I bought every bottle the local Philly wine shops had at the time- it was on sale for $15. The last bottle I drank was stunning, this one- even better. The color has matured to gold, the elixir, golden. I took no notes as it was a birthday celebration. I would rate this as a 95 point wine and put it up against many well known dessert wines. Luscious with honey, apricot, marmalade, orange blossom. Structured for the long haul with fantastic acidity, this wine is a shocker for the price paid. I might have one bottle left from my haul years ago. Current vintages are Viognier/Riesling blends. They retail at the winery for about $38 a bottle. Salut….
For my birthday weekend I opened/will open some treasures from the cellar, including the 2001 Cos. I did not take real notes as I wanted to enjoy my family, and the wine. It was stunning. I remember the day I purchased the case, back in 2003? I have tasted this wine’s evolution and it is at peak. Delivering aromas and flavors of everything you could image a Left Bank wine of such pedigree could offer….. Cassis, tobacco, pencil shavings, plum, blackberry, baking spice, etc etc. The intensity on the nose and palate were both amazing and the finish clocked in as medium (+) in length. The tannins have done a good job keeping up with Father Time, fully melded yet still gripping. Such a lovely, silky bottle with plenty of life left. 95 points from me. Salut….
Deep ruby colored, with moderate staining, and a medium viscosity (15.9% ABV). On the nose I get medium (+) intensity aromas of ripe black plum, blackberry, purple licorice, vanilla, baking spice, coffee, eucalyptus, black pepper, game, and alcohol. It’s hard to hide the whopping near-16%, but they did the best they could. The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a full body, and medium (+) tannins that are silky and powdery. Medium (+) intensity flavors caress my mouth- rich, ripe and smooth, with deft oak. The ten years of aging this wine has received has really smoothed it out. The tannins are noteworthy. The evolution has just begin as the fruit softens and tertiary development begins. It’s a young wine with another two decades of cellaring capacity. The finish is long, black fruit-driven and delicious. The alcohol is not noticeable on the palate strangely enough, just of the initial whiff. An amazing blend of Syrah, Mataro, Grenache, Tempranillo, Petite Sirah with a touch of Roussane. 95 points from me for this $150 effort, which has to get 5 stars. Salut….
Deep garnet colored with a copper hue, and high viscosity (14% ABV). The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of dried cranberry, desiccated black raspberry, dried spices, telltale funk, leather, Rooibos tea, and perfumed vanilla. The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a medium body, and medium (-) tannins that are fully melded. Intense flavors of dried red fruit, garigue, funky Brett-driven notes, leather, Rooibos tea and vanilla. Stunning. The finish is super smooth, a touch tart, yet I get a sweetness from the ripe fruit. It lasts a good long while. This is my daughter’s birth year wine so we are having a big Sunday Roast in her honor. An amazing bottle that runs $140 currently and gets 95 points from me. It will last forever, like most Musars and gets 5 stars. Such a treat to drink this amazing wine. It scored poorly on release but has stood the test of time. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, and Carignan. Salut….
Deep murky ruby fading to a slight copper edge, with medium viscosity (14.5% ABV), and signs of non filtration. The nose has intense aromas of blackberry coulis, brambleberry, shredded coconut, vanilla, coffee, molasses, tobacco, eucalyptus, leather, leather, and cracked pepper. The palate is dry, with medium (+) acidity, a full body, and medium (+) tannins that are still grippy, yet integrating nicely. The wine has a certain, unfiltered texture that gives is a unique mouthfeel. The flavors are rich, intense and mimic the nose. Layers of ripe fruit mixed with oak nuance and some tertiary development point to a wine that still has considerable aging capacity. At 21 years old, this wine is still showing off its pedigree. The finish is long and smooth, making me realize the tannins melt away ever so gently and leave me with a balanced and lush finale that shows off the fruit, wood and tertiary development. This is a stunning wine, one which I opened way too early several years ago, and regret doing so after trying this second bottle. Amazing stuff that gets 95 points from me. We are pairing it with try-tip, in celebration of my daughter’s 21st year on earth, the same vintage. One source online has a bottle for $330. It’s a big price to pay, but my baby only turns 21 once. 5 stars. Drink till 2045. Here’s my first review, prior to wine training. Salut….
