Tag Archives: 92 points

Merryvale Pinot Noir Carneros 2011

13 Saturday Dec 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


Boom, after last night’s epic Pinot fail I was determined to find something worthy of my time, and the Cornish Game Hens I roasted tonight.  This was it.  I really enjoyed myself and had to remember how I got this wine.  You see, several months ago I opened a Merryvale Merlot that was corked.  The folks at the winery got in touch with me after reading about the botched bottle and offered to replace it.  Talk about customer service and a class act.  So, in finalizing the replacement I was so taken by the representative’s willingness to make sure I was happy I ordered some of their other wines.  So far so good I must say.  Here we go..

Classic new world nose of bing and white cherries interspersed with some violets.  In the glass, a very crimson purple that is see-through- typical of Pinot.  On the initial attack there is strawberry, cranberry, cherry and a subtle mouthfeel that is balanced to within an inch of it’s life.  Razor sharp focus with a hint of acidity offset by some lurking tannins make this a well made Pinot.  I timed a 30 second finish that kept morphing, amazing.  I served it up with Cornish Game Hens and steamed veggies that made this wine excel.  92 points from me for this $35 effort make it a solid 4 star wine, but I’m going to give it 5 because I’m in a generous mood.  Perfect with poultry and perhaps a cream sauce based dish.  Lovely and smooth.  Salut….

merryvale pinot noir carneros

 

Andrea Oberto Barolo 2010

27 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , ,


I sometimes find myself writing basic notes and then forgetting about the wine until many days, and several bottles later before I post to the blog.  It makes it hard to put pen to paper and relive the wine after a period, but this one was different.  I wrote several lines of notes and after reading them I could almost taste the wine again.  It had a thick purple appearance with a nose of plums, cocoa, pomegranate.  Smoke, iodine, plum jam, blueberry preserves and eucalyptus all exploded on the palate with crispy acidity and generous tannins. An interesting taste/mouthfeel combo that kept me coming back for more.  There was a lovely oregano hint on the longish finish. Served with lamb shanks, it was the perfect combination.  I noted that is had ‘Bright fruit, Napa ringer’.  I can’t wait to see the other bottles evolve, it’s going to be magic for this 92 point effort.  Some of the pro’s went as high as 95 on it, we shall see.  You can find it for about $35, making it a solid 4 star wine.  Salut….

andrea oberto barolo

Orin Swift D66 2011

18 Tuesday Nov 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


I have sampled Orin Swift’s The Prisoner and am familiar with their full on style.  Heady and high in alcohol with great extraction.  This wine is no different.  It all began with a rich dark purple hue in the glass.  Wild flowers, blackberries, earth and plum come across on the nose.  Violets and plums with layers of dark fruit compote and an earthy component attack the palate full bore.  I loved the very smooth mouthfeel that hides the whopping 15.2% alcohol.  Melded tannins and a balanced acidity contribute to the silkiness.  This wine is made from Grenache, Syrah and Carignan from the Catalan region.  Terroir of the French countryside is evident. Old world in fruit yet New world in extraction and style.  It finishes with a touch of cinnamon and blueberry pie. 2014-2020 would be my guess for a drinking window.  I give it 92 points and for $33 it deserves 5 stars.  Deeeelish.  Salut…..

orin swift d66

Eagles Trace Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

18 Saturday Oct 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,


I bought a magnum of this wine a while back and had it sitting on my ‘everyday drinker’ shelf for the past two months, waiting to pop it at a moments notice.  This past week I had that opportunity.  Black cherries and eucalyptus on the nose were telltale signs of this wine’s Napa roots.  Kir, plum and blueberry initially hit my palate along with some beautiful ingrained tannins.  Blueberry jam on a creamy finish with nice acidity lead to a great mouthfeel and long ending.  This is Napa Cab at it’s finest, showing off fresh fruit yet with great structure and complexity.  This particular bottle was relatively young, especially since it was in Magnum.  I would venture a 2014-2024 drinking window in large format.  92 points and 4 stars from me for this $55 effort.  Salut….

