Tag Archives: bordeaux blend

Tenuta di Arceno Arcanum Toscana IGT 2015, Tuscany, Italy

30 Saturday Oct 2021

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The finale for the 21st Virtual Wine Tasting was this Super Tuscan blend of Cab Sav, Cab Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot.  With 6 years of age it is starting to show a touch of garnet in the glass that is 75% opaque.  The group were torn on this wine, some liked the tertiary notes, others did not.  The combined flavors and aromas of the group include red twizzlers, blackcurrant, blackberry, vanilla, cigar, manure, barnyard, old wood, musty old oak beams, charcoal and some dried herbs.   Leather featured on the back end and I found this wine to be more complex on the nose versus the palate.  Super smooth tannins get grippy on the finish and we felt the wine had low to medium  acidity, medium body with a long finish.  It was very layered and balanced, even if the tannins started to kick off on the very tail end.  This wine will develop more tertiary notes and has the backbone to cellar for another 10 years easily.  It calls for a rustic pasta dish with truffles.  It was the big baller of the evening at $70, which makes it a 4 star wine for me at 92 points.  Salut….

Poet’s Row Meritage 2013, Napa Valley, California

04 Wednesday Aug 2021

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This Bordeaux blend is quite deceiving- not very opaque at all considering it should be a blend of Merlot, Cab Sav and perhaps Cab Franc.  Definitely Cab Franc as I get perfume and violets on the nose, plus some cassis, blackcurrants, toasty oak and eucalyptus.  The palate is very smooth and well endowed with rich black fruits, well integrated tannins and juicy acidity.  The mid palate has some pencil shavings and a metallic tinge, kinda interesting.  The rich blackberry and blackcurrant flavors carry through to the long finish where some black tea notes are found alongside vanilla.  This wine has good complexity, a nice full body and plenty of fruit and structure to reward patient cellaring but it drinks beautifully right now at 8 years of age.  I am really digging the mouthfeel and think this wine gets 93 points.  It would normally run around the $25 mark making it a 5 star effort for sure.  Serve it up with some grilled sausages and steak.  Salut….

Chateau Mayne Guyon 2014, Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux, France

27 Tuesday Jul 2021

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My friend Tracy got this at Trader Joes, for $8.  I am absolutely blown away.  Seriously delicious, with cellaring capacity and yummy flavors.  Opaque, purple, inky.  The nose is exactly what I expect from a 7 year old Bordeaux- some cassis, cedar, earth, game and black plum.  Tertiary flavors are coming out whilst primal fruit is still very fresh.  The palate is silky with nicely integrated tannins, a touch of acidity and layered fruit.  A medium length finish makes for a delicious, tidy package of rich fruit and good structure.  Yummy stuff to drink till 2025.  91 points!  Yup, for $8 at TJ’s, this is probably my bottle of the year when it comes to QPR (quality price ratio).  5 stars, only cause I can’t go 6.  WAY TO GO!  Salut….

De Toren Fusion V 2015, Stellenbosch, South Africa

27 Tuesday Jul 2021

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Another of my mate Johnny’s wines, this was a stunner.  Simply breathtaking.  A Bordeaux Blend with depth, richness and staying power.  Deep purple in the glass with a  rich and layered nose of gorgeous cassis, mint, stewed blackcurrants, cooked blueberry, coffee, smoke and cloves.  Stunning.  On the palate it is full bodied with well melded tannins, good acidity and complexity with flavors of blackberry, mint, tar, oak by way of smoke, clove and a medicinal note.  There’s a touch of bitterness on the back end to remind me that the tannins are still young.  This wine is well developed but has years ahead with potential for tertiary development.  I’m excited to have tried it and wish I could get more to watch for development. 93 points and at $45 it’s a 5 star effort.  Drink till 2028.  Well done!  Salut….

Tyler Florence Blending Sessions No. 2 Meritage 2013, Sonoma County, California

28 Wednesday Apr 2021

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This bottle is called a Meritage, which conjures up notions of a Bordeaux blend relying heavily on either Cab Sav or Merlot, with supporting roles from Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. In this case- it’s actually the opposite with the majority being Malbec at 62%, Merlot at 30%, Cab Franc with 6% and a touch of Petit Verdot. No sign of any Cab Sav. Anyways- it’s inky, brooding and opaque. The nose is intense with rich blackberry and oak nuances. I’m looking forward to it!

