10/10/2023 - 69Voltage wrote:

By itself, started out promising but then flatlined into a void of flavor, leaving only that dry sensation. Could’ve been my palate at the time, unsure. Willing to give it another try.

Yet after a slice of sausage, caramelized onions with a red sauce pizza, the wine performed as I’d hoped……fuller, lasting and enhancing.

6/15/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 92 from WS

Smooth, balanced, more mellow than some other SB’s. A bit of spice on the back end? An excellent choice.

5/13/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 93 from WE

$20 at KL wines

Was only able to decant for one hour(needed my wine!). Take Aero’s advice and give it a longer decant. Looking forward to see how it changes come tomorrow night.

Can’t improve upon what others have stated.

Is doing very well with the Gentlemen’s pizza from Humble Bistro(shameless plug for the best pizza) on High Street.

👍

5/7/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

WS and WE 93, JS 91

Crisp acidity. Balanced with a longish finish. A very good SB from Napa.

👍

4/20/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

$20 at wine.com

13%

Mineral at first, then the balanced sweet/sour of the fruit. More effervescent/acidic when colder, more mellow/smooth when approaching room temp. Enjoyed both facets. Went well with both grilled branzino and sautéed salmon.

👍

3/6/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

An 89 from WS, 90 from WE

$24 at wine.com

12.1%

A hint of creaminess, a little bite of acidity to go with nice fruit flavors. A thoroughly enjoyable wine.

👍

2/21/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

$12 at TW

Hour decant. The '16 and '17 were awesome, unfortunately the '19 isn’t. Not balanced, decent amount of fruit but too much vanilla. A little chalky. Light tannins and acidity, medium finish.

Oh well, two outta three ain’t bad.

👎

2/20/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 90 from WE

$21 at wine.com

13.8%

Doesn't come across as a SB to me. Maybe a Chenin Blanc? No matter, it’s an enjoyable wine.

Dark gold in color. Not as much citrus as a normal SB but still contains a good amount of fruit and acidity. A little creaminess as well. Longish finish. Becomes better the warmer it gets. Went well with linguine and clam sauce. Good stuff.

👍

2/12/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 92 from WS

$18 at TW

14.5%

Going to be an abbreviated review after a long, "one of those days" on the course.

PnP. Easy drinker. Nice fruit on the tongue, medium tannins, acidity and finish. For $18, it’s a "duh".

👍

2/9/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 91 from RP

$22 at wine.com

72% Malbec, 28% Cab Sauv

14%

PnP. Pleasant, inviting nose. Love the first hit of fruit. Then it’s mild tannins, low acidity and medium finish. I got a hint of bitter at the very end, tho that might be due to what I had at the golf course. Didn’t affect my enjoyment of this wine. As others have stated, this will benefit from a decant.

👍

Edit - couple of notes.......over 90 minutes, this opened up a lot, became more robust. Definitely give this air time, it’s worth it. Also, it went extremely well with a ricotta and spinach ravioli. Upped the score from an 88.

Edit 2 - second day proves a long decant is beneficial.

2/4/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

$14 at wine.com

14.5%

PnP at room temp, which since I’m in Arizona is kinda warm, unlike those back east. You know, in the snow and all. :D

Enjoyed with grilled lamb chops. Before the dinner, wine was a little hot and sharp, fruity, one dimensional, not complex. With and after the chops, smoother, more faceted, enjoyable longish finish.

This is one of those wines that I would drink if it was a gift or bought for me at a bar but I can’t see myself purchasing it again. It’s not a bad wine, just not my thing. A tad too sweet and too fruity. And because of that, I won’t vote if I like it or not.

👎

2/1/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 93 from WS and JS, a 90 from RP

$20 at TW

70% Sémillon, 30% Sauvignon

13%

Fresh and crisp with a perfect hint of sweetness and an oily coat of the mouth. Nice, lingering tart finish. Excellent QPR.

