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Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte ‘Le Petit Haut Lafitte’ 2015, Pessac-Leognan, France

28 Saturday Aug 2021

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The second wine of Chateau Smith Haut Lafite, this vintage is highly rated so I had to pick up this bottle.  It’s a deep garnet, showing a bit of bottle age.  The nose is quintessential Bordeaux- graphite, plum, cassis, blackberry, smoky oak and black tea. The palate is a little awkward at first, the somewhat green tannins are fighting me with a hint of astringency.  Once I get past the onslaught of black tea on my gums I get the classic fruit flavors along with medium acidity.  The finish is mid length but the grip of those tannins is ferocious, lingering for a good minute.  This wine is a bit young and disjointed right now but it holds promise for cellaring.  Overall I think it warrants 89 points and for $45, it is a good introduction to the Graves appellation.  3 stars, drink from 2024-2030.  Salut….

Boeckel Zotzenberg Gewurztraminer 2017, Alsace Grand Cru, France

02 Monday Aug 2021

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I’ve been cooking Sous Vide Pork Belly steaks in a fiery Sambal Oelek sauce for the past 18 hours, it’s going on a fried rice dish.  The spice of this dish needs an aromatic white I do believe, so this Grand Cru Alsatian is getting the nod.

It is deep lemon in the glass and has pronounced aromas of lychee, rosewater, strawberry, blossom and some nuttiness.  On the palate it is semi-dry with medium acidity, medium (+) body, medium alcohol and medium (+) intensity flavors of lychee, rose, strawberry, honeysuckle and blossom.  The nutty note comes on the back end, where the finish is medium in length.  It’s a flavorful, yummy wine that has a touch of residual sugar to help offset the chilies in the marinade.  The floral and tropical fruit will meld well with the white meat and veggies.  This wine seems like it will develop some more in the bottle, so there’s no rush to pop’n’pour.  I’m really enjoying it and think it is a 91 pointer.  At $40 it’s a serious player that gets 5 stars.  Salut….

F E Trimbach Pinot Gris Reserve 2014, Alsace, France

02 Monday Aug 2021

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My little group of virtual wine tasters insisted on a mid-summer gathering so I picked some real beauties, starting with this Pinot Gris which we tasted at room temp and chilled.  Being a Reserve, it offered depth and complexity that many were not expecting- it was a hit.  In the glass it showed pale gold to light yellow, depending on who was commenting!  Aromas of pear, pineapple, blossom, honey, ginger, elderflower and nectarine were noted.  On the palate, flavors of honeysuckle, lime, and orange blossom coupled with a vegetal aftertaste.  I noted that it had good acidity, getting 92 points from yours truly.

The chilled version was more precise with some minerality on the nose coupled with cotton candy, marzipan, passion fruit, honey, ginger and peach- a whole different animal!  On the palate we got a fuller bodied wine with flavors of pronounced orange, less lime this time but lemon drops, ginger and Welch’s white grape juice.  Medium (+) finish btw.  I was consistent with the 92 points and for $25 it is a great intro to a higher quality Pinot Gris.  5 stars, pair it with shellfish and perhaps cellar for a few years.  Salut….

Domaine Bourillon Dorleans Vouvray La Coulee d’Argent Vieilles Vignes 2019, Loire, France

02 Monday Aug 2021

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Bright yellow in the glass.  Nose of floral and tropical fruits with some elderflower.  It almost smells sweet….

On the palate it is dry, crisp and full flavored.  Stone fruit, flower blossoms and pineapple.  There’s a green almond hint on the mid palate and medium acidity on the jaw.  I picked this wine to pair with Sous Vide chicken confit- the crispy skin is going to go beautifully with this rich, full bodied Chenin Blanc that gets 89 points and for $ 20- 4 stars.  Drink till 2024.  Salut….

 

 

Chateau Mayne Guyon 2014, Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux, France

27 Tuesday Jul 2021

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My friend Tracy got this at Trader Joes, for $8.  I am absolutely blown away.  Seriously delicious, with cellaring capacity and yummy flavors.  Opaque, purple, inky.  The nose is exactly what I expect from a 7 year old Bordeaux- some cassis, cedar, earth, game and black plum.  Tertiary flavors are coming out whilst primal fruit is still very fresh.  The palate is silky with nicely integrated tannins, a touch of acidity and layered fruit.  A medium length finish makes for a delicious, tidy package of rich fruit and good structure.  Yummy stuff to drink till 2025.  91 points!  Yup, for $8 at TJ’s, this is probably my bottle of the year when it comes to QPR (quality price ratio).  5 stars, only cause I can’t go 6.  WAY TO GO!  Salut….

