Posts Tagged ‘fresh’
Monday, February 2nd, 2009
86 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 17 Jan 2009
Bright lemon core with a clear rim. Youthful aromas of fresh lemon, grapefruit, pineapple and sweet orange blossom surrounded by a touch of smoky minerality. Dry and clean on the palate with lots of ripe pear and lemon followed by a streak of minerality and a touch of smoke on the finish.
Affordable enough to bring out when you have guests over and sure to make an impact. Far from your typical buttery Chardonnay or herbal Sauvignon Blanc, this is fresh, bright, youthful and easy to drink. A blend of 65% Ugni Blanc, 30% Colombard and 5% Gros Manseng grapes. A true value coming out of Southwest France. If you bring this out for guests, make sure you have several bottles chilling - nobody will stop after just one glass.
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Tags: 2007, blossom, cotes de gascogne, domaine la hitaire, france, fresh, grapefruit, lemon, les tours, mineral, orange, pear, pineapple, smoke, southwest france, White wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 13 May 2008
Purple core with a ruby and violet rim. Blueberries leap from the glass, surrounded by wet earth and charcoal with bright crushed flower petals and fresh pencil shavings. Soft and sweet entry on the palate. Honeycomb flavors melt around blueberry and cinnamon spice. Full bodied with a lot of alcohol, but great balance and a long finish.
A blend of 60% Garnacha and 40% Tempranillo. A fantastic, dense blend. Starting to show well now, and will continue to do so for another decade.
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Tags: 2005, alcohol, blueberry, Bodegas, charcoal, cinnamon, comb, crush, earth, flower, fresh, Garnacha, grenache, honey, honeycomb, palacios, pencil, petal, propriedad, purple, red, red wine, remondo, Rioja, ruby, shaving, spain, Tempranillo, Tinto, violet, wet, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
89 / A+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 04 Sep 2008
Classic lighter grenache color with a medium ruby core and a lighter garnet rim. The aromas are very spicy and floral with some candied cherry, fresh grape and a hint of dark scorched earth. Incredibly smooth in the mouth making it easy to drink. Cinnamon spice surrounds strawberries and cherries. Round in the middle with just enough acid to keep it fresh. The finish comes in strong with a huge red gummy bear kick and a touch of spicy cumin.
Grenache is a great wine for people who are looking for something not quite as heavy as a Cabernet, but that still packs an impressive punch of smells and flavors. Grenache can get pretty pricey (particularly from the South of France) so finding one in the $10 range is a rarity. Finding one in the $10 range that delivers with this quality fruit is unheard of. The grapes come from vines that vary in age all the way up to 80 years, which really gives some added fruit and spice. This is the perfect wine to bring to a friend’s house as it appeals to all drinkers; seasoned wine veterans and newbies alike. Plus who’s going to make fun of you for drinking wine that’s called the Bitch? (Also makes a great gift for the hostess with a sense of humor…)
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Tags: 2007, Australia, bear, bitch, candy, cherry, cinnamon, cumin, earth, floral, flower, fresh, garnet, grape, grenache, gummy, r wines, red, red wine, ruby, scorched, South, spice, strawberry, wine
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
89 / A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 21 Oct 2008
Clear purple core with a vibrant ruby rim. Hints of violets float around candied strawberry and raspberry aromas with a darker streak of smoke, black cherry and fresh herbs. Smooth, easy entry on the palate bringing lush sweet fruits backed by smoke, a touch of game and a streak of minerality. Good supporting acid makes this an easy choice for dinner. Lingering touch of caramel on the finish.
A blend of 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah. Delivers quite a bit of flavor and power for such an approachable young wine. Minervois is a great region to find some of the best values not only from France, but in the world right now.
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Tags: 2006, averoux, black, candy, caramel, cherry, cuvee, Domaine, fernand, france, fresh, fruit, game, grenache, herb, Languedoc, leocadie, mineral, minervois, purple, raspberry, red, red wine, Roussillon, ruby, saint, sainte, smoke, strawberry, sweet, Syrah, violet, wine
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
93 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 17 Nov 2008
Medium bright ruby core surrounded by a lighter pink and ruby rim. Initial aromas of fresh toasty oak quickly yield to sweet cherry and wet earth, all surrounded by cool fresh mint and dark black raspberry. Sweet and lush on the front palate leading to a dark, rich mid-palate. Round and full in the mouth with hints of smoky game surrounding the dark cherry and earth flavors. This is young and just hinting at the complexity that will come with some time. Despite the youth, it is an impressively balanced and elegant wine with a very long, smooth finish.
