Tag Archives: cabernet sauvignon

Clos St. Thomas Les Emirs Rouge 2016, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

12 Monday Jun 2023

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Deep ruby with garnet highlights and medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  On the nose I get medium intensity aromas of baking spice, ripe plum, vanilla bean, desiccated red raspberry, cedar plank, a touch of mint, lavender and yet more spice at the end.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and fine grained tannins that are well integrated.  The body of this wine is medium and somewhat more tart than the ripe fruit I got on the nose.  The baking spice, cedar and lavender are present as is the red plum, raspberry and mint.  There’s a unique flavor and aroma I cannot pinpoint but it reminds me of the old country- garrigue du Liban perhaps?  The flavors carry on for a while and the finish is medium-long in length with spice and earth notes resonating.  I love this winery and have enjoyed numerous vintages of their Chateau cuvee, this is an earlier drinking delight that is at peak now and will cellar until 2028.  I am pairing this blend of Cab Sav, Syrah and Grenache with grilled pork chops and roasted veggies.  90 points for this $15 bottle makes it a 5 star wine to stock up on.  Salut….

Chateau Latour-Martillac 2014, Pessac-Leognan, France

09 Friday Jun 2023

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Deep, inky-ruby colored with a medium viscosity (13.5% ABV). Classic Left Bank aromas with an intense nose of ripe cassis, pencil shavings, tobacco, cedar box, ripe blackberry and black plum.  A hint of green pepper keeps it somewhat on the rails- it’s a beautiful nose. The palate is dry with medium acidity that is a touch tart along with medium intensity tannins that are well integrated.  Medium bodied- it’s a seductive wine with good length and more cellaring capacity.  It finishes old world with slightly tart dark red fruits and tertiary notes of cedar, tobacco and pencil shavings. 91 points.  We drank this Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Magnum but you can find a standard bottle for around $50. Drink till 2028 with grilled Filet steak and au gratin potatoes.  4 Stars.  Salut….

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….

Prelude a Grand-Puy Ducasse 2015, Pauillac, France

22 Monday May 2023

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Last night Moxie and I celebrated our 30th anniversary.  We dined at our favorite restaurant, L’Auberge Chez François in Great Falls, Virginia.  They have a decent wine list with emphasis on their French, more specifically, Alsatian heritage.  I was to dine on Wagyu Beef cheeks for appetizer and Rack of Lamb for mains, with a few extras in between.  Choosing a hearty Bordeaux was a no-brainer.  This wine is the Second label of the Classed Growth Grand-Puy Ducasse of Pauillac and comes from a fine vintage.  At 7 years of age it is showing primary, secondary and some tertiary flavors.  Dark brambly fruit, plums, integrated oak, medium acidity and chalky tannins greeted us.  The wine has a medium body and good length.  I was hoping for more cassis but alas, it turned out just fine.  The wine runs $40 at retail and gets 90 points from me.  Drink till 2028.  4 stars for this 60/40 blend of Cab Sav and Merlot..  Salut….

Beringer Vineyards Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Sonoma County, California

15 Monday May 2023

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Medium ruby with high viscosity and staining (14.6% ABV). Intense aromas of black plum, blackberry, cassis, vanilla, cedar, cigar box and black raspberry. The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are plush and fine-grained.  Confirming the black fruit and oak on the palate- full bodied with a seductively smooth medium finish, 93 points. We are pairing this Magnum with char-grilled Ribeyes on this glorious Mother’s Day.  Drink till 2028, at $25 per 750 ml bottle this has to be one of the best QPR’s in Cali Cabs. 5 stars!  Salut….

Chateau Lascombes 2004, Margaux, France

30 Sunday Apr 2023

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Dinner at a friend’s house revealed this impeccably stored Margaux.  It was so fresh and youthful I would never have guessed 18 years old in a blind tasting.  I took very basic notes:

Fresh, youthful. Deep ruby. Medium acid with smooth, silky tannins. Graphite, pencil lead, cassis, cedar, blackberry, vanilla bean and charcoal on a medium weight body ending in a long, tart finish.  91 points for this $90 bottle makes it a 4 star effort, drink till 2028.  Salut….

Maxville Lake Winery ‘Maxville’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Napa Valley, California

11 Saturday Mar 2023

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Inky purple in the glass, this opaque wine has thick, slow moving legs and leaves a stain on the glass (14.5% ABV).  The nose has ripe and concentrated aromas of cassis, blackberry pie, perfumed violet, vanilla and blueberry alongside baking spices.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and very fine grained tannins that grip nicely.  The rich, ripe black fruit and cassis syrup are evident as is the oak influence which is in check.  Full bodied, this wine leads me to a long finish that has some charred oak hints as well.  At 5 years old, it is drinking beautifully and will do so till 2030.  I’m pairing it with braised lamb and roasted sweet potato.  It would go nicely with a filet au poivre with gratin potatoes as well.  93 points from me for this $65 bottle makes it a 5 star wine to savor.  Salut….

 

La Mascota Vineyards ‘Unanime’ Gran Tinto 2017, Maipu, Argentina

06 Monday Mar 2023

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Inky purple colored, this blend of 60% Cab Sav, 25% Malbec and 15% Cab Franc leaves a slight stain on the walls and has thick, slow moving legs (14% ABV).  The nose has wafting aromas of blackberry jam, black plum, violet, vanilla bean, chocolate,   some bell pepper and a medicinal note from the oak.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are fine grained but prominent.  Full bodied, this wine gives me flavors of black fruit, oak influence that is well masked/integrated (vanilla, medicinal, chocolate) and a touch of blueberry.  It hangs in there for a decent length finish and is silky smooth on the back end.  It’s delicious and will pair beautifully with our grilled lamb chops with roasted potatoes.  This is drinking beautifully now and will cellar till 2028.  I will give it 92 points which is a bit shy of the 95 it got from one pro.  At $25 it gets 5 stars from me.  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….

Cooper’s Hawk Cab/Zin NV, America

06 Monday Feb 2023

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Medium ruby colored with thin, speedy legs in the glass (13.5% ABV).  The nose of this blend shouts Zinfandel before I get Cabernet Sauvignon.  Interesting as the mix favors Cab by 60/40.  Ripe black plum with black cherry, bramble, smoke, coffee and crushed stone.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins.  Full bodied, this wine coats my mouth with dark, very ripe fruit and some interesting smoky, resinous notes.  Minerality is slight but there is a definite earthiness to this big wine.  The finish is medium in length and I get really nice black berry notes with some cocoa.  The tannins slide away nicely leaving ripe fruit.  I like it for what it is- an atypical blend of non-vintage wine that runs $25- probably one of my favorite wines from Cooper’s Hawk.  It gets 90 points from me and 5 stars.  Hard to give a drink-by window for an NV wine, but it’s ready to go now and will cellar for a year or three.  I’m pairing with burgers on the grill, but some stews or smoked meats would also do the trick.  (My guess is California Zinfandel with a mix of Cab from Washington and Cali) Salut….