Tag Archives: 94 points

Sena 2015, Aconcagua Valley, Chile

23 Saturday Mar 2024

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The penultimate wine at our 35th virtual tasting- medium ruby to garnet colored with a high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose had medium (+) intensity aromas of barnyard, Sweet Baby Rays (from a fellow taster!), capsicum, cardamom, licorice, coffee, bramble, blackberry, smoke, leather, vanilla, baking spices and green pistachios.  Quite a complex array of aromas!  The palate was dry with medium acidity, a full body and medium (+) tannins that were fully integrated.  Flavors of tobacco, coffee, cranberry, bramble, blackberry, leather, vanilla and creamy milk chocolate that led to a medium (+) length finish.  Everyone loved this wine- they should.  It was $140 and got 100 points from one pro.  For me, it fell short on the finish so I gave it 19/20 on our score sheet.  Technically speaking it got 94 points and therefore it is a 3 star wine.  Lovely and age-worthy, this is an iconic Chilean blend that is right up my alley.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Chambers Rosewood Vineyards Muscat NV, Rutherglen, Australia

22 Wednesday Nov 2023

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Pale amber with copper hints and high viscosity (18% ABV).  The nose is stunning.  Intense aromas of blood orange marmalade, honey, pretty florals, dried orange peel- it’s very linear but full on.  The palate is sweet, smooth and luscious with medium (+) acidity to counter the sugar.  Full bodied, this wine just lays on your tongue and lets it soak up the rich flavors of orange marmalade, spun honey, bitter almond and blossom.  The finish is long, super long.  An amazing and delicious wine to savor for dessert that will improve with age- they say a Rutherglen Muscat is indestructible.  94 points for this $18 per half bottle wine that gets 5 stars.  I might be back for more.  Salut….

Clos Apalta ‘Le Petit Clos’ 2019, Apalta Valley, Chile

08 Sunday Oct 2023

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Inky deep ruby colored with staining on the walls and a high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of açaí berry, cassis, mint, vanilla, coffee bean, blueberry, kir and powdered mocha.  It’s amazing to smell.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (+) tannins that are very fine grained.  A full body with rich flavors of açaí, blueberry, cassis and oak lashings leads to a medium (+) length finish that turns a touch tart.  Delicious stuff that gets 94 points from me.  It’s drinking beautifully now but will develop nicely till 2032.  For $40, it’s a no-brainer to stock up on that gets 5 stars.  I’m pairing with Sunday roast and a Port wine reduction. It’s a blend of 49% Carmenere, 30% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot.  Salut….

Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2010, Rioja DOCa, Spain

30 Wednesday Aug 2023

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Here’s the preamble- I fell in love with this wine when I bought a 1990’s vintage and it blew my socks off.  When I saw this newest vintage on sale (it’s not made every year), I snagged 4 bottles for my buddy and I.  The next month it garnered top spot in Wine Spectator’s Annual award and its price shot up 80% overnight.  This particular bottle travelled to the English countryside after a trip across the Atlantic and was popped that night, buyer beware.

Medium garnet with some wall staining and high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of sweet oak, ripe blackberry, coconut, dried dill, fig, walnut, brown sugar, steeped plum, vanilla cream and tobacco. Medium acidity, medium (+) tannins that are fine grained and well integrated plus a full body.  Silky smooth with melded flavors of oak nuance, ripe black fruit, nuts and some tertiary development – yet it lacked the telltale dusty notes I usually get from Rioja. A long finish upped the scores on this wine as I felt it was slightly underwhelming from my expectations-  still a spectacular wine that gets 94 points from me and at the current price of $230 it only grabs 3 stars on my scale.  A blend of Tempranillo that was aged in American oak with 15% Mazuelo (Cariñena) that has French oak aging.  Drink till 2035 but careful with pairing it too aggressively, it’s delicious all by itself.  I’m going to revisit in a few years and not subject the bottle to a bumpy airplane ride.  Salut…

Giant Steps Pinot Noir 2021, Yarra Valley, Australia

12 Saturday Aug 2023

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Yesterday was my cousin’s birthday so we sailed the Potomac river and ended up in Old Town Alexandria for dinner.  I picked this Pinot Noir as I felt it would pair well with the myriad of main dishes that were ordered- Hangar steak, Swordfish etc.  It was stunning.  I took some very basic notes…

Cherry, baking spices, a touch of forest fooor, red raspberry, med (+) acidity med (-) tannins, medium bodied- 13.5% ABV …..delicious, silky smooth, long finish.  94 points, till 2032. Excellent development potential.

Looking this gem up I see one review as high as 96 points and a $43 price point.  RUN, don’t walk if you like a delicious Pinot of this caliber.  Salut….

