New Hampshire Wine-man: December 2023

Sunday, December 31, 2023

Ten Sisters Marlborough Single Vineyard 2022 Sauvignon Blanc

Ten Sisters Marlborough Single Vineyard 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, $16.14-$18.99, 86 points, was a light brass color with a slight bronze sheen and a gray penumbra.
Aromas were weak lemon oil, dusty cardboard, and fresh stream minerality.
Ten Sisters was a light-bodied Sauvignon Blanc with good acidity and a lemon oil dominate flavor profile nuanced with minerality, ginger ale, and multifaceted citrus notes.
Finished very long on the fading palate and a well-balanced 13% alcohol.
Paired only okay with my chicken stew and veggies.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Castellare 2020 Chianti Classico (DOCG)

Castellare 2020 Chianti Classico (DOCG), $18.69-$24.99, 92 points, poured a deep orange/red color with a broad clear meniscus and sticky stained legs.
Aromas of black tea, rose pedal, loam, and red fruit were excellent.
Another award-winning Chianti Classico showing bright acidity, fine grainy tannins, and delicious flavors of strawberry, cola, black tea, pomegranate, and a hint of white truffle.
Finished long on the trailing palate, warm spices, and a well-balanced 13.5% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my Giovanni's pizza.
This is my tenth vintage of this wine, and they just seem to get better and better.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Monday, December 25, 2023

Zuccardi Q Mendoza, Argentina 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon

Zuccardi Q Mendoza, Argentina 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, $14.44-$21.99, 91 points, poured a deep purple/red color with a broad clear meniscus and copious stained legs.
Aromas of chocolate, smokey black fruit, hints of cinnamon and loam were excellent.
This South American Cabernet Sauvignon was full-bodied, showed fair acidity, sound layers of tannin, luscious mouthfeel, and good flavors reflective of the aromas.
Finished fair with some nuanced warm spices and a well-balanced 13.9% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my rib-eye steak.
This is a high QPR (Quality/Price/Ratio) Cabernet and way better than its price-point.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Friday, December 22, 2023

Alamos Mendoza, Argentina 2020 Malbec Selección

Alamos Mendoza, Argentina 2020 Malbec Selección, $9.34-$12.99, 89 points, poured core black grading purple/red with a clear wine ring and raining stained legs.
Aromas of blueberries, mulberries, loam, juniper, cigar box, and a floral vibe were layered and deep.
This hundred-year-old Alamos vineyard's Malbec Selección was full-bodied, showed fair acidity, a supportive underlayment of soft tannin, and rich dominant fruit flavors nuanced with cooking herbs and eucalyptus.
Finished long and juicy with a well-balanced 13.5% alcohol.
Paired fine with my sausage and onion pizza.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Trefethen Oak Knoll, Napa Valley, 2021 Chardonnay

Trefethen Oak Knoll, Napa Valley, 2021 Chardonnay, $32.29-$39.99, 93 points, was a very light brass color with a yellow sheen and a broad graying penumbra.
The aromas were bright lemony minerality with hints of dusty melon rind.
This Trefethen Chardonnay was light to medium-bodied, showed bright acidity, and lively flavors reflective of the aromas carried on the refreshing cool-mountain spring-like mouthfeel.
Finished long, tart, ginger nuanced, and with a spot-on 13.1% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with our rotisserie chicken and all the fixins.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Sunday, December 17, 2023

Buehler Estate 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

Buehler Estate 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, $17.99, 92 points:
I bought this wine in 2010 along with the 2005 vintage which was an early reviewed wine of mine, and I haven't tasted a Buehler Cabernet Sauvignon since 2016, so, out the Euro-Cave and to my table it came today.
Poured a ruby-red color with an orange sheen, a thin brownish-bleeding meniscus, suspended tiny particles, and runny stained legs.
Interesting aromas were leathery, plum-like, nuanced with subtle coffee and brandy notes.
A full-bodied dry red wine with fair acidity, resolved tannins, delicious flavors of Crème Brûlée, coffee, plums, and caramel.
Finished very long on the trailing palate, a bit of warm spice, and a well-balanced 14.2 % alcohol.
Paired fine with my Shepherd's pie.

2006 California Cabernet Sauvignon wines tasted

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Jean-Luc Colombo Terroirs du Vent La Violette 2022 Viognier (France)

Jean-Luc Colombo Terroirs du Vent La Violette 2022 Viognier (France), $16.49, 87 points, was a light-yellow gold color and graying midway towards the glass shallows.
Aromas of pine resin, lemon zest, and dusty orange peel were pleasant.
This Viognier was light to medium-bodied with good acidity and pronounced early and late palate flavors beginning with NECCO wafers and finishing with ginger-ale (mid palate was a bit thin).
Finished long and tart with a complementing 13% alcohol.
Paired well with our baked beer-battered Pollock.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Alamos Mendoza, Argentina 2021 Malbec

