2012 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+

This was from Magnum.  Most anyone who has been drinking Cabernet for any time has run into this wine.  It is a reasonably priced, classic Napa Cab that sells for around $35.  Of course, Magnums often taste better, but maybe that's because there is probably a party going on.  This is a really solid wine that is fairly priced.  It worked well with a wide variety of foods and drank quite easy.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is dusty with cassis and spice.  On the palate, this is medium bodied with medium tannins.  A fine texture.  Cassis with some depth.  Some spice/oak as well.

NV Laurent-Perrier Champagne La Cuvée, France, Wine Review

Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

Light golden in color.  The nose is nice with minerals, baked bread, slight chalk and red apples.  On the palate, this is refreshing.  Good acidity.  Not much fruit but nice minerality and chalk.  Good depth.  It drinks easy.  Worked with a wide variety of foods.  Retail is around $40 which is fair value.  

NV Trouillard Champagne Brut Extra Selection, France, Wine Review

Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

35% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay.  This is a fairly priced Champagne (around $40).  Light golden in color.  The nose has some toast with a bit of lemons.  Also a dusty quality.  On the palate, this has a nice minerality.  Some strawberries appear on the palate.  The acidity seems to fade away a bit.  This makes for easy summer sipping.  Nice finish.  Works fine with food.  

NV Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut, France, Wine Review

Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+

From magnum.  Always a good choice for a crowd.  Light golden in color.  Plenty of small bubbles.  The nose has a bit of yeast along with a nice lemon backbone.  On the palate, them lemon comes thru as well as a bit of green apple.  Quite refreshing for a warm summer Brunch.  Not a ton of complexity but some.  Very nice acidity; it worked well with the food.  Perhaps it was the magnum format, but this seemed a bit fresher than this usually shows.  

2013 Buoncristiani Syrah Artistico, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

Purple in color.  The nose is deep with black raspberries, blood and grilled meats.  Some vanilla and spice and black pepper.  On the palate, this is deep and tight.  Delicious.  Black raspberries.  Plenty of tannins.  Long finish.  This is quite young and tight but it has bold black raspberry fruit.  Probably should hold for a few more years and then drink over the next decade plus.  Impressive.  This retails for around $55 which is a fair price.  

2009 Shane Pinot Noir The Charm, USA, California, Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

Deep ruby in color, purple at the core.  The nose is nice with sour cherries, cola and spice.  On the palate, this is a big wine.  Very reminiscent of a Kosta Browne wine in style.  Black cherries, some cola and some spice.  Has a nice depth and tight complexity.  Enough acidity to carry food.  Lots of fruit.  Good finish.  Delicious wine.  Doesn't seem to be at peak yet and showing little signs of age at this point.  

2012 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Russian River Valley, USA, California, Sonoma, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

Kosta Browne wines are some of the most sought after Pinots in California.  They are also wines that people tend to love or hate because they are to the ripe and jammy side of Pinot Noir.  Its always fun to drink one and listen to the comments.  This is deep ruby in color.  The nose has bright black cherries with some baking spice.  With air, some root beer and Faygo Red Pop notes.  On the palate, there is a lot of cherry, black cherry notes along with a bit of cola.  It is big and fruity and also delicious.  Would work with bigger foods and most traditional Pinot foods (salmon, etc.).  Lon

2015 Domaine Coursodon St. Joseph La Sensonne, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

2015 is considered a very ripe year in the Northern Rhone.  Most seem to think it a great vintage but some old school drinkers have issue with the ripeness.  There is no right answer but plan accordingly.  This is on the big and ripe side.  Purple in color, a thin line of ruby at the rim.  Great nose of black raspberries, bacon fat, and slight grilled meats.  On the palate, this is deep with tons of black raspberry fruit.  Medium tannins.  It unwinds in the glass.  It won't peak for at lest a decade and be good for at least another after that.  Still, today it is delicious.  

2015 Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet (Hervé Souhaut) St. Joseph Les Cessieux, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

Purple, ruby at the rim.  The nose has dusty black cherries, spice and slight violets.  On the palate, this has black raspberries with slight black pepper.  A streak of earthiness under it all.  This is a big, fruit forward wine.  It is still young and should develop over the next two decades (probably peaking after one).  Good acidity.  Would work well with bigger foods.  Nice finish.  Certainly a ripe wine, it might be a bit controversial among Rhone fans, but this is excellent.  Certainly has some upside potential.  

2008 Rhys Pinot Noir Swan Terrace, USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2008
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

Ruby in color, purple at the core.  The nose has cherries, spice, sour cherries, slight vanilla, and cranberries.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Sour cherries, slight vanilla, cherries and slight spice.  Slight tannins.  Long finish with a cherry/anise candy quality.  This still seems a bit shy of maturity and there may be some upside.  It has a full bodied wonderful texture that show sunshine without being a fruit bomb.  Long finish.  

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