Friday, December 25, 2015

Ventisquero Grey Single Block Carmenere 11'

Naked Wine Review 171

Wine: Ventisquero Grey Single Block
Grape: Carmenere
Producer: Vina Ventisquero Ltd.
Vintage: 11'
Region: Chile>Maipo Valley
Price: 12.00-18.00 seems to be the average
Date tasted: 12/22/15, A Winter Solstice Treat
Place tasted: I had just returned from Starbucks where I ordered an 8oz bone dry cappuccino in an offensive red cup and bought them out of those adorable little polar bear cookies with their throats cut (well I would have, were they not discontinued). Starbucks rocks! 
There are so many Real problems in the world right now; radiation, tyrannical governments, weather control being used as a WMD… maybe take on one of Those instead of getting upset over the color of a paper cup or seeing a cut throat where a red scarf actually exists on a polar bear cookie.
So back on topic, with the energy obtained by the cappuccino I put together a marvelous shepherds pie using lambs, yams, and other yummy things. 
I then poured a glass of wine and toasted to blissful peace in the magical longest night. 
May you all be merry, Fearless, and Kind to one another now and throughout the new year. Skal All.
Served with: A Kind of Shepherds Pie (to view recipe click that link, look to your right on the sidebar or in 'Food & Wine Pairing' link on banner at top of page). They paired Beautifully! A food friendly wine that would go nicely with a wide range of cheeses; Italian herbs & sweet spices; and meats of lamb, venison, beef stews and foul. Also veggie matter of corn, sweet potato, and mushrooms.
Appearance: Like a glowing orb of pomegranate, rich ruby red with intense violet swoons that grace your happy glass. Thick bulbous legs move slowly down the sides as if to enchant all who dare stare deeply into her liquid soul. She is indeed, very pretty.
On the snoot: Blueberry and roses deliver a pleasing punch to the snoot while the heavy perfume of soft cedar and pineapple kush present on the exhale. Her scent is exquisite.
Taste: A burst of deep dark berry washes over the palate as a halo of sweet basil 
orbits the outer limits of the tongue, pleasing and drinkable. She comes on strong with a quenching quality and then rides away on an etherial red velvet wave of extremely soft tannins in lingering decent.
Balance: Sugar over acid, but not too much so; dishonest tannins, too refined and polite to know what they are Really thinking; alcohol dances light and lively. 
Comments: This wine is good in the way that Ken and Barbie are good. She's well dressed and has quite pleasing flavors. She is exactly as she should be, but has little to define her unique unto herself, lacking the eccentric complexities that I seek to excite me when looking for a new piece of wine strange. This wine 'makes love'. I prefer a less tender expression of affection. That said, she is very food friendly and I cannot imagine a more perfect wine to suit the unusual version of shepherds pie she was paired with. You won't be disappointed, but you probably won't mark the anniversary either. 

Rating: 3.78 tipsys

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Blessings and Peace to All




Sunday, September 27, 2015

Ernst Gouws&Co Pinotage 11’

Naked Wine Review 170

Wine: Pinotage
Producer: Ernst Gouws&Co
Vintage: 11’
Region: South Africa>Coastal Region>Stellenbosch 
Price: 11.00
Date tasted: 9/23/15
Place tastedI was high in a tower somewhere, hiding from the world and waiting for my hair to grow out. I had 'Girl in the Woods' on my wall, Trout Mask Replica on my iPod, a cat with an impressive vocabulary wandering around, and a window from which to view the moon. Not a bad place to taste good wine. 
Served with: Iman Bayildi, a Turkish Eggplant dish. So simple, and so very tasty. It’s eggplant and olive oil paradise. 
Appearance: Viscous with sticky slow moving legs. Bright ruby and rust combine with rich blood in a clear and beautiful pool of life force.
On the snoot: Bold and earthy with dark berry. Powerful and pleasant.
Taste: Blackberry and cassis wrapped in earth and oak then seasoned with tobacco pave the way for leather whips and creosote to dance in bloody red moonlight with chocolate sandalwood incense. Firm tight little pillows of tannin offer a sort of grounding familiar comfort. Finish is lengthy and soft with a slight quenching quality. 
Balance: Acid over sugar, dry yet warm with masses of soft soothing tannins. It’s a little hot out of the bottle so let breathe and mellow before pouring.
Comments: I love pinotage. Pinotage has a kind of ‘bad boy’ thing about it that is irresistible. It’s a rebel, a wine gone rogue, a unique and free spirit and a beautiful honest expression of an exotic grape that deserves great respect and praise. Enjoy naked and in good health, Serefe! 


