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Gonzalez Byass Leonor Palo Cortado Sherry 12 Anos NV, Andalucia, Spain

22 Wednesday Nov 2023

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Pale amber/gold colored with high viscosity (20% ABV).  The color is specatucualr btw, hard to describe.  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of warm nuts, yeasty dough, preserved lemon, dried plum, brine, Christmas cake and dried orange peel.  The palate is slightly off-dry but the acidity is high and the body is full.  Dried fruit, warm nuts, yeasty notes and a citrus twist are all present.  The high alcohol hits the back of my throat a touch but blows off rather quickly.  The finish is medium to long and concentrates on the desiccated fruit and salty yeast notes I got on the opening.  This aperitif begs for some olives, charcuterie and warmed almonds.  It’s delicious and gets 92 points from me.  At $17 for 375ml, it gets 5 stars.  Salut….

Torres Coronas Tempranillo 2016, Catalunya, Spain

19 Sunday Nov 2023

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Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity legs in the glass (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of blackberry, dusty bramble, oaky spice, vanilla, leather, dill and desiccated plum.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins that are fully melded into this medium bodied wine.   I get flavors of blackberry, bramble, a dusty component, leather and well integrated oak nuance.  This is a very smooth wine with a lovely mouthfeel that lasts for a short to medium finish.  It’s at peak now and will go nicely with lighter meat dishes as the flavors are not as pronounced as the nose.  I paid $12 as it was a bin-end, available for $15 online.  It gets 88 points from me and 4 stars.  Drink now.  Salut….

Osborne Manzanilla Sherry NV, Spain

31 Tuesday Oct 2023

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Pale lemon with pink highlights and medium viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of yeasty bread, preserved lemon, dill, green almond and sea spray.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a full body.  The intensity of the flavors is medium (+) and features the bready notes I got on the nose along with bitter green almond, some citrus and herbal hints.  It finishes long and a touch astringent but it’s delightful.  A delicious aperitif that gets 90 points from me and at $16- 5 stars.  Drink now.  Salut….

Aldi Specially Selected Reserve 2018, Rioja, Spain

09 Monday Oct 2023

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Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose is earthy with dried plum, black berry, vanilla, dust, graphite and aloe.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that are pretty smooth.  The medium weight body carries the oak laced dark fruit along to a medium length finish that is fresh with a touch of red fruit.  The earthy nature of a classic Rioja shows itself in this $9 wine that has been aged for 30 months in oak.  I like it- 90 points worth which makes this Aldi branded Tempranillo a 5 star effort to stock up on.  It’s a great value.  Drink till 2026 with hearty meat dishes.  Salut….

Terra d’Uro ‘La Enfermera’ 2021, Toro, Spain

29 Friday Sep 2023

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Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose on this Tempranillo has medium intensity aromas of black plum, charred oak, licorice, candied black cherry, dusty earth and acai berry.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that are a touch astringent and grippy.  Flavors of sour black cherry, black plum, licorice and brambly earth coat my mouth in this full bodied wine. The finish is short to medium in length and a touch tart and bitter.  Overall this $ 12 bottle gets 87 points from me making it a 4 star effort to drink till 2026.  Salut….

Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2010, Rioja DOCa, Spain

30 Wednesday Aug 2023

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Here’s the preamble- I fell in love with this wine when I bought a 1990’s vintage and it blew my socks off.  When I saw this newest vintage on sale (it’s not made every year), I snagged 4 bottles for my buddy and I.  The next month it garnered top spot in Wine Spectator’s Annual award and its price shot up 80% overnight.  This particular bottle travelled to the English countryside after a trip across the Atlantic and was popped that night, buyer beware.

Medium garnet with some wall staining and high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of sweet oak, ripe blackberry, coconut, dried dill, fig, walnut, brown sugar, steeped plum, vanilla cream and tobacco. Medium acidity, medium (+) tannins that are fine grained and well integrated plus a full body.  Silky smooth with melded flavors of oak nuance, ripe black fruit, nuts and some tertiary development – yet it lacked the telltale dusty notes I usually get from Rioja. A long finish upped the scores on this wine as I felt it was slightly underwhelming from my expectations-  still a spectacular wine that gets 94 points from me and at the current price of $230 it only grabs 3 stars on my scale.  A blend of Tempranillo that was aged in American oak with 15% Mazuelo (Cariñena) that has French oak aging.  Drink till 2035 but careful with pairing it too aggressively, it’s delicious all by itself.  I’m going to revisit in a few years and not subject the bottle to a bumpy airplane ride.  Salut…

El Coto de Imaz Blanco 2022, Rioja, Spain

18 Friday Aug 2023

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Pale straw colored with some effervescence and medium viscosity (12% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of lemon zest, grapefruit, white blossom, passion fruit, Bartlett pear and a white phenolic note.  The palate is dry, a touch bitter and has a medium (-) body.  Crisp flavors replicate the aromas but with a slight pithy divergence.  It’s an interesting wine for sure- one that is refreshing yet I feel would become tiresome after a while.  Made from Viura, this lightweight white would pair well with fresh seafood or a richly dressed salad.  Drink now.  For $12, it’s a great 88 point wine to pound all summer long.  4 stars.  Salut….

Finca Bacara ‘Time Waits for No One’ 2017, Jumilla, Spain

07 Monday Aug 2023

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Deep purple with high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  Aromas of candied black cherry, blackcurrant jam, salty licorice, vanilla thread, dark chocolate mocha and blueberry ganache.  The palate is dry with gritty, medium-grained tannins and medium acidity.  Full bodied- it shows off dark berry fruit, a candied note and some oak influence.  Blackened char hits on the back end alongside ripe blueberry. 89 points for this Mourvèdre (aka Monastrell), drink till 2026.  At $13, coupled with high scores from other reviews it gets 5 stars.  Salut….

Lustau ‘Solera Reserva’ Deluxe Cream Capataz Andres Sherry, Andalucia, Spain

25 Tuesday Jul 2023

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Medium amber colored with high viscosity (20% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of yeasty bread, green almonds, warmed cashews, dates, and coffee.  The palate is sweet with medium (+) acidity and a full body.  It shows off more nuts and fruit than bread/yeast-  Dates, raisins, smoky oak, dried figs and cashew.  A luscious dessert wine to enjoy with a cheese board or some Baklava.  91 points from me and at $20- a 5 star deal.  Salut….

Lustau Los Arcos Dry Amontillado Sherry NV, Andalucia, Spain

16 Friday Jun 2023

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Pale amber colored with high viscosity (18.5% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of yeast, lemon peel, hazelnuts, saline and dried orange.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and a full body.  A combination of Biological and Oxidative aging gives this wine a unique flavor profile- nutty, it features desiccated fruit with saltiness and a citrus twist.  It’s a real treat to drink this aperitif wine that finishes long with a yeasty note on the back end.  90 points for this $18 effort makes it a 5 star wine to sip with charcuterie.  Salut….