Tag Wine Advocate

Vina Equia Rioja 2008

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Vina Equia Rioja 2008

Vina Equia Rioja 2008

     The beat goes on from Bodegas Equía, in the village of Elcigo in the heart of Rioja Alavesa.  Their Viña Equía Rioja 2008 is a good example of a well made Tempranillo at great sale price of $8.99 at P.L.C.B. stores.  This Rioja has flavors of lush ripe red fruit and lightly toasted oak all contained in a rich medium-bodied wine that displays its’ silky tannins throughout the finish.  Bodegas Equía produces this ruby-red colored Rioja by fermenting the Tempranillo grapes for 15 days in stainless steel vats while doing daily pumpovers to extract the greatest amount of color and  flavor from the grapes.  The wine then goes into stainless steel tanks for malolactic fermentation and then is  racked twice before being aged 12 months in American oak.  Wine Advocate rated this vintage at 91 points and Wine Spectator gave it an 87 rating, while not as highly rated as the 2007 vintage that I reviewed last April, this is an exceptional wine at a bargain price.

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California Dreaming!!!! Chalk Hill Estate Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 2010

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     While we were in California I tasted plenty of good Sauvignon Blanc and it reminded me that this wine was a favorite of mine for years but had been forgotten recently. I decided to remedy this oversight by doing some research to find not just a good

Chalk Hill Estate Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 2010

Chalk Hill Estate Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 2010

Sauvignon Blanc but a very good one.  The search led me back to Healdsburg, California with the discovery of Chalk Hill Estate 2010 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc.  This offering was bestowed a 90 point rating by both Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate.  My impressions of this wine were spicy, floral, lemons, herbaceous, bright, energetic, crisp with an interesting balance.  It can be found in P.L.C.B. stores or online at their website with the product code 46248 for $29.99.  

Bodegas Arrayan Premium Red Blend 2005

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16052010      This proprietary red blend provides a complexity that can’t be matched by comparable mono-varietals because it has a powerful blend of 55% Syrah, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot coupled with 14 months of aging in new French oak behind it.  After starting with an aroma of sweet fruit, it is no surprise that the palate is one of lush black fruit which remains very persistent on your tongue and is then matched by the even longer finish.  This cuvee would be an excellent addition to a steak dinner or a nice complement to an evening spent entertaining around your homes outdoor space while you maximize the culinary potential of your grill.  Wine Advocate gave this wine a 93 point rating and it can be found in select P.L.C.B. stores at a discounted price of $24.99 with the product code 032370.  P.L.C.B. lists the quoted price at $45.00 but I managed to find it listed on Amazon wine for $39.99 making the $24.99 price a very good deal for a wine of this caliper.  The Arrayán family of wines are produced by La Casa de Las Cuatro Rayas in the Méntrida region of Spain.

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Bidding is Now Open!

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All Materials Courtesy of Morrell & Company Fine Wine Auction

All Materials Courtesy of Morrell & Company Fine Wine Auction

    Have you ever wanted to bid on a great bottle of wine offered at a wine auction but could not stand the thought of sitting in a room filled with wine snobs while holding a little paddle with a number on it.  If your answer is yes then you are in luck because Morrell & Company Fine Wine Auction is conducting an internet only auction on Wednesday February 27th at 10:30 a.m.(EST) on their website www.morrellwineauctions.com.   Bids may only be placed by absentee bid and live bid.  Absentee bids may be placed now and the live bidding will be available online at the commencement of the auction.  To participate go to the website and register, peruse the catalog of offerings then place a bid if you find something you like.  If you intend to bid live, Morrell recommends using their Live Bidding Simulator to check your computers compatibility to prevent any issues when live bidding starts.  Need more information? Call 212-307-4200 

Alta Vista Malbec Mendoza Serenade Vineyard 2009

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Vineyard in Mendoza Province, Argentina.

Vineyard in Mendoza Province, Argentina. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

     I received a comment recently on my post “Bodega Goulart The Marshall Malbec 2009” from Erika Goulart the owner of the Bodega Goulart Winery in the Mendoza region of Argentina.  She thanked me for commenting about her wine and wished me well.  This particular post is the most viewed of all my posts and receives views nearly everyday, so with this in mind I will be modifying my subjects to better match the interests of my readers.

Alta Vista Malbec Mendoza Serenade Vineyard 2009 continues the long tradition of Mendoza Malbec but is a little stronger in structure and has more than ample alcohol content at 15.5%.  This wine can be best described as rich and dense with aromas of vanilla mixed with wild berries.  The flavors are as deep as one would expect with chocolate and blackberry giving way to oaked cedar then finishing with a spicy bite.  Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate gave this vintage a 94 point rating which makes the P.L.C.B. price of $39.99 reasonable.  The P.L.C.B. website www.finewineandgoodspirits.com can be used to locate this wine by using the product code 39823. 

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Vina Cobos Bramare Malbec La Consulta Rebon 2009

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Vina Cobos Bramare Malbec La Consulta Rebon 2009

Vina Cobos Bramare Malbec La Consulta Rebon 2009

     I usually do not buy a wine with this many words in its name especially when I can not pronounce most of them but I was intrigued by the back story and origins of this Malbec.  The Malbec grape is not native to Argentina but was introduced into the region from its homeland of France about 150 years ago, the vines quickly found their new home a perfect match and the rest is history that is still being made today.  This Malbec is more complex than the Appellation Malbec with its aroma of exotic spices and floral notes.  Dark violet tones treat the eye as the muscular palate of plum, raspberry and black licorice fill your mouth letting you know that this is a seriously complex wine.  The finish can only be described as complex and long with rich pliant tannins.  The grapes are the key here and are sourced from the Marchiori Vineyard and other properties within Mendoza.  The word complex comes up often when describing this Malbec because so many factors come into play during its production not the least being that it is aged 18 months in 100% new Taransaud French oak and then bottled unfined and unfiltered.  Wine Advocate gave this 2009 vintage a 94 point rating and commented that it needed to unwind 2-3 years making its cellar life 2014-2024.  I am sure it will age wonderfully but I don’t like to wait so I aerated it and it opened up nicely with plenty of aroma.  The P.L.C.B. has this wine in limited availability and is most easily purchased through their website www.finewineandgoodspirits.com.  The product code is 39329 and the price is more than the normal price of the wines I review at $54.99.

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Fogged In

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Goat's milk cheese

Goat’s milk cheese (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wine and cheese go together like no other food combination on Earth.  My absolute favorite wine and artisan cheese pairing is Cypress Grove Chevre Humboldt Fog and Sauvignon Blanc.  Cypress Grove Chevre makes Humboldt Fog from premium pasteurized goats milk in Humboldt County, California.  This goat cheese can be enjoyed even by people who do not like goat cheese because it doesn’t have a strong goat milk flavor due to the quality of the milk used.  I like to pair it with a Sauvignon Blanc.  An interesting choice would be Dourthe La Grande Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc 2010 with its 88 point rating from The Wine Advocate.  It can be found at the Pa. L.C.B. store for $12.99 with the product code 29706.

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