The palate is as expected. Layered black fruits and charred oak with medium grip tannins and juicy acidity. Blackberry, black currants and tea notes fit the mid palate. The finish is long and decidedly tart. The acidity is bracing yet I feel the wine has a nice roundness and is full bodied. The 14.5% alcohol is sensed on the back end with a hint of heat. Overall I am really enjoying this wine and will be pairing it with homemade spaghetti sauce and Hearts of Palm pasta. Drink till 2028. 91 points for this $25 make it a 5 star wine. Salut….

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Chateau Lynch-Bages 2007, Pauillac, France

10 Tuesday Nov 2020

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Dark purple and opaque.  The nose has a dusty waft to it that took a bit of swirling to dissipate.  Cedar shake, plum reduction and toasted pine nuts finally come through. On the palate it is very smooth with a concentrated core of blueberry, cassis, cedar, tobacco and leather- classic Pauillac.  The wine picks up some dusty tannins on the mid palate and the fruit gets concentrated and focused.  The tertiary flavors take a back seat temporarily while the blueberry and cassis really shine.  The finish is a touch tart with some rooibos tea along with the fruit theme that has persisted along with some oaky vanilla.  It’s still young with staying power .  Drink till 2027.  92 points and 4 stars for this $135 Fifth Growth. Salut….

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Margaux de Brane 2014, Margaux, France

18 Monday Mar 2019

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A slightly dull purple in the glass, gives me concern.  On the nose however- violets, black currants, a touch of oak.  On the palate it is much darker- blackberry, cherry extract, graphite and singed oak.  There is a leather component too, it just comes along later, towards the mid palate.  The wine transitions very nicely with good tannic structure that is not obtrusive and acidic enough to balance. This is the third wine of Brane Cantenac, a Second Growth Margaux.  They use the young plots for source fruit, giving us an approachable young wine that drinks very nicely with good mouthfeel and medium term cellaring potential.  90 points from me for this $29 effort that gets 3 stars.  Drink now till 2024.  Salut….

Chateau Brane-Cantenac 2012, Margaux, France

01 Friday Mar 2019

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Rich purple hues in the glass with classic Bordeaux notes on the palate.  Cassis, lovely oak and dark cherry are dominant on the nose.  On the palate it is slightly thinner than expected but its litheness is appreciated.  Plums, blackberry reduction, black olives and charcoal dominate the initial palate.  Very lithe tannins peak on the mid palate with very slight acidity countering them.  The finish is where the astringency kicks in with black tea, black currants and spice box.  This wine is drinking very nicely now and will improve over the next 10 years.  92 points and 4 stars for this $55 Grand Cru.  Salut….

Chateau de Camensac 2015, Haut-Medoc, France

26 Saturday Jan 2019

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This was the fourth wine of the tasting evening, which may have included a bit of palate fatigue but we all agreed it was the nicest.  The 2015 Bordeaux vintage shows its excellence here.

Medium to dark black in the glass.  Cassis, black berry coulis and some gaminess.  On the palate it reeks of Bordeaux- cassis, dark berries, oak and grippy tannins.  The mid palate is where the astringency kicks in with a black tea component and some decent blackberry jam notes.  The finish is totally dry.  Short length on the flavors but the tannins are in full force.  90 points and 4 stars for this $45 wine. Drink till 2027. Salut….

Gundlach-Bundschu Estate Vineyard Mountain Cuvee 2016, Sonoma Valley, USA

26 Sunday Aug 2018

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A mellow blend of the traditional Bordeaux varieties- this wine is a pretty purple in the  glass with long legs showing.  The nose is plump with dark fruits, some cherry cola and a touch of cinnamon.  The initial palate is very rounded, soft and smooth.  It features black currants, black olives, oregano.  It has a great mouthfeel due to the very slight tannic structure which is really balanced well with the gentle acidity.  This is a quaffing wine for sure, with a drink now date.  The finish is medium in length and dark fruit dominated.  It has a hint of charcoal on the end and some plum tart.  I really like this wine for what it is, the 89 points are not a slam- it just lacks the backbone to cellar and evolve which detract from a numerical score.  This would be great with light appetizers or as a base for a wine sauce.  It really has a lovely fullness to it.  $19 and 4 stars.  If I had to blind taste it, the soft and supple mouthfeel scream Merlot.  Salut….