Tag Archives: Naked Wines

Benjamin Darnault Domaine De Montahuc Vin Doux Naturel 2019, Saint Jean de Minervois, France

11 Monday Dec 2023

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Pale lemon colored with high viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose of this dessert wine has intense aromas of honey, orange marmalade, bruised red apple, a hint of apricot and a touch of vanilla bean. The palate is sweet with medium (+) acidity and a full body.  The wine starts out bitter right off the bat, the astringency is akin to candied grapefruit pith.  The marmalade and honey notes come along with some vanilla and red apple.  The mid palate is where the wine settles down and the honey, marmalade and apricot come to the forefront.  The finish is long and sweet, syrupy and delicious.  I think it needs a bit of air TBH.  Right now, it gets 88 points from me but it could improve with some time.  Cellaring capacity is probably good- say till 2030.  I paid $19 for a 500 ml bottle, making it a 3 star effort.  Salut….

Sam Plunkett The Halo Effect Late Harvest Viognier 2020, Strathbogie Ranges, Australia

09 Saturday Dec 2023

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Pale gold with high viscosity (10.3% ABV) due to the residual sugar.  The nose of this dessert wine has medium (+) intensity aromas of oaky vanilla, apricot, blossom, peach, and more oak.  The palate is sweet with high acidity and a full body.  There is a touch of astringency from the lengthy oak contact which is interesting.  A heavy cloak of oak hangs over the more subtle apricot, honey, peach and orange blossom flavors.  If you are a fan of Cali chards that are oak dominated then this sweet wine is right up your alley.  I’m infatuated with this bottle, it’s very interesting and will go well with our pear tart and a dollop of vanilla ice cream.  At $15 for a 500 ml bottle this 92 pointer gets 5 stars.  I would love to have more to track the evolution, which may well last till 2035.  Salut….

Camillle Benitah Volute 2020, Napa Valley, California

19 Thursday Oct 2023

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Deep ruby colored with staining on the walls and a high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose of this Bordeaux blend has medium intensity aromas of black plum, blackberry, black currants, a hint of eucalyptus, baking spices, vanilla, cedar and mint.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are polished.  The intensity on the palate is greater than the nose.  I get lots more black fruit which which is ripe along with mint, vanilla and baking spice.  The tannins turn a bit chalky on the back end of this full bodied wine and the finish is medium in length.  I love this style of wine  and when done with ripe fruit it can be very delicious, but this bottle seems to lack a certain depth for me.  It’s good, but not great (I’m a big fan of the winemaker btw).   90 points from me and for $25- it gets 4 stars.  I’m pairing with marinated grilled steaks and Lemon roasted potatoes.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Sam Plunkett ‘Gentle Annie’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Victoria, Australia

10 Tuesday Oct 2023

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Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium (+)  intensity aromas of mint, blackberry, black plum, eucalyptus, violets, graphite and espresso.  The palate is full bodied and dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (+) tannins that are fine grained.  The palate has ripe dark fruit, telltale mint and eucalyptus for this varietal and region plus oak nuance with the espresso.  The finish is tart from the acidity and refreshing.  It lasts for a decent length, inviting me back for another taste.  Lovely stuff that gets 91 points from me.  We are painting it with Pot Roast but a hearty steak will do the trick as would some lamb chops.  Drink this $18 offering till 2030.  5 stars.  Salut….

i-Latina La Armonia Vineyard Petit Verdot 2020, Curico Valley, Chile

02 Monday Oct 2023

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Deep ruby with inky highlights and a high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has gorgeous aromas of ripe blackberry, menthol, eucalyptus, violet, charred oak, acai berry, black plum and coffee.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins on top of a full body.  The flavors are delicious, ripe and inviting.  Black fruit, eucalyptus and violets, oak nuance and a medium length finish make this a yummy wine that gets 92 points from me.  It will drink nicely till 2028 and I would pair it with Filet and béarnaise.  For $16, this is a stunner that gets 5 stars from me- I need to order more.  Salut….

