NV Graham's 10 Year Old Tawny Porto, Portugal, Wine Review

Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$30.00USD

A very nice ten year Tawny Port.  Ten years is the average age of the wine which is a blend of 50% Touriga Nacional, 25% Touriga Franca, and 25% Tinta Barroca.  Iced tea in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with a nutty quality along with slight chocolate and a bit of Crème brûlée.  Full bodied.  Viscous.  On the palate, this is sweet, not cloying with some alcohol showing (20% abv).  It is complex and deep.  Long finish.  This is nice on its own and will work well with a less sweet dessert.  Something nutty would be ideal, but even a Pecan Roll would work.  So would a Snickers ba

2020 Bodegas El Nido Clio, Spain, Jumilla, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$36.00USD

This is the big, modern style of Spanish wine.  It is a blend of 70% Monastrell and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is intense with black cherries, black raspberries, blueberries along with char and spices.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Juicy, velvety texture.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Black cherries and cassis notes with spice and underlying char.  Enough acidity to handle the fruit.  Long finish.  Of course, this is young and will develop and mellow a bit as the tannins and fruit integrate, but this is not a shy wine not will it be in twent

2011 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Bosconia, Spain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2011
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$30.00USD

This was the second time tasting this wine this month.  Lucky me!  It is classic old style Rioja impeccably produced.   Truly a great value in traditional Rioja.  The wine is fermented in 144 year old oak vats before being stored for five years in used American oak barrels and five more in bottles.  It is a blend of Tempranillo (80%), Garnacho (15%), Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano (5%) from estate vineyards. Ruby in color with some purple swirls and maybe just a hint of orange.  The nose is great with cherries, spice, cedar, dust and slight herbal note.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.

2021 Bodegas La Cana Albariño, Spain, Rias Baixis, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$14.00USD

This is a crisp white wine from northwest Spain.  It is made from 100% Albarino grapes.  It sees 35% Large used oak barrels and the rest stainless steel.  Pale yellow gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lemon/lime but also a slight papaya note with lots of minerality.  A touch of salinity on the nose.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, crisp acidity with a lovely texture.  Limes with a slight herbal note (chervil?) and mineral undertones.  Long finish.  This is a seriously great value in whites.  While I do like the California Albarino's, its hard to justify paying for them when Spa

2021 Quinta de Curvos Loureiro Vinho Verde, Portugal, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$12.00USD

This is a slightly spritzy wine from northwest Portugal.  It is a bit unique for Vinho Verde as it is 100% Laureiro grapes.  Straw colored with just a bit of smallish bubbles showing at the rim, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with a slight floral note, limes and lots of minerality.  Light bodied with a bit of a spritz still showing.  Crisp acidity.  On the palate, flavors of limes and slight tangerines with underlying minerality.  Nice finish.  This is very refreshing on its own but is also very food friendly with lighter food.  Soft chesses or Quiche would be nice for brunch or lunch.

2020 North Coast Wine Club Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

This is made in Solon, Ohio with purchased grapes from California.  It is a lighter styled, "Claret" Zinfandel.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has raspberries, cranberries and slight bramble.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is solid.  Raspberries and bramble.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This drinks easy on its own but is probably better with food.  It went well with just sitting around having mixed nuts and cheeses.  Drink over the next few years.  

2022 North Coast Wine Club Unoaked Chardonnay Ohio White Wine, USA, Ohio, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2022
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$18.00USD

This is really a nice wine.  This retails for $18 and that is a great value.  Light golden in color with a swirl of green hues, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with red apples, slight herbal note and nice minerality.  Light to medium bodied but with a slight viscosity in the glass.  On the palate, this is easy and refreshing.  Flavors of apples with underlying minerality.  Tasty.  Very nice on its own, this will make great summer sipping on the deck with light foods.  Drink over the next few years.  

2017 Maison Dampt Chablis Grand Cru Bougros, France, Burgundy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

Drank this bottle among friends at the end of an evening and it was perfect in that spot.  Refreshing and energetic.  Light golden in color with green hues, clear and bright.  The nose has green apples, slight quince, minerality and a tweak of lemons.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is crisp and refreshing on a beautiful summer evening.  Flavors of citrus and green apples with slight minerals.  Long finish.  Great on its own, this is food friendly and would work well with vegetarian or seafood dishes.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  

2005 Château Pape Clément, France, Bordeaux, Pessac-Leognan, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$263.00USD

A blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon.  The cork was popped at 9:00 am, a half ounce poured off, then a neutral cork inserted before being transported and served at 7:00 pm.  The wine took about 30 minutes to really open and hit its stride.  Purple in color with a ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The nose shows black cherries, cassis, smoke, slight chocolate, and leather.  With air, a subtle earthiness emerges that is classic Bordeaux.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is complex and deep.  Cassis, black cherries, chocolate cigar box notes and earth.  Layers that un

2002 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, France, Burgundy, Cote de Beaune, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2002
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A

Great showing for this bottle.  This is a big, round white Burgundy that at age 21, is just about at peak.  Deep golden in color with some orange hues, clear and bright.  The color likely influenced by both the time spent in oak and the age of the wine, but certainly proper.  The nose is nice with red apples, with air, some lemon cream, just a very slight brown sugar note, and great minerality.  Almost viscous, but crisp at the same time gives this a nice texture.

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