30 Sunday Apr 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
Dinner at a friend’s house revealed this impeccably stored Margaux. It was so fresh and youthful I would never have guessed 18 years old in a blind tasting. I took very basic notes:
Fresh, youthful. Deep ruby. Medium acid with smooth, silky tannins. Graphite, pencil lead, cassis, cedar, blackberry, vanilla bean and charcoal on a medium weight body ending in a long, tart finish. 91 points for this $90 bottle makes it a 4 star effort, drink till 2028. Salut….
06 Thursday Apr 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
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$25, 5 stars, 91 points, Cabernet franc, france, merlot, st. Emilion
A hazy deep ruby color with some staining on the walls and medium to high viscosity legs (14% ABV). On the nose I get classic Bordeaux aromas of cassis, leather, pencil lead, ripe black plum, boysenberry and elderberry. Coffee and dark chocolate with some menthol also come to mind. The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium (+) tannins and a medium (+) body. The brooding dark berry with coffee, licorice and dark chocolate notes are all present alongside some black tea which gives a touch of mid palate astringency. The finish is powerful and long with grippy tannins taking center stage. I have drunk gallons of this delicious Merlot dominant Right Bank wine over the years and am glad to revisit an old friend that runs $25 and gets 91 points from me. Drink this 5 star wine till 2028 with a sizzling steak and some au gratin. Salut….
17 Friday Mar 2023
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$42, 4 stars, 92 points, columbia valley, merlot, washington
Medium garnet, this 4 year old Merlot is starting to show a bit of age already. The nose has some tertiary notes starting to come alive but there is still loads of primary and secondary aromas of black plum, bramble, black raspberry, vanilla, sage and violets. The palate is dry with medium acidity and gritty, medium (+) tannins. The brambly fruit character is there along with vanilla and spice, black raspberry and purple florals with signs of maturity by way of caramel and some desiccated plum. The body is quite full, not surprising since this bottle boasts a 14.5% ABV. The finish is velvety smooth and long with black raspberry dominating. I like the vanilla/oak note on the front end, but it disappears on the back end. Really delicious wine that I am pairing with corned beef since it’s St. Patricks day after all. 92 points from me for this $42 effort makes it a 4 star wine to drink till 2028. Salut….
01 Wednesday Mar 2023
Posted in Wine reviews
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$43, 4 stars, 91 points, bordeaux, bordeaux blend, cabernet sauvignon, cru bourgeois, france, merlot, saint estephe
Purchased at the gift shop in Bages, this Cru Bourgeois is part of the Lynch Bages portfolio. Pardon the abrupt notes, but it is being drunk at our Parisian Air-bnb in glasses that are not optimal. Medium garnet colored , nose of blackberry, cassis, tobacco, cedar box, classic aged Bordeaux. Delicious with medium acidity and medium tannins that are well integrated with a medium body. Slightly tart on the back end with black fruit puree and cassis. Secondary and tertiary flavors of tobacco, cedar lined drawers, smoke and espresso. Long finish with tart dark fruit- 91 points. For around $43, you too can taste this delicious and mature wine. 4 stars. Salut….
13 Thursday Oct 2022
Posted in Wine reviews
Rich ruby colored and about 75% opaque. The nose has enticing aromas of black plum, cassis, blackberry, menthol, vanilla, coffee, mocha. The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins. They are well integrated but still grippy. Flavors of cassis and plum dominate but I get blackberry with oak influence and some green pepper alongside the menthol. Full bodied it carries on to a long finish. This is textbook Right Bank Merlot with a dash of Cabernet Franc- delicious and reasonably priced at $25. I like it and think it is worthy of 92 points and 5 stars. I’m searing some Hangar steaks with Gratin Potatoes to pair. Drink till 2028. Salut….