Rating: 3.8 tipsys

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Sunday, September 13, 2015

Cipresseto Rosato Toscana 14'

Naked Wine Review 169

Wine: Rosato
Grapes: Sangiovese & Canaiolo
Producer: Santa Cristina Antinori
Vintage: 14’
Region: Italy>Tuscany
Price: 9.00, average
Date tasted: 9/2/15
Place tasted: I'd been tracking the bunnies that jumped out of last nights dream. All day long I was creeping down alleys, looking under rocks and inside faerie circles. They had the distinctive scent of white chocolate (circa 1975) which I caught just as they hopped out of my head that morning and into the waking world. You can't have dream bunnies bouncing around all over your neighborhood like that. You know how they are. I got the last one of them back into my head by nightfall but it was an exhausting all day endeavor. Boy, was I happy to finally sit down and relax with a rosy colored glass of chilled enlightened vino and some delightful snacks.
No matter the job, it's always nice to feel you've done it well, even when it's just getting dream bunnies back to their proper dimension. 
Served with: Nightshade Harvest hors d'oeuvres, yummy.
Appearance: She sports a strong yet delicate body all dressed in colors of rose hip jelly or malaya garnet, a brilliant gemstone. So beautiful was the color that it hypnotized me and I gazed into it a good ten minutes before even taking my first sip. She's simply gorgeous.
On the snoot: is the very slight scent of honeysuckle and melon.
Taste: Simple and highly floral with fruits of soft citrus and gentle pear, dry and lively. Finish is warm and smooth. 
Balance: Dry and light with no residual sugars and a nice gentle warming alcohol. A wonderfully sculpted work of art. 
Comments: This wine is flawlessly perfect. I had no idea how very classy a rose' could be. It was a humbling education for me and I'm so pleased to have learned this lesson. If you are lucky enough to live in an area that carries Cipresseto Rosato Toscana you should buy some. It will not disappoint, even if you are normally a red drinker like myself. Good wine is good wine and it comes in all colors of the rainbow. Expand your vision and remember variety is truly the spice of life. 
Thank you Julia Margolia for sending me this bottle to try. It was a pleasure to drink and a pleasure to review. 

Rating: 4 elegant tipsys

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Saturday, August 29, 2015

Bodega Norton Malbec Reserva 2012’

Naked Wine Review 168
Wine: Bodega Norton Malbec Reserva 
Producer: Bodega Norton
Vintage: 12’
Region: Argentina>Mendoza>Lujan de Cuyo
Price: 18.00
Date tasted: 8/09/15
Place tastedIn the oddness of clarity I sipped and contemplated the ship wreck of the past week(Aug 3rd-8th). I remember some really bad moments followed by some Really bad food. Then after a six day run of painfully bad moments I woke up without the pain and just the moment alone. First I noticed the silence, then I realized I was thinking again! good brain, good brain. To celebrate the passing of the week long cluster headache I joyously embraced every beautiful scent, taste, visual, intellectual and physical experience I could soak up which included this most expressive wine. It was the beginning of an absolutely magical rest of the month. 
Banish all obstacles to pain free living,
and blessed be the Camp Tuffit experience and all my wonderful friends and family.
Salud!
Served with: It was perfect with Mediterranean Style Rolled Flank Steak. Would be good with challenging cheeses, herby red sauces, and bold red meats. Try with steak au poivre, yummy. 
Appearance: Profound and serious red with violet neon highlights. Nice firm body, viscous and meaty.
On the snoot: A bold snoot rich in bramble patch perfume floods your senses on the inhale. Suspend your breath right here for just a moment to heighten the experience of vanilla, oak, and grape pixy stix that emerges upon the exhale. Dreamy.
Taste: A dry black current and vanilla introduction blossoms into masses of chewy and kind of fury tannins slathered in black pepper and espresso. Finish is long, dry, and filled with more tannin and tobacco that lingers like a naked friend staring into space and thoughtfully smoking after a frighteningly sensual experience . I Loved it!
Balance: Acid over sugar but still smooth and silky; no residual sugars to speak of. He's packed with tannin and pretty hot so let him breathe in order to plump and get himself in the zone.
Comments: Wow, what a great wine! Masculine and musky, I could drink from this bottle all day long. Danger zone!


