2017 Bodrog Borműhely Furmint Tokaji , Hungary, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$26.00USD

This is made from the Furmint grape from a single vineyard (Barakony).  Várhegy is the name of an extinct volcano that dominates the geography of the area (the name means castle hill).  The wine checks in at 11.6%ABV with Residual Sugar at 2.9 g/l (just barely perceptible).  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has pronounced diesel notes along with some quince.  On the palate, this is light to medium bodied.  Tart quince paste notes with nice minerality.  Slight smokiness.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This drinks well on its own but will work better with food.  Lighter poult

2017 Carpinus Tokaji, Hungary, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$16.00USD

This is made from the Furmint grape.  It is virtually dry although there is a perception of sweetness.  Light silvery gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has quince with a slight petrol note.  Medium bodied and slightly viscous.  On the palate, there is a nice sour lemons note along with some pears.  There is a strong backbone of acidity which I love but depending on your preferences may be an issue.  It carries the finish out a long way.  As this opened, the sour lemon note became slightly candied (in a good way) and melded well with the pear.  In a tasting of dry Tokaji wines, this

2017 Domaine Du Castel La Vie Rouge du Castel Jerusalem - Haute Judee, Israel, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

Domaine du Castel is one of the best wineries in Israel.  This is their value wine made in both red and white.  Of course, this is the red and it truly is a very good value.  This was originally purchased for Passover 2020, but due to Covid, opened in 2021.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The  nose has black cherries and some cassis with a bit of dust and earthiness.  Medium bodied.  This drinks easily with light tannins and fresh black cherry fruit.  Good balance.  This probably should be consumed in the next few years, but for around $20, this is a nice Cab.  It graced our

2013 Torrin The Banshee, USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$90.00USD

This is a blend of 48% Syrah, 32% Grenache, and 20% Mourvedre.  Still young, this is really starting to sing.  Purple, opaque and shimmering bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, plums, some black cherries, spice, black pepper and roasted meats.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Lots of black raspberry and black cherry fruit.  Lovely texture.  Deep but tight layers.  Lots of energy.  Long finish.  This should drink well for the next ten to twelve years.  Great on its own, this will work well with spicy foods off the grill such as wings or ribs.  

2005 Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard, USA, California, Edna Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$120.00USD

This is drinking great and probably at peak.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries with black pepper and some roasted meats and herbs.  Full bodied.  Complex.  Still lots of upfront black raspberry fruit but lots of depth and layering with earthiness, char and black pepper.  Delicious.  Long finish.  This should go another five to ten years but won't get better.  Great on its own, this will work well with roasted meat or veggies.  I last had this in 2009, so it was great to be able to see what happened to all that potential it showed in its youth.  

2016 Sevilen Kalecik Karası, Turkey, Aegean Region, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$12.00USD

This is made from the Kalecik Karasi grape which is native to Turkey.  14.5% alcohol.  Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries and strawberries, with slight sweaty sock notes (just enough to  give it an earthy feel).  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this comes off much cleaner than the nose.  Nice cherry fruit with some strawberries and  light orange peel.  It improved with about an hour of air.  Some depth.  Good finish.  This is a very nice value in a "middle of the road" style of red (for a grape few have ever tried).  It seems like it will drink we

2019 Cantine Ermes Vento Di Mare Nerello Mascalese Terre Siciliane IGT, Italy, Sicily, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$12.00USD

This is 100% Certified Organic Nero Mascalese grapes from Sicily grown in sandy soils in western Sicily.  A really great value.  Garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is very nice with cherries, black cherries, slight smoke and slight herbal note (chervil?).  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this has black cherry fruit with underlying char.  Also a bit of pepperiness.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  Somewhat like a mythical blend of Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.  This was a real crowd pleaser among friends I served it to.  Drinking quite well on its own, this would work great with pas

2017 Hannes Sabathi Sauvignon Blanc Steirische Klassik, Austria, Südsteiermark, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$25.00USD

A Sauvignon Blanc from Austria, this was produced using sustainable farming methods.  12.5% ABV.  Silvery gold in color with a slight copper hue.  Clear and bright.  The nose is initially mineral driven but with a bit of air, some green pepper notes emerge.  With a bit more air, some lemons come out.  Finally, after almost two hours of air, there are some grassy notes along with some tropical fruit (papaya).  Fascinating to observe the evolution of the nose.

2013 Sevilen Sauvignon Blanc, Turkey, Aegean, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$19.00USD

This is a Sauvignon Blanc from Turkey.  While obviously this has some age on it, it showed well and improved with air over the course of a few hours.  13.5% ABV.  Golden color, slightly on the deeper gold side (probably due to some age).  Clear and bright.  The nose is reticent at first but with air shows minerals, slight hay, and a slight winter-green note.  After an hour or two, it shows some fruit - melon and slight tropical fruit.  It has a lovely, slightly oily texture.  On the palate, this is a lively wine.  Nice minerality if not a lot of fruit.  Some depth.  Good finish.  It would b

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