2013 Domaine La Bouïssiere Vacqueyras, France, Rhone, Wine review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

Vacqueyras can be an excellent source of value in the southern Rhone.  The best wines are as good as many Gigondas and Chateauneuf du Pape wines, often at a lesser price.  This is one of the better ones.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cherries, black cherries, slight cherry lozenge, and smoke.  On the palate, this is clean with cherry fruit and a nice minerality.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This is drinking well.  It should be consumed in the next five to seven years.  A nice match with pizza or burgers as well as bean dishes.  

2015 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$40.00USD

This is a reasonably priced base level Chateauneuf that is consistently a good value.  In the better vintages such as 2015, it can be outstanding.  Ruby/purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, raspberries, garrique, char and spice.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this has bold cherry fruit, a bit of spice and slight char.  It is drinking well now and will continue to over the next seven to ten years.  It is a great match for casseroles or on its own.  

2016 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$65.00USD

What a great showing for this wine.  Yes, it is still a bit young, but really one of the best showings from this house I have seen.  Time to get a few more bottles.  It is 75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and 5% Cinsault.  Purple in color, ruby at the core.  The nose is great with black raspberries, baking spices, garrique and slight lavender.  Full bodied.  Luxurious texture.  Rich and full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Lots of concentrated black raspberry fruit over a bed of char and gravel.  Long finish.  Delicious.  One of those wine when each sip makes one want another.  It drinks g

2007 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Colonia, Italy, Tuscany, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2007
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$90.00USD

I love Chianti.  My favorite winery there is Felsina.  This is their top Chianti.  it is rare and expensive.  It is 100% Sangiovese from the Rancia vineyard's highest growing vines.  The wine is quite concentrated and complex.  Deep ruby in color.  On opening, this was tight but with a couple hours of air, it opened beautifully.  Lots of cherries and black cherries on the nose along with some char and a bit of a pine forest.  On the palate, this is bold with firm tannins.  Lots of cherry fruit.

2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Griffin's Lair, USA, California, Sonoma Coast, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$43.00USD

This is drinking quite well now.  A great example of a cooler climate Syrah from California.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, and slight bacon fat.  On the palate, this is very concentrated.  Boysenberry fruit with char underneath and a slightly meaty taste.  Medium to full bodied.  A wisp of tannins.  Nice acidity.  Long finish.  This is great with roasted veggies (and would be with meat or fowl) and would also work with Indian food.  No hurry, this should be good for another seen to ten years.  

1999 Arietta Merlot, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1999
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$75.00USD

On release, these were big, bold wines made, at least in part, by John Kongsgaard.  Of course, its now 21 years since vintage and one wold be hard pressed to call this anything but right bank if tasting blind.  Part of that is one doesn't expect a Napa Merlot to age this well.  It does have 10% Syrah in the blend so that may be part of it.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose is dusty with cherries, black cherries, slight cedar and some earthy funk.  On the palate, this has a great texture.  Black cherry fruit with a touch of dark chocolate and underlying earthiness.  This is complex and also vib

1999 Vérité La Joie, USA, California, Sonoma, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1999
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$150.00USD

This was purchased by me on release back when it was merely expensive.  Today, this is one of the top guns of the Kendal Jackson empire and the pricing has gotten prohibitive for the newer releases.  If trying this blind, a good guess might have been a 1999 Bordeaux, maybe Graves or maybe even 1998.  it was quite good and certainly just about at peak.  A 60/40 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  Purple/ruby in color with just a hint of browning at the rim.  The nose has some brett but plenty of cassis, cherries and an earthy funk too.  On the palate, this is complex.  Layers of fruit (

2015 Marchesi de' Frescobaldi Chianti Rùfina Nipozzano Riserva, Italy, Tuscany, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$17.00USD

A definite step up from the 2014 and back up to their usual standards.  This is usually an easy choice for a go to value in Chianti and wine in general.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cherries, slight anise, slight forest floor.  On the palate, this is medium bodied.  Very smooth texture.  Nice juicy cherry fruit with some underlying damp earth.  Nice acidity.  Well rounded.  Nice finish.  This is drinking well now and will continue for at least a decade, probably more.  A great match with pizza or pasta for sure.  

2001 Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family) Merlot, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2001
Score: 
84
Grade: 
B

Of course, this bottle should have been consumed long ago, but it happens.  This acquitted itself very well, all things considered.  Deep ruby in color, some browning but not much at the rim.  The nose is dusty, earthy with some dried and macerated cherries.  On the palate, this has some layering going on, fresh cherries, dried cherries and forest floor notes.  Tannins are all resolved.  A bit tart.  Good finish.  This improved a bit with food.  I worked well with a vegetarian bean cassoulet.  These should be drunk up.  

2017 Gourmet Père et Fils Entrecôte Merlot Cabernet Syrah, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
79
Grade: 
C+
Current Price: 
$8.00USD

This is an inexpensive blend from the south of France (Languedoc) although the label just indicates France..  It comes brightly packaged and is certainly intended for their export market.  Ruby/purple in color.  The nose is very jammy with raspberries and cherries and also some spice with bits of fresh cut lumber.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet and jammy with black raspberries and black cherries along with some toasty oak.  Probably best to serve at parties on its own.  It should be consumed now.  

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