Tag Archives: 92 points

Substance Chardonnay 2021, Columbia Valley, Washington

01 Saturday Mar 2025

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Pale lemon colored with gold highlights, and medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon zest, butter, vanilla, melon, orange blossom, and a trace of peach.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium (+) body.  Medium intensity flavors of lemon curd, melon, butter, vanilla, orange blossom, and peach.  The mouthfeel is round and pleasing, not cutting or lithe.  It begs for some grilled shrimp, Mackerel filets or smoked salmon.  The finish is medium (+) in length and gives me a salted caramel note.  It’s always a pleasure to drink wines from the house of Smith, they offer tremendous quality to price ratios and are consistent.  This one gets 92 points from and for $13 it’s a screaming good 5 star deal.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Substance Chardonnay

Fiuza Premium Alicante Bouschet Reserva 2019, Vinho Regional Tejo, Portugal

29 Wednesday Jan 2025

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The Alicante Bouschet variety is one of the select group of Teinturier grapes, the pulp being red in color.  This produces a dark wine that used to be a blending partner to lighter wines.  Nowadays, single variety bottling are more common and can be truly delicious, usually at a reasonable price point.

Deep ruby colored with very slight staining, and high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black raspberry, black plum, brambleberry, eucalyptus, black currant, chocolate, spice box and vanilla.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that are integrating nicely.  Rich, ripe black fruits coat the gums whilst the spicebox, vanilla, chocolate and some green herbs add nuance.  The finish is quite long and refined.  The fruit and tannins work well together and are very balanced.  I love this wine- especially at the $15 price point.  It gets 92 points from me and 5 stars.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Fiuza Premium Alicante Bouschet

Castelli del Grevepesa Lamole 2019, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG, Italy

21 Saturday Dec 2024

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Pale to medium garnet colored with copper highlights, and a medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of red cherry, pomegranate, rhubarb, baking spice, olive tapenade, and a green stalk note (thyme?).  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a medium body and medium (+) tannins.  Flavors of red cherry, pomegranate, thyme, dried leather, rhubarb, and some baking spice.  The finish is zippy with some acidity that lingers.  Fruit length is medium and red in nature with some slight astringency right at the end.  It’s a very delicious and food-worthy wine that gets 92 points from me.  I would drink this $25 effort till 2030 with Bolognese all day long. 5 stars.  Salut….

castelli del grevepesa lamole chianti classico gran selezione

Bodegas Balbás Ardal Cuvée Especial Crianza 2020, Ribera del Duero, Spain

16 Monday Dec 2024

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Medium-to-deep ruby colored with slight staining and high viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of ripe blackberry, dusty earth, oak stave, acai berry, menthol, a medicinal note, tomato stalk, black licorice, and a whiff of tobacco.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a full body, and high tannins that are gritty and young.  The fruit is more intense on the palate than it was on the nose.  Dark berries with nuanced oak and some grippy tannins that carry on for an eternity.  The finish, albeit quite dry, lasts for a medium length and is begging for some food.  I’m guessing the 20% addition of Cabernet Sauvignon has beefed up the normally tame Tempranillo- it makes for an interesting and structured wine that has managed to hide its high alcohol nicely.  I would give this one a wide berth and cellar till 2026, with a drinking window into 2030.  92 points from me for this $30 effort makes it a 5 star wine.  Salut….

Bodegas Balbás Ardal Cuvée Especial Crianza

Real Companhia Velha Quinta das Carvalhas Late Bottle Vintage Port 2019, Portugal

05 Thursday Dec 2024

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Dark ruby colored with medium staining and a high viscosity (20% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of macerated bramble berry, blackberry pie, dried cigar wrapper, old oak, dark chocolate, sweet prune, and a hint of wintergreen.  The palate is semi-sweet with medium acidity, a full body and medium (+) tannins that are polished.  The flavor intensity is medium (+) and echoes the nose- leading to a long finish that is slightly sweet, slightly dry, and slightly tangy giving a wonderful mouthfeel.  I have had the 2018 vintage and enjoyed it thoroughly.  This one is perhaps even better and gets 92 points from me.  I paid $23 and give it 5 stars.  Delicious and deserving of some Bleu cheese to pair.  Drink till 2035.  Salut….

