11 Sunday Jul 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
This Malbec was the second wine in the 19th Virtual Wine tasting. Deep purple with nice legs it had aromas of tobacco, smoke, pepper, black cherry, plum, chocolate and black licorice. The tasters got rich plum, medium tannins, medium acidity, pepper, raspberry, cocoa powder, black cherry and licorice on a medium finish . No apparent oak notes btw. I liked it and for $26 this 90 point effort is getting 4 stars. Drink til 2028 with grilled meat. Salut….
03 Saturday Jul 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
My last tasting note was in the format used for my wine course. By the time we got to this bottle the group was deep into a card game so I reverted to my old style and jotted a few notes on this super yummy wine.
Inky AF. This is one dark purple, brooding beast. Rich blackberry, ripe plums, cedar, Iodine and black cherry. Stunning. The palate is super duper Napa Valley. Sunshine galore gives rich black fruits, silky tannins and medium acidity. This is one stunner at 93 points. I believe newer vintages are running a Benji. 5 stars. Drink till 2025. Ps. If this was a blind tasting, I would have guessed Napa all day long, but incorrectly identifying it as a Cab Sav. Very similar taste profile, but way less tannins in this varietal. Salut….
04 Tuesday May 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
In Cahors, Malbec is known as the Black wine. This particular example has 20% Merlot added, so it is not as inky as I imagined. Still, it’s a rich purple and nearly opaque. The 14.5% ABV shows off its legs in the glass. On the nose I get primal fruit flavors of plum, blackberry and oak. The palate is quite dry and tannic. Dark fruits galore with black coffee and coconut flavors are coated with searing tannins and gobs-full of acidity. The mid palate is very much fruit driven with a smidge of black tea. The finish is mouth puckering from the structural components. This wine is precisely what I wanted for the bone-in Ribeyes I am searing on the charcoal. Juicy, tannic and full of bold fruit flavors- that’s typical for the region and this grape. I now know why they tried to soften it a bit with some Merlot. It would have been a beast all on its own. I like the style, it’s kind of rugged. The mouthfeel a bit raw and primal. Overall a decent drop worthy of 91 points from me with a drinking window of 2023-2028. Open now if you like ’em young and tannic. For $15 it’s a steal that gets 5 stars. Salut….
28 Wednesday Apr 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
$25, 5 stars, 91 points, bordeaux blend, california, Malbec, sonoma county
This bottle is called a Meritage, which conjures up notions of a Bordeaux blend relying heavily on either Cab Sav or Merlot, with supporting roles from Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. In this case- it’s actually the opposite with the majority being Malbec at 62%, Merlot at 30%, Cab Franc with 6% and a touch of Petit Verdot. No sign of any Cab Sav. Anyways- it’s inky, brooding and opaque. The nose is intense with rich blackberry and oak nuances. I’m looking forward to it!
The palate is as expected. Layered black fruits and charred oak with medium grip tannins and juicy acidity. Blackberry, black currants and tea notes fit the mid palate. The finish is long and decidedly tart. The acidity is bracing yet I feel the wine has a nice roundness and is full bodied. The 14.5% alcohol is sensed on the back end with a hint of heat. Overall I am really enjoying this wine and will be pairing it with homemade spaghetti sauce and Hearts of Palm pasta. Drink till 2028. 91 points for this $25 make it a 5 star wine. Salut….
08 Monday Feb 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
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$50, 5 stars, 92 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, Malbec, Napa, syrah
Wow, this Napa wine is super opaque and dark purple-it looks like Welch’s grape juice. I can smell fruit flavors about a foot away from the glass, it’s wafting over and I think I’m going to like it. Yup, I do. Saturated with blackberry notes, I also get blueberry essence. On the palate it is delicious. Layers of blackberry, blueberry and cassis. Very primal, extracted and yummy. Lithe tannins appear on the mid palate but this wine is really juicy, the acidity really has a grip. Deft use of oak keeps this wine interesting without overplaying tertiary flavors. The finish turns quite dry with the tannins really starting to make themselves known. Overall a nicely balanced wine with good structure, great fruit and decent cellaring capacity. I would drink this blend of Syrah, Malbec, Zin, Merlot etc till 2028 with a big ole T-bone. 92 points from me make this $50 wine a 5 star effort. Salut….
