Posts Tagged ‘nutmeg’
Monday, April 13th, 2009
90/A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 08 Mar 2009
Deep ruby core with a bright pink rim that stains the glass. Dark black cherry and plum aromas are accented by baking spices, a touch of fresh herbs and smooth, warm vanilla. Easy entry on the palate with great mouth feel and intensity of flavors. The tannins are very smooth and support the wine without getting in the way of your enjoying it. Spicy nutmeg and vanilla add a nice punch to the blackberry, cassis and black cherry fruits. Just a hint of toast lingers on the finish.
If you’re looking for a young, smooth, easy drinking Cab that packs all the flavor and complexity without the severe tannins, then this is your wine. Juicy and rich, yet smooth and ready to go. It has the body to last another 4 or 5 years, but who has that kind of patience? The rich fruit begs to be paired with a burger or steak, but you’ll want to grab more than one bottle of this because once the food is gone, the smooth texture and balanced flavors will keep you refilling your glass until the last drop disappears.
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Tags: 2006, baking spice, black cherry, blackberry, cabernet sauvignon, cassis, chateau ste michelle, columbia valley, herb, indian wells, nutmeg, pink, plum, red wine, ruby, sainte, spice, toast, USA, vanilla, Washington
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
89/B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 29 Jan 2009
Dark purple core with a bright ruby rim that stains the glass. Big aromas of blackberry and blueberry are lifted from the glass by a crushed rose petal note, all surrounded by dark wet stone, game and a touch of smoke. Very floral on the palate with dark charcoal and chocolate notes rushing in around ripe blackberry. Great acid on the mid-palate and a spicy, creamy, nutmeg and vanilla finish.
The acid core of this wine screams for food while the dense, dark, smoky fruit says “whatever you eat, make steak and put it on the grill.” Garnacha (Grenache) is the staple of the Calatayud region in northeast Spain. Recent developments in winemaking (fermenting in steel, aging in new oak) have changed the local style to a more robust, clean and powerful red. The Atteca is a great example of this style, and by using old vines (80-120 years) they get intensity of flavor while maintaining fantastic balance. Grenache of this intensity from just a few miles further northeast (such as Chateauneuf du Pape) would easily cost twice the price.
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Tags: 2007, aragon, atteca old vines garnacha, blackberry, blueberry, bodegas ateca, calatayud, charcoal, Chateauneuf du Pape, chocolate, cream, floral, game, grenache, nutmeg, purple, red wine, rose petal, ruby, smoke, spain, spice, stone, vanilla
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
92/A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 18 Jan 2009
Deep ruby core with a paler rim and slight garnet highlights. Clean fruit and spice aromas of plums, cinnamon and black cherry with a rustic earth, stone and leather quality, all accented by roasted coffee. Fairly full bodied in the mouth with intense flavors of smoky plums and roasted black cherries backed by spicy black pepper, coffee, nutmeg and baker’s chocolate with a hint of wild game.
This is an intense, complex wine. 2004 is sandwiched between two more critically acclaimed vintages. As a result, many great Provence wines from 2004 were overlooked, and this is a real hidden gem. While not a cheap wine, it is powerful and well balanced, and will impress any aficionado. Showing well now, but likely to continue getting better for another couple of years. A blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Tags: 2004, black cherry, black pepper, cabernet s, chateau d'estoublon les baux de provence, chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, earth, estoublon, france, garnet, grenache, leather, mourvedre, nutmeg, plum, red wine, ruby, smoke, spice, stone, Syrah, wild game
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
88/B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 08 Mar 2009
Bright ruby core with a garnet rim. Rich spicy plum aromas are mobbed by sweet candied violets, cassis and a touch of green tea and dried cherries. Plums and nutmeg spice dominate the palate. Ripe, round tannins provide plenty of support for the fruit. Finish of plums and black cherries.
A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Tags: 2005, black, cabernet sauvignon, candy, cassis, cherry, chile, colchagua valley, garnet, green tea, merlot, nutmeg, plum, red wine, ruby, sincerity, spice, violet
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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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Thursday, February 5th, 2009
88 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 22 Jan 2009
Purple core with a bright ruby rim. Spicy nutmeg and cinnamon surround red cherry and strawberry aromas, followed by a black pepper punch. Smooth entry on the palate, building quickly to a full bodied wine with a solid tannic core. Scorched licorice and earthy flavors around black cherry, blackberry and burnt coffee on the finish. A bit tight when first opened, but really showed well after being in the glass for a while. I recommend a moderate decanting for early drinking. 100% Merlot from vines a minimum of 60 years old, aged in 100% new French oak.
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Tags: 2006, black, blackberry, Blend, bordeaux, chateau vieux taillefer, cherry, cinnamon, coffee, earth, france, licorice, merlot, nutmeg, oak, pepper, purple, red wine, ruby, saint emilion, spice, strawberry
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Wednesday, February 4th, 2009
91-93 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 03 Feb 2009
Lots of yellow pear exploding on the nose, lifted by light wild flowers, all underscored by wet stone and a touch of sweet nutmeg. Big stony entry on the mouth. Round and full with tons of lemon zest with sweet green pear and crisp green apple. Good length on the finish with a lingering touch of cream.
Aged in 100% French oak, 20-25% of which is new.
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Tags: 1er cru, 2007, apple, Burgundy, champ, chardonnay, cote de beaune, cream, flower, france, gain, green, lemon, maison, montrachet, nutmeg, oak, olivier leflaive, olivier leflaive freres, pear, premier cru, puligny, stone, White wine, wild, yellow, zest
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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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Tags: 2007, Argentina, baker, blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry, cassis, cedar, chocolate, fruit, fuchsia, los vencejos, Malbec, Mendoza, mint, nutmeg, oak, red wine, smoke, spice, stone, toast, valle de uco, vanilla, violet, wine
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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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Tags: 2006, Argentina, black, blackberry, broquel, burger, cheese, cherry, cocoa, dust, earth, fuchsia, lamb, Malbec, meat, Mendoza, nutmeg, plum, portobello, purple, red, red wine, smoke, spice, stone, swiss, wet, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 02 Jan 2009
Dark, inky purple core with a vibrant rim. Spicy aromas of caramel, licorice, cardamom and nutmeg around rich plum and blackberry with a smoked ham and white pepper punch. Big in the mouth but with great balance. A hint of nickel and minerals come in on the mid-palate supporting toasty red cherry and raspberry, leading to lingering candied violets.
A blend of 95% Syrah and 5% Malbec.
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Tags: 2006, Argentina, blackberry, candy, caramel, cardamom, cherry, consulta, double, du, ham, La, labourde, licorice, luca, Malbec, Mendoza, mineral, nickel, nutmeg, pepper, plum, purple, raspberry, red, red wine, select, smoke, spice, Syrah, toast, uco, valle, valley, violet, white, wine
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