Tag Archives: 92 points

Pine & Brown Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Napa Valley, California

24 Thursday Mar 2022

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This Napa Cabernet is a deep ruby color and nearly opaque.  The nose has wonderful aromas of blackcurrants, blackberry, black plum, anise, eucalyptus, cloves and vanilla. Very precise use of the oak BTW, it’s very subtle.  The palate is interesting- sweet, yet dry.  I think the Cali sunshine is throwing me here. I would hazard a guess that there is a touch of residual sugar, but I’m not sure.  Medium (+) tannins that are a touch gritty, medium (+) acidity and a full body which stems from the 14.8% ABV (which is pretty well masked).  The fruit flavors are medium (+) intense and I get the black fruit, oak nuance, eucalyptus and anise notes.  The wine is a bit disjointed by the tannins, but it is young.  The mouthfeel is good if you like an astringent wine.  I think it needs to flesh out a little.  The finish is medium in length.  I am pairing this wine with Beef Short Ribs, which have been braising all day.  The tannins should do the trick of balancing out the fatty meat.  92 points from me for this $90 wine that gets 4 stars.  Definitely a date-night wine.  Drink till 2033.  Salut…

Klein Constantia ‘Anwilka’ 2015, Stellenbosch, South Africa

20 Sunday Mar 2022

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This blend, based on Syrah, was brooding in the glass.  Deep ruby, opaque AF and sporting a 14% ABV.  Our Virtual Wine Tasting group found it to be funky with pepper, smoked meat, blackcurrant jam, prune, black licorice, Sambucca and an earthy component.  On the palate we agreed that this was a very tannic wine- still too young with aerating/decanting a must.  Medium (-) acidity, medium (+) body and a medium length finish.  Flavors of Maraschino and Luxardo cherries were evident, as was Espresso, Lapsang Souchong tea, pepper and blackcurrants.  This was not a crowd favorite but I did mention to the group that it’s a very complex wine that needs more time to open up and allow the fruit to shine through the tannic veil.  I will re-taste over the next few days.  From me this is blockbuster gets 19/20 VWTC points and technically speaking- 92 pts.  At $60 one might me hesitant to pop-n-pour but some extra cellaring will make this wine shine.  5 stars with a drinking window of 2024-2030.  It needs a juicy Ribeye or Prime Rib with horseradish.  Salut….

Xavier Vignon “SM” Côtes du Rhône NV, Rhone, France

15 Tuesday Mar 2022

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I’m having Cassoulet for dinner.  For grins I went online to see what others would pair with this rustic French dish of white beans, Duck Confit and sausage.  Well, well- they all recommended a French wine, with deference to the southern regions.  This bottle is a 50/50 blend of old vine Grenache and old vine Syrah from the North and Southern Rhone.  It is slightly cloudy and a deep shade of ruby.  The nose has pronounced aromas of black plum, black raspberry, smoke, meat, licorice, espresso, açaí and black pepper.  That’s quite complex for a $20 bottle!  The palate is tannic right off the bat.  Black fruit and red fruit combine with spice and oak nuance that are all enveloped in a mouth coating dryness from the tannins along with juicy acidity.  Full bodied, this 14.5% ABV wine is a not for the feint of heart- it is full throttle with the fruit, the tannins, the acidity and the mouthfeel.  It has a mid length finish that remains quite mouth-puckering from the relentless tannic grip.  I hope my dish mellows this 92 point wine out somewhat!  Being an NV, I am not sure when it was made but this bottle will last till 2030 at the least.  5 stars.  Salut….

Domaine la Soumade Rasteau 2016, Rhone, France REVISITED

10 Thursday Mar 2022

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I last drank this wine three years ago and did not care for it- 88 points with the disclaimer to try again.  Well, I opened another bottle last night and was pleasantly surprised- and I figured out why.  It’s a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre.  That last component is what threw me initially.  Mourvedre has a meaty, gamey, herby flavor profile which sets it off from other varietals, especially when young.  I think it was not expected back when I first tasted it nor did I care for the flavor.  I have matured somewhat in tasting wine and definitely expanded my palate somewhat.

Inky and opaque, this wine is a deep purple color.  The nose has pronounced aromas of black fruit, game, green herbs, charred oak, licorice and white pepper.  The palate is dry, with gripping/young tannins.  The acidity is quite high in this full bodied wine. The bold, black fruit flavors are enveloped in searing tannins on the mid palate.  The oak influence and gamey notes play second fiddle to blackberry, black plum and graphite.  This is not a wine to serve to the uninitiated- it’s not a sipping wine either.  It needs a big, juicy hunk of meat, either beef or lamb to mellow out the tannins and complement the bold flavors.  I can see why the pros went upwards of 95 points on this $20+ wine.  I’m thinking 92.  It gets 5 stars technically, but like I said, be ready for a different beast with this one.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Tinto Pesquera Reserva Especial 2010, Ribera del Duero, Spain

27 Sunday Feb 2022

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Bottle #100 in the Virtual WIne Tasting group!  We concluded the 25th tasting with this Spanish Tempranillo.  The underlying lesson of the session was the use of oak.  Our first red was made using old oak, the second bottle seeing a mix of new and old whilst this bottle would hopefully show off lots of new oak being a Reserva.

In the glass this wine is deep ruby- opaque AF.  On the nose the lesson was quite obvious- Tar, smoky, coconut, chocolate, leather, charred oak barrel, dark berries, bramble, dust and a touch of heat from the alcohol (it blew away eventually).

On the palate this wine was a touch tart at the beginning with black cherry akin to Luxardos, dried black fruit compote, spice, clove, vanilla, cinnamon and a new one- ‘Nummy”.  High tannins, medium acidity, full body and a long finish made this my WOTN that scored 18 marks.  At $50 and 92 points it get 5 stars from me- delicious stuff that worked beautifully in my oak lesson.  This wine needs a juicy leg of lamb, grilled and served with au gratin and a side of asparagus.  At 12 years of age it is just now reaching maturity and will drink nicely till 2030.  Salut….

