Posts Tagged ‘table’
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
87 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 04 Feb 2008
Bright yellow core with a golden tint, thinning around the rim. Big candied lemon aromas are accented by cantaloupe, light toasted walnut and a hint of oak. Round and full in the mouth with a nice medium-bodied weight. A good amount of acid keeps it bright. Creamy lemons are surrounded by cantaloupe and yellow pear, leading to a nice cream and butter finish.
This is a good, but not great wine. Fun if you are looking for something you don’t see very often. NOT to be confused with the famous dessert Tokaji Hungary (which is generally made from a grape called Furmint). This wine is at its peak. Drink before 2009.
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Tags: 2003, acid, Ambullneo, barbara, Bien, bright, butter, california, candy, cantaloupe, core, cream, dry, full, gold, lemon, Maria, Nacido, Nonno, oak, pear, round, santa, table, tint, toast, Tocai, USA, valley, Vineyard, walnut, white, White wine, wine, yellow, Zito
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
93 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 11 Feb 2008
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Sangiovese. Deep purple core with just barely a hint of a bright ruby rim. Dark aromas of black cherry and blackberry are lifted by light floral aromas, cinnamon, cocoa powder and leather. Full bodied on the palate, with bold yet very ripe and round tannins. Black licorice, blackberry and plum are backed by leather, graphite, vanilla and milk chocolate. The finish is rich, long and bold with a nice cassis note. Deep and complex, this should continue to develop in the bottle for the next couple of years, and the high, balanced acid and full tannins matching the power of the fruit should allow this to easily age another 10+ years.
Wines made from a blend of grapes not typically grown in Italy are becoming more popular, and are known as Super Tuscans when produced in Tusany (and given the Italian government’s approval). This is simply a fantastic wine. Tastes great young, but will age for a while. Can be drunk on it’s own, but like most Italian wines should really be enjoyed with a meal. Try something with tomato sauce or some good fat to it like dry salami.
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Tags: 2004, Agricola, black, blackberry, Blend, bold, bright, cabernet, Camartina, cherry, cinnamon, cocoa, dark, deep, dry, floral, graphite, italy, leather, licorice, m, plum, powder, purple, Querciabella, red, red wine, ripe, ruby, Sangiovese, sauvignon, table, tannin, Tuscany, vanilla, wine
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
86 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 11 Feb 2008
95% Sangiovese, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium density purple and ruby core with a thinner pink rim. Bright red cherries are surrounded by cocoa, tobacco, dusty earth and light metallics on the nose. In the mouth the flavors are somewhat more subdued. Fairly bold tannins, though somewhat coarse and green. Sour cherries, cocoa and chalk lead into the medium length finish.
Too many Chiantis are associated with cheap, bulk wine. Querciabella is a very solid producer, although their 2005 is not as good as most vintages. On the plus side, it is not over priced.
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Tags: 2005, Agricola, bold, bright, cabernet, chalk, cherry, Chianti, Classico, cocoa, dense, dry, dust, earth, Greve, italy, metallic, pink, purple, Querciabella, red, red wine, ruby, Sangiovese, sauvignon, sour, subdue, table, tannin, tobacco, Tuscany, wine
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
91 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 12 Feb 2008
Inky dark ruby core with a bright ruby rim. Rich blueberry fruit aromas are countered by nice slatey minerality, smoky *lardon*, and a hint of vanilla cream. The font of the palate is dominated by blueberries and boysenberries. The mouthfeel is impressively round and balanced, and much more restrained than your average overblown Barossa Shiraz. Soft and supple, this beauty is ready to bring home and pop the cork tonight.
Not the typical big jammy South Australia Shiraz. Not the wine if you are looking for an explosive fruit bomb to drink by itself, but rather a more stylish, elegant wine that would go well with powerful, meaty foods.
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Tags: 2005, Australia, Barossa, Binder, blueberry, boysenberry, bright, core, cream, dark, dry, fruit, Heysen, lardon, mineral, red, red wine, rich, Rolf, ruby, Shiraz, slate, smoke, South, table, valley, vanilla, wine
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Monday, January 26th, 2009
92 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 19 Feb 2008
Very dark purple in the glass with a bright fuchsia and pink rim. This wine is spicy and dense in the nose with anise, new oak and vanilla over big ripe blueberry and blackberry. Dark earth, toffee and a touch of smoky game underlie the fruits. In the mouth this is a lush, round wine with great mouthfeel. Dark, jammy fruits make this wine distinctly Aussi Shiraz, but the balance of the acid and tannin keep it from getting too hedonistic. Rich bittersweet chocolate and vanilla notes linger in the toasty, creamy finish.
More typically Australian with the huge, powerful fruit and color that will stain your teeth (probably not the best way to impress on a first date). With all that fruit though, they manage to make a wine that is well balanced and good to drink. A bit powerful for most foods, but nice fruit and easy to enjoy while sitting on a couch or just hanging around.
