Labels

Sparkling & Fortified Wines

The Menu
Spinach and Feta Cheese Quiche, "The Frugal Gourmet"
Melon and Blueberry Medley "Jacque Pepin Heart & Soul"

 The Wines

NV Charles & Alphrede (Ch. & A) Prieur Champagne Grand Prieur Brut 12% abv, $29.00 (Last Bottle)
Varietals: 45% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier
Region: France, Champagne, Vertus

Ginglinger Fix Brut Cremant d'Alsace 12.5% abv Millesime 2015 $16.00 (Last Bottle)
Varietals: Blend of Chardonnay, Auxerrois-Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris.
Region: France, Alsace

2015 Castillo Perelada Cava Stars Touch of Rose 2015 Brut 11.5% abv $12.00 (Last Bottle)
Varietals: 90% Garanatxa, 11% Pinot Noir
Region: Spain, del Castillo de Peredada

2012 Halyard Brut, qwRegion: France, Champagne, Vertus

My Tasting Notes:
The wine is pale lemon.
The wine is medium with flavors of green apple, lemon, grapefruit, bread dough, wet stone. The wine is developing.
The wine is off dry with high acidity, medium alcohol, medium(-) body, the mousse is aggressive and the flavor intensity is medium(+) with flavors of lemon, biscuit, and flint. 
The wine is excellent.
Drink now but can age.

More Information
Chardonnay sourced primarily from Vertus vineyards, Pinot Noir from Vertus and the Montagne de Reims, and Pinot Meunier from the Vallée de la Marne. Vinification includes 30% reserve wine and is aged a minimum of three years. After disgorgement, the wine is aged for a minimum of three additional months. Dosage: 8-9 gr/l
LAST BOTTLE REVIEW Prieur has been around since 1825, and honestly was never considered any kind of "important" house for most of that time span. Fast forward to the mid-2000s when a new owner with deep pockets completely revamps and revitalizes the winery, hiring the legendary Jean-Philippe Moulin, the Chef de Cave (winemaker) at rockstar Champagne Ruinart. Magic happens. We taste and buy lots of it. But now it's a rock star and this might be the last time! Help! Deep and rich and packed with citrus oils, peach pit, stone fruits, a bit of honey and white flowers. Mouthcoating flavors and zippy acidity to add to the minerality as a foil  to all the richness. Crazy good. We could drink a bottle of this in about 15 minutes. AND WE WILL! While it lasts that is...

Nicely produced, fairly inexpensive Champagne. Dry, with green apple, brioche, a tinge of citrus all build around a solid acidic core and white chalky minerality. Solid finish. A great aperitif before dinner.


The other official Champagne sweetness levels:


Ginglinger Fix Brut Cremant d'Alsace 12.5% abv Millesime 2015 $16.00 (Last Bottle)
Varietals: Blend of Chardonnay, Auxerrois-Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris.

Region: France, Alsace

My Tasting Notes:


The wine is pale lemon
The wine is medium(-) with flavors of apple, pear, lemon, wet stone, brioche. Developing.
The wine is off dry with medium(+) acidity, medium alcohol, and medium body, with a creamy mousse, and medium(+) flavor intensity with flavors of pear, toast, and wet stone. The finish is medium(+).
The wine is outstanding.
Drink now but has potential for aging.
More Information


LAST BOTTLE REVIEW A blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, this a low-dosage (6 grams per liter) sparkler that is a no-brainer crowd-pleaser. Super-fresh, lit-up aromas of crisp Bosc pears, tropical lemon-like fruits, dry apples and fresh-made bread dough, it’s super clean, racy and tongue-tingling. OUTSTANDING stuff at our price --- those who bought it last time already know! While it lasts…!
Lovely nose of lemon-lime, Golden Brown toast, w/ a touch of alka-seltzer.Palate smartly starts smooth...Then the mousse erupts in the mid to back of your mouth. Very nice Small complimentary, not mouth foaming, bubbles Flavors remain citrus in nature Very clean quick finish in the mouth with a surprisingly long warm finish. Well done 👍 
2015 Castillo Perelada Cava Stars Touch of Rose 2015 Brut 11.5% abv $12.00 (Last Bottle)
Varietals: 90% Garanatxa, 11% Pinot Noir
Region: Spain, Catalunya, Castell de Perelada

My Tasting Notes:


Appearance
Nose
Palate
Assessment of Quality  (balance, intensity, length and complexity)
Level of readiness to drink

More Information
LAST BOTTLE REVIEW
SO GOOD. Totally refreshing, bracing, packed with flavor, flitting around flavors of cranberry strawberry, flowers and toast, all very easy and subtle and packed up in a rich, creamy, silky texture. It’s actually a bit scary...you could drink this all day..we’s start with breakfast, then sipping by the pool after a hike, then knocking out a few more with dinner. IT’S $12!! Astounding.
Beautiful light peach colorPersistent teenie tiny bubblesIf you have a bottle of bayer aspirin , open it & take a short whiff, that’s the initial smell -I just call’em the way I smell&taste’em...There is a hint of cherries.Palate effervesces masterfully... no mouth full of foam. There are bright notes of wildflowers, tart raspberry & cherry subtleties. This is a sure crowd pleaserThis cava has been masterfully made by this house for the past 31yrs in celebration of a music festival hosted by the same

GTFREEK nailed this one last August: "90/10 Grenache/Pinot Noir. Medium nose shows brioche, limestone, lemongrass, light earth, dried white flowers. Palate gives nice balance, light fruit, strawberry, rose water, lemon peel, brioche again, acidity and bubbles play well, dry finish of medium short length. Nice example and nice QPR."