11 Monday Jan 2021
Posted in Wine reviews
I harvested a Deer a few weeks ago and had the butcher make some Spicy Sausages. Having never tried them I was at a loss for a wine pairing until I came across this blend of Malbec, Bonarda and Syrah. I have had the Amado Sur before and this seemed the most likely candidate. Dark purple and totally opaque. On the nose I get candied strawberry and red licorice. The palate is a touch darker in the fruit department with black berries, dark cherry coulis and bitter plums. There is a whack of acidity to this wine but a medium serving of tannins. Perfect for my pairing, as Venison is very lean and we are pairing this with pasta and Vodka sauce, which is somewhat creamy. The mid palate is really juicy and I have quickly forgotten/forgiven that stlightly sweet nose profile which I really don’t care for. The finish ends abruptly but not before I get that bitter jab again. It’s an issue IMHO. Overall this is a decent weekday pop-n-pour and it serves my needs tonight. 87 points make this $14 wine a 3 star effort. Previous vintages that lacked the bitterness were better BTW. Drink till 2022. Salut….
06 Sunday Dec 2020
Posted in Wine reviews
The finale to our Virtual Wine Tasting was this stunner. I saved the best for last. It’s a 72/28 blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon that is inky in the glass. On the nose we got black cherry, Damson plum, leather, fruitcake, hay, raisins, smoke and molasses. On the palate it was immediately evident that this wine is powerful, yet subtle. Very smooth with super fine grained tannins that are barely perceptible make for a gorgeous mouthfeel. Plums, fruit cake, black berry cassis and violet. The finish was a medium length affair that was simply delicious, not dry or acidic. A stunning wine that I gave 19 points out of 20. Technically speaking it is worthy of a massive 96 points from me which jibes with the pros. I would not bother pairing this beauty with anything- just drink it with a loved one and appreciate the depth of flavor, the complexity and the balance of this $70 treat. I have to go with 5 stars. Drink till 2025. Salut….
22 Sunday Nov 2020
Posted in Wine reviews
This Malbec was the Wine of the Night (WOTN) for many at the 12th virtual wine tasting. We enjoyed menthol, lilac, raspberry, Damson plum, smoke tar, leather, violets and gravel on the nose. That’s a lot of descriptors. On the palate it is very fruity with just enough tannic grip to give it structure. Plums, dark fruit, licorice and ‘Cognac’ flavors were noted and I felt the wine had a jammy concentration to it. There was a definitive jab of acidity on the decent length finish and the wine had a very pleasing mouthfeel. It was elegant and full of flavor making it the go-to drink after the tasting was over. Well made and worthy of 92 points from me which gets it 5 stars for the $25 price tag. Drink till 2025. Salut….
15 Sunday Nov 2020
Posted in Wine reviews
I’m cooking Lamb Shanks tonight so a Malbec made sense. This one is semi opaque and a medium shade of purple. Blueberry reduction, smoky wood and black licorice hit the nose. The palate has got a delightful sweet blackberry entrance with plums, anise and a very smooth mouthfeel. I sense raspberry on the mid palate, could that be? More licorice and that red fruit note are dominant with very svelte tannins and a touch of acidity. The finish is refreshing- it has an earthy minerality with some raspberry. The mouthfeel is great if you are looking for an easygoing wine that will not bite with tannins or acidity. Built for the present with tons of fruit, it will drink well till 2023 and gets 88 points from me. 3 stars for this $22 effort. Salut….
14 Saturday Nov 2020
Posted in Wine reviews
Tags
89 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, Malbec, merlot, Napa, petit verdot, petite sirah, syrah
This Napa blend of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah and Petite Sirah is really dark purple and inky in the glass. The nose is rich with blackberry flavors, iodine, a whiff of alcohol and oaky vanilla. The palate is very pleasing- blackberry compote, plump raisins, black cherry cola and bakers chocolate. The mid palate has a nice mouthfeel that has a touch of astringency and a whiff of acidity. Black fruits dominate and the oak influence is evident. Black tea, iodine and tannins round out the wine with a decent length finish that is neither dry nor sour. The structure feels like it will drink nicely till 2024, but extended cellaring probably won’t happen. It drinks nicely as is but I am pairing it with some Sous Vive Ribeyes, baked taters and grilled Asparagus. Overall- a decent drop that gets 89 points from me and 3 stars for its $45 release price. Salut….
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