Tag Archives: 93 points

Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas ‘Les Souteyrades Vieilles Vignes’ 2017, Rhone, France

21 Thursday Oct 2021

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I’m grilling Beef Tri-tip tonight so a hearty French red will do the trick.  This blend of Grenache and Mourvedre is semi opaque ruby with watery legs which is a bit suspect as the label clearly states 15% ABV!  The nose has got good red fruit flavors of raspberry, redcurrant, oak nuances of charred wood and clove alongside pepper, cinnamon and some meaty characteristics-perhaps from the dash of Mourvedre?  Anyways, the palate is super smooth with gorgeously integrated tannins, medium acidity and medium body.  The mouthfeel is stupendous.  All the aromas I got are mirrored on the palate with some Rooibos tea as well.  The mid palate and finish are where the tannins start to grip a touch, nothing overdone.  The back end is very smooth and it lasts a good long while.  A very impressive wine that is ready to go and will last till 2030 at the very least.  93 points from me and at $34 it is a great intro to yummy Southern Rhone wines.  5 stars.  Salut….

Poet’s Row Meritage 2013, Napa Valley, California

04 Wednesday Aug 2021

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This Bordeaux blend is quite deceiving- not very opaque at all considering it should be a blend of Merlot, Cab Sav and perhaps Cab Franc.  Definitely Cab Franc as I get perfume and violets on the nose, plus some cassis, blackcurrants, toasty oak and eucalyptus.  The palate is very smooth and well endowed with rich black fruits, well integrated tannins and juicy acidity.  The mid palate has some pencil shavings and a metallic tinge, kinda interesting.  The rich blackberry and blackcurrant flavors carry through to the long finish where some black tea notes are found alongside vanilla.  This wine has good complexity, a nice full body and plenty of fruit and structure to reward patient cellaring but it drinks beautifully right now at 8 years of age.  I am really digging the mouthfeel and think this wine gets 93 points.  It would normally run around the $25 mark making it a 5 star effort for sure.  Serve it up with some grilled sausages and steak.  Salut….

Domaine Drouhin Pin ot Noir 2018, Dundee Hills, Oregon

02 Monday Aug 2021

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Virtual tasting #20 started off on a high gear with the Reserve Pinot Gris, only to have it overshadowed by this stunner.  Once people started sniffing all I could hear were Oooh, Aaah…  On the nose the group noted aromas of licorice, forest floor, pepper, white chocolate, cardamom, black cherry, raspberry and rosewater.  How’s that for complexity?

The palate was absolutely delicious- I was so excited to drink this wine.  Super smooth with silky tannins and gentle acidity- we got flavors of raspberry, black cherry, Rooibos tea but it lost the pepper component.  The depth of this wine was beguiling.  On our tasting sheet I gave it a near perfect 19/20.  Technically speaking, this $35 wine gets 93 points and 5 stars from me.  You could cellar some, but why wait?  Damn that was good.  Might end up on the best-of list.  Salut….

 

De Toren Fusion V 2015, Stellenbosch, South Africa

27 Tuesday Jul 2021

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Another of my mate Johnny’s wines, this was a stunner.  Simply breathtaking.  A Bordeaux Blend with depth, richness and staying power.  Deep purple in the glass with a  rich and layered nose of gorgeous cassis, mint, stewed blackcurrants, cooked blueberry, coffee, smoke and cloves.  Stunning.  On the palate it is full bodied with well melded tannins, good acidity and complexity with flavors of blackberry, mint, tar, oak by way of smoke, clove and a medicinal note.  There’s a touch of bitterness on the back end to remind me that the tannins are still young.  This wine is well developed but has years ahead with potential for tertiary development.  I’m excited to have tried it and wish I could get more to watch for development. 93 points and at $45 it’s a 5 star effort.  Drink till 2028.  Well done!  Salut….

Orin Swift Machete 2016, California

12 Monday Jul 2021

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I have really taken a liking to Petite Sirah lately and Orin Swift’s Machete in particular. I tried the 2017 recently, delicious, heady stuff. Read about it in my regular blog style, this one gets the notes from my wine class. At $54 it’s not a cheap ride, but it will rock your world and gets 93 points from me, making it a 5 star wine. Salut….

Orin Swift Machete 2016 Petite Sirah, California 15.7% ABV

  • Appearance- Deep purple with thick legs.
  • Nose- pronounced aromas of blueberry, blackberry, black cherry, black plum, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla.  Youthful.
  • Palate- dry, medium (+) acidity, medium tannin, high alcohol, full body, pronounced flavors of blueberry, black cherry, blackberry, black plum, clove.  Medium finish.
  • Conclusion- very good quality, can drink now but has potential for aging.

Wowsa, look at that alcohol- 15.7% in a table wine!  I had a hard time on the nose, the whiff of heat was overpowering.  I made it through though.  Full bodied as one would expect with such high numbers and extraction to within an inch of the grape’s life.  Delicious stuff that is the second vintage I have tried of this iconic brand’s Petite Sirah with pretty much consistent results.

