Tag Archives: 94 points

Bodegas Neo Punta Esencia 2004, Ribera del Duero, Spain

10 Sunday Aug 2025

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Deep garnet with slight copper edges, and a medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of baked cherry, fig, prune, dusty earth, vanilla, iodine, baked blueberry pie, leather, and dried herbs.  The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that are still grippy but integrating nicely.  The flavors are very persistent and echo the nose.  This is a classic Tempranillo, aged in  French oak is my guess.  The finish is long and silky.  It’s still vibrant with years of cellaring capacity.  I opened it for my daughter’s 21st birth month and I’m glad I held on to it for so long.  It gets 94 points from me and can found online for about $130, making it a 5 star wine for a special occasion.  Salut….

Bodegas Neo Punta Esencia

Fattoria della Talosa Vin Santo di Montepulciano Occhio di Pernice 1996, Tuscany, Italy

07 Monday Jul 2025

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It’s called Occhio di Pernice, which means Eye of the Partridge- relating to the deep amber color.  This one has a slight haze due to non-filtration and a high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of walnuts, prunes, candied orange peel, salty caramel, Seaspray, and spun honey.  It’s quite complex. The palate is sweet, with a full body and medium (+) acidity.  The flavors are intense and mirror the nose.  It’s quite an unctuous drop packed full of flavors that layer on themselves.  The sweetness is balanced by the juicy acidity.  This wine begs for a stinky Blue Cheese or super ripe Brie.  The finish is long and silky.  What a treat.  We paid $45 ex-chateau for this 94 pointer that makes it worthy of 5 stars.  It’s just being released after 29 years- shockingly good stuff.  Made predominantly from Sangiovese grapes made in the Vin Santo method.  Drink till 2040.  Salut….

talosa occhio di pernice vin santo di Montepulciano

Cantine del Notaio Il Sigillo 2011, Basilicata, Italy

24 Monday Mar 2025

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The star of the 39th virtual wine tasting was this mature Aglianico.  Deep garnet colored with definitive bricking, slight staining, and medium viscosity (14%V ABV).  The nose had medium (+) intensity aromas of prune, dried nuts, desiccated cherry, swisher sweet cigars, raisins, musty barnyard, leather, and Absinthe.  The plate was dry with medium (-) acidity, a medium body, and medium (-) tannins that were fully integrated.  Sipping this wine was ethereal- the flavors echoed the nose and the silky presentation had a long finish.  I would not cellar this wine any further as it’s at peak/slightly past peak and needs to be enjoyed to its fullest now.  A perfect 20 points were awarded by more than one taster and I gave this $80 bottle 94 points.  A super treat to drink this 5 star effort.  Salut….

Cantine del Notaio Il Sigillo Aglianico

Maxville Lake Winery Petit Sirah 2016, Napa Valley, California

17 Friday Jan 2025

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I have had this wine before and loved it- so I bought more.  It’s still inky purple colored with heavy staining, and a high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of ripe blackberry, a medicinal note, blueberry jam, eucalyptus, baking spice, vanilla bean, roasted coffee, dried oak bark, and acai berry.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a full body and high tannins that are integrating nicely.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of ripe dark fruit, oak by way of that medicinal note, coffee, vanilla, and baking spice coupled with some green notes.  The finish is long and silky, the tannins really retreat and allow the ripe fruit to take center stage.  It’s an awesome bottle and a great example of well made Petite Sirah.  It makes a statement, similar in nature to Napa Cabs, but in a bolder, more structured way.  94 points from me for this $55 bottle makes it a 5 star wine that will drink nicely till 2030.  I am pairing with T-bone steaks,  roasted veggies and yams.  Salut….

Maxville Lake Winery Petit Sirah

St Thomas le Merlot A 2005, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

10 Friday Jan 2025

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Deep garnet colored with amber highlights, moderate staining and medium viscosity (No back label and no ABV info posted).  The nose of this aged Merlot has medium (+) intensity aromas of mushroom, truffles, baked earth, dried blackberry, game, cocoa, coffee, blueberry ganache, prunes, and leather.  Simply stunning.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body and medium (+) tannins that are still a touch gritty with some bite.  The secondary notes of mushroom, truffles, earth, and leather dominate this complex and layered wine.  The fruit shows in a dried and mature way giving way to the evolution.  The finish is quite a dry affair, the tannins are still fearsome but the length is long and slightly tart.  This wine is a chameleon- the nose is so complex and mature yet the tannic structure is interfering, refusing to meld away.  Here are the disclaimers- this bottle can only be purchased ex-cellar.  My cousins own the winery.  This bottle is in magnum and I used my Coravin to taste it in anticipation of dinner at a steak house tonight.  There.  It’s a delightful wine that gets 94 points from me and what the heck- 5 stars as pricing is unknown.  This winery continues to show me the power of well made Lebanese wines and how they manage to age so beautifully.  Salut….

