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Wine Reviews: Red Blends
Posted by Wine Reviews | Posted on 06-30-2012
| Posted inThis week’s wine reviews. All wines were received as press samples. Wines were tasted sighted, due to the unusual nature of the blends.
Review: 2009 Luce La Vite Lucente Toscana IGT
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
SRP: $30. 75% Merlot and 25% Sangiovese. An explosive nose of fleshy plum, blackcurrant, wild blackberries, dust, and licorice. On the palate, some black pepper and graphite emerges, but some rough tannins and alcohol also show themselves. Nonetheless, a very expressive and impressive wine. (91 pts.)
Review: 2007 Arnaldo-Caprai Montefalco Rosso
Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Montefalco Rosso
SRP: $24. 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino, 15% Merlot. On the nose, dark raisins, dried herbs and plums meet leather and short ribs. It’s somehow reminiscent of both an Amarone and an expensive Aussie Shiraz. The palate is balanced with juicy acidity. (90 pts.)
Review: 2009 Peter Lehmann Clancy’s
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
SRP: $17. 39% Shiraz, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot. The nose seems a bit artificial, and is marked by candied raspberries, flowers, cinnamon, and spice. The palate is juicy, balanced, and remarkably chuggable. While simple, this would be a big crowd pleaser. (88 pts.)
Review: 2009 Yorkville Cellars Richard the Lion-Heart Rennie Vineyard
USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands
SRP: $38. 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 10% Carmenere, 5% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. The wine explodes with black Twizzlers, and is followed by plums and oak. On the palate, the wine shows some heat. (87 pts.)
Review: 2007 Long Shadows Wineries Chester-Kidder
USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
SRP: $50. 60% Cabernet sauvignon, 25% Syrah, 14% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc. The nose is incredibly seductive, drawing one in with classic Bordeaux notes like sweet herbs, earth, fresh plums, raspberries, black cherries, cedar, and roses. The palate shows darker notes like coffee and mocha and has great depth. (93 pts.)
Review: 2009 Craggy Range Te Kahu Gimblett Gravels Vineyard
New Zealand, North Island, Hawkes Bay, Gimblett Gravels
SRP: $22. 80% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec. A fascinating, sweet nose of hubarb compote, figs, crushed blackberries, and a hint of graphite and crème brûlée. The palate is marked by an attractive dustiness. The wine lacks depth, but it’s well-balanced and remarkably smooth. (90 pts.)
Review: 2009 Cliff Lede High Fidelity
USA, California, Napa Valley
SRP: $75. : 36% Cabernet Franc, 28% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Malbec. Wow. The nose is absolutely incredible. Perfectly ripe black fruits like plums and blackberries, supported by riverbed, coffee, and the woods. The palate is harmonious – ripe fruits, great acid, perfect tannins, and some minerality. Great depth and concentration, but somehow light on its feet. A fantastic wine. (94 pts.)
Review: 2009 Troon Vineyard Old Vine Meritage
USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Applegate Valley
SRP: $32. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 0.4% Petit Verdot. On the nose, this wine could easily pass for a modern-style Bordeaux. Sweet plums, pomegranate, graphite, and Asian spices. The palate is remarkably fleshy, marked by firm tannins and juicy acidity. (89 pts.)
Review: 2009 Cultivate The Feast
USA, California
SRP: $29. 66% Merlot, 34% Cab Sauvignon. The nose is a bit disjointed, as it shows notes of both underripe and overripe grapes, along with some smokiness. The palate exhibits more harmony than the nose. (85 pts.)
Review: 2008 Luce Luce della Vite Toscana IGT
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
SRP: $100. 45% Sangiovese and 55% Merlot. The nose is dense – packed with just about every tasting note in the book: From ripe blackberries and wild raspberries to tart cherries and strawberry pie. Underneath the fruit is dark chocolate, pencil lead, and tobacco leaf. The palate is equally packed. I’d love to revisit this wine in 5-15 years. (94 pts.)
Review: 2009 Wine Guerrilla Rebel Cru Sonoma County
USA, California, Sonoma County
SRP: $20. 40% Zinfandel, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah. The nose exhibits the best traits of Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon – and the mashup somehow works. Maraschino cherry and tangy strawberries combine with blackberries and green peppers to make for a fun red blend. The tannins are harsher than expected, but this wine would definitely a crowd pleaser. (89 pts.)
Review: 2009 Glen Carlou Grand Classique
South Africa, Coastal Region, Paarl
SRP: $20. 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Verdot, 16% Malbec, 16% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. The nose is seductive – marked first by herbaceousness and oak, followed by dark cherries, baked blackberries, stems, and eucalyptus. The palate shows sweeter fruits, masking some of the oak and unpleasant herbaceousness of the nose. A tasty wine that I’d love to revisit in a couple of years. (89 pts.)