Tag Archives: 92 points

Clos St. Thomas ‘Le Merlot A’ 2010, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

24 Sunday Dec 2023

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Deep garnet colored with high viscosity (14% ABV) and slight staining on the walls.  The nose has intense aromas of cassis, ripe blackberry, black plum, coffee, mint, cocoa, vanilla, licorice and charred toasty oak.  It’s quite complex but surprisingly youthful at 13 years of cellaring.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are silky smooth.  A full body with ripe flavors of cassis, blackberry and plum coupled with oak-derived notes of coffee, cocoa, vanilla, charred oak alongside mint and licorice.  It’s quite a melange of flavors that carry throughout to a medium length finish.  This Merlot is young and will cellar for another decade, hopefully developing some nice tertiary aromas and flavors.  It is only available at the winery due to limited production- it’s the winemaker’s pride and joy.  A delicious wine that gets 92 points from me.  Not sure on pricing so I will award 5 stars.  Salut….

Sam Plunkett The Halo Effect Late Harvest Viognier 2020, Strathbogie Ranges, Australia

09 Saturday Dec 2023

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Pale gold with high viscosity (10.3% ABV) due to the residual sugar.  The nose of this dessert wine has medium (+) intensity aromas of oaky vanilla, apricot, blossom, peach, and more oak.  The palate is sweet with high acidity and a full body.  There is a touch of astringency from the lengthy oak contact which is interesting.  A heavy cloak of oak hangs over the more subtle apricot, honey, peach and orange blossom flavors.  If you are a fan of Cali chards that are oak dominated then this sweet wine is right up your alley.  I’m infatuated with this bottle, it’s very interesting and will go well with our pear tart and a dollop of vanilla ice cream.  At $15 for a 500 ml bottle this 92 pointer gets 5 stars.  I would love to have more to track the evolution, which may well last till 2035.  Salut….

Gonzalez Byass Leonor Palo Cortado Sherry 12 Anos NV, Andalucia, Spain

22 Wednesday Nov 2023

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Pale amber/gold colored with high viscosity (20% ABV).  The color is specatucualr btw, hard to describe.  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of warm nuts, yeasty dough, preserved lemon, dried plum, brine, Christmas cake and dried orange peel.  The palate is slightly off-dry but the acidity is high and the body is full.  Dried fruit, warm nuts, yeasty notes and a citrus twist are all present.  The high alcohol hits the back of my throat a touch but blows off rather quickly.  The finish is medium to long and concentrates on the desiccated fruit and salty yeast notes I got on the opening.  This aperitif begs for some olives, charcuterie and warmed almonds.  It’s delicious and gets 92 points from me.  At $17 for 375ml, it gets 5 stars.  Salut….

Kanonkop Estate Pinotage 2020, Stellenbosch, South Africa

18 Saturday Nov 2023

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Closing out the 33rd virtual wine tasting was this Pinotage from South Africa.  Deep ruby colored it showed high viscosity (14% ABV) and a slight staining on the walls.  Coffee aromas dominated the initial sniff followed by soy sauce, leather, sesame seed (?), black currant, black cherry, orange peel and blackberry.  Medium (+) acidity and medium tannins with a full body made for a lovely mouthfeel.  Flavors mimicked the nose with the addition of a ripe bramble note.  The wine finished medium-long and garnered 17 points on my sheet.  Technically speaking , this $48 effort gets 92 points from me, and 4 stars.  Drink till 2033 with roast game.  Salut….

