A very pretty color of ruby with a very wide brick rim.
Interesting nose of blackberries, cedar, cooked cherries, raisins, figs, chocolates, sweet vanilla, cola, spices, mint and black pepper.
Medium bodied with medium plus acidity and long legs.
Dry and very fruity on the palate with cooked cherries and strawberries, lemon peel, vanilla, light raisins, dried fruits, cedar, herbs, licorice, cola, chocolates, sweet vinaigrette, spices and black pepper.
Long finish with fine tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a delicious Grenache from Mendocino County in California. Much lighter than I expected it to be, but it is so yummy.
This Single Vineyard is good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of airtime, when it shows the complexity.
This six year old is peaking now, and drinking very nicely with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.
Alcohol is not showing at all, so watch out. Nicely balanced at this point. Easy drinking and tasty.
A great sipping wine, but good with food too. I paired it with Brie cheese and crackers.
14.8% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$42.
Tag: wine review
Siglo Rioja Tempranillo 2018, Spain
Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.
Nice fruity nose with cedar, black currants, black cherries, light earth, vegetables, vanilla, licorice, spices, dark chocolates and black pepper.
Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with blackberries, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, leather, vanilla, spices, espresso, chocolates, light earth and peppercorn.
Medium finish with grippy tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a nice Tempranillo from Rioja. Still young, but already enjoyable, even by itself.
Good right out of the bottle, but after an hour of airtime, tannins come in with nice structure. I really enjoyed the nose here.
Showing a great mouthfeel, but might be much for some (grippy tannins). Needs 5 years in the bottle to chill out.
I paired it with cheeses and light appetizers.
100% Tempranillo grapes were aged in French and American oak barrels for 12 months.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
89 points.
$13.
Patland Estate Vineyards Lillá in Fiore Napa Valley Rosé 2019, California
Very light red/ pinkish in color with light intensity and a neon hue.
Strong nose of raspberries, light cherries, citrus, light barnyard, lemons, spices, light herbs and white pepper.
Full bodied, creamy and smooth, with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with cherries, raspberries, spices, light earth, lemons, pears, ginger and black pepper.
Long finish with tangy lemons.
This is a delicious Rosé from Napa Valley. Smooth and elegant with such a pretty color. Interesting and engaging.
Nicely balanced with a great mouthfeel. Rich with nice complexity.
Fruit forward and tastes like a very light red. Interesting stuff.
A nice sipping wine. Good right out of the bottle and good by itself or with food. Paired beautifully with the prosciutto.
A blend of Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. Aged in neutral French Oak barrels for 6 months. A small production of only 2,892 bottles. This is bottle number 2,469.
14.4% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$42.
Keush Wines Origins Sparkling wine Brut Non Vintage, Armenia
Say hello to my first Armenian wine!
Very light golden in color.
Nice nose of citrus, earth, bread, spices, light vegetables, herbs and white pepper.
Full bodied with medium plus acidity and medium sized bubbles.
Dry on the palate with citrus, lemons, green apples, herbs, yeast, light spices, river rocks, earth and white pepper.
Nice length on the finish with tangy limes.
This is a delicious sparkling wine from Armenia. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.
Needs 20 minutes of airtime to open and show the complexity. As it opens up, more yeast notes show up.
Good by itself or with food. Neither bitter nor tart. Really nice. A good quality wine. Feels like a French Crémant.
Paired very nicely with a French Petit Brie cheese.
A blend of 60% Voskehat and 40% Khatouni. Made in the traditional method. Aged for 22 months on its lees.
12% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$26.
Heir Apparent Cellars Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Napa Valley, California
Dark purple/ inky in color with a short purple rim.
Pretty nose of blackberries, black cherries, licorice, light vanilla, cedar, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, spices, light herbs and pencil lead.
Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked strawberries, spices, vanilla, tobacco, cedar, leather, dark chocolates, coffee, light earth, vegetables, liquorice and black pepper.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Showing a smooth mouthfeel with nice complexity.
Still very young, but already enjoyable, even by itself. Needs 5 to 7 years to mature properly.
A good quality wine that has the potential to become a 95+ point wine.
Needs 4 hours to open up properly, so give it time.
I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Merlot.
14.8% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$165.
Pellet Estate Napa Valley Pellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, California
It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here’s a beautiful Cabernet.
Inky in color with a purplish/ reddish rim.