👍

1/29/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 90 from WE

$18 at wine.com

13.5%

Decanted in glass for 45 minutes. Promising nose. Dry with pleasant fruit. Medium tannins, medium- acidity and finish. A nice wine on its own but was even better with a pasta and red sauce dish. A good buy for the price.

👍

1/27/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 90 from WS

$15 at wine.com

13%

Nicely balanced with the smooth fruit leading to medium acidity and finish. Went very well with sautéed scallops and some lightly fried squid tentacles. Excellent QPR.

After enjoying their ‘17(91 WS) and ‘18(91 WS), I’ve learned that T & V are one of those producers that reliably deliver a quality product. Hard to beat the price.

👍

1/23/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

$24 at wine.com

13.9%

Great aroma. Crisp, mineral, balanced fruit and oak. Nice bite during a long, enjoyable finish. A nice drinking Chardonnay.

Paired awesomely with this simple spaghetti/clams/garlic/red pepper dish. Damn, this is an amazing pairing.

👍

1/19/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

$11 at wine.com

13%

Not sure why I purchased this....drunk wine shopping? But it turned into a pleasant surprise with light tannins, then a little bit more cherry red fruit before some nice acidity and a medium- finish. Not a mind blower but an easy drinker at a good price.

👍

1/17/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

An 89 from WS

$16 at wine.com

60% Grenache, 40% Syrah

15.3%

PnP. Pleasant, inviting nose. Fruit is bold but not obtrusive with medium+ tannins and acidity, noticeable alcohol, long finish. Can’t go wrong with the QPR but would decant the next bottle to smooth it out a bit.

👍

Edit - this wine just popped when paired with a 2” thick, grilled pork chop seasoned with salt, pepper and ground red pepper flakes. Added a nice, spicy bite.

1/15/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 92 from JS

$11 at TW and wine.com

13.5% and aged in stainless steel

PnP, slightly chilled. First few sips were on the sweet side for me but over the rest of the first glass it lessened. Dark fruit, cherry, smooth tannins leading to light acidity and medium finish. A good pizza wine but not much more.

👍

1/12/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 91 from WE

$14 at wine.com

14.5%

PnP. On the bold side with red and dark fruit. Medium+ tannins, average finish. A little sharp/harsh.

Undecided on rating or like/unlike. Will decide tomorrow after it gets some air, which will hopefully balance it some.

Day 2 - for the first half an hour, still sharp/harsh. Mellows a bit after(palate gets used to it?) but not enough to make me want to purchase this again. I enjoy balanced, tannic wines but this misses the balanced part.

👎

1/10/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

An 85 from WE

$13 at wine.com

60% Grenache, 40% Tempranillo

13.5%

PnP. Not much to this....cherry and other red fruit, medium tannins, acidity and finish. Not enough of the fruit to smooth this out, it’s a tad harsh. Tried some Brie with it and that helped...brought out the fruit, added enough sweetness to make it enjoyable. I’m a big Grenache fan and this doesn’t do it for me, sadly. Glad I have some good cheeses in the fridge. :)

👎

Edit - second day it’s much better...more fruit and complexity. Not saying it’s a complex wine but it’s better than yesterday’s. Palate must have been in one of those moods. Not going to change my original review or score as it’s still not a wine I’d purchase again, it’s just not as bad as I originally "thought".

1/7/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 93 and #41 Top 100 of 2020 from WS
94 JS, 93 RP

14.5%

$30 at wine.com

Decanted for an hour. Jammy, spicy, some oak, smooth, nice finish. Thoroughly enjoyed sipping this over a couple of hours, where it only improved. Penfolds delivers again.

👍

Edit - second night the wine was nicely more mellow. Still had that restrained boldness but with some of the edge taken off. Really enjoyed this.

1/4/2021 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 92 from WS, an 89 from WE

$22 at wine.com

13.5%

Day one. PnP.

