhat.   The blend of this wine is 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot, 9 % Cabernet Franc and the 1 % left is Malbec.

This Bordeaux blend appeals to me greatly and the wine drinks well, albeit young.  The mid palate just hit me with some powerful plum essence with a silky touch of flowers, probably the Franc I suspect.  The finish is average in length and the tannins simply disappear.  I’m thinking this is a shorter term wine with a drinking window of 2016-2020.  91 points from me and 4 stars.  Salut….

cosentino the poet

 

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Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2013

01 Friday May 2015

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$28, 4 stars, 91 points, Cabernet franc, Sonoma


If you read much of my blogging you will know that I love this varietal.  It exudes a softer sexier side to the Cabernet grape while showing off floral notes.  This winery is where my son and I took a tour when we were in the Valley this past Spring.  The wine is a crimson purple and has a stunning nose of blackberry and chocolate with some violet hints.  Super smooth introduction of black and blue berries with a smidgen of oak and a tasty coating of lithe tannins. The mid palate is dark and brooding whilst the finish is decently long and caressing with tannic dryness and a touch of acidity. This is a super delicious wine which technically gets 91 points from me, bravo. 2015-2022.  $28 make it a 4 star effort in my books.  Salut….

alexander valley vineyards cabernet franc

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Turley Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard 2008

18 Saturday Apr 2015

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$80, 3 stars, 91 points, Napa, napa petite Sirah


This is my second Turley from this vineyard.  It was given to us as a very generous gift.  This Napa Valley offering is a black wine in the glass hinting to some deep extraction.  You know how I love this varietal, especially when it is rich and coating.  It boasts a thick nose of black fruits, bramble and violets.  The initial attack consists of black berries, cherry and some Pomegranate.  Tannic yet balanced with some bracing acidity, this should cellar well. Medium finish and a well hidden 15.4% alcohol. 2015-2020. 91 points for this $80 offering make it a 3 star effort.  Wish I had more.  Salut….

turley hayne petite syrah

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Alouette Pinot Noir Sonoma County 2012

08 Wednesday Apr 2015

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$25, 4 stars, 91 points, pinot noir, Sonoma Pinot noir


Lovely, pure and exotic.  A darker Pinot with a heavier body to it.  Meaty nose with dark fruits- it is neither old nor new world. A thicker, more extracted Pinot with game and dark cherry notes on the palate which opens up to some strawberry and root beer notes.  Very well integrated tannins and precisely balanced acidity make for easy drinking that is smooth beyond belief.  Easily a 91 point wine this one garners 4 stars from me for it’s $25 price.  I will stock up on some of this as it will do well as a summer drinker in addition to being capable of handling a big heavy wintertime stew.  Salut….

alouette pinot noir sonoma county

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Alexander Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir 2013

08 Wednesday Apr 2015

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$26, 4 stars, 91 points, california, pinot noir, Russian river valley


If you recall reading about my trip to California with my son, this is the winery that we took a tour of.  I was so impressed with the warmth the staff showed and the casual way in which they took great care of us on our tour.  The winery is located off the beaten path and has cellars cut into the hillside.  The Pinot was an interesting balance of styles.  Quite a bit heavier than most Pinots, it also had a delicacy about it.  Nose of new world Pinot with strawberries and bing cherries. Initial hints of white cherry and strawberry with some nutmeg and spice on the palate. Very smooth mouth feel which includes very slight tannins and a touch of acidity. Nice and rounded for a balanced profile that drinks well by itself but begs for some smoked salmon and capers. Roasted chicken and a risotto would take a close second. 2015/2020 91 points. 4 stars for this $28 effort.  Thanks for the tour and the memories!  Salut….

alexander valley vineyards pinot noir

Me and Jet, checking out the cellar

Me and Jet, checking out the cellar

The entrance to the cellar

The entrance to the cellar

Alexander Valley Vineyards

Alexander Valley Vineyards

The unofficial tour guide that Jet loved

The unofficial tour guide that Jet loved

The Russian River, from above

The Russian River, from above

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Chateau St. Thomas 2008

17 Tuesday Feb 2015

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$25, 5 stars, 91 points, lebanon


Once a year I get to meet up with my uncle from Lebanon, in Hong Kong of all places. He brings me traditional Lebanese sweets, nuts and a bottle of his cousin’s delicious St. Thomas.  I sat on this bottle for 5 months, waiting for the right moment.

