2016 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages, USA, California, Sonoma, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$90.00USD

Way back at the end of the prior century, the 1996 version was the Wine Spectator Wine of the Year.  Now, 25 years later and no one really seems to care anymore.  The truth is this is an excellent wine.  A proprietary blend, I am told this is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot.  Purple in color with some ruby hues, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, tobacco, soy sauce and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, cassis with some forest floor and spice.  This is a "cooler" climate wine that got per

2018 Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$89.00USD

Not a lot of people realize that Mike Smith (Myriad among many others) is the winemaker at Becklyn.  Their wines are highly recommended.  This one is no exception.  It is the basic Cabernet in their lineup. Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, cedar,  and baking spices.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is complex, deep and also quite tight.  Flavors of cassis, some graphite and char.  Long finish.  It could use a few more years in the cellar or else give it a long decant for now.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.

2022 Terrazas de los Andes Reserve Chardonnay

Vintage: 
2022
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$19.99USD

Grown high in the mountains of Uco, this Chardonnay is a blend of 10 different vineyard sites. This wine offers a lot of minerality and acidity, a step away from overblown butter rich chardonnays. And that’s why it’s the ideal food companion. Lemon lime, quince, peach, light guava and a hint of wild sweet grass permeate. There is a slight oak influence (eight months on the lees) but it is minimal and allows the fruit, acidity and freshness to come through. ORIGIN: Mendoza, Argentina. ALCOHOL: 13.5%.

Alma de Cattleya 2022 Pinot Noir

Vintage: 
2022
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$35.00USD

The Alma de Cattleya wines represent quality wines without sticker shock. To prove that point the 2022 Sonoma County Pinot offers soft elements of strawberry, pomegranate, guava, rose water, red raspberry, and light citrus. This is a delicate wine, but with enough acidity and tannic structure. Aged just 11 months in French oak allows for the fruit to be more expressive and the quality in the bottle exceeds the price. ORIGIN: Sonoma County. ALCOHOL: 14%

Chappellet 2021 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$95.00USD

It should be no surprise that this wine is a stunner. Chappellet has long delivered quality wines that exceed the status quo; nearly 60 years in fact. The fruit for this wine comes from Pritchard Hill, a well-know parcel that produces exceptional grapes. A classic old-school Cabernet, this offers blackberry, blueberry, huckleberry, boysenberry and black cherry notes with back notes of vanilla, sage, tight tannins, good acidity and the one thing that makes a wine sing – balance. Comprised of mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, there are small amounts of Petite Verdot, Malbec and Merlot added in.

2015 Müller-Catoir Gimmeldinger Schlössel Rieslaner Spätlese, Germany, Pfalz, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$45.00USD

 Rieslaner is a cross of the Silvaner and Riesling grapes.  Medium golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is light but nice with peaches, slight "wet rocks", and spice.  Light bodied.  Light acidity.  On the palate, the peaches come thru.  It seems a touch flabby but works better with some food.  Medium finish.  This would be a nice wine with spicy Thai food.  Drink over the next five years.  

2018 Kumeu River Chardonnay Hunting Hill, New Zealand, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$50.00USD

One of the truly GREAT Chardonnays in the world.  This is very young right now, but still showed quite well.  Light gold in color with a bit of a green hue, clear and  bright.  The nose is great with lemons, slight pineapple, and spices.  Full bodied.  Energetic.  Great acidity.  On the palate, this is crisp and delicious.  Pineapple, slight vanilla and spice.  Long finish.  This took and hour or so to really open.  It could use another five to ten years in the cellar, but no real harm opening now.  Drink over the  next twenty years.  Great on its own but better with food.  This will work w

2018 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay Sonoma Coast, USA, California, Sonoma, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$50.00USD

Rivers Marie (the home winery of winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown) really knocked it out of the park with their 2018 Chardonnay.  This is the basic release (not a single vineyard) and it is wonderful.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lemon curd, vanilla and spice.  Full bodied.  Silky light tannins.  Great acidity and balance.  On the palate, this is delicious. Lemons, vanilla and slight smoke.  Long finish.  This is delicious on its  own and will work well with sea food or even fowl.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  An Excellent value!

2018 Sebastien Dampt Chablis 1er Cru Les Beugnons, France, Burgundy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

In the world of Chablis, there are some exceptional producers but only a couple of those are "affordable".  Sebastian Dampt is one of them and that is especially true of the 1er Crus.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has green apples, slight grapefruits, slight gunpowder and spice.  Full bodied.  Excellent acidity.  On the palate, this is still a bit tight but opens quickly in the glass.  Green apples, grapefruits and slight char.  Long finish.  Delicious on its own, this is even better with food.  Of course, oysters would work very well, but so does a fruit salad.  Drink

2011 Kapcsándy Family Winery Roberta's Reserve State Lane Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Yountville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2011
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$180.00USD

Merlot gets a lot of mockery (See Sideways), but a well made Merlot is truly special and this is one of the best on the planet.  Now, 2011 was one of the weaker vintages in Napa, but the late Lou Kapcsandy tailors the plants to adjust for the vintages and the State Lane Vineyard is truly Grand Cru.  The result is another outstanding wine.  It also have 5% Cabernet Franc blended in.  if anything, the vintage is a bit more accessible at a younger age than most.  Purple in color with some ruby hues, opaque and bright.  Gorgeous nose.  Black cherries, mocha, spice and slight coffee.  Full bodie

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