Well stated CAL-RHONE. Light red fruit, strawberry, oak and earth along with smooth tannins at first. Those flavors/tastes transition nicely to a medium acidic finish. As of now, pleased with a $20, quality PN.

Paired well with a French cassoulet.

Will finish the tasting tomorrow with the last half of the bottle. Looking forward to the change....

Edit - was a non-wine day yesterday(yeah, I know, blasphemous) so this is day three. No perceptible change, maybe a tad softer. A nicely balanced wine.

👍

12/30/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

An 86 from WE, 91 from JS

$13 at TW

85% Malbec, 5% each Cab Sauv, Merlot and Syrah

14.5%

Like the DRUNKEN CYCLIST, I’ve yet to be disappointed with Domaine Bousquet. DC also described this wine nicely, leaving me nothing to add. Thanks DC! Made this one easy.

👍

12/28/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 91 from WE

$15 at wine.com

83% Merlot, 10% Cab Franc and 7% Cab Sauv

13.5%

PnP. Not too complex.....medium fruit, mild tannins, acidity and finish. It’s not a bad wine but there are others at this price point that I’d purchase before this blend.

👎

12/25/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 92 from Decanter and W&S, a 91 from JS

$20 at wine.com

PnP for family, so no detailed tasting note. Opened after the Roija, so this at first was sweet and heavy. After time and a few sips, became a nice Cab.

👍

12/25/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 91 from WS and RP

$15 at wine.com

PnP for family, so can’t give any tasting notes other than it was a very enjoyable wine, especially for the price. Third bottle I’ve had from CVNE over the years and they’ve never disappointed.

👍

12/19/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

First bottle a couple months ago was PnP. What the hell, decided to take WINEGUYFL's recommendation and decant this time. Decanted an hour. Didn't notice any major differences from my last review. Still love the wine.

It complimented the spicy Bucatini all’Amatriciana nicely.

👍

12/15/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 90 from WE

$13 at TW

13%

Muted citrus on the sour side with mineral. Medium acidity during an average, sour finish.It’s not great, it’s not terrible, it’s drinkable. Might be more enjoyable paired with something. I enjoyed it more once it got closer to room temp.

👐 (instead of a thumbs up/down, I’ll call it neutral)

12/14/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 90 from WS and W&S, 91 from WE and D, 92 from JS, 93 from WW

$18 at wine.com

Slightly sweet fruit and minerality at first, then the citrus finds the sides of your tongue. Zesty acidity leads you into a smooth finish. Nicely balanced.

👍

12/11/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 92 from WS, 97 D, 92 JS, 91 W&S, 90 RP

$27 at TW

100% Sangiovese

14%

First thought is it’s a hint sweeter than most Chianti’s, but in a good way with nice balance to go with the mellow tannins. Smooth finish. Seriously good Chianti.

👍

12/10/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

An 88 from WS, an 85 from WE.

$13 at TW

Tempranillo 91%, Garnacha 8%, Mazuelo 1%

13.5%

I wish I were able to give educated notes by using my nose because when my nose does recognize something noticeable in a wine, I’m unable to express it properly. Trying to get my palate across is difficult enough, we’ll just forgo the nose for now.

That being said, the first whiff is promising, similar to other wines I’ve enjoyed. I can smell the dryness but also the fruit that gives you a hint of what’s to come. Smooth tannins accompany the cherry and other red fruits before a nice zing of acidity during a medium finish.

Very easy drinking and at an excellent QPR.

👍

12/8/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

An 87 from WE

%13

$12 at wine.com

The first funky hit on the palate is something sour I can’t place, something I don’t recognize. That flavor/funk quickly fades, making way for your traditional SB flavors, with just a tinge of the funk holding on thru the finish. Good acidity, average finish, a $10 wine.

Think this might be my first Chilean SB and it’s prompting me to try a higher rated, more expensive offering.

