- Here is a nice variety of great wines from the Hennepin Lake Liquors wine sale!
- NV Gruet Winery Brut Blanc de Noirs – USA, New Mexico (12/23/2018)
Green apple, subtle chalk, strawberries and dough. Complex for its price point. This would make for a great starter wine for entertaining. Might be fun to put this blind against a Champagne 3 times the price. (89 points) - 2017 Château de Trinquevedel Tavel – France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Tavel (12/23/2018)
Very good with cherry, floral, watermelon and spices. Very balanced wine. 45% Grenache, 24% Cinsault, 15% Clairette, 10% Mourvèdre, 6% Syrah. (88 points) - 2013 Yangarra Estate Shiraz McLaren Vale – Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (12/23/2018)
Excellent wine with blackberries, blueberries, spice, black pepper and floral notes. Medium plus finish and concentrated. Should drink well for another 5 plus years. (91 points) - 2014 Bodega Numanthia Toro Termes – Spain, Castilla y León, Toro (12/22/2018)
This is drinking well young with red currants, spice, earth and leather. Medium plus finish. A really nice wine. (90 points) - 2015 Chalk Hill Chardonnay – USA, California, Sonoma County, Chalk Hill (12/22/2018)
This is nice overall with spice, oak, vanilla, apple and pear. Medium plus finish. Drink now to 2022. Good example of California Chardonnay. (90 points) - NV Laurent-Perrier Champagne La Cuvée – France, Champagne (12/22/2018)
Excellent. Creamy with spice, floral, dough and sour apples. This is complex and an outstanding NV Champagne. Highly recommend. (91 points) - 2015 Lamole di Lamole Chianti Classico – Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (12/22/2018)
This was nice with earth, red currants, spice and floral notes. Drinking well right now! (90 points)
- 2014 Buena Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Chateau Buena Vista – USA, California, Napa Valley (11/20/2018)
Day 1: I always wonder if the average cellar tracker user just pours a glass and reviews. My guess would be yes. For those who are not liking this wine give it time. It is a 2014 and a pop and pour review will reveal a much lower score. Plums, roasted chestnuts, black fruits and spices. The heat some describe blew off over an hour. There is spice present and that could be what some think of as heat. Medium plus finish and bold. This wine is going to go for many years. Picked this up for $25 and was the only good deal in the store. 90 points at the moment but day 2 and 3 have been good for this wine.
Day 2: Blueberries, plums, roasted nuts, heavy spices and scorched earth. Big, powerful wine. Not as good as the two previous bottles. The heavy spices distracted from the rest of the elements of this wine. Medium finish. 90 points
Day3: less intense but nothing like the previous bottles.
Recommendation: The previous bottles were in poor storage and I wonder if that accelerated the drinking window. The wine I just bought needs time. Maybe poor storage will help younger wines. (90 points) - 2014 Marietta Cellars Christo – USA, California, Sonoma County (11/6/2018)
Day 1: First pour was tight but the second opened up some really nice fruit, spices, red licorice, pepper and violets. Medium plus finish. Great value for $21. 90 points
Day 2: This wine seems to do better with time. Nice bramble quality with licorice, spices, white pepper and violets. Medium plus and good acidity. This is a stealer wine for the money. 91 points
Day 3: Very similar to day 2. A little more spice on the palate but equally satisfying. 91 points
Recommendation: This wine will go for another 5 plus years. The price point is outstanding! Buy. (91 points)
- NV Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Brut – France, Champagne (11/3/2018)
Day 1: Gorgeous NV. Creamy mouthfeel with citrus, spice, dough and charred pie crust. A vibrant wine with sharp acidity. Medium plus finish and at the amazing low price of only $33. 92 points
Day 2: Very similar character from day 1 but picks up some nice perfume notes and dried apricots. Very good acidity on this wine. Not as good as day 1 but solid. 90 points
Recommendation: Dink on day 1 and buy from a shop that moves through NV Champagne. This current NV selections is outstanding as some of the previous ones were sub 90 points. (92 points) - 2015 K Vintners Syrah The Beautiful – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (10/29/2018)
Day 1: Not what I would expect from Washington State. Very Northern Rhone. White pepper, game, violets, earth and black licorice. This has a medium to long finish and is quite a complex wine. Not many would pick Washington State in a blind tasting. I am quite please with this day 1 showing on quite a young wine. Should evolve on day 2, 3 and possibly 4. 94 points
Day 2: Violets, white pepper, soy sauce, game and menthol. This has the least amount of fruit I have ever tasted from a Washington State Syrah but I love this wine! One of the more interesting wines of the year for me. A must buy! 95 points
Day 3: Holding form from day 1 and 2. I love this wine.
Recommendation: Buy three or four and try one young and see how this evolves over the years. I see this as a 15 year wine. One of my top wines of the year considering the price of $45. (95 points)