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
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
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
86/B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 08 Mar 2009
Pale gold core with a water white rim. Fresh lemon and yellow apple aromas are surrounded by light toasty oak and vanilla. Very ripe, intense fruit on the front of the palate with so much power that it gives a hint of sweet to the palate. Classic Chardonnay flavors of lemon and apple with a touch of ripe melon giving way to some creamy oak on the finish.
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Tags: 2008, apple, calina, casablanca valley, chardonnay, chile, cream, gold, lemon, melon, oak, reserve, toast, vanilla, White wine, yellow
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
88 / A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 07 Jan 2009
Dark purple core with a bright fuchsia rim. Incredibly young on the nose - very fresh and vibrant. Sweet vanilla and violets surround blackberry, licorice and thick sweet herbal notes with a touch of minerals and flint. Dense on the front palate. Young and bright with lots of acid to balance the solid core of mocha, licorice and blackberries. Medium bodied with a flinty finish.
One of the first 2008 red wines I’ve tasted, and the outlook is very promising for 2008 in Mendoza. (The Southern Hemisphere is 6 months ahead of the Northern, so their wines always come out first.) This is a great little wine that is ready to drink now. Not so complex that you have to think about what you’re doing, but with plenty of smells and flavors to keep you coming back for more. Drink it by itself, with aged cheeses or any red meat, but the ultimate pairing here is some slow-roasted baby back ribs swimming in barbeque sauce.
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Tags: 2008, Argentina, baby, back, barbeque, blackberry, cheese, flint, fuchsia, herb, licorice, maipe, Malbec, meat, Mendoza, mineral, mocha, purple, red, red wine, ribs, sauce, vanilla, violet, wine
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