Posts Tagged ‘mineral’
Monday, April 13th, 2009
89/A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 31 Mar 2009
Pale lemon core with a clear rim. Crisp, fresh aromas of white grapefruit and lime with a hint of honey and ripe honeydew melon. Reminiscent of a Sauvignon Blanc, but with softer melon notes. Surprisingly creamy on the palate entry. Round and full with flavors of kiwi, honeydew and citrus all backed by a wet stone minerality on the finish.
This is a stunning and unique summer wine that is a must, because you’ve probably never tried anything like it. It’s made from the Godello grape, a rare variety local to Valdeorras. Has all the great citrus-crisp intensity of a fresh New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but hits you in the mouth with amazing balance, creaminess and full body. A definite winner for lounging in the sun on a picnic, but it will also stand up impressively well to full-bodied, meaty fish like tuna or shark on the grill.
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Tags: 2007, adega o casal, casal novo, citrus, cream, godello, honey, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemon, lime, mineral, spain, valdeorras, wet stone, white grapefruit, White wine
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
90/A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 30 Jan 2009
Pale lemon yellow color with a clear rim. Fresh and light aromas of cantaloupe melon and lime with a touch of minerality and some light floral notes. Sweet kiwi and honeydew fruits on the front palate. Crisp, clean, fresh and dry (no sugar) with a medium length finish.
Chenin Blanc (or Steen as it is called in South Africa) can be a very refreshing and delicious wine when made right, and this one from Mulderbosch is a fantastic example. Aside from some parts of France, South Africa is generally the only region in the world that manages to capture the delicacy of this wine, bringing out impressive flavors while keeping it all in balance. This is a great value for South Africa, and a great value for Chenin Blanc from anywhere. A perfect drink before or after a meal, and it goes very well with white fish or vegetable stir fry. (It says “Steen Op Hout” on the label, which in Afrikaans means “Chenin Blanc aged in wood”.)
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Tags: 2008, cantaloupe, chenin blanc, Coastal Region, floral, flower, honeydew, kiwi, lemon, lime, melon, mineral, mulderbosch, oak, South Africa, Stellenbosch, White wine
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
91/A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 13 Feb 2009
Dark ruby core with a tiny garnet rim. Sweet black and red cherry fruits lurk under bright, expressive wild flowers, a touch of sage and ripe plum. Chalky and bold tannins support the body of the wine. A core of dark chocolate, earth and minerals are surrounded by sweet black cherry and plums. Chewy and full-bodied with a long, lingering mocha finish.
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Tags: 2006, Agricola, black cherry, chalk, Chianti, chocolate, Classico, earth, garnet, Greve, italy, mineral, mocha, plum, Querciabella, red cherry, red wine, ruby, sage, Sangiovese, Tuscany, wild flower
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
89/A+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 03 Mar 2009
Pale lemon color with a clear rim. Very bright, fresh citrus fruit aromas with lemon jumping out of the glass over sweeter notes of white peach. A touch of apple and flint on the back; the front palate has rich lemon curd flavors. Great acidity with a nice medium bodied mouth feel. Lots of stony minerality surrounds sweet Meyer lemon, green apple and a touch of toast. The finish is impressively long for this entry level wine.
Crisp and clean, this is a wine that will make you wish spring would hurry up and get here. A fantastic wine to drink while you’re deciding what to make for dinner, but it has enough body to stand up to creamy fish dishes, roast chicken and even pork (see more on pairing food & wine here). Over delivering for the price, this is a great ringer to pull out if you know you have a white Burgundy fan coming over. This vintage was just released, so if you don’t see it yet in your local store, keep looking.
Drouhin offers a fantastic line of wines from the standard Bourgogne Rouge and Blanc up to some of the best Grand Crus produced. They generally over deliver at all price points, but the ‘07 Macon Village is truly an impressive value. It’s cheaper than wines from neighboring Pouilly Fuissé, but this one retains a great mineral quality to the fruit. Drink it now and any time over the next 3-4 years.
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Tags: 2007, apple, Burgundy, chardonnay, citrus, flint, france, green apple, joseph drouhin, lemon, lemon curd, macon villages blanc, maconnais, maison, meyer, mineral, toast, white peach, White wine
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
93/A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 25 Feb 2009
Bright, rich gold core. Very deep aromas of dried apricot, peach, pear and beeswax with a hint of earth and mushrooms. Rich entry into the mouth. Round and full, yet maintains a steely minerality and crisp acidity. Rich flavors of apricot, yellow pear, apple and a hint of lemon lead to cream and nutmeg on the finish.
Just released, Kalin Cellars holds their longer than just about any winery in California. Some of the most outstanding wines made in California; particularly the Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Pinot Noir.
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Tags: 1994, alameda, apple, apricot, beeswax, california, central coast, chardonnay, cream nutmeg, cuvee w, earth, gold, kalin cellars, lemon, livermore valley, mineral, mushroom, peach, pear, White wine
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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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Tags: 2006, Argentina, black, blackberry, Blend, bramble, brown sugar, cherry, cocina, fuchsia, la posta, Mendoza, mineral, nutmeg, purple, red wine, ruby, spice, stone, violet
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Wednesday, February 4th, 2009
91-93 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 03 Feb 2009
Fairly dense aromas of toast and spice around thick lemon and tons of flinty pear. The intense flint carries on to the front of the palate, supported by lemon zest. Medium bodied and incredibly well balanced; rich, yet finessed. A long mineral finish with lingering pear and lemon.
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Tags: 2007, aloxe, Burgundy, chardonnay, charlemagne, corton, cote de beaune, flint, france, grand cru, lemon, maison, mineral, olivier leflaive, olivier leflaive freres, pear, spice, toast, White wine, zest
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Wednesday, February 4th, 2009
90-92 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 03 Feb 2009
Spicy oak and white flowers, tangerine and yellow pear on the nose. Toasty lemon and oak flavors with a solid streak of minerality wrapped around fresh green apple and a medium creamy length finish.
Aged in 100% French oak, 20-25% of which is new. Grown, produced and vinified from Oliver’s own holdings.
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Tags: 1er cru, 2007, apple, Burgundy, chardonnay, chassagne, clos st-marc, cote de beaune, cream, flower, france, green, lemon, maison, mineral, montrachet, oak, olivier leflaive, olivier leflaive freres, pear, premier cru, spice, tangerine, toast, white, White wine, yellow
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Wednesday, February 4th, 2009
86 / B-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 03 Feb 2009
Very creamy and toasty on the nose with bold yellow apple aromas. Mild entry on the palate. A touch of cream surrounds a good core of minerality leading to pears with a light toast on the short finish.
50% of the blend aged in stainless steel and 50% aged in oak. All the grapes for this are sourced from vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault.
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Tags: 2007, apple, blanc, bourgogne, Burgundy, chardonnay, cream, france, les setilles, maison, meursault, mineral, montrachet, oak, olivier leflaive, olivier leflaive freres, pear, puligny, toast, White wine, yellow
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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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