2015 Alheit Vineyards Cartology Bush Vines, South Africa, Western Cape, Wine ReviewWine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$43.00USD

This is a blend of 86% Chenin Blanc and 14% Semillon from South Africa.  Medium gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has red apples, slight wax/lanolin notes and a bit of honey dew.  Medium to full bodied.  Some warmth on the palate.  Very concentrated with flavors of apples, slight honeyed notes and an almost lime quality.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  A very serious wine that is ageing well.  It has shed its primary qualities at this point.  This should drink well for another ten years (provided one enjoys aged Chenin).  It went very well with a "Somosa Pie".

NV Brice Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, France, Wine Review

Score: 
91
Grade: 
Current Price: 
$60.00USD

100% Chardonnay from two parcels in Bouzy (Le Mont de Tours and Les Ramonnieres) and Grauves.  Pale gold in color with a nice mousse of small bubbles.  The nose is very clean with some red apples and a bit of yeasty dough.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is crisp and leaner in style.  Granny smith apples with some minerality.  Long finish.  Very nice on its own, this is very food friendly.  It was a nice foil to baked tofu made in a "Buffalo Wings" style.  Drink over the next few years.  

2000 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto, Italy, Tuscany, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2000
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

Purple in color, mostly opaque and flat.  The nose is classic older BDM.  Black cherries, cherries, dust, tea leaves and dirt.  Still firm tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, black cherries with cigar/ash and some forest floor.  Very smooth texture.   Long finish.  At or just past peak but drinking quite well.  Drink over the next few years.  Great on its own, this would be better with food.  Pasta with a Bolognaise sauce would be good match.

2006 Romano Dal Forno Valpolicella Superiore Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta, Italy, Veneto, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2006
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$210.00USD

From one of the top producers in the Veneto (and most expensive), this Valpolicella drinks like a very good Amarone.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has raisins, cherries, tar, graphite, and anise.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Enough acidity.  This wine is dry but very high alcohol.  The palate shows the alcohol but plenty of cherries and prunes along with some underlying tar/asphalt.  Long finish.  At age 17, this is a big, high alcohol wine which may be off putting to some and wonderful to others.  It is great on its own but would work better with

2015 San Felice Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Poggio Rosso, Italy, Tuscany, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$71.00USD

Gran Selezione is the top level of Chianti wines.  This vintage, 2015, was an excellent vintage in Chianti.  And, this wine meets the high expectations those factors create.  Purple in color, with ruby swirls.  The nose is interesting with black cherries, cherries, saw dust and a strong streak of black olives.  Great acidity.  Firm tannins.  Nice texture.  On the palate, this is complex and deep while also delicious.  Black cherries, some cherries with slight tea leaves and char.  Long finish.  Still young, this should get better but drinking nicely now.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen

2021 Château Virgile Costières-de-Nîmes Cuvée l'Énéide, France, Rhone, Costieres de Nimes

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

This is a GSM blend of 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 10% Mourvedre.  Purple core with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  Nice nose of fresh black raspberries, cherries and spice/garrique.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, black raspberries, black pepper and some spice.  Nice texture.  On the palate, black raspberries and black cherries with some underlying char.  Long finish.  This is an easy drinking red that is a step above and should get a bit better with age.  Drink over the next ten years.  Very nice on its own, this would work well with a bowl of chilli.

2016 Domaine Sigalas Vinsanto, Greece, Santorini,

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$100.00USD

This Vin Santo or "Holy Wine" is a blend of Assyrtiko 75% - Aidani 25% from Santorini, Greece.  It is a very interesting Dessert wine, but, a little goes a long way.  Brownish amber in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is big with prunes, toffee, figs, nuts, and coffee.  Full bodied.  Thick and viscous.  On the palate, this is very sweet.

2019 Santo Wines Nykteri, Greece, Santorini, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$39.00USD

This is a traditional blend of Assyrtiko 85%, Athiri 10%, and Aidani 5%.  Nykteri means staying up all night and the grapes are pressed the night after harvesting.  Medium golden in color with some yellow hues, clear and bright.  The nose is great with lemons, floral notes, green apples and just the slightest hint of vanilla.  Medium bodied with wispy tannins.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is round but still retains a fresh acidity.  Flavors of green apples with a touch of baking spices.  This is very concentrated and the finish is quite long.  Nice on its own, this is better with fo

2019 Argyros Assyrtiko Cuvée Nykteri, Greece, Santornini, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$89.00USD

This is 100% Assyrtiko from Santorini, Greece.  Wines from this grape are made in many different styles from crisp, light wines to very serious full bodied wines.  This is the later.  This is fermented in French oak and then aged 12 months in French oak barrels and another twelve months in stainless steel.  The vines are 150 to 200 years old and ungrafted.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is big with citrus, sea air, wet stones and slight orange peel.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is concentrated with lemon-lime notes and underlying  minerality.  Long finish.  This drinks

2021 Riva Leone Piemonte Barbera, Italy, Piedmont, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$12.00USD

Barbera is an interesting grape and the wines produced from it cover a wide range of styles and price points.  This is at the lower end of the price range, but  the wine easily has the quality of wines three or four times as expensive.  Garnet in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, black cherries and slight dust.  Medium bodied.  Strong acidity.  Light tannins.  On the palate, black cherry fruit with great acidity.  Nice finish.  This wine demands food.  All of the classic "Italian Night" foods such as pizza, spaghetti, other pastas, etc.

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