Tag Archives: cabernet sauvignon

Chateau Musar 1997

16 Monday Jun 2014

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It’s Father’s Day and I decided to go all out with Filet Mignon, steamed Artichokes and a bottle of 1997 Musar.  I recently drank a bottle of the 1999 Musar in Hong Kong, where it brought back great memories of this awesome winery.  I visited them in 2007 and still have four Magnums of various vintages that I brought back.  Diet be damned, I mixed up some tarragon mayonnaise, melted butter and got totally stuck in to some amazing steaks that just came out of my Big Green Egg.

When I tried to open it the cork crumbled.  I had a moment of panic until I managed to coax out the other half.  I was not sure of any floating bits so I ran the first glass through the filtered Vinturi to make sure all was well.  The wine was sublime, typical for the untypical style of this winery.  It showed off orange edges on a red framed body.  The nose was so amazing with perfumes of violets, funk, earth, wild berries and creosote.  I was preparing myself for the oncoming rush of flavors.

A really fresh palate of damson, blueberries, red currants, mint, sage and barnyard were the first impressions.  A crispy acidity pushed through and revealed the well integrated tannins.  Road tar was the component I kept missing all evening, it hit me in the middle of the night.  It’s funny how that could be considered a flavor or smell that would appeal to wine drinkers, yet it does- just like funk and cat’s pee in other varietals.  Speaking of varietals… This wine is a blend of Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan.  It reminds me of aged Barolo, perhaps Burgundy with a Bordeaux strain.  It is magical and alluring.

As the night progressed, so did the bottle.  Initially I was going with 94 points, but the ever present acidity was a touch too much for me and eventually came across as sour cherries. With this detractor I had to drop it to 93, still an impressive score in my opinion.  I believe I paid $36 for it back in the day making it a 5 star effort.  Salut….

Chateau Musar

musar winery

Taken in 2007 on my visit to the winery

filet mignon on big green egg

The Filet Mignons

 

Wolf Blass Cabernet-Shiraz-Malbec 2012

29 Thursday May 2014

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I have never seen this label before and was intrigued.  From Langhorne Creek this was the ‘original Yellow Label’ wine from Wolf(gang) Blass.  A retro offering showcasing the winery’s heritage I guess.  Nowadays, the blends from them are bottled in the Red Label series, the yellow being used for single varietals.  Nonethless, it was an interesting amalgamation of three varietals.

When I poured the wine, it was nearly blackish purple, appropriate for the grapes used.  It had a nose of candied plums and strawberry twizzlers.  My first impression was ‘tinny’.  A metallic note hit me the wrong way and I was initially put off by it.  I got black currants and plum torte after that and as the wine mellowed out, the tinny component gave way to a minerality that was quite pleasing.  Good acidity and moderate tannins made this an easy to drink aperitif.  I would give it a maximum of 4 years in the cellar and pair it with pasta and red sauce, perhaps BBQ ribs or a big juicy burger.  I’m giving 87 points and 3 stars for this interesting $14 effort.  Salut….

wolf blass cabernet shiraz malbec

Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

17 Saturday May 2014

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Originally priced at $17, this was the other Wolf Blass I mentioned yesterday that was on sale for $10.  A steal, and tasty to boot.  This one came out of the gate with all cylinders firing.  It was inky purple in the glass and showed off a delightful nose of black currants and star anise.  My initial impression was very positive when I got Blackberry pie and some interesting vanilla on the first sip.  I enjoyed the ‘crispy’ tannins as they carried the wine to the mid palate where I tasted plums with a touch of acidity.  A very enjoyable wine that is a good buy at it’s regular price, making it a steal at the sale price.  It had a good amount of length and the mouthfeel was just right.  I would easily serve this up with beef stew on a cold night, or a juicy NY strip on the grill in the summer time.  I am going 90 points and 4 stars for this easy to find wine.  Salut….

wolf glass yellow label cabernet sauvignon

Provenance Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

22 Tuesday Apr 2014

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I am closing in on 500 blog posts and wanted to lead up to the big one with some great wines.  This one happened to be a gift from a mate so I felt obliged to open it up and let it rip with some juicy Sirloins and grilled corn.  For post #497, it seemed the right thing to do and I was not disappointed.

