16 Sunday Sep 2018
Posted in Wine
The second bottle at the wine shop tasting…. unfortunately not a good sample.
A dark red in the glass, more serious for a Pinot Noir. The nose is off as the wine has been open too long- however…. the palate offers a much richer expression of dark red fruits and cinnamon. No rating as it would not reflect well. However, a search on the web shows it available for $60 and gets decent 90+ scores. Salut….
16 Sunday Sep 2018
Posted in Wine
I stepped into a wine store in Cali where they had an extensive list of wines available to taste. I took the opportunity to do so, but my notes were rushed and very brief, please bear with me.
Very new world Pinot Noir on the nose- strawberry, cherry. Very light on the palate but tasty with red fruits, very lithe and fresh. There is a tartness that presents itself on the medium length finish that I am enjoying. 89 points from me for this $34 offering make it a 3 star wine to drink now through 2021. Salut….
17 Friday Aug 2018
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$20, 5 stars, 91 points, marlborough, new zealand, pinot noir
A couple of us met up and had a tasting of several nice wines. We started with this Pinot Noir, building our way up to the Bordeaux by way of some Portuguese, South African and Spanish bottles. Read on for the highlights!
Gorgeous purple- see through but clear. The nose is heavy on the strawberry. Nutmeg is present, spice box and vanilla bean round it out. On the palate it is lush, light and layered. Strawberry coulis mixed with cedar plank and cherry abound. The mid palate exhibits a darker fruit component and more spices that I found on the nose. The wine has a very nice acidity and the very lithe tannins only show up at the finale. An excellent bottle that drinks beautifully now and will go on for another 5/7 years. 91 points for this Pinot and 5 stars. It is a perennial favorite of mine and is consistent, year in and year out. $20. Salut….
25 Friday May 2018
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$11, 5 stars, 90 points, oregon, pinot noir, willamette valley
The Brown truck arrived today with a box full of these. They were on sale so I decided to pull the trigger on 6. I probably should have let this one rest a few days, but there are more in case it shows poorly.
Slightly more opaque than what I was expecting from Pinot Noir. The nose is airy and uplifting, with strawberry, that certain Pinot scent that I get and some elderberry. The palate is exactly what I was expecting, New World all the way but not in a powerful, jammy way. Smooth strawberry with a lithe vanilla stripe and more of that wild berry fruit. The acidity is on pointe, just a nudge every now and then. The mouthfeel is great with some ever so slight tannins swirling around. Cherry/Strawberry cooler happens on the finish with that sourness that is really okay in Pinot. My mouth feels a tad dry from the acidity/tannins when it’s all said and done. I like this wine and am serving it with some smoked pulled pork that I just finished. The acidity is perfect to counter the fattiness and smoke from the meat. I’m going with 90 points here and for the $11 I paid, it’s a 5 star wine. Drink now till 2024. Salut….
19 Saturday May 2018
Posted in Wine
Very light and see through, just as I would expect from Burgundian Pinot Noir. The nose shows off bright renditions of strawberry and rhubarb compote. The palate is somewhat different, cherry being the dominant player with backing from strawberry and ginger snap. Crisp acidity forms a defined backbone and the wine has ever so slight tannins.The finish offers more rhubarb with a tangy sourness that I am enjoying. This wine strikes me as young, needing some time to develop tertiary, earthy flavors that I love in aged Burgundy. Thankfully it only sports 13% alcohol. For now it gets 90 points from me. Serving it with grilled chicken, blue cheese laced salad and sautéed onions. $35 and 4 stars. Salut….
07 Monday May 2018
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A non-vintage wine as far as I can see that I purchased for $9. The name and label sold me. It is see-through as expected from a Pinot Noir. The nose drums up strawberry, cinnamon and a baked pastry note that I find really interesting. The palate is very warm, with flavors of red berries, strawberry and cherry extract. The wine has a juicy acidity to it and the tannins are ever so faint. The mid palate shows off a touch of heat, even though this wine only clocks 12.5%. The medium length finish rounds out with red currants and a chalky component. More cherry hits right at the end. I have to state that it’s a delicious wine that gets 90 points from me and for the price- it deserves 5 stars. An exceptional bargain in the world of Pinot Noir. Well done! Buy it by the bucketful. Salut…
PS. Turns out there is a French wine of the same exact name and label. The Chilean one is what I tasted.
07 Monday May 2018
Posted in Wine
A darker purple then expected from Pinot Noir. Nose gives off gobs of strawberry, cherry pie and cedar plank. The palate gives me some spicy notes of red fruits, violets and fig paste. The finish is lengthy with very caressing, smooth tannins that are in perfect balance with the acidity.
This is a delicious wine that will reward instant gratification yet will cellar well for another 10 years. I paired it with some of the best Lamb Chops I have had in a long time. 91 points and 5 stars for this $40 effort. I’m buying some for the cellar. Salut….
10 Saturday Mar 2018
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I wrote about this wine back in 2012 (Cosentino Reserve Sonoma), with a note to re-taste in 5 years. The wine is transparent, light purple, seductive. The nose is fresh, with strawberry, barnyard and raspberry. On the palate it is super smooth. The strawberry coulis is forefront with red berry extract and a caressing tannic structure. Acidity is perfect and the wine balances itself all the way to the rather long finish. I would imagine this wine is approaching peak. It has hints of tertiary flavors while maintaining the freshness of the red fruits. It has a good backbone and the structure is there to allow for further development. I would drink till 2026 and pair it with game, poultry and perhaps Filet Mignon. It is a rather delicate profile, sexy and lithe- not a brooding, big and bold wine. I am sticking with 92 points and 5 stars. Salut….
12 Friday Jan 2018
Posted in Wine
I have been sitting on this for a while, waiting for the right time to re-taste. Tonight just happened to be it! I noticed a little bricking when I was pouring the glass, which seems a little premature for a 12 year old Burgundy. It’s quite opaque considering the varietal though. Swirling like mad to get something on the nose I finally notice an earthy note, some cherries, but not much else really- I’m intrigued. The palate is where it’s at folks- strawberry puree, cherry, barnyard, straw and some really edgy tannins. I have a hard time discerning them in Pinot Noir, but they are most definitely present in this bottle. I get a grippy dryness to the gums, the mouth is puckering and they meld very well with the acidity. This wine is not bad! I just re-read my review of it from 2012, It really did what I expected, and then some! The funkiness is not as much as I had hoped for but it does exist, somewhat muted. I am going with 91 points and 4 stars for the $50 bottle. Drink till 2025 at the least. Salut….
26 Tuesday Sep 2017
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I remember the first time drinking this wine. It was at a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in New Jersey, overlooking Manhattan with Moxie. We were there attending a Gift Show, buying product for her first retail gig. It was an exciting time for us, we learned a lot and succeeded in keeping the business running through the dark days of 2008-2011. We were the last retail Gift shop standing in our area after the dust settled. I remember the wine, the meal and the atmosphere of the night vividly as it would signal the beginning of our newly charted course.
The 2014 Monterey Pinot is very light in the glass, see through and pale red. On the nose it’s all New World. Strawberry, Framboise, a touch of oak. On the palate, it is silky smooth. More strawberry, earthy mushrooms, a nice dose of acidity and some Rooibos tea. The mid palate caresses with some ever so slight tannins and a reminder of the acidity. The red fruit theme is in force and the wine carries swiftly to the medium length finish. It all ends with some cherry notes and a touch of vanilla bean. A very nice wine that can be yours for $15 and gets 89 points from me and 4 stars. I’m splapping together some creamy dill Chicken to go with it. Drink now till 2020. Salut..
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