Tag Archives: california

Cameron Hughes Lot 694 Syrah 2018, Santa Barbara County, California

12 Sunday Jul 2020

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,


My friends and I ordered this Syrah to be tasted at our virtual event- 6 bottles in total sent to various places in the Northeast and Texas.  When I opened mine, I was mortified, it smelled like a fish market.  I let everyone open theirs and one by one the reaction was similar.  I don’t know if we had a bad batch, but all were shipped independently to different addresses and have been sitting for 5 to 6 weeks.  I hope this is not indicative of the wine, perhaps a bad barrel.  Anyway, for now I would not order this wine.  Shame as it was going to round out our 10th wine from CH, I was hoping to finish with a bang.  0 stars.  No points allotted.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 704 Pinot Noir 2018, Carneros, California

12 Sunday Jul 2020

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


Talk about a New World version of Pinot.  This wine was full of stuffing- evident right away.  In the glass it was brooding, dark and semi opaque.  The nose was full throttle- big, ripe cherry, cinnamon, plum and sassafras.  A heady palate ensued with fruit flavors clamoring for attention, pushing aside the lithe tannins and making the acidity stand in line to be noticed.  If you like big, fruit forward versions of Pinot, this one is right up your alley.  Technically speaking, it gets 90 points from me but is not really my cup of tea.  I prefer a more restrained style of Pinot, a là Burgundy, or even cooler climate a là Oregon.  This wine comes from a great appellation and is well made.  At $16 a pop, it’s well worth stashing a few and drinking over the next 6 years.  5 stars.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 625 Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Napa Valley, California

12 Sunday Jul 2020

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


I tasted this wine previously and liked it enough to order some for the virtual tasting #5.  I think I preferred it the first time around, this bottle seemed a little tired and over the plateau.  The wine showed secondary flavors of tobacco, leather, horse whip but lacked much core fruit and tannic structure.  Overall it scored 88 points from me with a drink now recommendation.  $24 is not over the top, but I would not order more.  We decanted 6 hours prior, that may have made the difference.  3 stars.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 633 Riesling 2017, Napa Valley, California re-visited

12 Sunday Jul 2020

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


This was our opening wine at virtual tasting #5.  As before, I had everyone reserve half at room temperature and chill the other half.  Mixed results as usual with some enjoying the rounder, fuller nose and palate of the unchilled version whilst others preferred the slight cut and edge of the chilled.  I got quince, pineapple and honey.  It was not very acidic, nor was it sweet, a trait commonly found in Riesling.  Overall a very serviceable white that I will be ordering more of.  87 points this time around, which contrasts with the last time I drank it.  My previous notes showed it to be sweeter but I preferred it in this iteration whilst scoring it lower….  hmmm.  $13 is a good price btw, 4 stars.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Cinergi Red Blend 2018, Lodi, California

14 Sunday Jun 2020

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


The second wine of our virtual tasting was this Lodi blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot and Cab Sav.  The nose was magnificent- lush, jammy blackberry, cocoa, dark plums.  The palate was a different matter.  We all immediately sensed a certain sweetness that we were not expecting.  The wine is very fruity and concentrated with loads of black fruits.  Tannins are apparent but not overbearing and there is a decent level of acidity to make for a nice mouthfeel.  The cloying fruit however was a detractor for many in the group.  Funnily enough, it was voted the best wine by a third of the attendees.  I guess that sweetness appeals to some but not all.  Each to his own.  For me it was an 86 point wine that I feel was a little too manufactured and lacked finesse relying heavily on gobs of jammy fruit.  Drink now.  For $14 it gets 3 stars.  Salut….

