Posts Tagged ‘chocolate’
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
89 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 08 Oct 2008
Dark purple core with a violet rim. Spicy vanilla aromas surround milk chocolate, candied raspberry, fresh blueberry and a touch of licorice. The front palate is lush and bold with sweet blueberries leading to a juicy mid-palate. Full bodied with chewy yet approachable tannins. Dark roasted coffee, smoke and toasted oak linger on the finish.
Tons of flavor and complexity for the price. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (about 50%) and old vine Grenache and Syrah. Great for anyone just getting in to reds, yet it still has enough power and body to impress even the staunchest of Cabernet collectors. This wine also has enough tannin that it will continue to age well, and the oak should integrate into the wine over the next couple of years making it more lush and velvety. The toasted oak gets a little weighty on the back end but will be no problem enjoyed with some good rich foods. This is a unique wine and not imported to many places in the US, but it is worth seeking out and purchasing online!
Click here for full grades section
Tags: 2006, aix, anges, blueberry, cabernet, candy, chateau, chocolate, coffee, Coteaux, d'aix, des, en, france, grenache, licorice, milk, oak, paradis, provence, purple, raspberry, red, red wine, roast, sauvignon, smoke, spice, Syrah, terre, toast, vanilla, violet, wine
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / A+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 13 May 2008
Dark ruby and purple core with a bright ruby rim. Chocolate and fresh oak over rich dark fruit, crushed violets and a hint of spice and game. Orange zest and ripe red cherries on the front palate. Full-bodied with round tannins. Just a hint of black truffle and pepper spice over plum, dark cherry and a baker’s chocolate finish.
Incredibly complex for a Cotes du Rhone. Approachable now and will continue to improve for another 3-5 years.
Click here for full grades section
Tags: 2005, baker, baker's, beaucastel, black, chateau, cherry, chocolate, Cotes, coudoulet, crushed, de, du, france, game, oak, orange, pepper, plum, purple, red, red wine, Rhone, ruby, Southern, spice, truffle, violet, wine, zest
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
87 / C+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 15 Dec 2008
Medium purple core with a lighter rim. Brambly fruit aromas with brown sugar, a hint of fresh herbs and a pop of black pepper. Juicy entry on the palate with an herbal edge. Well balanced, but not overtly fruity as one might expect from old vine Zinfandel. Lots of acidity with nice tannic structure and chocolate on the finish.
Click here for full grades section
Tags: 2006, black, brambly, brown, california, Cellars, chocolate, Coast, herb, Napa, North, old, pepper, purple, red, red wine, saddleback, sugar, vine, wine, Zinfandel
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 12 Dec 2008
Dark purple core with a lighter fuchsia rim. Oak and vanilla aromas float over rich black cherry, cassis and raspberry with dark charcoal, spicy cinnamon and a hint of eucalyptus. Smooth entry on the palate, quickly building to a full bodied wine. Lots of tannins, yet very well integrated and balanced. Cedar and cinnamon are layered over plum and cassis leading to a chocolate, spice and fruit finish. Decant a couple hours and enjoy it now or put some in the cellar and let it keep getting better for several years.
Click here for full grades section
Tags: 2005, black, california, cassis, cedar, cepages, charcoal, chateau, cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, cinq, Coast, eucalyptus, fuchsia, jean, North, oak, plum, purple, raspberry, red, red wine, saint, sonoma, spice, st, vanilla, wine
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 08 Dec 2008
Thick purple core with ringed by a maroon rim with fuchsia highlights. Very rich aromas leap from the glass, and intensify as the wine sits. Thick fruit - blackberry, blueberry and black cherry - with smoked mint and other herbs are all surrounded by wet clay, violets and lingering wild strawberries. Fairly bold (yet integrated) tannins from the front palate through the lingering finish. Dark fruits flood the palate supported by tannins and acid, expanding on the mid-palate and leading to a long creamy vanilla finish with swirls of roast coffee beans, dark chocolate and ripe black cherries.
A blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and a few other reds. Owned by Catherine Pere-Verge, the owner of Chateau Le Gay, one of the best Chateaux in Pomerol, Bordeaux. Using the same wine making team (harvest is 6 months different due to the northern/southern hemisphere thing) this is a very high quality wine made by people with tons of skill for a fraction of the price.
