26 Sunday Apr 2020
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$29, 3 stars, 90 points, central otago, new zealand, pinot noir, VWTC
This was the opener at my first virtual Wine tasting. It was pretty full bodied and New World in it’s fruit forward approach. Delicious but somewhat atypical for the varietal. Very meaty and gamey with some interesting minerality. I went with 90 points. 3 stars for this $29 Pinot Noir. Salut….
26 Sunday Apr 2020
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A bright shade of red and see through. The nose rings of pomegranate, sweet cherry and clove. The palate is very smooth and soft- the fruit is vibrant and the acidity is very gentle. It’s all primary flavors for now, loads of red fruit and some backend tannins. The midpalate is tart, with more pomegranate and some rhubarb. The finish is very sleek and easy going- more lingering flavors from the midpalate and a nice spike in the very fine-grained tannins. This wine is young and has many years to go. I’m thinking it will be very nice as a mature Burgundy. 91 points for this very lithe Pinot Noir. Drink till 2033, but cellar if you like some secondary flavors. At over $100 it’s a pricy addition to the cellar, but then again- Burgundy is never cheap. 3 stars. Salut….
21 Tuesday Apr 2020
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I love this wine btw, having had older vintages in the past. This one shows see-through dark purple in the glass. The nose is ethereal- raspberries, rooibos tea, cinnamon and some oak. The palate is very much New World. Tart, crispy and loaded with red fruits. The cinnamon and raspberry components are very much accentuated. There is a bit of heat from the alcohol, which I kinda like. It’s only showing 13.5%, but I can sense its presence. The mid palate is more earthy with some wild game and mushroom notes along with some red berries. The finish is warm, with a raspberry reduction and charcoal note. It’s quite long and a touch tart, making me lick my chops. Overall this is a well made wine that is in a mid-life crisis. It’s lost some fruit yet doesn’t quite have tertiary flavors developed fully. I would give it another 3 years and drink from 2023-2030. 92 points and 4 stars for this $70 Pinot. I’m pairing with Chicken Kabobs. Salut….
12 Sunday Apr 2020
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I’m afraid for this wine, the cork was very dry when I put the screw in and the sides were wet when I started to pull it out. I only got halfway before the cork broke. Luckily I have other tools to retrieve the broken half. In the glass it looks okay, dark red, with no signs of bricking and barely any legs on the glass. The nose is gorgeous, earthy, full of tertiary flavors- forest floor, mushrooms, bacon and a whiff of rich cherry compote. The palate is sublime, smooth and a mix of fruit, acidity, those tertiary flavors and a warm mouthfeel. The cherry component is backed up by rooibos tea, some nutmeg and leather. This wine has aged nicely and thank goodness the cork held out. The finish is long with a nice streak of acidity that delineates the fruity red berries from the secondary evolution that I get. Nice ingrained tannins are holding it together but I feel it is peaking so drink till 2027 . I am serving it with Baked Ham and mashed potatoes for Easter dinner. 93 points for this $100 Burgundian Pinot Noir. 4 stars. Salut….
05 Sunday Apr 2020
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$15, 5 stars, 91 points, alexander valley, california, pinot noir
Nice shade of dark red, see-through. The 14.1% alcohol evident by some nice looking legs. On the nose it is somewhat atypical. Violet, strawberry compote and cherry cola. The palate is a touch sweet with some nice stewed rhubarb notes. Cherry comes along eventually as do some nice fine grained tannins. There’s a nice acidic bite on the finish that balances it out without making me wince. It’s a very interesting wine that has a warm mouthfeel, that nice touch of sweetness countered by the acid on the back end. This wine will appeal to the novice and also provide tasting groups with an interesting mix of flavors. I’m baking up some Brisket that will pair nicely. 91 points and 5 stars for this $15 bottle to drink till 2028. Salut….
Peach Brisket, crisped to perfection
01 Wednesday Apr 2020
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$16, 4 stars, 89 points, oregon, pinot noir, willamette valley
Absolutely see-through and a very pale shade of red. The nose gives me bing cherry, wild strawberry and clove. The palate is quite intriguing. A muted red fruit presence with a touch of cinnamon and mushroom. Raspberries represent on the mid palate alongside rooibos tea and sour cherry. The acidity slides in nicely, not overdone nor abrupt. It’s a nice mouthfeel with a touch of heat on the finish. There is a cedar component as well that I’m enjoying. Overall it’s a decent Pinot that I’m giving 89 points. 4 stars for this $16 effort. Salut….
27 Friday Mar 2020
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$20, 3 stars, 89 points, chehalem mountains, oregon, pinot noir
Typical for Pinot- this wine is reddish in color and see through. On the nose it’s very fruity, strawberry and cherry. On the palate is has a sour cherry note as well as cola. The sourness is refreshing and accentuates the cherry theme. The mid palate is much the same and the finish gets a crescendo of the sour cherry component. It’s a bit gritty though, and my teeth are a little tinged. It’s a nice length that tapers off. I’m enjoying this wine and would pair it with roast Duck, perhaps a pasta casserole. I’m going 89 points on this $20 Pinot. 3 stars- drink till 2027. Salut….
16 Monday Mar 2020
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$14, 3 stars, 89 points, canada, niagara peninsula, pinot noir
I drank an Inniskillin Pinot last summer that blew my socks off. I wanted to find it again on a recent trip to Montreal. This was the best the shop had. See through, medium purple. Strawberry ganache and cherry on the nose. The palate- I get sour cherry, charcoal and earthiness. The mid palate is focused, cherry and rhubarb. On the finish it’s rather short but tannins emerge to round it out. 89 points and a little underwhelming considering the hype I built over the other bottle. $14 makes it a 3 star effort to drink till 2026. Salut….
PS. Stock photo as I forgot to take one
02 Monday Mar 2020
Posted in Wine reviews
Very pale shade of red and completely see through- expected for Pinot. The nose is really bright with strawberry, rhubarb and red currants. The palate is full of red fruits- currants, strawberry, watermelon. There’s a lovely mouthfeel that envelops the gums with rich red berry compote, not much tannins and a hint of acidity. There are times for finesse and this winery is hitting all cylinders. The midpalate shows off more red, think cherry cola and currants. The finish is a short lived affair of much the same. A nice closing in my opinion. Drink till 2026 with lighter fare, I’m doing sous vide chicken with wild rice and broccoli. 90 points and 4 stars for this $18 bottle. Salut….
24 Friday Jan 2020
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$40, 3 stars, 90 points, oregon, pinot noir, willamette valley
See through pale purple with nice legs in the glass. The nose is all about strawberries. After a good swirl there’s violets and some yellow cherries. On the palate it’s a very smooth rendition of strawberry meets cherry cobbler. A touch of oak is a nice nuance. The mid palate continues the theme and some acidity kicks in. There’s a nice mouthfeel to this wine that carries it on to a decent length finish . I’m digging it and the beercan chicken is gonna pair beautifully. 90 points. Drink till 2026. This wine gets 3 stars for its $40 average price. Salut….
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