Archive for January, 2009
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
91 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 03 Nov 2008
Dark ruby core with a lighter rim and a hint of garnet to the edge. Huge plum aromas with fresh black cherry juice surrounded by spicy cedar, nutmeg, raw oak and candied cinnamon. Spicy, rich and dark on the palate. A touch of mocha and cinnamon spice surround lush, juicy plum and blackberry. Medium to full bodied with solid ripe tannic grip. Lingering dark fruits with a touch of earth, scorched oak and coffee beans.
Not your average Merlot, this wine delivers quite a punch of fruit and power. It is good to see Napa producing Merlot of this quality again. Ignore the remarks in “Sideways.” This a great bottle of wine.
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Tags: 2004, beans, black, blackberry, california, candy, cedar, cherry, cinnamon, clement, Coast, coffee, earth, garnet, juice, merlot, mocha, Napa, North, nutmeg, oak, plum, red, red wine, ruby, saint, scorched, sideways, spice, wine
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
90 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 07 Feb 2008
Dark purple core with a purple and ruby rim. Dark and ripe aromas with rich sweet plum surrounded by spicy sweet tobacco and tea. Super ripe cassis and black cherry on the front of the palate. Medium to full bodied with ripe, round tannins and a big cinnamon spice kick followed my smooth vanilla leading to a fruity and full finish.
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Tags: 2004, black, brandlin, cabernet, california, cassis, cherry, cinnamon, Coast, mount, Napa, North, plum, purple, red, red wine, ruby, sauvignon, spice, sweet, tea, tobacco, vanilla, veeder, wine
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
85 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 11 Nov 2008
Dark ruby core with a lighter rim. Fruity and bright aromas of black cherry with smoke and earth wrapped around it. Smooth, easy entry on the palate with bright acid making it fresh and easy to drink. There is a touch of baker’s chocolate with black cherry and raspberries and a nice punch of chewy tannin supporting the body.
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Tags: 2005, Australia, baker's, black, cabernet, cherry, chocolate, earth, merlot, raspberry, red, red wine, rosemount, ruby, sauvignon, smoke, wine
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
90 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 12 Nov 2008
Medium ruby core with a pale pink rim highlighted with garnet. Deliciously smooth caramel and milk chocolate aromas are accented by light violet scents, all surrounding a dense core of ripe black cherries. Much bigger in the mouth than the nose implies with rich cherry fruit, dark scorched earth and silky milk chocolate flavors. Medium to full bodied with hints of baking spices and a long finish.
Not a typical Pinot Noir, this wine has a lot more power and body which make it great for drinking by itself, but also allows it to pair well with all kinds of foods from lighter appetizers to heavier meat dishes like burgers or t-bone steaks.
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Tags: 2003, Argentina, baking, black, Bodega, Bodegas, burger, caramel, cherry, chocolate, earth, garnet, meat, Mendoza, milk, noir, pink, pinot, red, red wine, ruby, salentein, scorched, spice, steak, violet, wine
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
89 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 12 Nov 2008
Medium lemon gold color with a clear rim. Fresh tropical aromas of mango and pineapple over a darker mineral streak of wet flint and lingering yellow apple. Fresh entry to the palate with nice crisp acidity the whole way through. A solid core of minerals are surrounded by yellow apple with a lingering touch of raw honeycomb on the finish.
Finding value from Burgundy can be a challenge, but this wine fits the bill. Lots of great fruit flavors with the acid and minerality that makes Chardonnay from Burgundy so unique.
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Tags: 2005, apple, Burgundy, chardonnay, Domaine, flint, france, gold, honey, honeycomb, laboure, lemon, mango, maximum, mineral, pineapple, raw, roi, tropical, white, White wine, wine, yellow
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
93 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 17 Nov 2008
Medium bright ruby core surrounded by a lighter pink and ruby rim. Initial aromas of fresh toasty oak quickly yield to sweet cherry and wet earth, all surrounded by cool fresh mint and dark black raspberry. Sweet and lush on the front palate leading to a dark, rich mid-palate. Round and full in the mouth with hints of smoky game surrounding the dark cherry and earth flavors. This is young and just hinting at the complexity that will come with some time. Despite the youth, it is an impressively balanced and elegant wine with a very long, smooth finish.
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Tags: 2007, black, california, cherry, Coast, earth, fresh, game, maritime, mint, noir, North, oak, pink, pinot, raspberry, red, red wine, ruby, smith, smoke, sonoma, sweet, toast, w.h.smith, wine
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
92 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 17 Nov 2008
Medium ruby core with a touch of garnet to the rim. Complex, heady aromas. Light floral notes quickly yield to spicy fresh anise, earth and white truffles all surrounding a dark core of wild blackberry and strawberry. Very fruity on the front palate followed quickly by darker earth and truffle flavors. Creamy vanilla over black cherry in the mid palate leads to a long, lingering cream and spice finish underscored by dark scorched earth. Balanced and delicious.
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Tags: 2007, anise, black, blackberry, california, cherry, Coast, cream, eareth, earth, estate, floral, garnet, marimar, noir, North, pinot, red, red wine, scorched, smith, sonoma, spice, strawberry, truffle, vanilla, Vineyard, w.h.smith, white, wild, wine
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
91 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 17 Nov 2008
Dark ruby and purple core with a bright ruby rim. Toasted oak surrounds aromas of dark earth and black cherry with cool cola and spicy herbs. Great entry on the palate; round and soft with nice acid behind it. Good intensity of fruit with hints of baking spices. Well balanced through the finish, leading to lingering vanilla and cherry flavors.
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Tags: 2007, baking, black, california, cherry, Coast, cola, earth, herb, noir, North, oak, pinot, purple, red, red wine, ruby, smith, sonoma, spice, toast, umino, vanilla, Vineyard, w.h.smith, wine
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
91 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 17 Nov 2008
Bright ruby core with a vibrant rim. Lots of violets and roses float over earth, caramel and ripe cherry aromas. Restrained and elegant on palate entry. Solid core of acidity from front to back. Strawberry with a hint of orange zest is followed by scorched earth and lingering vanilla oak. Smooth and fresh with a long, bright finish.
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Tags: 2007, california, caramel, cherry, Coast, earth, hellenthal, noir, North, oak, orange, pinot, red, red wine, rose, ruby, scorch, smith, sonoma, strawberry, vanilla, Vineyard, violet, w.h.smith, wine, zest
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
90 / A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 17 Nov 2008
Medium ruby core with a lighter rim. Ripe black cherry and wild strawberry fruit aromas all surrounded by cooler notes of wet earth and spicy cola. Very round on the entry into the mouth; smooth and silky. Hints of game surround tons of ripe strawberry with a touch of charcoal and dark earth on the finish. Great balance making this an easy drinking, smooth Pinot all the way down.
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Tags: 2007, black, california, charcoal, cherry, Coast, cola, earth, game, noir, North, pinot, red, red wine, ripe, ruby, silk, smith, sonoma, spice, strawberry, w.h.smith, wild, wine
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