Click here for full grades section
Tags: 2005, Argentina, bean, black, blackberry, blueberry, cabernet, cherry, chocolate, clay, cofee, cream, fleur, fuchsia, herb, Malbec, maroon, Mendoza, mint, monteviejo, Petite, purple, red, red wine, roast, sauvignon, smoke, strawberry, vanilla, violet, wild, wine
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
89 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 05 Dec 2008
Dark purple core with a touch of garnet on the rim. Big floral aromas of violets and roses surround dark cherry and chocolate with a touch of sweet oak. Coffee on the front palate leads to a medium bodied wine with some bold tannins that smooth out on the finish. There is a touch of alcohol on the mid palate, but it is covered well by vanilla and dark cherries on the back.
A blend of about 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot.
Click here for full grades section
Tags: 2004, bordeaux, cabernet, cherry, chocolate, coffee, floral, france, garnet, merlot, oak, Pauillac, pibran, purple, red, red wine, rose, sauvignon, sweet, vanilla, violet, wine
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
86 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 22 Dec 2008
Dark maroon core and a brick rim. Spicy cedar and black pepper around plum, blackberry and a touch of wet earth and violets. Juicy palate entry with dark blackberry and black cherry fruits. Lots of pepper spice with nutmeg and creamy vanilla. Baker’s chocolate and sweet plum on the finish.
Click here for full grades section
Tags: 2005, amador, baker, baker's, black, blackberry, brick, california, cedar, cherry, chocolate, County, cream, earth, maroon, nutmeg, pepper, plum, red, red wine, renwood, shenandoah, spice, sweet, valley, vanilla, violet, wine, Zinfandel
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 22 Jan 2008
Black core with a touch of fuchsia on the rim. Lighter aromas of oak, violets, caramel, black cherry and a hint of raisin. Medium bodied - fairly bold acid with good balance from the fruit. Sour cherries, cassis and blackberry leading to a dark baker’s chocolate finish. Round soft tannins make it ready to drink now. 13.5% ABV.
Don’t see this type of grape very often in California (or Italy either for that matter). Nice fruit, easy to drink, and a good hefty bottle that will impress people before you even pour the wine. Sealed with wax, which I find annoying for opening, but looks nice.
Click here for full grades section
Tags: 2003, Ambullneo, baker, baker's, black, blackberry, california, caramel, cassis, cherry, chocolate, Nonno, oak, raisin, red, red wine, ruchsia, sour, teroldego, violet, wine, Zito
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 13 Aug 2008
Dark garnet color from the core to the rim. Bold, spicy aromas of licorice, candied cherries, chocolate and sweet tea lead to a more intense wet clay note followed by lingering cinnamon. The wine is lush and full, filling the mouth with caramel covered cherries and spicy cinnamon, with the same hint of clay supporting the fruits and helping the round, approachable tannins give good structure to the wine. Fruit, spices and just a touch of vanilla linger in the finish.
Spicy, fruity and delicious. What more could you want from a red wine? Since it’s a Reserva, it has already been aged for you in their cellars, making it ready to pick up at your wine shop and drink tonight. While it may be a few dollars more than your average every day wine, the extra age put on it in the winery’s cellars makes this much deeper and more complex of a wine, and is more than worth the few extra dollars. A blend of 93% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha and 2% Mazuelo. It is aged for 24 months in large American oak casks, which is what gives the wine its touch of creamy caramel and vanilla flavors. American oak is used rather frequently in Spain and is a nice match for their big powerful reds.
Click here for full grades section
Tags: 2004, candy, caramel, cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, clay, Garnacha, garnet, grenache, licorice, marques, mazuelo, murrieta, red, red wine, Reserva, Rioja, spain, spice, sweet, tea, Tempranillo, vanilla, wine
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
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.
Click here for full grades section
Tags: 2005, Australia, baker's, black, cabernet, cherry, chocolate, earth, merlot, raspberry, red, red wine, rosemount, ruby, sauvignon, smoke, wine
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