Vultour Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Napa Valley, California

03 Wednesday Jun 2020

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Bright purple in color and fully opaque.  On the nose I get lush blackberry, iodine, tar and currants.  The initial palate is very round and mouthfilling.  Black currants, fresh tannins and violets. The mid palate is quite dry with more black fruits, oolong tea, tar and mocha.  The finish is quite tannic and long.  Ribena, black berries and tea take center stage.  There’s a smokiness from the oak that hits rights at the end as well as some Sasafrass.  A really delicious, medium weight Napa Cab. 91 points and 4 stars for this $118 dazzler.  Drink till 2028 with some grilled meat.  Salut….

IMG_5954

Alpha Omega Cabernet Franc – Petit Verdot 2016, Napa Valley, USA

02 Tuesday Jun 2020

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


Stunning purple in the glass with nice thin legs.  On the nose I get a huge dose of black currants, black berries and oaky vanilla.  Mint also makes an appearance.  On the initial palate it is really juicy with black fruits galore.  Beautiful oak is well integrated with coconut flavors present.  The tannic structure shows a gradual ramp up to reach a drying peak on the finish.  The mid palate is lush and fruity with some black tea, cassis, more coconut and capsicum.  The finish is dry with those nice tannins really gripping.  There’s a very balancing, juicy acidity that I’m really enjoying.  This wine begs to be drunk, it is a stunning example of how delicious Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are as the prime components in wine.  93 points and 5 stars for this $104 stunner.  Drink till 2030.

The Cleaver Red Blend 2017, Amador County, California

30 Saturday May 2020

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,


This is the 5th wine in the SplashWines lineup.  A blend from Amador County, which has been showing some real quality of late.  This one is a nice purple hue in the glass and is semi-opaque.  On the nose I get pepper, plum, mocha and blackberries.  The initial palate is interesting, a touch sweet from cassis and spice.  It has some zest to it, I like that.  The mid palate has some tar, more dark fruits and a charcoal note.  Very lithe tannins appear and there is a nice acidity to the wine.  The tar and spice components carry through to the finish, but there is an astringency that hits me, some greenness.  It’s not all bad, as the sweet cassis nullifies it.  The finish is quite tart, with good length.  Overall this is a decent bottle that gets 89 points from me.  Drink with summer BBQ, perhaps pizza and definitely a red pasta.  For $15 it’s a 3 star Zinfandel blend that includes some Petite Sirah and Syrah.  Drink now.  Salut….

Baywood Cellars Classic Red NV, California

26 Tuesday May 2020

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


Number 2 from SplashWines is this non-vintage blend that rings the bells at 13.5%.  Semi opaque with a reddish tint in the glass.  The nose is intriguing- strawberries, by the bucketful.  Red currants and sweet pomegranate to boot.  Oh…. and Apricots.  Yup- Apricots.  The palate is very unique, a touch sweet but very red fruit forward.  It’s a very interesting flavor profile. The mid palate is very easy going, red Twizzlers and a touch of cherry cola.  The acidity is very gentle which makes up for the lack of much tannin.  The finish is more cherry and rhubarb with that crispy acidity adding zest.  It’s decent in length and tasty.  I must say I was a bit biased when I unscrewed this bottle, but I reckon it’s very easy going, fun to drink and will appeal to the novice as well as anyone coming over for a barbecue.  This is a $13 party wine and it gets 86 points from me. 3 stars. Drink now.  Salut….

Cameron Hughes Lot 713 Merlot 2017, Carneros, California

23 Saturday May 2020

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


This Merlot has a really deep purple hue in the glass with very nice thin legs.  The nose is plummy with anise and blueberry notes.  On the initial palate I get inky dark berries, some iodine, black tea and really nice gentle tannins.  The mid palate is a bit more gripping with the fine grained tannins, they start to cling to the gums.  Black cherry and more plum are hitting me up with some slight oak notes.  The finish is a touch dusty with some spice box and leather.  Plums are my main theme with this wine and the tannic structure is really good.  Juicy, dry and built for the medium haul.  I like this wine- it’s easy going yet has some depth and structure to it.  Drink till 2027.  91 points from me and at $18 a pop- 5 stars.  Cellar some for later.  Salut….