Tag Archives: california

Delectus Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, California

26 Sunday Nov 2023

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Deep purple colored with high viscosity (13.8% ABV).  The nose of this Cab has medium (+) intensity aromas of black plum, pencil lead, black currant, licorice and coffee.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are very ripe and silky.  A full body meets me with flavors of blackberry, cassis, black plum, licorice and a hint of coconut.  The coffee shows up later.  The finish is super smooth and medium in length, delicious.  This is a 91 point wine that gets 5 stars for its $25 price point.  I’m pairing it with Eye of Round roast.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Belle Glos ‘Balade’ Pinot Noir 2022, Arroyo Seco, California

23 Thursday Nov 2023

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It’s a tradition in our house to go out for Asian food the night before Thanksgiving.  Lord knows we will be busy the next day and who wants to cook big for two days in a row?  So, it was a Thai restaurant for us last night and when I saw this $30 bottle on sale for $46 – I had to give it a try.  I realize this winery’s style is to deeply extract and wrench every last drop of goodness from their Pinot grapes so I was ready for the onslaught.  Medium ruby colored with high viscosity (14.8% ABV).  Medium intensity aromas of black cherry, ripe pomegranate, dust, earthy cinnamon and sassafras.   The palate has medium acidity and medium tannins but a full body. Like I said- this is a thick wine.  The concept of Pinot Noir being a light and seductive wine is not apparent in this full-throttle offering.  Layers of ripe red fruit interspersed with loads of oak influence by way of cinnamon and clove that leads to a medium finish. It’s a 90 point wine in my books which makes it a 4 star effort to drink till 2030.  Marketing-wise, the big dip into molten wax is a nice effect but it makes opening the cork a challenge (good for making sure it stays sealed though).  If you like ’em big, this is one for the cellar.  Ideally this wine would pair well with Filet or Venison but it went a treat with the crispy Duck dishes I enjoyed.  Salut….

Precision Wine Co. Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Napa Valley, California

21 Tuesday Nov 2023

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Deep purple colored with staining on the walls and a high viscosity (14.5% ABV).   The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of candied cherry, ripe black raspberry, baking spices, vanilla, dill, açaí berry, blackberry and coconut shavings.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins that are lush and silky.  Coupled with a full body, this wine has a luxurious mouthfeel.  The fruit turns to black but the oak influence is present with baking spice, vanilla, coconut and dill all present for me.  The candied cherry I got on the nose (which I hate) has departed, replaced with black luxardo-like cherries and blackberry compote.  It’s a delicious wine with a long finish, better on the palate than the nose for sure.  I like it and think it’s worthy of 91 points.  It sells for $25, but my local Costco had it for $10 off making it a screamingly good deal.  Napa Cabernet of this level for $15!  It could go nicely with Filet of beef or a batch of Moussaka.  5 stars.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Cooper’s Hawk Winery Lux Cabernet Sauvignon NV, California

30 Monday Oct 2023

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Medium ruby colored with high viscosity (13.9% ABV) and very slight staining.  The nose gives me aromas of dark red fruit- raspberry, black cherry, red plum, star anise, evergreen, toasty oak and baking spices.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins.  A relatively full body is rich with ripe dark red fruits long with blackberry and a definitive charcoal note.  I also get some baking spice and a herbal green note.  The finish is short to medium in length.  This is a nicely balanced wine that has acidity and tannins tipping each other whilst the fruit takes center stage.  It gets 90 points from me and for $36- 4 stars.  Since this is an NV wine I would drink within 5 years of purchase.  Salut….

Raymond Vineyard Reserve Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Napa Valley, California,

29 Sunday Oct 2023

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Medium to deep ruby with high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of black cherry, blackberry, charred oak, sweet cassis, chocolate powder, baking spices and a hint of vanilla bean.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are silky.  The full body of this wine is layered with ripe black fruit, chocolate, vanilla, some coffee and baking spices.  The blackberry and cassis notes carry the finish to a long length and allow the gentle acidity and delightful tannins to caress my palate.  It’s a really delicious wine with a very nice mouthfeel.  92 points from me for this $37 effort makes it a 5 star wine to drink with hearty meat dishes till 2030.  Salut….