quinta das carvalhas lbv 2019

Babylonstoren Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Simonsberg-Paarl, South Africa

16 Saturday Nov 2024

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Deep purple colored with slight staining and a high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has  medium (+) intensity aromas of blackberry, black plum, vanilla, coffee, acai berry, mint, cedar plank and charred oak.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a full body, and medium (+) tannins.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of black fruits with nicely integrated oak – giving vanilla, coffee, cedar and charred oak notes.  It has a medium (+) ending that wraps the fruit and oak into a focussed finish.  The tannins resolve quickly btw leaving a nice mouthfeel.  I dig this $20 effort and think it’s a 92 point wine to drink till 2028.  5 stars for the price/quality ratio.  Salut….

babylonstoren Cabernet Sauvignon

Buttonwood Grove Winery Pinot Noir 2020, Finger Lakes, New York

02 Wednesday Oct 2024

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Very pale garnet colored with copper/orange highlights and a watery sheen (12% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of barnyard, funk, red cherry compote, ripe strawberry, rhubarb, baking spice, violets, green stalk and lingonberry.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a light body and low tannins.  The flavor intensity is medium (-) but very delicate and seductive.  Red fruit coupled with some funky notes and some baking spice make for an enticing and lithe wine that has great balance.  The finish is medium (-) in length which makes me grab the glass for another quick sip.  It’s a delightful sipper, not sure what I would pair with it so as to not overpower.   It ran me $25 at the winery and gets 92 points making it a 5 star effort to drink till 2030.  (I scored it 90 at the winery btw).  Salut….

Bodegas Neo ‘Sentido’ 2020, Ribera del Duero, Spain

26 Monday Aug 2024

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Deep ruby colored, almost inky- with high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of ripe blackberry, bramble, dusty earth, elderberry, coconut, charred oak and pine needles.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a full body and medium (+) tannins that are slightly chalky.  Flavors of ripe black berries with that telltale dust combine with American oak nuance of coconut and dill.  The oaky charred note is there but diminished.  The finish is medium (+) in length but turns a bit hot at the end.  I like this Crianza level wine- it’s charming, structured and tasty.  92 points.  I am pairing this Tempranillo with some half-smoke sausages and fried potatoes.  For under $20, this one gets 5 stars.  Drink till 2029.  Salut….

Black Slate Gratallops 2021, Priorat DOCa, Spain

14 Wednesday Aug 2024

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Deep ruby colored with slight staining and a high viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of black cherry, black raspberry, black licorice, grape bubble gum (!), coffee, vanilla, baking spice, blueberry compote and mint.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a full body and medium (+) tannins. The fruit quality is very good and I get layers of dark red fruit intertwined with oak nuance.  Thankfully the bubble gum is nowhere to be found, an interesting note on the nose tho.  The texture of the tannins is sublime- slightly grippy yet silky making for a delightful mouthfeel that lasts medium length.  A well-balanced blend of Garnacha and Carignena that gets 92 points from me.  I paid $18 for this beaut and give it 5 stars.  My pairing is rack of Lamb.  Drink till 2030, Salut….

Tara Bella Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Russian River Valley, California

12 Monday Aug 2024

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Deep ruby colored with blue highlights, slight staining and medium viscosity (13.4% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, blackberry compote, charcoal, black olives, black cherry akin to Luxardo, a hint of green herb and some medicinal notes from oak.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body and medium tannins that are melded.  The quality of fruit is ripe and tantalizing, which initially had me wonder if there was any RS.  Ripe black cherry, blackberry, black plum, mint, oaky warmth with that medicinal note alongside cocoa powder.  It’s delicious and finishes medium in length with a silky mouthfeel.  I like it, a lot.  92 points for this $80 bottle makes it a 4 star wine to drink till 2030.  Salut….