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Tags: 2005, acid, anise, Australia, Barossa, bittersweet, blackberry, blueberry, Bogan, bright, chocolate, cream, dark, dense, earth, fruit, fuchsia, game, jam, Kaesler, oak, pink, purple, red, red wine, Shiraz, smoke, South, spice, table, tannin, toast, toffee, valley, vanilla
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Monday, January 26th, 2009
92 / A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 29 Feb 2008
95% Shiraz and 5% Viognier, but the little 5% does an amazing job lifting the aromas out of the glass. Fun and different, this is a fantastic little wine. Bright ruby and purple in the glass with a fresh apricot nose over black pepper, blackberry and a touch of menthol. It is smooth and soft in the mouth with rich dark blackberry, apricots and a hint of tar. Spicy and lingering on the finish with a faint dark earthy note.
This wine is a great all around, aromas and flavors. Easy to drink, and fairly versatile: drink it alone or with food - but make it rich, meaty or saucy food, as this is a big wine that doesn’t hold back. Viognier is a white wine, but the small amount added doesn’t affect the dark ruby color of the wine. This is a very common blend in the Rhone region of France.
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Tags: 2006, apricot, Australia, black, blackberry, Blend, bright, Chapoutier, Domaine, earth, fresh, menthol, pepper, purple, red wine, ruby, Shiraz, smooth, spice, table, tar, Terlato, Victoria, viognier
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Monday, January 26th, 2009
88 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 29 Feb 2008
Dark ruby core surrounded by a lighter rim and a touch of garnet. Very fruit aromas of cassis, grape jam, plum and blackberry surrounded by spicy licorice and honey leading to a touch of earth. Light body on the palate entry with rich jammy fruit. Soft, round tannins make this ready to drink now. Raspberry and plum fruits lead to a hint of tea on the finish. (Tasted from magnum).
Drink now; not made to age.
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Tags: 2002, blackberry, Bonny, california, Cardinal, cassis, dark, Doon, earth, fruit, garnet, grape, honey, jam, licorice, plum, raspberry, red wine, rich, ruby, spice, table, tannin, USA, Zinfandel
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Monday, January 26th, 2009
92 / A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 06 Mar 2008
Dark ruby in the core, intense and almost black in the middle; bright ruby red rim. A full, rich nose of orange zest, blueberry, wet clay, black licorice, black cherries, cassis and a nice hit of slate. The palate entry is powerful: the fruits are impressively soft for such a young wine, and the bold ripe tannins build through the mid-palate. Blueberry and red cherry flavors circle around dark earthy notes. Starting to be approachable now, and should build in complexity over the next 5 - 7 years.
While not a cheap wine, this comes from one of the best regions and best winemakers in Bordeaux. This is the first time Gerard Perse has released a second wine from Chateau Pavie. Essentially these are the younger vines (around 10 years) that did not make the cut for Chateau Pavie. Stunning quality at less than 1/5 of the price of the Grand Vin.
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Tags: 2005, Aromes, black, Blend, blueberry, bold, bordeaux, bright, cassis, chateau, cherry, Clary, complex, de, earth, france, fruit, licorice, orange, pavie, red wine, ripe, ruby, slate, St-Emilion, table, tannin, zest
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Monday, January 26th, 2009
89 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 10 Mar 2008
Medium ruby core. Lighter on the rim with a hint of garnet. Graphite and fresh pencil shavings, blackberry and plum. Touch of burnt chocolate. Light entry. Medium acid. Red cherry fruit with cinnamon spice and nutmeg on the palate. Touch of heat on the back end. Medium length. Touch of earth and caramel.
A good quality wine, but 2004 was so exceptional in Tuscany I expect a little more for $30.
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Tags: 2004, acid, Birba, blackberry, burnt, caramel, chocolate, cinnamon, earth, garnet, Gerla, graphite, italy, La, nutmeg, pencil, plum, red wine, ruby, Sangiovese, spice, table, Tuscany
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Monday, January 26th, 2009
94 / A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 18 Mar 2008
Bold ruby red core with a slightly lighter ruby rim. Fresh aromas of raspberries, milk chocolate, orange zest with a touch of white flowers, dusty slate and caramel. Amazing entry and mouthfeel. Silky doesn’t really even begin to describe it. Fantastic acidity is balanced very well by the fruit and ripe tannins. This wine has the smooth feel of a well made Pinot Noir. Raspberry and cherry fruits with a touch of fresh anise, black truffle and orange zest. Long, smooth finish.
100% Nerello Mascalese, a grape native to Sicily. Grown on the rocky volcanic soils of Mt. Etna. This is a stunning little wine, and more than worth every penny. Try it if you want something smooth and easy to drink that will go with just about any food.
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Tags: 2005, anise, bold, caramel, cherry, chocolate, dusty, flower, italy, Mascalese, milk, Nerello, orange, Passopisciaro, raspberry, red, red wine, ruby, Sicily, silk, slate, smooth, table, truffle, zest
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