Peter Lehmann Barossa Valley "Clancy's" 2005 Red Wine

 

Peter Lehmann Barossa Valley "Clancy's" 2005 Red Wine, $12.99-$16.99, 85 points, poured a brandy copper-red with a thin bleeding meniscus and copious clear legs.
Smells of raisins, licorice, and coffee notes dominated hints of plums and black cherries.
Clancy's was a full-bodied red wine showing its eighteen years of age, but the fair acidity, resolved tannins, and flavors that matched the aromas proved to still be a fair tipple.
Finished long on the fading palate, iron, a faint cherry cola, cayenne, and the typical 14.5% alcohol.
Paired okay with our pizza supreme.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2023, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas

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A To Z Wineworks Oregon 2019 Pinot Gris

 

A To Z Wineworks Oregon 2019 Pinot Gris, $15.30-$19.00, 88 points, was a medium burnished gold color with a broad gray penumbra.
Aromas of crab apple, lemon oil, and hints of white chocolate and vanilla were good.
This Northwest PG was more a medium-bodied white wine with fair acidity and surprisingly rich flavors of citrus, white pepper, orange peel, and melon rind.
Finished long, tangy, with a squeeze of lime, and a balanced 13.5% alcohol.
Paired fine with our cold-cuts smorgasbord.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2023, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas
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Pindal Estate, Mendoza, Argentina, 2021 Torrontés White Wine

 

Pindal Estate, Mendoza, Argentina, 2021 Torrontés White Wine, $14.39-$15.99, 90 points, was a very light platinum white color with brass highlights and a very broad water-clear penumbra.
Aromas of lime juice, orange zest, and hints of black pepper and lemongrass were very interesting and pleasant.
This Torrontés White Wine was very light-bodied with bright acidity and edgy flavors reflective of the aromas.
Finished fair on the trailing palate, nicely nuanced with ginger, and a well-balanced 13.5% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with our Asian cuisine.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2023, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas
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Gary Farrell 'Russian River Selection' Russian River Valley Sonoma County 2020 Chardonnay

 

Gary Farrell 'Russian River Selection' Russian River Valley Sonoma County 2020 Chardonnay, $32.29-$42.99, 92 points, was a medium brass color with yellow gold highlights and a broad clear penumbra.
Aromas of crab-apple, dusty apricots, sour-dough, and lemon/lime peel were pleasant.
Once again Gary Farrell excels with a rich Chardonnay of medium-body, fair to good acidity, a robust mouthfeel, and flavors that match the aromas plus a tad of ginger.
Finished long on the lemon flavor, Chardonnay-specific grape, tart citrus, and a spot-on 13.7% alcohol.
Paired well with my brine chicken wings and Baklava.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2023, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas

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Seméli Feast 2021 Moschofilero Greek White Wine (PGIP) Greek White Wine (PGIP)

 

Seméli Feast Moschofilero 2021 Greek White Wine (PGIP), $15.29-$16.99, 89 points, was a light straw yellow color with lime green highlights and a broad graying penumbra.
Aromas of apples, lemon oil, stone fruit, and a fresh stream minerality were good.
This Moschofilero Greek White showed medium-bodied with fair acidity, a round mouthfeel, and good flavors reflective of the aromas.
Finished a bit more tart than the early to mid-palate, and with an innocuous 12% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my spanakopita pie and fried East coast clams.
Very difficult to find Greek wines in New Hampshire, but when I found this at Angela's Pasta and Cheese Shop, I grabbed it and was very satisfied.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2023, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas

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J.J. Vinent Grand Vin Bourgogne 'Marie Antoinette' 2020 Pouilly Fuissé

 

J.J. Vinent Grand Vin Bourgogne 'Marie Antoinette' 2020 Pouilly Fuissé, $23.79-$30.99, 92 points, was a deep straw-yellow with gold highlights and a broad graying penumbra.
Aromas of subtle beechwood, lemon zest, wet stones, and crisp apples were good if not or ever pronounced.
This Pouilly Fuissé was just lighter than the threshold for a medium-bodied dry white wine. Acidity was good, mouthfeel had a cool spring-fed mineralized water texture, and a clean flavor profile reflective of the aromas.
Finished long, a bit tart, developed a flavor of lime peel, and brandished a spot-on 13% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my baked pineapple/ham with sweet potatoes.
If you want a Chardonnay to pair with chicken, turkey, ham, salmon, lobster, shellfish, or tuna steaks, I think this one would do just fine, and though the price is a couple of dollars more than last year, it is still a great value (JMO).

