MJMcCarthy
Member #163,677 signed up 2/12/2011
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jmc167@me.com
362 Tasting Notes
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Disgustaeer
60 Tasting Notes
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Member since February 2011
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Member #163,677 signed up 2/12/2011
362 Tasting Notes
60 Tasting Notes
This member's profile is not public.
2019 Broadbent Grüner Veltliner
12/10/2023 - MJMcCarthy Likes this wine:
The wine is medium gold with coy aromas of pear, golden apple and honeysuckle. Light in body, it coats the mouth with a slightly oily texture and bracing acidity, which allows the tree fruit flavors to shine. More herbaceous notes and a peppery tang typical of this grape emerge as the wine warms in the glass.
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2016 Chateau Musar
12/7/2023 - MJMcCarthy Likes this wine: 91 Points
The wine shows a core of crystal ruby, with just a hint of bricking emerging at the upper part of the rim to hint that it is beginning to age. It presents powerful aromas of red currant, cassis, cinnamon, baking spice and black pepper. It rests on the tongue with a light-medium weight and has grippy tannins that are well balanced by angular acidity.
I paired the wine with Beef Shawarma from a local restaurant. The Beef Shawarma included a creamy sauce of warmly gentle cumin and turmeric spices that coaxed earthiness from the tender, roasted, shaved meat. This pairing was a bit of a risk, in that tannic red wines often clash with spicy dishes. And it did, indeed, push the envelope, and the wine did amplify the spices, but it ultimately worked well. Although the wine is Bordeaux-inspired, the blend and vinification have been tweaked over decades to compliment the cuisine of the region.
The pairing proved to be a successful dance between food and wine, but not in the sense of a delicate ballet. Rather, it was an energetic dabke at a raucous wedding reception, where each dancer in the line may introduce their own flourishes but nonetheless remain linked by clasped hands to yield an overall coordinated whole.
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2018 G.D. Vajra Barolo Ravera
12/1/2023 - MJMcCarthy Likes this wine: 91 Points
I paired this with a dish of manicotti in meat sauce with a meatball.
The wine is a translucent, brick red in the glass with slow, thick tears that hint at its 14.5% ABV. It presents floral aromas of rose petals, along with black pepper and a subtle hint of rubber. (Nebbiolo, the grape used in Barolo DOCG wines, is known for aromas of “tar and roses,” so perhaps the subtle rubber is what I’m interpreting as the “tar.”)
The wine is young and fresh. It rests lightly on the palette, deceptively masking its powerful triple punch of grippy tannins, bright acidity and hot alcohol that quickly follows. When paired with a bit of the cheesy manicotti in the meat sauce, however, the tannins mellow and yield to a juicy pop of ripe red cherry and raspberry that sings along with the tomato sauce.
The pairing evokes an image of a bright red helium balloon tied down to a fencepost. The balloon (the wine) wants to soar and fly away, but the fencepost provides a sturdy, foundational anchor (the manicotti) that keeps the balloon centered while at the same time allowing it to dance in the wind.
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