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Posts Tagged ‘fuchsia’

2006 J. Lohr Tower Road Vineyard Petite Sirah

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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2005 Ken Brown “A” Cuvee Syrah

Monday, April 13th, 2009

91/B+

Tasted by Mike Supple - 19 Feb 2009

Intense black and purple core with glass coating bright fuchsia color. Very intense aromas of black raspberry, black cherry and boysenberry syrup. Thick and jammy on the nose. Very different on the palate: much more refined and balanced with white pepper and earth around licorice, black cherry and a touch of game.

This is very much an Australian Shiraz on the nose but a Rhone Syrah on the palate. Only 272 cases produced.

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2006 La Posta Cocina Blend

Sunday, February 8th, 2009

89 / A-

Tasted by Mike Supple - 30 Jan 2009

Dark purple core with a ruby rim and fuchsia highlights. Brown sugar aromas are underscored by a wet stone minerality, all lifted by violets and sweet black cherry. Fairly lush on the palate entry with medium ripe tannins. Brambly blackberry and black cherry fruits top stone and spicy nutmeg. Medium length finish.

A blend of 60% Malbec, 20% Bonarda and 20% Syrah.

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2007 Neyers Old Lakeville Road Syrah

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

91 / A-

Tasted by Mike Supple - 16 Jan 2009

Dark inky purple with a bright fuchsia rim. Tons of orange zest in the nose supported by dark blackberry, blueberry and rich caramel. Thick entry on the palate with fruit that unfolds from front to back. Plum, caramel, blackberry and boysenberry fill the mouth. Still very young with lots of fine grained tannins, balanced oak and a nice underlying acidity. Lingering spicy dark fruit finish.

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2007 Los Vencejos Malbec

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

90 / A-

Tasted by Mike Supple - 21 Jan 2009

Inky purple core with a bright fuchsia rim. Dark boysenberry with blackberry notes on the nose, followed by a touch of mint, light toasty oak, nutmeg and cedar spice all surrounded by violets and crushed stone. Dark and thick on the palate with juicy blackberry, blueberry and crème de cassis flavors. Medium (+) acid with medium ripe/fine tannins. A touch of smoke, vanilla and baker’s chocolate join the dark fruit on the finish. Still very young and primary, but with enough fruit and structure to age. Drinks well now, and should go at least another 5 years.

Made from 100% Malbec. Aged for 15 months in new (65%) and second use French oak barrels. 1439 bottles produced.

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2006 Paul Jaboulet Aine Cotes du Rhone Parallele 45

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

88 / B+

Tasted by Mike Supple - 15 Apr 2008

Very bright in the glass with a thick purple core surrounded by a fuchsia rim. Fleshy and sweet in both the aromas and flavors. Sweet strawberry wraps around black cherry and blackberry with a nice hint of black pepper. The wine is smooth and soft as it enters the mouth bringing a smoky, gamy undertone of flavors to support the fruit.

This is the perfect wine for bacon cheeseburgers. Rhone wines bring a great punch of spice and smoke in to the fruit, and have a lot more structure and balance than Grenache or Shiraz from most New World producers. This wine is a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. The Grenache gives it good acidity and fruit-forward nature while the Syrah provides backbone and pepper spice. This is not an overly complex wine, but it’s a fantastic introduction into the blended styles that the Southern Rhone has to offer. The winery, Paul Jaboulet Aine, was recently purchased by a family famous for their Bordeaux (Chateau La Lagune), so look for some changes and even better quality in the upcoming vintages.

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2006 Broquel Malbec

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

89 / A-

Tasted by Mike Supple - 02 Dec 2008

Dark purple core with a fuchsia rim. Alluring, complex and spicy aromas of nutmeg, plum and black cherry around a hint of dark earth. Very easy entry on the palate. Plush and medium bodied with black cherry flavors accented by smoke, wet stone and blackberries. Medium acidity balancing out the rich fruit with a lingering dusty cocoa finish.

Throw a rack of lamb on the grill (yes, buy some lamb at your local grocery store, it’s delicious) and pour a tall glass of this wine. Rich, smooth and easy drinking with a good dose of spice and smoke makes this the perfect companion to grilled meats. A Portobello cheeseburger would stand up very well too, and the acid of the Malbec will cut right through the fat in the gooey swiss cheese that should be melting off it.

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2008 Maipe Malbec

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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2006 Achaval Ferrer Quimera

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

90 / B

Tasted by Mike Supple - 24 Dec 2008

Dark purple core with a fuchsia rim. Lots of purple fruit aromas. A touch of oak over blackberry, plum, grapes [yeah yeah, wine is made of grapes, but this is a fresh juicy grape aroma], and a hint of leather and smoke. Smooth entry onto the palate. Medium bodied with lots of spice. A bit overblown - big fruit flavors, lots of extraction, jammy and full. Good acid on the back. Fans of huge Australian Shiraz will like this quite a bit. For the money though, I have had several other Malbec based blends with better balance.

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2005 Chateau St Jean Cinq Cepages

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.

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