This stunning Bordeaux was the last wine of the 32nd virtual tasting- everyone loved it (except the lawyer, she’s funny). Deep ruby/garnet with high viscosity legs and slight staining (14.5% ABV). The nose blew me away- leather, tobacco, forest floor, stable yard, stewed tomato, dried blackberry and that tell-tale aroma I love…. Cassis. The palate had medium acidity, medium tannins that were so finely integrated and a full body- it was super rich. The flavors and aromas matched and this wine was seamless and balanced. A real treat to drink a 14 year old wine that is at peak and delivers such ethereal sensations. By far one of my most memorable bottles. I gave it 20 points on our score sheet and would echo the pro’s- this is a 95-96 point wine for sure. It will drink beautifully over the next decade. I would pair this Merlot based blend with braised beef cheeks or another hearty dish worthy of its power. At $130, it’s a bit pricy but hey…. you only live once. 5 stars. Salut….
A murky, deep garnet colored with some light staining and medium viscosity legs (14% ABV). The nose is stupendous- pronounced intensity aromas of ripe blackberry, vanilla, baking spices, cedar, tobacco, cassis, crushed violet, white truffle, baked black cherry- it’s over-the-top. The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are polished and very fine grained. Full bodied, this blend of 75% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc gives me flavors of cassis, blackberry and black cherry along with the secondary and tertiary notes I got on the nose. It all turns a touch tart on the mid-palate, something Old World wines tend to do. The silky mouthfeel is smooth and leads to a long finish that is layered and delicious. The cassis and vanilla lasting for an eternity. This wine has matured beautifully for me and I’m proudly serving it with Pappardelle and Meatballs- it’s my birthday week after all so I can do what I want. 95 points from me for this $ 175 bottle makes it a 5 star treat. Salut….
I have owned and stored this Magnum for nearly 20 years. I chose it for our dinner with friends Keef and Arty at our favorite restaurant, Chez Francois where we dined on Wagyu Beef Cheeks, Rack of Lamb and Chateaurbriand. An amazing evening that lasted 3+ hours and culminated with their signature Soufflé. This bottle was decanted and the sommelier and I agreed that it was youthful in color, showing no bricking- just a clear, deep ruby color. With a touch of air in the large decanter the nose was stupendous. No notes were taken but I can say that it was all there. Cassis, leather, tobacco, cedar, blackberry, black cherry. The tannins were so well integrated and the acidity was en Pointe. The mouthfeel on this wine was exceptional- balanced to a tee with fruit, structure, secondary and tertiary flavors and aromas- the whole lot. It is drinking at its prime now and will last another 5-8 years methinks. If you have it in 750 ml, start consuming it sooner rather than later. A stunning, smooth and delicious Right Bank Merlot that was worth the wait. 95 points from me. If you can find a regular bottle it will run you $250, a Magnum would be roughly $600. Drink this beauty with friends for a very special occasion. 5 stars. Salut….
It’s been nine years since I last tasted the 2001 Valduero, which I opened by accident. Today’s bottle is intentional- Mothers Day Sunday roast. It is deep garnet colored with definite signs of aging. The nose smells divine- leather, earth, blackberry jam, cassis, mint, coffee bean, vanilla, baked blueberry and a medicinal note. The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and melded tannins which caress my gums. This 100% Tempranillo is full bodied and I get flavors of stewed/cooked black and blue fruits, earth, leather, oak influence (coffee, vanilla and the medicinal note) and a tart black cherry note on the long finish. The tannins start to grip on the back end and cover my teeth and gums with a ‘hairy’ feeling. This 21 year old wine is still showing youth in structure and some fruit, amazing. It will go beautifully with our dinner and could potentially cellar some more with a drinking window out to 2027. I paid $60 back in the day for this 95 point wine which I would award 5 stars to. Salut….
Our second wine of the 16th virtual wine tasting gave me pause in deciding it’s drinking order. I originally wanted to showcase this icon as the finale of our session, but after careful consideration felt it was best to go before the younger, bolder wines- it was a good call.
Chateau Musar at pretty much any age will have an orange tinge, or bricking. It’s also usually about 50% opaque. This blend of Carignan, Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon never looks brooding in the glass. I asked the group for their comments when we started smelling the wine. “Heaven” was the first I heard- very appropriate. We also noted strawberry, leather, black pepper (?), cured meat, garrigue, black cherry, funk, barnyard, new-purse leather, dirt, smoke and earth. These are awesome descriptors from the group, yet I still feel we have missed out on some more. The nose was amazing.
On the palate this beauty is deceiving- delicate, yet powerful. Flavors of cracked pepper, cherry, leather, spice, raspberry jelly and baked cherry compote. The smoothness of this wine is above reproach. The tannins so well integrated and the gobs of acidity so well disguised. I think the gaminess and dried prune notes were my highlight. I was so happy to have been able to present this tremendous wine to my friends, who for the most part loved it. I awarded a perfect 20 points on the tasting scale. Technically speaking, it gets 95 real points and at $75, five stars. I would imagine this one has a long tasting window but make sure you have a two-pronged wine opener, the corks gave issue to several bottles. Salut….
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