Tag Archives: 92 points

Gypsy Dancer Estates Christine’s Cuvee Pinot Noir 2017, Willamette Valley, Oregon

06 Tuesday Apr 2021

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See-through and pale purple, this Pinot has a touch of murkiness to it. On the nose I get baker’s spice, dark cherry and pomegranate. The initial palate is rich and warm- cherry cobbler, fruitcake, clove and rooibos tea. It is extracted, but deftly so. The mid palate is where I start to get some really nice acidity that overlays the rich fruit with a juiciness. My jaw is starting to water as the wine gets to the finish. Lasting dark red fruits, spice, and a hint of lithe tannins take me to the medium length closure. I’m enjoying this wine a lot. It is a nice balance of New World fruit and winemaker restraint, producing a juicy yet medium bodied wine to enjoy till 2027. I am going with 92 points and for $45 it gets 5 stars. Salut….

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Frog’s Leap Merlot 2014, Rutherford, California

04 Sunday Apr 2021

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Tonight I am cooking a standing rib roast in my Big Green Egg- something I have never done before. I figured it was a good time to crack this Napa Merlot open and give it a try. It’s got a nice purple hue and is about 70% opaque. Thin legs in the glass hint at the 13.4% alcohol. On the nose I get rich plums, perhaps some blackberry and toasty oak. The initial palate is delicious with plum torte, blackberry coulis, some smoked wood, Tobacco and some fruit cake. The mid palate has exceptionally integrated tannins and really nice acidity. The plum and blackberry flavors are very much present but I’m starting to get a dark cola note.  The finish is very rounded with the tannins and acidity in perfect balance. I can almost taste the California sunshine in this wine. Merlot is such a supple, rounded varietal that has been unfairly thrashed of late. I really enjoy this particular profile and am going with 92 points. Drink till 2028 with any grilled meat, rich pasta or even by itself. At $33, it gets 5 stars. Salut….

Hartford Family Winery Hartford Court Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2018, Sonoma County, California

25 Thursday Feb 2021

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A lighter shade of yellow in the glass with pretty hefty legs belying the 14.2% alcohol. The nose has creamy citrus, like a mousse, plus a hint of butter and coconut. The palate is very rounded with lush flavors of nectarines, clementines, lemon zest and peach. It’s like a tropical fruit salad with buttery popcorn as a side. I taste layers with this wine, which shows some nice complexity. The acidity is relatively mild giving a full mouthfeel. The finish is mid length and adds some papaya to the mix. Delicious stuff, really. 92 points worth. Seriously, and at $21- it’s a steal. This one will be featured in another blog post early next year, and if I could give it 6 stars I would. Drink till 2025. I am pairing it with Shrimp Scampi and salad. Salut….

Michael David Winery Earthquake Petite Sirah 2017, Lodi, California

21 Sunday Feb 2021

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Turns out his was the Wine of the Night at tasting #15. It is inky purple and opaque AF. Initially the members noted a dusty smell- which led on to black pepper, herbs, tobacco, dried fruits, cigar, prunes, blackberry jam and was considered ‘leathery’. On the palate it was very rich and full bodied with prunes, blackberry compote, cracked black pepper, dark chocolate, coffee beans, raisins and tobacco. I thought it was delicious and worthy of a juicy Filet. It was not very tannic at all, inconsistent with the varietal, but I was not complaining. It gets 92 points from me and 5 stars for sure at it only runs $20. Buy it by the case and drink till 2026. Salut….

Brandlin Prince and Pedro Red Blend 2017, Mount Veeder, California

08 Monday Feb 2021

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Wow, this Napa wine is super opaque and dark purple-it looks like Welch’s grape juice. I can smell fruit flavors about a foot away from the glass, it’s wafting over and I think I’m going to like it. Yup, I do. Saturated with blackberry notes, I also get blueberry essence. On the palate it is delicious. Layers of blackberry, blueberry and cassis. Very primal, extracted and yummy. Lithe tannins appear on the mid palate but this wine is really juicy, the acidity really has a grip. Deft use of oak keeps this wine interesting without overplaying tertiary flavors. The finish turns quite dry with the tannins really starting to make themselves known. Overall a nicely balanced wine with good structure, great fruit and decent cellaring capacity. I would drink this blend of Syrah, Malbec, Zin, Merlot etc till 2028 with a big ole T-bone. 92 points from me make this $50 wine a 5 star effort. Salut….

