Decant Stop Tasting Wine Blog

2008 Mas Malbec Mendoza

Mr.Sato — Sun, 02 May 2010 01:46:02 +0000

I’m sort of unimpressed with this wine, but I’m hesitant to say that to you. Reason being, I’m a huge fan of Argentine Malbec, and have had so many of them that to me rival most other wines I’ve had. So my expectations for Argentine Malbec is always fairly high, especially “for the price” – even under $10. This is a good wine though, and at $10, is still, in my humble opinion, still a good value. All I really needed from this wine was more fruit, and I would have been very happy. I’m happy with all of the complexity it offers, fairly classic varietal profile… but it just needs more fruit. I’m not a fan of fruit bombs either. Too bad really, because otherwise it totally has what it takes to be a 90+ wine. It reminds of Durigutti, but it falls a little short of that wine.

If you like old school Italian wines, or non-fruit bomb Argentine Cabs, then you’ll like this wine.

Rating: 88

Price: $10

2008 Contesa Vino Sfuso Rosso

Mr.Sato — Sat, 01 May 2010 03:57:35 +0000

I bought this wine as a party wine for the Summer. I only bought one bottle, to try it out in fact, really unsure if it would even be “good enough” for a party wine. Let’s face it, 7 bucks doesn’t usually buy a very good wine. Wow, was I blown away! I mean, it isn’t one of the better wines I’ve had, but for 7 bones??? This wine rocks! It’s rather opaque… I could barely see the sun through it (I was drinking while swimming in the pool for the first time this season)! It has an almost soda-like acidity that screams SUMMER! There’s also a bit of citrus and herb on the pallet. What’s more, it isn’t just a big ole fruit bomb – it actually has structure, tannin, and a decent vegetal aspect. This is truly classic Italian fare here. I’ll note that it doesn’t have much of a bouquet, just kinda dusty old Italian wine smell, without much fruit or other interesting odors… but also no funkiness.

This wine will be perfect for Summer BBQ’s, and even just drinking over-chilled on hot summer days poolside. Beyond that, in general I’d say this is the best wine I’ve ever had for the price. Highly recommended!

Rating: 88

Price: $7 (K&L)

2008 Wildhurst Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

Mr.Sato — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 03:52:38 +0000

I needed a white wine to do some cooking with this week. I wanted a Sauvignon Blanc for its varietal characteristics (complexity/vegetal), but didn’t want to pay more than 10 bucks for cooking wine. Note that I also won’t cook with “cheap” wine, so only a place like K&L or possibly Wine House could pull this off for me. Rika first made a dish based on Shrimp Étouffée, so I figured I’d drink a little of it with the meal. My first sip put that “oh wow” look on my face. LOL Now, granted, my expectations were pretty low, plus anyone who’s read this blog much knows I’m not big on white wine. But I actually like this wine!

Its exactly what I wanted, only didn’t think I’d get. The wine is way better than its price would suggest… some lemon and pear with a good floral component rounding it out on the nose. There’s a hint of the vegetal component on the nose that you’ll get a good bit of on the pallet too. There’s good lemon, with the rind, pear, and a hint of grapefruit. I was flip-flopping whether I tasted honey in it, which I’m kind of on the fence about whether I like. Thankfully, no butter. This really is textbook Sauv-blanc… but at the quality level you’d expect to pay at least twice as much for; I know because I have. Also thankfully, it is nearly devoid of that bitter SweetTart after taste – which I HATE, and is a big reason for not liking most white wines.

In short, my recommendation is that if you prefer Sauvignon Blanc to other whites, or just want really good SB on hand, buy a case of this stuff, because it won’t last.

Rating: 91

Price: $9 (K&L)

Check out the wine’s page at the grower’s site here.

2003 Gagliole Rosso

Mr.Sato — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:47:49 +0000

Is this Borolo? Sure tastes like it. This is a massive and serious wine! We had it with our Valentine’s dinner. Before the pour i wiffed the cork and got really excited… but let’s not get ahead of ourselves!

Color, to me, was the perfect “wine color”. Rika called it garnet, I call it dark ruby. Not opaque, but dark… with a typical tasting amount in your glass you can just see a candle’s light through it – beautiful.

The bouquet was awesome, the best we’ve experienced in a long, long time. Bright and deep fruit, cellar full of old casks, forest, little sulfer, and one of my most favorites, a bouquet of mixed flowers, primarily roses… and perhaps a note of citrus.

On the pallet there’s black cherry, strawberries, raspberry, and plum, with a vegetal aspect (very ballanced)… Then comes dark chocolate and a nice subtle barrel integration, deliciously perfect tannins, and some slight citrus mix.

The finish is about 20 seconds long, but seems longer because it evolves and keeps you entertained.