 2012 Halyard Brut, Sonoma Valley 12.5% abv $18.00 (Last Bottle)

Varietal: 67.63% Pinot Noir, 32.37% Chardonnay

Region: US, California, Napa, Medocino, Sonoma Valley, Healdsburg, Knot Wines

My Tasting Notes:


Appearance
Nose
Palate
Assessment of Quality  (balance, intensity, length and complexity)
Level of readiness to drink

More Information
LAST BOTTLE REVIEW. For many of you long-time clients, Halyard will invoke deeply satisfying, endorphin-releasing waves of pleasure. We made this wine way back in 2011 from a super-secret source and it was a MASSIVE hit. We’ve never hit on a good enough source to make another batch until NOW. Four years “en tirage’” (on the lees)!! Super premium Sonoma source (Robert Hunter)!! Planet-crushing price compared to what it went for under its original label. Anyway, yes, so good. Crisp, racy, fruit-powered, with all the good bubbly button-pressing love: baked apples, fresh apples, lemon/lime, fresh-baked pastry dough, lemon cream, refreshing as dipping your head into an icy mountain stream, exhilarating, clean, pure and soul-cleansing freshness. THE PRICE!! It’s some kind of vinous miracle! Whatever you do, if you love screaming good bubbly at wicked-crazy pricing, you need to move quick. This stuff is limited, man!!
Love these steals on LBW. Beautiful aroma of green fruit, on the palate bright, green pear/apple. Can't wait to drink the next one!
A blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, this has citrus, raspberry, toast, vanilla and yeast flavors. The texture scours, with big, edgy bubbles and lots of acidity. Drink now.
This was just one of the best sparkling wines I can remember having. I enjoyed it so much. Mango, lime, apple, with some soft floral notes. It's just such an elegant yet unpretentious wine. Geez I liked this. 


Taylor Fladgate 10 year old Tawny Porto 20% abv $38.99

Varietal: Possibly from these grapes: Touriga Nacional, Tourica Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz (Temparillo), Tinto Cao

Region: Portugal, Douro


My Tasting Notes:


Appearance
Nose
Palate
Assessment of Quality  (balance, intensity, length and complexity)
Level of readiness to drink

More Information

Since the 1970s, most ports are made from of the "big five" quality Port varieties. Below is a summary of these, and what they contribute to Red Port blends.

Touriga Nacional – robust and tannic – is regarded as the finest Port variety, and contributes structure through its complex acids and tannins. Its tiny yields of small, intensely flavored berries contribute quality rather than quantity.
Touriga Franca brings balance to the blend with its lifted fruit and floral aromas.
Tinta Barroca – jammy and potent – adds volume, breadth and (thanks to its naturally high sugar levels) strong potential alcohol.
Tinta Roriz – better known by its Spanish name, Tempranillo – contributes its deep color to the blend, which is vital given the limited maceration time Port receives. Because neutral alcohol is added to the wines to arrest fermentation early and retain fruit sweetness, they run the risk of appearing pale if insufficient color is bled from the skins in this time.
Tinto Cao – prized for its spice and bite (cao, coincidentally, means "dog") – brings longevity to the blend. Tinto Cao wines are less immediately impressive in their youth, but acquire remarkable finesse over time.

Heavily rasinated fruit, toffee, caramel, butterscotch, burnt vanilla, fig. Palate is ok, but not terribly impressive.

12/26/2017 -  LIKES THIS WINE:91 Points

Simply lovely! Prefered this over Grahams 20 years old tawny. Sweet and nicely balanced.
Excellent port of 10 years, with aromas of ripe fruit and chocolate. On the palate displays flavors of jam, showing a long finish.

Winemaker Notes

An exceptionally fine old tawny blend, aged for 10 years in oak casks. Elegant and smooth, combining delicate wood notes and rich mellow fruit, it is bottled for immediate drinking. A superb dessert wine, particularly with dishes made with chocolate, coffee or almonds, Taylor's 10 Year Old Tawny may also be served at the end of the meal in the same way as Vintage Port.

Critical Acclaim

RP93
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
It is my opinion that Taylor's tawny ports are the best of their type. When tasted against other tawnys, they all exhibit more aromatic personalities, greater fruit and ripeness, and a wonderful sweetness and length. The Ten Year Old Tawny is a personal favorite, as well as the best bargain among these ports.
WE90
Wine Enthusiast
This ivery complete aged tawny has all the right nuts and fruit characters that show a Port that still looks back to its fruity origins. The style is ripe, full and sweet, a mellow wine that only hints at the spirit behind it.


Emilio Lustau "Solera Reserva" Amontillado Los Arcos Sherry Dry Seco 18.5% abv $16.99

Varietal: Palomino, Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel de Alejandria (Muscat of Alexandria).

Region: Spain Jerez

My Tasting Notes:


The wine is amber.
The wine is pronounced with flavors of orange peel, toffee, caramel, almond, dried apricot
Palate
Assessment of Quality  (balance, intensity, length and complexity)
Level of readiness to drink

More Information
Reticent aromas of almonds and limestone give way to this wine's generous flavors of green apple and a subtle touch of orange zest. It's all shaped by spritzy, mouthwatering acidity.

93 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue # 202 - Aug 2012)

A more flattering style, with an off-dry edge to the walnut paste, hazelnut, date and clove-studded orange notes, which show nice focus and zip on the finish. Drink now. 2,000 cases imported


My Tasting Notes:


Appearance
Nose
Palate
Assessment of Quality  (balance, intensity, length and complexity)
Level of readiness to drink

More Information
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts