Archive for the ‘Tasting Notes’ Category
Monday, April 13th, 2009
92/B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 12 Mar 2009
Dark, inky purple core with a glass-staining fuchsia rim. Gamy and meaty aromas of brown sugar glazed ham stalk over fresh herbal anise, dark blueberry and ripe blackberry fruits. Wild yet impressively restrained blueberry and huckleberry on the palate are backed by ripe black cherry. Thick and mouth filling with enough acid for balance. The dense fruit gives way to wisps of smoky ham and brown sugar on the finish.
A blend of 79.1% Petite Sirah, 9.5% Syrah, 9.1% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2.3% Valdiguié
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Tags: 2006, anise, black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, brown sugar, ca, california, central coast, fuchsia, game, gamy, ham, herb, huckleberry, j. lohr, meat, meaty, petite sirah, purple, red wine, san luis obispo, smoke, Syrah, tower road vineyard, USA
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
90/B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 12 Mar 2009
The wine is an opaque deep purple in the glass surrounded by a tiny bright ruby rim. Warm, rich and opulent aromas of blackberry and chocolate are wrapped in crème de cassis and accented by a touch of wet stone. Black cherry and cassis jump on the front of the tongue, and are nicely balanced by the acid. Ripe, soft tannins support the body yet make it approachable now. A touch of cedar and toasty vanilla come in on the finish.
A blend of 77.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22.5% Petite Sirah. Aged for 18 months in 100% new French Oak barrels.
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Tags: 2005, black cherry, blackberry, cabernet sauvignon, california, carol, carol's vineyard, cedar, chocolate, creme de cassis, j. lohr, napa valley, north coast, petite sirah, purple, red wine, ruby, saint, st. helena, stone, toast, USA, vanilla
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
90/B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 12 Mar 2009
Bright medium lemon core with a clear rim. Good intensity on the nose with bright lemon and lime softened by ripe yellow apple. The whole nose has a sweet orange blossom note lifting the aromas out of the glass. Very floral on the palate. Round and full-bodied yet with great balancing acidity. Oranges, lemons and limes are softened by the yellow apple. Just a touch of oak and cream rounds out the finish.
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Tags: 2007, arroyo seco, california, central coast, chardonnay, cream, floral, j. lohr, lemon, lime, monterey, oak, october night vineyard, orange, orange blossom, USA, White wine, yellow apple
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
90/A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 10 Mar 2009
Dark ruby core with purple highlights, surrounded by a bright ruby rim. Intense, fruity nose of ripe blackberry, raspberry and red cherry wrapped in rich milk chocolate. Lush entry onto the palate: juicy red and black cherries with ripe raspberry are supported by roasted coffee and dark chocolate. The tannins are fully yet ripe and approachable, supporting the fruit through the finish. A touch of cedar spice leads to lingering cherry and mocha on the finish.
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Tags: 2006, black cherry, blackberry, california, cedar, central coast, coffee, dark chocolate, j. lohr, los osos, merlot, milk chocolate, mocha, paso robles, purple, raspberry, red cherry, red wine, ruby, san luis obispo, spice, USA
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
90/A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 08 Mar 2009
Deep ruby core with a bright pink rim that stains the glass. Dark black cherry and plum aromas are accented by baking spices, a touch of fresh herbs and smooth, warm vanilla. Easy entry on the palate with great mouth feel and intensity of flavors. The tannins are very smooth and support the wine without getting in the way of your enjoying it. Spicy nutmeg and vanilla add a nice punch to the blackberry, cassis and black cherry fruits. Just a hint of toast lingers on the finish.
If you’re looking for a young, smooth, easy drinking Cab that packs all the flavor and complexity without the severe tannins, then this is your wine. Juicy and rich, yet smooth and ready to go. It has the body to last another 4 or 5 years, but who has that kind of patience? The rich fruit begs to be paired with a burger or steak, but you’ll want to grab more than one bottle of this because once the food is gone, the smooth texture and balanced flavors will keep you refilling your glass until the last drop disappears.
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Tags: 2006, baking spice, black cherry, blackberry, cabernet sauvignon, cassis, chateau ste michelle, columbia valley, herb, indian wells, nutmeg, pink, plum, red wine, ruby, sainte, spice, toast, USA, vanilla, Washington
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
89/A+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 03 Mar 2009
Pale lemon color with a clear rim. Very bright, fresh citrus fruit aromas with lemon jumping out of the glass over sweeter notes of white peach. A touch of apple and flint on the back; the front palate has rich lemon curd flavors. Great acidity with a nice medium bodied mouth feel. Lots of stony minerality surrounds sweet Meyer lemon, green apple and a touch of toast. The finish is impressively long for this entry level wine.