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Tags: 2007, black, california, cherry, Coast, earth, fresh, game, maritime, mint, noir, North, oak, pink, pinot, raspberry, red, red wine, ruby, smith, smoke, sonoma, sweet, toast, w.h.smith, wine
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Monday, January 26th, 2009
92 / A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 29 Feb 2008
95% Shiraz and 5% Viognier, but the little 5% does an amazing job lifting the aromas out of the glass. Fun and different, this is a fantastic little wine. Bright ruby and purple in the glass with a fresh apricot nose over black pepper, blackberry and a touch of menthol. It is smooth and soft in the mouth with rich dark blackberry, apricots and a hint of tar. Spicy and lingering on the finish with a faint dark earthy note.
This wine is a great all around, aromas and flavors. Easy to drink, and fairly versatile: drink it alone or with food - but make it rich, meaty or saucy food, as this is a big wine that doesn’t hold back. Viognier is a white wine, but the small amount added doesn’t affect the dark ruby color of the wine. This is a very common blend in the Rhone region of France.
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Tags: 2006, apricot, Australia, black, blackberry, Blend, bright, Chapoutier, Domaine, earth, fresh, menthol, pepper, purple, red wine, ruby, Shiraz, smooth, spice, table, tar, Terlato, Victoria, viognier
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Sunday, January 25th, 2009
84 / B-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 18 Mar 2008
Medium ruby core with a touch of garnet in the rim. Very perfumy with flowers and fresh herbs over darker charcoal and black cherry. Soft and round in the mouth with a nice lingering dark fruit finish. A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre.
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Tags: 2004, black, Blend, charcoal, chateau, cherry, Costieres, dark, dry, flower, france, fresh, fruit, garnet, grenache, herb, Lamargue, mourvedre, Nimes, perfume, red, red wine, Rhone, round, ruby, soft, Southern, Syrah, table
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Sunday, January 25th, 2009
90 / A+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 04 Apr 2008
Nice deep pink color with a hint of salmon tint. Bright and fresh on the nose. Candied strawberries, raspberries and rose petals with an underlying hint of honey and cool minerality. Nice complexity on the palate. Big strawberry flavors followed by blackberry, raspberry and a touch of cherry. The terroir of Pomerol really comes through with a nice clay and chalk minerality leading to a lingering strawberry and honey finish.
This has amazing complexity for a rose, while maintaining good acid to keep it refreshing. Coming from an outstanding piece of Bordeaux (next door to Chateau Petrus - one of the most expensive and sought after wines in the world), this is a screaming deal. The perfect wine to drink all spring and summer by itself and with appetizers. Light enough to go with fish and vegetable dishes, yet bold enough to pair with meatier pork, chicken and duck. Made from 100% Merlot.
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Tags: 2007, acid, blackberry, bold, bordeaux, bright, candy, chalk, chateau, cherry, chicken, clay, duck, Festival, fish, france, fresh, gay, honey, le, light, meat, merlot, mineral, petal, pink, Pomerol, port, raspberry, rose, rose wine, salmon, strawberry, table, vegetable
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Sunday, January 25th, 2009
88 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 11 Apr 2008
Dark ruby core with hints of purple. Plum and black cherry aromas with some floral notes. Soft and lush on the palate. Lots of jammy fruit, with good acid balance to keep it fresh on the finish.
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Tags: 2006, acid, Arm, black, cherry, floral, fresh, jammy, plum, purple, r wines, red wine, ruby, Shiraz, Strong
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Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
90 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 18 Aug 2008
Medium ruby core with a lighter garnet rim. Light cola aromas and dark, extremely ripe (almost overripe) cherry are surrounded by earth, scorched charcoal and a touch of herbs. Very full bodied and fruity on the palate. The fruit is fresher and brighter, with red cherry and raspberry dominating around a core of sweet cola. Pretty thick and jammy on the mid-palate. A hint of earth, slate and charcoal come in on the back to support the finish. A bit of heat (meaning the alcohol is out of balance) comes through.
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Tags: 2003, Central, charcoal, cherry, cola, earth, fresh, herb, jammy, New, noir, Otago, pinot, raspberry, red, red wine, Rockburn, slate, Zealand
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