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1999 Dominus Estate, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1999
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

Great to try a mature Dominus, one of the great Napa Cabs made in a more Bordeaux style.   A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  Mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is dusty with cassis and slight cigar box notes.  Full bodied.  On the palate, cassis with some depth and underlying tobacco.  This seems fully mature with a nice complexity.  Very nice finish.  This will work better food than on its own.  Lamb stew would be a great choice.  Drink over the next five years or so.  

2018 Saxum White James Berry Vineyard, USA, California, Paso Robles, Willow Creek, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$150.00USD

This is a white blend made from 66% Grenache Blanc, 28% Roussanne, and 6% Chenin Blanc.  Pop and pour, this needed a good hour or more to really open up.  Pale golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a cream soda note.  With air, it shows wax and lemons.  With even more air, some tropical fruits come out (pineapple and guava?).  Full bodied.  Good acidity.  Light tannins.  On the palate, the experience is similar to the nose; cream soda to waxy lemons to tropical fruits.  A creamy texture.  Some warmth on the finish but this also goes away with air.  This is obviously young and sho

2017 Shumi Iberiuli Saperavi, Georgia, Kakheti, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$21.00USD

This is made from Saperavi grapes from Shumi's Satrabakho Vineyard in Kakheti, Georgia.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, cassis, char and black pepper.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is concentrated and deep.  Flavors of black cherries, some cassis with underlying char.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This is delicious and drinks like a Cab/Zin blend.  Very international in style, it is a nice value and should be a popular wine among friends.  It drinks great on its own and would work well with burgers or ribs off the grill.  dri

2019 Dilao Saperavi, Georgia, Kakheti, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$16.00USD

This is 100% Saperavi fermented in Kvevri (Amphorae) and aged in both Kvevri and Stainless (for stabilization).  It made with minimum interference in a "natural" style.  The result is a very nice  red wine that is a remarkable value.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with plums, black cherries, charred rocks, and black pepper.  Medium to full bodied.  Strong acidity.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this has black cherries, bramble (think Zin) and underlying char.  Nice finish.  This is tasty and easy drinking  with some depth.  It drinks well on its ow

2018 Zurab Tsereteli Rkatsiteli, Georgia, Kakheti, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
83
Grade: 
B-
Current Price: 
$10.00USD

This is an inexpensive white wine from Georgia.  It is 100% Rkatsiteli made in the western style, that is fermented, followed by three months in stainless and a year in oak.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is generic with a touch of apple.  Light bodied.  On the palate, this is easy drinking.  Innocuous.  It has some refreshing qualities but mostly tastes as a generic white wine.  A nice wine for a hot summer day.  Drink now.  

2019 Pheasant's Tears Rkatsiteli Dry White, Georgia, Kakheti, Wine review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

Fascinating and controversial wine.  Tasting with a group, I liked this wine much more than most.  On opening there seemed to be a significant amount of Brettanomyces on the nose.  Yet, it blew off over the next few hours until it was hardly noticeable.  That is not a trait of Brett so perhaps it was just bottle stink coming from the Kvevri (Amphorae).  It was undrinkable to some, but again, I found it delicious with its highest mark coming at about three hours after opening.  Made from the Rkatsiteli Deep amber in color, cloudy and opaque.

2018 Dakishvili Family Vineyards Family Selection, Kisi, Amber Dry Wine, Georgia, Kakheti, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$26.00USD

This is a very nice white wine that was fermented and cured in Kvevri (Amphorae).  A blend of Kisi, Mtsvane and Rkatsiteli grapes.  Deep golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has oranges, honey and Indian spices.  Medium bodied.  Drying tannins.  On the palate, this is clean.  Orange peel, slight honey, with a bit of almonds.  Nice finish.  A very nice complexity here.  It took a couple of hours to really open up.  It does not drink like a what one thinks of as a usual white wine.  It probably should be consumed in the next few years.  In terms of food matching, it would go well with

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