Alpha Omega Malbec 2016, Napa Valley, California

03 Saturday Jul 2021

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My last tasting note was in the format used for my wine course. By the time we got to this bottle the group was deep into a card game so I reverted to my old style and jotted a few notes on this super yummy wine.

Inky AF.  This is one dark purple, brooding beast.  Rich blackberry, ripe plums, cedar, Iodine and black cherry.  Stunning.  The palate is super duper Napa Valley.  Sunshine galore gives rich black fruits, silky tannins and medium acidity.  This is one stunner at 93 points.  I believe newer vintages are running a Benji. 5 stars. Drink till 2025. Ps. If this was a blind tasting, I would have guessed Napa all day long, but incorrectly identifying it as a Cab Sav. Very similar taste profile, but way less tannins in this varietal. Salut….

Bodegas Balbas Ardal Seleccion Especial Reserva 2010 revisited, Ribera del Duero, Spain

27 Sunday Jun 2021

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I have had this wine before and raved about it. Now, three years later, it has evolved- still amazing, yet different. I love it when the label tells you exactly what’s going on here, 80% Tempranillo, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in French oak for 24 months. This wine runs a hefty 14.5% alcohol by volume. It is pale ruby in the glass but I was expecting a little more opaqueness. The nose is gorgeous. Luscious oak, blackberry, black currant, cinnamon, tobacco, cedar and a whiff of heat. The legs are literally falling down the sides of the glass. The palate is stunning- rich fruit enveloped in copious yet refined oak, aged beautifully with tertiary notes starting to come through whilst the primary fruit and secondary notes are still very much in force. The spiciness of this wine replaces the usual dusty component that I get from Spanish Reservas. I’m not upset as I love this flavor profile. At 11 years of age it is still young and promises to last another 10 to 15 years. It will develop nicely and gain more tertiary notes with time. Punctuated acidity is going to hold the wine really well as are the very well integrated tannins. I’m loving it. 93 points at the very least. For $20, it’s a steal worthy of 5 stars. Salut….

Chateau Guiraud 2015, Sauternes, France

24 Thursday Jun 2021

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We enjoyed this classic Sauternes dessert wine whilst watching 48 hours, a classic wine paired with a classic movie. I have drunk the 2006 on several occasions, this later vintage is just as scrumptious. Detailed notes were not taken, just a brief impression. Pale gold.  Pronounced nose of peach, apricot, honey, orange marmalade and candied citrus peel. Sweet, luscious and viscous with honeyed orange peel, stone fruits and almonds on the palate.  Simply delicious.  Medium acidity and loads of body make for a gorgeous mouthfeel. This wine is young and will develop nicely till 2040.  A stunner that runs $ 28- 93 points and 5 stars for a treat! Lovely at youth, it will age gracefully. Salut….

Orin Swift Machete 2017, California

22 Saturday May 2021

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Wow- is this wine extracted and opaque. It’s almost black in the glass and I’m getting wafts of fruit flavors a foot away. The nose is rich blackberry, plum torte, charcoal, cedar plank, plum jam and more. Superb. On the palate those rich fruit flavors all meld together beautifully. Ripe, integrated tannins just coat my gums and I’m getting black tea notes as a result. The acidity is en pointe, juicy but not overdone. The mouthfeel of this fruit bomb is fantastic. If you’re a fan of heady Napa Cabs (which I am), this one is right up your alley. The mid palate pays homage to the tannins, letting them take over the palate. The finish is long, silky and rich with the concentrated fruit flavors, tannins and acidity. I’m digging this wine folks, a lot, like 93 points worth. Yummy stuff for a big night out cause it runs 54 bones, but gets 5 stars from me. Drink till 2030 with hearty steaks, heavy duty pasta or a varied charcuterie tray. Mainly Petite Sirah (which is me new fave), with some Grenache and Syrah to boot. Word of caution- the 15.2% ABV will sneak up on you in no time. I never caught on until I had a few glasses. Salut….

Azienda Agricola Gabutti Boasso Barolo Serralunga 2016, Barolo DOCG, Italy

28 Wednesday Apr 2021

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The Nebbiolo grape is very deceiving. In the glass it is see-through and pale garnet in color yet I know what to expect when we first taste this one. The nose gives me gobs of red cherry, cranberry, strawberry, spice and some caramel. On the palate it’s exactly what I was expecting and hoping for. Richly tannic, mouthwateringly acidic and delicious with red fruits galore. Cherries, strawberries, mouth searing tannins, and enough acidity to melt nuts and bolts. The mid palate allows the fruit to shine whilst the tannins and acid step aside momentarily. The finish is a really dry affair but I still get red fruits- the tannins are searing. This young wine needs a bunch of time in the cellar or a good aerating. It will last a long time if cellared correctly and will hopefully gain some tertiary flavors as we have already seen with a touch of Caramel on the nose,( which did not translate onto the palate). 93 points for me make this a big wine. At $40, it’s at the lower end for most good Barolos and gets 5 stars from me. Drink from 2025 to 2035. Salut….