The wines of January 2025

Another month - a long one at that, is finally over.  Cold and snow made it longer. Here are some wines I tasted and enjoyed over the month.

2020 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Verona, Italy

Wine Advocate                 WA90

A blend of Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Sangiovese, the 2020 Palazzo della Torre is luscious, dark and exceedingly contemporary in style and execution. This is a soft and well-textured expression with layers of ripe fruit, black cherry, spice, bitter chocolate and tangy Spanish cedar from oak aging. The oak is quite dominate, so be ready for this particular stylistic approach. This is an ample production of 600,000 bottles.

This wine is elegant and well balanced, with a good structure and aroma. Ruby red in colour with purple hues, it offers light hints of raisins, sophisticated notes of vanilla, black pepper, cloves and cinnamon. It has a long, velvety finish and soft tannins. Palazzo della Torre easily pairs with various Italian dishes, above all risottos, especially those flavoured with saffron, porcini mushrooms and pork; classic dishes such as pasta with Amatriciana and Carbonara sauces, baked lasagna, gnocchi with gorgonzola cheese and walnuts; grilled meats and roasts.                 

Decent little Italian, much better with food. Tannins are very slight and the fruit does not jump out, but is nuanced with herbs and spices on the palate. Moderate aftertaste, not bad for this price and style of wine - $20

 

2019 Phantom Red Wine, California

Intriguing, beguiling…this mysterious apparition of ripe berry and relentless spice returns to haunt wine lovers. Enveloped in shadow, this wine's intensity and concentration will entice you with every sip. Full-bodied and jammy, Phantom's origins of Petite Sirah and Zinfandel emerge from the glass. Spicy pepper and juniper tantalize your senses, while black plums and blueberries emerge on the palate. Notes of pipe tobacco and clove settle around the finish, long and lingering, like the Delta fog.           

Varietal Blend    60% Petite Sirah               40% Zinfandel

Not as vibrant as it once was, the 2019 is showing some age. Moderate fruit on the nose and palate, mostly dark fruit flavors and a hint of spices. The 2019 is available most places at around $15, I would say drink now.

 

2018 Chateau La Rose du Pin, Bordeaux, France

Damson plum, cedar and herb notes mingle in this light-bodied, direct offering. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now. 17,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported. 86 Pts WS

A ripe and juicy blend with almost equal proportions of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is fruity. Laced with tannins, the wine has a firm, dry core that will soften over the next few months into attractive, fruity richness. Drink from 2021. — Roger Voss 89 Points WE

This is a very tasty 2018 Bordeaux , a Grand Cru, and it is holding up very well. Moderate nose but a nice palate of red and darker fruits with some herbs and moderate tannins.  Priced at about $16, a good bottle to enjoy, then  store one away for next year.

 

2013 Basilica del Cortaccio Cabernet Sauvignon, Greve, Italy

Cedary and woodsy notes lead off as this red settles into plum, leather and tobacco flavors, though it is still firmly structured and dry on the finish, with a lightly astringent feel. Sweet fruit returns in the end. Best from 2019 through 2032. 2,000 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.                              93 Pts WS

Basilica del Cortaccio, an elite vineyard in Cafaggio, comprises 4.2 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon, with sensorial attributes that reflect a fine ‘terroir’, evoking the variety of origin. Produced for the first time in 1989, the Basilica del Cortaccio variety is grown according to the principles of organic farming.

Villa Cafaggio covers approximately 60 hectares, of which 30 are cultivated as specialised vineyards and about 10 as olive groves. The remaining area is woodland. Situated in the hamlet of Greve in Chianti, in Panzano, the estate is nestled in the ‘Conca d’Oro’ (Golden basin), an area recognised as the finest zone for producing Chianti Classico.                                         

I had this wine in my cellar for a couple years. My opinion is to drink soon, it still has Cabernet Sauvignon notes, but it has lost a lot of the fruit flavors, while retaining herbaceous notes.  The aftertaste was short, it would have been better a year ago. Priced at $30, buy a newer vintage.

 

2013 Malleolus Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero, Spain

Of a deep mature cherry color, this wine stands out for the intensity and quality of the sensations it offers. From black fruit aromas to strong and mature tannins that fill our mouth. The integration of fruit and wood offers an exquisite balance.

92           James Suckling

Elegant and deep nose of candied red fruit and petal character. Full body, soft tannins and a caressing, long and flavorful finish. Drink now.

As compared to the previous 2013 bottle of wine, this bad boy is still in its prime. Still has a good red fruit nose, the palate gets reated to dark and red fruits, with oak influences and a little touch of tannins. Cork broke, of course, so I had to filter the wine, but this is an exciting wine. Priced around $30, Emilio Moro (the producer) is a name worth seeking out.

 

2017 Uggiano Brunello di Montalcino, Italy

With a color somewhere between pale and dark ruby, this wine has cherry, clove, and sandalwood on the nose (maybe also chocolate?). A fleshy mouth-feel with sour cherry. The finish is all over the tongue, even if it’s short-lived. After decanting, the wood gets subtler and the sweetness of the cherry comes through more.

Intense ruby red color. Ethereal bouquet with a complex array of aromas displaying violets, cloves, wild berries and vanilla. Very warm mouthfeel, dry, full-bodied and slightly tannic.

Food Pairing       Grilled meats, game and seasoned cheeses.

Winemaking Notes         After crushing, the grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks by selected yeasts. Fermentation’s temperature is contained within 26-28°C and the must is pumped over its skins twice a day to draw color and soft tannins. After 18- 22 days the wine is separated from the skins and the fermentation is completed in big oak casks. This wine is preserved for maturation in big oak casks from Slavonia for 36 months.                        

