New Hampshire Wine-man

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

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

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Sunday, March 12, 2023

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

Saturday, March 11, 2023

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

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Thursday, March 9, 2023

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

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Tuesday, March 7, 2023

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

Saturday, March 4, 2023

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

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Thursday, March 2, 2023

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