Month: March 2017

Castelsina Chianti Riserva 2010

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Castelsina Chianti Riserva 2010

Colour: Clear medium ruby

Nose: Dried cherry, plum, sweet herbs, violets, smoke, meaty, touch of green.

Palate: Dry, medium body, high acidity, full tannins. Cherry, plum, sapling, earthy.

Finish: Medium finish, drying cherry note.

Score: 74/100

 

Fairly standard Chiranti, got a good nose, but not too much in terms of complexity on the palate, doesn’t carry much interesting notes either. Need food with this wine due to the high acidity and rough tannins. Drink now!

0-49 = Terrible

50-59 = Bad

60-79 = Ok-Good

80-84 = Good

85-89 = Very Good

90-95 = Excellent

96-99 = Magnificent

100 = Legendary

Gets exponentially harder to score higher, only the exceptional ones deserves 90+. Price does not affect my scores.

Michel Delhommeau Cuvée Harmonie Sur Lie Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine 2013

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Michel Delhommeau Cuvée Harmonie Sur Lie Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine 2013

Colour: Light straw

Nose: Chalk, melon, citrus, herbal, touch of floral, mineral.

Palate: Dry, medium acidity. Lemon, light fruits, stone.

Finish: Medium+ finish, mineral.

Score: 65/100

 

Fairly neutral white wine, pretty sure it’s already on the downhill ride. Nothing outstanding throughout, nothing to write home about. Chalk and citrus on the nose, with a touch of mineral. The citrus note carries onto the palate, along with some crushed stone minerality. With a medium-long mineral finish.

0-49 = Terrible

50-59 = Bad

60-79 = Ok-Good

80-84 = Good

85-89 = Very Good

90-95 = Excellent

96-99 = Magnificent

100 = Legendary

Gets exponentially harder to score higher, only the exceptional ones deserves 90+. Price does not affect my scores.

Waimea Estates Spinyback Sauvignon Blanc 2015

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Waimea Estates Spinyback Sauvignon Blanc 2015

Colour: Pale straw

Nose: Lemon, grapefruit, passion fruit, green mango, guava, citrus peel.

Palate: Dry, medium+ acidity, mango, mineral, citrus, pineapple, stone.

Finish: Long finish, pineapple, mineral, touch of green.

Score: 80/100

 

Served at 7-9°C(44-48°F), a very refreshing and fresh Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. The nose is full of lovely citrus and tropical notes, which copies onto the palate nicely, with a touch of crushed stone minerality to add to the complexity. Surprisingly long finish, great acidity. Perfect on its own, or pair with seafood dishes.

Chateau Bel-Air Lussac-St-Emilion 1999

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Chateau Bel-Air Lussac-St-Emilion 1999

Colour: Dark ruby core, light ruby-brown rim.

Nose: Concentrated red and dark fruits, notes of plum, blackcurrant, raspberry, leather, dust, oak, and a hint of violet.

Palate: Dry, full-bodied, medium+ acidity, medium soft and smooth tannins. Plum, cedar, raspberry, leather, light tobacco note.

Finish: Medium finish+ finish, mocha, herbal, wood smoke.

Score:84/100

 

What a pleasant surprise! I believe this is a cheap bottle of wine originally, but look what it turned out to be after 18 years! Decanted for 2 hours, but closely monitored how it’s opening up.

Nice complexity on the nose and palate, still holding onto a lot of fruit, nice leather and floral on the nose. Great balance between fruit and wood influence, the tannins are resolved and I believe which contributed to the leather on the nose. Interesting note suggesting mocha and herbal on the finish. Drink now!!

Tenuta Poggio Verrano Dromos Maremma Toscana 2007, Chateau d’Armailhac Pauillac 2013, Château Rauzan-Segla Margaux 2013, Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2013

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Tenuta Poggio Verrano Dròmos Maremma Toscana 2007

Colour: Clear medium ruby core

Nose: Smoked meat, roasted red and green pepper, cedar, savoury, black cherry, blackberry, oak.