Tasty little Brunello, maybe not as concentrated as I expected but it is a bargain at only $45. Some tannins, though not overpowering, with berries and spices on the mouthfeel. Moderate finish, nice little bottle that could age another couple of years.

 

2015 Haut-Pezat Saint Emilion Grand Cru, France

Wine Enthusiast Magazine scored this 90 points saying "Richly endowed with spice and wood-aging flavors, this is a firm and toasty wine. In many years, the wood would have been too much, but not in this vintage. The black fruit weight will balance with the wood as it ages to give an elegant, juicy wine ready to drink from 2022."

Vinous also scored it 90 saying "The 2015 Haut-Pezat, matured in one-third new oak, has a wonderful fresh and lively bouquet with black cherries, raspberry and vanilla scents, rose petals and violet following after. The palate is very well balanced with succulent tannin, crisp acidity, very caressing in the mouth with a hint of dark chocolate towards the finish. Superb."

James Suckling scored it 91 and said "Perfumed aromas of fresh flowers and dark fruits. Some citrus peel. Full-bodied, tight and focused with pretty fruits and a crisp, clean finish. Needs two or three years to soften but already very pretty."                      

Ready to drink now, this $25 Bordeaux is a nice little find. Needed a few moments to open up but it did in a short time. Tannins are interwoven with the flavors, dark berries and some floral notes. Moderate finish, but it had nice acidity to go with a meal. Good buy at that price.

 

2020 Tree Fort Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles, CA

Wine Tasting Notes         This juicy Tree Fort Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon holds a deep purple hue in the glass. Floral aromas of violets fill the nose along with notes of bay leaf and cigar box. The palate is bold with flavors of juicy blackberry, black currant, and a welcomed density. This full-bodied wine has a long, slightly dry finish.

Food Parings      With a rich palate, this wine will stand up to various meat dishes such as char gilled ribeye steak or a Portobello mushroom burger with melted blue cheese. This cabernet sauvignon is sure to please at your next grill out.

95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Malbec                     Alcohol 14.5%                   

A school night wine priced around $10, this provided some decent fruit, more red than black but some nice nuances of herb and spice. Worth keeping around at the price for every night type consumption.

 

2018 Ramirez de La Piscina, Rioja, Spain

This wine has aromas of dark plums, clove and cocoa powder. Flavors of black currant, blackberry, milk chocolate, clove and orange zest are set into polished tannins that gently fade into an orange-zest finish. 90 Pts WE

100% Tempranillo picked by hand aged for 15 months in American and French oak barrels after alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. Thereafter the wine is transferred back to the tanks for 5 months of natural fining and settling before filtering and bottling.

90           Wine Spectator

Wafts of dried flowers and cigar box spices offer a subtle, fragrant thread that winds through plump cherry, plum sauce and vanilla flavors in this well-meshed red. Fresh and focused, with dense, fine-grained tannins emerging to trim the finish. Drink now through 2029. 3,000 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.

A typical Rioja, with dark berries and nuances of spices. Tannins are very mellow and the oak complements the wine. Short finish, but nice acidity for food. Available around $13, nice wine to have on hand.

 

2020 Domaine de L'Arnesque Cote du Rhone, France

Dark, smoky and meaty, with dark plum and cherry coulis laced with tar, tobacco and charred alder. Offers warm spices and incense that add lushness to the round palate, with salty minerals dominating the finish. Grenache and Syrah. Drink now through 2025. 1,600 cases made, 300 cases imported. 90 pts WS

A blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. A deep ruby colour in the glass. An expressive nose of red fruits leads to a fleshy midpalate with spice and sweet tannins complimenting the red fruit notes.

Very nice CDR, with lots of red fruits and a touch of brambles on the palate. Really nice with food, a stand-out at only $20.

 

2021 Paul Dolan Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino, California

This lovely, well-balanced Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100% organic grapes. Bright, ripe fruit tones of blackberry, black cherry and black currant are balanced by well-integrated oak notes of toasted cinnamon stick, star anise and pepper. WE 91 Pts

Brilliant ruby in color, the Paul Dolan Cabernet Sauvignon has enticing aromas of ripe cherry with hints of cedar and a warm earthy undertone. An elegant wine with a round mouthfeel and firm youthful tannins, complimented by brambly blackberry and dark huckleberry flavors. Subtle notes of nutmeg and cinnamon spice from the oak round the rich fruit in a full-palate that carries from start to finish.

This is a wine from organically grown grapes.  Nicely balanced with red and dark berries, with notes of  oak.  Nuanced by spices, very well made wine, with just little tannins. Decent acidity for food, well worth the $20 price tag.

2021 Greg Norman Cab Sauvignon, Knights Valley, California

 

This layered and well-structured wine wraps powerful fruit flavors in assertive oak spices and firm tannins. The wine is enjoyable now if decanted and poured with a grilled lamb chop, but will gain more complexity with time. Best from 2026–2032.     92 Pts WE

A ripe, polished and easygoing style, with plum and blackberry notes backed by light-handed toast. Reveals a late hint of worn cedar. Drink now through 2025. 5,000 cases made. 88 Pts WS

Ripened berries, currants and notes of espresso. This is a well-structured wine, defined by grace and balance, with a firm backbone yet is elegant and approachable.

This wine still has a broad tannic back bone, indicating another couple of years in the cellar. Hints of cedar and cigar box go with the dark fruits on the palate. Moderate acidity, making It work with meats. Nice wine at a price of only $20.

Hope all is well - I'll be back next month. Until then, keep popping those corks and I'll meet you out behind the grape vines.