Posts Tagged ‘oak’
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
89/B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 11 Feb 2009
Pale gold core with a bright lemon rim. Youthful aromas of lemons and cream are surrounded by toasty oak, ripe tangerine and yellow pear. Round and full-bodied with lots of cream and toasty oak up front. Lemon and white peach swarm in on the mid-palate and lead to a long vanilla finish.
Made mostly of grapes from Sonoma County (77%) but with a healthy does of Santa Barbara County (14%) and Monterey County (9%) as well.
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Tags: 2006, california, chardonnay, cream, gold, landmark, lemon, monterey, north coast, oak, overlook, santa barbara, sonoma, tangerine, toast, vanilla, white peach, White wine, yellow pear
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
90/A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 15 Feb 2009
Deep ruby and purple core with a wide ruby rim. Vanilla, fresh oak and a touch of earthy aromas surround a bold core of cassis, blackberry, black cherry and plum. Lush and fruity on the palate entry with a solid core of ripe and approachable tannins. Creamy vanilla surrounds plush cherry and blackberry with a touch of smoke. Spicy cedar lingers on the finish.
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Tags: 2006, black cherry, blackberry, cabernet sauvignon, california, cassis, cedar, earth, educated guess, Napa, north coast, oak, plum, purple, red wine, roots run deep, ruby, smoke, spice, vanilla
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
90/B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 12 Mar 2009
Bright medium lemon core with a clear rim. Good intensity on the nose with bright lemon and lime softened by ripe yellow apple. The whole nose has a sweet orange blossom note lifting the aromas out of the glass. Very floral on the palate. Round and full-bodied yet with great balancing acidity. Oranges, lemons and limes are softened by the yellow apple. Just a touch of oak and cream rounds out the finish.
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Tags: 2007, arroyo seco, california, central coast, chardonnay, cream, floral, j. lohr, lemon, lime, monterey, oak, october night vineyard, orange, orange blossom, USA, White wine, yellow apple
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
86/B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 08 Mar 2009
Pale gold core with a water white rim. Fresh lemon and yellow apple aromas are surrounded by light toasty oak and vanilla. Very ripe, intense fruit on the front of the palate with so much power that it gives a hint of sweet to the palate. Classic Chardonnay flavors of lemon and apple with a touch of ripe melon giving way to some creamy oak on the finish.
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Tags: 2008, apple, calina, casablanca valley, chardonnay, chile, cream, gold, lemon, melon, oak, reserve, toast, vanilla, White wine, yellow
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
86/B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 21 Feb 2009
Soft lemon yellow hue with a clear rim. A touch of oak and butter floats on the nose over bright citrus and green apple. Lemons and limes fill the front palate, and are matched by a slightly sweet hint of yellow apples. Clean finish with a lingering touch of oak and cream.
A very mellow, easy-to-drink wine.
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Tags: 2006, apple, butter, california, chardonnay, citrus, cream, green, heron, lemon, lime, oak, White wine, yellow
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Friday, February 6th, 2009
87 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 26 Jan 2009
Dark ruby core with a lighter brick rim. Ripe black cherry and cassis aromas with a vanilla bean, roasted oak and crushed violets. Lush and juicy on the front palate. Great acid from front to back. Black cherry, coffee, scorched oak and blackberry. Medium bodied with fine-grained tannins providing nice support. Finishes a little thick and jammy. Easy drinking and a great wine before, during and after dinner.
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Tags: 2005, Argentina, bean, black, blackberry, Bodegas, brick, cabernet sauvignon, cask, cassis, cherry, coffee, jam, Mendoza, oak, red wine, ruby, trapiche, vanilla, violet
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Thursday, February 5th, 2009
84 / C
Tasted by Mike Supple - 22 Jan 2009
Dark ruby core with a pink rim. Wild strawberry and rhubarb aromas are backed by a touch of earth and mocha. Dark plum and cherry fruits surround a sweet herbal note on the palate. Medium acidity with a solid core of ripe tannins. Decanting before serving will definitely bring out the full flavors and aromas. A little hollow on the finish. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc aged in French oak (30% new, 70% second use) for 12 months.
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Tags: Blend, bordeaux, Cabernet Franc, chateau vieux taillefer, cherry, earth, france, herb, merlot, mocha, oak, pavillon, pink, plum, red wine, rhubarb, ruby, saint emilion, strawberry
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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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Thursday, February 5th, 2009
91 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 16 Jan 2009
Dark inky purple with a bright fuchsia rim. Tons of orange zest in the nose supported by dark blackberry, blueberry and rich caramel. Thick entry on the palate with fruit that unfolds from front to back. Plum, caramel, blackberry and boysenberry fill the mouth. Still very young with lots of fine grained tannins, balanced oak and a nice underlying acidity. Lingering spicy dark fruit finish.
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Tags: 2007, blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry, california, caramel, fuchsia, lakeville, neyers, north coast, oak, old, orange, plum, purple, red, Road, sonoma, sonoma coast, spice, Syrah, zest
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