New Hampshire Wine-man: April 2018

Monday, April 30, 2018

Bread And Butter 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (California)

Bread And Butter 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (California), $14.99-$15.99, 87 points, was true to its label: aromas of mocha and vanilla which translated well onto the palate; not so much with the 'toasted oak', but a bounty of black fruit, e.g., mulberry and plum.
The wine color was opaque ruby/sienna with a broad clear rim and thick legs.
Full-bodied with fair-plus acidity and surprisingly soft tannins broached near the cusp of cloying as this cab mired a bit in the thick trailing palate, redeemed by a slightly tart/spicy finish.
ABV: 13.5%
I bought his cabernet at the Market Basket of Londonderry..

Index-of-reviewed-wines

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Sunday, April 29, 2018

Luna Vineyards 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

Luna Vineyards 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, $11.04-$25.99, 91 points, poured core black grading ruby red toward the broad clear rim and moderately leggy glass bowl.
A cornucopia of fruit aromas with soft floral vibes, oak notes, and coffee liqueur were lovely.
Full-bodied with good acidity and fine grainy tannins managed plum, red raspberry, and ripe mulberry flavors nuanced with coffee, tobacco, and intense pepper spices.
Finished long on the fading palate, licorice, fig, and a well-balanced 14.7% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my Texas burger.

2014 California Cabernet Sauvignon wines tasted

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Saturday, April 28, 2018

Brandlin Estate Grown Mt. Veeder 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon

Brandlin Estate Grown Mt. Veeder 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, $25.49-$75.99, 92 points, poured broadly black with a clear rim and moderate draping.
Aromatic black olive, dusty blackberries, dense plum notes, chocolate, and sandalwood were outstanding.
Full-bodied with good acidity and rich round tannins delivered the aromas onto the palate with tart red fruit, a bit herbal, and spicy.
Finished long on the trailing palate, mostly plum fruit with truffle, cedar, accelerating white pepper and drying tannins.
The 14.5% alcohol was appropriate to this wine.
Paired fine with our loaded homemade pizzas.

2013 California Cabernet Sauvignon wines tasted
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Friday, April 27, 2018

Sullivan Napa Valley Rutherford Estate 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

Sullivan Napa Valley Rutherford Estate 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, $44.99-$89.99, 94 points, poured core black grading opaque ruby with a penumbra of purple/red merging with the thin clear rim and tapestry of fat hanging legs.
Aromas of toasty black cherry, cassis, soft floral perfume, and mocha notes were excellent.
Full-bodied with good acidity and firm comfortable tannins managed flavors of cherry and blackberry liqueurs nuanced with mocha and violets.
Finished long on the fading palate, fig notes, easy escalating pepper spice, and a potent 14.6% alcohol.
Varietals were 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Petit Verdot.
This rather dry red wine paired perfectly with my spiced-rubbed rare Angus rib eye.

2014 California Cabernet Sauvignon wines tasted

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Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Tablas Creek Vineyard Patelin de Tablas 2016 Blanc White Wine

Tablas Creek Vineyard Patelin de Tablas 2016 Blanc White Wine, $18.59-$21.99, 90 points, poured a dark glossy gold color.
The nose was soft floral notes with a hint of tangerine.
Medium-bodied with good acidity delivered a citrus/tropical fruit profile that flabbergasts flavor detectors, but let it be said it was balanced and delicious.
Finished long on white pepper, lime, pineapple, ginger, and a well integrated 13% alcohol.
Varietals were 52% Grenache Blanc, 24% Viognier, 19% Roussanne, 9% Marsanne, and 3% Clairette Blanche (Rhone blend).
Paired perfectly with my North Atlantic haddock with green asparagus.

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Chloe Sonoma County 2015 Chardonnay

Chloe Sonoma County 2015 Chardonnay, $9.34-$14.99, 87 points, was a dark brass color clearing near the glass edge.
Aromas of apples, cantaloupe, and a hint of honeysuckle were just okay for me.
The near full body was early palate creamy with fair acidity.
Flavors reflective of the nose with Chardonnay-specific grape notes, toast, and caramel morphed well toward the finish marked by a more edgy-textured 13.5% alcohol, oak, and a touch of ginger.
Paired okay with our brine roasted chicken, but was perfect with our chicken salad sandwiches.

Index-of-reviewed-wines

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Tuesday, April 24, 2018

San Felice 2015 Chianti Classico (DOCG)

San Felice 2015 Chianti Classico (DOCG), $12.99-$15.99, 88 points, poured a deep ruby red with a broad clear rim and very heavy legs.
Soft aromas of cherry fruit with hints of sea mist, a floral vibe, and chocolate were pleasant.
Medium-bodied with good acidity and easy, but supportive, grainy tannins carried a fruity flavor profile steeping with a finish of brisket, plum, tobacco, and black tea.
The 13% alcohol was totally appropriate.
Paired perfectly with my spiced New Zealand rib chops.

