SEAN THACKREY ACQUILA SANGIOVESE - 2002

Sean Thackrey, artist and wine-maker, names almost all his wines after constellations. Since most Americans turn their noses up at Sangiovese (Chianti), he set out to prove that great Sangiovese can be made in California. The grapes are from Eaglepoint Ranch, Mendicino but the craftmanship is all Thackrey.

TASTING NOTES:

Thackrey believes all his wines taste better the day after they are opened and I have to agree with him. It is from him that I have learned to do this with every wine that I taste. I always taste each bottle again the second day before writing a review so that I am able to form a well-rounded opinion.

The nose is a mix of cherry, red fruits and menthol. Complex and very tight, yet the wine immediately reveals a plethora of eucalyptus and blackberry with a hint of pepper. The next day currant, plums and forest floor emerge harmoniously.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS
Thackrey's unique artistry abounds in this excellent effort. I first tasted this wine over a year ago from an unlabeled bottle I bought directly from the winery (they had just bottled it and were offering it pre-labeled). I distinctly remember it having significantly more character than this bottle. Both were from the 2002 vintage. Not sure if it is from bottle variation or a change that occurred during its evolution in my cellar. Regardless, if you love Thackrey's wine innovation, you'll love this Sangiovese concoction. Pricey at $40 a bottle.

CORTES DE CIMA CHAMINE - 2004

One of the cheapest in the Cortes de Cima wine portfolio is the Chamine which retails for about $9.99. This Portuguese red is made of 55% Aragonez (Tempranillo), 40% Syrah and 5% Touriga Nacional.

TASTING NOTES:

Sweet blue and black fruits with mellow oak, earth and minerals. Finishes smooth and fruity with good tannic structure.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

87 PTS
A really nice, affordable red from Portugal. I really like this wine and highly recommend it as an entry into what this country is producing beyond the expected Ports. There's great value and unique reds readily available from this country and there's no better place to start than with Cortes de Cima. They are a solid producer at all price levels.

JARDIN MERLOT - 2002

My Stellenbosch, South African obsession continues with this bottle of Merlot...

TASTING NOTES:

A touch of smoke on the nose. Very, very plummy. Dry, harsh, acidic finish with hints of cedar and dried herbs. Smooth but very alcoholic.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

85 PTS
In my last post I was raving about Stellenbosch Merlots claiming you can't go wrong. Looks like I have to eat my words. This one is a disappointment. Although there's some nice rich plum flavors there's way too much heat. The wine actually was at its best when it was first opened. Upon tasting hours later and the following day, the heat and 14% alcohol was so out of whack that it was undrinkable. 85 is probably generous. This is average at best. A pass. Retails for around $15.

MULDERBOSCH FAITHFUL HOUND - 2002

Mulderbosch is the South African winery best known for its award winning Sauvignon Blanc and its star winemaker Mike Dubrovic. The Faithful Hound is a red blend from Stellenbosch consisting of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 6% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc.

TASTING NOTES:

Smoke and oak on the nose with wonderful flavors of smoked meat, black cherry, tar and black currant. There is still some heat here but it opens up nicely and dissipates after awhile giving way to Bordeaux-like herbs on the finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

89 PTS
I'm in love with South African red wines especially their Merlot or Merlot blends from Stellenbosch. You almost can't go wrong if the bottle has Stellenbosch and Merlot on the label. These wines have unique smokey flavors that I crave and seek out. The Faithful Hound retails for around $17 a bottle.

PETER LEHMANN BAROSSA SHIRAZ - 2003

Peter Lehmann built his Australian winery in 1979. Over the last 20+ years he has built up a reputation for quality wine. The winery was built to process fruit from local growers but over time his operation changed from bulk wine to premium wine. Only 2% of the grapes used to make his wines are from his own vineyards.

