Château Fonplegade, Saint-Émilion, Grand Cru Classé 2018 Bordeaux Red Wine

 

Château Fonplegade, Saint-Émilion, Grand Cru Classé 2018 Bordeaux Red Wine, $43.77-$51.49, 94 points, poured core black with a pomegranate red penumbra, a broad clear wine ring, and fat sticky legs.
Aromas of mulling spices, cedar box, perfumed red raspberry, blackberries, and cherry blossoms were excellent.
A full-bodied dry red wine, still a bit astringent (very young), grippy tannins, good acidity, and intense complex flavors reminiscent of the aromas with rich Damson plum notes, mint, a hint of Kirsch all made for a promising future for this wine.
Finished long on the fading palate, a hint of iron, and an intense 14.5% alcohol infused spiciness.
Paired perfectly with my barbequed baby-back ribs.
Bordeaux Red Wine Vintage 2018

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2022, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas

Template provided by Google Blogger

Jermann Friuli Venezia Giulia 2020 Pinot Grigio DOC

 

Jermann Friuli Venezia Giulia 2020 Pinot Grigio DOC, $20.39-$25.99, 93 points, was the lightest of yellow/gold colors with a graying rim.
Seldom do I smell aromas far from a glass of white wine, but the pome blossoms, lemon zest, flint, and pear notes wafted clean out of the glass.
A light to medium-bodied dry white wine with bright acidity and rich flavors of melon rind, lime juice, and a mirror image of the aromas throughout the palate that carried deep into the long finish with a hint of white pepper and a well-balanced 13% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with a number of meals consisting of lobster and chicken.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2022, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas

Template provided by Goggle Blogger

Château La Croix De Beaucaillou Saint-Julien 2018 Bordeaux Red Wine

 

Château La Croix De Beaucaillou Saint-Julien 2018 Bordeaux Red Wine, $52.27-$61.49, 93 points, poured mostly black to opaque burgundy red with a maroon penumbra, a broad clear meniscus, and thick stained class sheeting.
Aromas of cassis were intense and garnished with cloves, cinnamon, creosol, graphite, and mulberry, all of which were complex and pleasant.
A full-bodied dry red wine with firm to gripping tannins, good acidity, and a black fruit early palate transitioning to accenting eucalyptus, coffee, and a cayenne pepper spiciness.
Finished very long, showing hints of anise, spearmint, and a 15% alcohol infused spiciness.
Paired perfectly with my varied smorgasbord.
I can see this wine cellared for twenty years.
Bordeaux Red Wine Vintage 2018
INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2022, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas
Template provided by Goggle Blogger

Justin Vineyards Isosceles Paso Robles 2008 Bordeaux-Style Red Wine

 

Justin Vineyards Isosceles Paso Robles 2008 Bordeaux-Style Red Wine, $50.94-$64.99 (the 2018 is $85.00 from the winery), is a wine (2007 vintage) that impressed me enough to buy a bottle eleven years ago and store it in my Euro cave these last eleven years for such an occasion as my twelfth anniversary of wine blogging.
Though I have linked this with other Meritage wines, it could be linked with Cabernet Sauvignon because its main varietal is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon.
To the wine: 97 points, poured mostly black and grading to an unfiltered rosewood red with stained glass-sheeting and a bleeding meniscus.
Smells of blackberry pie, percolating fresh ground Arabica, and sun-warmed underbrush were amazing!
A totally silky red wine expression, residual tannins were still supportive, acidity still fair to good, flavors of cherry cola, mint, mushrooms, traces of black fruit, and a judicious dollop of oak were also amazing.
Finished long, spicy, floral, and with a well-balanced 15% alcohol.
I really didn't want to "share" this wine with my meal (it was that good), but I certainly needed to see how many different apropos foods, cheeses, beef, olives, etcetera, would match up, and the wine was that good that it improved everything on my plate.
97 points is the highest I've ever given to a wine, and very few at that, but I was so pleased with this, which I did not expect, that anything less would be a travesty! 
Cheers!

