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Posts Tagged ‘licorice’

2006 R Wines Evil Cabernet Sauvignon

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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2004 Marques de Murrieta Rioja Reserva

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.

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2005 Celler Vall Llach

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

92 / A-

Tasted by Mike Supple - 14 Oct 2008

Dark purple core with a bright fuchsia rim. Dark aromas of candied black licorice surround rich black cherry and cola leading to hints of vanilla and lingering soft cool slate and blueberry. Very big on the palate entry - this is a huge wine. Tons of dark rich fruit surround nutmeg and cinnamon. Giant ripe tannins support the core of the wine, and are balanced well by clean, crisp acid. Dark licorice gives way to a long lingering spicy dark fruit finish accented by a punch of roasted oak.

Wines from Priorat tend to be very expensive, and many of them are not worth it. If you’re in the market for an $85 bottle of wine, this is fantastic and well worth the price tag.

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2004 Querciabella Camartina IGT

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

93 / A-

Tasted by Mike Supple - 11 Feb 2008

70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Sangiovese. Deep purple core with just barely a hint of a bright ruby rim. Dark aromas of black cherry and blackberry are lifted by light floral aromas, cinnamon, cocoa powder and leather. Full bodied on the palate, with bold yet very ripe and round tannins. Black licorice, blackberry and plum are backed by leather, graphite, vanilla and milk chocolate. The finish is rich, long and bold with a nice cassis note. Deep and complex, this should continue to develop in the bottle for the next couple of years, and the high, balanced acid and full tannins matching the power of the fruit should allow this to easily age another 10+ years.

Wines made from a blend of grapes not typically grown in Italy are becoming more popular, and are known as Super Tuscans when produced in Tusany (and given the Italian government’s approval). This is simply a fantastic wine. Tastes great young, but will age for a while. Can be drunk on it’s own, but like most Italian wines should really be enjoyed with a meal. Try something with tomato sauce or some good fat to it like dry salami.

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2002 Bonny Doon Cardinal Zin

Monday, January 26th, 2009

88 / B

Tasted by Mike Supple - 29 Feb 2008

Dark ruby core surrounded by a lighter rim and a touch of garnet. Very fruit aromas of cassis, grape jam, plum and blackberry surrounded by spicy licorice and honey leading to a touch of earth. Light body on the palate entry with rich jammy fruit. Soft, round tannins make this ready to drink now. Raspberry and plum fruits lead to a hint of tea on the finish. (Tasted from magnum).

Drink now; not made to age.

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2005 Aromes de Pavie

Monday, January 26th, 2009

92 / A

Tasted by Mike Supple - 06 Mar 2008

Dark ruby in the core, intense and almost black in the middle; bright ruby red rim. A full, rich nose of orange zest, blueberry, wet clay, black licorice, black cherries, cassis and a nice hit of slate. The palate entry is powerful: the fruits are impressively soft for such a young wine, and the bold ripe tannins build through the mid-palate. Blueberry and red cherry flavors circle around dark earthy notes. Starting to be approachable now, and should build in complexity over the next 5 - 7 years.

While not a cheap wine, this comes from one of the best regions and best winemakers in Bordeaux. This is the first time Gerard Perse has released a second wine from Chateau Pavie. Essentially these are the younger vines (around 10 years) that did not make the cut for Chateau Pavie. Stunning quality at less than 1/5 of the price of the Grand Vin.

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2005 Bodegas Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero

Monday, January 26th, 2009

91 / A-

Tasted by Mike Supple - 15 Jan 2009

Dark, intense purple color. Black cherry and plum aromas backed by smoke, candied licorice and a hint of earth. Dark entry on the palate. Plum, cherry and light earth are surrounded by roasted oak and a smack of mocha on the back. Great acid supporting the fruit. Easy to approach, and deceptively smooth; great now, but has the tannic backbone to hold for another 4 - 5 years easily.

The label says 100% Tinto Fino. This is the same grape as Tempranillo, but it is commonly called Tinto Fino in Castilla Leon. Simply put this is a delicious wine. Spanish wines tend to pair well with lots of foods, so try this one with just about any meat on the grill from hamburgers to leg of lamb. Since it is ready to drink now but will continue to get better for a few years in the bottle, grab some now so you have it on hand when you need to impress somebody or just celebrate a good day.

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2005 Alesia Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands Fairview Ranch Vineyard

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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2002 Alejandro Fernandez El Vinculo Crianza

Monday, January 26th, 2009

88 / B

Tasted by Mike Supple - 17 Mar 2008

Dark black and ruby in the core with a thinner pink rim. Plum, black cherries, sweet tobacco, mushroom and heavy black licorice on the nose. Smooth, with a lush entry and mouth feel. Sweet dark plum and blueberry are supported by a nice touch of wet earth. There is a nice build of tannins and acid on the finish that would make this wine stand up very well to hearty, meaty dishes. 14% Alcohol By Volume

Alejandro Fernandez typically only works with Tempranillo. There is some good spice to this wine, but he has more impressive offerings.

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2003 Domaine de Mourchon Seguret Tradition

Sunday, January 25th, 2009

88 / B+

Tasted by Mike Supple - 25 jan 2009

Dark purple core with a lighter pink rim. A touch of smoky game surrounds black cherry and plum aromas with a faint floral note. Sweet blackberry on the front palate with a good dose of earth and dark chocolate. Plum and black pepper lead to a hint of minerals and licorice on the finish.

A blend of 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 10% Carignan and 5% Cinsault. From a small limestone and marl plot (17 hectares) in the village of Seguret. Aged for 12+ months in cement vats.

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