25 Sunday Sep 2022
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$35, 5 stars, 93 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, merlot, Napa, syrah
Deep ruby colored with really thick, slow moving legs. The nose has a whiff of alcohol that needs to dissipate- I now get pronounced aromas of blackberry, cassis, licorice, smoke, coffee, vanilla and menthol. The cassis is en pointe. On the palate this wine is dry with medium acidity and high tannins (I forgot to mention the it stained the walls of the glass when I swirled). A full body was to be expected and I get rich flavors of ripe blackberry, black plum, cassis and the associated oak derived notes and menthol. The richness of this wine continues on to a medium (+) length finish. It’s a delicious blend of Cab Saver, Syrah and Merlot that gets 93 points from me and for $35- 5 stars. Drink with hearty meat (steak) till 2029. Salut….
04 Sunday Sep 2022
Posted in Wine reviews
This Right Bank Merlot based blend is a deep garnet color in the glass with long, lingering legs. The nose is gorgeous- plum, steeped blackberry, cassis, licorice, vanilla bean, graphite and blueberry mixed with fresh oak and a touch of espresso. The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are silky on the mouthfeel. Medium to full bodied this just-maturing wine has got waves of blackberry, blueberry and plum flavors intertwined with a dash of vanilla, coffee and oak. It is just starting to offer tertiary flavors and will develop nicely in the coming years. It finishes long with a black tea component alongside cassis. Very smooth and certainly delicious, this $55 bottle will drink nicely till 2032 and pair with most meat dishes and stews. 94 points from me make it a 5 star wine. Salut…..
04 Monday Jul 2022
Posted in Wine reviews
I have owned and stored this Magnum for nearly 20 years. I chose it for our dinner with friends Keef and Arty at our favorite restaurant, Chez Francois where we dined on Wagyu Beef Cheeks, Rack of Lamb and Chateaurbriand. An amazing evening that lasted 3+ hours and culminated with their signature Soufflé. This bottle was decanted and the sommelier and I agreed that it was youthful in color, showing no bricking- just a clear, deep ruby color. With a touch of air in the large decanter the nose was stupendous. No notes were taken but I can say that it was all there. Cassis, leather, tobacco, cedar, blackberry, black cherry. The tannins were so well integrated and the acidity was en Pointe. The mouthfeel on this wine was exceptional- balanced to a tee with fruit, structure, secondary and tertiary flavors and aromas- the whole lot. It is drinking at its prime now and will last another 5-8 years methinks. If you have it in 750 ml, start consuming it sooner rather than later. A stunning, smooth and delicious Right Bank Merlot that was worth the wait. 95 points from me. If you can find a regular bottle it will run you $250, a Magnum would be roughly $600. Drink this beauty with friends for a very special occasion. 5 stars. Salut….
29 Friday Apr 2022
Posted in Wine reviews
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$22, 3 stars, 89 points, bright cellars, columbia valley, merlot, washington
Deep ruby colored, this Merlot shows off its 15% ABV with thick legs in the glass. The nose has rich aromas of ripe raspberry, black cherry, vanilla, caramel and red licorice. The palate is dry with slightly green tannins, medium acidity and medium intensity flavors. The body is medium (+) on this juicy wine. The mid palate is a touch astringent that also shows some charcoal notes. The finish is dry and somewhat tart, reminiscent of sour cherries and black tea. It’s a decent drop that gets 89 points from me. I would imagine this will drink till 2025 and pair well with grilled meats and charcuterie. $22 makes this a 3 star wine in my books. Salut….
06 Wednesday Apr 2022
Posted in Wine reviews
Tasted blind, this Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cab Sav was a deep ruby color with thin legs. Medium (-) intensity nose with aromas of red cherry, red raspberry, wet wool and purple grape- I found it to be very youthful and simple. (Plus disgusting). The palate was dry with medium acidity, medium tannins, medium alcohol and light bodied. Medium (-) intensity flavors of the above led to a medium (-) finish. I called this wine poor but was corrected to- acceptable; a point for balance was deserved(?). This wine is to be drunk now, not suitable for aging. I did not care for it and was surprised that I couldn’t even get the varietal right. For me this $14 wine gets 84 points with a 1 star rating. Salut….
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