Tag Archives: bordeaux blend

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….

Man O’ War Island Blend 2019, Waiheke Island, New Zealand

16 Tuesday May 2023

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Medium ruby with wall staining and high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black and red plum, black berry, cinnamon, vanilla, lavender and tomato leaf.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that hit the mid palate.  Flavor-wise I get blackberry, plums and açaí berry with vanilla, baking spices and coffee. The wine is medium (+) bodied but it thins out on the back end a touch.  The finish has some charred wood notes along with roasted coffee and black fruit but I also get a green herbaceous hint.  It’s a nice blend of Cabernet Franc 48%, Malbec 25%, Merlot 19% and Petit Verdot 8% that has a medium length ending.  I like this style of wine and think it is drinking nicely now and will cellar for the short term.  90 points from me for this $25 effort makes it a 4 star wine.  Salut….

Chateau Les Ormes-de-Pez 2006, Saint-Estephe, France

01 Wednesday Mar 2023

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Purchased at the gift shop in Bages, this Cru Bourgeois is part of the Lynch Bages portfolio.  Pardon the abrupt notes, but it is being drunk at our Parisian Air-bnb in glasses that are not optimal.   Medium garnet colored , nose of blackberry, cassis, tobacco, cedar box, classic aged Bordeaux. Delicious with medium acidity and medium tannins that are well integrated with a medium body.  Slightly tart on the back end with black fruit puree and cassis.  Secondary and tertiary flavors of tobacco, cedar lined drawers, smoke and espresso.  Long finish with tart dark fruit- 91 points.  For around $43, you too can taste this delicious and mature wine.  4 stars.  Salut….

Chateau Cos d’Estournel ‘Les Pagodes de Cos’ 2010, Saint-Estephe, France

27 Sunday Nov 2022

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Our 29th Virtual Wine tasting concentrated on Cabernet Sauvignon and blends thereof so it made sense to include a Bordeaux wine.  I selected this well aged bottle which is the ‘second wine’ of the famed Second Growth- Chateau Cos d’Estournel.  It runs $80 and gets high scores from the pros (92-94).

Deep garnet colored, this wine is showing off its 12 years of age.  Aromas of soy sauce, leather, cedar, cassis, stewed blackberry, forest floor and umami were noted.  On the palate it was dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are well integrated.  Medium bodied, this wine had flavors of black pepper, strong black tea, loam, funk and leather with some dried blackberry notes.  Someone mentioned a Bourbon-like taste and there was some concern over the bitterness.  It is a touch disjointed which lowers the rating imo.  The medium to long finish shows off the pedigree of this chateau.  I enjoyed drinking this 90 point wine but for $80 I can find far more enjoyable wines to drink.  3 stars for the QPR.  I would pair this with a simple Filet steak and gratin potatoes with a side of green beans.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

VIK ‘Milla Cala’ 2018, Cachapoal Valley, Chile

09 Tuesday Aug 2022

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It’s not often we get all four of my kids together, but when we do it’s off for a big night out.  This adventure took us to a Brazilian Steakhouse where the waiter completely butchered the opening, serving and cork removing of this spectacular wine.  Without taking any notes I will say that for $45 you are getting a super smooth Bordeaux Blend from Chile that has very soft, integrated tannins, medium acidity, full body, a long finish and a melange of fruit, oak and tertiary aromas and flavors.  A stunning wine that went beautifully with all the different cuts of beef, pork, lamb and sausage we gorged on.  The structure of this wine makes it perfect for immediate pleasure, but I would not cellar it too long, say till 2025 for this vintage.  A real surprise and a treat. 92 points and 5 stars.  Salut….

Amalthea Cellars Legends Edition Europa I 2019, Outer Coastal Plain, New Jersey

22 Wednesday Jun 2022

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We visited this winery a year ago and had a great time.  Part of the visit was spent on the patio sipping Sur Lie Chardonanny and talking to one of the wine makers, he was kind enough to give us a sampling of this Bordeaux blend (75% Cab Sav, 20% Merlot and 5% Cab Franc).  In the glass it is medium ruby and possibly unfiltered?  The nose gives me green pepper, blackberry, licorice, pencil shavings, blueberry pie, black plum  and some charred wood.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins.  Flavors of blackberry, blueberry and plum dominate but the licorice and charred wood do come through.  The green pepper and pencil shavings are nowhere to be found.  The wine is medium bodied and has a slightly tart, medium length finish that I am enjoying.  This is a decent wine that gets 88 points from me.  Drink till 2026 with burgers, filet or roast duck.  At $35 per bottle it is a 3 star wine in my books.  Salut….