👍

Edit - go figure, this actually pairs nicely with a spicy chicken, tortilla soup.

12/8/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

Nose shows promise. Dark fruit, cherry, dry but not too so...the tasty fruit lingers to get you to the medium finish.

Forgot to record my purchase data but I’m gonna to guess I spent between $10-$15. This is a perfectly acceptable wine for that price.

👍

12/2/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

An 86 from WS, 90 WE, 92 D, 90 WW

$19 at wine.com

84% Sauvignon Blanc, 16% Semillon

14.1%

Tempting nose, nearly clear in the glass. To me, what you expect from a decent SB......crisp, refreshing, nice acidity and bite, balanced, longish finish. I don’t find it different that the many other quality SB's available. I enjoyed the Allan Scott much more, which is a few $ less.

This did liven up with a spicy shrimp paella. It actually improved quite a bit.

👍

11/29/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 92 from JS

$15 at wine.com

13.5%

Red fruit, medium bodied, medium+ tannins arrive right before the medium finish. A tasty, easy drinking Chianti.

👍

11/26/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 94 from WS

$37 from wine.com

14.8%

Zinfandel, Grenache, Alicante Bouschet, Petite Sirah, Mourvèdre, Grand Noir, Syrah and Carignan

Enjoyed this after two other reds, so palate may not give a true reading. Disappointed because more is now unavailable at wine.com. :(

Decanted an hour while we finished our second bottle of the day. This comes across as a mellower Zin, in a nice way. Smooth, medium tannins accompany black fruit, vanilla and a nice bite of spice. The acidity grows during the long finish. This is good stuff. Gave it a 94 because who am I to argue with WS on a wine we both love? Will definitely keep Bucklin on the list.

👍

11/24/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 92 from WS, an 88 from WE and a 90 from W&S

$25 from wine.com, $20 from K&L

13.9% and contains 2% Viognier

Can def find peach on the nose and palate but not in an obtrusive way. Refreshing acidity, medium finish. I preferred this a little more on the chilled side, the flavors seemed more pronounced. This wine is smooth, balanced and I can see why previous reviewers love it so much. This, and the previous Bluepoint, introduced me to a different type of SB than I was used to. If you like SB, you’ll want to check this out. Seriously good.

👍

On a side note, the last two SB's I’ve pulled from the fridge were a $40 and $25. My everyday drinkers are usually around $15, where I expect to win some and lose some. These SB's have been noticeably above your average SB.....smoother, more balanced. Just ordered another bottle from K&L

11/22/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

$18 at TW

13%

Soft, pleasant nose before lemon on the tongue, medium- acidity during a medium finish. I enjoyed the wine until the finish, where it ended on a bitter note. Not a wine I’d purchase again.

👎

11/20/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 90 from WS, a 95 from WE and a 92 from JS

$40 from TW

14.3%

With so many quality SB's in the $15-$25 price point, I had to pause before dropping $40 on one, but what the hell, I like a good SB, so yeah, $40 it is.

Since I’m not a professional, it’s usually a lot of work for me to attempt to portray a wine to others. This wine makes it easy......it’s damn good. Smooth, balanced and different by just a bit from your usual SB. Even at $40 a bottle, would def get this again, if just to enjoy with friends.

👍

11/19/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 90 from WE

80% Clairette; 20% Roussanne

13%

$14 at wine.com

David Wessel stated it nicely......"A place where Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay meet."

Silky smooth with a pleasant, lasting acidity. What you’re looking for in a European wine....nothing obtrusive, balanced flavor over big fruit. Excellent QPR. It expressed itself a little with a salmon, quinoa and green goddess "salad".

👍

11/18/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

An 84 from WS, an 83 from WE

$18 at TW

14.9%

I love a good PN but haven’t ever had a one that tastes like this. Fruit forward, oak and then a nice spicy finish. It’s not a bad tasting wine and I think the pros rate it far too low but if I want to drink a PN, this doesn’t fit the bill. Far too "in your face" to be an enjoyable PN for me.

