Posts Tagged ‘herb’
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
88 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 16 Oct 2008
Pale lemon-green core with a bright, clear rim. Fresh aromas of pink grapefruit, lime zest, starfruit and a hint of fresh lemon grass. Very crisp and clean on the palate with ripe lime, lemon and grapefruit and a hit of tropical lychee fruit. Nice acid with a clean, refreshing finish.
A killer value Sauvignon Blanc with everything you’d expect: fresh citrus fruits, hints of herbs and very refreshing. Sure to please any white wine drinker, and great for a hot day (or swigging while slaving in front of a hot grill). Works perfectly with grilled fish, chicken or pastas with cream sauce. A rare California value!
Click here for full grades section
Tags: 2007, blanc, california, citrus, grapefruit, grass, green, guenoc, herb, lemon, lime, lychee, pink, sauvignon, starfruit, white, White wine, wine, zest
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
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.
Click here for full grades section
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
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 05 Jan 2009
Pale lemon yellow core with a clear rim. Candied lemon zest aromas surrounded by jasmine, sweet herbs, wet stone and a touch of cantaloupe. Soft entry on the palate with sweet white peach balanced by a zesty core of lemon. Medium acidity with tons of minerals under the fruit. Medium length with a clean, crisp finish.
100% Sauvignon Blanc (somewhat rare for this region as you often fine Semillon blended with it). Delicious right now, but enough acid and body to hold for a little while. Drink over the next 2 - 3 years.
Click here for full grades section
Tags: 2005, blanc, bordeaux, candy, cantaloupe, chateau, de, france, herb, jasmine, lemon, Leognan, mineral, peach, Pessac, rochemorin, sauvignon, stone, wet, white, White wine, wine, yellow, zest
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
87 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 19 Dec 2008
Pale gold core with a clear rim. Very floral and spicy on the nose: orange blossom, ripe apricot, peach and a touch of baby powder. Medium bodied in the mouth with flavors of peach and wet stone surrounded by a lot of floral perfumey notes. Medium acid that builds on the finish. Lingering fresh herbs.
Click here for full grades section
Tags: 2005, alsace, apricot, baby, blossom, cuvee, des, floral, folastries, france, gewurztraminer, gold, Haut, herb, josmeyer, orange, peach, perfume, powder, rhin, spice, stone, white, White wine, wine, wintzenheim
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 / 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
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.
Click here for full grades section
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
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
89 / B-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 24 Jan 2008
Dark purple core with a purple and pink rim. Aromas of candied red cherry and citrus zest float over notes of citronella and a touch of earth. As the wine opens, the fruit aromas expand, bringing rich sweet blueberry to the mix. Big in the mouth with nice chewy, dusty tannins. The sweet dark fruits on the front are joined by wet stone, light herbals and a hint of earth. The finish is long, with ripe cassis and red cherry flavors.
A well known classic Napa Cabernet, and a name people will recognize as a quality bottle of wine. Fine for dinner if your girlfriend’s dad is coming over. Otherwise, save your money.
Click here for full grades section
Tags: 2005, blueberry, cabernet, california, candy, cassis, cherry, citronella, citrus, Coast, earth, groth, herb, Napa, North, pink, purple, red, red wine, sauvignon, stone, sweet, wine, zest
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
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.
Click here for full grades section
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
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
89 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 31 Oct 2008
Light lemon yellow core with a bright, clear rim. Rich lemon meringue aromas surround ripe lime zest and loads of wet stones and flint. A touch of fresh herbal notes in the mouth are backed by flavors of Meyer lemon, cream, lime and green apple with a touch of charred vanilla and toast. Medium bodied with a fresh, crisp finish.
Click here for full grades section
Tags: 2005, apple, blanc, bland, bordeaux, char, cream, flint, france, green, herb, lemon, Leognan, lime, louviere, meringue, meyer, Pessac, sauvignon, Semillon, stone, toast, vanilla, white, White wine, wine, yellow, zest
Posted in Tasting Notes | No Comments »
