Tag Archives: Naked Wines

Stepp Gewurztraminer 2020, Pfalz, Germany

04 Saturday Feb 2023

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Medium lemon colored with medium legs (13.5% ABV).  The nose is very aromatic with lychees, rose, orange peel, lemon and some grapefruit.  Hints of ginger and white blossom come later.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a medium body.  The flavors are delicious- tropical fruit interlaced with citrus and floral notes, a touch of ginger snap and some slight bitterness.  The finish is medium in length and a bit one dimensional.  Not overly complex, this is a very tasty wine that I am going to pair with some spicy shrimp tacos.  I paid $16 for this bottle that gets 89 points from me and 4 stars.  Drink till 2025 as an aperitif or with Asian dishes, perhaps some charcuterie.  Salut….

Quevedo Family Alegria Vineyard Touriga Nacional 2018, Douro, Portugal

17 Tuesday Jan 2023

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Deep purple colored it stains the walls and has a slight bluish tinge on the edges.  On the nose it is very heady with aromas of dark, ripe blueberry, black currants, blue plum, violets, mint and a touch of oak by way of baking spices and chocolate powder.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and high tannins that are fine grained.  This full bodied wine has plenty going on flavorwise.  Blueberry, cacao, blackcurrant, plum, florals and some spices.  The question of balance comes into mind as the alcohol (15% ABV) is noticeable on the nose and the mid palate.  I will get over it but buyer beware.  The finish is medium in length and blue fruited.  The tannins having vanished, leaving a touch of refreshing acidity.  The Douro Valley and this varietal, Touriga Nacional are well known to Port lovers worldwide.  They make delicious and full throttle fortified wines, so having ripe, sun-drenched grapes to make a still wine is not an issue.  The results are in this bottle- a yummy delight to pair with hearty dishes.  Mine is Steak and Ale pie tonight but it will do well with grilled leg of Lamb or even Osso Bucco.  I would drink this wine till 2030, it has the structure needed to cellar.  90 points (the slight imbalance alcohol cost a point) and for $19- 5 stars.  Look for this wine or even this varietal and region when you are searching for something new.  Salut….

Maxville Lake Winery ‘Maxville’ Cabernet Franc 2015, Napa Valley, California

12 Thursday Jan 2023

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Deep ruby with rim variation to garnet plus some slow moving legs (14.5% ABV).  The nose has varietally true aromas of green pepper, blackberry, black raspberry and some menthol perfume.  Very faint notes of oak alongside some coffee, crushed rock and vanilla.  It smells gorgeous.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and delightfully fine grained tannins that caress.  Full bodied, I get flavors of black raspberry, blackberry, menthol, oak nuance, coffee, chocolate.  The green pepper aromas don’t show up on the palate btw.  The finish is a touch smoky and medium (+) in length with the tannins completely melded and the acidity softening.  A very balanced and somewhat complex wine that really coats my mouth with delicious, ripe fruit.  I like it a lot and give it 93 points.  I’m searing some Sous Vide Strip steaks, this is going to pair beautifully.  For $50 its a treat-night wine that gets 5 stars from me.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Nova Cadamatre Reserve Riesling 2021, Finger Lakes, New York

11 Wednesday Jan 2023

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Medium lemon colored with a medium (+) intensity nose.  Right off the bat I get aromas of creamy tropical flowers- bizarre, I know.  Then…. Nougat mixed with tangerine, more bizarreness.  Followed by saline and some pithy citrus as well as a touch of petrol.  I am really perplexed by this wine.  The palate is dry and slightly bitter with medium body and high acidity, which I was expecting.  Flavors of subdued citrus and florals alongside the bitterness from pith carry through to the medium length finish.  I must say this is not what I was expecting, the flavors and aromas are off my normal path for this varietal.  I like the precision, minerality and cut of this wine- it’s like a laser, I just need to recalibrate to these new flavors and aromas.  I would give this $18 wine 90 points and drink with charcuterie or oysters on the half shell.  Be ready for some mouth puckering vibrancy- 5 stars.  Salut….

Arabella Reserve Pinotage 2020, Western Cape, South Africa

10 Tuesday Jan 2023

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Opaque, deep purple colored with slow moving legs (14% ABV).  The nose has aromas of dark plum, black cherry, purple licorice and a touch of smoke and coffee.  The palate is dry with medium (-) acidity and bold tannins that cover my cheeks.  Flavors of black cherry, blackberry and black plum with coffee and smoke on the back end.  There is a touch of bitterness on the finish showing perhaps some greeness in the tannins?   Full bodied with a medium finish, this is going to pair well with my grilled Tri-tip and Boerewors sausage.  Not overly complex or rich, it is tasty and easygoing wine with short term cellaring capacity.  I would drink this 87 pointer till 2025 and for $13 it’s a 4 star effort to stock up on for barbecues and parties.  Salut….