Again, not a bad wine, just not something I’d purchase again.

👎

11/16/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 90 from WE

$21 at TW

Cinsault 50%, Syrah 30%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%

Though their site states 14%, the label states 13.5%

From the winemaker........"The 2018 Chateau Musar Lebanon Jeune Red is a deep plum color with a violet rim. Aromas of blueberries, dark red cherries with Mediterranean herbs, tobacco and spice. This is a warm and fruity wine with medium tannins and gentle acidity. There are dense darkfruits – blackcurrants, blueberries as well as strawberries and pomegranate with a touch of Eastern spice."

Smooth tannins accompany red fruit before a spicy finish. A very enjoyable drink. I must have found this on someone’s "top rated" list as I wouldn’t purchase a Lebanese wine w/o some sort of recommendation. Really glad I tried it, seriously good.
👍

https://chateaumusar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Musar-Jeune-Red-2018.pdf

11/5/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 91 from JS and his #4 wine of '20(take that for what it’s worth)

$9 at TW

PnP. Promising nose. Not too dry nor too sweet, maybe hedges on the sweet side for me but def not enough to abandon the wine. Tannins took a while to kick in for me, which were medium. Average finish, little acidity.

For $9? Sure, you’ll get your monies worth but don’t expect to impress with it.

👍

Edit - after time, I don’t find it as sweet as when first popped.

11/5/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

An 88 from WS, 91 from WE.

$19 at TW

14.2%

PnP. Medium bodied, smooth tannins, balanced. A little spice before a medium finish. Not going to blow your mind but a comfortable, enjoyable PN.

👍

11/3/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

$11 at TW

13%

PnP. Cherry red. Dry, smooth, balanced, medium finish. Drinks well above its price. Excellent QPR. Went nicely with shrimp in a spicy arrabbiata sauce. It's nice to get back to Europe after my last couple of nights.

👍

11/2/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

Received as a gift from a friends "wine club" order. Looks like it’s approximately a $10 wine

14.8%

Full bodied, jammy, def taste of cab, medium tannin, medium+ acidity and finish. Just pushing the boundary of being too jammy for me(I’m missing European wines apparently). For $10, an acceptable wine.

👍

11/1/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 90 from WS

$17 at wine.com

14.5%

PnP. Tasty nose. Medium bodied with smooth tannins, medium acidity and finish. I wish the fruit didn’t fade as quickly right before the finish but this is still an enjoyable wine. Acceptable QPR.

Went very well with a grilled pork chop.

👍

Edit - changed my score from an 89 to an 88. Was hoping on the second night it wouldn’t be as sweet, that maybe last night was due to my palate but unfortunately it still is on the sweet side, too sweet for me to really like. Still a decent wine, just not something I’d purchase again.

11/1/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

An 84 from WS

$9 at TW

Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Gewürztraminer

At first there’s a bit of flavor and a little promise but that quickly fades to nothing but sweet......followed by a slightly bitter finish. As others have stated, zero complexity or structure. This wine is aptly named because that’s where the rest of this bottle is headed.

👎+

10/27/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 90 from WE and #2 Top 100 Best Buy of 2020

$6 at TW

13%

Wow, a $6 wine that delivers? This reminds me of Evodia, a $9 Grenache that drank well above its price.

Aromatic nose. Green apple and citrus(grapefruit), the right amount of tart, refreshing. Just a stupid good QPR.

👍

10/26/2020 - 69Voltage wrote:

A 91 from JS

$11 at TW

Fruit at first(almost too much) with medium tannins, moving to a different flavor before the finish....cola? Pleasant acidity and a medium finish.

A different PN taste profile than I’m used to. And if it was just a tad less sweet/fruit, I’d easily rate it higher. I can drink it but I don’t think I’d purchase it again, even though I think it’s priced properly at $11.

👎