Chateau Miraval Cotes de Provence Rose 2019, France

11 Sunday Jul 2021

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We kicked off the 19th Virtual Wine Tasting with this French rosé, served at room temp and chilled for comparison. The wine is a lovely pale orange in the glass. The tasters found aromas and flavors of apricot, almond, tangerine, strawberry, citrus, marzipan and pink grapefruit. The chilled version was more intense with peach, quince, citrus, honeysuckle and green pear on the nose and peach, rhubarb (?), orange and crab apples on the palate. We felt the wine was a touch sour with a bitter aftertaste. The room temp version had medium acidity whilst the chilled one was more acidic. Overall I give the wine 88 points. Drink now with smoked salmon, shrimp cocktail or a salad Nicoise. At $20 per, it gets 3 stars from me. Salut….

Chateau Lynch-Bages 2001, Pauillac, France

07 Wednesday Jul 2021

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My friend Jimbo is in town and I promised him some good wine. Back in 2003 I bought three cases of this stuff and now I am opening bottle #26, having tasted the evolution over the past 15 years or so. This was a spectacular example of perfectly aged Bordeaux. It is at peak right now, showing layers of tertiary fruit, rich cassis, gentle acidity and soft tannins. Balanced perfectly with a sublime mouthfeel. I’m super happy with the results of my patient cellaring. I believe this cost me $59 back in the day, now it will run over $100. A good deal if you ask me that gets 92 points and 5 stars. Probably need to think about the rest of the case as I don’t think there is much left in the tank with this claret. Here are my class notes. Salut….

Chateau Lynch Bages 2001, Pauillac, France 13.0% ABV

  • Appearance- Deep garnet
  • Pronounced nose of dried blackberry (Cassis), leather, earth, tobacco, cedar, forest floor.  Fully developed.
  • Palate- dry, medium (-) acidity, medium (-) tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, pronounced flavors of dried blackberry (cassis), tobacco, leather, forest floor and charred wood.  Long finish.
  • Conclusion- outstanding quality, drink now: not suitable for aging or further aging.

Chateau d’Esclans Cotes de Provence ‘Whispering Angel’ Rosé 2020, France

06 Tuesday Jul 2021

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I picked up a few bottles of this summer stunner from Costco for $15 each. Served well chilled on a hot afternoon it was delicious, light and fruity. It is medium salmon colored and has a delightful nose of orange peel, nectarine, lemon and peach. On the palate I also sensed acacia. Medium acidity and a medium body lead to a refreshing mouthfeel. The finish of this dry blend of Grenache and Cinsault was relatively short and crisp. I really enjoyed it and for the price, this 89 point wine gets 4 stars. Drink this summer! Salut….

Baron Philippe de Rothschild Chateau d’Armailhac 2001, Pauillac, France

02 Friday Jul 2021

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Twenty years ago I bought a case of this Fifth Growth Bordeaux. Last year I gave this bottle as a house warming gift to friends, who sat on it and waited for my return. This past weekend we opened it in all its glory- it was delicious.

Totally showing its age with some serious bricking and sediment in the bottle, it is medium tawny in color. The nose is loaded with tertiary flavors of tobacco, cedar, leather, stewed prune and cinnamon stick. The palate is super smooth with tannins that are so integrated and balanced by a modicum of acidity. The fruit flavors have pretty much disappeared- it’s all about the tertiary notes. Classic Bourdaux that’s been aged with a smooth mouth feel.

Tell you what- there’s still some back end juiciness and tannic grip which tell me this wine has a little more life in it!  Tremendous value when I bought it back in the day. 92 points, which is amazing considering the pros went with high 80’s when they first tasted it. The ’01 Left Bank vintage has outperformed anyones expectations as can be witnessed by this exceptional bottle that is currently running $80 at auction. 5 stars, but drink this delicate juice sooner rather than later. Salut….

Château Croix D’Aumedes Cuvée Réserve 2018, Corbieres, France

01 Thursday Jul 2021

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For my wine class- a Southern France blend.

Appearance- Medium ruby with thin legs.

Nose- Medium (+) intensity with aromas of blackberry, black plum, raspberry, toast, licorice, game and is developing.

Palate- Dry, medium acidity, medium (+) tannins, high alcohol, medium (+) body, medium (+) flavors of blackberry, black plum, raspberry, charred wood and licorice.  Medium finish.

Conclusions- very good quality wine that can be drunk now and has potential for aging.

A delicious, rustic blend of 40% Old Vine (70 yrs) Carignan, 30% Syrah and 30% Grenache. Very tannic and I could feel the alcohol, needs a juicy Ribeye. For $30 it gets 5 stars cause I really like it and give it 92 points. Drink till 2028. Salut….