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Cantine Povero Priore 2017 Barolo revisited

 

Cantine Povero Priore 2017 Barolo revisited, $33.99-$41.99, 93 points, poured a brilliant blood-orange red with a broad clear wine ring and sheets of sticky legs.

Aromas of cherry/cinnamon, black tea, and blackberry with hints of mint and wood were excellent.

Like many Barolos, this Cantine Povero Priore was a medium-bodied red wine, showed good acidity, was bone-dry, a bit tannic, and pristine in its flavors which were reflective of the aromas.

Finished quite long on the trailing palate, a bit of red pepper, citrus, red fruit, and a well-balanced 14.5% alcohol.

Paired perfectly with my supreme pizza.

Though it seems like all my many last red wines were alcohol-rated at 14.5% or higher, this wine seemed best suited to the rating.

A very good intro to Barolo at a very reasonable price.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2020-2023, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas

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Schramsberg Mirabelle 31st Bottling Brut Champagne

 

Schramsberg Mirabelle 31st Bottling Brut Champagne, $23,79-$27.99, 92 points, was a light amber color with a broad gray meniscus and a good eruption of small bubbles.
Aromas of ripe apples, brioche, and ginger ale were lovely.
Light-bodied, Brut-dry, acidic, hops dominant bubbly with delicious melon rind, caramel, and apple flavors.
Finished long on the trailing palate, ginger, and a well-balanced 12.5% alcohol.
Varietals were 68% Chardonnay and 32% Pinot Noir.
Paired perfectly with my baked Alaskan cod and cheddar/broccoli pasta.
Bought and brought this Champagne for my granddaughter's birthday celebration, and a Champagne lover did score this wine 89 points, I loved it more.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2023, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas
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Trentadue La Storia, Alexander Valley, Cuvée 32 2019 Red Wine

 

Trentadue La Storia, Alexander Valley, Cuvée 32 2019 Red Wine, $23.79-$27.99, 87 points, poured a light pomegranate red with violet highlights, a broad clear meniscus, and fat stained-legs.
Aromas were very interesting, dominated by red fruit, flowers, and earth notes.
Cuvée 32 was full-bodied, showed good acidity, a firm underlayment of tannin, and rich flavors not always in harmony, sometimes pleasing and sometimes not quite, but interesting iron notes seemed to conflict rather than complement with the red currants, plums, raisins, white pepper, and tart citrus notes.
Finished long, tart, showed a bit of red cherry syrup, and with a now (lately) typical 14.7% alcohol.
Paired just okay with my Pizza Market onion, sausage, and pepperoni pizza.
Varietals were 41% Sangiovese, 32% Merlot, 18% Montepulciano, and 9% Malbec.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2023, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas

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Frog's Leap Napa Valley 2020 Zinfandel

 

Frog's Leap Napa Valley 2020 Zinfandel, $28.89-$35.99, 90 points, poured a deep purple/red with a clear meniscus and copious thin legs.
Warm aromas of blackberry, Atomic fireball candy, and underbrush were pleasant.
First things first, what strikes me is the increased price and the increased alcohol content (14.5%) which I believe is by far the highest in the six vintages I've had.
I think the alcohol content pushed Frog's Leap Zinfandel into a full-bodied expression, quite dry, fairly acidic, and an alcohol-infused flavor profile rich in warm spice, black fruit, and tart spearmint.
Finished long on the trailing palate, tart, and concentrated.

Frog's Leap Napa Valley, Why it's a "Go to Winery."

