Tag Archives: 91 points

Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 40th Anniversay 2012

08 Tuesday Jul 2014

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I went in to a wine store this past weekend looking for a special bottle for a friend’s 50th party.  This was one of the ‘gifts’ we took and managed to drink.  It is a special anniversary bottling and my first experience with this winery.  I must say I enjoyed the wine, it is very much a Napa style, but very approachable young.  It started with blackberry pie and blue berries on the nose.  Very smooth tannins and balanced acidity were my first impression of the structure with delicious berries and dark fruits opening the show.  On the mid palate is where I got plums and nutmeg with some chocolate and cassis.  A strange yet compelling combination.  The 14.6% alcohol barely showed itself and the whole package was very balanced and certainly drinkable.  The wine is ready now and will go for another 10 years easily.  I would guess this wine to be a 91 pointer in my opinion and for the $55 price tag, it’s worthy of 3 stars.  We drank it before dinner as an aperitif but it would also pair well with grilled meats and some gratin potatoes.  I’m still learning about Napa cabs and this is certainly a nice way to enter the foray.  Salut….

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Senorio del Tallar Ribera del Duero Vendimia Seleccionada 2012

30 Monday Jun 2014

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I just recalled where I got this bottle from- Total Wine for $18, it was on special as they were doing a Spanish wine tasting that day.  I’ll be back for more…  I had to look very hard to find any vintage details, but a tiny set of words ‘Cosecha 2012’ gave it away.  I was startled by the color, it was purpley purple in the glass- more so than I have ever seen in wine.  An unmistakable Tempranillo nose of tar, black fruits and earth came wafting over.  The initial profile was of earthy tar and black berries.  The wine is still young with nice tannins and a very gentle acidity, but then I noted “Wow, really young”.  Brooding black cherries on the mid to back end with a deft use of oak made this textbook and juicy, delicious.  This wine is full on, in your face Tempranillo that I can really sink my teeth into.  It is ready now but will age well for another 5-8 years.  I can’t think of a better pairing than with a big steak!  Bang for the buck, this wine rocks.  91 points and 5 stars for this Spanish beauty.  Salut….

Senorio del Tallar Ribera del Duero Vendimia Seleccionada

Bodegas Muriel Rioja Reserva 2008

06 Friday Jun 2014

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I saw this wine on a flash sale site, 95 points for $15!  What a bargain, so I ordered up 6 and opened one last night with some Sirloins.  I was expecting fireworks, depth, concentration and a halo around the bottle.  Decanter magazine was the giver of such a high rating and put it at number 7 of it’s top 50 wines in 2013.  I was in for a treat, or a big disappointment.

It was the latter.  My expectations were so high that it was nigh on impossible to reach the lofty imaginations.  It was a good bottle, just not excellent.

It was reddish purple in the glass.  On the nose there was earthy loam and blueberries.  Stone fruits and blueberry jam started off the taste profile and there was a noted crispness due to the acidity.  I wrote that the wine was slightly tart, still young with passive tannins but great acidity.  Albeit still only 6 years of age it shows aged Tempranillo characteristics with leather, dust and tobacco all coming out on the back end.  The structure of this wine is interesting and will hold it well for another 10 years minimum.  I think this is a solid 91 point wine worthy of 5 stars.  It drank beautifully by itself and was a great accompaniment to the grilled meat and veggies.  Salut….

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Merryvale Merlot 2007, revisited

08 Tuesday Apr 2014

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Back in January I discovered two bottles of this Napa Merlot blend.  I opened the first and was horrified by the state of the cork. I wrote about the wine and promised a re-taste.  Yesterday was our first real day of Spring weather, so I got the patio sorted out, cleaned the Weber and decided to open the Merryvale to go along with marinated Flank steak.  It was a glorious evening and a great precursor to the Game of Thrones season opener, bliss.

I was right, this is a damn good wine.  Forget what you saw in the movies, Merlot is a great wine and so is Chardonnay.  Merlot is highly adaptable, smooth, makes a good blend and has the stuffing to cellar for years.  It offers a softer side to Cabernet Sauvignon but has the grace to make it’s own name (Think Chateau Petrus plus the majority of St. Emilions and Right Bank of Bordeaux.)  It is blended in the this bottling with a touch of two other noble grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

I immediately got plums and currants on the nose which is way better than the last bottle.  A full bodied attack of black berries and plums was simply delicious.  This wine is rich and gorgeous with great tannins rounding out the damson and earth finish.  Good acidity give this wine the balance I was hoping for along with the great mouthfeel.  I’m bumping it up to 91 points and for $46 it is a 4 star effort.  Salut….

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Spring, glorious spring....

Spring, glorious spring….

Silver Oak Alexander Valley 2005

12 Sunday Jan 2014

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When searching for the right wine to go with Steak Au Poivre last night, I asked my guest ‘Johnny’ what types of wine he liked. He panned Syrah, liked Pinot and was open to Cabernet.  He loves Pinotage as he comes from Afrika Suid after all.  So, off I went on a mission to find the right bottle.