Clarendon Hills Brookman Merlot 2011, South Australia

02 Tuesday Feb 2021

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I tasted the 2010 Brookman Merlot back in 2020. I’m a huge fan of this winery so when I see it- I buy it. This version is inky and opaque in the glass. On the nose- rich plum compote, cassis and singed alder. The palate is rich, mouth-coating and delicious. Layers of plum, blackberry, charred oak and coffee hit me. There is no room for the tannins to make themselves known, it’s a fruit driven explosion. They appear on the midpalate but are very well ingrained. The dark fruit theme continues and now I get the structure- the grip is medium in intensity and there is a nice balanced acidic component. The finish is where the acidity takes over, very juicy but I still get good primal fruit. This wine is young at 9 years, it will hopefully develop some tertiary notes and the tannins should meld in the next few years. Drink till 2030 with rich steaks, heavy sauces or a big bowl of Pasta. 92 points from me and for $25 it’s a home run with 5 stars. Salut….

Chateau Branas Grand Poujeaux 2010,Moulis-en-Medoc, France

31 Sunday Jan 2021

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Last up at the 14th Virtual Wine tasting was this stunner from Bordeaux that got a perfect 20 from yours truly. Totally opaque and dark purple. The nose showed off musty cigar box, leather, tobacco, dried cherry, damp forest floor and ‘a bag of craisins’. There was a very earthy component that was woodsy. Simply stunning. The palate had dried sage, dark fruit, cassis, smoke, black tea and cranberry. This 10 year old blend of 50% Merlot, 45% Cab Sav and 5% Petit Verdot has hit peak. The primal fruit is being overtaken by the tertiary flavors we long for when cellaring fine wine. This vintage was scored an overall 99 points by Wine Spectator, producing long lived wines with high scores from pretty much any producer. This one gets 92 points from me, which is consistent with the pros. At $40 it gets 5 stars and should be drunk by 2025. Salut….

La Rasina Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2013, Tuscany, Italy

31 Sunday Jan 2021

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This Sangiovese was second up at the virtual wine tasting. At 7 years of age it is already showing signs of maturity with bricking on the meniscus it is semi opaque with a lovely shade of purple and long legs in the glass. The nose blew me away. I was astounded that such a young wine could already show nuances of leather, earth, cordial cherry, cinnamon and spice box. The palate was a slight disappointment after smelling this beauty- the flavors were not quite as powerful but we still got Luxardo cherries, Angostura bitters, leather, tobacco and spice. Grippy tannins reminded us that this wine is technically still young but they are offset by some juicy acidity. Yummy stuff overall that scored a monster 19 on my system. Had there been a touch more body and concentration of fruit it would have hit the magical 20. Overall it gets 92 points from me and at $45- 5 stars. I would buy again and drink till 2028. Salut….

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

27 Wednesday Jan 2021

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Tonight I am cooking Venison Loin with cherry reduction, paired with Leek Rosti and Armenian Khorovats (grilled salad). This meat can be very lean, coupled with the sweetness of the sauce requires a deft wine that will not over-tannic the cut, yet allow the sauce to shine. Pinot Noir, in the form of aged Burgundy seems the logical choice.

I last tasted the Jean Fery back in July of 2020. I liked it a lot. This particular bottle has a slight bricking to the hue, showing a lot more age than just 7 months ago. The nose is literally wafting out of the tulip-shaped glass. I get stewed cherry, mushroom, forest floor and wild strawberry- far more advanced than the other bottle. On the palate it is sublime. Smooth, polished and brimming with both primal fruit and the tertiary notes I was hoping would arrive. Soft cherry, bergamot, leather, funk and some cranberry are all present. Lithe tannins are barely perceptible but the acidity is en pointe. The mid palate is a mouth watering affair with layers of fruit and nuance all swirling around. On the finish it retains the tartness but I really get fruit over secondary flavors. The roles have reversed and the acidity of the red fruits, primarily cranberry and sour cherry take over. It is a long ending, 25 seconds at the least. Wow, yummy stuff that is going to rock my dinner. 92 points and 5 stars for this $80 winner. Drink till 2028. Salut….

B Cellars Sangiovese 2018, Napa Valley, California

26 Tuesday Jan 2021

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Super purple and totally opaque- not what I was expecting from this varietal.  The nose is very rich with cherry extract, toasty oak and strawberry jam.  It’s very concentrated.  The palate is packed with red fruit preserves, cherries jubilee and a hint of tobacco.  There’s a nice acidic tone from the get-go alongside medium level tannins.  I’m enjoying the whole package- the mouthfeel is very lively, balanced and complex.  The finish is medium in length, pseudo dry and quite juicy.  I’m really liking this atypical wine that gets 92 points from me. At $74 it’s worthy of 4 stars. Drink till 2027 and pair it with Lamb Chops, Venison Tenderloins or even Eggplant Parm. So delicious I may want to try it again! (Ps. I just read the winery notes- they use the Ripasso method to really extrude as much color, tannins and essence from the grapes which makes sense why it is so dense, full bodied and delicious). Salut….