30 Monday Apr 2018
Posted in Wine reviews
Dark and murky. The nose features plums, oak, black cherry. The initial palate has blueberry, fine grained tannins, more black cherry. The finish is quite dry, with blue fruits dominating. 87 points and 3 stars for this $15 Bordeaux from a relatively weak vintage. Drink up. Salut….
22 Sunday Apr 2018
Posted in Wine reviews
My buddy brought this wine, which I was really excited to try. Unfortunately, it was a major let down. Color was right but the nose and flavors were earthy with a tar note. I did not bother to write further as I was really tired and just wanted to relax. Overall, I would have given this wine 86 points and probably a pass for the $60 price tag….until I read some more posts about it on the web. It rated very highly with the pros and sells for its price point, so maybe I got an off bottle. I will reserve further judgement until I get another opportunity. Too bad. Salut….
20 Friday Apr 2018
Posted in Wine reviews
It’s my birthday. I hit the big 5-Oh and pulled this one out the cellar to mark the occasion. I bought 8 bottles of the 2000 vintage back in ’02 for $59 each, at Costco. They go for $ 200+ nowadays.
The wine is still a vibrant purple with no signs of age, except the cork that broke in half on extraction. The nose is heavenly. Pure Pauillac, with loads of fruit, tobacco, leather, kirsch. I have wondered for 16 years if this wine would open up like the amazing ’89. So far, so good. On the palate- it’s all I had hoped for and more. Blackberry, cassis, leather, maduro leaf- to name a few of the initial components that meld right in with the fine-grained tannins. The tannins are very fresh and vibrant, caressing the gums and balancing the gentle acidity to near perfection. The mid plate is full of cassis and more tobacco leaf. There is also a fig component that just hit me. The finish exudes class. Full of fruit, but with plenty of tertiary flavors mixed in. Simply amazing. This wine is young, fresh, vibrant and juicy yet displays grace, a maturity and great structure. It fulfilled every possible desire I had for a super special treat and has truly rewarded my patience. I am going with 96 points for this stunner and 5 stars. It’s a privilege to be able to drink such magnificence. The family are all working the kitchen to make a special meal, with my 15 year old manning the grill for the Ribeyes. Salut….
04 Wednesday Apr 2018
Posted in Wine reviews
It’s a murky purple with a hint of bricking, not unusual for an 11 year old wine, but not likely for a CDP. The nose gives it away I’m afraid. This wine is over the hill, cooked. Aromas of stewed prunes and bacon hit me right away. I managed to coax a little plum out of the melange, but I was searching for it. The gaminess is a little much for me. On the palate there exists a port like profile. It smacks of dark fruits, cooked plums and blackberry jam. It is not a bad experience, just a shame really. This wine has some very interesting components that were probably on pointe a few years ago. I cannot determine if it is really over the hill (doubtful considering the heritage) or has been improperly cellared (it was a gift to my father). Either way, I cannot imagine this to be representative of the wine and will therefore pass on scoring this $50 effort. Sucks. Salut….
27 Tuesday Feb 2018
Posted in Wine reviews
My buddy brought this bottle from home, where it has been resting since he bought it en primeur. I love this chateau, they produce classic Saint Julien and are consistent, fairly priced and good quality.
Nearly black in the glass, it shows off beautiful legs. The nose offers up charcoal, plum, black berries, a whiff of alcohol and cassis. On the palate it is somewhat thinner than expected but fresh, bright and still young. I get more dark fruits, gorgeous tannins, ripe acidity, capsicum, leather and Maduro leaf. Black tea shows up in the midpalate with some tar and plum. The finish is medium length, quite dry from the persistent tannins and gives off a white pepper note. Overall this is a delicious, young wine that will stand up to hearty meats, grills, cheese or just by itself. 91 points from me. It currently runs $90, and got an average of 92 points from the pros. For my points, it gets 4 stars, just because I love good Bordeaux! Salut….
