by Winepisser | Feb 10, 2022 | Quick Review
Gene splicers ignored all ethics and created a living Venus de Milo. Nose is horse stable and earth, with musty, burned oak. The palate is potent blackberry, tannins smooth as velvet. Rich, dense, luxurious. Tannat dominates but merlot adds smoothness, and tempranillo...
by Winepisser | Feb 8, 2022 | Quick Review
This baby’s diaper was just changed, apparently, because he’s dry. Nose is very faint, disappearing quickly after pouring. Notes of grape jam maybe? Once swigged, the jamminess resurfaces but this grapey flavor is not accompanied by sugar. Might have...
by Winepisser | Feb 8, 2022 | Quick Review
That politician’s autobiography was exactly how you expected, and not a bit better. Middling Sauvignon blanc that hits the usual notes of lemon and citrus but without much else. Faint nose and short finish make this forgettable, but it’s not all bad if you...
by Winepisser | Feb 5, 2022 | Quick Review
Holy chocolate-covered cherries, Batman! Musty nose prophesies flavors of black cherry, chocolate earthy goodness. Medium silky, moderate finish. Powerful flavors dominated above steak and ribs plate. The blend is primarily Malbec, spiked with 15% Bonarda and 6%...
by Winepisser | Jan 29, 2022 | Quick Review
Pop-art but not pop-tart. Notes of cinnamon, honey and slate on the nose. Flavors are spiced apple, more slate and honey. Despite the honey notes, this is very not sweet. Slight fizz adds some fun, but not the best Mosel reez I’ve had. Finish is over-tart and...
by Winepisser | Jan 28, 2022 | Quick Review
That briefcase was on sale, but it should impress the folks on the commuter train. This is a color-by-numbers Rhone red blend. Entirely serviceable and will pair with nearly any red meat you throw at it, but also nothing particularly memorable. Nose is wimpy, but...
by Winepisser | Jan 28, 2022 | Quick Review
By order of the peaky fookin’ blinders! Nose has bits of leather, very yummy. Palate is blackcurrant and darkest black cherry. Potent 14.5% alcohol shows these Languedoc boys are not playing. Medium tannins, medium acidity. This blend from the Corbières region...
by Winepisser | Jan 27, 2022 | Quick Review
When Tom Jones did that Prince song. It’s hard to fuck up a pooey-fwizzay. Nose is vanilla and asparagus. Chug it down the gullet and it’s all flavors of lemon, vanilla, and lemongrass. Medium dry, medium tart. Long finish. A winner. Grapes are chardonnay...
by Winepisser | Jan 26, 2022 | Quick Review
Polaroid taken last week, but has already faded. Nose of grass and lemon, and color is light green. Flavor notes include slate and lemon. Short finish and a bit too citrus for my taste. Given the provenance, I was slightly disappointed. Might pair well with spicy...
by Winepisser | Jan 22, 2022 | Quick Review
Magical disappearing act ends up a crowd-pleaser. Remarkably priced, best of breed Malbec from a country awash in the stuff. Nose is jammy jammy jammy, but once down the gullet it’s super dry, so no grape juice here, friends. Notes of plum and black cherry, but...
by Winepisser | Jan 22, 2022 | Quick Review
The house you bought in a middle-class neighborhood is discovered to have an underground passage to a lost gold mine. Nose is pure grape, but not jammy in the traditional sense; typical for the Argentinian breed. Mouthfeel is astonishing: soft, supple, dry, and...
by Winepisser | Jan 21, 2022 | Quick Review
Village witch turns gold into silver. I’m not sure I understand the alchemy at play that injects a citrus note into a malbec just by scraping the skins. But this is that. Lemon dominates, but a meaty hint of traditional smoke and red malby remains underneath....
by Winepisser | Jan 12, 2022 | Quick Review
Giggling teens on a rollercoaster. This is a fun wine, so shut up. Cheap, sweet, fizzy, and fresh, but low in alcohol (7%) and easy to gulp. Sure, it would pair well with cheese or dessert, but why be traditional? Just chug the stuff from the screw top bottle, and...
by Winepisser | Jan 8, 2022 | Quick Review
That new, young substitute minister who you thought was going to be dynamic, but who then just read a passage from Luke in monotone. Chardonnay dominates, but some perfume points to the Chenin Blanc. Low acidity, low tang. Lemon is the most obvious note. Not bad, but...
by Winepisser | Jan 5, 2022 | Quick Review
Undercover cop has fake mustache, but gets the job done anyway. One of the better essbies from Chile, with nose of a New Zealand offering – slate and asparagus. On the palate it’s similarly traditional, but subtle. Only slightly tart, with the slight cat...
by Winepisser | Dec 31, 2021 | Quick Review
Valedictorian-in-running later graduates to run pastry shop. This one is all apricot, straw and honey. Sweet as a sauternes should be, but not saccharine. Paired well with a dessert course of chocolate. Would pair better with strong goat cheese, but none on hand to...
by Winepisser | Dec 30, 2021 | Quick Review
Delicate flirt carries ornate-handled switchblade. This one is a gorgeous, deceiving bitch. Light ruby in color, deceptively thin in texture, but packs the usual CDP wallop of 14% alcohol. Nose is subtle shoe leather. Tongue is all black cherry with a unique earthy...
by Winepisser | Dec 30, 2021 | Quick Review
Shy introvert looks cute, but won’t dance with anyone. This one is too subtle. Nose is plum, but faint. Medium acidity, with smooth tannins. Very dry, with flavor notes disappearing quickly. Black cherry is the most prominent. Wilted when paired with cheese...
by Winepisser | Dec 28, 2021 | Quick Review
A day of shopping for luxury furs marred only by your looming credit limit. Fantastic Pomerol blend of merlot, cab franc, and cab sauvignon. Nose is a thick blanket of blackberry. On the tongue, it’s more blackberry, some graphite, and leather. Improved after...
by Winepisser | Dec 27, 2021 | Quick Review
You fall asleep naked in a meadow of honeysuckle when, suddenly, a chorus of angels rains the blessings of heaven upon you while playing Debussy; Jean-Luc Godard wishes he was this breathless. The nose is floral, with hints of honey and sweet apple. The honey carries...
by Winepisser | Dec 27, 2021 | Quick Review
Sure, that tune is catchy but only because it’s similar to something else you heard once. Fairly typical verdejo and will be fine if you like the grape. For me, it was too standard: citrus, lemon, a bit of slate. Tart bordering on bitter. Paired better with...
by Winepisser | Dec 26, 2021 | Quick Review
Two old school chums get together and the resulting conversation is suitably delightful. Very nice chardonnay / viognier blend, with the chardonnay smoothing out some of the minerality. Notes of apricot. Label recommends pairing with camembert or salmon and I...
by Winepisser | Dec 26, 2021 | Quick Review
A noir film for which Hitchcock directed the first reel, but then JJ Abrams was swapped in for the rest. Nose on this is great, a bit jammy but not overso, reminded me of a favorite old-vine gamay. But on the palate, it’s a boring, flat example of a grape which...
by Winepisser | Dec 14, 2021 | Quick Review
Your southern cousin lived in New England for a while and tried to drop his accent, with mixed results. Less tart than others of the breed, but still has a twang. Another fine Spanish alby, with faint nose notes of honey and lemon. Once inside the piehole, flavors of...
by Winepisser | Dec 13, 2021 | Quick Review
A Valentine’s Day gift of chocolate-covered cherries with a note promising some Marvin Gaye fueled bedspring squeaking later. Nose is subtle but chocolate is the primary note. On the tongue it’s medium-smooth with lots of typical zinfandel fruit notes,...
