2017 Tenuta di Trinoro Le Cupole Toscana IGT, Italy, Tuscany, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$28.00USD

Always an outstanding wine and a great value and that is true in this challenging vintage.  It is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black currants, black cherries, slight chocolate and char.  Medium to full bodied.  A nice streak of acidity keeps it lively.  The fruit carries thru to the palate.  Medium tannins.  Deep if tight right now.  Good finish.  This needs a few more years to really open up (or a few hours decant) and should drink well for ten to twelve after t

2016 Tommaso Bussola Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso Ca' del Laito, Italy, Veneto, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$19.00USD

Bussola is one of the greatest Amarone producers, but this is just a simple Valpolicella that is relatively inexpensive.  That said, this was excellent and a great value.  Purple in color with ruby at the rim.  Mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black and red currants, slight raisins, dust and spices.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, black currant fruit with underlying spice and some raisins.  Light tannins.  Dry.  Great acidity.  Long finish.  This is delicious.  It worked well with a pasta and tomato sauce.  This should drink well over the next five to seven years.  

2019 Prisoner Wine Company The Prisoner, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$49.00USD

Another consistent vintage for this wine.  It is one of those wines that wine snobs love to bash but wine drinkers enjoy very much.  It is big and fresh and exuberant and delicious.  Inky purple in color, magenta at the rim.  Opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, baking spices and slight bramble notes.  Full bodied with a juicy texture.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, the black raspberries come thru along with some char and anise on the finish.  Long finish that does have some warmth to it.  This drinks great on its own and will work well with big foods.  It s

2018 Prisoner Wine Company Pinot Noir Eternally Silenced, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$50.00USD

My first time trying this wine.  It is a full throttle Pinot Noir carrying a California designation that weighs in at 14.5% abv.  Attratcively packaged with half the bottle covered in black wax.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is big with black cherries and spice.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  Cherries, black cherries and anise.  Long finish.  This is bold and delicious.  This could only come from California.  It is very young so it will be interesting to see how it evolves.  Right now it drinks better on its own although it will work with hearty meat and fow

2018 Baron Philippe de Rothschild Escudo Rojo Gran Reserva, Chile, Central Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$22.00USD

This is a Bordeaux styled blend of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Carmenere, 11% Syrah, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc from Chile.  It is also a very nice value for the quality.  Purple at the core with a ruby rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is tight but opens up to cassis, coffee and spice.  Nothing green on the nose.  On the palate, black cherries, cassis, smoke and fresh tobacco.  Medium tannins.  Softer texture.  This is surprisingly open right from the start.  There is a nice complexity.  It drinks easily now and should continue for the next ten to twelve years.  A nice m

2018 Baron Philippe de Rothschild Cabernet Sauvignon Escudo Rojo, Chile, Maipo Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$18.00USD

This is a great value wine from Chile.  The name Escudo Rojo is a literal Spanish translation of the Rothschild name.  Purple/ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, with slight wintergreen and rosemary.  Classic Chilean Cabernet notes.  Full bodied with big fruit.  On the palate, the cassis comes thru along with smoke and some black cherries.  Firm tannins.  Some depth.  This may improve a bit, it needs a few more years to develop to reach peak, and should drink well for the next seven to ten years.  Hard to find a better Cab for under $20.  

2019 Prisoner Wine Company Blindfold, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$32.00USD

This is a proprietary blend made from Chardonnay, Roussanne, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Muscat, and Vermentino from California.  Light golden in color, sparkling bright.  The nose has lychees, marzipan, apples and honey.  It is medium to full bodied with a heavy quality to it.  Like other Prisoner wines, there is nothing light about this wine.  The palate has apples, orange peel and slight noticeable alcohol.  It adds some caramel and butter scotch on the long finish.  This is a very interesting wine that is also quite tasty.  It drinks very well sipping on its own and will work well with roas

2019 Sineann Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, New Zealand, Wine Review

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

Sineann is more well known for the Oregon and Washington wines, but they also make this gem in New Zealand.  Owner-winemaker Peter Rosback just can't sit still.  Screw capped.  Silvery/gold in color with a slight copper hue.  The nose is tight upon opening but with a bit of air open to show a nice minerality followed by gooseberries.  With more air a yellow lemonade note become prominent.  This has a lovely oily texture.  On the palate, the lemonade note is there right away followed by gooseberries and an interesting menthol tobacco note.  This has nice acidity.  A long finish that does sho

2019 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$40.00USD

This may be the most iconic Rosé made.  It is arguably the best as well.  While the price has risen over the last decade or so, there is no question that it delivers on quality.  Pale salmon/copper in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with strawberries, minerals and a slight salinity.  Very nice texture.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, strawberries with a mineral base.  This is not a big wine, but its not delicate either.  The finish goes on for a long time.  Some people advocate letting these age and while this will no doubt last for another five to seven years, the freshness in

2013 Mullineux Old Vines White, South Africa, Swartland, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$36.00USD

This is an outstanding white from South Africa.  It is a blend of 80% Chenin Blanc, 13% Clairette and 7% Viognier.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is enticing with orange peel, lemon, wax, honey and minerals.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, it feels like it will be sweet but is not.  Dry.  Lots of layers with lemon and orange over minerals.  Complex.  It is one of those wines that forces on to pay attention.  Long finish.  At age seven, this is young, vibrant with plenty of energy.  There is some development but more is coming.  There is some mint on the long finish.  This sho

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