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1973 Château Doisy-Dubroca, France, Bordeaux, Sauternes, Barsac, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1973
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$40.00USD

It can be really fun to taste older wines.  At age 47, this one is drinking nicely.  Deep golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose shows just a hint of oxidation with apricots and honey and white raisins.  Full bodied and slightly viscous.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, this is sweet with honeyed apricots.  Nice finish.  The bottle was then stuck in the fridge for a few weeks.  Upon re-tasting, it was still fresh and vibrant.  Who know how long this may last.  Drinks well on its own and worked well with various cheeses.  

2014 Outpost Immigrant True Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Howell Mountain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$160.00USD

Another gorgeous wine from Thomas Rivers Brown.  This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot that were co-fermented .  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, chocolate and baking spices.  Lush and rich texture on a medium to full bodied frame.  Very concentrated.  Black cherry fruit with cassis with underlying minerality.  Long finish.  Drinking youthfully but very well.  This should continue to mature for another five to seven years and be good for another ten to twelve more after that.  It will go well with roasts of all kinds.  

2012 Jaffurs Syrah Verna's, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

Beautiful showing for this wine.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, slight black pepper, black olives and roasted herbs.  Full bodied.  Silky texture.  On the palate, this has depth and complexity.  Layers of black raspberry fruit, char, and pepper.  Long finish.  This is drinking well but will continue to evolve and mature.  Some upside potential.  Drink now and for ten to fifteen more years.  A great match with spicy or roasted meat and/or veggie dishes.  

2015 Dönnhoff Dellchen Riesling Großes Gewächs, Germany, Nahe, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

Donnhoff is one of the top producers of Riesling's in the world.  This is a dry version from the excellent 2015 vintage.  While still young, this wine was fantastic.  Light golden in color with some green hues.  The nose is pretty with peaches, salinity, and lots of minerals.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  It has a nice sturdy crispness but abundant fruit as well.  Peaches with underlying minerality.  Very long and rich finish.  Delicious.  This should drink well for another ten to twelve years.  It will go with a wide variety of foods - practically anything.  

2017 Bevan Cellars Ontogeny, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$95.00USD

This is one of my favorite high-end wines.  Even at the $95 price tag, it is almost as good as Bevan's single vineyard designated red wines that sell for twice the price.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has cassis, coffee, black cherries, chocolate and graphite.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has muscular tannins but plenty of fruit to match up with it.  Juicy cassis and black cherries with underlying graphite and spice.  This drinks beautifully now but should evolve and improve over the next five to seven years and drink well for ten to fifteen after that.  It will need big foods righ

2005 Château Marojallia, France, Bordeaux, Margaux, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$110.00USD

This winery calls itself the first garage wine from Margaux.  Deep ruby with some purple at the core.  The nose is very nice if a bit more earthy than what I think of for Margaux.  That is it has cassis, barnyard funk, blueberries and spice.  Full bodied and a luxurious mouthfeel.  On the palate, cassis and blueberries with underlying funk.  This is showing some maturity but not fully there.  Maybe another few years, but this should drink well for at least another decade.  Medium tannins.  Nice finish.  A delightful wine to drink on its own, it will also work well with roasted meats, fowl o

2017 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Garnacha Campo de Borja, Spain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$35.00USD

This wine, first introduced in 2002, is always a popular wine with those who enjoy full throttle wines that have plenty of fruit. But, it is more than just a lush fruit bomb. The vines producing fruit range from 40 to 70 years old.  Purple in color with some ruby hues.  The nose has black cherries, cinnamon, and baking spices.  On the palate, this has juicy cherries and black cherries with some underlying char and earthiness.  Plenty of depth.  There is a fair amount of oak showing on this, but if one prefers, lay this down in a good cellar for ten years and it should integrate nicely.  Ah,

2019 Domaines Ott Côtes de Provence By.Ott Rosé, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

By.Ott is a third line of wines from Domaines Ott, the venerable producer of wines in southern France.  These are a tad less expensive but still on the pricier side of Provence rosé's.  The blend is 60% Grenache, 25% Cinsault, 10% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre.  Pale pink in color, shimmering bright and clear.  The nose is very pretty with cherries, strawberries, minerals and slight grapefruit.  Light bodied.  Very refreshing.  Easy drinking.  The cherries and citrus carry thru to the palate.  This should be consumed in the next couple of years to enjoy its freshness.  This drinks well on its own

2018 Azienda Agricola Bucci Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore, Italy, Marche, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$22.00USD

This is a lovely white from the Adriatic coast in central Italy.  Light golden in color.  The nose is very nice with minerality, apples, slight oak and some pear.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is plenty of depth.  Rounder but enough acidity to bring it all together.  Pears and minerals on the palate.  Nice finish.  This is one of those white wines that could use a bit of time.  This should improve with some short term cellaring.  It should be good for another five to seven years after that.  Drinks well on its own and will work well with pasta dishes in a cream or oil sauce or soft c

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