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Weekly Twitter Wine Mini Reviews Round-Up For February 4, 2012

1WineDude — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:05:55 +0000

Uhm, like what is this stuff?
I taste a bunch-o-wine (technical term for more than most people). So each week, I share some of my wine sample tasting notes via twitter (limited to 140 characters). They are meant to be fun, quickly-and-easily-digestible reviews. Below is a wrap-up of the twitter reviews from the past week (click here for the skinny on how to read them), along with links to help you find them so you can try them for yourself. Cheers!

07 Cornerstone Cellars Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Promising glimmer in a blackcurrant, graphite & herbal eye. $75 A- >>find this wine>>
09 Sequana Sundawg Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley): Toast more like char, but strawberries & spice more like heaven. $50 B+ >>find this wine>>
06 Hopper Creek Winery Merlot (Napa Valley): Maraschino cherries, chocolates, herbs & a lingering, shadowy sense of malaise. $35 B >>find this wine>>
NV Cantine Maschio Cadoro Moscato (Moscato Spumante): She is most definitely *not* leaving the bar alone after closing time. $15 B- >>find this wine>>
09 Domaine de Chevalier (Pessac-Leognan): Just as fresh, lively, juicy and inviting as the ripe plummy fruits that it evokes. $90 A- >>find this wine>>
09 Chateau Haut-Bailly (Pessac-Leognan): Such intense, lovely red & black fruit; and such intense, un-lovely, funky-a** stank. $150 B >>find this wine>>
09 Chateau Pape Clement (Pessac-Leognan): I shouldn’t feel cheated by all the plum, chalk, flowers & big tannins; but, well, I do. $150 B+ >>find this wine>>
09 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc (Pessac-Leognan): Milk, honey, & apricots priced for insanely rich fashion designers & biz moguls. $150 B >>find this wine>>
09 Chateau La Louviere Blanc (Pessac-Leognan): Floral & pretty as a cute woman in a spring dress (carrying baskets of tropical fruit) $42 B+ >>find this wine>>
09 Chateau De Fieuzal Blanc (Pessac-Leognan): Offers some smoke, a little vinyl, a lot of cream & pure extract of total seduction. $50 B+ >>find this wine>>
09 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc (Pessac-Leognan): Any more austere than this & it would have to be a statue (& a v. pretty one at that) $90 B+ >>find this wine>>
09 Chateau Carbonnieux Blanc (Pessac-Leognan): Mouthful of citrus, melon & total gorgeousness; only the patient need apply here, tho. $42 B+ >>find this wine>>
09 Chateau Bouscaut Blanc (Pessac-Leognan): Flintier than a revolver, but one wonders if all the chambers were totally filled. $35 B >>find this wine>>
09 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza): Jack Black of SA Cab; in yer face but belying way more depth & complexity than you’d expect $20 B+ >>find this wine>>
10 Anoro Chardonnay (Mendoza): Mountain fruit knocked slightly off its peachy balance by its own oak clogs during the long trip down. $25 B >>find this wine>>
09 Martellotto Cellars Let The People Decide Red (Santa Barbara): Smokier than just about any backroom at a 1960s political convention $24 B >>find this wine>>

