Archive for the ‘Tasting Notes’ Category
Monday, April 13th, 2009
90/A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 04 Apr 2009
Very pale platinum-blond color. Fresh and explosive aromas jump out of the glass: ruby grapefruit, cut lemongrass and freshly clipped tomato vines. Great mouth feel. Lush and juicy with vibrant acidity. Tons of ruby grapefruit flavors are joined by ripe lemon and lime. A faint hint of grass comes in on the back end, leading to lingering citrus with a touch of wet stone.
This is what Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is all about. Fresh, juicy, crisp and delicious. Always a strong wine, Kim Crawford has done it again with the 2008 vintage. Great for sipping by itself on a hot day, but also perfect for an outdoor barbecue. Works well with most white fish, particularly when drizzled with lemon. A nice match to grilled pork chops with rosemary too. As a bonus, it’s a screw cap wine, which makes it an easy grab-n-go for a picnic!
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Tags: 2008, citrus, grass, kim crawford, lemon, lemongrass, lime, Marlborough, new zealand, ruby grapefruit, Sauvignon Blanc, tomato vine, wet stone, White wine
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
89/A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 31 Mar 2009
Pale lemon core with a clear rim. Crisp, fresh aromas of white grapefruit and lime with a hint of honey and ripe honeydew melon. Reminiscent of a Sauvignon Blanc, but with softer melon notes. Surprisingly creamy on the palate entry. Round and full with flavors of kiwi, honeydew and citrus all backed by a wet stone minerality on the finish.
This is a stunning and unique summer wine that is a must, because you’ve probably never tried anything like it. It’s made from the Godello grape, a rare variety local to Valdeorras. Has all the great citrus-crisp intensity of a fresh New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but hits you in the mouth with amazing balance, creaminess and full body. A definite winner for lounging in the sun on a picnic, but it will also stand up impressively well to full-bodied, meaty fish like tuna or shark on the grill.
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Tags: 2007, adega o casal, casal novo, citrus, cream, godello, honey, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemon, lime, mineral, spain, valdeorras, wet stone, white grapefruit, White wine
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
88/A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 07 Mar 2009
Pale lemon yellow core in the glass. Youthful and fresh aromas of green apple and a touch of lemon all surrounded by light white flower hints. Dry on the palate with great zesty acidity. Lemon zest, green apple and white peach surround a hint of wet stone.
A perfect wine to kick off the beginning of Spring. Fresh, crisp and easy to drink. The perfect cocktail wine for a Thursday evening or just hanging out in the back yard while playing fetch with the dog on a Saturday afternoon. Also a perfect accompaniment to crab or oysters. Sylvaner is one of the classic grapes of Alsace that is unfortunately being replaced in many areas by the more popular Riesling grape.
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Tags: 2007, alsace, domaine ostertag, france, green apple, lemon, lemon zest, les vieilles vignes, sylvaner, wet stone, white flower, white peach, White wine
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
88/A+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 08 Mar 2009
Medium ruby core with a pale pink rim. Very intense, youthful aromas of fresh cut violets, ripe cherry, blackberry and strawberry fruits. Good body with soft, ripe tannins and a great punch of acidity making the wine extra juicy on the palate. Round, rich black cherry, blackberry and raspberry are all underscored by a hint of wet earth.
Pinot Noir keeps going up in price due to worldwide demand, but the quality seems to continue to drop. I typically turn to Argentina for great values on spicy reds like Malbec, but the quality for the dollar on this little beauty blew me away. Balanced and light-bodied enough for just sitting around and sipping on a lazy Saturday afternoon or as a way to unwind after work while you’re waiting for the delivery guy to bring dinner.
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Tags: 2007, alfredo roca, Argentina, black cherry, blackberry, cherry, earth, Mendoza, pink, pinot noir, raspberry, red wine, ruby, san rafael, strawberry, violet
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
84/B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 21 Feb 2009
Medium ruby core with bright purple highlights. Fresh and juicy with red cherry, raspberry and blackberry aromas. Very smooth entry in the mouth. Nice acid makes it juicy. Medium bodied with lots of bright red fruit. Decent balance and a medium-length finish.