Index-of-reviewed-wines

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Monday, April 23, 2018

Anne Amie Vineyards Cuvée A Amrita 2015 White Wine

Anne Amie Vineyards Cuvée A Amrita 2015 White Wine, $11.04-$14.99, 91 points, poured a very light gold color grading clear at the glass shallows.
Aromas of pome blossoms and honey were soft and pleasant.
Loverly light white wine with good acidity managed a medley of flavors: apricot, honey, citrus and hazel-nutty nicely blended.
Finished well on the trailing palate, barley, ginger, and an unobtrusive 12.6% alcohol.
Varietals were 30.6% Riesling, 23.6% Muller-Thurgau, 23.4% Pinot Blanc, 16.7% Viognier, 4.6% Gewürztraminer, and 1.1% Chardonnay.
Paired fine with our fried chicken.

Index-of-reviewed-wines

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Sunday, April 22, 2018

Bordeaux Red Wine vintage 2010

Bordeaux Red Wine vintage 2010, it was a very good year!

Château Beausejour Pentimento, Montagne-Saint-Emilion 2010 Bordeaux Red Wine, $29.99, 90 points

Château Bellevue St. Émilion Grand Cru Classé 2010 Bordeaux, $27.89-$97.99, 93 points

Château Bellevue St. Émilion Grand Cru Classé 2010 Bordeaux Revisited, , $27.89-$97.99, 96 points

Château Larose-Trintaudon Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois 2010 Bordeaux Red Wine

Château Larose-Trintaudon Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois 2010 Bordeaux Red Wine, $23.99-$27.99, 89 points, poured core black grading redder than purple toward the thin bleeding wine ring and moderately leggy glass wall.
Aromas of black currants, fennel, cocoa, and a hint of leather were good.
Rather dry red wine, full-bodied, appropriately acidic, between wooly and worn-out tannins with still plenty of red fruit and plum flavors nuanced by translated aromas onto the palate and trailing deep into the finish marked by easy pepper spice and the 13.7% alcohol.
Varietals were 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot.
Paired well with my beef stew.

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Château Grand Renom, Antoine Moueix, Grand Vin 2014 White Bordeaux Wine

Château Grand Renom, Antoine Moueix, Grand Vin 2014 White Bordeaux Wine, $13.49-$14.99, 87 points, poured a medium glossy gold color with a green wash.
Smells were fresh hay, grass, and a hint of lime.
Light-bodied with good acidity, but round soft-textured, managed to deliver the aromas pleasantly onto and throughout the palate.
Finished well on citrus and ginger notes, a bit of wood and an easy 12.5% alcohol.
Paired fine with my New England clam chowder.

Index-of-reviewed-wines

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Saturday, April 21, 2018

Château Larrivaux Grand Vin Haut-Médoc 2009 Bordeaux Red Wine

Château Larrivaux Grand Vin Haut-Médoc 2009 Bordeaux Red Wine, $29.99, 90 points, poured an impregnable purple/red with a brighter rim preceding the clear wine ring surrounded by the heavy ladened tear-lined bowl.
Aromatic red cherry, licorice, cedar, leather, and roses were excellent.
Full-bodied with good acidity and easy fine grainy tannins carried flavors of red fruit nicely balanced with plum, earth notes, oak, and dried herbs.
Finished long on a developing spiciness with traces of iron, flowers, and a complementary 14% alcohol.
Varietals were Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc.
Paired perfectly with our mundane cheese burgers.

Index-of-reviewed-wines

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Bordeaux Red Wine vintage 2009

Bordeaux Red Wine vintage 2009, it was a very good year!

Château Le Prieuré Grand Cru Classé de Saint-Émilion 2009 Bordeaux, $52.69-$61.99, 95+ points

Château Le Prieuré Grand Cru Classé de Saint-Émilion 2009 Bordeaux (Revisited), $52.69-$61.99, 94 points

Château Plaisance Cuvée Alix Premières Côtes De Bordeaux 2005 Bordeaux Red Wine

Château Plaisance ('Bernard Magrez) Cuvée Alix Premières Côtes De Bordeaux 2005 Bordeaux Red Wine, $14.99, 88 points, poured an opaque purple/red grading orange/brown at the clear wine ring and leggy glass bowl (the cork was perfectly preserved).
Aromas were surprisingly fruity, fabulously floral, and herbal.
Near full-bodied with good acidity and still firm tannins managed tart pomegranate, leather, violet, and Kahlua flavors.
The dry finish showed truffle, pepper spice, and Damson plum notes with an invigorating 13.5% alcohol.
Paired fine with my beef burritos.
Varietals were 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc.

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Château De Macard Grand Vin Bordeaux Supérieur 2005 Bordeaux Red Wine

Château De Macard Grand Vin Bordeaux Supérieur 2005 Bordeaux Red Wine, $11.99-$15.99, 86 points, poured core black grading orange/red with a brown bleeding clear rim and moderate draping (cork was perfectly preserved).
Aromas of flowers, coffee bean, and toasty cocoa were good.
Near full-bodied with fair acidity and mostly resolved tannins carried tertiary flavors of leather, violets, and loam.
Finished on the trailing palate, woody notes, and a comfortable 12.5% alcohol.
Paired fine with my Philly cheese-steak.
Varietals are 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Index-of-reviewed-wines

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Bordeaux Red Wine vintage 2005

It was a premier year! One of many I missed! What's that?

