Tag Archives: 91 points

Chateau Pierre de Montignac 2020, Medoc, France

11 Monday Sep 2023

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Inky purple colored with medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose gives me aromas of blackberry, black plum, black pepper, charred oak, menthol, star anise and a touch of garigue.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins- it’s quite a soft mouthfeel with medium body.  Black fruit, charred oak and some earthiness frame out the flavors of this wine that delivers a medium length finish.  It’s open for business now and will drink nicely till 2028.  For $23 this 91 point Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cab Sav gets 5 stars from me.  Pair with Filet au Poivre.  Salut….

Spier Seaward Chenin Blanc 2021, Swartland, South Africa

09 Saturday Sep 2023

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Medium lemon colored with high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has aromas of yuzu, lanolin, melon, wool and spring flowers.  The palate is dry with a touch of bitterness, medium (+) acidity and a full body.  It’s a rich mouthfeel that delivers tropical citrus, melon some minerality and that telltale wool note.  It carries to a long finish and will pair beautifully with Shrimp Scampi.  Drink till 2027.  91 points and for $18 it’s a 5 star effort.  Salut….

Mission Estate Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Gimblett Gravels, New Zealand

31 Thursday Aug 2023

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Medium ruby with high viscosity (14% ABV) and slight staining.  Aromas of blackberry cobbler, black plum, licorice, toasty oak, vanilla, baking spices and a touch of mint.  Medium acidity coupled with medium (+) tannins and a full body lead to a delicious dark fruit melange.  Nicely integrated oak adds depth and warmth whilst the tannins caress my gums with their powdery texture- a treat to drink.  Medium length finish makes this a 91 point wine to enjoy till 2027.  I purchased it in the UK for about $25, making it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Real Companhia Velha Quinta das Carvalhas Late Bottle Vintage Port 2018, Portugal

14 Monday Aug 2023

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Deep ruby colored with high viscosity (20% ABV) and heavy staining on the walls.  The nose has aromas of macerated blackberry, caramel, raisins and dried fig.  The palate is  sweet with high tannins that are well integrated, and a full body.  Flavors of raisin, fig, desiccated blackberry, caramel and butterscotch.  Medium length finish on this $24 bottle that gets 91 points from me makes it a 5 star effort to drink till 2030.  Salut….

Azienda Vitivinicola Tiberio Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Italy

07 Monday Aug 2023

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This was the third wine in our lineup and the crowd was excited for this Montepulciano from Abruzzo on the eastern shores of Italy.  It was deep ruby with medium viscosity and slight staining on the walls (14.5% ABV).  On the nose the tasters got cherry, dust, must, cigar, damp cave- which blew away to reveal black olive tapenade, earth and a gamey hint- really red fruit driven with the earthy inflections.  The palate was dry with medium (+) acidity, medium (+) tannins and a medium (+) body.  Flavors of cherry, pepper, smoke, and a slight bitterness that led to a black tea mid-palate following through to a medium (-) finish.  Overall it was a decent drop that got 16 points and 91 technical points.  For $23 it gets 5 stars, pair with pasta (duh) and drink till 2028.  Salut….

Carmen Gran Reserva El Secano Vineyard Carignan 2021, Maule Valley, Chile

25 Tuesday Jul 2023

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Deep purple colored with medium viscosity legs (13.5% ABV) and slight staining.  The nose is gamy, peppery and loaded with black fruit- dark plums, blackberry.  Cinnamon, charred oak and more game by way of smoked bacon.  The palate is dry with tingly tannins that are medium intensity to go along with medium acidity.  This wine has a medium body and the black fruit coupled with smoke and game makes for a delicious if not unique flavor profile.  I really like it and think it’s a good expression of the Carignan varietal coupled with a Chilean twist of terroir and winemaking.  91 points from me and at $18- well worth the effort to try this 5 star wine.  Drink till 2028.   Salut….

Lustau ‘Solera Reserva’ Deluxe Cream Capataz Andres Sherry, Andalucia, Spain

25 Tuesday Jul 2023

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Medium amber colored with high viscosity (20% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of yeasty bread, green almonds, warmed cashews, dates, and coffee.  The palate is sweet with medium (+) acidity and a full body.  It shows off more nuts and fruit than bread/yeast-  Dates, raisins, smoky oak, dried figs and cashew.  A luscious dessert wine to enjoy with a cheese board or some Baklava.  91 points from me and at $20- a 5 star deal.  Salut….

Massaya Cap Est 2018, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

25 Tuesday Jul 2023

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Medium garnet with high viscosity and staining on the walls (14.5% ABV).  I can smell the alcohol on the first whiff but it blows away to reveal- red currants, pomegranate, exotic spices, game, red peppercorn and baking spices.  Dry with medium (+) acidity, medium tannins that are well rounded and a medium-full body.  The palate echoes the nose with delicious red fruit and silky tannins.  A medium to long finish makes this Grenache/Mourvedre blend an enjoyable 91 point wine to drink till 2034.  For $40, it gets 4 stars from me.  We drank it at a traditional Lebanese feast!  Salut….

Arabella Reserve Shiraz – Viognier 2020, 91Western Cape, South Africa

20 Thursday Jul 2023

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Deep ruby colored with medium viscosity legs (14.1% ABV).  The nose has a gamy hint alongside ripe black cherries, black raspberry, plum, cloves, a hint of menthol, black pepper and coffee. The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that are pretty smooth.  Medium to full bodied- I get flavors that mimic the nose, with a touch less game.  There’s also a licorice component coming through that I quite like.  The finish is medium in length and nicely balanced. The 1% Viognier addition to this Syrah/Shiraz is a Northern Rhone trick to deepen the color (yes, adding the juice of a white grape to Syrah will make it deeper and more enticing), smooths out the rough tannins (which it has achieved nicely) and adds a floral note (which at this low percentage has slipped by me).  Overall this $12 is a screamingly good deal that gets 91 points from me.  Drink this 5 star effort til 2025.  I’m pairing my bottle with shish kebabs and pepper-crusted pork tenderloin.  Salut….

Matt Parish Pinot Noir 2021, Anderson Valley, California

19 Monday Jun 2023

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Medium ruby colored with slow moving legs (14.1% ABV).  The nose is classic New World Pinot- ripe red cherry, baked strawberry, spice box, vanilla, black raspberry twizzlers and a delightful floral note when I sniff the top of the glass…honeysuckle perhaps?  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins, more so than I was expecting but they are fine grained.  A full body leads me to the ripe red fruit I got on the nose along with some oak spice.  The finish is quite lengthy and a touch tart, which keeps it fresh and interesting.  It’s a full throttle style that I am planning to pair with grilled Pork Tomahawk chops and a crisp salad.  91 points from me.  Drink this $26 bottle till 2028.  5 stars, Salut….