2008 California Cabernet Sauvignon wines tasted

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2022, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas
Template provided by Goggle Blogger

Ruffino Aqua Di Venus Friuli 2020 Pinot Grigio

 

Ruffino Aqua Di Venus Friuli 2020 Pinot Grigio, $12.74-$18.99, 86 points, was a medium brass color and graying to clearing towards the rim.
The unusual aromas of pine resin, green olives, warm marble stone, and dusty citrus were interesting if not perfumed.
The almost medium body seem a bit textured with an oiliness, acidity was fair to mild, and the flavors were mostly neutral with some citrus, unripe pear, and a solid minerality showing.
Finished on a weak trailing palate, a bit tart, and with a well-balanced 12.5% alcohol.
Paired okay with my Gulf of Maine lobster salad.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2022, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas

Template provided by Goggle Blogger

Orcard Lane, Maralborough, New Zealand, 2020 Sauvignon Blanc

 

Orcard Lane, Maralborough, New Zealand, 2020 Sauvignon Blanc, $13.59-$16.99, 85 points, was almost water clear with brass highlights.
Aromas of gooseberry, stale hay, and dusty lemon notes were just okay for me.
This was a light-bodied, dry and tart white wine with bright acidity and with an edgy flavor profile of lemon zest, an unusual petrol-like note, and ripe melon rind which weren't unpleasant but not what I'd describe as delicious.
Finished fair on the fading palate, a hint of ginger, and a balanced 13% alcohol.
Paired okay with my Gulf of Maine lobster salad.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2022, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas
Template provided by Goggle Blogger

Dashwood, Marlborough, NZ, 2021 Sauvignon Blanc

 

Dashwood, Marlborough, NZ, 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, $17.09-$18.99, 89 points, was a very light brass color with flecks of gold tones and water clear towards the rim.
Aromas were dominated by grassy smells, pineapple, grapefruit, and a lovely fresh honeydew melon.
This was a light-bodied bone-dry white wine with bright acidity and a lime zest, lime juice, and lime rind flavor profile accented with lemon grass, tart grapefruit, and a hint of ginger.
Finished fair on the fading palate and what seemed to me (what do I know) an underrated 13% alcohol.
Paired well with my Gulf of Maine Lobster salad.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES
Copyright 2010-2022, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas
Template provided by Goggle Blogger

Charles Krug Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Charles Krug Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $30.99-$34.99, 92 points, poured core black grading to a purple red with a broad clear meniscus and copious heavily stained legs.
The aromas of earthy underbrush, cloves, cinnamon, black currants, cedar, and ripe blackberries with just a hint of violets was archetypical of good Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
A full-bodied dry red wine with a firm underlayment of tannin, fair to good acidity, showing rich flavors reflective of the nose with an escalating wonderful pepper spiciness that lingered long into the fading finish of the afore fruit flavors but acquiring notes of plum and iron heated-up by a predictable 14.7% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my Texas burger.

2018 California Cabernet Sauvignon Wines Tasted

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2022, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas

Template provided by Goggle Blogger

Fritz 2018 Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley

 

Guest review of Fritz 2018 Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley:
Lots of character. Tingling & "Sparkly" mouthfeel. Very light in color. Very little nose initially. Citrusy notes with low acidity and a hint of apricot. Slight bitterness subsiding into light oaky vibes with a just a touch of vanilla. Strong alcohol content but not at all alcohol forward. Would pair very well with white fish. Long warm finish with hints of cayenne and almond & cherry. Bought for €35 or $35.30 from Systembolaget in Uppsala, Sweden. 91+.
I liked it a little more than my company did - I gave it a 93

Photograph belongs to Ben Peloquin
All rights reserved

River Sail Marlborough, New Zealand 2020 Sauvignon Blanc

 