Being a member of the American hoi polios and a teetotaller until 2009, as well as being maze-phobic (Unnecessary Fear And Loathing Of French Wine Labels; Well, Maybe Not Unnecessary!) had me typically buying wines in the grocery stores, and not many Bordeaux wines at that.
Well, now that's out of the way, I overcame my phobia and began sticking my big toe in the wild wine waters of France when in 2012 the New Hampshire liquor commission wisely brought into the State the 2009 vintage Bordeaux wines; I dived in!
That's my 'Newbie' story (again), and reasons for not drinking 'old' and older Bordeaux wines.
Vis et apprend!

My trepidatious beginning!
Bad Boy Bordeaux 2005 Merlot, Approximately $20.00, 88 points Château Coufran Merlot Haut-Médoc 2005 Bordeaux, $20.17-$32.99, 88 points
Château Coufran Merlot Haut-Médoc 2005 Bordeaux (Revisited), $20.17-$32.99, 88 points
Château De Macard Grand Vin Bordeaux Supérieur 2005 Bordeaux Red Wine, $11.99-$15.99, 86 points
Chateau Hyot 2005 Casteillon Cotes de Bordeaux, $19.99, 86 points
Château Plaisance ('Bernard Magrez) Cuvée Alix Premières Côtes De Bordeaux 2005 Bordeaux Red Wine, $14.99, 88 points
Château Vieux Meillac 2005 Grand Vin De Bordeaux, $11.99-$13.99, 87 points

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Friday, April 20, 2018

Craggy Range Martinborough 2016 Sauvignon (New Zealand)

Craggy Range Martinborough 2016 Sauvignon (New Zealand), $14.44-$19.99, 90 points, was a light gold color clearing at the glass edge.
Aromas of fresh-cut grass, hay, sweet pome blossoms, and soft green melon notes were good.
Very light-bodied with good acidity and subtle NZ-specific Sauvignon Blanc flavors reflective of the aromas plus tart grapefruit were quite tasty, but seemingly less strident and less edgy than Sauvignon Blanc I've tasted from Marlborough (softer, rounder, and more balanced).
Finished long on dissipating ginger, citrus, and Lychee notes.
ABV: 13%
Paired perfectly with my Ipswich fried clams.

Index-of-reviewed-wines

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Thursday, April 19, 2018

Quinta do Noval Black Port

Quinta do Noval Black Port, $16.14-$20.99, 90 points, poured broadly black grading to a redder than purple penumbra with the bowl showing fat legs.
Aromatic dusty bourbon, blackberry liqueur, raisin, plum, and black licorice were good.
Full-bodied with fair acidity and soft tannins translated the aromas with tang throughout the palate and deep into a never-ending finish nuanced with a warm spiced inspirited 19.5% alcohol.
Paired fine with our 70% dark chocolate.

Index-of-reviewed-wines

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Pratsch Niederösterreich 2016 Rosé (Austria)

Pratsch Niederösterreich 2016 Rosé (Austria), $12.99-$14.99, 86 points, poured the darkest Salmon pink color.
The aroma of watermelon dominated, but soft red raspberry, strawberry, and a floral vibe were okay.
Light-bodied with fair-plus acidity delivered juicy flavors reflective of the aromas.
Finished okay, but a bit thin, on the trailing palate and an innocuous 12% (off-dry) alcohol.
Paired fine with our spicy Mexican cuisine.

Index-of-reviewed-wines

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Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Two Hands Angel's Share 2016 Shiraz

Two Hands Angel's Share 2016 Shiraz, $31.99-$36.99, 91 points, poured core black grading a deep purple/red toward the broad clear wine ring and leggy glass bowl.
Sultry smells of toasty blackberry and coffee liqueur were seductive.
Full-bodied with good acidity and a smooth supportive underlayment of tannin showed a delicious fruity/herbal flavor profile with a hint of cedar.
Finished long on the trailing palate, especially that coffee liqueur, easy spice notes, licorice, and a spot-on 14.1% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with our Australian grass-fed burgers.

Wines From Down Under aka Terra Australis Incognita
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Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Shafer Napa Valley Carneros Red Shoulder Ranch 2014 Chardonnay

Shafer Napa Valley Carneros Red Shoulder Ranch 2014 Chardonnay, $38.24-$51.99, 89 points, was the first disappointing (relatively speaking) Shafer wine I've had, and like unto the Nickle And Nickle Far Niente Napa Valley 2014 Chardonnay, a far cry from the three vintages I've had in past years.
It was okay but too oaky for my taste, a bit flat early palate, and overpriced for an average Cali-typical Chardonnay.
Caveat: Many of the big wine reviewers LOVED this vintage Shafer, but I can only report on what I've tasted.
Color: Straw yellow.
Aroma: Apple notes with oak inspired caramel and vanilla.
Near full-bodied with good acidity and a fair finish nuanced with ginger and cantaloupe which managed to save this Chardonnay.
Paired fine with my broiled Canadian Maritime Halibut.
ABV: 14.9%

Shafer, why it's a "go to" winery.
Index-of-reviewed-wines

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