eagles trace cabernet sauvignon

De Toren Fusion V 2011

18 Saturday Oct 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

, , , ,


Back in March of this year Moxie and I went to a charity event where we bid on several interesting items in the silent auction.  One of our winning bids was a Chef’s Table dinner for 8 at Seasons 52 in McLean, Virginia.  We invited some good friends to join us and drove like lemmings to where the GPS took us.  Not until then did we realize that the restaurant was in the mall, of all places.  Not sure what we had gotten ourselves into, we traipsed into the bustling shopping center, all dressed up in our Saturday evening gear.  Once we reached the restaurant it all became clear.  Our table was well inside the restaurant, away from the madding crowd, secluded and curtained off from peering eyes.  We were introduced to several chefs and given a rundown of what to expect.  With each course, the chef in charge would come out and give us a brief outline of the dish.  The beauty of the whole thing was not having to worry about ordering.  Every plate, morsel and combination was delicious, fresh, unique and enjoyed by all.  Our waiter was great and helped make a few of the wine selections.  Sauvignon Blanc for some, Cabernet for others.  The dinner lasted well over 2 hours, the balance of the plates with the wine and friendship was amazing and well worth the money and the wait.  We will no doubt be back for another Saturday evening soiree.

The Chef's Menu

The Chef’s Menu

The first bottle we ordered was this Bordeaux blend from Stellenbosch.  It was magnificent.  A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Malbec, 15% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc & 4% Petit Verdot make this a Left Bank clone if ever I saw one.  My style of vino without a doubt.   My notes had to be discrete as Moxie kept nudging me when I had my phone out….  Short smooth black and blue fruit nose from a dark purple glass.  Bordeaux-like with plums, cola, cassis, herbs and  smooth tannins with mild acidity.  I gave it 92 points with a drinking window of 2014-2020.  WS gave it 91, close enough.  I found it online for about $50 making it a 3 star wine technically but I’m gonna give it 4 because it hit on all cylinders for me.  If you see it on a wine list, don’t  be shy to order this well integrated beauty.  Salut….

de toren fusion v

Cat Amongst The Pigeons Shiraz Grenache 2008

16 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


I bought this one sight unseen from my local dealer who was having a bin-end sale.  It normally retailed for about $16.  I liked it, a lot.  From the Barossa Valley it oozed class and warmth, starting with a full-on nose of Asian Plums, black cherries and blackberries- gorgeous.  Picture a bowl full of dark fruits….

Brooding black berries and eucalyptus with some smoke and tar hit the palate nicely with some polished tannins and slight acidity.  A long finish of chocolate and earth mingle with some plum jam to finish things off.  At 5 years of bottle age it is at peak and will go on for another 3 years I reckon.  For the price I paid I would get more if I could.  92 points and 5 stars in my book for this 57% Shiraz, 43% Grenache blend that hid it’s 14.9% alcohol perfectly.  Plus, it’s a cool name and a great label!  Salut….

cat amongst the pigeons shiraz grenache

Provenance Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

22 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,


I am closing in on 500 blog posts and wanted to lead up to the big one with some great wines.  This one happened to be a gift from a mate so I felt obliged to open it up and let it rip with some juicy Sirloins and grilled corn.  For post #497, it seemed the right thing to do and I was not disappointed.

I was amazed at how dark and dense the wine was in my glass, but it made sense when I had the first whiff.  A brooding nose of black fruits combined with the dark inky purple color set the stage for this Rutherford Cabernet.  Napa style fruit of plums, black berries, chocolate shavings and a touch of heat.  Silky tannins and juicy acidity made this an absolute delight to drink.  I initially made a 90 point note, but then added that it had a drinking window of 2014-2025 because the wine really opened up and showed off its mouth coating muscles.  The grip of these fine tannins was amazing and the finish lasted a good 30 seconds.  I upped my score to 92 and did some research.  It sells for about $35.  That is a steal in my book for top quality Napa Cabernet and I need to stock up on this wine.  It rocks a steak and would even sort out a heavy pasta dish or some barbecue.  5 stars from me.  Salut….

provenance cabernet sauvignon

Barboursville Octagon 2009

21 Monday Apr 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , ,


Yesterday was my birthday and Easter, so Moxie took us all out to our local Melting Pot for some Fondue.  I had a quick look at the wine list and immediately knew I was ordering this bottle.  I had previously tasted the 2008 Octagon at the vineyard and was impressed, so when I saw a $50 (at retail) bottle selling for only $72 I knew I was getting a great deal at restaurant pricing.

