Daniel P. Drake 
Château La Confession
St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2016
Hacienda Monasterio
Ribera del Duero Tempranillo Blend 2012
Welcome to the first weekend of 2019, Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great ending to 2018 and your start to 2019 is just as good I have opened the 2012 Hacienda Monasterio Ribera del Duero. The blend on this wine is 80% Tinto Fino/Tempranillo, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot.
The nose to this wine is very expressive and aromatic with notes.of plum, blackberry, cherry, black currant, leather and a minerality.
The palate is very juicy and fruity with notes of blackberry, black plum, black cherry, black currant, licorice and earthy.
This wine full bodied and smooth with medium + acidity and medium + dry gripping tannins that follows with a long fruity driven finish. If you like those big bold fruity wines that are well made then this wine is for you. I wish everyone a prosperous and exciting 2019 with lots of wine and happiness. Please have a safe new year. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — a month ago
Keush
Origins Méthode Traditionelle Brut Sparkling Blend
I was at one of my local wine stores this week and saw this interesting sparkler from Armenia. Thought I had to give it a try with two interesting blend of grapes 60% Voskehat and 40% Khatouni Kharji both indigenous to the Vayots Dzor area of Armenia and grown on 60-100 year old vines.
On the nose there is beautiful citrus notes, lemon curd, strawberry, white flowers and creme brulee.
On the palate the citrus notes are confirmed, lemon, stone fruits, a salinity, minerality and a rich creaminess of vanilla.
This sparkler is medium bodied with loads of beautiful effervescents and fine bubbles that continue on forever. There is zesty high acidity which leads right to a clean fresh finish. For the price you cannot beat this. I hope everyone's start of the Christmas weekend has been an exciting one with thoughts of what's to come on Christmas day. Stay safe and enjoy your family and friends. Nostrovia! 🍾🍾🍾🍾 — 2 months ago
Gaja
Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2014
Today's wine we opened was the 2014 Gaja Barbaresco. This wine is everything you would expect from the Gaja family wineries and from Barbaresco in the Piedmont region of Italy.
The nose has wonderful rich red fruit of cherry, raspberry, strawberry, currant, licorice, spice and dusty earth.
The palate has an elegant finesse of red fruits, maraschino cherry, red raspberry, strawberry, red currant, spice, licorice, a hint of pepper and rich earth.
This wine is medium bodied that is well balanced with medium + acidity and medium + fine grained tannins that lead to a long fruit filled finish. Have a wonderful weekend and please be safe with all the weather that is happening around the country. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — a month ago
Château D'Aghuilhe
Comtes de Neipperg Red Bordeaux Blend 2015
Tonight's wine is a beautiful Right Bank Bordeaux, the Château D'Aiguilhe Comtes von Neipperg Côtes de Castillon. 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc and at this price point is a steal.
The aromas on the nose are of black cherry, plum, chocolate, clove, rose, sweet tobacco, green olive and graphite.
On the palate are beautiful well integrated fruits of raspberry, plum, black cherry and then there is a big dose of green bell pepper with licorice, rose petals and graphite.
This wine is full bodied with a smooth mouth feel, medium+ acidity and medium fine mouth coating tannins that lead to a long clean fruit filled finish. Enjoy your rest of the week and please be safe. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — a month ago
Lydie et Thierry Chancelle
Saumur-Champigny Cabernet Franc 2015
I have reached out to one of my favorite regions for tonight's wine. This I picked up just recently the 2015 Domaine Chancelle Lydie et Thierry Chancelle Saumur-Champigny Cabernet Franc.
The nose is not as pronounced as I would have thought for a Cab franc from the Loire Valley. I am recieving notes of strawberry, cherry, raspberry, spice, herbs and wet gravel.
Upon first sip the fruit hits hard but then dissipates as soon as it arrives. There is tart raspberry, tart red plum, cherry, green bell pepper, black pepper, spice and earth.
