The Wines of December 2023

Another year has passed, the Holidays are past. Hope Santa was good to you...

Lets talk about some wines.

2020 Uggiano Chianti Colli Fiorentini, Firenze, Italy

Very pleasant and persistent, with hints of violets and cherries, complemented by clear vanilla hints

Harmonious, dry, with a pleasant tannicity. Very clean finish with a persistent aftertaste.

It pairs well with typical Tuscan pasta dishes, such as pappardelle with wild boar sauce, pici with meat sauce. It also pairs well with Tuscan liver pâté, grilled meat, stewed meat, and medium-aged cheeses.

This is one of thiose tasty Chiantis, with good fruit and nice acidity. Red fruits dominate with some hints of vanilla – very good for a $12 bottle of Italian Chianti.

2016 Estampa Reserva Carmenere Malbec, Colchagua, Chile

Color: Intense purplish-red.

Aromas: Spicy and fruity. Sweet red fruits and spices.

Flavors: Smooth and round at the start. Soft tannins and a sweet finish.

94 pts  Decanter World Wine Awards

(Silver Medal Winner) Opulent and inviting on the nose with pristine, pure fruit, then the lush palate has heat, spice and a delicious pepper edge.

Still holding up well, the Malbec cuts some of the tartness of the Carmenere. Tannins are mostly gone, but a nice mouthfeel of red fruits and hints of baking spices. Moderate finish, enough acidity to go with meat and umami items. I think it was around $20, well worth that price.

2019 Chateau Bellevue Bordeaux Superieur, France

With its deep red color and nose of red fruits including blackberry and blackcurrant, this wine is round in the mouth and full and fleshy. Château Bellevue is slightly spicy with nice length and pleasant tannins. Pairs nicely with grilled meats such as duck, roasted beef, and leg of lamb. The slight spice to wine makes it a great accompaniment for pastas with red sauce and barbeque foods such as chicken, sliders, and ribs. The velvety finish to the wine complements a variety of cheeses.

A youthful Bordeuax with mostly red fruits and a touch of spices. Lightly tannic, with a modest finish, not a wine expected to age years, but a tasty little wine. Priced around $18 – 20, worth getting.

2010 Chateau Duplessis Moulis en Medoc, France

Marie-Laure Lurton’s carefully tended vineyard – a shining example of sustainable viticulture – produces a generously flavoured, balanced and fresh tasting claret which is both excellent value and a delight to drink, especially in this magnificent Bordeaux vintage.

A gift from my brother – a forgotten bottle from the excellent 2010 vintage. Mostly red fruit with a bit of herbs, the flavor was still alive and kicking. Considering this was about $17 at purchase, the wine (and this vintage) has shown resilience and is drinking well. In a great vintage, winemakers can make great long lasting wines. In a bad vintage, the best winemakers still make good wines – others not so much.

2018 Provenance Deadeye Red blend, Napa Valley, CA

Expressive aromas of ripe black cherry, blackberry and dark chocolate invite the senses, complemented by subtle notes of clove and spice. The palate showcases structured tannins rounded out by exuberant red berry fruits and vanilla bean flavors. The wine is deliciously chewy, round and plush.

92  James Suckling

Ripe-blackcurrant, stewed-blackberry, mint-chocolate, charred-bark and mocha aromas. It’s full-bodied with round, sleek tannins. Intense bitter-chocolate and dark-berry notes on the finish.

This was a jammy wine with a serious nose and flavors of black fruit with some integrated tannins. Nuances of baking spices and a moderate finish that was an echo of the flavors. Enough backbone for a heavy meal, yet not overpowering on its own.  I got it for about $30, on close out – good price for a great bottle.

2019 Domaine Galevan Chateauneuf-Du-Pape, South Rhone, France

(CASKS) Matt-Hued Dark Red Colour; the bouquet is broad, leads on oak and varnish, pine, the cellar. There is a sweet bundle of cooked plums, red stone fruits within. The oaking dominates the attack, is central to the wine, so it's true ID is masked by that. The result is a tight, dry close, the spiced content suppressed by the non-vineyard element of the equation. The oak stands out on its own on the aftertaste, which is cool, not overdone. From 2024-25, and hope the oak backs off. 14.5°. 90% Gren, 10% Mourv. 100% oak raised, used to be part vat, part oak.

The nose is red fruits and hints of floral and oak. Mostly red fruits with a hint of some stewed fruits, with a hint of spices and oakiness. The tannins are noticeable, but not overpowering – held up to a heavy meal. Nice bottle, better in 3 – 5 years to tame the oak. Priced around $40, a nice example of CdP.

2021 Vina Robles Creston Valley  Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles, California

This is a rich and thoroughly satisfying Cab, starting with aromas of roasted boysenberry, cocoa, violet and toasty oak on the nose. The palate is cohesive and neatly woven, with rich black fruit, mocha and espresso flavors that are wrapped in firm but balanced tannins. — Matt Kettmann WE

The nose is a little closed, but hinted at red fruits, chocolate and oak.  Palate was darker – black fruit, cocoa, and fine grained tannins, yet it had some brightness to it. Feels young at this point – tannins and oak on the finish. Needs about 3 -5 years in the bottle to loosen the tannins and meld the flavors. Priced around $50, this was a store pick at Auburn Spirits.

2016 Skyharp ‘Pettirosso’, Napa Valley, California

Pettirosso (French for the bird Robin) is a wine inspired by proprietor Robin Smith. The goal was to utilize fruit that was typically made for blending and examine the world of natural fermentation. The natural process allows for a slower fermentation which in turn brings out stronger varietal notes.

The dark color characteristics of the Petit Verdot extract out plum and floral notes. Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc are the focus grapes, the Malbec is blended to enhance the wine with sweet tobacco and leather notes.

Petite Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec   ABV % 14.40              AVA Napa    DISTINCTIONS Sustainable

One of those wines that showed up out of the blue – this Pettirosso is a tasty, ready to drink blend of grapes from Napa that would not be featured, just blending items. That said, this was a good bottle where the red fruits stand out on the nose and on the palate. Nice body structure and a moderate finish. Of course, with its heritage (Napa Valley) it ain’t cheap – around $40. A fun bottle.

Another year, times fun while you’re having flies. Stay warm and keep popping those corks and I’ll meet you out behind the grapevines.