One word.  Stunning.  On the nose was a mixture of plums, cherries, oak and an earthy note.  Dark purple in color.  I was excited to taste this one and was not disappointed.  A classic Bordeaux blend comprising Merlot, Cab Sav, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot.  It tasted just like I imagined it would; cassis, plums, dark cherry, earth and a touch of cedary wood.  Very smooth and integrated tannins made this an amazing wine to savor and the acidity was so well integrated that I made a note ‘sublime acidity’ on my phone.  The wine did not last long as I could not help myself.  It went well with all the dishes of cheese, beef, shrimp with curry sauce and chicken cooked in Coq au Vin broth.

Yes, $50 is spendy for a bottle of wine.  Take into account the situation, the mood and what you are getting for this 92 point wine that I am giving 5 stars to.  I would recommend drinking this wine from 2014-2020, and I reckon it will evolve nicely in that time frame.  It was a magical day of Church, Brunch, afternoon nap followed by a great family dinner and this amazing wine was the crowning touch.  Salut….

IMG_0914

The family plus a friend

The family plus a friend

Relaxing on Easter weekend by the 'pit' before s'mores got the best of them

Relaxing on Easter weekend by the ‘pit’ before s’mores got the best of them

Louis Latour Mersault Perrieres 2007

08 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , ,


White Burgundy is a minefield for me.  I know almost nothing about the region, the terroir or the names.  I just know that I like most of the Louis Latour offerings and am confident when I see the telltale badge on their bottles.  I recently picked up two of these, one for mum’s birthday and the other for my cellar.  Saturday night was going to be a treat in our house.  Moxie had previously bought a box of frozen Lobsters from Costco.  We are in the process of emptying our freezers so it seemed like the right combination.  Decadence meet opulence.  We all know the price of the crustacean, the wine was equally eye watering at over $80 per bottle…. You only live once.

For a wine that has only 6 years of bottle age, it has the most beautiful golden color.  The hues were riveting in the glass, I have never seen such a young wine look so elegant and demure.  The consistency was very graceful and almost syrupy.  I was starting to wonder.  It all came out with the first sniff and taste.  Pears, apples, apricots, stones, butterscotch, you name it.  A veritable fruit basket on the olfactory senses that transferred the same powers to the palate.  Great balance of acidity make this a very easy wine to drink, and a perfect companion to the garlic infused butter that I draped all over my Lobster.

I realize that this wine is very pricey, I also remind myself that I am on a mission in my wine tasting life and it is too short to get hung up on dollars.  I need to experience Chardonnay from Burgundy just like I need to sample Barolo from Italy, Cabernet from Napa and Tokaji from Hungary.  The entry is steep, the rewards- amazing.  Having said that, this wine is a bargain for high end Burgundy.

WS gave this one 94 points.  As a relative newb to whites, I scan only muster 92 points and give it 3 stars for its price point.  I feel that you need to try some good Burgundy to appreciate them for what they are and do it with loved ones over a great meal so you can cherish the moment and remember it.  Salut….

IMG_0882

The telltale logo

The telltale logo

Rivetto Serralunga D’alba Barolo 2007

26 Wednesday Feb 2014

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,


A very young wine that the critics loved.  I popped this one because of the Italian nature of dinner tonight.  I figured I would go to the Barolo for a themed feast of tomato chicken, spaghetti squash and salad with an avocado starter.  It worked a treat…

Violet in the glass and showing a lightness and agility reminiscent of Pinot Noir, it had similar characteristics on the nose.  Cherry bouquet with thyme and some coffee came jumping out of the glass.   I need to remind myself of the first aged Barolo I tasted….  It was in Alaska and my buddy Mr. Leebering brought it for a Christmas dinner back in 2006.  It was a ’97 Ratti that blew me over with it’s seductiveness and complexity.  The amazing part of the adventure was my total lack of knowledge in Barolo territory.  I did not realize Barolo takes on such Pinot flavors and nuances.  I digress….

The wine tasted of tart cherries, cranberry, leather and Muduro.  It is a young wine with sprite tannins and a juicy mouthfeel from the beautiful acidity.  WS and others gave this wine a whopping 94 points.  I can’t see it personally.  I am going with 92 and for $50 it is a 4 star wine on one condition- cellar it for at least 5 more years to allow it to meld into the mature Barolo I feel it is capable of becoming.  Patience will reward on this one.  Serve with meatballs and red sauce for the best results.  Salut….

IMG_0736