Not a wine to impress a bunch of wine geeks, but good enough (and worth the money) for just sitting around and enjoying the company or conversation. It’s kind of like bringing a 30-rack of Coors Light to a party: nobody will complain, because it’s free wine, but if you want to make an impression, bring another bottle along.
This wine was tasted from a 3.0L box, which is the equivalent of 4 bottles of wine. So the “B+” Value Grade is for the wine being priced at about $4.00/bottle.
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Tags: 2007, blackberry, cabernet sauvignon, california, coors light, juice, purple, raspberry, red cherry, red wine, ruby, Shiraz, target, trinchero, wine cube
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
89/B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 02 Apr 2009
Pale lime green core with a clear rim. Sweet honeysuckle aromas are backed by lemon and lime with ripe honeydew melon and a touch of petrol. Passion fruit on the front palate is quickly joined by juicy lime with notes of honeysuckle. Good acid and body with just a faint hint of sweetness on the back end.
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Tags: 2007, california, dry, estate, honeydew, honeysuckle, lemon, lime, lime green, melon, Napa, north coast, oak knoll district, passion fruit, petrol, Riesling, trefethen, White wine
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
90/A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 30 Jan 2009
Pale lemon yellow color with a clear rim. Fresh and light aromas of cantaloupe melon and lime with a touch of minerality and some light floral notes. Sweet kiwi and honeydew fruits on the front palate. Crisp, clean, fresh and dry (no sugar) with a medium length finish.
Chenin Blanc (or Steen as it is called in South Africa) can be a very refreshing and delicious wine when made right, and this one from Mulderbosch is a fantastic example. Aside from some parts of France, South Africa is generally the only region in the world that manages to capture the delicacy of this wine, bringing out impressive flavors while keeping it all in balance. This is a great value for South Africa, and a great value for Chenin Blanc from anywhere. A perfect drink before or after a meal, and it goes very well with white fish or vegetable stir fry. (It says “Steen Op Hout” on the label, which in Afrikaans means “Chenin Blanc aged in wood”.)
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Tags: 2008, cantaloupe, chenin blanc, Coastal Region, floral, flower, honeydew, kiwi, lemon, lime, melon, mineral, mulderbosch, oak, South Africa, Stellenbosch, White wine
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
90/A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 08 Mar 2009
Deep ruby core with color that stains the glass. Ripe black cherry and blackberry aromas are surrounded by smoky dried herbs and rich, roasted raspberry. Medium bodied with great acid on the palate. Very juicy fruit flavors of strawberry, black cherry and raspberry are surrounded by a complex smoked meat nuance. Lingering smoky fruit on the finish.
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Tags: 2006, Argentina, black cherry, blackberry, bonarda, guymalen, herb, la posta, meat, Mendoza, raspberry, red wine, ruby, smoke, strawberry
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
89/A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 08 Mar 2009
Medium lemon yellow core with a clear rim. Tons of youthful, floral aromas explode from the glass. Orange blossom, jasmine and rich apricot are underscored by darker wet stone, and lifted back up by baking spices and fresh citrus. Very floral on the palate with stone fruit flavors of peach and apricot, surrounded by lemon and lime. Fresh, crisp and easy to drink.
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Tags: 2008, apricot, Argentina, baking spice, cafayate, calchaquies valley, citrus, crios de susana balbo, dominio del plata, floral, flower, jasmine, lemon, lime, orange blossom, peach, salta, stone fruit, torrontes, wet stone, White wine, yellow
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
87/B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 10 Mar 2009
Deep ruby core and rim. Bright ripe cherry and roasted plum aromas are surrounded by warm caramel, chocolate and a hint of sage. Ripe fruit on the front palate with lush black cherry and plum dominating. The fruit drops a bit on the mid-palate as tannins build. Blackberry and baking spices come in on the finish.
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Tags: 2007, baking spice, black cherry, blackberry, cabernet sauvignon, california, caramel, central coast, cherry, chocolate, j. lohr, paso robles, red wine, roast plum, ruby, sage, san luis obispo, seven oaks
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