TASTING NOTES:

This wine is as black as the night. It is so concentrated that you can't even see the bottom of the glass. I tasted it immediatly upon opening and there is a ton of alcohol and heat overwhelming the fruit. A few hours later it settled down revealing rich plum on the mid-palate, hints of cocoa and lots of cherry candy on the finish. Yet there was still considerable heat. On the 2nd day, the heat had almost completely disappeared. The nose also was much more intense revealing creamy vanilla. The cherry finish had faded some but the wine still had wonderful saturated plum flavors.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS
I was ready to score this wine much lower when I first tasted it. The heat and 14.5% alcohol were hindering this wine. On the 2nd day, the Barossa came alive and revealed all it had to offer. This is a wine that needs some cellaring. If you want to enjoy it now, give it a minimum of 5 hrs to breathe. Retails for around $14 a bottle.

J.J. PRUM GRAACHER HIMMERLREICH RIESLING SPATLESE - 2003

The Prüm family has been making wine for over two centuries and is one of the most celebrated and respected producers in Germany. Prüm wines are known to age extremely well so they are great whites to cellar.

TASTING NOTES:

Light, yet rich and full of character with refreshing sweet stone, mineral, and floral notes. There is considerable acidity and a tangy finish that will make your mouth pucker.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

90 PTS
This is a pretty serious German Riesling that retails for around $25 - $30. It definitely delivers and probably will get even better with some time in the bottle. Hard to recommend for everyone at this price, but clearly if you know your German Rieslings, you are more than familiar already with the outstanding wines from Prüm.

THACKREY PLEIADES XIV OLD VINES

Sean Thackrey has been making artistic, uniquely crafted wines for years so it is with great pleasure that I write my very first entry about one of his bottles. I'm actually suprised it took me so long.

Thackrey has been known to study ancient texts on early winemaking in order to replicate the true process of making wine in the old ages. He does unheard of things like let the grapes rest a day after picking and before they are crushed because it was the way things were done back in the 19th century. It is this strive for perfection and authenticity that leads to highly memorable bottles.

I'll never forget the first time I tried Thackrey's Pleiades at Del Frisco's in New York City. The wine blew my mind. It was unlike any Syrah blend I had ever tasted with loads of complexity and unusual flavors exploding in my mouth. I spent most of that dinner just smelling the glass and sniffing the cork once I was out of wine. I didn't want to forget the alluring intoxicating aroma.

That night I went to every wine store I could find looking to buy a bottle but came up emptyhanded. I quickly discovered that it was primarily a restaurant wine. I searched the internet and stumbled upon Sean Thackrey:: Wine-Maker. I emailed Thackrey himself and he was kind enough to put me on his direct order winelist. I am forever thankful. Every year I order a case or two of his wines (lots of his Pleiades but also some of his many other new concoctions like his Andromeda Pinot Noir, his Sirius Petite Sirah, a delicious Sangiovese that will restore your faith in this varietal and his higher end Orion Syrah). He makes some of the finest wines on the planet.

The label on the bottle of the Pleiades says it all:

"The object of Pleiades Old Vines is to be delicious, delight the jaded, offend the snob, and go well with anything red wine goes with. Includes Syrah, Sangiovese, Mourvedre, Barbera, Carignane, Petite Sirah and Viognier to name but a few."

TASTING NOTES:

Cherry jam, spice and eucalyptus with lots of earthy notes, a hint of pepper and sweet berries on the finish. Ruby red color with soft tannins and fruity bouquet.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

91 PTS
I simply love the complexity and consistency of the Pleiades year after year. The XIV is not nearly as good as the stellar Pleiades IX which is the finest Thackrey I've ever tasted. This is a bit thinner but rich with eucalyptus and spice. If you love Syrah and haven't tasted this yet, you have no idea what you are missing. Retails for around $20. What I love most about the Pleiades is how each vintage tastes different and how the wine evolves once the bottle is opened. It seems to taste very different after a few hours and sometimes even radically different the next day.