River Sail Marlborough, New Zealand 2020 Sauvignon Blanc, $14.44-$18.99, 91 points, was a very light brass color and water-clear towards the rim.
Aromas of passion fruit led the way for gooseberry and hints of pineapple and green grass.
A light-bodied acidic white wine with an angular mouthfeel, a favorable floral flavor vibe early palate with the nose following quickly and gently concluding on lemon grass, a touch of grapefruit, ginger, and a well-balanced 13% alcohol.
paired perfectly with my Ipswich fried clams.
I love NZ SB especially for their consistency.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2022, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas

Template provided by Goggle Blogger

Château Soutard-Cadet Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2018 Bordeaux Red Wine

 

Château Soutard-Cadet Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2018 Bordeaux Red Wine, $36.54-$42.99, 93 points, poured an almost blood-red with a purple sheen, a scarlet red penumbra, a clear meniscus, and fat, copious, and stained legs.
The bouquet was an amazingly rich (maybe the best of the 2018s I've had) assortment of spices, flowers, spearmint, and earth notes.
This is a massive dry red wine that reminded me of a Caymus Napa Valley Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, only this is basically a Merlot.
Showing a firm underlayment of tannin, a bit young and a tad astringent, but great structure for a wine of 15% alcohol, good acidity, and layer upon layer of spicy flavors accented with black fruit, mint, Orange Bekoe tea, milk chocolate, and a complex array of earthly flavors to deepen an overall great red wine.
Finished long on the trailing palate, iron, a hint of eucalyptus, and quite herbaceous.
Paired perfectly with my steak and cheese sub.
Bordeaux Red Wine Vintage 2018
INDEX of REVIEWED WINES
Copyright 2010-2022, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas
Template provided by Goggle Blogger

Steininger, Kamptal, Austria Kamptal Reserve Ried Loisium 2020 Grüner Veltliner

 

Steininger, Kamptal, Austria Kamptal Reserve Ried Loisium 2020 Grüner Veltliner, $19.24-$22.99, 88 points, was a very light brass color and clearing to water clear midway towards the rim.
Aromas of lemon and lime were dominant with a hint of white chocolate.
A light-bodied dry white wine with good acidity and a rather tame mouth feel and flavor profile marked by citrus and green melon notes with a hint of white chocolate.
Finished fair on the trailing palate, a touch of white pepper, vanilla, and a well-balanced 13% alcohol.
Paired fine with my salt and vinegar chicken with kalamata olives, seeded crackers, and feta cheese.   

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2022, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas

Template provided by Goggle Blogger

Pierre Sparr, Alsace, 2019 Grande Réserve Riesling

 

Pierre Sparr, Alsace, 2019 Grande Réserve Riesling, $17.99-$19.99, 91 points, was a medium brass color with gold highlights and a clear rim.
Aromas of pear on top of citrus and stone fruits with hints of pome blossoms and a fresh hay vibe were good.
A light-bodied bone-dry write wine with good acidity and a rather lean mouth feel, but the flavors of pears, citrus notes, and hints of apricot and minerality accented by ginger were quite good.
Finished long on ginger, longer on a ripe lime rind, and a solid 13.5% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my Mediterranean lunch of Kalamala olives, sardines, and goatmilk cheese.  

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2022, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas
Template provided by Goggle Blogger

Anthony Road Finger Lakes 2020 Riesling

 

Anthony Road Finger Lakes 2020 Riesling, $11.89-$16.99, 89 points, was a very light yellow-gold color and clearing towards the rim.
The subtle aromas of orange and lemon zest with apple notes and the faintest whiff of petrol were excellent.
This was a light to medium-bodied off dry white with good acidity and complex upfront flavors reflective of the aromas with hints of flint and ginger.
The sticky aftertaste of a week Creme De Cacao White Cocoa Liqueur, more on a white chocolate than milk, carried long and accented nicely with a 11.9% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with our Asian cuisine.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2022, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas
Template provided by Goggle Blogger

St. Supéry Estates Vineyards Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

 

St. Supéry Estates Vineyards Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $46.74-$54.99, 92 points, had an unfiltered purple/red appearance with copious stained legs and a bleeding clear meniscus.
Lovely aromas of cedar, blackberries, cassis, underbrush, and a hint of citrus were pleasing.
A full-bodied dry red wine with good acidity, significant tannins (a bit tight), and tasty flavors of mulling spice, plums, white pepper, and a righteous representation of the aromas all carried deep into the long finish and was accented with iron notes and a well-balanced 14.5% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my spice-rubbed rib eye.