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2023, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas
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Penfolds Koonunga Hill 2019 Shiraz/Cabernet Red Wine

 

Penfolds Koonunga Hill 2019 Shiraz/Cabernet Red Wine, $12.74-$14.99, 89 points, poured a deep, almost black, purple/red with a broad clear wine ring, and sliding stained legs.
Aromas were a bit unusual with strawberry and wet stone notes leading the way, but more commonly there were mulberry, black grape, cinnamon, and floral notes too.
Here Penfolds delivers quality at a low price, but again, this red wine is a bit edgy, maybe austere for the soft red wine fan, but for the Chianti and young Bordeaux lovers (red wines with an edge), for examples, this was a tasty full-bodied dry red wine with good acidity, grippy tannins, and a remarkable array of flavors, like cayenne, cinnamon, fennel, red cherry, mulberry, eucalyptus, and Kirsch.
Finished long on the trailing palate and a big 14.5% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my beefy nachos.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

COPYRIGHT 2010-2023, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas

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Brotte Château De Bord 2018 Côtes du Rhône Villages

 

Brotte Château De Bord 2018 Côtes du Rhône Villages, $11.89-$27.99, 89 points, poured, a slightly unfiltered pomegranate red with violet highlights, a clear meniscus, and fat stained-legs.
Aromas were dark grapey smells with underbrush, nondescript black fruit, and a floral note.
Near full-bodied bone-dry red wine with good acidity, vibrant and fine grainy tannins, and a complex array of red and black fruit in a somewhat awkward 14.5% alcohol matrix nuanced with anise, wood, citrus, and warm spices.
Finished quite long on a tasty and tart red fruit sangria.
Paired perfectly with our prosaic burgers.
As with the 2017 vintage, this Côtes du Rhône red wine is a steal, but remember, this isn't a soft Merlot/Malbec sort of red wine, but a bit edgy.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2023, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas

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Cave du Roi Dagobert Alsace 2019 Riesling

 

Cave du Roi Dagobert Alsace 2019 Riesling, $16.99-$21.99, 91 points, was a light to medium brass color with a broad gray penumbra.
Aromas of petrol were upfront and were accented with hints of crisp apple and white chocolate.
This Alsace white wine was light bodied, sleek, steely, dry, and acidic with a tight flavor wrap of lemon oil, flint, petrol, melon rind, and a whisper of ginger ale.
Finished long, tart, clean, and with an appropriate 13% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with our Asian cuisine.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Round Pond Napa Valley 2018 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Round Pond Napa Valley 2018 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, $59.49-$74.99, 93 points, poured an inky core black with a broad blood red penumbra, clear meniscus, and copious stained legs.
A true bouquet of great complexity wafted aromas of currants, blackberry, anise, cedar, cloves, cinnamon, and underbrush.
Their Estate Cab was big (full-bodied) with an upfront luscious mouthfeel, showed fair acidity, an undercurrent of round tannins, and flavors that mirrored the bouquet with hints of mint, plum, and spearmint.
Finished long on a dominating anise, plum, and a well-balanced 14.7% alcohol, but tended to be a tad astringent.
Paired fine with my prosaic cheeseburger.

2018 California Cabernet Sauvignon Wines Tasted

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Copyright 2010-2023, all rights reserved, Dennis Tsiorbas

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Whitehaven Marlborough 2021 Sauvignon Blanc

 

Whitehaven Marlborough 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, $14.44-$19.99, 90 points, was a medium brass color with a broad gray wine ring at the rim.
Aromas were dominated by gooseberry, but subtle notes of lemon and passion fruit made for an excellent bouquet.
Whitehaven produces an archetypical Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc, showing bright acidity in a light-bodied dry white wine. Flavors of grapefruit, passion fruit, and subtle hints of lemon/lime with other citrus notes were delicious and serve as an excellent white table wine for all thing the sea.
Finished long on the trailing palate, a bit of ginger, and a well-balanced 13% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my baked Alaskan cod.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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