The wines of February 2024

    Leap day is always kinda weird. That extra day in February...More news - I've retired from my full-time job and now I am working part-time at Auburn Spirits. Now I can get a discount on things I would have bought anyway! So, I am semi-attached to the "Business", but only as someone that helps people select wines and spirits and occasionally drops things - making a mess...

    So, Short month but some decent wines - here they are

2017 Villa Antinori Toscano IGT Tuscany, Italy

An intense ruby red in color, this red wine shows a complex nose of ripe berry fruit along with cherries and plums, with the spicy sensation of vanilla and pepper. The 2017 Villa Antinori Rosso, supple on the palate with soft and velvety tannins, is firm bodied and endowed with a long and tasty finish and aftertaste.

93           James Suckling

Aromas of currants, black cherries and bark. Chocolate, too. Full-bodied with fine, creamy tannins. Really polished texture. Walnut and light hazelnut undertones. Well done for the vintage. Drink or hold.

90           Wine Spectator

A beam of black currant suggests Cabernet is part of the makeup here, while black cherry, iron, tobacco and oak spice complete the flavor spectrum. This is rich and succulent, with well-integrated acidity and tannins, and an extended finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Drink now through 2032.

Nice wine meant to go with a variety of foods. Nice acidity and body,witht pleasant dark fruits and hints of spices.  Recommend it at a price of around $16.

2019 Priest Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA

 

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a beautiful, full-bodied Napa Valley wine. On the nose, this wine has hints of cherry cola, vanilla, and dark fruit. The finish is a rounded mouthfeel that is persistent in the long and lingering opulent finish.

Priest Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon was aged in 40% new French oak and 60% once-used French oak barrels. The lees were stirred for the first year, followed by three racking in the second year of aging. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

This is a ”big boy” wine, with a lot of body and red/black fruits in the mouth. Good with food, having body and moderate tannins. Nice bottle – got it for $35 at Auburn spirits – good one to have for friends. Could bottle age a few years, as well.

2022 DePaula Ponce Monastrell, Spain

Wine Advocate: 93 Points

It has a fresh Mediterranean nose of aromatic herbs and fine, elegant fruit, with a sensation of more ripeness than what the alcohol level points at. In fact, the problem here is that Monastrell doesn't ripen if you don't work well in the vineyard, pruning short to control yields, and they have been improving the viticulture since they bought the vineyard. This is fresher and more floral Monastrell, with a balsamic twist and a juicy palate with deep flavors, with backbone and support. It fermented with full clusters and indigenous yeasts in 4,500-liter oak vats, where it matured for seven months. This is now certified organic. 17,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in April 2023.

Depaula Monastrell 2022 has intense aromas of red and black fruits, with herbal and mineral notes. The palate is full of fruit, with a juicy Mediterranean edge. A wine that mixes its elegance and pleasant flavors to create a very nice and easy to drink red wine.

Usually Monastrell is an inky monster type of wine. Not so here – this feels like an aged Grenache. More fruit in the nose and mouth with decent body, just not the bomb I was expecting. Really nice, both with a meal and for sipping. Very likable – priced around $21.

2018 Rio Mendoza Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

Lagarde Rio Mendoza Malbec wine is a full-bodied, fruity wine with a rich and complex flavor profile. It has notes of ripe red fruit, spices, and vanilla, and a smooth, elegant finish.

Wine of deep ruby ​​color with purple reflections.

The wine has an elegant, harmonious taste with a pleasant aftertaste.

The aroma of wine in harmony with fruit and floral notes.

I think I talked about this once, as a ten dollar weekday wine. Well, it’s now $5 – nothing to write home about, but for pizza, spaghetti and such, it is not awful. Finish it by the second day – even with a screwtop, it doesn’t stick around well. Worth what I paid for it.

2019 Chateau La Caussade Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France

"100% Sauvignon Blanc. Nice yellow straw, pale, brilliant and limpid color. Expressive nose of exotic fruits, citrus fruits and floral notes (flowers of acacia). Beautiful palate, fleshy with a wonderful freshness. Fruity and expressive with a very long finish." Winemaker's Notes

Chateau La Caussade's Sauvignon Blanc presents a stunning yellow straw hue, exuding brilliance and clarity. Its aromatic profile is a symphony of exotic fruits, citrus tones, and delicate acacia flower notes. On the palate, it boasts a luscious texture paired harmoniously with invigorating freshness. The fruit-forward expression leads to an enduring finish that delights the senses.

With no other grape included, this is a very nice little SB. Flavors of flowers and citrus notes, it is an enjoyable wine to drink any time. Enough backbone to go with appetizers and light entrees. Priced around $13 –well worth that price. (Really, why does anyone pay over $20 for a Sauv Blanc?)

2018 Chateau D’Haurets, Bordeaux, France

The 2018 Château d'Haurets Bordeaux Rouge opens to aromas of cherries and plums, which are accented by spices, licorice floral and tobacco nuances. On the palate this possesses a medium body, with fine, velvety tannins that frame the core of juicy red and dark fruits. This is well-structured and has a firm grip on the finish. While it is drinking nicely today, it would be best to allow this another year in bottle to flesh out and watch it develop even more character.

A somewhat simple, yet enjoyable red from the land of overpriced bottles. Bordeaux makes on ocean of wine, so you have to choose when to spend the big bucks. This wine has a touch of tannins (would hold a few years in a cellar) , pleasant red fruits with spice nuances. Good with food and the wallet. Priced at around $15, good buy to have around.

 

2020 Chateau Bel-Air Eiffel, Graves de Vayres, France

The Chateau Bel-Air Eiffel 'Heritiers Gustave Eiffel' Graves de Vayres 2020 is a classic Bordeaux blend that beautifully expresses the unique terroir of the Graves de Vayres. This small right bank region has soils more associated with the left bank and has nothing to do with the larger left bank region of Graves. The combination of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon results in a wine that balances fruitiness with structure, enhanced by subtle oak aging

An elegant wine with aromas of black fruits, spices and cocoa. The attack is silky in the mouth, rich and ample with nice roundness and generous tannins. The finish is long with lovely aromas of cherries and currants. 80% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot & 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

A step up in price and complexity – this wine has the tower on it! Flavors of black fruit, tightly wound tannins, hints of dried fruit and a moderately long finish.  Enjoyable with a meal, also on its own. Price is around $30, could age a few years in a cellar, as well.

2019 Chateau Anthonic, Moulis-En-Medoc, France

A delicate expression of Left Bank Bordeaux, this shows fresh blueberry and blackberry aromas combined with a hint of clove. The palate shows a fresh and crunchy character, with redcurrants, graphite and ripe blackberries to the fore. A touch of white pepper and toast pull through on the finish, rounding out the wine. With a few more years in bottle this will gain more savoury complexity but can be enjoyed now with some pâté on toast, or a selection of hard cheeses. Drink now to 2030. Barbara Drew MW, September 2023

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc

A slightly more complex Bordeaux, the Anthonic has red and black fruits in the mouth with nuances of spices. Moderately tannic, more bottle age should round this into a splendid bottle. Drinking well now, and only priced around $35, this is a great bottle.

Another winter month has passed, hope all is well. Until next time - keep popping those corks and I'll meet you out behind the grapevines.