Category: Wine Review

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2006 Shiraz by Massena, Barossa Valley, Australia

Tonight’s occasion: 2006 Shiraz (the eleventh hour) by Massena, Barossa Valley, Australia.

Deep rich color. Heavy nose rich with an intense leather and mushroom that hits you as soon as you uncork it. Once it breathes a little, a sweet cherry undertone reveals itself along with even more terroir. A few additional herbal notes I cannot pinpoint linger in the back along with old oak. Wow. The nose has so much going on. A thick, jammy, chewy body awaits. Characterized by a slight acidic prominence, smooth buttery tannins and plum essence. A smooth transition to a graceful finish capped by moderate spice and mild tannic grip.

This wine must have been a massive beast in its hay day, perhaps even borderline unapproachable just on the nose alone. However after 13 years of patience it has had time to fully develop and settle down into a big, bold, beautiful work of art. This my friends is a shining example of Shiraz from Barossa Valley. Well done! 😁🍷🍷🍷

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Reserve: 2000 Chateau Prieuré-Lichine Margaux, Bordeaux

Tonight’s occasion: 2000 Chateau Prieuré-Lichine, Margaux, Bordeaux. Relaxed and understated nose that once agitated reveals lots of plum, then intense cherry and leathery terroir and a very faint licorice on the back. Once opened up, subtle notes of tobacco make a pleasing appearance. The body is all business up front showing good structure and composition right out of the bottle. Leathery terroir carries through turning more mineraly. Cherry from the nose makes a brief encore before transitioning to a restrained finish capped by moderate tannic grip and spice. Once opened, the finish turns creamy. I opened a 2012 vintage earlier this year and was absolutely enamored with it. So when the opportunity to try explore an almost 20 year old vintage I couldn’t resist. This wine is perfect right now. This Chateau presents great value among its peers. Looking at my notes it is remarkable how consistent this Chateau is. Have you explored Margaux yet? You absolutely must for a proper introduction to what Bordeaux wines are all about. A votre santé! 😁🍷🍷🍷 Thanks to wine.com and their extensive library, you can now access most of the wines I review on here. You can use the link below to have Chateau Prieuré-Lichine wines delivered to your doorstep. Shop Chateau Prieuré-Lichine wines on Wine.com
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2008 Syrah (Sentinel Oak) by Terre Rouge

Tonight’s occasion: 2008 Syrah (Sentinel Oak Vineyards) by Terre Rouge * Easton Wines, Plymouth, CA. Deep inky color. Rich nose with lots of plum, blackberry and a hint of caramel on the back. Big, beautiful and bold structured body with great balance. That plum and blackberry carries through into the body accompanied by a little acidity. Massive finish dominates the palate as those big tannins roar to life and demand your attention. This is a fantastic wine. A well built wine that punches above it’s weight. The winemakers’s tireless attention to detail, commitment to excellence without compromise and decades of practice in the art and science of wine making really shows here. This wine is just now becoming approachable in my opinion and has easily another decade of expression ahead of it. At 11+ years old, it is nowhere near its peak expression. Well done Terre Rouge * Easton! 😁🍷🍷🍷 Explore more Terre Rouge Easton wines on WineSnob.
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2011 L’Autre (GSM) by Terre Rouge.

Tonight’s occasion: 2011 L’Autre by Terre Rouge * Easton Wines. This is a GSM – Grenache, Syrah, Mauvedre. A red blend from one of our favorite winemakers. Warm rich nose, with lots of cherry and plum wrapped in just the right amount of oak. Earthy mineral terroir is nicely expressed. Body is all business. Very structured, complex and balanced. Just the right amount of acid, tannin, fruit, oak, and terroir. A vibrant finish plays back and forth with tannin and spice, finally relenting to long lasting tannic grip. Once opened up, the tannins begin to spread from the finish to the back of the body, slowly dominating the entire experience reminding you that even though this is the 2011 vintage, it is still young and nowhere near it’s fullest expression. We opened a 1992 GSM by this winemaker earlier this year. It was a true honor to partake in such a well built well preserved wine. So tonight we continue to explore this winemaker’s craft and how it evolves. There are moments where we feel fortunate to indulge in such art in a bottle. This would be one of them. Explore more Terre Rouge Easton wines on WineSnob.
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2018 California Rose by Empathy Wines, California

Tonight’s occasion: 2018 California Rose by Empathy Wines (of the most notable Gary Vaynerchuck), Napa California.

I was fortunate to receive a case of this Rose at launch. Thank you @myteslaadventure @reallifestarman!

In case you aren’t familiar with Empathy Wines, it is one of Gary Vaynerchuk’s (@garyvee) recent ventures. I cannot remember the last time I indulged in a Rose. I have been waiting for the perfect day to review it. With a protracted winter and rainy spring, today seemed better than any other day.

