"100% S.B. from diverse terroirs located to the N & E of the AOC; Skin contact maceration, low-temp fermentation, ageing on the fine lees for 6 mos for greater aromatic richness;"
N: Cat pee atop minerals
P: LM, poss Lt, body; NICE, almost swtish frt met by a TANGY acidity which deftly drives the action into & through the LONG, TANGY/swt (60:40) finish. A wine for lovers of high acidity to seek out! For now & through '20, quite poss '21. My EXC-; This vendor's $11.95 is AS good as anyone on wine-searcher. 88 pts WA (4/27/18).
P: Med body; Very RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish (suspect threshold R.S.) OAK/frt, acidity managing to fairly seamlessly morph into a LONG, pleasantly tangy/swtish finish with POSS just a *hint* of very, VERY slight bitterness that may well explode in the future? At least "decently" done, IF this is your style. 14.8% ABV; My VG+. 91 pts Decanter (Dingler), 88 WE @ $20 WE, and Bronzes @ the ff '18 competitions: S.F. Chronicle, CA State Fair, S.D. Int'l, & New World Int'l. [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]
"A cuvée made from about 70% Grenache & 30% Syrah with small additions of Cinsault & Carignan, from vines 20-50 yrs old planted in clay limestone soils @ 300m elev; Hand harvested, destemmed, fermentation in tank & concrete, 15 day maceration; Aged 6 mos in tank & concrete;"
N: An attractive melding of pyrazines, choc, & cherries
P: LM body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met met by a bit of astringent pucker which pretty much works itself out by the LONG, balanced, very, VERY slightly tangy finish with a bitter/swtness to the few, firming, dusty tannins. For now with food, then drinking through '22. My VG+/EXC-, the higher EASILY for QPR! 93 pts Dunnuck, 88 ea WA & Wine Align (4x), 15.5+/20 Jancis Robinson (Hemming). [This vendor's $10.95 is now $4 < the lowest of wine-searcher's limited listings.]
Note: Would appear to be "coming around" from when I tasted it on JUST 7/27/2019. ;)
95% C.S., 3% Merlot, & 2% P.S. harvested 10/11-15/16; “Barreled down after primary fermentation into 10% new AM & FR oak for 17 mos;” 13.5% ABV, 0.62 g/L T.A., & 3.87 pH; 65,000 cases produced.
N: RIPE, JAMMY berries with POSS undertones of pyrazines?
P: LM, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt (suspect threshold R.S.) counterbalanced by the BAREST *hint* of astringent pucker which stays in touch with the init swtness/frt as it transtions into a LONG, poss very, VERY slightly bitterish finish with a distinct, at times, raisiny SWTNESS to the few, dusty tannins. For now & into '21 in a R.S. style. My VG+; 89 pts & "Editors’ Choice" WE @ $16, 88 Wine Align (11/2/18), 4/5* from spiritofwine.blogspot.com , & Silver from '19 S.F. Chronicle Comp @ $17.99. [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]
100% dry farmed Monastrell from “multiple proprietary vineyards planted @ 2,100-2,450 ft elev in the unique terroir of the subregion located between Sierra de Salinas, Sierra de Umbria, & Sierra de la Sima; The soil is dry, shallow, & primarily composed of limestone, with large chunks of pure chalk intermixed. Fermented in s/s tanks by indigenous yeasts; Malolactic occurs in tank, & the wine is transferred to 2nd vintage FR oak Bordelaise & Burgundy barrels for 6 mos of aging. [Tarima is aged in the barrels used for the previous vintage’s Tarima Hill.] 30,000 cases bottled unfined & unfiltered, 6,400 cases imported.”
N: RIPE berries with notes of garrigue
P: LM body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which somewhat works itself out by the LONG finish with a TANGY/swtness to the dusty tannins. NEEDS through '20, then drinking for 3 yrs more? 14.5% ABV; My VG+/EXC-, easily the higher for the QPR of this potentially cellarworthy wine. 88 pts WS (3/31/19). [This vendor's $6.95 is AS good as anyone on wine-searcher]
2017 Dourthe La Grande Cuvée
France, Bordeaux, Graves
"100% S.B. from diverse terroirs located to the N & E of the AOC; Skin contact maceration, low-temp fermentation, ageing on the fine lees for 6 mos for greater aromatic richness;"
N: Cat pee atop minerals
P: LM, poss Lt, body; NICE, almost swtish frt met by a TANGY acidity which deftly drives the action into & through the LONG, TANGY/swt (60:40) finish. A wine for lovers of high acidity to seek out! For now & through '20, quite poss '21. My EXC-; This vendor's $11.95 is AS good as anyone on wine-searcher. 88 pts WA (4/27/18).
