16 Friday Sep 2022
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Medium ruby colored this Zinfandel was amazing. Rich, smooth aromas and flavors of ripe plum, blackberry, blueberry pie and baking spice with a hint of vanilla. Low acidity, medium (-) tannins and a full body lead to a long finish. Amazing value at $15 for this 91 pointer that gets 5 stars. I would drink this in the shorter term with stews, game and hearty pasta dishes with rich red sauces. Salut….
17 Wednesday Aug 2022
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Just looking at this wine in the glass I have made some assumptions: 1) low acidity, 2) high tannins, 3) ripe fruit flavors/aromas, 4) full body, 5) high alcohol. Let’s see.
Deep purple colored with a blue tinge on the edges and marked staining of the glass sides. Slow moving legs on the wall. The nose has aromas of ripe blackberry, baked blueberry pie, licorice, vanilla, yeasty baking spice notes and really ripe black plum. The palate is dry and guess what? Very tannic. Low acidity with a full body and lush flavors of very ripe black and blue fruit, oak influence by way of vanilla, baking spice and charred wood. The finish has got a black tea component and is quite astringent but the flavors last a decent amount of time. I love this varietal, and this is a decently made example that runs $16. It gets 90 points from me and 5 stars. Drink till 2027 with hearty meat dishes. BTW the alcohol was 13.5%, my only wrong guess. Salut….
29 Friday Jul 2022
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$10, 5 stars, 89 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, Lodi, Naked Wines
Deep purple/ruby colored with a watery sheen in the glass (13.5% ABV). The nose has black cherry, dark plums, eucalyptus, purple licorice, green pepper and a medicinal note (from oak?). The palate is ‘dry’ yet I sense a touch of RS. Medium acidity and medium (+) tannins with flavors of black fruit, that medicinal note, bell pepper and eucalyptus come through the medium body. The tannins soften but linger through the medium length finish. This is night two for this bottle, it’s really opened up and is drinking nicely. I would go with 89 points on this $10 bottle that gets 5 stars from me. Drink till 2025. Salut….
04 Monday Apr 2022
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$20, 3 stars, 87 points, bright cellars, california, Lodi, Malbec
I had to look up the meaning of the name- Nihilist. It’s off-putting tbh but I will disregard for this tasting.
Medium ruby in the glass with a pronounced nose of black raspberry, red plum, strawberry compote, currant, a whiff of chocolate dust and dark cherry akin to Luxardos. A second swirl and I get a touch of smoke and florals. The palate is dry and tart. Medium tannins set the tone for a medium (+) body and medium intensity flavors of sour cherry, red plums, currants (black and red) and that floral note. The smoke is gone and the wine really shows off some acidity. In addition to the tartness, this bottle has a high level of structural acid. It’s a bit out of balance for me. The finish is a touch thin but lasts a decent length of time. Drink this wine till 2026 with some charcuterie and olives, something to cut the acid (Brie or Blue cheese). 87 points from me for this $20 effort makes it a 3 star wine. Salut….
27 Monday Dec 2021
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$13, 5 stars, 89 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, Lodi, Naked Wines
It’s the night after all the Christmas guests (family) have left and Moxie and I are recovering. A Lodi Cab Sav to pair with leftover Prime Rib seems in order. This one is nearly opaque and bright ruby in the glass. The nose is an interesting mix of pomegranate, plum, blackberry and black currant. Sweet cassis, a touch of oak and some pie crust hit me after a good swirl. The palate is tannic right off the bat with grippy sensations on my gums and teeth. The dark fruit flavors are pronounced with some oak and pie nuances in there as well. Medium bodied it has a shortish finish but I am having a hard time with the tannins which are overtaking any semblance of acidity on the back end. Slightly unbalanced structurally I think this will pass as the tannins integrate and allow the fruit and acidity to all play together on a more even keel. Aerate this wine or cellar it for a while and you will be rewarded. I would drink it from 2023 till 2028 with all plethora of grilled meats and hearty stews. 89 points for this $13 wine makes it a 5 star effort. Salut….
