05 Tuesday Jan 2016
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Pale yellow in the glass with a strong nose of tart apple, green pear and lemon zest. The initial attack tastes of yellow pear, Granny Smith apples and a hint of lemon peel. Good acidity give this wine some zip… A nice warm mid palate with some baked apples leave me with a nice finish. I really enjoyed this wine. Perfect for some seafood with a cream sauce or perhaps some chicken alfredo. 91 points from me and at $22, its a 5 star rocker. Salut….
08 Tuesday Dec 2015
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$20, 4 stars, 91 points, meritage, Napa, napa blend, Sauvignon blanc, semillon
A Napa Valley white wine blended from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Pale yellow with a nose of lemon, asparagus and crunchy green apple. The initial attack is very soft with elegant hints of quince, yellow apple and green melon. Not as steely as a Chablis nor as buttery as a Napa chard, it sits comfortably in the middle. It possesses a longish finish than refreshes and coaxes. I’m guessing there is no malolactic fermentation and a minimal amount of new oak, but it’s just a guess. Refreshing yet hearty. 91 points. The only drawback is the 14.5% alcohol which is well disguised. Nicely done and for $20, this is a 4 star wine. Salut….
03 Friday Jul 2015
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From the Loire valley comes this Sauvignon Blanc. Pineapple and flint on the nose tell me this is going to be a rather refreshing wine. Crunchy acidic bite of green apples and pear greet the palate for an initial impression. Good vibrancy with a citrus mid palate that leads to a generous finish. Nicely balanced if you like this style of Sauvignon Blanc- steely, lean, not overoaked and refreshing. I served it with some Cajun spiced Cod and an arugula salad. 88 points from me and definitely a re-buy for $16. Perfect for a hot summer day with a salad, sitting by the pool or nibbling on oysters. 3 stars. Salut….
18 Saturday Oct 2014
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From the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa comes this sleek racy number. We ordered it at our Seasons 52 dinner for those who wanted white. I only got a sip or two in from Moxie’s glass so my notes were very thin. I will say it was a good wine and was enjoyed by all that partook. Lemon zest, apple and cut grass nose that led into a melange of key limes, gooseberry and some slate. Medium acidity with a mid palate cut finished out the lovely mouthfeel of this wine. I gave it 88 points. Having looked it up after the fact WS gave it 90, and it can be had for about $16- a decent price for this calibre of wine. 4 stars I reckon. Salut….
16 Monday Jun 2014
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$89, 4 stars, 93 points, dessert wine, Sauvignon blanc, semillon
I got this bottle of dessert wine from a friend, it turns out to be a very generous one at that. This is a delicious sweet wine that screams Sauternes, needs a dollop of vanilla ice cream and would totally sort out some foie gras. The wine is a blend of mainly Semillon (61%) with the balance being Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes are left to hang until super ripe with Botrytis Cinerea (Noble Rot) taking hold to further sweeten the grapes. This particular vintage weighs in at 14.3% alcohol and a manageable 13% Brix of residual sugar. What this means is that the wine is not overly sweet on my palate.
The bottle is capped in a dark yellow wax, the same color as the wine. It pours with an almost syrupy texture which translates to a really smooth unctuous mouthfeel. It begins with stewed Apricots, honey and walnuts on the nose, very inviting indeed. The first sip was nirvana for me, having just finished a feast of Filet Mignon with a bottle of 1997 Musar. The wine shows a gentle sweetness with honeyed apples and more apricot jam. Nuts and a touch of the wood come through on the mid plate where I made note that the Botrytis was ‘balanced’. I have no idea what I meant but it sounded good at the time. The Sauvignon Blanc contributes a nice acidic component that balances the whole package out nicely. Moxie and I polished half the 500ml bottle off in no time, saving the rest for tonight. I can’t wait to see it’s evolution overnight as the cork fell out letting it aerate thoroughly.
Very pricy at $89 and only available at the cellar door in Calistoga or by mail. I loved it and am going with 93 points and 4 stars for the effort. You won’t find excellent dessert wines for a steal, they are in a league of their own. This example happens to be really good and worthy of it’s lofty price if you have a special occasion and really enjoy this style of wine, which I do. Salut….
29 Friday Nov 2013
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Product of France….. Look closer at the label. It’s generally a decent wine made in an old world style with zest, lime and apple components. Slightly more acidic than the previous wine, it had a bit of a bite that I enjoyed. Pale straw colored in the glass, it had a nose of lemon/lime and some earthy funk. I have no idea how much it was purchased for but would imagine in the $10-$15 range. I’m giving it 86 points and 3 stars. Think shellfish or grilled squid and you would have a great pairing. Salut….
29 Friday Nov 2013
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We opened this wine for the Turkey dinner and it was a hit. I always enjoy Marlborough Sav Blancs. The telltale gooseberry, lime and cut grass components all melded with the crisp acidity. Not overly cutting, the balance is nice with this wine and I really enjoyed it with the bird. It was on sale for $13 and will fit into many pairings or it can be drunk on a warm day, well chilled with some smokehouse almonds. Bang for the buck, this varietal always delivers for me. 4 stars and 88 points. Salut….
10 Sunday Nov 2013
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This is what my mate Mr. Tormay requested at last night’s Korean/Cajun fusion dinner. He is fan of the varietal and quickly ordered this without hesitation. I got a taste in before he polished it off and was very impressed. In the glass it was more golden in color than I was expecting. The glass burst with cut grass, apple and tart lemon flavors. My initial taste was overwhelming. Cat’s pee (a normal descriptor for Kiwi Sav Blac by the way) meshed with cut grass and green apple. The waves continued with some citrus and cutting acidity. The wine had quite a heavy presence in the mouth which made it that much more interesting. This is not a thirst quenching easy to drink wine, it is much more food driven wine that offers complexity and depth. I really liked it and will look for it in the shops. $16 and 89 points make this a 4 star effort for me. Salut….
03 Sunday Nov 2013
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This weekend finds us at the beach. The Outer Banks of North Carolina is where we are staying in an ocean front palace with three other families (the prize from a raffle back in April). It’s a bit chilly outside, but inside there’s food and wine, games and football and everyone is just chilling. The beauty of the gathering is that we all brought some really nice wines and get to share them together. This particular wine was opened as an aperitif.
Straw colored in the glass, it had a distinct Kiwi nose of Sauvignon Blanc. On the initial attack it was somewhat sweet for the varietal, which made Moxie love it right off the bat. She is easily pleased by whites that have residual sugar. The textbook cat’s pee was missing but grapefruit was in full force as was the grass component. I only had a few sips of her glass so I am not going to pass too much judgement except to say that it was easy to drink but lacked a certain acidity that I need for this type of wine. 88 points and for $17 I would say it’s a 3 star wine for me for this Kiwi wine from the South Island region of Marlborough. Salut….
01 Monday Jul 2013
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When you mention Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, the first few things that come to mind are: cat’s pee, grapefruit, cut grass and green apples. This wine had it all, plus a cutting acidity that balanced the fruit nicely. In the mouth, very smooth and inviting, making me pucker up for more after its long finish subsided. It went perfectly with the salad course, and I imagine it to be a stunner on a hot summer’s eve. This region in New Zealand has been excelling in the varietal, making delicious and lush wines. I would imagine it to be an 89 point wine and for about $15, worthy of 4 stars.
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