DOUGLAS HILL MERLOT - 2000

The Bronco Wine Company is one of the largest wine producers in the country. The company is best known for "Two Buck Chuck," the famous Charles Shaw wine that is sold for $2 a bottle at Trader Joe's stores. So it should come as no surprise that this California Merlot from Napa, of all places, is bargain-priced at a mere $9 a bottle.

TASTING NOTES:

Silky smooth with red fruit aromas and syrupy flavors of strawberry and raspberry. A simple wine with 12.5% alcohol that is both light in color and body.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

86 PTS
Really nice fruit concentration, but it almost looks, smells and tastes like Pinot Noir, which isn't really what I look for in a Merlot. The wine is thin and seems to be missing the "heart" and richness that I crave from Merlot. There is almost too much red berry for my liking, although its pricing is so attractive that it makes it a worthwhile purchase.

SIMONSIG TIARA STELLENBOSCH - 2000

The first Tiara from Stellenbosch, South Africa was made in 1990 and released in 1992. This Bordeaux-style red is matured 18 months in French Oak and American White Oak and is composed of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 6% Petite Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark ruby color with Bordeaux-like pencil and smoke aromas. Elegant herbs, medicinal cherry and dark fruits emerge on the powerful midpalate. The finish delivers tremendous grilled meat and toasted oak flavors that can only be described as drinking a bonfire. 14.1% alcohol with a big tannin structure. This wine will age very well.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

89 PTS
Another wonderful South African red. I have been more than pleased with most of the reds I've recently tasted from Stellenbosch. This is a highly underappreciated part of the world making richly crafted red wine with lots of complexity. Retails for around $20.

MUSAR CUVEE ROUGE - 2003

As war continues to rage in Lebanon, my thoughts turn to winemaker Serge Hochar. In the 1970s, civil war devastated the country for 20 years, yet Hochar continued to make wine. In fact, the Hochar family has been making wine in Lebanon since the 1930s long before WWII began.

These wines are salt of the earth wines, war-torn wines, "true" wines that emerge from "the harmony of nature" Serge himself says. These wines are Lebanon.

Chateau Musar is situated just 15 miles north of Beirut. The grapes are grown in Bekaa Valley, where some believe the very first wine ever was made.

TASTING NOTES:

A blend of Cinsault, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, this wine exhibits a wonderful red berry nose leaning toward raspberry. There are rich flavors of Pomegranate, light cherry, a hint of pastry dough and tart cranberries on the finish. Light in color and mouthfeel, you'll swear you are drinking Pinot Noir, but it tastes nothing like it.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

90 PTS
Unique and unlike any red wine you've tasted. Its delicate nature calls to mind Burgundy. Its earthy undertones will remind you of Bordeaux. In the end, it is neither. It is Lebanon in a glass and it has its own history, its own distinctness, its own admirable characteristics. I was tempted to open the bottle of 1997 Chateau Musar in my cellar right after this one, but luckily I found some restraint. If you think this wine is good, the Chateau Musar '97 is twice as delicious.

The Musar Cuvee Rouge retails for around $16 a bottle.

SIERRA CANTABRIA CUVEE ESPECIAL RIOJA - 2001

Tempranillo from the 30 year old Rioja Alavesa Vineyard. A modern Spanish red wine that is aged in 60% American and 40% French oak and then bottled unfiltered. It sports a nice 13.5% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

The nose is rather closed giving off aromas of light fruit and minerals. Smooth and plush with a bit of oak. The single predominant flavor is candied cherries.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

85 PTS
Everyone seems to rave about this wine but I just don't get it. It tastes rather flat and ordinary. Its best characteristic is its soft mouthfeel. However, it lacks the complexity needed to make this an impressive wine. Even after letting the wine breathe for awhile it was still a disappointment. After finishing the first glass I wondered how I was going to get through the rest of the bottle. It's not that it is a bad wine, it is just a subtle and lackluster one. Retails for around $15 a bottle which should be enough money to convince you to purchase something else.