Weekly Twitter Wine Mini Reviews Round-Up For January 28, 2012

1WineDude — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:01:52 +0000

10 Undone Dry Riesling (Rheinhessen): Lemon, lychee and lime, enjoy social gatherings, available now and looking for a good time. $11 B- >>find this wine>>
NV J Vineyards Brut Rose (Russian Ricer Valley): Cherries on leisurely citrus peel ride down rosewater stream; ok, cheesy but it fits! $25 B >>find this wine>>
07 Henrys Drive Reserve Shiraz (Padthaway): Tithe paid in spices & tangy red fruit makes ample amends for transgression of enormity. $40 B+ >>find this wine>>
08 Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling (Clare Valley): Lemon & lime fully suited, engines revving, w/ pit crew carrying extra cans of petrol $20 B >>find this wine>>
06 Tahbilk Shiraz (Nagambie Lakes): Delivering big, luxurious Godiva-chocolaty Shiraz flavor at more of a Whitmans Sampler box price. $16 B >>find this wine>>
04 Mount Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz (Grampians): A Zoro of an Aussie red, dazzling you & then riding off with your horse (& your wife) $44 B+ >>find this wine>>
09 Trattore Estate Diamond Tread Red (Dry Creek Valley): Leaves a trail of rustic, spicy, bright fruit thats easy to follow (& drink) $29 B >>find this wine>>
10 Liebfrauenstift Riesling Trocken (Rheinhessen): Serve to your Chardonnay-snob friends, sit back & watch the ensuing sparks fly. $15 B >>find this wine>>
08 Turkey Flat Butchers Block Red (Barossa): Simultaneously enlightening & ass-kicking, like Neo sparring w/ Morpheus in The Matrix. $27 B+ >>find this wine>>
10 Eden Road Wines Gundagai Shiraz (Canberra): Enough bright red fruit, pepper & minerals to pass for hipster from the Rhone. $18 B >>find this wine>>
04 Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River): Theres a word for this, & that word is lovely (followed by food-friendly). $50 A- >>find this wine>>
09 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Riesling (Margaret River): Steely & almost standoffish; wants you to come back, just not for 3 or 4 yrs. $22 B >>find this wine>>
08 Schild Estate Sparkling Shiraz (Barossa): A dark-berry, smoked-meat… samosa?!? Yeah, well… I was pleasantly shocked, too. $29 B+ >>find this wine>>
08 Michel Torino Don David Malbec Reserve (Calchaqui Valley): Too toasty; but it brought spices and flowers, which was thoughtful. $15 B- >>find this wine>>
07 Brothers Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley): Blackcurrant hand in a leather glove, its grip slowly crushing your fingers. $75 B+ >>find this wine>>
10 Standing Stone Vineyards Riesling (Finger Lakes): Gives you apples, pears & a serious longing for more complex German Riesling. $13 C+ >>find this wine>>

Weekly Twitter Wine Mini Reviews Round-Up For January 21, 2012

1WineDude — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:00:20 +0000

04 Signorello Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): A Savory, black-licorice beauty sporting a serious ‘come hither, big boy’ stare. $39 B+ >>find this wine>>
10 Louis Konstantin Guntrum Louis Riesling (Rheinhessen): Sweet, but w/ a sassy spicy streak; like a mischievous kid you once babysat $13 B- >>find this wine>>
NV Toso Brut (Argentina): Bushels full of yellow apples, especially for the price; but man, those are some gritty yellow apples. $10 C+ >>find this wine>>
09 Quivira Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley): For those who prefer their Zin with plums, mocha & a hint of pepper. And a hint of awesome. $20 B+ >>find this wine>>
09 Casey Flat Ranch Sauvignon Blanc (Capay Valley): Yeah, it’s pretty beefy; but it’s also not without some firm, sculpted muscle. $23 B >>find this wine>>
07 Otis Kenyon Matchless Red Wine (Walla Walla): Starring mocha, ripe plums &… soy? Yep, & the story has a happy ending, actually. $23 B >>find this wine>>
09 Mercer Estates Riesling (Yakima Valley): Crispness so sharp & balanced, it probably ought to be registered as a deadly weapon. $14 B >>find this wine>>
06 Frog’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Nice mix of silkiness & food-friendliness; kind of like high-end edible underwear. $45 B+ >>find this wine>>
08 Royal Tokaji Mad Cuvée Late Harvest (Tokaji): Orange peel & honey kicking dirt, transmogrified & manifest into dessert. $21 375ml $21 B+ >>find this wine>>
NV Gustave Lorentz Cremant d’Alsace (Alsace): Light & tasty as gourmet meringue; & might has you feeling lighter than air in no time. $24 B >>find this wine>>