16 Thursday Sep 2021
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Moxie and I were at a resort in Texas this past weekend. Our last night was spent at the flagship restaurant where we dined on their speciality- Chicken Fried Lobster. Choosing a wine before ordering the main course is always a bit of a challenge but I saw this label and remembered enjoying the 2014 vintage so it was a no-brainer. Petite Sirah is my current flavor of the day varietal, I love its richness, the jammy black fruits, the medium tannins and the full body. This bottle did not disappoint. I took zero notes, reveling in its silky smoothness and full flavor profile. One thing I will say about the eventual pairing: it worked beautifully. The wine really made the crunchy Lobster pop in my mouth. I cannot explain it, just to say I would do it over again. At $14 per bottle, this 91 point wine is a steal. If ever in doubt at a restaurant, any Michael David Winery bottle will get you gratification at a fair price. 5 stars. Salut….
07 Tuesday Sep 2021
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$30, 5 stars, 91 points, california, Lodi, Old vine Zinfandel, zinfandel
Smoked beef brisket is a tough pairing- the flavors are so rich and smoky that the wine needs to have spice, body and high levels of alcohol. A Zinfandel seems as close as possible to the perfect match. This one is semi opaque with thick legs showing off its 14.8% ABV. The nose is very aromatic- rich red fruits, spice, black and white pepper alongside toasty oak. The palate is very full bodied with great balance between the rich fruit, medium tannins and medium acidity. Ripe raspberry, redcurrant jam, white pepper and blackberry flavors are all present. It’s not a blockbuster in style but its rich fruit is very enticing. I dig this wine and for $30 it’s a good drop that gets 91 points from me and 5 stars. Drink till 2027. Salut….
21 Sunday Feb 2021
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$20, 5 stars, 92 points, california, Lodi, petite sirah, VWTC
Turns out his was the Wine of the Night at tasting #15. It is inky purple and opaque AF. Initially the members noted a dusty smell- which led on to black pepper, herbs, tobacco, dried fruits, cigar, prunes, blackberry jam and was considered ‘leathery’. On the palate it was very rich and full bodied with prunes, blackberry compote, cracked black pepper, dark chocolate, coffee beans, raisins and tobacco. I thought it was delicious and worthy of a juicy Filet. It was not very tannic at all, inconsistent with the varietal, but I was not complaining. It gets 92 points from me and 5 stars for sure at it only runs $20. Buy it by the case and drink till 2026. Salut….
23 Wednesday Dec 2020
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$11, 5 stars, 89 points, california, Lodi, Naked Wines, zinfandel
Very dark purple and nearly opaque in the glass. The nose on this Zin gives me sweet plums, white pepper, licorice and dried cherry. On the palate is has a warm intro bursting with purple fruit ganache, sweet black cherry and a modicum of very fine grained tannins. The mid palate continues the black/purple fruit theme but it’s here where I sense the 15.1 % alcohol. It’s not bothersome, just be careful! The tannins are really well integrated so that I get just a touch of dryness on the backend to go along with some steeped plum and charcoal notes. I really am enjoying this wine, it will pair nicely with the braised Lamb shanks in the oven. It gets 89 points from me and for $11 it’s one to stock up on for casual meals and Friday Happy hours. 5 stars, drink till 2024. Salut….
12 Saturday Dec 2020
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$16, 4 stars, 88 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, Lodi, Naked Wines
This Cab is bright purple and semi opaque. On the nose I get red fruits- raspberry, currants and clove. The palate is quite rich right off the bat with licorice, red fruit melange and cedar. The licorice note is quite pronounced on the mid palate where I also get plum and black cherry. The wine has a nice, balanced mouthfeel, easygoing without too much tannin or acidity. The finish is quite long and tasty with wood notes, more plum and that lingering licorice note, albeit subdued. Yummy stuff that should drink till 2024. I like it and at $16 it gets 4 stars cause it’s an 88 point wine in my books. I’m pairing it with grilled Tri-tip and mashed taters. Salut….
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