Alamos Mendoza, Argentina 2021 Malbec, $14.44-$19.99, 89 points, poured a dark purple/red color with a broad clear meniscus and copious stained-legs.
This Malbec smelled herbal, earthy, fruity, and accented with subtle coffee notes.
Full-bodied, showed good acidity, a supportive underlayment of grainy tannin, and tangy flavors of mulberry, red raspberry, warm pepper spices, and a citrus zest.
Finished long on the trailing palate and a well-balanced 13.5% alcohol.
Paired fine with several beefy cuisines.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills 2021 Chardonnay (California)

Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills 2021 Chardonnay (California), $28.04-$34.99, 92 points, was a medium straw-yellow color with a broad gray penumbra.
Aromas of orange peel, hints of cantaloupe and oak, and dusty Chardonnay specific grapes were pleasant.
This Cali Chardonnay has good even bright acidity (a bit unusual), a steely mouthfeel, and good flavors reflective of the aromas with outstanding ginger-ale notes.
Finished very long on the fading palate with hints of lemon meringue, and a well-balanced 14% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with our baked chicken dinner.
As of late, I've been a fan of Northwest Chardonnay, but this brings me back "home" to California.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Friday, December 8, 2023

David Finlayson 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon -South Africa

David Finlayson 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon-South Africa, $16.99-$19.99, 92 points, pored an opaque pomegranate red with an unfiltered purple/red penumbra, a clear meniscus, and a torrent of stained fat legs.
Aromas of Bordeaux lily, mushrooms, black plums, and a hint of cocoa were excellent and unusual.
This South African Cabernet Sauvignon was priced way below its value; a full-bodied red wine with good acidity, firm supportive tannins, a steely but comfortable mouthfeel, and delicious flavors of blackberries, plums, cooking herbs, and just a hint of raisins and mint.
Finished very long on a cayenne infused alcohol (14%) and anise.
Paired perfectly with my Sheperd's pie.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Achaval Ferrer Mendoza 2019 Malbec (Argentina)

Achaval Ferrer Mendoza 2019 Malbec (Argentina), $16.99-$22.99, 91 points, poured core black grading to a rich purple red color, a broad clear meniscus, and stained-glass sheeting.
Aromas of cinnamon, mulberry, wood, and smokey floral notes were lovely.
Achaval Ferrer Malbecs have been my most go-to Malbec wines, and with good reasons.
Full-bodied dry red wine of good acidity with intensity, depth, and an angular mouthfeel complemented with rich flavors reflective of the aromas plus warm spice accents.
Finished long on a grainy substrate of tannin, spice, juicy red fruit, and a big 14.5% alcohol.
Paired fine with my Texas burgers.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Monday, December 4, 2023

Fattoria Monsanto Fabrizio Bianchi 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva (DOCG)

Fattoria Monsanto Fabrizio Bianchi 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva (DOCG), $25.49-$29.99, 90 points, poured a deep pomegranate red with fat stained-legs and a wide clear meniscus.
Aromas of rose pedal, mulberry, coffee notes, a hint of dusty caramel, and red raspberry were soft and pleasant.
This Chianti Classico Riserva was near full-bodied, astringent (tempered with air), showed good acidity, grainy tannins, and tart flavors of red fruit, black tea, oak, and a touch of mint.
Finished long and with a hint of bourbon, warm spices, and a balanced 14% alcohol.
Paired only okay with my pepperoni pizza.
If you like soft, round, smooth Merlot or Malbec wines, I'm thinking this wine isn't for you, but " in vino veritas".

Saturday, December 2, 2023

Les Tours De Laroque Saint Émilion Grand Cru 2018 Bordeaux Red Wine

Les Tours De Laroque Saint Émilion Grand Cru 2018 Bordeaux Red Wine, $20.99-$32.99, 90 points, poured a deep ruby red with a broad clear wine ring and stained hanging legs.
Pleasant aromas were toasty black fruit, loam, and dried cooking herbs.
This full-bodied Bordeaux red wine showed dry, a bit tannic, brightly acidic, spicy, and archetypical for a Saint Émilion red blended wine. Flavors of plums, currants, coffee, cayenne pepper, and dried herbs were heavily influenced by tannin and alcohol (14.5%).
Finished long on the trailing palate and developing tartness.
Paired okay with my Tenderloin Steak and Pepper Kabobs.

Bordeaux Red Wine Vintage 2018

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Friday, December 1, 2023

Weingut Nik Weis St. Urbans-Hof - Ockfener Bockstein Spätlese 2021 Riesling

Weingut Nik Weis St. Urbans-Hof - Ockfener Bockstein Spätlese 2021 Riesling, $39.94-$46.99, 94 points, was a medium brass color with platinum highlights and a broad gray penumbra.
Aromas were decidedly apple in nature but with a whisper of orange zest and petrol.
This Mosel Spätlese Riesling was more a "sweet" medium-bodied white wine, and the quotes are intended to draw your attention to the perfect balancing-act that its tart counterpoint accomplished. Bright acidity, splendid flavors of caramel-rock candy, apple cider, citrus, and melon rind, a touch of petrol, along with a luscious mouthfeel just won me over to this style and producer.
Finished quite long, mouth-watering/puckering, a bit orangey, and with a soft unobtrusive 8% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my Buffalo-wings, Mexican tacos, and Danish dessert.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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