Weekly Twitter Wine Mini Reviews Round-Up For January 14, 2012

1WineDude — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:30:30 +0000

08 Kanonkop Pinotage (Stellenbosch): Deftly capturing the entire BBQ picnic in a single bottle; toast, smoked meats, fruits & all. $27 B+ >>find this wine>>
08 Graham Beck Chardonnay (Robertson): Still has more bite than the great white sharks hunting in the Cape; overachieving all the way. $15 B >>find this wine>>
06 Golden Kaan Pinotage (Western Cape): Spread some tart cherry on a slab of smoked meat & you’ll get the general idea on this one. $10 C+ >>find this wine>>
09 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Florence Vineyard (Dry Creek Valley): No new oak; thanks to those chunky-monkey tannins, you won’t miss it $32 B+ >>find this wine>>
09 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Todd Brother Ranch Old Vines (Alexander Valley): To sip while contemplating the implosion of the Universe. $32 B+ >>find this wine>>
10 Dashe Cellars Les Enfants Terribles Grenache (Dry Creek Valley): Its namesake Wild Children grew up flirtatious & down-right sexy $24 B+ >>find this wine>>
10 Dashe Cellars Dry Riesling McFadden Farm (Potter Valley): Funny, coulda sworn this peachy, lemony, lush beauty hailed from WA state $20 B >>find this wine>>
06 d’Arenberg The Galvo Garage (McLaren Vale): Lots of tangy, spicy black cherry fruit left in its (slightly-overly) oak-lined tank. $29 B+ >>find this wine>>

Weekly Twitter Wine Mini Reviews Round-Up For January 7, 2012

1WineDude — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:01:10 +0000

09 Amavi Cellars Syrah (Walla Walla): So bright you might just mistake it for Grenache; a damn good, meaty, overachieving Grenache. $29 B+ >>find this wine>>
09 Amavi Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla): The Walla tangy intensity is there, but you’d better *really* be into mushrooms. $29 B >>find this wine>>
10 Amavi Cellars Sémillon (Walla Walla): The basic plot is that Mango meets Citrus; much food-friendly, tasty then merriment ensues. $20 B >>find this wine>>
08 Blackbird Vineyards Illustration (Napa Valley): Thoroghly darker than – and “singing” just as lovely as – its namesake. $90 A- >>find this wine>>
08 Blackbird Vineyards Paramour (Napa Valley): A supermodel eating blackcurrants in Daisy Dukes after planting herbs in the garden. $90 A- >>find this wine>>
08 Blackbird Vineyards Contrarian (Napa Valley): Blackberries, olives & astringent coffee? You’re right, it doesn’t completely work. $90 B+ >>find this wine>>
09 Blackbird Vineyards Arise (Napa Valley): Like plucking a perfectly ripe fig right off the tree, then dipping it in (tasty) booze. $50 B+ >>find this wine>>
09 Project Paso Red Wine Blend (Paso Robles): Get past the sweet fruit edge, & your next slice of BBQ chicken pizza will thank you. $14 B- >>find this wine>>
09 Project Paso Old Vine Zinfandel (Paso Robles): Sporting as many layers as the meat lasagna with which you really should pair it. $14 B >>find this wine>>
09 Project Paso Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles): A juicy, simple, steak-&-potato wine at a very juicy, simple, steak-&-potato price. $14 B- >>find this wine>>
09 Project Paso Chardonnay (Paso Robles): Yeah you’re in apricot/vanilla territory but there’s a good view of crisp apples from here. $14 B- >>find this wine>>
08 Penley Estate Chertsey (Coonawarra): Can’t say I dig everything going on in this black raspberry cola, but there’s a lot going on. $50 B+ >>find this wine>>
10 Pewsey Vale Riesling (Eden Valley): Surprising; Like a late round draft pick who ends up with a long career starting at free safety $18 B >>find this wine>>
10 Backsberg Chardonnay (Paarl): No oak? Usually no problem. But in this case it also means not much balance (or personality either). $14 C+ >>find this wine>>
NV Segura Viudas Brut Reserva (Cava): Probably delivering more tasty apple flavor than the fizz yer local bar pours for its NYE toast $10 B- >>find this wine>>