Posts Tagged red wine

This McLaren-Vale winery makes a number of mid-priced wines, relatively cost-friendly in relation to the quality from these wines. The winemakers seem to come from the position of creating more accessible wines that don’t require a lot of cellar time, but still have something interesting to say. Always nice when you don’t have to wait around to drink a decent wine.

Off the top, this wine is very austere. It has a little nose, not much, with raspberry and clove mixed in with some oak. I have to say that the flavor palate changes very little from start to finish with a woodsy, earthy quality. I get a little bit of bell pepper on nose as well. The tannins are integrated nicely with a medium-length finish. There’s also a bit of jamminess at some level but it can’t be said that it’s overly fruity. This wine has a smooth finish and nice structure. Initally, on opening it I couldn’t tell if I liked it or not. However, the wine really grows on you and I grew to definitely like!

With a floral finish mixed with Lavender and honey, I also pick up more tobacco, mushroom, and bell pepper. All in all, the fruit is nicely integrated without compromising the wine structure and quality. With the price around $15, the wine delivers exactly as its makers hoped. You have here a wine that is structured, not overly jammy or fruity, easy drinking with just that hint of something a little more complex. I’ve got to rate this wine borderline outstanding.

Bleasdale produces a number of Cabernet and Shiraz bottles. I’ve had a few of their wines prior and they are usually a good value both on their lower end and top tier wines. The Mulberry Tree Cabernet is one of their entry level releases. The wine from Langhorne Creek region sells for around $13.

So how did it taste? Upfront this wine has a very nice nose, full of blueberries and blackberry fruit. There’s some oak and spice, but mostly you just get the jammy fruit on the nose. The flavor is also very jammy, and somewhat Shiraz-like. There’s a decent amount of structure, and some cassis flavoring to give it that Napa cab feel.

Overall, its a pretty smooth wine, with a little bit of tannins there to give it mouth-feel and body on the finish. Maybe a hint of bell pepper mixed in as well. I’m going to rate this wine a Brick Solid just based on the fact that I could get the initial flavors I’d find in a Napa cab for half the price I’d normally see for something out of California. Its an easy-drinking wine that could be a great addition at the next barbecue.

Aldo e Riccardo Seghesio, not to be confused with the Sonoma winery of a similar name, produces a number of different Piedmont varietals including Barolo, Barbera, and this Dolcetto. Most of their wines are fairly easy to find in most better wine stores. I picked this wine up from the Wine Library for around $13. I’d only had their Barbera and enjoyed it, so I figured “why not”. Plus Wine Spectator liked it well enough with an 89pt score.

Overall, the wine is still pretty young and acidic. I know that Dolcettos tend to be drunk at a younger stage and the draw is their bright fruit and acidity, however this was just tight on the get-go. Cherry and sandalwood flavors upfront, with a little plum action. The nose wasn’t anything too exciting, and was tough to get a read on anything specific. Maybe a little cinnamon and clove, and some damp forest floor. There were some grip-y tannins throughout the tasting, and maybe if there had been a longer decant, we would have convinced those to settle down. Nonetheless, it has a big, strong finish with cherry cola core, and a little tobacco and cocoa on the end. Still, it seemed the wine was a little uneven overall. Not a bad wine, but there are definitely better ones out there.

On the score I’d rate this a Drinkable – just a hair under the 89 score that WS gave them. Maybe revisited in a year, it might all come together but right now its just missing something.

I was introduced to this wine a few years ago as a true value wine. Borsao, a Spanish producer, makes a couple of different wines that are mostly grenache-based. Of these, all of them tend to be well-made, drinkable wines that go well with foods but can also be enjoyed as well on their own. I’ve had their lower-end Borsao red, which is a light, easy drinking wine retailing for 7-8 bucks. Their Tres Picos bottling usually retails for a little more, around $12-14 and also has a little more structure and richness to go with some good fruit. This vintage is no exception. This wine also seemed to be a favorite of many of the wine critics where it scored well, including a 91pt review from Josh Raynolds of the International Wine Cellar.

I’ve had two bottles of this Spanish red in recent weeks with very similar tasting notes. The one thing I noticed both times is the wine comes off a little young and grape-y initially. I’d suggest it would be a good idea to let it breath for 30 minutes or so, before diving in. Let some of that youth burn off and the structure that is there will come up to the top a little more. Overall, good body and mouth-feel. This wine has a very soft and approachable taste that makes it rather food friendly.

There are some decent tannins in the wine, along with fruit to hold things together nicely. The nose is nice, cherry and anise, with some oak. Overall, the flavors are predominately cherry and plum, with some cinnamon and tobacco mixed in. There are some other spices as well that pepper it a little. Maybe a little bit of bitter chocolate as well. The finish is strong yet pleasant and it finished clean with maybe just a little bit of extra sugar, probably due to the youth of the fruit.

Overall, I’ve got to say that Borsao continues to make solid, easy to enjoy wines, and at a very reasonable price. Its easy to see why this is definitely a wine I come back to again and again. I’m going to agree with Mr. Raynolds and rating this a slightly outstanding.

Cliff Lede is a relative new comer to Napa Valley. He bought the S. Anderson Vineyards and transformed it into a wine oasis outside of Yountville. Complete with a large tasting room and inn, he’s working towards crafting high-end Bordeaux-style wines with “depth and concentration” as the label would suggest. He’s hired esteemed winemaker Michelle Edwards from Colgin Estates, a Napa cult-level winery, as well as the respected David Abreu to oversee the vineyards. He’s also brought in consultant Michel Rolland, who has his hands in nearly every big wine around the world. In case you were wondering if he was serious, he definitely is, and his wines are already becoming a hot commodity.

I decided to open up one of his Stag’s Leap Cabs over the weekend and here were my notes:

This is a big, rich cab for starters. Priced around $50, its already worth the price. The nose is full of mushroom, cassis and raspberries. There’s already a nice aged smell with some earth and tobacco. The initial decant for this wine was around 1 1/2 hrs. The flavor is smooth and rich, with blueberries and raspberries, along with a nice smattering of tobacco and leather mixed with burnt sugar.

Even after 3 hrs open, there are still some pretty solid grip from the tannins, which would suggest this wine has a number of years left before it hits its peak. The finish is strong, yet smooth, with a great deal of length. Probably a good 30-40 second finish to the wine. Very meaty and manly wine, with lots of earthy and hearty elements. Paired up with a thick steak, you can’t go wrong. Overall, this is a solid, well-made wine with some years yet to go. Lede obviously has assembled a solid team that will look to continue to make very high-quality wines, and score well with the critics. I’ve been won over as well, giving this wine an outstanding mark.