2013 Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Estate Vineyards

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$140.00USD

Opened this and it was ok but very tight.  Checked in on day 2 and it was a bit better but not quite.  Finally on Day 3, this opened up and is drinking well.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, plums and tea along with a bit of spice.  On the palate, this is deep but will need some time to develop.  Still needs a bit more cellaring.  Medium tannins.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  Hold for three to five more and then cellar for a decade or two after that.  This will drink great on its own or work with grilled meats.  Should be some upside.  

2016 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve Lake County, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$45.00USD

This is from one of the premier kosher wines in the US.  It retails for around $45.  Purple in color, with ruby swirls.  The nose has cassis, slight soap and cedar.  On the palate, this has nice cassis fruit with a bit of dusty earth underneath.  Light tannins.  This probably should be consumed in the ext five years or so.  It will work well with meats and roasts.  

2014 Elvi Wines (Bodegas Castillo de Sajazarra) Rioja Herenza Crianza

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$25.00USD

A very nice bottle of Rioja that also happens to be Kosher.  This vintage is still available for around $25, but younger vintages can be found for under $15.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is dusty with cherries and slight dill.  Still has some firm tannins, but the overall texture is soft.  Lots of cherries and some sour cherries on the palate with some underlying dry earthiness.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  For those looking for Kosher wines, this is a nice alternative and will go great with seafood but also chicken.  This bottle is 5 years from vintage and drinking great, b

2016 Vitkin Carignan Old Vines, Israel, Sharon, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$36.00USD

This was a quite a nice surprise.  No idea as to how old the vines are but the first vintage this wine was made is 2002.  Deep ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has red berries; cherries, elderberries and red currants.  There is a slight, slight celery note as well which is there but hardly a distraction.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Deep with a nice complexity.  Soft texture but firm tannins.  Enough acidity.  Good cherry fruit with a slight red currant note.  Nice finish.  This seems like it is young and has some upside.  It should be good for five to ten more years.  Very

2016 Burgess Cellars Chardonnay Burnside Road Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$42.00USD

This is drinking great at pop and pour though it seems like it will do five more years easily and probably ten.  Light gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has some grapefruit with a very slight vanilla.  Very clean.  On the palate this has ripe grapefruit, minerals, slightly chalky, with slight green apples.

2017 Ramon Cordova Albarino, Spain, Rias Baixas, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$18.00USD

This was another crowd pleaser.  People kept asking to know more Albarino and how to say Rias Baixas.  I was able to help with the former, but they were on their own with the later.  Silvery green gold in color.  The nose is nice if not ebullient.  Slightly saline with crushed shells and slight pears.  On the palate, this has a nice slightly oily texture.  The palate is all about minerality.  The finishes turns tart green apples in a good and refreshing way.  Quite food friendly for all but the heartiest of dishes.  This is a bit more full bodied than most Albarino's from Spain.  That is ne

NV Martini & Rossi Prosecco, Italy, Veneto, Wine Review

Score: 
87
Grade: 
B
Current Price: 
$10.00USD

Everyone knows this label but how many people have actually tried it.  This was served to a group of casual wine lovers and proved to be very popular.  Very, very pale silvery gold in color.  Almost like water.  The nose is nice but it did take about 20 minutes to open.  Minerals, slight peach and slight ginger ale.  On the palate, this is dry with nice minerality.  It starts out tight but picks up on the mid-palate.  Slightly sour in a good way on the long finish.  It really begs for some salty food.  For $10, this is a nice value.  

2017 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Private Selection - Aged in Bourbon Barrels Monterey County, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
87
Grade: 
B
Current Price: 
$12.00USD

This bottle was brought to our house by friends.  Frankly, I am not sure who as it was a party and then left unopened.  My wife was having book club, and so it seemed like a good choice.  This proved to be very popular and it was lucky I got a glass to taste.  A very interesting wine.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, some dustiness to it, and just a hint of what can best be described as sweet oak.  On the palate, there are strong tannins.  The cassis follows thru but there is a sweetness to the wine that is similar to that of Bourbon Barrel Aged beers although not nearly as pronounce

2017 Shannon Ridge Vineyard Chardonnay High Elevation Collection, USA, California, Lake County, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
87
Grade: 
B
Current Price: 
$14.00USD

Most of us have bottles laying around the house that either people brought over or they somehow ended up with.  So is the story of this wine.  It was actually won in a raffle.  Initially, the idea of actually drinking some cheap California Chardonnay seemed ridiculous.  Still, rather than be dismissive, the plan was to drink it.  After about a month of staring at the bottle, the time finally came.  And that good people, is why we need to open the bottle and taste.  Now, that is not to say this is going to blow away Montrachet or Rhys Chardonnay.  But, for under $15, this was solid.  No obvi

2017 Domaine de la Côte Sainte-Epine St. Joseph Blanc Vieilles Vignes, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$26.97USD

On a cold winter Sunday, after making a pot of Lentil Soup, this was opened and it was a perfect match.  St. Joseph Blancs are not all that common but this one is worth searching out (so are this producer's reds)!  Light golden in color.  The nose is nice with a bit of wax, but nice peach and slight tropical fruit.  Very clean.  On the palate, this comes across with a lot of acidity until the finish where it get's really turned up.  Nice creamy texture.  Some peach and slight bees wax.  Depth  For around $25, this was a great match.  

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