Carmelo Patti Gran Assemblage 2013, Mendoza, Argentina

27 Sunday Feb 2022

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The second red wine at the 25th Virtual tasting was from the same producer as the first bottle.  This one is a year younger and has been blended with Malbec, Merlot and Cab Franc.  A mix of new and used oak in the winemaking allowed us to compare flavors and aromas with a wine that relied mostly on used oak.

In the glass this blend is medium garnet, slightly less opaque than the Cab Sav we tasted previously.  Leather, tobacco, black currant, black cherry, blackberry and cassis aromas were quite evident on the nose.  The palate was dry, slightly tart with medium tannins, medium (-) acidity and light bodied.  Flavors of black currant, spice, leather, tobacco, blood/iron and orange marmalade but I did make a note that this wine was a touch ‘thin’.  Scoring it 91 points was a little off from the pros.  This $50 bottle gets 3 stars from me and only 14 marks on the tasting scale.  Drink now with lighter meat dishes.  Salut….

KWV ‘The Mentors’ Orchestra Red Blend 2018, Paarl, South Africa

02 Wednesday Feb 2022

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A classic Bordeaux blend of 33% Cab Sav, 30% Petit Verdot, 11% Cab Franc, 10% Malbec and 6% Carménère from the Western Cape of South Africa.  Deep ruby in color the wine has thin legs in the glass.  On the nose I get lush, ripe aromas of blackberry, black currant and plum.  Oak influence is evident with notes of cedar box and coconut,  it is slightly herbaceous with some bell pepper but not overly so.  The palate is dry with medium tannins and juicy acidity.  The wine is medium bodied and not as jammy as the nose.  Nice flavors of blackcurrant, plum, coconut, cedar and not so much pepper.  The finish is medium length and certainly tart from the lingering acidity.  The whole package is pretty balanced and drinks nicely now with another 4-5 years of cellaring possible.  I would say the palate is a bit of a letdown from the nose- I was hoping for full throttle, getting only 75%.  Overall it’s a decent drop that gets 90 points from me and for $20 it’s a no-brainer to stock up on.  5 stars, similar to the 2017 KWV Mentors I drank recently.  Salut….

Chateau de Belcier 2010, Cotes de Castillon, France

11 Tuesday Jan 2022

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Number two wine at our 23rd virtual tasting was this mature Merlot-based Bordeaux blend from the great 2010 vintage. Deep garnet with evidence of bricking in the glass.  Nose of black cherry, tobacco, graphite, musty and earthy with leather, pencil shavings, cassis and stewed strawberry.  The palate is very smooth with integrated tannins that are fully resolved.  The tertiary notes are all present alongside smoke, blackberry, blackcurrant and cedar.  The wine has a milder taste and is quite dry.  Medium bodied it has a medium length finish.  I’m going with 91 points and a drinking window up till 2025.  At $20- it’s a great intro to an aged Right Bank wine that gets 5 stars from me.  Salut….

Chateau Bellevue 2016, Medoc, France

06 Monday Dec 2021

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This Bordeaux blend of 50% Merlot, 45% Cab Sav and 5% Cab Franc is opaque and garnet in color.  At 5 years of age, that is to be expected.  The nose is starting to develop tertiary notes alongside black plum, blackcurrant, tobacco, earth, barnyard, cassis and bramble.  Oak nuance by way of coffee and smoke are present.  The palate is yummy and developed.  Stewed black plum, blackcurrant, cassis, leather and barnyard.  Very earthy and smoky with well integrated yet persistent tannins and a touch of back end acidity.  The wine is medium bodied and shows a mid length finish.  It dries up on the finish and will go beautifully with my braised Lamb shanks which will have plenty of rich gravy and Yorkshire puddings.  91 points for this $25 effort makes it a 5 star wine to drink till 2026.  It is mature now and will last a few years.  Salut….