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 1st, 2009
89 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 05 Jan 2009
Medium garnet core with a lighter rim. Very sweet aromas up front. Cola, black cherry and vanilla give way to lurking dark wet earth, smoke and mushrooms with an accent of strawberry jam. A touch of dill on the front palate with earth and black cherry fruit. Less overtly fruity than the aromas with more structure, dark scorched earth and burnt tobacco. Fairly high acid, and very well balanced overall.
This is a very nice wine, particularly for the 2004 vintage in Burgundy. Many of the wines are harsh and herbal, but this wine has great silky mouth feel and ripe fruit. The so-called “off” vintages are the best ones to find great deals in Burgundy. This is a great price for a well made Premier Cru wine.
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Tags: 1er, 2004, beaune, black, Burgundy, burnt, chanson, cherry, cola, cote, cru, de, dill, Domaine, dominode, earth, et, Fils, france, garnet, jam, les, mushroom, noir, pere, pinot, premier, red, red wine, savigny, scorched, smoke, strawberry, tobacco, vanilla, wet, wine
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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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Tags: 2002, acid, Alejandro, black, blueberry, Bodegas, cherry, Crianza, dark, dry, earth, Fernandez, hearty, La, licorice, lush, Mancha, meat, mushroom, pink, plum, red, red wine, ruby, smooth, spain, sweet, table, tannins, Tempranillo, tobacco, Vinculo
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Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
85 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 25 Sep 2008
Dark purple core with a ruby and violet rim. Blackberry, black cherry and cassis aromas with a wisp of violets around wet earth, mushrooms, charred oak and a touch of camphor. Smooth entry onto the palate with flavors of black cherry and candied black licorice. Medium tannins with a bit of chewiness and bitter tea on the finish. Simple wine, but easy quaffer.
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Tags: 2005, blackberry, Blend, bordeaux, camphor, cassis, cherry, earth, france, grand, licorice, mushroom, oak, Paris, red wine, rouge, tea, violet
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Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
98 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 01 Feb 2007
An intensely dark, opulent black core with a bold garnet rim. Rich, heavy and spicy on the nose. Dark plum and cassis aromas push through, followed by cooler undertones of blueberry, blackberry and sweet red raspberry. Surrounding the intense fruit are pervasive aromas of mushroomy earth, wet stone, sweet tobacco and a hint of green bell pepper, followed by lingering spicy aromas of black pepper, cedar, vanilla and cinnamon. In the mouth this wine is huge. The tannic acid is strong from the front of the mouth all the way through the finish. Well integrated and balanced for such a young wine, the power of the tannic structure just keeps building on the mid-palate. Cassis, blackberry and black plum push through the thick tannins, followed by persistent vanilla and charred oak. This is an intense wine that deserves to be laid down for several years. Intense, yet balanced and distinguished with a promise of amazing future potential.
I give it a B+ on the value score, because after Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate upgraded his score to 100, importers, wholesalers and retailers worldwide raised their prices. This is still a fantastic wine, and those who picked it up before the price hike scored big time on this one.
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Tags: 2003, black, blackberry, blueberry, bordeaux, cassis, cedar, chateau, cinnamon, earth, estephe, france, fruit, green, montrose, mushroom, pepper, plum, raspberry, red, red wine, saint, spice, stone, tobacco, vanilla
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