New Hampshire Wine-man

Saturday, December 31, 2022

Red Tail Ridge Winery "Good Karma" Finger Lakes (Seneca) 2019 Riesling

Red Tail Ridge Winery "Good Karma" Finger Lakes (Seneca) 2019 Riesling, $12.74-$16.99, 89 points, was a light brass color with light gold highlights and clearing long before the rim.
Aromas were dominated by petrol, but muted black pepper, dusty apple pie, and apricots were good.
Red Tail Ridge gave us a medium-bodied off-dry white wine with good acidity and rich flavors reflective of the aromas and a hint of guava.
Finished well on the fading palate and a balanced 11% alcohol.
Paired nicely with my New England clam chowder and Greek spinach pie.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Friday, December 30, 2022

Volver La Mancha 2018 Tempranillo (Spain)

Volver La Mancha 2018 Tempranillo (Spain), $15.99-$17.99, 89 points, poured with a localized core of near black but showed mostly a deep ruby red with sticky stained legs and a clear meniscus.
In a blind tasting I would not have understood this to be a be Tempranillo as it smelled of sour plums, pine resin, mulberry, and was a bit loamy.
This Volver was near full-bodied (which could be due to the 15% alcohol) with good acidity, fine grainy tannins, and rich flavors of cherry cola, mulberry, lingonberry and black tea.
Finished quite long on the trailing palate, white pepper, and citrus notes.
Paired fine with prosaic pizza.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

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Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Château Lilian Ladouys Saint Estèphe 2016 Grand Vin Bordeaux Red Wine

Château Lilian Ladouys Saint Estèphe 2016 Grand Vin Bordeaux Red Wine, $23.37-$27.49, 90 points, poured mostly black with a deep purple/red penumbra, thin clear wine ring, and light stained legs.
Aromas of Damson plums, black pepper, hints of juniper, cedar, and spearmint were quite good.
This Bordeaux Red Wine was, at about seven years old, still fresh and young, grippy, nicely acidic, rich, edgy, and tasty with flavors reflective of the aromas throughout the palate.
Finished long and intensifying with juicy blackberry, cayenne, mushrooms, tobacco, a hint of tart citrus, and a well-balanced 13.5% alcohol.
Varietals were 62% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.
Paired well with my spice-rubbed beef tenderloin.

Bordeaux Red Wine Vintage 2016

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Sunday, December 25, 2022

Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyards Sonoma Coast 2019 Pinot Noir

Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyards Sonoma Coast 2019 Pinot Noir, $38.24-$49.99, 95 points, was a bright ruby/pomegranate red with a very broad clear meniscus and many transparent legs.
Aromas of cinnamon, clove, red cherry, autumn underbrush, and Pinot Noir specific grape were excellent.
This Freestone Vineyard PN was medium-bodied, juicy, dry, sleek, concentrated, nicely acidic, and filled with mesmerizing flavors of cherry fruit, mulling spice, mint, cocoa, and so much more.
Finished forever on the building palate, anise, Ferrara Pan "Hot Shots", red cherry, iron notes, and a spot-on 14.1% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my chicken smorgasbord.
The best of the four vintages of this wine I've tasted, and keep in mind that this was the same price that it was in 2015.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Thursday, December 22, 2022

Bucket-List- NV California Moscato

Bucket-List- NV California Moscato, $6.74-$7.49, 75 points, was a light pale brass color and clearing towards the rim.
Aromas of orange peel, pine needles, and pome blossoms were rather weak but pleasant.
Bucket-List- was a rather cloying sweet white wine, tart masqueraded for acidity which was, for me, insufficient to cut through the sugar.
Finished as it began. Alcohol was 10%.
Paired okay with my "hot" spicy nachos.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES

Gehricke Sonoma Valley 2017 Petite Sirah

Gehricke Sonoma Valley 2017 Petite Sirah, $29.99-$59.99 (Restaurant price), 91 points, poured core black with a slightly unfiltered garnet red penumbra, bleeding meniscus, and copious stained legs.
Aromas were rich with mulberry, blueberry, cinnamon, clove, cedar, and a bit of funky underbrush.
This Petite Sirah (Durif) was sleek, full-bodied, dry, juicy, showed good acidity, and flavors of sweet anise, mint, Sambuca, and a touch herbal.
Finished quite long on the trailing palate, red pepper, sweet black licorice, and a well-balanced 14.3% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my Texas-burger.

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Duck Pond, Oregon, 2021 Chardonnay

Duck Pond, Oregon, 2021 Chardonnay, $12.74-$14.99, 90 points, was a dull medium brass color with a large gray penumbra.
Aromas of apples, subtle peach, pome blossoms, and just a hint of lemon peel were quite pleasant.
Duck Pond has given us a very fresh, vibrant, barely medium-bodied white wine with fair to good acidity and surprisingly complex flavor nuances consisting of melon rind, tangerine zest, ginger, and lemon juice.
Finished fair on the fading palate and a well-balanced 13.2% alcohol.
Paired okay with my chicken smorgasbord.
I think this Chardonnay got a little lost in the intense flavors of salt and vinegar chicken wings, tempura chicken breast, and honey barbeque wings, ergo better with a delicate white fish, for example, much like a Gavi or a Soave.

INDEX of REVIEWED WINES