The Wines of April 2023

It almost seems like spring, except for a few days that turned cold and included a freeze. That shold be over in my area. Been a rough week, so I'll just go to the wines

2019 Chateau Recougne Bordeaux Supérieur , Fronsac, France

Château and the winemaking facilities, which were classified under the Fronsac Appellation many years ago. Merlot is best suited to the terroir and is the majority planting, complemented by both Cabernets. Grapes are 100% destemmed and crushed before being placed in temperature controlled vats. Prior to fermentation, approximately 20% of the juice in each vat is siphoned off in order to increase the skin to juice ratio (this juice is then used to make Rosé wine). Natural yeasts trigger fermentation and a twice daily regimen of pumping the juice over the skins begins remontage and an oxygen pump. The wine is racked every 3 months and therefore only needs a light filtration. Final blending and bottling takes place 18 months after the harvest. A nose of red fruits, a deep and powerful structure, round and silky tannins, make it a bottle with elegant, complex and rich content.

A tasty red from Bordeaux – not something with a long cellar life, but a few years wouldn’t hurt it. Nice red fruits withonly small amount of tannins and a touch of herbs.  Under $20, real nice for a week day type bottle.

2020 San Polo Rubio Toscano, Montalcino, Italy

James Suckling Review   Rated 90

Vibrant cherries, thyme and roasted herbs on the nose are followed by a medium-bodied palate full of juicy red cherries. Firm and fine-grained on the palate with lots of plums and berries. Pure and fruit-expressive. Drink now.

Wine Tasting Notes

Brilliant ruby red in color, with purplish glints. The bouquet is intense and persistent with fresh aromas of red cherries, violets and blackcurrants, followed by subtle spicy notes. Well-structured and balanced with satisfying tannins and aromatic persistence. The nuances of forest fruits and cherries which are typical of the grape variety make it easy to drink, yet still intense and elegant.

Rubio expresses the vitality and immediacy of crisply fresh Sangiovese grapes from Montalcino. Due to its versatility, it is excellent by the glass and ideal for open-air barbecues. It is delicious when paired with various cold cuts, salami, pasta dishes, sausages, grilled meats and medium matured cheeses such as the renowned Tuscan pecorino. 100% Sangiovese

This is a very nice drinking Italian wine – red fruits with hints of floral and herbs.  Good acidity makes it a great match for different foods. Another good, inexpensive drinker – priced under $20. Recommend

2016 Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva, Rioja, Spain

Winemaker Notes

Fruit (cherries, black plums, ripe blackberries) and oak (clove, pepper, vanilla, and coconut), enriched by the complex aromas developed during bottle ageing. Very attractive on the palate, with ripe fruit and spices, tobacco, and toasted oak. Elegant and soft tannins, middle weight, long, and complex finish. Delicious with red meat, grill, and roasts, game, mature, and blue cheeses.

Dry, spicy plum and cherry aromas are typical of good basic Rioja. This is medium in body, with somewhat rough tannins and spanking acidity. Plum and berry flavors are common, and it's racy on the finish.  RATING86

I’m afraid I found this wine rather lackluster. Usually the Reserva wines from Rioja have more body and a texture to them. This seemed like a recently bottled Tempranillo. I mean, yeah, it’s only $13, but with that extra time, you should get something. Skip this producer…

2019 Tascante Ghaiaia nera, Etna rosso, Italy

Subtle aromas of orange peel, cherries, and dried flowers follow through to a medium body, fine tannins, and a refined, subtle finish. Such beauty. So drinkable and fine. Drink now. ~95 James Suckling.

Lithe and savory, this lovely red has enticing scents of Mediterranean scrub, wild berries, crushed stone, and eucalyptus. The polished, savory palate offers wonderful finesse, featuring wild strawberry, pomegranate and star anise alongside flinty mineral notes. Glossy tannins provide elegant support. Drink through 2027. ~92 Wine Enthusiast. 

Pouring from the bottle with a thin, light ruby color, the 2019 Etna Rosso Nerello Mascalese Ghiaia Nera is a finely textured wine. This delicate approach and those soft footprints make this bottle quite exciting to pour, especially as an easy companion to a homemade pasta dish. It offers wild cherry, tart berry, cassis, crushed stone, smoke and lavender essence. With 50,000 bottles produced, you get great value here. ~92 Robert Parker.

This wine really surprised me. Offered in an e-mailer from Auburn Spirits, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The wine is a lighter color than you expect.  The flavor is more than you expect – red fruits and a floral essence. No tannins, but good acidity to go with a meal.  I got it for $20 – it is an absolute steal. Recommend.

2020 Caligiore Reserve Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

A punchy Malbec from Mendoza – one of our favourites. Characterful, deep, purply red with a dark fruited nose. To taste, it’s rich and fruity with gentle tannins and a hint of sweetness on the finish.

Caligiore’s Malbec is made from certified organically-grown grapes from the winery’s estate Finca

Cayanta vineyard. With well-drained alluvial, deep loam soils that are perfected suited to Malbec

and winemaker Gustavo Caligiore’s minimalist, naturally-focused winemaking style, the resulting

wine is a classic, top-tier Mendoza Malbec. It offers an intense violet color with black notes and

notable structure but with dark fruit leading the way. The nose has an array of dark berry and violet

fruits and a weighty, unctuous mouthfeel that balances suppleness and light oak notes. The wine

has a long finish with lively acidity and finely grained, integrated tannins.

The Argentina Malbec craze has slowed down. Doesn’t mean that there aren’t some good bottles that are affordable. This is a perfect example – fruit forward with red and black fruit, moderate acid for balance and a moderate aftertaste. Good on its own, but a match for a variety of meals. It’s on the shelf for about $18 – it is a nice South American wine with distinction and fair price. Recommended

2020 Luke Companion Red Blend, Wahluke slope, WA

LUKE Red Blend showcases the opulence and synergy that a Bordeaux red blend can be when a thread of Syrah is layered in. Dark fruits flavors of blackberry and plum integrate with hints of Asian spices, coffee, chocolate, and vanilla. Tannins are silky smooth woven with good acidity and a long lingering finish.

Luke – I am your Father…Sorry, Star Wars always comes to my mind with this producer. Despite that, this is an excellent producer. All their wines are good – this red blend is a great wine. Added to the typical Bordeaux blend, 14% of shiraz is added.  That really tales this up a notch – dark fruits with essence of spices with a good finish. Light tannins but good acidity for structure.  Another good bottle from Washington state. Priced around $25, recommended

2020 John Duval ‘Entity’ Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia

93 points “A deeply resonant shiraz from ex-Grange winemaker John Duval from old-vine vineyards in the Barossa Valley subregions of Krondorf, Tanunda, Ebenezer and Moppa, and the Eden Barossa Valley. Deep-set blackberry, satsuma plum and black cherry with hints of licorice, dark chocolate and earth. Powdery gypsum-like tannins, a bright line and a simmering sense of latent power on the concentrated, black-fruit-rich finish.” Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion,

This is a big boy Shiraz from the former Penfolds winemaker. I found it not too fruit forward, like Aussie shiraz can be, but more layered with dark fruits, some herbs and integrated tannins. Balanced wine, although it might be better with a couple years in the cellar. Priced retail at $47, was available at $30 – really nice bottle for that price. Recommended

I hope all is well - remember to keep popping those corks and I'll meet you out behind the grapevines.