Posts Tagged ‘valley’
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
92 / B-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 19 Dec 2008
Straw yellow with small, delicate bubbles. Very toasty, yeasty, bready aromas around light golden apple, a touch of caramelized pear and raw honey. Dry entry on the palate with silky bubbles. Crisp apple and pear surround honeyed biscuit. Medium bodied with a nice citrus zest finish.
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Tags: 1997, apple, biscuit, bread, brut, bubble, california, caramel, citrus, Coast, disgorged, golden, honey, j, late, North, pear, raw, River, Russian, silk, sonoma, sparkling, sparkling wine, toast, valley, wine, Winery, yeast, yellow, zest
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
89 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 12 Dec 2008
Pale, bright steely gold color. Light pear and apple aromas are joined by caramel, baking spices and wet stones with a lingering touch of ripe nectarines. Round and creamy on the entry with a warm, toasty apple cobbler mid-palate. Full bodied with great balance. Long, lingering butterscotch flavor.
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Tags: 2006, apple, baking, butterscotch, caramel, chardonnay, Coast, cobbler, cream, farrell, gary, gold, nectarine, North, pear, River, Russian, selection, sonoma, spice, stone, toast, valley, white, White wine, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 12 Dec 2008
Medium ruby core with a paler ruby rim. Cola and sweet black cherry aromas are surrounded by wet earth and stone with a spicy orange zest note and a hint of creamy caramel. Voluptuous on the palate. Soft up front with rich fruit building to a solid core of fruit acid and sort tannins. The finish is very long with creamy, toasty oak layered over black cherries. Great now and will improve for another 2-5 years easily.
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Tags: 2006, black, california, caramel, cherry, Coast, cola, cream, earth, farrell, gary, noir, North, orange, pinot, red, red wine, River, ruby, Russian, selection, sonoma, spice, stone, sweet, toast, valley, wine, zest
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
88 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 10 Dec 2008
Maroon core with a thin pink rim. A bit austere on the nose with oak and slate dominating the fruit - a touch of cherry and some orange zest. Fruity on the front palate (mostly red cherries) followed by a hint of smoke and game with slatey minerality and a touch of oak on the finish.
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Tags: 2006, barbara, california, Central, cherry, Coast, core, cuyama, game, maroon, moreved, mr, oak, orange, pink, red, red wine, santa, slate, smoke, valley, 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
90 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 10 Dec 2008
Medium lemon-green core with a bright, clear rim. Huge aromatics in the glass. Lots of ripe green and yellow pear with a tropical pineapple hint are all surrounded by plenty of toast, nutmeg and wet slate. Toasty on the front palate with new oak around yellow apple and pear with a core of creamy lemon. Rich and full bodied with great acidity and a spicy nutmeg and cream finish.
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Tags: 2007, alexander, apple, california, chardonnay, chateau, Coast, cream, green, lemon, North, nutmeg, oak, pear, pineapple, ripe, slate, sonoma, souverain, toast, tropical, valley, white, White wine, wine, yellow
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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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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
89 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 22 Jan 2008
Dark purple core with a vibrant pink rim. White and black truffles support the nice wet earth edge to this leather, black cherry and blackberry beast. Sweeter fruit on the front palate is met by nice minerality in the middle. Long finish of dark cherries and toffee.
Another good example of an Italian wine made in California. These guys know what they are doing. Good quality for the price, and it also has a good hefty bottle that will impress people before you even pour the wine. Sealed with wax, which I find annoying for opening, but looks nice.
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Tags: 2002, Ambullneo, barbara, barbera, Bien, black, blackberry, california, cherry, earth, leather, Maria, mineral, Nacido, Nonno, pink, purple, red wine, santa, sweet, toffee, truffle, valley, Vineyard, white, Zito
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / B-
Tasted by Mike Supple 22 Jan 2008
Dark ruby core with a garnet edge. Sweet raw honeycomb aromas are backed by black cherry and white truffle. Bold acidity once would expect from a nebbiolo on the front of the palate, just screaming for some food. Leather and earth notes surround black and red cherries from the front palate through the finish.
This is a very strong example of this grape. It can be incredibly tricky to grow and make, and many of the ones coming from Italy are bad and overpriced. The best examples are truly stunning, but so is the price tag. That being said, this one is a little bit pricey for what it is, but well worth it if you can find it on sale. This is one of those wines that pairs well with a lot of foods, particularly those with a lot of acid (think tomatoes) or cream and butter. It also has a good hefty bottle that will impress people before you even pour the wine. Sealed with wax, which I find annoying for opening, but looks nice.
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Tags: 2001, Ambullneo, barbara, Bien, black, california, cherry, earth, garnet, honey, honeycomb, leather, Maria, Nacido, nebbiolo, Nonno, raw, red, red wine, ruby, santa, sweet, truffle, valley, white, wine, Zito
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