Boundary Breaks Finger Lakes 'Half-Dry' OLN Single Vineyard 2014 Riesling

Boundary Breaks Finger Lakes 'Half-Dry' OLN Single Vineyard 2014 Riesling, $14.99-$16.99, 88 points, was a light brass color.
Aromas of sweet apples and a hint of lime were shy, but nice.
Light-bodied, off dry quaffer, flavors reflective of the aromas with a hint of lemon.
Finished fair on the trailing palate, a touch of ginger, and an easy 12.1% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with our Asian cuisine.
For great domestic Rieslings I look (not exclusively) to the reliable North West and the Finger Lakes.

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Sandogal No. 3 Roble DO La Mancha Tempranillo And Petit Verdot

Sandogal No. 3 Roble DO La Mancha Tempranillo And Petit Verdot, $7.29-$13.99, 89 points, poured a spectrum of purple/reds, more red at the broad clear wine ring and leggy glass wall.
Aromatic strawberry, blueberry, and soft floral notes were quite good.
Medium to medium-plus body was supported by an underlayment of tannin and mouthwatering acidity.
Flavors of strawberry, blueberry, and plum were accented with mango and citrus (unusual for a red wine).
Finished well on the trailing palate, warm spices, tobacco, and a restrained 13% alcohol.
Varietals were 75% Tempranillo and 25% Petit Verdot.
If the duck interests you, it's referenced on the label Netta-Rufina (Red-crested Pochard).
Paired perfectly with my rare spice-rubbed Angus strip steak.

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Pure Plonk!

Pure Plonk!

 

Not a lot of detail here, but plonk is plonk is $#!+ and not worth drinking; I for one would rather have good black currant, pomegranate, grape, or grapefruit juice than crap wine, so when I read this morning in the newspaper that Robert Parker (implied) would drink 80 point wines for dinner I had to shutter.
One thing is sure though, you can buy inexpensive wines that are good and even great; just take a peek or better yet taste the Napa Cellars Merlot (I'm not a big fan of Merlot) that I just now tasted, or Sandogal No. 3 Roble DO La Mancha Tempranillo And Petit Verdot, $7.29-$13.99, 89 points.
Why, this week and in the news (FOX and Friends), people, and some of whom should know better, were advocating drinking $2.00 'Two-Buck-Chuck (a highly dubious proclamation), is beyond me!

Demonstration

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Napa Cellars Napa Valley 2013 Merlot

Napa Cellars Napa Valley 2013 Merlot, $15.29-$20.99, 89 points, poured core black grading purple/red, lighter red near the clear wine ring and thickly sheeted glass wall.
Aromatic sea breezes, toast, smoke, red raspberry, and plum were quite good.
Medium-plus body was appropriately acidic, and with firm grainy tannins carried excellent flavors of plum, mulberry, mushrooms, licorice, and accenting cola/coffee notes.
Finished very long on the trailing palate, a bit oaky, hints of cocoa, and a 14.2% alcohol inspirited spiciness.
Paired perfectly with our Texas burgers.
Lovely Merlot with character and a great Quality/Price/Ratio (QPR).

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Day Owl California 2016 Barbera Rosé

Day Owl California 2016 Barbera Rosé, $11.99-$14.99, 90 points, poured a mango/peach color.
Smells of strawberry, pear, and flowers were nothing to 'screech' about (Excellent).
A light, crisp, and nicely acidic Rosé managed well the flavors reflective of the aromas.
Finished lively, long, and listing of pepper (white and black), the trailing palate, and a dry 12% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my nacho casserole.
I bought this wine at the Whole Foods of Bedford.

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Nickle And Nickle Far Niente Napa Valley 2014 Chardonnay

Nickle And Nickle Far Niente Napa Valley 2014 Chardonnay, $56.09-$69.99, 88 points, poured a coppery gold color.
First whiffs were lovely pome blossoms, but the aromas devolved quickly into oak spawned vanilla, caramel, and something like nutmeg.
Medium-bodied with fair-plus acidity and neutral Chardonnay flavor accented by lemon and all the oak notes of the nose were just okay for me.
Finished long on the trailing palate, a big 14.3% alcohol, ginger, and a hint of sour cumquat.
Paired okay with my deep fried fresh Icelandic cod loin and carrots/broccoli in a cheddar cheese sauce.
Comment: It's been a while since I tasted the 2008 and 2009 vintages (94 and 95 points respectively), but I can't say how disappointed I was with this one.

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Quilt Napa Valley 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

Quilt Napa Valley 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon,
$33.99-$44.99, 87 points, poured widely black with purple reds at the clear wine ring and leggy glass edge.
Early smells of chalky cocoa, blueberries, and mulberries were profuse, a bit nettlesome, and trended mediocre for a Cali Cab that cost damn near $50 (I hate starting out this way with a moderately expensive wine).
Full-bodied, good acidity, moderately layered underlayment of tannin, interesting if furtive flavors of mint, plum, and herbs.
Finished big and better with the 15% alcohol, spice, and black fruit.
This was too much of a wine for our Greek pizza, and maybe tomorrow I'll try this Cab. with a big-beefy stew.


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