This is a wine for the intellectual wine lover… Very thought provoking, as well as emotional… And that isn’t the event mood talking.

Rating: 94

Price: $35 (Retail is $65)

K&L: 92 points Wine & Spirits “A small dose of cabernet sauvignon adds depth to this wine, but doesn’t obscure sangiovese’s power. Together they give the wine a lithe and gentle touch, the flavors of fig and mint melting into the chocolate of the tannins. It’s firmly rich, impressive now and probably at its best in another four to six years. – By Joshua Greene” 4/1/2006 91 points Wine Spectator “Jammy and spicy with hints of vanilla. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long finish. Rich and fruity. Generous. Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best after 2006. 1,000 cases made.” (10/05) 91 points Wine Enthusiast “Lovely flower, mineral, baked cookie and cherry aromas are lusty and inviting, and the palate is exceedingly fresh for a 2003. The fruit is snappy, legitimately healthy and tight. Finishes with chocolate and ripe tannins. Excellent stuff, and it should be at the price. – By Michael Schachner ” (9/1/2006)

1999 Contratto Solus Ad

Mr.Sato — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 08:35:02 +0000

This vintage Barbera D’Asti pretty well lives up to its reputation. I wish we could have tried a bottle of it 5 years ago to see what the years have done to this wine though. My feeling at this point about vintage wines in general is that after 10 years they all tend to contain what we’ve come to call “that vintage taste”. It is a slightly sour and dusty flavor… not in a bad way though. It just makes the wine go better with sushi! Have you ever had a decent wine that was at least 8-10 years old? Then you probably know what I’m talking about.

The color gets an orange hue, although not so much this one… yet. The dusty smell… there with this wine, but with pretty nice fruit as well – pretty much cherry and strawberry, with a hint of spice. There is a hint of oak and vanilla, which is surprisingly little considering it spent 2 years in French oak. The fruit, which is very integrated at this point, is orange, strawberry, and cherry. That orange might sound strange, but its yummy, and common for older vintage wines, according to our palate. It is delicious! The finish could be longer, but no complaints here. It is pleasant, especially if you like the taste of cork and oak. :) Not that it is acidic… it is quite low, but I love the citrus on the finish.

There are still some bottles of this to be found, believe it or not.. expect to pay close to $50 for it. I think release price was $48. Bargain? Probably not. Worth buying? Sure, if you love that vintage taste. If not, pass on it.

Rating: 93

Price: $48 (we got it on clearance sale for $25, sorry)

2006 Monte Antico Toscana

Mr.Sato — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:01:11 +0000

This is a blend of 85% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Spicy on the nose, and a light to medium color density.

I wasn’t expecting much before opening this wine, given the low cost and who’s heard of an Italian wine with a screw cap? Not me, I’ve only seen it in Aussie wines mainly, and occasionally with Californian wines. But hey, I tried a Cote de Rhone this summer that was not only screw cap, but had a plastic bottle! OK, we’re not talking about a very serious wine obviously, but still… winemakers are clearly willing to experiment.

Anyway, as I was saying, after the screw cap, seeing how light the wine was didn’t make me think it was anything more than the typical under ten bucks grocery store, millions of cases made, kind of wine. The nose was a little better than that, but not much. The surprise came on the palate. It may be light, but it packs a flavorful punch. And not just fruit punch… this sucker has veggies! Actually the tannin and vegetal components are nicely integrated and are neither under or over powered by the fruit.

You won’t find black fruit here, but you will find lush plum and some strawberry… possibly a little raspberry too. You will also find a hint of tobacco, cedar, and spicebox. The finish is longer than I’d have expected, being as dry as it is. It is an interesting one too. It is spicy on the finish, white pepper, and slightly sour fruit (same as mid palate, plus… orange?)… nothing but pleasant.

I have to say, this was a great find. Hope to find it again!

Rating: 90 pts
Price: $9

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2007 Grange Tiphaine Touraine Cot Vielles Vignes

Mr.Sato — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 04:13:27 +0000

First off, we probably shouldn’t have openned this wine yet… 2007 vintage, red, France… bad idea. Anyway, we were mixed on this wine… I like it, Rika doesn’t. For her I think there isn’t enough fruit. In a way, I agree… but then, it is complex, dry, and there’s nothing foul about it. It is a dark garnet color with a violet fringe. It looks dark, but doesn’t taste that dark. It has an interesting nose, that you’ll mostly appreciate after a couple of days of decanting (or wait a few years to open it), with flowers, spices, citrus, cedar, and wild berries. The vegetal component is immediately evident as soon as the wine touches your tounge, but is soon mixed with leather, wood (not really oak), and a variety of subtle fruit flavors, fairly evenly mixed red, blue and black. There is some acidity, good enough for medium weight meals. On the finish I like the spices that linger, with cherry, tobacco, and… some kind of wood. I’m not a fan of oak in my wine, and I’m not saying this wine is oakey, but I can’t escape the taste of some sort of wood. I get a little flashback from when I was a little boy… and chewed on a piece of wood from time to time. I guess I liked it. I guess I still do! I’m giving it a combined rating between mine and Rika’s… because that’s how we roll.