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2016 JaM Chardonnay Butter
USA, California
N: Butter with lemons
P: Med body; Very RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish (suspect threshold R.S.) OAK/frt, acidity managing to fairly seamlessly morph into a LONG, pleasantly tangy/swtish finish with POSS just a *hint* of very, VERY slight bitterness that may well explode in the future? At least "decently" done, IF this is your style. 14.8% ABV; My VG+. 91 pts Decanter (Dingler), 88 WE @ $20 WE, and Bronzes @ the ff '18 competitions: S.F. Chronicle, CA State Fair, S.D. Int'l, & New World Int'l. [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]
Note: Also tasted 11/3/18 and 3/2 & 3/16/19
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2016 Château Pesquié Ventoux Édition 1912m
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Ventoux
"A cuvée made from about 70% Grenache & 30% Syrah with small additions of Cinsault & Carignan, from vines 20-50 yrs old planted in clay limestone soils @ 300m elev; Hand harvested, destemmed, fermentation in tank & concrete, 15 day maceration; Aged 6 mos in tank & concrete;"
N: An attractive melding of pyrazines, choc, & cherries
P: LM body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met met by a bit of astringent pucker which pretty much works itself out by the LONG, balanced, very, VERY slightly tangy finish with a bitter/swtness to the few, firming, dusty tannins. For now with food, then drinking through '22. My VG+/EXC-, the higher EASILY for QPR! 93 pts Dunnuck, 88 ea WA & Wine Align (4x), 15.5+/20 Jancis Robinson (Hemming). [This vendor's $10.95 is now $4 < the lowest of wine-searcher's limited listings.]
Note: Would appear to be "coming around" from when I tasted it on JUST 7/27/2019. ;)
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2016 Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
95% C.S., 3% Merlot, & 2% P.S. harvested 10/11-15/16; “Barreled down after primary fermentation into 10% new AM & FR oak for 17 mos;” 13.5% ABV, 0.62 g/L T.A., & 3.87 pH; 65,000 cases produced.
N: RIPE, JAMMY berries with POSS undertones of pyrazines?
P: LM, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt (suspect threshold R.S.) counterbalanced by the BAREST *hint* of astringent pucker which stays in touch with the init swtness/frt as it transtions into a LONG, poss very, VERY slightly bitterish finish with a distinct, at times, raisiny SWTNESS to the few, dusty tannins. For now & into '21 in a R.S. style. My VG+; 89 pts & "Editors’ Choice" WE @ $16, 88 Wine Align (11/2/18), 4/5* from spiritofwine.blogspot.com , & Silver from '19 S.F. Chronicle Comp @ $17.99. [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]
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2017 Bodegas Volver Monastrell Alicante Tarima
Spain, Valencia, Alicante
100% dry farmed Monastrell from “multiple proprietary vineyards planted @ 2,100-2,450 ft elev in the unique terroir of the subregion located between Sierra de Salinas, Sierra de Umbria, & Sierra de la Sima; The soil is dry, shallow, & primarily composed of limestone, with large chunks of pure chalk intermixed. Fermented in s/s tanks by indigenous yeasts; Malolactic occurs in tank, & the wine is transferred to 2nd vintage FR oak Bordelaise & Burgundy barrels for 6 mos of aging. [Tarima is aged in the barrels used for the previous vintage’s Tarima Hill.] 30,000 cases bottled unfined & unfiltered, 6,400 cases imported.”
N: RIPE berries with notes of garrigue
P: LM body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which somewhat works itself out by the LONG finish with a TANGY/swtness to the dusty tannins. NEEDS through '20, then drinking for 3 yrs more? 14.5% ABV; My VG+/EXC-, easily the higher for the QPR of this potentially cellarworthy wine. 88 pts WS (3/31/19). [This vendor's $6.95 is AS good as anyone on wine-searcher]
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