Chateau du Petit Thouars Chinon Rouge L’Epee 2018, Loire, France

18 Saturday Nov 2023

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Our second red wine of the 33rd tasting was this stunning Cabernet Franc.  Deep ruby colored with a medium viscosity (14.5% ABV) and slight staining of the walls.  Right off the bat I smelled green peppers followed by chocolate, funk, cranberry, cigar, tobacco, leather, charcoal and a perfumed scent.  On the palate it has medium (+) acidity coupled with medium (+) tannins and a full body.  Flavor-wise it gave us chocolate covered cherry, cranberry and some tertiary notes that we got on the nose.  It has developed rapidly, shedding fruit for age influenced aromas and flavors- which I love.  The finish was long, which added points to this already delicious wine.  It turned out to be the wine of the night for most of us.  19/20 on the score sheet and a technical rating of 93 made this $21 bottle a 5 star winner.  I might order more!  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Giant Steps Pinot Noir 2021, Yarra Valley, Australia

18 Saturday Nov 2023

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Next up at the 33rd virtual tasting was this lovely Pinot.  I drank this a few months ago at a birthday dinner and loved it, hence the re-taste for our group.  It’s a pale garnet color with medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  Medium (+) intensity aromas of strawberry kick things off followed by barnyard funk, cranberry, strawberry, strawberry shortcake and ‘cardboard box filled with cherries’ from one of the tasters.  On the palate it is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (-) tannins.  A Medium (-) body carries the delicious cherry, strawberry, baking spice and pomegranate flavors through to a medium length finish.  I enjoyed tasting this wine again, perhaps not as much as the first time but gave it 15 points on our sheet and a 92 rating.  For $43 it gets 4 stars from me.  Drink with lighter meat dishes till 2030.  Yummy stuff.  Salut….

Rustenberg Chardonnay 2021, Stellenbosch, South Africa

31 Tuesday Oct 2023

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Pale lemon with a watery sheen (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of marzipan, white blossom, persimmon, yuzu, brioche, lemon pith and orange zest.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium body.  Fresh citrus mingled with airy florals, marzipan, a hint of brioche and some stone fruit.  It’s really crisp and refreshing and finishes medium in length.  I paid $22 and give it 92 points.  Tonight it gets paired with Shrimp Creole and gets 5 stars from me.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Raymond Vineyard Reserve Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Napa Valley, California,

29 Sunday Oct 2023

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Medium to deep ruby with high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of black cherry, blackberry, charred oak, sweet cassis, chocolate powder, baking spices and a hint of vanilla bean.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are silky.  The full body of this wine is layered with ripe black fruit, chocolate, vanilla, some coffee and baking spices.  The blackberry and cassis notes carry the finish to a long length and allow the gentle acidity and delightful tannins to caress my palate.  It’s a really delicious wine with a very nice mouthfeel.  92 points from me for this $37 effort makes it a 5 star wine to drink with hearty meat dishes till 2030.  Salut….

i-Latina La Armonia Vineyard Petit Verdot 2020, Curico Valley, Chile

02 Monday Oct 2023

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Deep ruby with inky highlights and a high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has gorgeous aromas of ripe blackberry, menthol, eucalyptus, violet, charred oak, acai berry, black plum and coffee.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins on top of a full body.  The flavors are delicious, ripe and inviting.  Black fruit, eucalyptus and violets, oak nuance and a medium length finish make this a yummy wine that gets 92 points from me.  It will drink nicely till 2028 and I would pair it with Filet and béarnaise.  For $16, this is a stunner that gets 5 stars from me- I need to order more.  Salut….

Camille Benitah Limite Red 2020, Paso Robles, California

16 Saturday Sep 2023

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Medium ruby colored with high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of red plum, pomegranate, violet, meat, blackberry jam and a creme de menthe hint.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that are plush.  This blend of Cabernet, Grenache, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Merlot, Mourvedre, Carignan and Primitivo is very smooth with ripe fruit and subtle nuances from each grape.  It shows the warmth of the region in the way the fruit is sweet but there is no residual sugar.  The full body is lush and coats my palate with beautiful layers- delicious stuff.  The finish is long and somewhat dry but not astringent, the tannins are en pointe.  This $15 offering gets 92 points from me and will be paired with grilled burgers tonight.  5 stars, drink till 2027.  Salut….