It began with gorgeous plums and blackberries on the nose.  A very dark and brooding wine in the glass, I figured it was going to be powerful.  Indeed.  The first cut was of tart blueberries and some black cassis.  Bracing acidity and fine grained tannins coat the mouth alongside the bramble and dark cherry on the mid palate. Blackberry finished the deal and carries on with a long tannic finish. This wine is a monster waiting to jump out of the bottle.  Still very young at 6 years of age, it should cellar well for another ten.  2015-2025. 91 points from me.  No idea the price but if it is under $25 then it ranks a 5 star rating from me.  Read about the 2005 and 2006 vintages I have had.  This version is less Bordeaux-like, more primal and powerful.  Still delicious though!  Salut….

chateau st. thomas

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Stags Leap Napa Valley Petite Sirah 2010

26 Monday Jan 2015

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$40, 3 stars, 91 points, Napa, napa petite Sirah, petite sirah


Out to dinner with friends last week and this little beauty showed up on the wine list.  I love Petite Sirah, it is a highly flexible grape that always shows off great tannins, plums and ages well.  It is tannicly well endowed and never lacks for power.  This one was really tasty but my notes were rather short, we had been at it for a while.  Dark fruits and plum nose with vanilla.  Full on plum and vanilla creme pie with some ginger on the finish.  Balance in acidity and tucked in tannins.  This wine is drinking nicely now with 4 years of age but will certainly go the distance.  2014-2024  91 points and 3 stars for this $40 offering.  A yummy wine that will go well with grilled meats, pasta and of course some charcuterie.  Salut….

stags leap napa valley petite sirah

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Mollydooker Gigglepot Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

08 Thursday Jan 2015

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$50, 4 stars, 91 points, Aussie, Aussie Cabernet Sauvignon, cabernet sauvignon


I opened the Gigglepot from Mollydooker right after we finished the Blue Eyed Boy.  It’s interesting to drink both $50 offerings in the same sitting and  be able to compare the grape varietals.  The Shiraz was to me more finite, focused and pure of fruit.  The Cabernet based Gigglepot was more open, easier to drink and perhaps more appealing to the masses.  Both are excellent wines and I enjoyed each for their merits.  This one was equally dark in the glass, showing off a nose of plums, cherry and mint.  I usually associate the minty note with Chilean Cabs and really enjoy it when I come across them.  The palate had the same basic flavor profile I got but with some added black fruits.  A certain spiciness that I cannot pinpoint was evident as were the fine grained tannins.  The wine seemed to go on for ever on the palate and had a long finish.  Balanced with nice acidity there is a healthy dose of alcohol that is neatly hidden, drinker beware!  Drinking beautifully now, this wine has the structure to go long haul.  I would guess a cellaring potential to 2022 at the least.  I don’t have much experience with older vintages from this winery except for my Carnival Of Love tastings, where I did get to see a little bit of evolution in 4-5 year old vintages.  I would imagine this particular bottle may gain some secondary flavors and complexity as it gets some cellar time.  I am giving it 91 points and 4 stars.  Salut….

mollydooker gigglepot

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Luminary Red Blend 2012

24 Wednesday Dec 2014

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$40, 4 stars, 91 points


My friend brought this one over and we drank it with a delicious Leg Of Lamb.  I was not sure of the blend so we looked it up.  Napa Cabernet, Horse Heaven Hills and Edna Valley Syrah with Zinfandel from Alexander Valley.  Super smooth and absolutely delicious.  I made no notes except in my head- this is a well crafted wine that blends the best of several regions into a well balanced easy to drink wine that won’t break the bank.  $40 and 91 points for 4 stars.  Sorry to be brief, but I think you get the gist.  Salut….

Luminary red blend

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