2015 Bernard Burgaud Côte-Rôtie, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$78.00USD

Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is deep with boysenberries, black pepper, spice and roasted meats.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is very concentrated.  It opens in the glass nicely though.  Boysenberries with char and some black pepper.  Good finish.  This is drinking well but not yet at peak.  Drink over the next ten years.  It will work well with roasted veggies or roasted meats and also went well with Moroccan food.  

2018 Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas, USA, California, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$65.00USD

This is a blend of 40% Mourvedre, 27% Syrah, 23% Grenache, and 10% Counoise.  It is Tablas Creek's version of a Chateauneuf du Pape.  Garnet in color with some purple swirls, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, plums, spice and slight floral notes.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is still young but drinking well with air.  Flavors of black raspberries, plums with spice and char.  Lovely texture.  Long finish.  This should drink well for another ten to fifteen years.  It would be a great with with roasted fowl but also

2018 Hobel Wine Works Cabernet Sauvignon The Figure, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A

Another wine made by Thomas Rivers Brown.  Inky purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright.  The nose has cassis, cedar, baking spice and slight char.  Great texture and balance.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is very concentrated and tight.  It needs air/time.  With about an hour of air it opens with cassis, slight blueberries, spice and char.  Long finish.  Probably best to hold for a few years and drink for ten to fifteen after that.  Great on its own or with a thick slab of meat.  

2011 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2011
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$96.00USD

A blend of 80% Grenache, 6% Syrah, and 4% Mourvedre plus another 10% in various permitted varietals.  Not the best vintage, but this wine rocked.  At age 13, it was close to peak.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, herbs (Garrique), slight black pepper and spices.  Great texture.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is vibrant and complex.  Also delicious.  Cherries, black cherries and spices.  Deep.  Long finish.  Great on its own, this will work well with meat dishes.  Cassoulet is classic.  Drink over the next five to ten years.  

2021 Carlisle Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$52.00USD

This is a blend from the winery's home vineyard of 87% Zinfandel, 13% Mixed Black Varieties (Alicante Bouschet, Petite Sirah, Grand Noir, Peloursin, Trousseau Noir, Tempranillo, Carignan, Muscadelle, Malvasia, Muscat, Clairette blanche & 28 Other Varieties).  Purple in color with some ruby swirls, opaque and bright.  The nose takes about twenty minutes to open and then just keeps improving.  Black cherries, raspberries, char, black raspberries, kirsch, and spice.  Full bodied.  Great energy.  Wonderful balance.  Light to medium tannins.  Great semi-lush texture.  On the palate, this is

1995 Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Italy, Veneto, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1995
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$43.00USD

This one had gotten lost in the cellar and I wondered how it held up.  Quite well I would say.  Past prime, but not by that much.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, dried flowers, spice and some char.  Medium bodied.  Nice balance.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is certainly drinking well.  Some depth.  Flavors of cherries, black cherries with some char.  Long finish.  This is better with a touch of food, but very good.  Fully mature.  Drink up if you have any but based on this bottle, it should go another five to ten.  This would  be great w

1966 Château Durfort-Vivens, France, Bordeaux, Margaux, Wine Revview

Vintage: 
1966
Score: 
70
Grade: 
C-
Current Price: 
$1000.00USD

Taken from a less than ideal cellar, but the fill was mid-shoulder and it looked ok.  Turned out, it was.  Brick red in color but clear and more importantly, bright.  The nose is slightly earthy but there are cherries and a slight perfume note.  Medium bodied with good acidity.  No tannins.  On the palate, this is of course, old and past prime, but there is still some fruit left.  Cherries, dried cherries and earth.  Clipped finish.  Worth drinking a glass.  Probably not worth serving with food, more of an intellectual curiosity.  

1966 Château Duhart-Milon, France, Bordeaux, Pauillac, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1966
Score: 
60
Grade: 
D-
Current Price: 
$229.00USD

Taken from a less than ideal cellar.  Ullage was in the low shoulder.  Mostly brown (iced tea) in color but some ruby hues.  The nose was mushrooms along with a touch of dried cherries and slight cherry fruit.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, mostly dried fruit and mushrooms with a touch of sour cherries.  Something left but not enough to really bother.  Oh well.  

2020 Chakana Malbec Estate Selection, Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

This wine is consistently an excellent value in Malbec.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has plums, attic dust, and spice.  Full bodied.  Good acidity.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, plums with some spice.  This is deep.  Long finish.  Very nice on its own, this would be a great choice with a mid-week pizza.  Drink over the next five years.  

2020 Precision Wine Company Pinot Noir Ten to Life, USA, California, Sonoma, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$35.00USD

This is a bigger in style Pinot typical of many in Sonoma.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, some black cherries and a nice underlying earthiness.  A soft accessible texture.  On the palate, black cherries with some root beer notes.  Nice finish.  This would work well with Salmon.  Drink over the next five to seven years. 

Pages

Pages