Carmen Stevens Red Blend 2020, Western Cape, South Africa

22 Friday Sep 2023

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Medium purple with hints of ruby and high viscosity (14.9% ABV).  The nose has ripe aromas of blackberry, black cherry, vanilla bean, blueberry cobbler, capsicum, lavender and baking spices.  It’s a very enticing nose- can’t wait to taste.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins.  The ripe fruit I got on the nose is a touch subdued but the dark berry and cherry is evident as is the oak influence.  The tannins turn a touch chalky on the mid palate but this full bodied wine delivers a nice mouthfeel.  The heat is a bit noticeable on the back end which has a medium length finish.  I like it!  I’m going with 89 points for this $13 blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon making it a 5 star effort.  I would pair it with BBQ, perhaps a stew or even Osso Bucco.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Camille Benitah Limite Red 2020, Paso Robles, California

16 Saturday Sep 2023

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Medium ruby colored with high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of red plum, pomegranate, violet, meat, blackberry jam and a creme de menthe hint.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that are plush.  This blend of Cabernet, Grenache, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Merlot, Mourvedre, Carignan and Primitivo is very smooth with ripe fruit and subtle nuances from each grape.  It shows the warmth of the region in the way the fruit is sweet but there is no residual sugar.  The full body is lush and coats my palate with beautiful layers- delicious stuff.  The finish is long and somewhat dry but not astringent, the tannins are en pointe.  This $15 offering gets 92 points from me and will be paired with grilled burgers tonight.  5 stars, drink till 2027.  Salut….

I Wines ‘I Latina’ Carmenere 2019, Cachapoal Valley, Chile

07 Monday Aug 2023

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Deep ruby with slow moving legs (14.5% ABV).  The nose has abundant aromas of menthol, blackberry, eucalyptus, ripe blueberry, rich oak, purple licorice and vanilla bean.  On the palate it is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins.  Full bodied, this wine coats my mouth with ripe black fruit, oak, coffee, eucalyptus and mint.  The finish is medium in length and shows off espresso flavors.  I like this wine and will be pairing it with grilled sirloins and roasted asparagus.  Drink till 2028.  92 points from me for this $18 wine makes it worthy of 5 stars.  Ps. This note corresponds to my previous tasting of this delicious Carmenere.  Salut….

Arabella Reserve Shiraz – Viognier 2020, 91Western Cape, South Africa

20 Thursday Jul 2023

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Deep ruby colored with medium viscosity legs (14.1% ABV).  The nose has a gamy hint alongside ripe black cherries, black raspberry, plum, cloves, a hint of menthol, black pepper and coffee. The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that are pretty smooth.  Medium to full bodied- I get flavors that mimic the nose, with a touch less game.  There’s also a licorice component coming through that I quite like.  The finish is medium in length and nicely balanced. The 1% Viognier addition to this Syrah/Shiraz is a Northern Rhone trick to deepen the color (yes, adding the juice of a white grape to Syrah will make it deeper and more enticing), smooths out the rough tannins (which it has achieved nicely) and adds a floral note (which at this low percentage has slipped by me).  Overall this $12 is a screamingly good deal that gets 91 points from me.  Drink this 5 star effort til 2025.  I’m pairing my bottle with shish kebabs and pepper-crusted pork tenderloin.  Salut….

David Akiyoshi Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, California

01 Saturday Jul 2023

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Deep ruby colored, this Cali Cab has medium viscosity (13.9% ABV)m and slight staining.  The nose has aromas of bright red fruit with some candied notes along with some floral and oak notes.  Cherry candy, ripe red raspberry, red plum, licorice, mocha powder and lavender.  It’s an interesting mix.  The palate is dry? Dare I say a touch of RS?   Medium acidity with medium tannins that are very smooth and integrated.  The medium body of this wine carries the red fruits forth along with some slight oak notes.  It tastes like very ripe red fruit plus I can’t get past the residual sugar thought.  The finish is short to medium in length.  From a technical standpoint- this wine gets 87 points. For $12, it’s a decent bargain that gets 3 stars from me.  I’m grilling Try-tip to pair.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….