Ondine Chattan Gewurztraminer 2021, Mendocino, California

07 Saturday Jan 2023

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Pale lemon colored this aromatic varietal has a pretty intense nose.  Aromas of pineapple, rose petals, white flowers, marshmallows and orange peel.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a boatload of flavors.  I get exotic pineapple, orange pith, white flowers, rose water and that marshmallow note, which I have never encountered in wine.  There is a touch of bitterness that I think contributed to the orange pith note that sits on the roof of my mouth.  The acidity is very balanced with the level of fruit ripeness and this 13% ABV wine is medium to full bodied.  It’s certainly delicious and the finish carries for a decent length.  I love this varietal, hence the purchase.  This one would pair beautifully with some Thai food of medium spice or even Indian fare.  It’s rare to think of a wine harmoniously working with spicy foods but this one has the ripeness and acidity to go the distance.  I would drink this sooner rather than later and chill it slightly for maximum enjoyment.  89 points for this $14 effort making it a 4 star wine in my books.  Salut….

Sam Plunkett Forest Hut Vineyard Shiraz 2019, Pyrenees, Australia

06 Friday Jan 2023

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Somewhat hazy (unfiltered?) but a very opaque shade of ruby in the glass with medium legs and slight staining on the walls.  The nose is intense with gorgeous aromas of blueberry, blackcurrant, black cherry, menthol, elderberry, coffee bean and chocolate powder.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (+) tannins.  Really ripe flavors of black cherry, blueberry, blackcurrant and elderberry meld beautifully with the menthol and coffee notes.  Rich and full bodied this is a delicious wine that only rings in at 13.6% ABV, surprising to me.  The tannic structure is excellent, giving a nice and silky dryness to the mouthfeel while fading gently as the fruit continues to roll on to a long finish.  This is an outstanding Shiraz if you like them big and bold, which suits me fine for the Lamb chops I am grilling to pair with.  I would say this one has some cellaring capacity but is drinking beautifully now and will last until 2028.  92 points from me for this $17 wine makes it a hard to beat 5 star effort.  Salut….

Juicy’s Shiraz Assemblage 2020, South Australia

10 Thursday Nov 2022

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


This blend of Shiraz is a medium shade of garnet in the glass with defined legs (15% ABV).  The nose has pronounced aromas of black plum, black raspberry, blackberry, cinnamon and dill.  The palate is dry with medium (-) acidity and very supple tannins.  Medium bodied- this delicious wine has very ripe fruit flavors of plum, dark raspberry and black cherry with some licorice, pepper and cedar.  The alcohol shows up on the back end with a touch of heat on the throat, which was to be expected.  The finish is medium in length and I get dark red and black fruit with some oak notes.  Really delightful wine that gets 89 points from me and at $13 it’s a steal worthy of 5 stars.  Drink over the short term with some braised beef ribs or perhaps a roast leg of lamb.  Salut….

Karen Birmingham Reserve Zinfandel 2020, Lodi, California

08 Tuesday Nov 2022

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,


A deep shade of purple bordering on ruby, this potent Zin (14.9% ABV) has super slow forming legs on the walls of the glass.  The nose has medium intensity aromas of blackberry, purple licorice, coffee, star anise, super ripe raspberry (almost candy-like) and baking spice.  The palate is dry yet there is evidence off very ripe fruit- blackberry, black raspberry alongside fennel, dill and coffee.  Medium acidity and smooth, medium tannins make for a lovely mouthfeel, albeit with some heat evident.  The finish is short  in length but everything ends at the same point, no lingering acidity/tannins.  After a re-taste I get some extra licorice that I was not initially tasting- lovely stuff.  I like this $14 bottle that gets 90 points from me and 5 stars.  I would pair it with stews and hearty meat dishes, including game.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Maxville Lake Winery ‘Maxville’ Cabernet Franc 2015, Napa Valley, California

04 Friday Nov 2022

Posted by in Wine reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


Medium garnet colored this Cab Franc has pretty thin, slow moving legs (14.5% ABV). The nose gives me medium intensity aromas of black raspberry, black cherry, coconut, cedar plank, toasty oak, chocolate powder, blueberry jam and some brioche/yeast notes.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and super smooth medium tannins.  The wine coats my mouth and is full bodied with rich blueberry flavors.  The red fruit are there but not as prominent.  Toasty oak and some cocoa with a hint of coconut round out the palate.  The finish is medium-ish and very caressing- the tannins are fully melded in this 7 year old wine that is drinking en pointe.  It is delicious and will pair beautifully with my Hangar steaks and mashed taters.  92 points from me for this $57 offering that gets 5 stars.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….