I was amazed at how dark and dense the wine was in my glass, but it made sense when I had the first whiff.  A brooding nose of black fruits combined with the dark inky purple color set the stage for this Rutherford Cabernet.  Napa style fruit of plums, black berries, chocolate shavings and a touch of heat.  Silky tannins and juicy acidity made this an absolute delight to drink.  I initially made a 90 point note, but then added that it had a drinking window of 2014-2025 because the wine really opened up and showed off its mouth coating muscles.  The grip of these fine tannins was amazing and the finish lasted a good 30 seconds.  I upped my score to 92 and did some research.  It sells for about $35.  That is a steal in my book for top quality Napa Cabernet and I need to stock up on this wine.  It rocks a steak and would even sort out a heavy pasta dish or some barbecue.  5 stars from me.  Salut….

provenance cabernet sauvignon

Elderton ‘Friends Vineyard Series’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

09 Wednesday Apr 2014

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I was intrigued by this bottle having never seen the Friends series before from this producer. They had a Shiraz as well but I was not in the mood. It priced out at $15, what the heck.
Atypical of Cab for me it had a unique flavor profile. Black and blue fruits on the nose with a touch of cedar. On the palate dark fruits, bramble and some dust (in a good way). Sour cherries on the back end with gentle tannins and good acidity make this easy to drink. 3-5 years cellaring and a wide variety of foods make this a versatile wine. 88 points and 3 stars.
s

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Elderton ‘Friends Vineyard Series’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

09 Wednesday Apr 2014

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I was intrigued by this bottle having never seen the Friends series before from this producer. They had a Shiraz as well but I was not in the mood. It priced out at $15, what the heck.
Atypical of Cab for me it had a unique flavor profile. Black and blue fruits on the nose with a touch of cedar. On the palate dark fruits, bramble and some dust (in a good way). Sour cherries on the back end with gentle tannins and good acidity make this easy to drink. 3-5 years cellaring and a wide variety of foods make this a versatile wine. 88 points and 3 stars.
s

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Trivento Tribu Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

29 Saturday Mar 2014

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I happened across this wine in Manila, at the duty free shop.  I have tried various Trivento wines before and have enjoyed them all so I felt confident that my $15 would not go to waste.  I was correct.  Albeit not as complex as the Golden Reserve line, the Tribu was well endowed with currants and tea leaf on the nose.  The palate was very fruity with red berries and a vegetal note that I enjoyed.  Fine grained tannins were very well balanced and the whole package was smooth.  We drank this one before dinner and I reckon it would pair well with some sirloins and gratin potatoes.  Charcuterie would be an excellent choice for an early evening sundowner as well.  I am going with 88 points and 3 stars for this Argentinian wine.  Salut….

 

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Artisan Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2010

25 Tuesday Mar 2014

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The label says ‘By Artesa’ but I could not find out much about this wine except I know what I paid for it and what it retails for, $50 or so.

It’s a young vibrant Napa Cab with not much going on right now.  I believe it is hibernating and waiting to explode in about 2 years time.  For now, the structure is in place awaiting some bottle age to allow the various components to meld and the fruit to re-appear.  I managed to coax Plum Torte and wild flowers out of it, but the nose was very muted.  Young and vibrant tannins are all you will get right now with some bracing acidity.  I would cellar this bad boy for a few years and look at it in 2016 at the earliest.  Potentially a 90 point wine, but I am no expert at this.  For the price, a 3 star wine with potential to go up, it’s just a matter of time.  Salut….

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Sempre Vive Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

22 Saturday Mar 2014

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From Napa valley harks this old vine Cab Sav with some bottle age on it.  Black currants and eucalyptus on the nose with an initial attack of black fruits and some beautiful plums.  The wine is slightly tannic and has good acidity.  I would class it as medium bodied with a fruit-forward Napa style.  My only concern was that I could smell the 14.8% alcohol on my own breath after a few seconds, it was the weirdest thing.  I did not pick it up in the glass or on the palate, just afterwards.  For some complexity I noticed bittersweet chocolate and coffee on the back end.  A decent finish with good length made this a pretty decent Friday night wine with some Lamb chops and grilled Cauliflower.  It will probably drink for another 5 years or so and gets 89 points from me.  I paid $20 for it and reckon that makes it a respectable 3 star wine in my books.  Ps.  The cork had a heavy build up of sediment so I ran the bottle through my Vinturi which has a filter to trap the junk, it worked out fine.  Salut….

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The sediment

The sediment

the filter on my Vinturi

the filter on my Vinturi

Ty Caton Cabernet Sauvignon Caton Vineyard 2011

09 Sunday Mar 2014

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Napa Cabernet is to me big, bold and beautiful.  Sonoma is more refined, less in your face and more about finesse.  Both are delicious, both have a time and a place.  I often think that Napa is synonymous with Cab and Sonoma is relegated to Pinot.  I wonder what gives me those thoughts…..

This wine was good, smooth and silky.  It showed up as a lighter shade of purple in the glass and had a nice bouquet of dark fruits and jam.  On the palate I noted rich plums and berry compote.  Good acidity and fine-grained tannins were also noted and the wine had a good length to it.  It packed an unnoticeable 14.4% alcohol and did not show any heat whatsoever, a deft hand in the cellar.  Later on I got dried figs and blue berry on the finish which was really delicious.  We served this up at a birthday dinner with some grilled meats and Chorizo sausage.  It was a perfect match and I would highly recommend it.  90 points from me and 4 stars for this $44 effort.  It could use some short term cellaring, but is drinking nicely and will do so for another 5 years minimum.  Salut….

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