2020 Domaine Luneau-Papin Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie Le Verger, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$21.00USD

From one of the top producers of Muscadet, this is a crisp white and excellent value.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is clean with crushed shells, salinity, and slight lemon.  Medium bodied.  A bit rounder in texture than many Muscadets.  On the palate, minerals, crushed shells and slight lemon.  Good finish.  This wine is nice on its own but better with food.  A great choice with shellfish, but also nice with Artichoke Dip (not an easy match).  Drink over the next few years.  

2012 Domaine de la Terre Rouge Tête-à-Tête, California, Sierra Foothills, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$22.00USD

Great value!  This is a GSM blend of 44% Syrah, 29% Grenache, and 27% Mourvèdre.  Ruby/purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries and smoke.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this drinks easy.  Black raspberries with smoked meat notes.  Nice finish.  A great choice for a wide variety of occasions.  Perfect for pizza night.  Drink over the next few years.  

2016 Torrin The Banshee, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A

This is a GSM blend from California.  Torrin makes great wines.  They are huge and really should go seven to ten years from vintage prior to opening, but it depends on how you like 'em.  It is a blend of 40% Syrah, 33% Mourvedre, and 27% Grenache.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, boysenberries, plums, black cherries, char, black pepper and spice.  Full bodied.  A bit of black licorice with air.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is dense.  Slight alcohol noticeable but that smooths out with about an hour of air.  Lois of black and blue

2017 Weingut Korrell Johanneshof Riesling von den grossen lagen, Germany, Nahe, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

From Magnum.  This proved to be an excellent choice to bring to a summer soiree of non-wine drinkers.  First, it was a Magnum.  Second, quite a few people passed on this as "they don't like Riesling, its too sweet".  More for the rest of us.  And, it is dry.  13% abv.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with peaches and some minerality.  Medium bodied.  Nice texture.  On the palate, peaches with slight lemon and plenty of minerality.  Moderate acidity.  Nice finish.  This drinks well on its own, and served chilled, was very refreshing on a summer day.  Quite versatile with

2016 Penfolds Shiraz RWT Bin 798, Australia, Barossa Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$158.00USD

Purple/garnet in color, magenta at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, sandalwood, slight black pepper and roasted herbs.  Firm tannins.  Lovely texture.  On the palate, black raspberry fruit with spice and some char.  Long finish.  Still youthful although progressing right along.  Drink over the next ten or fifteen years.  Great on its own, this worked well with roasted veggies.  Expensive but not crazy for the quality.  

2014 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$150.00USD

Purple in color, magenta at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is powerful with cassis, blueberries, baking spices, slight char and a hint of graphite.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, cassis and blueberries with underlying char.  Long finish.  This is still youthful and quite large.  I should continue to develop for another ten years.  No harm opening now either.  Drink over the next twenty years.  Great on its own, this would also work well with big fatty dishes from a steak to stuffed cabbage.  

2010 Maison Ilan Chambertin, France, Burgundy, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2010
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$275.00USD

Red/brown in color, mostly clear and bright.  It does look slightly older than expected, but just a bit.  The nose shows fresh strawberries, some cherries, slight clay.  It is a persistent nose although much more "feminine".  Soft texture.  On the palate, cherries and sour cherries.  Plenty to depth and complexity.  Good energy.  Nice finish.  This is drinking very well and at age 13 it seems very close to peak.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  It is nice on its own but better with foods.  It went well with assorted flat bread "pizzas".  

2017 MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$549.00USD

One of the hottest wines in Napa right now, and it is scarce, so it is always a pleasure to open a bottle.  In most vintages, this is a lay down for ten years minimum, but 2017 is a bit more ready to drink young.  Pop and pour, this was singing from the start.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, chocolate, black licorice and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Slightly softer texture but with great balance.  On the palate, juicy black cherries, cassis and slight cocoa notes.  Deep and concentrated, it unwinds in the glass.  Long finish.  This is you

2019 Ceritas Chardonnay Trout Gulch, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$64.00USD

Wow.  What a great young Chardonnay!  My kind of Cal Chard.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is crisp with chalk, slight lemon, floral notes and a hint of "ocean air".  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this is crisp and refreshing but also deep and complex.  Lemons and minerality.  Lovely texture.  Long finish.  This drinks well on its own and will be very food friendly.  It would be great with Chinese food.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  Some of the best Chardonnay's anywhere come from Santa Cruz!

2010 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Monvigliero, Italy, Piedmont, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2010
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$266.00USD

A very nice, moderately priced (on release) Barolo.  With 13 years from vintage, this one is in a great place.  Garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has hot tar, cherries, spice and char.  Medium bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, nice cherry fruit with some complexity.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This will work better with food.  Pasta with a mushroom cream sauce was perfect.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  

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