Tag Archives: 96 points

Michel Rolland and Javier Galarreta Clos d’En Ferran’ 2017, Priorat DOCa, Spain

24 Tuesday Jan 2023

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Inky purple in the glass this blend of 62% Carinyena & 38% Garnacha has got slow moving legs (14.5% ABV).  The nose is stunning.  Intense aromas of toffee, coffee, and chocolate interlaced with ripe blueberry, blackberry, plums, black cherry, mint and cassis- there is a decadent richness about this wine that I get right off the bat.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that are fine-grained.  Flavors of dark, bold fruits with loads of French oak nuance make for a delicious flavor profile.  Whilst the nose is driven by the toffee/coffee etc, the palate is opposite.  Layers of ripe fruit are now in charge, followed by the toffee, caramel, mint and medicinal notes from the barrels.  The finish is long and soft.  Stunning stuff that got up to 96 points from the pros.  I would have to agree.  The aging capacity of this well structured, full bodied wine is good, say till 2035.  You can find it for under $40 making it a monster 5 star effort.  I’m simmering a pot of rich, hearty goat stew with some creamy truffle infused acorn squash pureé.  Can’t wait.  Salut….

Chateau d’Yquem 2010, Sauternes, France

15 Sunday May 2022

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There’s dessert wines and then there is Chateau d’Yquem.  Head and shoulders above the rest it is the only Supérieur Premier Cru in the region.  This botrytised wine was still very young but we got exactly what we wanted out of it-

Deep gold colored. Honey, apricot, lemon marmalade, orange preserves, white blossom, nuts, super sweet with medium (+) acidity.  Full bodied. Youthful, long finish. 96 points

A pretty basic write up, but when you are sipping this stunner with chocolate lava cake it’s hard to divert too much attention to making assessments.  An amazing wine to savor with friends for the next 30 years or so.  I have to agree with the pros, this is at least a 96 point wine that gets 5 stars.  Salut….

Chateau Lynch-Bages 2000, Pauillac, France

15 Sunday May 2022

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We are moving next month and wanted to have a special dinner with close friends- this was the opener.  My last sampling of the 2000 Lynch Bages was 4 years ago.  It has developed further and is fully mature now.  Moxie said it was the best wine she has ever tasted.  A Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

A very light bricking on the rim gives clues to this wine’s age.  The nose is a complex melding of tertiary notes alongside some fruit and oak nuance.  Leather, tobacco, cassis, cedar box, cooked blackberry, prunes, fig and a touch of caramel.  On the palate this wine is so smooth- medium (+) acidity has kept it in fine shape alongside very fine grained tannins that are fully integrated at this point.  Medium bodied, the flavors have a medium intensity- it’s about finesse with this wine.  A long finish shows off its pedigree.  Simply stunning and a pleasure to drink after so long in the cellar.  It’s average price hovers around $450 now, jaw dropping I know.  I’m sticking with my original 96 point score.  It’s only fair to give this wine 5 stars.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….

Cakebread Cellars Dancing Bear Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Howell Mountain, California

09 Thursday Dec 2021

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Opaque ruby in the glass.  Blueberry, charcoal, sasparilla, vanilla and blackberry pie.  A stunning nose that also includes some black licorice and a mineral note.  The palate of this Napa Cab is super smooth- blue and black fruits, oak nuance, spice and beautiful structure await.  The tannins are so well integrated it’s obscene.  The acidity balances but doesn’t overpower the whole melange of fruit, tannic grip and tartness.  This wine has mouthfeel out of this world with gobs of primary fruit and structure that will make it cellarworthy till 2028 but why wait?  You can taste and smell the California sunshine in this one folks.  It’s stunning right now and gets 96 points from me.  Probably one of the best Cabs I have come across.  Pricy at two bones, it’s a treat to behold.  5 stars for its near perfection.  Salut….

Chateau Suduiraut 2010, Sauternes, France

26 Friday Nov 2021

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For Thanksgiving dessert I opened this chilled bottle of sweet Bordeaux nectar.  It was spectacular to say the least.  Medium gold with shimmering legs in the glass.  The nose had pronounced aromas of honey, apricots, candied tangerine and crystallized mango. Super unctuous, sweet, waxy – flavors of apricot, marmalade, tangerine, honey and that telltale Botrytis note.  Medium acidity and full body.  The finish is very long and the sweetness coats the mouth.  This is one of the best Sauternes I have ever come across.  For $30 per half bottle this is a must-cellar wine for short to long term enjoyment.  96 points from me and 5 if not 6 stars.  Salut….

Terrazas de Los Andes ‘Cheval des Andes’ 2015, Mendoza, Argentina

06 Sunday Dec 2020

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The finale to our Virtual Wine Tasting was this stunner. I saved the best for last. It’s a 72/28 blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon that is inky in the glass. On the nose we got black cherry, Damson plum, leather, fruitcake, hay, raisins, smoke and molasses. On the palate it was immediately evident that this wine is powerful, yet subtle. Very smooth with super fine grained tannins that are barely perceptible make for a gorgeous mouthfeel. Plums, fruit cake, black berry cassis and violet. The finish was a medium length affair that was simply delicious, not dry or acidic. A stunning wine that I gave 19 points out of 20. Technically speaking it is worthy of a massive 96 points from me which jibes with the pros. I would not bother pairing this beauty with anything- just drink it with a loved one and appreciate the depth of flavor, the complexity and the balance of this $70 treat. I have to go with 5 stars. Drink till 2025. Salut….

