08 Wednesday May 2024
Posted in Wine reviews
Deep purple, slight staining and medium viscosity (14% ABV). Medium (+) intensity aromas of dusty earth, black plum, black raspberry, cedar, smoked meat, vanilla, baking spice, creme de menthe and green herb garni. On the palate- medium acidity, medium body and medium tannins. Gorgeous mouthfeel with dark fruit, supple structure, excellent integration and a medium length finish. 91 points- drink till 2028. $ 20 makes this a 5 star wine to buy in bulk. Salut….
25 Sunday Feb 2024
Posted in Wine reviews
From a recent dinner I took very basic notes of this Argentinian Malbec that runs a mere $11.
Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (13% ABV). On the nose I get aromas of plum, acai, blueberry and coffee. The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium (-) tannins and a medium body. Flavors of blueberry, coffee, mocha, plum and a mineral note lead to a medium length finish. I like the balance of this wine and its mouthfeel- not overly done with pleasing acidity and tannins that are smooth and unobtrusive. 87 points makes this a 3 star wine to drink soon. Salut….
26 Thursday Oct 2023
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$28, 5 stars, 91 points, bordeaux, Cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, france, Malbec, merlot, st. Emilion
Medium garnet colored with high viscosity and very slight staining (14.5% ABV). The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, charcoal, mint, cassis, hedgerow, blackberry pie and rose petals. The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are chalky and bristle a touch. The wine is full bodied with rich flavors of black fruit and oak coupled with some pretty florals. A nicely balanced and maturing blend of Merlot, Cab Sav and Cab Franc with a touch of old-school Malbec that makes this Right Bank blend a pleasure to drink. I am pairing it with Ox tail stew and rice with pees. It will develop further and cellar nicely till 2029. For $28 this 91 point bottle gets 5 stars from me. Salut….
25 Monday Sep 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
Deep ruby colored with staining on the walls and medium viscosity (13.5% ABV). The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of macerated blackberry, a touch of black plum, raspberry and whiff of asparagus. The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that lead to a medium body. The fresh black fruit is more evident on the palate and there is a hint of rooibos tea, some mocha and raspberry- the green note is nowhere to be tasted. The finish is short in length but refreshingly tart. This is not a complex wine by any stretch, but for $8 from ALDI…. I’ll drink it on a weekday with grilled burgers, pizza or pasta. It’s funny to drink a wine that is a 2023 vintage when most of the northern hemisphere has not even begun to pick their 2023 grapes. This 86 point wine gets 3 stars from me and should be drunk by 2027. Salut….
27 Saturday May 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
A 60/40 Bonarda/Malbec blend, this was the second wine in our lineup at the 31st virtual wine tasting. It showed deep purple with lots of staining and medium viscosity (13.5% ABV). On the nose- blackberry, black cherry, black currant, pomegranate and caramel. Others noted candied cherry, twizzlers, fig, slate and violet. The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and high tannins. The dark, ripe fruit flavors were echoed on the palate along with some oak influence- coffee, charred wood and an oaky hint. The finish on this medium bodied wine was decent in length and really honed in on the ripe, black berries. I gave it 13 points on our scoring sheet and would assign it 90 points. For $20 this wine gets 4 stars with a drinking window of 2025-2030 unless you like them tannic AF. Salut….
09 Thursday Mar 2023
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$14, 4 stars, 89 poitns, Argentina, Malbec, Mendoza, Naked Wines, Uco Valley
Deep purple colored with a secondary tinge of dark brown showing a touch of turbidity. Slow but thin legs show off the 13.6% ABV. The nose has medium intensity aromas of black currant, plum, vanilla, menthol, coffee, violets and black tea. The palate is dry with medium acidity and tannins alongside a medium body with flavors of black plum blackberry, vanilla and coffee. The nose is more intense and offers more complexity but the palate is very smooth and delicious. The nose was confusing me- it has aromas that would point to Cab Sav or even Merlot but it’s the structural parts on the palate that confirm it to be a Malbec- soft and juicy with an easy to drink tannic structure coupled with lower acidity. The finish is a touch short but there’s some charred oak notes alongside the dark fruit. I like this $14 effort a lot and give it 89 points, making it a 4 star wine. Tonight I am pairing it with baked Corned Beef and roasted potatoes. Drink till 2025. Salut….
06 Monday Mar 2023
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$25, 5 stars, 92 points, Argentina, Cabernet, Cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Malbec, Mendoza
Inky purple colored, this blend of 60% Cab Sav, 25% Malbec and 15% Cab Franc leaves a slight stain on the walls and has thick, slow moving legs (14% ABV). The nose has wafting aromas of blackberry jam, black plum, violet, vanilla bean, chocolate, some bell pepper and a medicinal note from the oak. The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are fine grained but prominent. Full bodied, this wine gives me flavors of black fruit, oak influence that is well masked/integrated (vanilla, medicinal, chocolate) and a touch of blueberry. It hangs in there for a decent length finish and is silky smooth on the back end. It’s delicious and will pair beautifully with our grilled lamb chops with roasted potatoes. This is drinking beautifully now and will cellar till 2028. I will give it 92 points which is a bit shy of the 95 it got from one pro. At $25 it gets 5 stars from me. 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….
04 Tuesday Jan 2022
Posted in Wine reviews
I have drunk numerous vintages of this Malbec, in copious quantities to boot- so when I was looking for a red wine to try and pair with Andouille and Shrimp Creole I thought this might just work. Spicy foods need to stay away from very tannic wines which need to be very fruit forward and cannot flaunt too much acidity. This varietal is just that; medium tannins, high in fruit and mild in acidity.
This Reserve offering is inky purple in the glass, like opaque. The nose is very fruity with ripe plum, toast, cinnamon, blackcurrant, black cherry and anise. The palate is beautiful- full bodied yet super smooth with black fruits galore, gentle acidity and lithe tannins. A virtual compote of black and dark red fruit with hints of oak. A long finish that is all fruit, little astringency and mildly tart- perfect for my needs. I would also pair this wine with roast poultry, venison, even a pork tenderloin and obviously steaks. It will drink nicely till 2026 and gets 91 points from me. At $18 it’s a steal that gets 5 stars. If you like round, plush, fruity wines that are not very tart or astringent then look for this gem. Salut….
30 Tuesday Nov 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
Moxie and I went to a pre-theater dinner in downtown Philly. The food was really good but the wine list was quite shabby, they offered 5 reds which retail in the stores for $12-18 per bottle and none got a rating over 86. I was forced to choose one and settled on this Argentinian Malbec. Here is my brief review:
Opaque, nose of crushed stone, plum, blackberry. Soft mouthfeel with lithe tannins, gentle acidity and medium intensity flavors. Medium bodied with a medium length finish. 86 points. Drink now. $13 makes it a 3 star effort. It was okay, just not great. Salut….
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