12 Friday Jan 2018
Posted in Wine reviews
I have been sitting on this for a while, waiting for the right time to re-taste. Tonight just happened to be it! I noticed a little bricking when I was pouring the glass, which seems a little premature for a 12 year old Burgundy. It’s quite opaque considering the varietal though. Swirling like mad to get something on the nose I finally notice an earthy note, some cherries, but not much else really- I’m intrigued. The palate is where it’s at folks- strawberry puree, cherry, barnyard, straw and some really edgy tannins. I have a hard time discerning them in Pinot Noir, but they are most definitely present in this bottle. I get a grippy dryness to the gums, the mouth is puckering and they meld very well with the acidity. This wine is not bad! I just re-read my review of it from 2012, It really did what I expected, and then some! The funkiness is not as much as I had hoped for but it does exist, somewhat muted. I am going with 91 points and 4 stars for the $50 bottle. Drink till 2025 at the least. Salut….
09 Tuesday Jan 2018
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
$22, 3 stars, 89 points, bordeaux, bordeaux blend, cru bourgeois, france
Medium density purple in the glass. A nice bright nose of blackberries, cinnamon and pencil shavings. On the palate the wine is a tad thinner than I had been expecting. Blueberry, very well integrated tannins, some cassis and a modicum of acidity. The wine opens up pretty quickly and the cassis really shows up on the mid palate, transcending the medium length finish. Overall, this wine drinks nicely and will cellar for the short term. 89 points and 3 stars for this $22 effort. Salut….
24 Tuesday Oct 2017
Posted in Wine reviews
A reasonably priced number that hails from France, the Rhone Valley to be more precise. It is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre typical for the region. I bought it on sale for under $10, but it normally sells for $15.
A very pretty medium depth purple color bodes well! On the nose I get raspberry, spice, a hint of smoky oak and some bacon fat. The initial palate suggests more of the same, which is really a treat. I enjoy all those flavors melded together. The tannins are really nice, juicy and not too dry. They complement the fruit and don’t overpower. This wine has a great feeling mid palate, with some cassis, black olives and more raspberry making appearances. The finish is nice, longer than expected and offers an oaky tinge along with the fruit and tannins. I have to say, this is a really good wine, far more complex than the price would allude to, far tastier than I imagined and it has some short term cellaring potential to boot. I am drinking it with some Broccoli Cheddar soup, which seems to work really well. It would pair great with some thin crust brick oven pizza, perhaps even a Beef stew. I have to go 91 points, which is above and beyond the rating I saw, and award this wine 5 stars for sure. I wish I ordered more. Salut….
05 Thursday Oct 2017
Posted in Wine reviews
It’s been a while since I had this brand, always dependable in the white arena. The wine starts off very pale yellow in the glass. The nose offers up peach, pineapple and some pecan nut. It is really a different profile, but enjoyable nonetheless. The palate shows off lemon curd, stone fruit, cardamom and a crisp green apple note. The wine is juicy, like mouth watering. The acidity is ever so present and persistent yet not obtrusive. The mid palate is more of the star fruit meets pineapple variety. It is unique and tasty. The finish is rather short and tart with some more of the lemon hints. I pulled this wine out for the Blackened Salmon with Garlic infused Kale that I am preparing. I’m onto something with this pairing. If you haven’t read my Evolution of a wine drinker, now is a good time to go back to 2014 when I wrote it. The same rings true today. Drink this wine now and for the next 5 years. 90 points and 5 stars for this $14 perennial go-to Riesling. Salut….
02 Saturday Sep 2017
Posted in Wine reviews
Gold, but a lighter shade. It looks waxy when I swirl the glass, which bodes well for a dessert wine. On the nose it is sublime- apricots, honey, candied pineapple. On the palate this wine is super smooth, somewhat oily in texture and really delicious. I get yellow stone fruits- apricots, peach jam and some honey on the initial attack. The mid palate is silky but I just realized I sense no acidity whatsoever. Glycerin comes to mind when trying to describe the texture I feel on the mid palate. The finish is somewhat dry with a hint of tannins and now I see the emergence of some acidity. Well played Mr. Winemaker, it all comes together right at the end and makes sense. The finish has great fruit notes- in addition to the apricots, there are some almond hints, orange zest and a pineapple streak. Lovely. This is a generous dessert wine that has a nice unctuous texture, plenty of fruit, a nice mouthfeel and the ability to age for decades. It is young but really enjoyable now. Drink till 2035 easily. 95 points. I paid $28 for a half bottle – 5 stars. It was my dessert after grilling the most massive Tomahawk steaks ever. Salut….
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