Rating: 88

Price: Paid $10 (K&L) Retails for $17

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K&L: Damien Delecheneau’s future is bright. He is respected widely and thought of as one of the most promising young vignerons in the Loire Valley. Damien continues the work of his family domaine in the Touraine-Amboise appellation but with renewed vigor and respect for the vines. He is fortunate to have 11 ha of vineyards with an average age of 60 years which he farms without the use of chemicals. Harvest is done by hand, fermentation is carried out by native yeast and there is no pumping after the initial pressing. Both he and his wife studied winemaking and did a stage here in California, he at Clos Pegase and she at Cain. He also plays the clarinet quite well, hence the musical references on the bottles. The Côt Vieilles Vignes, yes that is right Malbec, is from a plot of vines 127 years old and could be my favorite among this very strong lineup. This wine is explosively aromatic with a core of sweet cassis, a sappy “old vine” intensity and chewy rich texture. It is dense and packed with flavor, a wine to drink now or over the next 10 years.

By: Gary Westby | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 2/11/2009 | Send Email

How often does one drink wine made from vines 120-plus-years-old for less than $10? For me, this Cot is the only time! It is an exceptionally dark colored Loire red, the darkest I have seen- from and area in which many “red” wines are lighter than California roses! The Tiphaine is incredibly dense without having the slightest hint of fruity sweetness, and has strict power on a scale that I have rarely experienced (and never without excessive alcohol). It is very manly stuff, extraordinarily dry, and calls for rich food; perhaps braised short ribs or lamb shanks. What an experience and what a great value!

Top Value!

2004 d’Arenberg d’Arry’s Original Shiraz Grenache

Mr.Sato — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:13:12 +0000

This isn’t too far off of typical McLaren Vale wine… thick and yummy, but with the addition of Grenache to the Shiraz, it has more complexity, and a notable vegital factor. Based on the flavor profile, and especially for the sake of the Grenache, this could have used at least another couple of years in the bottle to develop. Still, I liked it quite a bit.

The fruit is pure and more on the red side than usual Aussi Shiraz and has nice dry tannins and slight acidity. I especially like the spices on the mid-palate, but not that fond of the tanginess on the back end. Once that subsides you’re left with an aftertaste that is similar to having had a good vinagrette salad with black pepper.

In all this is a nice wine that should please many critics… and has. I’ll have to side with Rober Parker on this one (91). Steve Tanzer gave it 90, as did Wine Spectator.

Price: $13

Rating: 91

2002 Trinity Hill Hawkes Bay Merlot Cabernets Syrah

Mr.Sato — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:36:50 +0000

Wow, what a mouth full the name is! At first glance (referring to color and density) it was a little scary… I’m usually not a big fan of “light” wines. But oh boy, with a sniff I was already imressed, and had instantly become optimisitc. Basically, it smells like a rustic Italian Rosso, slightly fruity and mostly dusty and vegetal. On the pallet you’d never know this was a light wine by the flavor. The mouth-feel is fairly “light”, but not lacking in intensity. It has medium acidity and light to medium tannins. The fruit is mostly strawberry and plum, with a good amount of vegetal action and a little black pepper. The finish is decent in length and fairly dry. This is a great food wine. Go New Zealand!

Rating: 91

Price: $10

PS I didn’t misspell Cabernet(s). The wine is 44% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc, 12% Syrah, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Two Cabs!

2003 Fattoria Dezi Dezio Marche Rosso

Mr.Sato — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:12:37 +0000

Another bargain from K&L’s clearance! Dark ruby color, dusty, smokey, black and sour red fruit on the nose, and smokey oak, plum, and black cherry, with a bit of tannin and spice on the pallet – and little veggie action and orange peel on the back end. Light acidity, but a great food wine. We paid only $6 in a clearance sale and it retails for $20. I don’t know that I would pay 20 bucks though… but for sure it is worth $12-15. I am really into these “rustic” Italian reds lately and this one fits the bill nicely.

Rating: 89

Price: $ 6/20

From K&L: From the Adriatic side of Italy in the Marche, the Dezi brothers produce a number of award-winning wines. This wine is a more elegant version (or second wine) of their powerhouse Regina del Bosco (Queen of the Forest). The Dezio is more appoachable, it has a broad palate feel rich in spicy fruit and a good finish.