Tag Archives: 94 points

Mollydooker Carnival of Love 2009

12 Wednesday Feb 2014

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This is the first of a 4 vintage vertical tasting of this fabulous Shiraz.  I managed to find the ’09,’10 and ’11  on my travels while the ’12 was sent courtesy of the folks downunda.

I started off by sending the first glass throughout the Vinturi and then I performed the Mollydooker Shake on the rest of the bottle to open it up some.  What I saw was a deep inky purple wine that showed off some gorgeous damson plums and Dr. Pepper soda on the nose.  The first sip was amazing.  Blueberry pie, blackcurrant and nutmeg formed the basis of the flavor profile with some smoke and ink lingering on the mid palate.  The level of fruit is amazing and the focus is razor sharp.  The wine coats the mouth with the multiple layers of fruit and leaves it rather refreshed by the fine grained, well integrated tannins.  The acidity is totally in balance and there is no dryness to the finish.  The word ‘concentrated’ keeps popping in my head, I guess I should tell you that this wine is very focused on giving you its all, up front and direct.  It is a powerful wine that is not for the faint of palate.  Hiding in the swirls of fruit and oak is a well disguised 16% alcohol, not once making its presence known, yet crucial to the backbone of this extracted beast.

I thought this one out and decided to pair some NY Strips with it, going for a lower fat cut due to the relative age on the wine.  I also prepared some riced cauliflower with sautéed jalapeños and some green beans with toasted almonds.  The combination was perfect with the heat of the jalapeños giving the wine a new dimension while the steaks provided the texture I was looking for to offset the raw power of the wine.

This wine got an average of 93.5 points from the big boys and I am in agreement.  94 points from me for this $90 treat which makes it a solid 4 star wine in my books.  I would love to re-visit in 5 years but alas I only bought one bottle.  If you can find it you may want to try it, it’s that good.  Besides, the artwork is fabulous on these bottles.  Salut….

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Cos d’Estournel 2001

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

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Once again, I lost the Fantasy Football bet and my friend Lemming got his way with an aged Bordeaux.  His flight was delayed so he met us at the restaurant for our New Year’s dinner.  The corkage was not cheap on this, but well worth the price.

The last time I drank ’01 Cos was in May of last year.  The wine has officially hit its stride and is performing like a show dog.  A lighter shade of purple in the glass was a telltale sign of the wine’s maturity.  The primal fruit and puckering tannins have dissipated into a mellow and smooth wine offering up plums, tobacco, earth, leather and violets.  The finish is long and the balance is great.  Having cellared this wine for over 10 years I find myself well rewarded and happy to have been able to share this bottle with 8 others.  I look forward to the next 10 experiences that I have with the remains of the case.  This wine originally received upwards of 94 points from the pro’s.  I agree.  I paid $70 back then, it goes for about $130 these days.  I have to give it 5 stars!  Salut….

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Lynch Bages 1996, the final bottle

09 Saturday Nov 2013

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I will preface this post by telling you that this is perhaps my top 3 wines of all time.  I bought the case in Paris and hand carried the bottles over when I was working in Europe, two at a time.  I have savored this revered nectar and opened it only on special occasions.  Last night our very best friends came to visit.  We have not seen them in nearly 18 months and ‘Tom’ and I enjoy wine on a grand scale.  I prepared for the evening by buying a Beef Tenderloin, carving out 4 monster Filet Mignons.  Moxie did the rest;  Bang Bang Shrimp and roasted Broccoli with Sweet Potato and Garlic.  My only mission was to fire the charcoal and uncork the gem.

!7 years young and still marching on.  Dark purple in the glass it exploded on the nose.  I used the BAGs (Big Assed Glasses) and they came unto themselves.  The aromas were generous of cassis, tobacco, plums, black berry and tar.  This was probably the most impressive sniff I have ever gotten from a wine.  On the palate, gorgeous caressing tannins offered up waves of dark fruit, the cassis was amazing and the earthy factor from an aged Paulliac was spot on.  Textbook Bordeaux.  I cannot imagine anything finer than the pleasure this wine has offered me over the many years of watching it evolve.  94 points again from me and for sure a 5 star wine.  I paid $60 back in the day.  I look forward to enjoying my later vintages of this wine over the next 15 years.  Salut….

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Cosentino ‘The Poet’ 2009

22 Monday Jul 2013

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This is my 300th post so I planned ahead and saved something special to write about.  I’ll explain later how and where I got this bottle, meanwhile…

When I took the first sniff, I could almost smell purple.  Weird, yet delightful.  This wine is a Meritage, meaning it is a blended wine made up of the Bordeaux varietals- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.  The flavor profile is unlike Bordeaux, more New World and fruitier.  This wine was exceptionally smooth and the tannic structure was impeccable.  I timed the finish for over a minute- amazing.  On the palate, purple fruits galore, with a shaving of oak to balance it out.  Plums, blackberries, dark cherries and the lot.  Complex and deep, this is a show-stopping wine.  Albeit a Meritage, it lacked Old World nuances like leather and cassis, relying on it’s own terroir to provide such crisp fruit outlines.  The main players are 62% Cab Sav, providing the backbone while the 30% Cab Franc gives it the finesse.  The wine is open for business and will last at least 10-15 years.  94 points and 5 stars.

IMG_2217How and where…. Moxie and I were on our way to Bali for our 20th anniversary and our friend’s wedding.  We decided to stop in Napa for a visit before crossing the ocean.  Our flight departed Washington, and returned.  We eventually left 6 hours later and missed our whole Napa adventure, save the delightful dinner and wine on the terrace of the Westin Napa.  In the morning, Moxie was showering when I checked the status of our flight to Hong Kong, alas a 6 hour delay, now leaving in the evening versus lunchtime.  We took the opportunity to drive up the Silverado Trail and down the other side of the valley, only stopping at one winery- Cosentino.  It was 10 am and they had just opened.  Moxie was in no mood to swill wine at such an hour, and I was legally obliged not to allow alcohol to touch my lips (you’ll see why later).  Anyway, the staff at the winery were super friendly, full of advice and sent us on our way with this offering.  I was planning to open it in Bali, but never had the right opportunity, hence I saved it for this moment.

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Moxie getting a ride on my flight

Moxie getting a ride on my flight

Balinese sunrise

Balinese sunrise

Barboursville Phileo NV

18 Saturday May 2013

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NV- Non-vintage.  Phileo- Greek for ‘Love for special things’.

I’m not Greek, but I love this wine.  It is a blend of Moscato and Gewurztraminer that is made in a low alcohol, dessert style whilst keeping its acidity and defying the cloying trait associated with most ‘stickies’.  I served this one right out of the fridge on a warm evening.  Absolutely perfect.  The Gewurz brings that delicious apricot and honey to the nose and palate, while the Moscat has its own additions of peach and rose.  The nose went forever and followed smoothly onto the palate.  A razor sharp acidity cuts in right at the end, perfectly timed.  A long finish had me reeling for more.  When I first tasted this wine at Barboursville, I loved it and bought two bottles.  Now that I have had it at home, in the right surroundings and in the right frame of mind- I wish I had more.  At about $16 per bottle, this wine absolutely, 100% rocked my wine world.  Albeit a ‘dessert’ wine, I would easily drink this as a pre-dinner aperitif, with starters of foie gras and definitely with dessert/cheese plates.  We sorted out some brownies with ours.  I am convinced that this wine is a 94 pointer and if I could give it 6 stars I would.  Bravo….

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