Cade Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Howell Mountain, USA

10 Tuesday Nov 2020

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Opaque AF, inky black in the glass.  On the nose I get rich blackberries, black cherry and moondrop grapes with perfume and fruitcake. Very complex.  On the palate I gets loads of sweet cassis, black cherry reduction and an insanely integrated set of fine grained tannins.  Juicy acidity balances this wine perfectly.  The mid palate has got gobs of cassis, espresso bean, sweet vanilla and coconut.  The finish is exquisite.  Long, lush, semi dry and just chock full of blackberry jam, blueberry pie and luscious oak.  An absolutely amazing wine that is blowing my socks off.  96 points.  Drink till 2026.  No pairing needed- it drinks beautifully all by itself.  5 stars for this treat that runs 200 bones.  Stunning.  Salut….

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Carpineto Vigneto Poggio Sant’ Enrico 2001, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, Italy

05 Tuesday Jun 2018

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It’s been a few years since I tasted the 2001 Poggio.  As part of my cellar-moving I decided to open this one up to pair with some seared Strip steaks, a tomato salad with Balsamic infused onion strips.

For a seventeen year old wine it shows off nicely in the glass- full purple, no sign of bricking and quite opaque.  The nose, OMG, what a nose.  This is textbook aged Sangiovese, reminiscent of old Burgundian Pinot Noir.  Leather, cedar box, tobacco, cassis and more, it just keeps coming.  On the palate I am in love with the Old Worldness of this wine.  It gushes with bramble, black berries, the tobacco, leather and cedar along with black tea and olives.  Immense and rather concentrated, this wine is amazing, can you tell I’m liking it?

This is what makes cellaring a wine so worthwhile.  The earthiness is profound, the freshness- still lively.  Fruit, tertiary flavors, integrated tannins and perfect acidity.  What more could you ask for?  It begs for lighter fare to enable the nuances to come out, I almost regret the seasoning I coated the steaks with.  This wine will shine by itself in a spectacular fashion.  The finish is long, with more of the black fruits coming out again. Amazing.  96 points from me for this apparently still young wine.  The major difference I noted between the last time is that the much lighter Cherry notes were now replaced with heavier, more brooding fruits.  I paid $35 for it awhile back, wishing I had bought more than the 2 bottles that I have now drunk.  5 stars for sure.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….

Chateau Lynch-Bages 2000, Pauillac, France

20 Friday Apr 2018

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It’s my birthday.  I hit the big 5-Oh and pulled this one out the cellar to mark the occasion.  I bought 8 bottles of the 2000 vintage back in ’02 for $59 each, at Costco.  They go for $ 200+ nowadays.

The wine is still a vibrant purple with no signs of age, except the cork that broke in half on extraction.  The nose is heavenly.  Pure Pauillac, with loads of fruit, tobacco, leather, kirsch.  I have wondered for 16 years if this wine would open up like the amazing ’89.  So far, so good.  On the palate- it’s all I had hoped for and more.  Blackberry, cassis, leather, maduro leaf- to name a few of the initial components that meld right in with the fine-grained tannins.  The tannins are very fresh and vibrant, caressing the gums and balancing the gentle acidity to near perfection.  The mid plate is full of cassis and more tobacco leaf.  There is also a fig component that just hit me.  The finish exudes class.  Full of fruit, but with plenty of tertiary flavors mixed in.  Simply amazing.  This wine is young, fresh, vibrant and juicy yet displays grace, a maturity and great structure.  It fulfilled every possible desire I had for a super special treat and has truly rewarded my patience.  I am going with 96 points for this stunner and 5 stars.  It’s a privilege to be able to drink such magnificence.  The family are all working the kitchen to make a special meal, with my 15 year old manning the grill for the Ribeyes.  Salut….

Chateau Doisy-Vedrines 2011

27 Monday Oct 2014

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To top off our Sunday Roast dinner I pulled this amazing beauty out of the cellar and let it loose.  I had tasted the Doisy-Vedrines 2010 previously and needed an equally big night to taste this vintage.  After thoroughly loving the Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon with our dinner it was appropriate to get this bottle cracking.  I previously gave the 2010 95 points, how would this one hold out?

Golden yellow in the glass with a nose of honey, candied pear, botrytis and peach cobbler.  Almond crisp with apricot torte and honeyed pears came in the first wave.  Pineapple syrup with flowers and citrus fill the mid palate along with some pear pie, absolutely gorgeous. Sublime balance with a razor sharp acidity and 60 second finish make this a near perfect wine.  Top to bottom- a smooth transition, 96 point plus for me.  I noticed huge legs in the glass and had to double check the bottle, 13.5 % alcohol but nary a sign of it.  One final thought….Uncious but not stuffy.  I paid $22 for this stunner worthy of 5 stars.  Ps. I bought all they had of the two vintages!  Salut….

doisy vedrines sweet wine