The wine is medium bodied with medium acidity and medium mouth coating fine tannins that leads to a medium finish that doesn't live up to the hope's of a Loire wine. I hope everyone is having a wonderful end to their year. Continued staying safe and have a joyous start to the new year. Nostrovia!🍷🍷🍷 — 2 months ago
Andrew Will
Two Blondes Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2013
Tonight is the winter solstice, the longest night of the year and the weekend before Christmas. I have opened the 2013 Andrew Will Two Blondes Vineyard Yakima Valley Bordeaux Blend. 44% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Cabernet Franc.
On the nose is a stunningly juicy dark fruit of blackberry, black cherry, black currant, milk chocolate, violet, vanilla, cigar box and dark rock earth.
The palate reveals lack cherry, raspberry, plum, green bell pepper, black pepper, red currant, violet, graphite and some earth notes.
This wine is what I have come to expect from the Andrew Will Winery and Chris Camarda. This is a full bodied wine with a polished texture that is well balanced. There is medium + acidity and medium + fine tannins that lead to a long clean fresh finish. Another outstanding wine from Andrew Will. Have a wonderful weekend leading into Christmas please be safe and enjoy family and friends. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 2 months ago
Château Daugay
St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2010
Sunday night and went to my wine room for a Bordeaux to top off the weekend. Tonight's wine is the 2010 Château Daugay 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc.
The aromas I am getting are pungent dark fruits that seem to be on the over cooked side. There is black cherry, black raspberry, black currant, leather, licorice, tar and dark rich soils.
On the palate I am getting the dark fruit again, black cherry, black raspberry, green bell pepper, black currant, leather, black licorice and dark soils.
This wine is full bodied that has a smooth and supple mouth feel with medium + acidity and medium + grippy sandy tannins that lead right to a long finish that is filled with dark fruits. We are about to embark on a new week and I ask that you be safe and have a wonderful week. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — a month ago
Francis Ford Coppola Winery
Diamond Collection Silver Label Monterey County Pinot Noir 2016
Tonight's wine I have opened is the 2016 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Silver Label Monterey County Pinot Noir.
The nose is very expressive and well integrated with strawberry, cranberry, cherry, raspberry, barnyard, rhubarb, vanilla, rose petal and smoke.
On the palate is tart cherry, strawberry, plum, raspberry, mint, spice, light toasted oak, minerality and earth.
This wine is medium bodied with a vibrant mouth feel, medium to plus acidity and medium fine tannins that lead to a medium to long fruity, dusty finish. Have a great weekend and be safe. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — a month ago
Pamplin Family Winery
JRG Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2014
Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday's to everyone. Tonight I have opened the 2014 JRG Pamplin Family Winery Red Bordeaux Blend Columbia Valley AVA Sherwood, Oregon. 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 5% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot.
On the nose is black cherry, blackberry, plum, black currant, herbs, chocolate, graphite and a weediness.
Upon the first sip juicy black cherry, blackberry, black plum, black currant, black pepper, spice, herbs, rose, a touch of oak and pencil shavings.
This wine is medium to full bodied with medium + acidity and medium + fine savory tannins that lead to a long fresh finish. A gorgeous wine that is approachable now but can be laid down for another 5-10 years. I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas and time spent with family and friends was a joyous one. Continued safe travels and meetings. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 2 months ago
Daniel P. Drake
It has been awhile since my last posting. I had caught the flu back around 01/21/19 and it has taken me until now to really get all my senses back to honestly rate these wines properly. Tonight I have opened the 2016 Château La Confession Saint-Émilion Grand Cru by Jean-Philippe Janoueix. The blend is 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc.
The nose is showing good black fruit, black cherry, blackberry, black currant, licorice, clove, tobacco leaf, violet, graphite and earth.
On the palate is luscious dark fruit, black cherry, black raspberry, black currant, black plum, graphite, pencil shavings, tobacco, cedar and mocha.
This wine is full bodied with a soft juicy mouthfeel, medium+ acidity and medium + chewy tannins that lead to a long sustained dark fruit finish. I am glad to be back tasting and feeling 100%. It is the middle of the week so please be safe and work into the weekend. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 4 days ago