Caldwell Vineyard Society of Smugglers Chardonnay 2017, Coombsville, California

30 Friday Jun 2023

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Deep lemon colored with medium viscosity legs (13.5% ABV).  It looks brooding and ready to deliver a mouthful.  On the nose- intense aromas of pineapple, lemon pith, melon, soursop, fennel, almond skin and orange blossom.  It is very complex, unique and has piqued my interest.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a full body.  Layers of exotic tropical fruit intertwined with some fresh citrus coupled with green herbs and florals.  It’s somewhat tart on the mid palate after the introduction of ripe fruit- the acidity keeping this big boy fresh and lively.  I’m very curious as to the oak treatment, if any and the lack of any butter notes by way of Malolactic fermentation.  I could have sworn that visually this was going to be an oaky, buttery Napa chard- alas I was wrong.  It is light-footed with great structure and finesse.  The finish is long and refreshing, making me go back for another sip whilst the acidity is making my mouth water.  Beautiful stuff, 94 points from me and for $65 from the winery mailing list- it gets 5 stars.  Drink till 2030, we are pairing ours with fresh Vietnamese rolls.  Ps. Check out the coordinates on the cork, nice touch.  Salut….

 

Meerlust Rubicon 2005, Stellenbosch, South Africa

22 Monday May 2023

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Medium garnet colored, this mature looking wine has high viscosity legs (14% ABV) and a touch of bricking on the rim.  The nose has intense aromas of cedar, tobacco, ripe cassis, dried black plum, balsamic, coffee, cocoa powder, blueberry ganache, purple licorice, a medicinal note (from oak I presume), crushed rocks and spring flowers- a truly amazing bouquet.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and high tannins that are very well integrated yet show some grip in this 18 year old blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.  The palate follows the nose, but with less intensity, more structure and a full body.  The finish is slightly tart but long, reminiscent of Old World Bordeaux, to which this wine is modeled.  It’s a stunning bottle that is drinking en pointe and will do so for another 5-10 years.  It originally got 91 points with newer vintages running in the $40 range.  This bottle gets 94 points from me, had it been a touch more powerful on the palate it would have scored even higher.  Amazing stuff that has rewarded many years of cellaring.  Salut….

Lustau ‘Solera Reserva’ Pedro Ximenez San Emilio Sherry NV, Andalucia, Spain

18 Thursday May 2023

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Medium amber/brown colored with high viscosity (17% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of caramel, toasted pecans, prunes, Brazil nuts, desiccated blueberry, dark chocolate ganache, dried figs and cooked chestnut- very complex.  The palate is super sweet with medium acidity and a mouth filling texture, definitely full bodied!  Right off the bat I get dried figs galore.  The pecans, prunes, blueberry, chocolate and caramel all play supporting roles.  The sweetness is on another level- this is a syrupy elixir that needs a bowl of vanilla ice cream to be drizzled onto.  The finish is long and silky on this unctuous beauty that gets 94 points from me and at $30 a bottle it gets 5 stars.  Drink now.  Salut….

Puklus Pinceszet Tokaji Aszu 6 Puttonyos 2013, Tokaj, Hungary

29 Wednesday Mar 2023

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Medium gold colored with medium viscosity legs (11% ABV). Intense aromas of orange marmalade, peach, honey, marzipan, almond paste, vanilla bean pod and apricot mash.  The palate is sweet and silky with honey, orange peel, marzipan, baked peach, bitter orange, apricots and a balancing acidity. This full bodied beauty is so easy to sip- the balance between structural components is perfect and the fruit is fresh yet showing some tertiary character- it finishes long, with excellent mouthfeel.  I am going with 94 points and for $60 per 500ml it gets 5 stars from me.  Delicious stuff to savor after a big meal.  Salut….

Ca’ Rome Romano Marengo Vigna Cerretta 2011, Barolo DOCG, Italy

15 Sunday Jan 2023

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I was promised a dinner of Beef Short Ribs alongside this Barolo by some old friends.  No formal tasting notes were taken but from memory- medium garnet in the glass with some bricking on the edges and a slow moving set of legs on the walls.  The nose was seductive with aromas of red cherry, mushroom, leather, tobacco, cloves and forest floor.  The palate was showing layers of tertiary flavors alongside a crisp acidity and very svelte tannins.  This 12 year old Nebbiolo has matured beautifully and the earthy, savory notes have started to overtake the once powerful tart cherry notes I know this wine had in youth.  It’s still there, but not so fresh, not so prominent.  The mushroom component was quite exciting to me, it’s not very often I get to notice this development.  Forest floor, tobacco and leather complement the umami note.  On the mid palate, this medium weight wine has great transition and the faint cherry note reappears.  Adding some acidity on the finish, what is left of the fruit balances the earthy tertiary notes whilst the last vestiges of tannin balance out the acidity.  It’s a magnificent wine that once got 94 points from the pros.  I would agree.  It can still be found for under a hundo on the www.  Drink soon with some rich, layered stews or pastas.  5 stars.  Salut….