Domaine Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin 2006, Cote de Nuits, France

24 Thursday Feb 2022

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I was reading an olde book about French wines, written a few years ago and chock full of iconic classics.  I stumbled across a Burgundy wine that I recognized so I checked my cellar and sure enough I had a bottle or two of this 2006 Gevrey-Chambertin.  My mind was instantly made up- Duck Confit and a glass of this aged Pinot Noir would fit my dinner plans perfectly.  I needed help getting the cork out, the Ah-so was a savior…

For a 16 year old Burgundy there is plenty of medium ruby color with virtually no sign of bricking.  The nose is exactly what I was hoping for.  Stewed cherry, barnyard, garigue, dried herbs and cooked strawberry essence.  Very little oak is evident but the tertiary notes are singing.  On the palate it is very smooth, tart, dry and still very tannic.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of cooked cherry dominate with supporting notes of raspberry, strawberry and rhubarb crumble.  The barnyard/garigue and dried herb components are present but the tartness is a bit much.  It is medium (-) bodied and has a mid length finish.  This is still a young wine with more evolution left, which contradicts the original assumptions that it would peak in 2013.  There is plenty of structure and fruit to last until 2028 at the least.  Under-scored and under-estimated- this $80 wine gets 92 points from me and 5 stars.  Glad I cellared a few bottles, looking forward to more evolution.  Salut….

Sojourn Cellars Wohler Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018, Russian River Valley, California

22 Tuesday Feb 2022

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I’m a fan of this winery, having first tasted a bottle of their 2009 Gaps Crown Pinot back in the day.  My review is quite interesting and can be found at:https://caspernick.com/2012/08/10/sojourn-gaps-crown-vineyard-pinot-noir-2009/

I bought a few Magnums of this particular wine on spec and am glad I did- tasty stuff that paired beautifully with a roast Pork shoulder and apple reduction sauce.  I previously wrote about this particular wine and am glad to see my notes are consistent.

Pale garnet- which is kind of surprising for a wine that’s only four years old, it does look a little bit murky though. The nose has medium intensity aromas of strawberry coulis, bing cherry, cinnamon stick, burnt orange peel and stewed strawberry.  On the palate this dry wine is juicy with very, very mild tannins and a medium body. Pronounced flavors of red and black cherry with some strawberry nuance, spice box and hints of oak. I love the mouth feel of the wine, even though it’s medium bodied it’s got a certain lightness to it that I am really enjoying. The finish is medium length and has nice raspberry and red cherry notes with some vibrant acidity. 92 points for this $54 effort makes it worthy of 5 stars and something to look for and drink by 2026.  Salut….

Nysa Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012, Willamette Valley, Oregon

17 Thursday Feb 2022

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For a Pinot Noir, this one is quite a bit more opaque- say 60%.  It’s a beautiful shade of ruby with long legs in the glass.  The nose is quite intense- cherry, black raspberry, pomegranate, cinnamon stick, red licorice and an earthy note.  The palate is dry with some nice medium intensity tannins that are balanced beautifully with medium acidity.  The flavors are quite pronounced with red cherry dominating.  The pomegranate gets joined with cranberry and I also get the spice and earth components.  Medium bodied with a decent length finish that shows off some tannic grip.  I like this wine for it’s New World boldness yet it sticks to the traditional red fruit flavors I love in Pinot.  It’s had a decade to age and is still rather primal with another 10 years ahead of it.  92 points from me for this $75 effort makes it a 4 star wine that compares with the delicious 2014 Nysa that I previously tasted.  Salut….

Marques de Vitoria Gran Reserva 2011, Rioja DOCa, Spain

16 Wednesday Feb 2022

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Deep ruby, starting to turn amber- this 11 year old Tempranillo is beginning to show some age.  On the nose I get classic Rioja: dusty earth, bramble, ripe blackberries, black currants, plums, leather and loads of oak influence.  Vanilla, coconut and charred wood notes are well ingrained.  On the palate it is dry and smooth.  Very integrated tannins and great acidity set the framework up to allow dark fruit, musty and earthy flavors as well as oak nuance to interplay.  Medium (+) bodied this delight has a medium (-) finish.  This is not a bold and big wine, it is more of a seductive and silky drop that appeals to those who enjoy subtlety over brawn.  I like it and would sip it over tapas.  I think it is at peak and will drink nicely until 2028.  It gets 92 points from me and at $40 it gets 5 stars.  Salut….

Gustave Lorentz Riesling Vieilles Vignes Altenberg de Bergheim 2015, Alsace Grand Cru, France

14 Monday Feb 2022

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It’s Valentine’s Day and we are steaming up some Lobster tails with drawn butter and baked potatoes.  Need I say more?  A Riesling is about as perfect a pairing for that combo as I can imagine.  This one happens to be a Grand Cru that was recommended to me by a wine-drinking friend.

It is pale gold in the glass.  The nose has pronounced aromas of lemon zest, tangerine, lime cordial, honeysuckle, jasmine, quince and white peach- mesmerizing.  The palate is dry with bracing acidity, medium (+) body, long finish and generous mouthfeel.  The palate is chock full of citrus and florals with some white peach and ginger. The acidity is immense on the back end where the fruit flavors manage to survive the onslaught.  This wine begs for the butter I am about to throw at it, it is so crisp.  Delicious now, this one will last a long time in the cellar and hopefully develop tertiary notes that good Rieslings are known for- I feel like I committed wine infanticide.  92 points from me for this $50 treat makes it a 5 star wine.  Salut….