st Thomas merlot A

Quinta da Foz Reserva 2020, Douro, Portugal

08 Sunday Dec 2024

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Deep purple colored with medium staining, and medium viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of ripe blackberry, cassis, vanilla, coffee, dark chocolate, menthol, bramble berry, and a medicinal note.  It’s very enticing.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a full body, and medium (+) tannins that are melding nicely.  The richness of the fruit is profound- dark berry with oak nuance by way of vanilla, coffee, chocolate, and a medicinal note.  The menthol note only appears on the back end. The finish is juicy and medium (+) in length.  A delicious blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tina Roriz.  I have tasted two earlier vintages of this Reserva with equally impressive notes and high scores.  I will go with 94 points this time and for $25- I’m stocking up.  5 stars with a drink till 2030 window.  Salut….

Quinta da Foz Reserva

RARECAT Old Toll Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Napa Valley, California

06 Wednesday Nov 2024

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Deep ruby colored with moderate staining, high viscosity (14.7% ABV) and slightly hazy indicating the lack of fining/filtration?  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of ripe black cherry, bramble berry, anise, dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla, cassis, mint, dust, leather and cigar box.  Very layered and showing primary, secondary and tertiary development.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a full body and medium (+) tannins that are chalky and fine grained.  Rich dark cherry, bramble berry, cassis, anise, chocolate, coffee leather and cigar box notes.  The tannins melt nicely and leave me with a long finish that resonates rich, ripe fruit and  lovely oak integration.  Really yummy stuff that gets 94 points from me.  At $155 ex-chateau it’s a treat wine that gets 5 stars from me.  This beauty has tons of cellaring capacity left but is drinking nicely now.  I would pair it with Filet Mignon with Peppercorn sauce or Prime Rib.  Drink till 2035.  Salut….

RARECAT Old Toll Cabernet Sauvignon

Beaulieu Vineyard BV Reserve Tapestry 2016, Napa Valley, California

18 Wednesday Sep 2024

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Deep ruby colored with slight staining and a high viscosity (14.9% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of blackberry, cassis, black plum, vanilla, toasty oak,  coffee, caramel, acai berry, eucalyptus, wet stone, graphite and baking spices.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a full body and medium (+) tannins.  Silky layers of dark, ripe fruit interlaced with loads of secondary notes of oak which has been deftly applied alongside some interesting eucalyptus and caramel hints.  The wet stone is not present but there is a dried tobacco note coming on.  The tannins are polished and are integrating nicely.  The finish is long, centered on blackberry and cassis with a woodsy note.  It’s delicious , still young and worthy of 94 points.  A classic Bordeaux blend of Cab Sav, Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.  It runs $65 for the latest vintage, unsure of pricing for this one.  5 stars IMHO to drink till 2030.  Salut….

Domaine Nicolas Rossignol Clos de Verger 2017, Pommard Premier Cru, France

20 Monday May 2024

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Second up at the 36th virtual tasting was this stunning Pinot from Burgundy.  Pale garnet colored with low viscosity (13.5% ABV).  On the nose we got medium (+) intensity aromas of cherries jubilee, barnyard, roses, mushroom, stewed strawberry, baking spice, chocolate powder and Rooibos tea.  On the palate it is dry with medium acidity, light body and low tannins.  Cinnamon, Allspice, black cherry, mushroom, funk, forest floor and strawberry compote featured with a long finish.  This was a memorable wine that was enjoyed by everyone- I gave it a perfect 20 points on our tasting scale.  Technically speaking this is a 94 pointer that gets 5 stars and can be found for $80.  I would savor this with Roast Quail, Filet with béarnaise or even a mushroom tart.  I believe there is plenty of development in this wine’s future so cellaring a few bottles will be a fun adventure to visit till 2034.  Salut….

Domaine Thierry Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin 2005, Cote de Nuits, France

31 Sunday Mar 2024

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Pale garnet with brick highlights and a medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of chocolate covered cherry, barnyard, orange peel, vanilla bean, mushroom, Rooibos tea, caramel, desiccated strawberry, petrichor, a touch of leather and some dried cranberry.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a medium body and medium (-) tannins that are fully integrated.  Surprisingly fresh after 19 years of resting, this wine still shows loads of primary red fruit with deft oak and great structure.  The tertiary notes are still developing and this beauty has tons of aging capacity left.  The finish is sublime- a touch tart from the cranberry, there’s also a baked cherry pie thing going on.  Stunning stuff that gets 94 points from me.  I bought this bottle so long ago, I cannot remember pricing.  Modern vintages run $90, which would make it a 5 star wine.  I’m pairing this Pinot Noir with Rack of Lamb on this glorious Easter Sunday.  Salut….