1986 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, France, Bordeaux, St. Julien, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1986
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$240.00USD

A dangerous vintage for this wine as they had winery wide issues with cork taint in the late 80's.  This bottle, however, showed very well.  Pop and pour, it took about 30 minutes to really get going.  After that it kept opening in stages for the next couple hours.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  Mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, leather, a slight horse note and with air, cigar box.  On the palate, this is fresh and drinking well.  Tannins are pretty much resolved.  Layers of fruit and earth unwind in the glass.  Good finish.  I would drink these sooner than later

2015 Kumeu River Chardonnay Hunting Hill, New Zealand, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$50.00USD

Another from this top producer of Chardonnay.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with lemon curd, slight pineapple and minerality.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this is crisp and energetic.  The lemon curd comes thru but also some lemon candy with underlying minerality.  Long finish.  This is delicious but also the kind of wine that makes one take notice.  Still young with a great vibrancy, this easily should continue maturing for the next dozer or so years.  Great on its own, this will work well with lighter foods and even heavier sea food or fowl dishes

NV Ruinart Champagne Brut Rosé, France, Wine Review

Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$68.00USD

Great showing for this wine.  I did not find a vintage code that was decipherable on the label so it is unclear what vintages made this bottle (LALBU).  It was excellent.  Medium deep ruby/orange in color, clear and bright.  A thick mousse with lots of tiny bubbles.  On the nose, this is very pretty with raspberries and strawberries.  Those flavors carry thru to the palate with some apple added in along with underlying minerality.  Very lively acidity.  Nice finish.  This wine should be consumed in the next five years or so.  It will work with just about any food from pop corn to BBQ Ribs. 

2001 Château Guiraud, France, Bordeaux, Sauternes, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2001
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$44.00USD

From a tremendous vintage, but this Sauternes is great in just about any vintage and one of the more reasonably priced ones at that.  This was purchased on release and well stored.  Medium golden/orange in color.  The nose is great with honey, slight pineapple, slight saline and canned peaches.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this is sweet not cloying.  It has dropped some of its sweetness in the 19 years since release.  Lots of depth and complexity.  Layers of peaches, minerals and honey.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This is great on its own and will work with a not too sweet frui

2015 Agricola San Felice Chianti Classico Riserva Il Grigio, Italy, Tuscany, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$25.00USD

This was my first time trying this wine and at least in this great vintage, this wine is outstanding.  Deep ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries, forest floor/tea leaves, char and spice.  Full bodied.  The fruit is ripe but certainly not over done.  Flavors of cherries, char over an earthy/forest floor note.  Great acidity.  Nice finish.  The wine is still young and should continue to mature for another five to seven years and then will drink well for 10 more after that.  It should work great with any meat or fowl dish and of course, pizza or pasta.  This is a gr

2001 Vietti Barolo Castiglione, Italy, Piedmont, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$75.00USD

Vietti makes some great value wines and some top Barolos.  This one is their entry level Barolo and it is a very nice value and a very nice Barolo!  At age 19 from a great vintage, this is showing some maturity but certainly not all the way there yet.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim with no browning.  The nose is nice with cherries, black cherries, spice and tar.  Medium to full bodied with light tannins.  On the palate, this has a nice complexity as the layers unwind in the glass.  Flavors of cherries over a bit of forest floor and damp earth.  Very smooth.  Nice finish.  This should con

2017 Stags' Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$40.00USD

This is a pretty classic Napa Cab more in the old school style.  The label lists 14.3% ABV.  Not the wine if you are looking for a big fruit bomb, it is much more restrained.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  Mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, minerality, slight herbal notes and coffee.  On the palate, this is medium to full bodied.  Cassis fruit over roasted herbs with slight char.  Nice finish.  This is young and might improve a bit with some ageing.  It should continue to mature for another five to seven years and be good for another five to seven more after that.  It will

NV Domaine Bousquet Malbec Natural Origins, Argentina, Tupungato, Wine Review

Score: 
87
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

This comes in a 3 liter box.  The beauty of the box is that the wine is deprived of oxygen enabling the consumer to drink it over a long period of time.  This box was sampled initially in June, repeatedly thru the summer, and again in October.  There was no noticeable degradation.  This is the type of wine made for the person who wants an occasional glass of wine (or a wine to be used in cooking too) that is still good.  I sampled the Cab and this one and preferred the Malbec.  It is from Argentina from a vineyard at 100 feet in altitude.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nos

NV Domaine Bousquet Cabernet Sauvignon Natural Origins, Argentina, Tupungato, Wine Review

Score: 
86
Grade: 
B
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

This comes in a 3 liter box and before anyone scoffs, boxed wine is one of the best containers for drinking wine that doesn't need ageing.  It keeps an open "bottle' good for a long time.  This is a great value for the person who wants a glass of a hearty red and might drink the box over the course of a month.  The box doesn't carry a vintage designation but this is from the 2019 harvest.  Purple/ruby in color.  Mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, black cherries and slight bitter boysenberry note.  On the palate, this isn't super ripe but there aren't any green flavors

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