Palate: Dry, full-bodied, medium+ acidity, medium+ tannins. Juicy cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant, cedar.

Finish: Medium+ finish, plums, mineral, oak.

Score: 83+/100

Exceptional nose, smoky and savoury, with a touch of green for extra depth. Concentrated dark fruit and integrated oak influence on the palate, with nice and soften tannins. This wine is exceptional value for $40CAD(Price does not affect score). Ready to be consumed now!

Château d’Armailhac Pauillac 2013

Colour: Medium+ purple core

Nose: Fresh rose which faded away, plum, sweat, oak.

Palate: Dry, Medium+ bodied, medium+ acidity, medium+ tannins. Plum, blackcurrant, oak.

Finish: Medium- finish, dark fruits and touch of spice.

Score:76+/100

I suppose this wine is in its “dumb phase” at the moment, the nose fades away rather quickly, and the tannins still a bit tight. Not much to say about it. Would hold off for 2-3 more years.

Château Rauzan-Ségla Margaux 2013

Colour: Medium ruby core

Nose: Blackberry, violet, white flower, black cherry, smoke.

Palate: Dry, medium+ bodied, medium+ acidity, medium+ tannins. Plum, light cherry candy, tobacco, oak.

Finish: Medium+ finish, oak, mineral, and a touch of savoury note.

Score:81+/100

Rather elegant wine, great balance of fruit and floral notes on the nose, with a touch of smoke. The palate carries a nice array of dark fruits, integrated oak, and tobacco note. The finish is decent length with a kick of savouriness on the back end. Very approachable now, but could also be cellared for few more years.

Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2013

Colour: Clear dark purple core

Nose: Dentist office, blackberry jam, vanilla, mint, green note.

Palate: Dry, full-bodied, medium acidity, full tannins. Blackcurrants, vegetal, earthy, dark fruit jam.

Finish: Long finish, oak, plum.

Score: 79+/100

Not sure if it’s just this bottle, but the nose has a weird dentist office note. The rest are rather standard for higher priced Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, a big and powerful fruit, but a bit one-dimensional. Would be 80+ if it didn’t have that weird note on the nose. Drink now or cellar for 3 more years to soften the tannins. Would go wonder with a nice slab of steak!

Kistler McCrea Vineyard Chardonnay 2014, Domaine Charles Audoin Les Favières Marsannay 2013, Louis Jadot Pommard Rugiens 1er Cru 2010, Rocche Costamagna Rocche dell’Annunziata Barolo 2012

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Kistler McCrea Vineyard Chardonnay 2014

Colour: Pale straw

Nose: Big whiff of lemon, peach, butter, floral, honey, stone, ginger.

Palate: Dry, medium+ bodied, medium+ acidity. Copper, oak, peach, crushed stone, pineapple.

Finish: Medium finish, metallic.

Score: 77+/100

Very Californian in style, did not cheap out on oak, and at the same time too typical. Loads of oak influence, the flavour doesn’t cope well together on the palate, very average. Would cellar for perhaps 1-2 more years to see if the flavour would integrate together in the future.

Domaine Charles Audoin Les Favières Marsannay 2013

Colour: Clear medium- ruby core

Nose: Ripe cherry, cedar, green saplings, meaty, spice.

Palate: Dry, medium-bodied, high acidity, medium grippy tannins. Dominant cherry, plum, crushed stone, spice.

Finish: Medium-long finish, cherry, mineral.

Score: 80+/100

Haven’t had Marsannay wine before, loads of cherries on the nose and palate, got nice minerality and spice to give it more complexity. Great structure for evolution. Would hold off for another 5 years or so.

Louis Jadot Pommard Rugiens 1er Cru 2010

Colour: Light ruby

Nose: Fresh meat/blood(iron), cherry, touch of oak, undertones of cherry and berries.

Palate: Dry, medium body, high acidity, medium tannins. Cherry, crushed stones, plum, integrated oak, raspberry, liquorice.

