Posts Tagged ‘coffee’
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 05 Dec 2008
Dark purple core with a touch of fuchsia on the rim. Lots of coffee on the nose with some candied cherry, fresh herbs and a touch of smoke and chalk all surrounded by orange zest and cut roses. The coffee continues fairly strong on the front palate, though this is likely to fade and integrate with the fruit over the next couple of years as it ages. Sour cherries, earth and slate are matched by toasty oak on the finish. The tannins are fairly bold and chewy, yet well balanced. Give this one 3 or 4 years to calm down, and it will drink really well for a decade.
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Tags: 2006, bordeaux, candy, chalk, cherry, clos, coffee, cut, earth, france, fuchsia, herb, manou, medoc, oak, orange, purple, red, red wine, rose, slate, smoke, sour, toast, wine, zest
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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.
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Tags: 2004, bordeaux, cabernet, cherry, chocolate, coffee, floral, france, garnet, merlot, oak, Pauillac, pibran, purple, red, red wine, rose, sauvignon, sweet, vanilla, violet, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 05 Dec 2008
Medium ruby core with a bright rim. Charcoal and slate aromas over dusty roses, rich black cherry and a spicy touch of eucalyptus. Big tannins from the front all the way through the back palate. Dark cherry, plum and cassis are underscored by smoky charcoal. Coffee lingers on the finish. Still young and evolving; could get even better with age.
This is a blockbuster of a hidden gem that has managed to fly under the radar thus far. Complex enough to impress any Bordeaux connoisseur, yet priced right for just showing off in front of a few friends. A well made wine that is built to hold up for a while and will keep improving for a decade. Given the hype around the 2005 vintage for Bordeaux, many of the wines have skyrocketed in price, well beyond the value for what they deliver. Fortunately a few, like this one, remain accessible (for now…).
P.S. It’s pronounced “puh-TEET bock.”
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Tags: 2005, black, bocq, bordeaux, cassis, charcoal, cherry, coffee, estephe, eucalyptus, france, Petit, plum, red, red wine, rose, ruby, saint, slate, smoke, spice, st, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 05 Dec 2008
Glass coating dark ruby from core to rim. Spicy plum aromas are backed by spicy fresh ginger, black cherry and a hint of earth. Smooth, juicy entry on to palate making it very approachable for such a young Bordeaux. Black cherry and cassis dominate the palate with a nice touch of roasted coffee in the lingering finish.
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Tags: 2005, aurilhac, black, bordeaux, cassis, chateau, cherry, coffee, d'aurilhac, earth, france, ginger, Haut, juice, medoc, plum, red, red wine, roast, ruby, spice, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 19 Dec 2008
Dark ruby core with a bright rim. Fleshy fruit aromas of black and red cherries surrounded by darker earth, roast coffee, licorice and a nice violet floral lift. Soft on the front palate with nice round tannins building on the mid-palate giving great texture and mouthfeel. Read to drink now, with the body to hold for several more years. Just like the 2004 this is juicy and delivers much more than your average Merlot.
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Tags: 2005, black, california, cherry, clement, Coast, coffee, earth, floral, fruit, licorice, merlot, Napa, North, red, red wine, roast, ruby, saint, st, violet, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
87 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 22 Jan 2008
Bold purple core with a ruby and violet rim. Very spicy on the nose with forward licorice, vanilla, oak and cinnamon over rich dark black cherry. Thick and full on the palate with ripe, chewy tannins. Dark blackberry and cherry are backed by roasted coffee and black licorice, leading into a toasted dark fruit finish.
A decent fruity example of Australian Cab. Nothing particularly noteworthy, but well made for the price.
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Tags: 2005, Australia, Barossa, black, blackberry, cabernet, cherry, cinnamon, coffee, evil, licorice, oak, purple, r wines, red, red wine, roast, ruby, sauvignon, South, spice, valley, vanilla, violet, wine
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Saturday, January 31st, 2009
86 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 24 Sep 2008
Medium ruby core with a pink rim. There is a touch of Old World earth and barnyard (this is a good thing in moderation) to the aromas around a core of dark fruit. Blackberry and black cherry aromas are accented by a hint of sweet tea and leather. Light and easy drinking on the palate with good acidity. The black cherry flavors are supported by dark roasted coffee and cinnamon.
Spain offers a huge variety of wines and many compelling values. This is a perfect wine to help familiarize yourself with the Spanish style of winemaking, as well as the Tempranillo grape (this wine is 85% Tempranillo, and the rest Garnacha and Graciano). The bold acidity makes this a perfect wine for all kinds of foods, so grab a bottle, call some friends and get a Tapas cookbook. Light enough for hearty fish - think paella with scallops and mussels - yet spicy and rich enough to go with ham, beef and just about any soft sheep milk cheeses. Not a wine to age or use to impress big collectors, but something that is fun, goes with food and friends, and is produced in great quantity, making it easy to find around the world.
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Tags: 2004, barnyard, black, blackberry, caceres, cherry, cinnamon, coffee, Crianza, earth, Garnacha, grenache, leather, marques, red, red wine, Rioja, roast, spain, sweet, tea, Tempranillo, wine
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Saturday, January 31st, 2009
89 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 24 Sep 2008
Dark ruby (almost black) core with a brighter ruby rim. Lots of leather, earth and charred oak aromas over sweet cherry and cassis, with a hint of soy sauce. Smooth, easy entry onto the palate. Medium body and well balanced acidity. Ripe red cherry and blackberry fruits are backed by flavors of coffee, vanilla and a touch of earth. Cherries and fresh cream linger on the finish. Very fine grained tannins make this pleasant to drink now, but will also allow the wine to age for another 3 - 5 years.
This is a great value for Cabernet Sauvignon coming from Sonoma - and it has fortunately stayed largely out of the spotlight of the major critics…until now. Cab of this quality can easily run you up $40 or more, so finding this wine at half that price is a steal. There is plenty of body and fruit to satisfy all you monster Cab fans, yet the wine remains balanced and elegant enough to go very well with a meal. Just enough oak in the winemaking adds great complexity of flavors (coffee, soy sauce) that complement the fruit in the wine. This is a great bottle to pull if you are meeting your date’s parents for the first time. Everyone respects a good Cab, and this one clearly fits the bill.
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Tags: 2005, blackberry, cabernet, california, cassis, char, cherry, Coast, coffee, cream, earth, estate, kunde, leather, North, oak, red, red wine, ruby, sauce, sauvignon, sonoma, soy, sweet, vanilla, wine
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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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Monday, January 26th, 2009
92 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 03 Oct 2008
Intense inky purple core with just a glimmer of a fuchsia rim. Massive aromas of bacon, roast coffee, toffee, blackberry, white licorice, violets and a hint of truffle. Soft and full on the front palate. Sweet dark fruits: raspberry, blackberry, cassis. Round and full on the mid-palate without getting weighty. Good fresh anise flavors spice up the finish with roasted earth and dark chocolate notes.
This is a big, young wine, so I had it sit around open for about 12 hours before tasting it, giving it time to breathe. While it weighed in at 14.25% alcohol (according to the label - and given the legal margin of error here putting .25% is ridiculous) it managed to stay very impressively balanced. This is a great example of what Syrah can be when not made in a heavy, jammy, Australian manner.
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Tags: 2005, Alesia, anise, bacon, barbara, blackberry, california, cassis, chocolate, coffee, County, dark, earth, Fairview, fruit, fuchsia, Highlands, licorice, Lucia, purple, Ranch, raspberry, red wine, roast, santa, sweet, Syrah, toffee, truffle, USA, violet
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