Tag Archives: 91 points

Stags Leap Napa Valley Petite Sirah 2011

22 Monday Sep 2014

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This is a varietal that I have fallen in love with.  Not a Sirah, nor is it petite.  The grape  is also known as Durif overseas and offers up hefty tannins with spice and plum being the main component flavors.  This particular bottle had a few years of mellowing time and it came across with black currants and plum on the nose with a nearly black complexion in the glass.  Licorice was very prominent along with black fruits and cola.  Sharp tannins and great acidity balanced each other beautifully on the mouthfeel and I really enjoyed the whole package.  I paid dearly for it at the Charlie Palmer Steak restaurant in Reno, but found it online for $30.  It was the final evening of my Reno adventure and was well suited to our Filet dinner.  91 points and 4 stars from me.  Salut….

stag leap petite sirah

Primus Signature Zinfandel 2006

22 Monday Sep 2014

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My friend ‘The Beave’ was hosting the Reno Air Race party this year and invited me to raid his cellar, which I took literally.  Out popped this beauty that was the highlight of the evening.  Beautifully aged Sierra Foothills Zinfandel that offered silky purple plums with beautiful acidity and restrained tannins.  Bottle aging has smoothed this wine out like a well worn pebble.  A sweet cherry finish was the capstone of this atypical Cali Zin that strayed from the high octane, jammy wines that Zin has a tendency to become.  No idea on pricing but this is a 91+ point wine that I would give 4 stars to if it was sub $30.  Salut….

primus signature zinfandel

Anwilka 2006

17 Sunday Aug 2014

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A South African wine from Stellenbosch with huge credentials.  It’s a joint venture between Bruno Prats (formerly of Cos D’Estournel), Hubert de Bouard  (Chateau Angelus) and Lowell Jooste of Klein Constantia.  Each of these men’s wineries are world renowned and highly respected.  I got the offer by e-mail to pick up a few bottles from my local distributor so I jumped in, each priced at about $40.

A vibrant purple greeted me along with a nose of hoisin and plums.  Some cassis became apparent after a swirl which really excited me.  Straight out of the blocks- this is a young wine with some cellaring potential still to go.  Primal fruit flavors of plum, blueberry and rooibos tea came through behind the veil of youngish tannins and acidity.  Coffee notes and some oak were apparent after some time in the glass.  The wine reminds me so much of Meerlust Rubicon, perhaps the terroir plays a role.  The blend is 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Shiraz and 5% Merlot- an interesting combo if I might say so.  The bottle says it has a drinking window between 2014-2016.  I am gonna go a step further and say it will last another 5 years at least (2019).  I think it is worthy of 91 points versus the pro’s at 89.  Pricy for an everyday drinker it will do well with a Sunday roast as the weather cools down.  A big Ribeye would also complement the tannic structure to a T if you’re in a grilling mood.  4 stars from me.  Salut….

anwilka wine

 

Oak Savanna Cabernet Sauvignon Rancho La Zaca 2001

11 Monday Aug 2014

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Moxie and I went to a friend’s home for appetizers and wine before venturing out for dinner.  They had just moved house and it was my luck that he offered my choice of wines.  This one was not to be missed from his selection.  Not often do you get to try a 13 year old Cali Cab on the fly.  The only downside of this wine was a crumbled cork.

Plums with a nice oak nose welcomed us to imbibe in this smooth wine.  Cassis, plum torte and a hint of eucalyptus were the opening act with some leather and earth coming into mid-palate play.  Fully integrated tannins and great acidity made for a great mouthfeel that you get from aged wine.  I made note ‘Mature in a Bordeaux way’, but believe this was once full on fruit- tempered by time.  Slight bricking in the glass tells me this wine is absolutely at peak, start drinking if you have any more.  I have no idea what this bottle retailed for, but if it was in the $35 range back in the day it would not surprise me.  I give it a solid 91 points and potentially 4 stars if I knew the price.  Delicious wine that has rewarded extended cellaring.  Salut….

oak savanna cabernet sauvignon

Armida Winery Maple Vineyards Zinfandel 2012

27 Sunday Jul 2014

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I am becoming a fan of Armida’s wines.  I wrote about their other offerings previously with the Poizin and my first experience with the Maple Creek Zin 2009.  The style is not overly jammy, nor heavy but relies on old vines for complexity and depth.  On pouring this rather young wine I noted that it was dark purple in hue with hints of cloves intertwined with plums on the nose.  Easy drinking yet powerful with a lithe tannic backbone and entrenched acidity.  The 14.9 % alcohol was well hidden but could sneak up on the unsuspecting.  As the wine evolved we got a dark core of black fruits with plums on the secondary and lithe hints of chocolate and bramble bush.  A nice depth of different nuances made this a very good wine indeed.  I believe it can be found for about $35 and I’m going with 91 points, making this a solid 3 star effort in my book.  We drank it before a dinner of fresh caught Salmon, but I would go with any red meats, perhaps some olives and tapenade would suffice.  Salut….

armida zinfandel

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….

caymus napa valley cabernet sauvignon anniversary edition

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….

bodegas muriel rioja reserva

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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