Fruity nose with blueberries, black currants, black cherries, cedar, light vanilla, tobacco, potpourri notes, chocolates, spices, light earth, wild flowers, licorice and black pepper.
Full-bodied and smooth, with medium acidity and long long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, oak, chocolates, tobacco, licorice, light vanilla, earth, light herbs, spices, coffee, light cola, graphite and black pepper.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a very tasty Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. A very nice sipping wine.
Still young, but already drinking very elegantly, with nice complexity and mouthfeel.
Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime. I gave it two and a half hours, but that might not have been enough. Nevertheless, it is delicious now and good by itself or with food. As it opens up, it shows a gorgeous nose.
Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.
I had the 2014 last year, and it is showing nice consistency. A good quality wine with good potential to become even better.
This Single Vineyard from this great vintage is rich, elegant, soft and spicy. Just Delicious.
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Aged for 20 months in French oak barrels (75% new). A small production of 375 cases.
14.7% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$110.
Chateau Bellefont Belcier Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2018, Bordeaux, France
It’s time for some Merlot on this#MerlotThursday.
Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
On the nose, plums, black currants, strawberries, sweet cherries, light cedar, licorice, vanilla, earth, herbs, chocolates, tobacco, spices, dark coffee and black pepper.
Medium plus in body and soft, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with currants, black plums, cherries, oak, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth, light vegetables and herbs.
Medium finish with fine tannins, tangy raspberries and peppercorn.
This young Bordeaux from Saint Émilion is already showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.
Tasty and interesting. Tangy and rich. Needs a couple of hours to open up properly.
Still young, but starting to drink nicely now. I am surprised of how approachable it is already. Still a little unbalanced, and needs another few years in the bottle to mature properly. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years.
This 2018 vintage is showing a lot of potential. A little lighter than the 2016 I had a couple of weeks ago.
A good quality wine that will age nicely in the next 15 to 20 years.
I paired it with Brie cheese and crackers.
A blend of 68% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
90 points.
$55.
Domaine du Terme Vacqueyras Rouge 2018, Rhône, France
A pretty color of ruby with a wide red rim.
On the nose cherries, blueberries, violets, spices, river rocks, earth, concrete, light vegetables and black pepper.
Medium bodied and airy, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with cherries, sweet raspberries, tobacco, spices, coffee, earth, vegetables, light alcohol and peppercorn.
Medium finish with fine grained tannins and red chili powder.
This is a young red blend from Southern Rhone. Showing fresh fruits with earth notes. Nice and interesting.
Needs an hour to open up and remove some of the acidity. Tannins show up after 60 minutes.
Already drinking nicely, but needs a few years to calm down. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years.
Showing mild complexity, and a little hot at the back of the throat right now. Gentle and elegant. Spicy and tangy.
Good by itself and better with food. Paired nicely with Camembert and crackers.
A blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. Unfiltered and fined.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
89 points.
$22.
Macrostie Winery and Vineyards Rosé of Pinot Noir 2020, California
Pretty salmon in color with light intensity.
Fruity nose of strawberries, light raspberries, citrus, light green apples, spices and minerals.
Medium-bodied with medium-plus acidity. Crisp and refreshing.
Dry on the palate with strawberries, green apples, grapefruits, bitter herbs, spices, light earth and white pepper.
Spicy finish with limes and bitter almonds.
This is an enjoyable Rosé from California. Vibrant and bright.
Refreshing, good by itself and better with food. A good wine to have by the pool, too.
I paired it with a few different cheddar cheeses.
100% Pinot Noir grapes are grown in Sonoma County and Mendocino County.
14.1% alcohol by volume.
88 points.
$28.
Campbell Lane Winery Willamette Valley Estate Grown Pinot Gris 2018, Oregon
Pale lemon in color with a green hue.
Nose of citrus, limes, green apples, white pepper and light earth.
Medium bodied with medium acidity. Crisp and refreshing.
Dry on the palate with limes, light grapefruits, green apples, white pepper and lemons.
Long finish with lemons and spices.
This is a very tasty Pinot Gris from Oregon. Nicely balanced with mild complexity. Not bitter nor tart. Love it.
This 3 year old is drinking very nicely now, and will be even better in a year or two.
Lemony and refreshing, and good by itself or with food.
Paired nicely with hardwood smoked Ahi Tuna and a gorgeous view by the lake.
12.9% alcohol by volume.
90 points.
$22.
