Tag Archives: california

David Akiyoshi Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, California

01 Saturday Jul 2023

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Deep ruby colored, this Cali Cab has medium viscosity (13.9% ABV)m and slight staining.  The nose has aromas of bright red fruit with some candied notes along with some floral and oak notes.  Cherry candy, ripe red raspberry, red plum, licorice, mocha powder and lavender.  It’s an interesting mix.  The palate is dry? Dare I say a touch of RS?   Medium acidity with medium tannins that are very smooth and integrated.  The medium body of this wine carries the red fruits forth along with some slight oak notes.  It tastes like very ripe red fruit plus I can’t get past the residual sugar thought.  The finish is short to medium in length.  From a technical standpoint- this wine gets 87 points. For $12, it’s a decent bargain that gets 3 stars from me.  I’m grilling Try-tip to pair.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….

Caldwell Vineyard Society of Smugglers Chardonnay 2017, Coombsville, California

30 Friday Jun 2023

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Deep lemon colored with medium viscosity legs (13.5% ABV).  It looks brooding and ready to deliver a mouthful.  On the nose- intense aromas of pineapple, lemon pith, melon, soursop, fennel, almond skin and orange blossom.  It is very complex, unique and has piqued my interest.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a full body.  Layers of exotic tropical fruit intertwined with some fresh citrus coupled with green herbs and florals.  It’s somewhat tart on the mid palate after the introduction of ripe fruit- the acidity keeping this big boy fresh and lively.  I’m very curious as to the oak treatment, if any and the lack of any butter notes by way of Malolactic fermentation.  I could have sworn that visually this was going to be an oaky, buttery Napa chard- alas I was wrong.  It is light-footed with great structure and finesse.  The finish is long and refreshing, making me go back for another sip whilst the acidity is making my mouth water.  Beautiful stuff, 94 points from me and for $65 from the winery mailing list- it gets 5 stars.  Drink till 2030, we are pairing ours with fresh Vietnamese rolls.  Ps. Check out the coordinates on the cork, nice touch.  Salut….

 

True Oak Estate Red Blend 2020, Napa Valley, California

21 Wednesday Jun 2023

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Deep ruby with medium viscosity legs (13.8% ABV).  The nose has got candied dark red fruit aromas with ripe blackberry and a touch of vanilla and cocoa.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are a touch green.  Ripe black and dark red fruit with some oak influence are noted on the medium to full body.  The finish offers a bit of black tea with the astringency to go with it alongside blackberry and candied cherry.  It’s a medium length affair that I’m enjoying.  88 points- I cannot remember the price I paid at Costco.  Pair this red blend with Hangar steaks and drink till 2026.  Salut….

Matt Parish Pinot Noir 2021, Anderson Valley, California

19 Monday Jun 2023

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Medium ruby colored with slow moving legs (14.1% ABV).  The nose is classic New World Pinot- ripe red cherry, baked strawberry, spice box, vanilla, black raspberry twizzlers and a delightful floral note when I sniff the top of the glass…honeysuckle perhaps?  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins, more so than I was expecting but they are fine grained.  A full body leads me to the ripe red fruit I got on the nose along with some oak spice.  The finish is quite lengthy and a touch tart, which keeps it fresh and interesting.  It’s a full throttle style that I am planning to pair with grilled Pork Tomahawk chops and a crisp salad.  91 points from me.  Drink this $26 bottle till 2028.  5 stars, Salut….

EnRoute Northern Spy Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019, Russian River Valley, California

09 Friday Jun 2023

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A friend brought this bottle of Russian River Pinot Noir over for a party, I got to evaluate it on day 2- here goes.

Medium ruby with a watery sheen (14.5% ABV).  Intense aromas of sweet black cherry, strawberry pie, baking spices, vanilla bean, candied cherry (like red twizzlers).  On the palate- medium (+) acidity with fine grained, medium tannins and a relatively full body. Imagine ripe, bright red fruit with subtle oak nuance of baking spices and vanilla.  A stunningly delicious and well structured New World Pinot that gets 93 points- drink till 2028.  Salut….

Pour Haus Pinot Grigio NV, California

23 Tuesday May 2023

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I’ll cut to the chase- I needed some serviceable (read cheap) Pinot Grigio for a wine experiment so I ended up with two 3 Liter boxes in my garage fridge.  It’s nearly summer y’all and I am cooking Shrimp Scampi so here we go!  Pale platinum colored with a watery sheen (12% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of pear, yellow apple and white blossom.  Pretty straightforward so far.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a medium (-) body.  The aromas I got are duplicated on the palate but with a twist.  The fruit is showing a touch of bruising with some phenolic bitterness.  The apple and pear notes dissipate quickly on the finish leaving me with a sense of higher than 12% alcohol, it seems to be a touch hot and out of balance.  I paid $14, the equivalent of $3.50 pear bottle, what was I expecting?  It’s a hot-summers day wine that needs to be chilled to mask the imbalances and crisp up the flavors and aromas.  82 points from me and 1 star.  Drink immediately.  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….

Ondine Chattan Pinot Noir 2021, Russian River Valley, California

10 Wednesday May 2023

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Pale to medium ruby colored showing some extraction and high viscosity (14.5% ABV).   The nose has aromas of candied black cherry, ripe pomegranate, red plum paste, baking spices, red licorice and spring flower blossom.  The palate is dry with medium (-) tannins and medium (+) acidity.  The wine is medium to full bodied and carries through with the ripe, red fruit and oak nuance.  I get a touch of charred oak on the back end as the wine finishes with medium length.  I’ll be honest, it’s not my style of Pinot Noir- too heavy, too worked, too ripe- but it will appeal to many.  From a technical standpoint it gets 90 points from me.  At $19 a pop it gets 5 stars.  I’m pairing my bottle with Roast Duck and grilled Brussel Sprouts.  Drink till 2026. Salut….

Marietta Cellars OVR Old Vine Red NV, California

04 Thursday May 2023

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Deep ruby, not quite opaque but with high viscosity legs (13.5% ABV).  The nose has aromas of purple licorice, black pepper, candied plum and Luxardo cherries.  There’s a hint of gaminess as well.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and silky smooth medium tannins that make for a creamy mouthfeel.  The body is medium to full and I get a dichotomy of ripeness- tart blueberries coupled with super ripe plum and black cherry.  There is a phenolic bitterness that hits mid-palate which leads to a rather long finish where the fruit melds together.  The candied nature of the aromas dissipated on the palate (thank goodness).  There is very little oak noted on this Zinfandel blend.  I like it and would pair it with BBQ, smoked meats or even a deep fried Turkey.  88 points from me for this $12 offering makes it a 4 star wine to buy in bulk for those summer parties.  Drink now.  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….