This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon hails from Sonoma County, the Alexander Valley to be more precise- which is located in the northeast corner of the county.  Fully mature now it offers up dark plums, some herbs and a dose of pencil out of the inky glass.  On the palate, more dark fruit, but intertwined with leather, maduro tobacco and some eucalyptus.  The wine is still somewhat dry with tannins in the finish but they were delicious.  The texture of the wine was great with the steaks and peppercorn sauce.

This wine got trashed by WS, an 82 point rating on release was a big shocker for this iconic steakhouse wine.  I think they got it wrong that time.  I am going with 91 points and 4 stars for this $75 treat.  I think it epitomizes higher end California Cabernet with its balance of New World fruit and Old World depth and complexity.  Salut….

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Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

06 Monday Jan 2014

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A Mclaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon that garnered some pretty high scores from the pro’s.  I thought it was really good as well!  Inky in the glass it developed some interesting aromas after swirling around.  Cassis and black fruits with some earth came through for me.  On the first taste I was taken aback by the smoothness of the wine.  Big, complex and layered with blackberry, blueberry, cassis and a dose of eucalyptus make this a delicious wine.  Silky smooth tannins and a touch of acidity make it a delight to drink.  I reckon this wine has years ahead of it but is drinking nicely now.

I bought Moxie a large cast iron frying pan recently, we cooked some amazing NY Strips with it and I composed a Port and Mustard sauce that was out of this world.  The wine was impeccable with the dinner, but was great all by itself whilst I was cooking.  Highly recommended but pricey at $75.  The man himself gave this wine a 96, others went 93 and 89.  I am thinking its a 91 pointer and worthy of 4 stars.  Salut….

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McCarthy & Schiering Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

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Brought to the table by my Seattle friend, whom we shall call Mr. Leebering.  I believe he paid $17 for this wine a few years back and has cellared it perfectly.  Very New World in profile but showing a hint of Bordeaux style maturity.  Multi-layered blueberry, dark cherry and leather swirl around with some earth and shaved pencil.  I enjoyed the smoothness of the tannins and the overall roundness of the wine.  Great balance and power.  I would imagine this wine is hitting peak right now and still has another 4 years minimum.  91 points and 5 stars for this outstanding effort.  Salut….

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d’Arenberg d’Arry’s Original 2010

29 Sunday Dec 2013

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Another winner from the d’Arenberg winery is this Shiraz Grenache blend.  Dark purple in the glass and smelling of plums and lavender with some earth.  A unique flavor that bursts with black currants, raspberry and a floral sweetness that was really interesting.  The structure is good with some tannins residing between the acidity and the fruit.  A good mouthfeel makes this a pleasing wine to drink, it would work all by itself or do battle with a big NY Strip steak.  The wine is 3 years old and has a good cellaring potential but is drinking en pointe right now.  I paid $17 and am giving it 91 points making it a 5 star effort.  Get some.  Salut….

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Christopher Creek Petite Sirah 2005

18 Wednesday Dec 2013

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I have just returned back from a month in Asia, eating at restaurants and not having access to my own cellar.  Well, my first meal at home was a huge success.  Moxie threw together some Korean Short Ribs, mashed Cauliflower, Carrots and a Kale salad.  I needed a rustic, powerful wine to go with the multi-dimensional ribs which had been slow cooking all day.  I decided on the Christopher Creek from the Russian River Valley as I remembered it to be rather full bodied and high in alcohol, something I figured might help cut the fattiness of the meat.  I was spot on.  What I did not realize was that the wine has evolved since I last drank it 18 moths ago.  Smoother, more mellow and not visibly showing off it’s 14.3% alcohol any more.  The baby fat is gone off this brooding monster.  Dark purple and ready to go with black currant, black berries with a touch of cassis.  Very smooth with fine grained tannins and a good cutting acidity.  This wine keeps getting better and I reckon will further evolve, perhaps drinking well until 2018 at the least.  The pairing was awesome and my love of Petite Sirah has been cemented yet again.  I believe it used to retail for $33.  I am going with 91 points and 4 stars.  Salut….

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Henry’s Drive ‘Parsons Flat’ Shiraz – Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

13 Friday Dec 2013

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‘The Beav’ is my buddy’s nickname.  He is a funny guy and good humored.  We have been partnered together on a month long training course that ends this weekend.  We have eaten together, drunk together, taken daily walks together and gone to the gym together.  We have had a really good time with each other and now the end is nigh, so we went big on some wine purchases last night.  He picked this one because the label was so cool.  Little did he know how good it was going to be.

A blend of Padthaway Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon that have melded together beautifully and have integrated a lovely oak presence with some well crafted tannins.  Dark red in the glass and showing black fruits on the nose.  The taste was of black currants, blackberry and dark plums.  Some mocha and chocolate powder popped out on the back end and the mouthfeel was exceptional.  The structure of this wine was great, balanced and easy to drink.  We happened to have a bunch of cheese and salami at the time but it would go well with Tenderloin or perhaps a roasted Cornish Hen.  I thoroughly enjoyed this 91 point wine that the Beav paid $27 for making it a 5 star wine in my books.  Salut….

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