Nose has very crisp, fresh floral notes, rich in watermelon, berry and cucumber. If you dig deeper you can pick out a very faint hint of the terrior. That gets me every time! The nose may be fruit forward but the body less so. The watermelon and cucumber roll over into the body very nicely. A slight oak and diminished acidity allow these subtle characteristics to shine through. The body ends in buttery smooth transition which dominates the experience through the finish. There’s a very very faint spice note which fades away gracefully leaving you wondering what that was all about as you take another sip.

I have never seen a Rose quite like this. It is subtle, complex, and structured. It is very well built. This is a Rose I am perfectly fine with. Great job @empathywines and @garyvee! 🍷🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

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Reserve: 2014 Syrah by Dierberg

Tonight’s occasion is a 2014 Syrah by Dierberg Star Lane Vinyard. I posted a while back about my visit last year here. I wanted to try something special tonight so I reached for the Santa Barbara region in my cellar. Any mildly savvy palate should be able to identify the terrior in the nose alone. Very nice and rich. It prompted visuals of the vigneron (the one who tends to the vines) and contemplated all he/she put into those vines for the terrior to be so pronounced in the nose alone. A great, buttery, well balanced body (especially for a 14.2% ABV wine) a testament to the winemaker’s skill and craft. The finish is not as massive as your average California Syrah, but still has that signature tannic grip albeit restrained for a Syrah. This region is most known for it’s amazing Pinot Noir, so it’s always a treat to see what Syrah – a typically big bold wine – would taste like. I like what they’ve done with this Syrah. Great job! Read more about my first visit to Dierberg * StarLane here. Explore more Dierberg Star Lane on WineSnob.
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Reserve: 2007 Syrah by Rusack

Tonight’s occasion is a 2007 Syrah by Rusack from Santa Barbara County. I posted a while back about my visit here. You know whenever I feel like tasting something truly special, this region never fails and Rusack is a must. This region is most known for its rich exquisite Pinot Noir, which is precisely why I picked up their Syrah. This 12 year old vintage is drinking perfect right now. Full of gentle subtle aromas, a wide body devoid of any overbearing character and a finish that’ll make you do a double-take as it starts fading and then quickly gets overwhelmed with a long gentle, enduring tannic grip. This is my kind of wine! Great work Rusack! This wine is a great candidate for your term reserve. You can pick up their current vintages and lay them down for another 5 years or more. I have some 2014 I picked up on this trip as well and I very much look forward to opening them 7 years from now. The good news is they have an extensive list of well priced library wines you can pick from. These will give you an idea of how they will age. Thanks to wine.com and their extensive library, you can now access most of the wines I review on here. You can use the link below to have Rusack wines delivered to your doorstep. Shop Rusack wines on Wine.com
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Reserve: 2014 Merlot by Kunde

Tonight’s occasion is a 2014 Merlot from Sonoma Valley by Kunde Family Winery. They put out a veritable lineup of quality wines. This one stood out to me in particular for one main reason: it has very big long lasting tannin, good structure and none of the overbearing fruit typical of most California Merlot. It’s overall posture lends itself to a very long and graceful aging perhaps just as much as their Century Vine old vine Zin, my other favorite in their lineup. It is a very understated wine in my opinion. I am building a vertical of this wine. I think it’ll be a real gem in another 5-10 years. If you are in the Sonoma area I highly recommend stopping by. What’s your favorite winery in Sonoma? Thanks to wine.com and their extensive library, you can now access most of the wines I review on here. You can use the link below to have Kunde wines delivered to your doorstep. Shop Kunde wines on Wine.com
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2016 Pinot Noir by Sanford

Tonight’s occasion is a 2016 Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills (Gravity Flow) by Sanford of the legendary Sanford and Sanford and Benedict Vineyard. You know, it wasn’t until I visited this vineyard on my first visit to Santa Barbara wine country that I realized there is more than the popular “Big California Pinot”. If you aren’t familiar with it, this is the vineyard that showed California and the wine world at large that growing and making a delicate and exquisite Burgundian style Pinot in this region is possible. This one is no exception. The notes are so subtle, you probably should taste it before eating or drinking anything as they can easily be overwhelmed by anything else on your palate. I highly recommend their wines. They serve as a great benchmark for this region and California at large. What’s your occasion tonight? Explore more Sanford and Benedict Vinyard on WineSnob.
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2012 Barbaresco by Produttori del Barbaresco

Tonight’s occasion we’re going back to Italy with this 2012 Barbaresco, Produttori del Barbaresco. I have a bit of a bittersweet relationship with Barbaresco. I’m obsessed with Nebbiolo but I find that the way it’s made in this region typically leaves me wanting more. Unlike a Barolo or a Langhe Rosso which pack a big heavy mouthfeel and long finish, the Barbaresco tends to be more delicate. I think it’s fascinating nonetheless. I feel fortunate to be able to contemplate such nuances from around the world. Have you tried any of the Italian wines? What’s your favorite? Thanks to wine.com and their extensive library, you can now access most of the wines I review on here. You can use the link below to have Produttori del Barbaresco wines delivered to your doorstep. Shop Produttori del Barbaresco wines on Wine.com