2018 California Cabernet Sauvignon Wines Tasted

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2022, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas
Template provided by Goggle Blogger

2018 California Cabernet Sauvignon Wines Tasted

 

2018 California Cabernet Sauvignon Wines Tasted

Like floors in a Highrise, I skipped the thirteenth floor for singling-out my thirteenth year of listing just a particular vintage (2017) of Cali Cabs and skipped straight to the 2018s having only tasted less than a handful of the 2017s. Maybe it's a consequence of two major surgeries or just an uninspired vintage, I'm not sure, maybe both.
But now, here is a fair number of 2018 Cali Cabs for your consideration:

Bella Union Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $55.24-$72.99, 94 points

Canard Vineyards, Napa Valley, Estate Bottled 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $46.74-$61.99, 91 points

Charles Krug Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $30.99-$34.99, 92 points

Dry Creek Vineyard (Hillside and Benchland Vineyards) 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $21.24-$26.99, 90 points

Faust Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $46.74-$62.99, 93 points

Ferrari-Carano Alexander Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, $35.69-$44.99, 91 points

Hall Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $50.99-$64.99, 93 points

Honig Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $35.69-$44.99, 93 points

Hoopes Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $31.99-$45.99, 93 points

Kunde Sonoma Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $19.54-$25.99, 90 points

Mayacamas Mount Veeder, Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $106.24-$124.99, 96 points

Mirassou California 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $5.72-$$7.95, 85 points

Nickel and Nickel C.C. Ranch, Rutherford, Napa Valley, 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $109.99-$117.99, 95 points

Rodney Strong Sonoma County Alexander Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $18.63-$24.99, 93 points

Round Pond Napa Valley 2018 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, $59.49-$74.99, 93 points

Sequoia Grove Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $33.14-$43.99, 92 points

Sketch Book, Mendocino County, 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $8.49-$20.99, 89 points

St. Supéry Estates Vineyards Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $46.74-$54.99, 92 points

Vina Robles, Paso Robles 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $16.99-$21.99, 90 points

Wente Southern Hills Livermore Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $11.89-$16.99, 88 points

Wente Wetmore Vineyard, Livermore Valley, 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $21.24-$34.99, 91 points

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2024, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas

Template provided by Goggle Blogger

Sequoia Grove Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Sequoia Grove Napa Valley 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, $33.14-$43.99, 92 points, poured an opaque ruby red with dense, fat, and stained legs, and a broad clear meniscus.
Excellent aromas were earthy, showed an abundance of current fruit, accented with sweet spices, and a hint of mint.
A full-bodied, silky, opulent, dry red wine with fair acidity, lush thick tannins, and rich flavors of currant fruit, a hint of citrus and Costa Rican java.
Finished long on the trailing palate, plums, anise, warm pepper spice, and a well-balanced 14.8% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my prosaic hamburgers on English muffins.
This is my seventh vintage of Sequoia Grove Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and to my mind it is always a steal.

2018 California Cabernet Sauvignon Wines Tasted

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2022, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas

Template provided by Goggle Blogger

Keenan Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley, 2019 Chardonnay

 

Keenan Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley, 2019 Chardonnay, $31.44-$38.99, 91 points, was a light brass color with yellow/gold highlights and graying towards the rim.
Aromas of flint, sour apples, Chardonnay specific white grape, and citrus notes were good.
A medium-bodied dry white wine with fair to good acidity and a tasty mirror image of the aromas with late plate hints of mint and ginger were quite good as well.
Finished long on the fading palate, a touch of lemon zest, a whisper of oak, good minerality, and a spot-on 13.8% alcohol.
Paired perfectly (surprisingly) with my Yellowfin tuna salad.

2019 Vintage California Chardonnay

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2022, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas
Template provided by Goggle Blogger