Finish: Long finish, mineral, oak, white flower.

Score:83+/100

What a nose! Didn’t expect that fresh meat, bloody nose, exceptionally elegant nose. Hard to explain to people how fresh meat and blood leads to elegance, but that irony metallic tone adds extra depth. Decent complexity with a great structure on this still-young Pommard, definitely a lot of room to evolve. Would hold off for at least 5-10 more years!

Rocche Costamagna Rocche dell’Annunziata Barolo 2012

Colour: Clear medium tawny

Nose: Rose pedal, black tea, dried Chinese herbs, aroma of a Chinese dried seafood store, dried cherry.

Palate: Dry, medium bodied, medium acidity, high tannins. Dark chocolate dusted cherry, plum, black raspberry, dried flower.

Finish: Medium+ finish, cherry.

Score: 83+/100

A Barolo with a rather interesting costal and herbal nose. Really reminds me of the smell of a Chinese dried seafood store! Still need a few more years for the tannins to soften on the palate, and the palate is more standard Barolo, would love to see this develop. Approachable now, but would hold for 3-5 more years.

Diemersfontein Pinotage 2015

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Diemersfontein Pinotage 2015

Colour: Clear dark purple core

Nose: Strong whiff of cured game meat, espresso, with undertone of blackcurrants, and green peppercorn.

Palate: Dry, medium acidity, medium+, cured meat, coffee powder, juicy blackberry, touch of mineral and oak.

Finish: Long finish, blackberry and smoke.

Score:79/100

Rather unusual for a Pinotage, very dominant smoky, meaty nose, which follows through onto the palate. This wine is very rustic, would need some rustic food such as curry to go with it! Drinking well now!

The Lane Vineyard Block 5 Shiraz 2014

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The Lane Vineyard Block 5 Shiraz 2014

 

Colour: Clear dark purple core

Nose: Mint chocolate(After 8), vanilla custard, blueberry, liquorice, faint plum puree, baking spice.

Palate: Dry, medium-full bodied, medium acidity, medium fine tannins. Ripe cherry, spice box, faint mint, vanilla.

Finish: Long finish, plums, pepper, and baking spice.

Score: 79/100

 

Overall pretty well-made Shiraz from The Lane Vineyard. Very inviting dessert-like nose. On the palate it shows fine grainy tannins, red fruits, touch of mint, and spices. The finish is long and well rounded. Easy drinking but not too complex. Drinking well now, and would do so for at least 5 more years.

Chateau Tour Baladoz Saint Emilion Grand Cru 1998

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Chateau Tour Baladoz Saint Emilion Grand Cru 1998

Colour: Dark ruby core, clear ruby rim.

Nose: Old leather, red cherry, blackberry, liquorice, rice candy undertone, touch of floral note.

Palate: Dry, medium bodied, medium acidity, medium silky tannins. Red cherry, red currants, cocoa powder, liquorice, earthy.

Finish: Medium+ finish, liquorice, touch of menthol, and a touch of oak.

Score: 78/100

The wine is still alive, shown from its acidity. The nose is very typical of ordinary old Bordeaux, showing leather, liquorice, and some fruits. The palate is quite juicy, but rather single dimensional, still alive but not for much longer. Drink now.

Teeling Single Malt

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Teeling Single Malt

 

Region: Ireland
ABV: 46%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No

 

Colour: Light gold

Nose: Icing sugar, green apple, honey, vanilla, light citrus, floral, yeast.

Palate: Honey, ethanol, vanilla, ripe banana, apple skin, malt, white pepper.

Finish:Long finish, malt, oak, white pepper, mineral water.

Score: 79/100

I bought this bottle after reading it contains some 23 year old malt, and they finish the whiskies in 5 different casks (Sherry, Port, Maderia, White Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon). Was disappointed on how little wine influence is present, since this isn’t very complex. Rather simple dram, light fruits and sweet vanilla malt. The finish kinda killed it with the mineral note, WHERE DID THE FRUIT GO?