Chateau Musar is one of the great wineries of the world. Add to that the idea of making wine in Lebanon and its even more remarkable. This wine is outstanding.
This is 75% Mourvèdre, 14% Grenache, 9% Cinsault, and 2% Carignan. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is tight. Dusty with black cherries. On the palate, this has a wonderful glycerin texture but is tight as a drum. Not much fruit today. Some slightly bitter notes. With air some black cherries come out. Shorter finish. This keeps getting better with air so if drinking soon, give it a few hours in a decanter. Better to wait five to ten more years on it. All that said, it's perhaps harsh as the overall experience is still very pleasing. It will need big food today to pair
My favorite Carlisle wine, and that is really saying something. There is something about this vineyard that just does it. It has a lot to do with texture although the other aspects are great too. And every vintage, Mike Officer seems to do better and better though 2016 might be hard to beat. Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, tobacco and spice. On the palate, this is lush and enveloping while being precise and concentrated. Notes of black raspberries and blueberries over a dry tobacco and earth along with a nice peppery quality. Great balance and a long
This has 80% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Sirah, and 4% Carignane. It is drinking just wonderfully right now. Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, dust, leather, slight earthiness and cherries. On the palate, this is fresh with vibrant fruit and light tannins. Black raspberries, slight peppery notes and a nice warm earthiness to it. Good balance. Nice finish. Just a lovely wine. It won't get better but should continue to mature and evolve over the next decade. Will work with almost any food at this point.
This is a hodgepodge of grapes made in a "natural wine" style. Twenty-five percent Alicante Bouschet, Grenache, Cinsault, Mondeuse, and Zinfandel from one source; another 25% Valdiguié; and the rest Syrah, Tannat, St. Laurent, and Carignan made from vineyards across California. This was being closed out at a local wine store for $20. Ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose has a sweaty sock quality to it. Once you get past that, there are some cherries and pomegranate notes.
This one comes in a unique shaped bottle. It is drinking quite well today and should easily last for five more years. Ruby/purple, clear and bright. The nose is tight at first. With air, some black raspberries and raspberries come out. Also some floral qualities and some spice. On the palate, this has nice black raspberry fruit. Slight leather. Medium tannins. A bit dusty underneath. Good finish. Very food friendly. At around $15, this is a very nice value.
This was a quite a nice surprise. No idea as to how old the vines are but the first vintage this wine was made is 2002. Deep ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose has red berries; cherries, elderberries and red currants. There is a slight, slight celery note as well which is there but hardly a distraction. On the palate, this is delicious. Deep with a nice complexity. Soft texture but firm tannins. Enough acidity. Good cherry fruit with a slight red currant note. Nice finish. This seems like it is young and has some upside. It should be good for five to ten more years. Very
Sean Thackrey is one of the world's great winemakers who hangs out in Bolinas California. This is basically a field blend of what doesn't make his top Cuvees. Although it is non-vintage, each Cuvee carries a Roman Numeral designate. This is XI, but the current release is XXV. This wine is approximately 16 years old and was really made to be drunk in the first few years. Sometime, however, wines hide in the cellar only to provide a pleasant surprise later on. It was originally claimed to be a blend of Syrah, Petite Syrah, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Carignan, and Barbera, however, DNA testi
This is a joint project from two successful winemakers from other parts of France. It is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignane according to the web site. This was really good and for $9 a screaming value. It is a fruity wine and drinking quite well right now. Perfect for this summers BBQ's and parties. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is slightly earthy with black raspberries and a slight pine note which was enjoyable. On the palate, this has firm tannins. Black raspberries and black licorice underneath. Bright fruit. There is even some upside with this wine over the
Wow. It has been a while since I have tried any of the single vineyard wines from Ravenswood. This is great! Really glad to revisit these. Made in Dry Creek Valley on gravelly clay loam soils. 15.1% Alc but no hint of it. Ruby/purple in color. Clear and bright. The nose is earthy and dusty with black cherries and a bit of pepper. With air, an underlying char shows thru. On the palate, this is soft and smooth. It starts easy which is nice before picking up weight. Sour black cherries and some blueberries. The mid-palate has some black licorice too. Plenty of depth here. Medium
