Tag Archives: Naked Wines

Luis Vieira Montaria Red 2020, Portugal

22 Thursday Jun 2023

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Medium ruby colored and slightly hazy with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has an interesting funk, like asparagus, dill and blackberry.  Imma let it blow off a few minutes.

Nope, still there.  Greeness with some pine and black fruit- very bizarre.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins.  The flavors of this medium weight wine are more in line with what I was expecting.  Black fruit, some green notes of asparagus and a touch of oak.  The wine is rather thin and one dimensional and a major pass for me.  I would rate this blend of Tinta Roriz, Touring Nacional and Syrah at 83 points.  For $10, it gets 2 stars from me.  This might be an off bottle, or it might need lots more air.  Drink now, Salut….

Matt Parish Pinot Noir 2021, Anderson Valley, California

19 Monday Jun 2023

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Medium ruby colored with slow moving legs (14.1% ABV).  The nose is classic New World Pinot- ripe red cherry, baked strawberry, spice box, vanilla, black raspberry twizzlers and a delightful floral note when I sniff the top of the glass…honeysuckle perhaps?  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins, more so than I was expecting but they are fine grained.  A full body leads me to the ripe red fruit I got on the nose along with some oak spice.  The finish is quite lengthy and a touch tart, which keeps it fresh and interesting.  It’s a full throttle style that I am planning to pair with grilled Pork Tomahawk chops and a crisp salad.  91 points from me.  Drink this $26 bottle till 2028.  5 stars, Salut….

Carmen Stevens Angels Reserve Shiraz Grenache 2021, Western Cape, South Africa

17 Saturday Jun 2023

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Medium ruby colored with slight wall stains and high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose of this 82/18 Syrah blended with Grenache has medium intensity aromas of ripe black raspberry, black cherry, coffee bean, bacon fat, lavender, baking spices and a hint of greeness- perhaps some mint?  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium intensity tannins that are smooth.  The body of this tasty wine is medium to full and I get the dark raspberry/cherry and oak nuances with a meaty streak that syrah brings to the table.  The floral component is more prominent on the palate than it was on the nose but a re-sniff reveals that is is opening up in that direction.  The finish has a touch of heat that quickly blows off, otherwise it is short to medium in length and mainly fruit driven with raspberry and some black plum notes.  You could pair this delight with pretty much any meat dish, it’s flexible and has a nice, easygoing mouthfeel.  89 points from me with a drink by 2027 window.  For $10 it’s worth stocking up on- 5 stars.  Salut….

Sam Plunkett The Butterfly Effect Shiraz 2020, Victoria, Australia

11 Sunday Jun 2023

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Medium to deep ruby colored with high viscosity (14.6% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black raspberry, mint, eucalyptus, a hint of vanilla, red plum, blackcurrants and baking spice. The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins. Confirming dark red fruits with definite oak influence plus the eucalyptus and mint notes. The wine is full bodied with very caressing tannins towards the mid palate. Finishing medium in length with a touch of red fruit-driven tartness. 90 points and for $13- 5 stars.  I am pairing this smooth Aussie Shiraz with grilled Strip steak. This one will cellar till 2028.  Salut….

Ondine Chattan Pinot Noir 2021, Russian River Valley, California

10 Wednesday May 2023

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Pale to medium ruby colored showing some extraction and high viscosity (14.5% ABV).   The nose has aromas of candied black cherry, ripe pomegranate, red plum paste, baking spices, red licorice and spring flower blossom.  The palate is dry with medium (-) tannins and medium (+) acidity.  The wine is medium to full bodied and carries through with the ripe, red fruit and oak nuance.  I get a touch of charred oak on the back end as the wine finishes with medium length.  I’ll be honest, it’s not my style of Pinot Noir- too heavy, too worked, too ripe- but it will appeal to many.  From a technical standpoint it gets 90 points from me.  At $19 a pop it gets 5 stars.  I’m pairing my bottle with Roast Duck and grilled Brussel Sprouts.  Drink till 2026. Salut….

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

25 Tuesday Apr 2023

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This bottle was opened for a blind tasting last night and the nose just blew me away- intense.  It is opaque ruby, bordering on purple with high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose, as mentioned, has pronounced aromas of eucalyptus, menthol, espresso bean, ripe black plum, blackberry, blackcurrant and dark chocolate nibs.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins that are silky smooth and well integrated.  Full bodied with rich flavors of ripe black fruits, eucalyptus, menthol and oaky coffee and chocolate.  It has a beautiful mouthfeel and lingers for a long time on the finish.  This is a stunning (for me) Carmenere that gets 92 points and for $18- 5 stars.  I like it a lot.  Drink till 2027 with rich meats and sauces.  Lovely stuff.  Salut….

G. Stepp Riesling 2020, Pfalz, Germany

21 Tuesday Mar 2023

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Medium lemon colored with a watery sheen in the glass (12.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of lemon, lemon spritz, lanolin, slate, white peach that’s not quite ripe, green apple, some petrichor and perhaps- a touch of petrol.  The palate is dry with high acidity, I feel this wine is medium (-) bodied.  The palate confirms the citrus notes along with the minerality and I also get a bit of grapefruit pith on the mid palate.  The stone fruit are a little muted as is the petrol.  The finish is medium with a bit of leftover phenolics.  I like this no-nonsense Riesling for what it is- easy drinking, capable of taking on several styles of food and modestly priced at $14.  I’m pairing this 88 point wine with Thai shrimp noodles.  4 stars , to be drunk by 2026.  Salut….

16 Thursday Mar 2023

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Pale lemon-lime colored with a watery sheen in the glass (12% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of grated lemon rind, lime cordial, apricot and paperwhite flowers.  The palate is dry with high acidity and a light body.  Steely, cutting lime and lemon flavors are very precise along with some rounder apricot and floral notes- the citrus really honing in on the center of my tongue.  The acidity is very juicy and refreshing.  This wine needs some seafood to temper it a touch.  Perhaps a dozen clams on the shell with some plump oysters in all their saline beauty would do the trick.  It finishes lean with a medium length.  At $ 17 I like this 88 pointer that gets 4 stars from me.  I would drink it till 2027.  Salut….

 

Bodega Mauricio Lorca Reserve Malbec 2020, Mendoza, Argentina

09 Thursday Mar 2023

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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….

Kruger Family Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Nieuwoudtville, South Africa

15 Wednesday Feb 2023

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Medium lemon colored with a watery sheen on the walls (13% ABV).  The nose has aromas of lemon, lanolin, melon, passion fruit and a hint of cut grass- not as intense as a Kiwi Sav Blanc.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a medium (-) body.  The citrus kicks things off with lemon zest followed by tropical fruit notes.  The passion fruit is somewhat tart, reminding me of the shriveled fruit I ate growing up in East Africa.  Green melon is present, but the citrus dominates with the acidity getting more prominent on the back end.  The finish is decent in length but this wine seems a bit one-dimensional.  That’s not a bad thing mind you- sometimes its good to just have a refreshing white that isn’t going to overtax the senses.  It will do well with some fresh seafood or even a crisp salad with grilled chicken.  My actual pairing tonight is with a spicy Cajun Shrimp and Andouille dish- I think it will work.  I would also pound it poolside in the hot summer sun btw.  88 points from me for this $11 wine makes it a 5 star effort.  Drink now.  Salut….