Tag Archives: VWTC

Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz 2018, South Australia

02 Monday Aug 2021

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For the finale at our Virtual Wine tasting #20 I selected an oldie but goodie.  It’s been a few years since I drank any Mollydooker wines.  They are a treat but buyer beware- they pack a punch.  It all starts with the obligatory Mollydooker Shake, which is an important part of tasting this wine correctly.  I had all the participants open the screw cap and pour off a half cup of wine into another wine glass.  After re-sealing the bottle we shook vigorously to help release the Nitrogen that these wines are bottled under.  Once done I had them pour regular glasses and we compared the smell of the original wine versus the shaken version- a stunning difference in aroma.

The wine is bright purple, opaque and menacing in the glass once you read the label and realize it has 16% ABV.  On the nose it is jammy with blackberry, raisin, plum, pepper, coffee, black tea and vanilla.  Our group got flavors of coffee, blackberry jam, cinnamon, and someone mentioned ‘grape’.  Lithe tannins and medium (-) acidity make for an easy mouthfeel once you clear the alcohol hurdle.  A decent finish was enjoyed as I reflected on the length and depth of fruit flavor coming out of this bottle. The body is most def full, the grapes being extracted to the max.  This is not a lightweight.  I am a little stumped as to what I would pair it with- the richness will overpower most foods- oh well…drink it all by itself.  91 points from me make this $30 wine a 5 star effort that needs to be on your short list.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

Spier 21 Gables Pinotage 2017, Stellenbosch, South Africa

02 Monday Aug 2021

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My wine tasting group has not tried Pinotage yet, so I though it would be appropriate to introduce this unique South African varietal to them.  Spier is well known and produces several different cuvees, ranging from the lighter everyday wines to blockbuster collectables.  This one is middle of the road and offers a glimpse into the style of wine that can be enjoyed over time.  Quite brooding and inky it has a funky nose with forest floor, tar, licorice, fresh cut wood, plantain, creamy coffee, Sel Gris and blackberry.  On the palate it exhibited textbook flavors of coffee, blackberry, Rooibos tea, baked raspberry, blueberry, acetate and raisin.  The word jammy was used.  Tannins were medium as was the acidity.  This cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault is much darker and intense than either of its parents, which surprised many in the group.  Overall it was well received and got 91 points from me.  We paid $36 per bottle making it a 5 star effort that can be drunk now or cellared till 2026.  Salut….

Domaine Drouhin Pin ot Noir 2018, Dundee Hills, Oregon

02 Monday Aug 2021

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Virtual tasting #20 started off on a high gear with the Reserve Pinot Gris, only to have it overshadowed by this stunner.  Once people started sniffing all I could hear were Oooh, Aaah…  On the nose the group noted aromas of licorice, forest floor, pepper, white chocolate, cardamom, black cherry, raspberry and rosewater.  How’s that for complexity?

The palate was absolutely delicious- I was so excited to drink this wine.  Super smooth with silky tannins and gentle acidity- we got flavors of raspberry, black cherry, Rooibos tea but it lost the pepper component.  The depth of this wine was beguiling.  On our tasting sheet I gave it a near perfect 19/20.  Technically speaking, this $35 wine gets 93 points and 5 stars from me.  You could cellar some, but why wait?  Damn that was good.  Might end up on the best-of list.  Salut….

 

F E Trimbach Pinot Gris Reserve 2014, Alsace, France

02 Monday Aug 2021

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My little group of virtual wine tasters insisted on a mid-summer gathering so I picked some real beauties, starting with this Pinot Gris which we tasted at room temp and chilled.  Being a Reserve, it offered depth and complexity that many were not expecting- it was a hit.  In the glass it showed pale gold to light yellow, depending on who was commenting!  Aromas of pear, pineapple, blossom, honey, ginger, elderflower and nectarine were noted.  On the palate, flavors of honeysuckle, lime, and orange blossom coupled with a vegetal aftertaste.  I noted that it had good acidity, getting 92 points from yours truly.

The chilled version was more precise with some minerality on the nose coupled with cotton candy, marzipan, passion fruit, honey, ginger and peach- a whole different animal!  On the palate we got a fuller bodied wine with flavors of pronounced orange, less lime this time but lemon drops, ginger and Welch’s white grape juice.  Medium (+) finish btw.  I was consistent with the 92 points and for $25 it is a great intro to a higher quality Pinot Gris.  5 stars, pair it with shellfish and perhaps cellar for a few years.  Salut….