Crisp and clean, this is a wine that will make you wish spring would hurry up and get here. A fantastic wine to drink while you’re deciding what to make for dinner, but it has enough body to stand up to creamy fish dishes, roast chicken and even pork (see more on pairing food & wine here). Over delivering for the price, this is a great ringer to pull out if you know you have a white Burgundy fan coming over. This vintage was just released, so if you don’t see it yet in your local store, keep looking.
Drouhin offers a fantastic line of wines from the standard Bourgogne Rouge and Blanc up to some of the best Grand Crus produced. They generally over deliver at all price points, but the ‘07 Macon Village is truly an impressive value. It’s cheaper than wines from neighboring Pouilly Fuissé, but this one retains a great mineral quality to the fruit. Drink it now and any time over the next 3-4 years.
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Tags: 2007, apple, Burgundy, chardonnay, citrus, flint, france, green apple, joseph drouhin, lemon, lemon curd, macon villages blanc, maconnais, maison, meyer, mineral, toast, white peach, White wine
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
89/B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 29 Jan 2009
Dark purple core with a bright ruby rim that stains the glass. Big aromas of blackberry and blueberry are lifted from the glass by a crushed rose petal note, all surrounded by dark wet stone, game and a touch of smoke. Very floral on the palate with dark charcoal and chocolate notes rushing in around ripe blackberry. Great acid on the mid-palate and a spicy, creamy, nutmeg and vanilla finish.
The acid core of this wine screams for food while the dense, dark, smoky fruit says “whatever you eat, make steak and put it on the grill.” Garnacha (Grenache) is the staple of the Calatayud region in northeast Spain. Recent developments in winemaking (fermenting in steel, aging in new oak) have changed the local style to a more robust, clean and powerful red. The Atteca is a great example of this style, and by using old vines (80-120 years) they get intensity of flavor while maintaining fantastic balance. Grenache of this intensity from just a few miles further northeast (such as Chateauneuf du Pape) would easily cost twice the price.
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Tags: 2007, aragon, atteca old vines garnacha, blackberry, blueberry, bodegas ateca, calatayud, charcoal, Chateauneuf du Pape, chocolate, cream, floral, game, grenache, nutmeg, purple, red wine, rose petal, ruby, smoke, spain, spice, stone, vanilla
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
92/A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 18 Jan 2009
Deep ruby core with a paler rim and slight garnet highlights. Clean fruit and spice aromas of plums, cinnamon and black cherry with a rustic earth, stone and leather quality, all accented by roasted coffee. Fairly full bodied in the mouth with intense flavors of smoky plums and roasted black cherries backed by spicy black pepper, coffee, nutmeg and baker’s chocolate with a hint of wild game.
This is an intense, complex wine. 2004 is sandwiched between two more critically acclaimed vintages. As a result, many great Provence wines from 2004 were overlooked, and this is a real hidden gem. While not a cheap wine, it is powerful and well balanced, and will impress any aficionado. Showing well now, but likely to continue getting better for another couple of years. A blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Tags: 2004, black cherry, black pepper, cabernet s, chateau d'estoublon les baux de provence, chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, earth, estoublon, france, garnet, grenache, leather, mourvedre, nutmeg, plum, red wine, ruby, smoke, spice, stone, Syrah, wild game
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
88/B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 08 Mar 2009
Bright ruby core with a garnet rim. Rich spicy plum aromas are mobbed by sweet candied violets, cassis and a touch of green tea and dried cherries. Plums and nutmeg spice dominate the palate. Ripe, round tannins provide plenty of support for the fruit. Finish of plums and black cherries.
A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Tags: 2005, black, cabernet sauvignon, candy, cassis, cherry, chile, colchagua valley, garnet, green tea, merlot, nutmeg, plum, red wine, ruby, sincerity, spice, violet
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
87/A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 08 Mar 2009
Deep ruby color in the core with a lighter pink rim. Very youthful in the glass with fresh blackberry and cherry surrounded by a touch of currant leaf, toast and mocha. Rich black cherry and cassis flavors fill the mouth, supported by a touch of leafy greens. Bold tannins fill the mid palate and the finish lingers with flavors of toast and black cherry.
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Tags: 2007, black, blackberry, cabernet sauvignon, casillero del diablo, cassis, central valley, cherry, chile, currant, green, leaf, mocha, pink, red wine, ruby, toast
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