Posts Tagged ‘pepper’
Monday, February 23rd, 2009
87/B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 22 Feb 2009
Medium ruby color in the glass from the core all the way out to the rim. Very spicy aromas with a nice punch of white pepper around dark blackberry, boysenberry and a sweet touch of caramel. Fairly substantial in the mouth with very juicy blackberry and raspberry fruits, again accented by the white pepper. Low tannins and good acidity make this easy to drink right now and able to go with many types of foods from a burger to ribs to pizza.
A blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah.
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Tags: blackberry, boysenberry, cabernet sauvignon, california, caramel, merlot, non-vintage, pepper, petite sirah, promisqous, raspberry, red wine, ruby, spice, white, Zinfandel
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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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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
88 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 15 Apr 2008
Very bright in the glass with a thick purple core surrounded by a fuchsia rim. Fleshy and sweet in both the aromas and flavors. Sweet strawberry wraps around black cherry and blackberry with a nice hint of black pepper. The wine is smooth and soft as it enters the mouth bringing a smoky, gamy undertone of flavors to support the fruit.
This is the perfect wine for bacon cheeseburgers. Rhone wines bring a great punch of spice and smoke in to the fruit, and have a lot more structure and balance than Grenache or Shiraz from most New World producers. This wine is a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. The Grenache gives it good acidity and fruit-forward nature while the Syrah provides backbone and pepper spice. This is not an overly complex wine, but it’s a fantastic introduction into the blended styles that the Southern Rhone has to offer. The winery, Paul Jaboulet Aine, was recently purchased by a family famous for their Bordeaux (Chateau La Lagune), so look for some changes and even better quality in the upcoming vintages.
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Tags: 2006, 45, aine, black, blackberry, cherry, Cotes, du, france, fuchsia, game, grenache, jaboulet, parallele, Paul, pepper, purple, red, red wine, Rhone, smoke, Southern, strawberry, Syrah, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / A+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 10 Nov 2008
Intense, dark purple core with a ruby and purple rim. The aromas are bright and rich with plum and blackberry fruits surrounded by toasted hazelnut, a smack of white pepper and a hint of scorched earth. Fruity and lush on the palate with intense wild blueberry surrounded by earth and white pepper. Medium bodied with great balance of fruit, acid and tannins. This is an incredibly easy wine to drink with a velvety smooth feel and a long, lingering finish with a flair of vanilla.
Delas has done it again, hands down producing one of the best values from France in years! 2007 is an outstanding vintage for the Rhone, and this is an impressively complex wine that packs a ton of flavors. Despite the complexity, it is restrained enough to sip by itself or match up with all kinds of foods from cheeses to pastas to a big juicy burger. The Delas Cotes du Rhone is always a great wine, but they have clearly outdone themselves this year. Grab several bottles now to have on hand for yourself and to impress any winos that may be coming to dinner. (If you buy a bottle, drop me a line and I’ll be there tomorrow!)
A blend of 75% Syrah and 25% Grenache. This just started to hit the country, so if you don’t see it in your local shop right away, ask for it and come back. They make a lot, so there’s plenty to go around!
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Tags: 2007, blackberry, blueberry, Cotes, delas, du, earth, esprit, france, freres, hazelnut, pepper, plum, purple, red, red wine, Rhone, ruby, saint, scorched, Southern, st, toast, white, 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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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / A+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 13 May 2008
Dark ruby and purple core with a bright ruby rim. Chocolate and fresh oak over rich dark fruit, crushed violets and a hint of spice and game. Orange zest and ripe red cherries on the front palate. Full-bodied with round tannins. Just a hint of black truffle and pepper spice over plum, dark cherry and a baker’s chocolate finish.
Incredibly complex for a Cotes du Rhone. Approachable now and will continue to improve for another 3-5 years.
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Tags: 2005, baker, baker's, beaucastel, black, chateau, cherry, chocolate, Cotes, coudoulet, crushed, de, du, france, game, oak, orange, pepper, plum, purple, red, red wine, Rhone, ruby, Southern, spice, truffle, violet, wine, zest
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
87 / C+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 15 Dec 2008
Medium purple core with a lighter rim. Brambly fruit aromas with brown sugar, a hint of fresh herbs and a pop of black pepper. Juicy entry on the palate with an herbal edge. Well balanced, but not overtly fruity as one might expect from old vine Zinfandel. Lots of acidity with nice tannic structure and chocolate on the finish.
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Tags: 2006, black, brambly, brown, california, Cellars, chocolate, Coast, herb, Napa, North, old, pepper, purple, red, red wine, saddleback, sugar, vine, wine, Zinfandel
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 15 Dec 2008
Dark ruby core with a ruby rim. The nose is somewhat muted at first, but opens up as the glass sat implying continuing development in the bottle if you have the patience to let it evolve. Aromas of violets and earth are backed by black cherry and cassis with a touch of sweet vanilla. A hint of green pepper on the front palate is quickly followed by dark fruits - black cherry, blackberry, plum - and accented by hints of toasty vanilla. Fairly tannic with body and acid to match making this a well balanced wine that should age for many years.
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Tags: 2004, Add new tag, black, blackberry, cabernet, california, cassis, Cellars, cherry, Coast, earth, green, Napa, North, pepper, plum, red, red wine, ruby, saddleback, sauvignon, sweet, toast, vanilla, violet, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 10 Dec 2008
Dark garnet core with a thin rim. Blueberry and wild raspberry aromas are surrounded by charcoal and dust with light floral notes and a hint of green pepper. Smooth entry in the mouth with tons of minerals and nice acid. Big chewy tannins on the back, yet very balanced and refined. Tons of spicy cinnamon on the finish. Mostly Mourvedre with a splash of Grenache.
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Tags: 2005, barbara, blueberry, california, Central, charcoal, cinnamon, Coast, core, cuyama, dust, floral, garnet, green, grenache, mineral, moreved, mourvedre, mr, pepper, raspberry, red, red wine, santa, valley, wild, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
86 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 22 Dec 2008
Dark maroon core and a brick rim. Spicy cedar and black pepper around plum, blackberry and a touch of wet earth and violets. Juicy palate entry with dark blackberry and black cherry fruits. Lots of pepper spice with nutmeg and creamy vanilla. Baker’s chocolate and sweet plum on the finish.
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Tags: 2005, amador, baker, baker's, black, blackberry, brick, california, cedar, cherry, chocolate, County, cream, earth, maroon, nutmeg, pepper, plum, red, red wine, renwood, shenandoah, spice, sweet, valley, vanilla, violet, wine, Zinfandel
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