Vega Sicilia ‘Pintia’ 2015, Toro, Spain

11 Sunday Jul 2021

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This was the last bottle of our 19th Virtual Wine Tasting. Intense purple in the glass- this wine had a rustic nose with earth, barnyard, dill, dried herbs, blackberry, cedar and dark fruit jam. On the palate the group got toasted marshmallow, jam, Angostura Bitters (?), blackberry, black cherry, cedar and dusty earth. My initial reaction was that this wine was yummy and very smooth. It is very balanced and the tannins are so fine grained it gives a beautiful mouthfeel. Richness and complexity galore make this an excellent wine that gets 94 points from me. At $60 it’s a pricy one for sure, but worth every drop. 5 stars. Drink till 2030 with grilled lamb, shish kebabs or pasta. Stunning Tempranillo and one of the best we have had in our tasting group IMHO. Salut….

Dievole Novecento Riserva 2015, Chianti Classico DOCG, Italy

11 Sunday Jul 2021

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The third wine at tasting #19 was this 100% Sangiovese. Medium purple, it was more opaque than I was expecting from this varietal. The tasters got aromas of raspberry, flowers, iodine, chocolate, black cherry and a medicinal note (Oak influence?). On the palate it was very smooth with grippy tannins and medium plus acidity. Flavors of black cherry, coffee, iodine, licorice and black tea were accompanied by that medicinal note which someone stated was akin to cherry cough syrup. It is a tasty, bold wine with lots of aging capacity. It will drink well now if you like them tannic, or mellow out in a cellar and be more approachable in 2025 till 2030. 91 points from me for this $33 effort makes it a 4 star wine. Salut….

Altos Las Hormigas Reserve Malbec 2018, Uco Valley, Argentina

11 Sunday Jul 2021

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This Malbec was the second wine in the 19th Virtual Wine tasting. Deep purple with nice legs it had aromas of tobacco, smoke, pepper, black cherry, plum, chocolate and black licorice. The tasters got rich plum, medium tannins, medium acidity, pepper, raspberry, cocoa powder, black cherry and licorice on a medium finish . No apparent oak notes btw. I liked it and for $26 this 90 point effort is getting 4 stars. Drink til 2028 with grilled meat. Salut….

Chateau Miraval Cotes de Provence Rose 2019, France

11 Sunday Jul 2021

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We kicked off the 19th Virtual Wine Tasting with this French rosé, served at room temp and chilled for comparison. The wine is a lovely pale orange in the glass. The tasters found aromas and flavors of apricot, almond, tangerine, strawberry, citrus, marzipan and pink grapefruit. The chilled version was more intense with peach, quince, citrus, honeysuckle and green pear on the nose and peach, rhubarb (?), orange and crab apples on the palate. We felt the wine was a touch sour with a bitter aftertaste. The room temp version had medium acidity whilst the chilled one was more acidic. Overall I give the wine 88 points. Drink now with smoked salmon, shrimp cocktail or a salad Nicoise. At $20 per, it gets 3 stars from me. Salut….

Beronia Reserva 2015, Rioja DOCa, Spain

29 Saturday May 2021

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Last up at the virtual wine tasting #18 was this Tempranillo. In the glass it is mostly opaque and a dark claret in color. The nose was a bit of a shocker to us…. figs, dried fruit, mulberry. It was port-like and not very fresh and inviting. On the palate it was gamy with vanilla, dried sage, cedar, bramble, dried fruit and ‘Plummy potpourri’ from one of the group. The wine has slight tannins and low acidity. It was a bit of a disappointment to me and I gave it a scant 13 points on our 20 point scoring sheet. Technically speaking, it got 89 points from me, and at $17 it is worthy of 3 stars. But wait…… I re-tasted it after a while and upped my score to 15+. It grew on me and the funkiness dissipated somewhat, allowing more fruit to come out versus tertiary notes. It is fully mature at this stage and needs to be drunk asap, but I’m not sure of pairings. The flavor profile is very advanced and not what I would want to drink with dinner. An interesting wine for sure compared to the ’04 Beronia I loved. Salut….

Ridge Vineyards Pagani Ranch Zinfandel 2018, Sonoma Valley, USA

29 Saturday May 2021

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This winery makes some world class wines and this Zinfandel, with a blend of 9% Alicante Bouschet and 7% Petite Sirah, is simply delicious. Our virtual tasting group last had a Zin in August 2020- it was time. This wine is dark purple and opaque. The nose caught us all off-guard, it was an explosion of racy, jammy blackberry, white and black pepper, mulling spice (Nutmeg?), rose and a touch of funk. The palate was delicious but not as potent. The blackberry jam, pepper and spice were all present alongside ripe, smooth tannins and juicy acidity. The finish was a decent length. I scored this wine 91 points and initially thought it was my WOTN. For $33 this highly rated (95 points by the pros) is a steal worthy of 5 stars. The quality is very high and it will cellar nicely till 2028. It sports a hefty 14.9% ABV, which is hidden nicely, giving the wine a nice body and good mouthfeel. Pair it with hearty stews, grilled lamb chops or Beef Wellington. Salut….