Camillle Benitah Volute 2020, Napa Valley, California

19 Thursday Oct 2023

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Deep ruby colored with staining on the walls and a high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose of this Bordeaux blend has medium intensity aromas of black plum, blackberry, black currants, a hint of eucalyptus, baking spices, vanilla, cedar and mint.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are polished.  The intensity on the palate is greater than the nose.  I get lots more black fruit which which is ripe along with mint, vanilla and baking spice.  The tannins turn a bit chalky on the back end of this full bodied wine and the finish is medium in length.  I love this style of wine  and when done with ripe fruit it can be very delicious, but this bottle seems to lack a certain depth for me.  It’s good, but not great (I’m a big fan of the winemaker btw).   90 points from me and for $25- it gets 4 stars.  I’m pairing with marinated grilled steaks and Lemon roasted potatoes.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Specially Selected Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Napa Valley, California

16 Monday Oct 2023

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Deep ruby colored with medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  Aromas of candied plum, black raspberry, violets, licorice and nutmeg.  The palate is dry (?) with medium acidity and medium tannins.  I’m not sure if there is any residual sugar here, perhaps a trace.  The candied aroma I got on the nose is showing off as really ripe black currants on the palate.  I still get the black raspberry and licorice as well.  The body is medium in weight and the wine finishes with a short ending.  I like the mouthfeel of this $15 Aldi wine, it’s not overly grippy or tart, easy to drink and generally very agreeable.  I would pair this Napa Cab with grilled burgers, perhaps pizza or even lamb shanks.  It gets 89 points from me and 4 stars.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….

Camille Benitah Limite Red 2020, Paso Robles, California

16 Saturday Sep 2023

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Medium ruby colored with high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of red plum, pomegranate, violet, meat, blackberry jam and a creme de menthe hint.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that are plush.  This blend of Cabernet, Grenache, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Merlot, Mourvedre, Carignan and Primitivo is very smooth with ripe fruit and subtle nuances from each grape.  It shows the warmth of the region in the way the fruit is sweet but there is no residual sugar.  The full body is lush and coats my palate with beautiful layers- delicious stuff.  The finish is long and somewhat dry but not astringent, the tannins are en pointe.  This $15 offering gets 92 points from me and will be paired with grilled burgers tonight.  5 stars, drink till 2027.  Salut….

True Oak Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Oak Knoll, California

14 Thursday Sep 2023

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Deep purple/ruby with medium viscosity (13.8% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of mint, blackberry, black plum, anise, baking spice and cocoa.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins.   The fruit is very ripe so the flavors of this medium bodied wine are almost sweet but I doubt there is any RS.  Blackberry, cassis, black plum, mint and dark chocolate are cloaked in very supple and smooth tannins that carry this wine to a long finish.  I like it- 92 points worth.  This $40 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Oak Knoll region of Napa Valley.  It is delicious and gets 5 stars from me.  I’m pairing it with rack of Lamb.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Cooper’s Hawk Winery Lux Meritage NV, California

12 Tuesday Sep 2023

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Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (13.9% ABV).  The nose has that candied red fruit aroma I cannot stand- so…. Red cherry jubilee, pomegranate, vanilla and a streak of minerality.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins that seem to be persistent on the tip of my tongue.  This wine is full bodied and tastes better than it smells to me.  Black cherry, pomegranate, toasty oak and some earthy loam.  The tannins are quite interesting- they started out a bit brash but they have come around and caress my gums now.  The finish is medium in length making this an 88 point wine for me.  It retails at the store for $40 making it a 2 star effort in my books.  Since it’s a non-vintage wine it’s hard to give a drinking window but this bottle was purchased in 2022 and will go till 2026.  Salut….