Rating: 4 glowing tipsy's

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Saturday, August 1, 2015

Love & Squalor Pinot Noir 12’

Naked Wine Review 167

Wine: Love & Squalor Pinot Noir 
Producer: Portland Wine Company
Vintage: 12’
Region: Oregon>Willamette Valley
Price: 29.00
Date tasted: 7/27/15
Place tasted: Does this place have a dungeon? It feels like it should have a dungeon. Schumann would never be able to write in a place such as this; with all the tables and blood and those weird little gummy pizza’s scattered about like bug repellent. It does not matter if you close your eyes long enough. Close your eyes and listen. Close your eyes and taste. Close your eyes, let there be wine. 
Served with: Menage a Mushroom, Eggplant, Red Bell Pepper​. It was ​perfect with this wine.​ ​
Appearance: The light mysterious red of vintage velvet fading rusty with time​, ​royal and rich in character.​ 
On the snoot: Memories of a ​grape Kool aid ​stand on the corner of your past intersects the place where wild strawberries squeeze the black and white of your heart into oblivion. 
Taste: Saturated with ripe red ​straw​berry​,​ star anise and maybe just a hint of basil​.​ Both quenching and moreish with just an afterthought of tannin. ​Finish lingers a while and then drops quickly into a mysterious abyss leaving you wondering ‘who Was that red wine?’ and ‘when is she coming back?’ 
Balance: A ​colorful mosaic palate of elements combine ​to create​ this​
unique and well balanced​ beauty of a wine​.
Comments: It was like drinking a naked blossoming flower, beautiful and complex. 
Thank you Molly for this very special birthday present. That was so thoughtful and kind of you.  


Rating: 4 tipsys


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Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Tessellae Old Vines
Cote du Roussillon 12’

Naked Wine Review 166

Wine: Tessellae Old Vines Cote du Roussillon
Grapes: Grenache noir 50%, Syrah 40%, Mourvedre 10%
Producer: Domaine Lafage
Vintage: 12’
Region: France> Languedoc-Roussillon>Cote du Roussillon>d’Origine Protegee
Price: 12.00
Date tasted: 7/8/15
Place tasted: I was naked… again, running around my back yard in the middle of the night dancing and celebrating the first day of the Celtic Tree Month of Holly. There were some very confused looking deer watching me but I don’t think they were particularly offended or impressed. The moon was quartered up like a cheese sandwich as the heavens swelled around it. It was a magical evening and a delightful wine. What more do you want? Plus naked.
So here’s to the Celtic Tree Month of Holly and to remembering that there is Always something to celebrate in this life. A votre sante!
Served with: A Chicken Recipe. It would be great with lamb, simple grilled red meats, and feathered game. A nice wine for going with a cheese plate or antipasto spread as well. 
Appearance: Interesting high rounded formations as you swirl onto the sides of the glass with eventual thin yet pronounced fast running legs. She has a bright ruby glow about her. A svelte lovely lady of a wine in a slinky red dress.   
On the snoot: Bam, there’s alcohol in there! It’s all good though; there are scents of mulled baking spices, dark fruits, and maybe just a touch of oaky vanilla as well.
Taste: Juicy with dark berries, cardamom and star anise. Supple plentiful tannins follow through into a satisfying finish that lingers lightly on the breath.
Balance: Sugars and acids balance out nicely; and along with her medium body, lively alcohol and cushy tannins she’s a well structured wine being.
Comments: Complex and spicy. Most reviewers seem to deem her extremely dry but I found she had some warmth giving her that nice
summertime juiciness… a quenching quality if you will. It’s not sweet by any stretch though so I thought I’d make that clear. Light and dry. 


Rating: 4 tipsys


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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Frei Brothers Reserve Chardonnay 13’


Naked Wine Review 165

Wine: Chardonnay
Producer: Frei Brothers
Vintage: 13’
Region: California>Sonoma County>Russian River Valley
Price: 13.00
Date tasted: 6/21/15
Place tasted: The magic of the summer solstice filling me with light and the heat of the day sizzling inside me I put on some Edith Piaf, popped the cork of this chilled beauty and enjoyed a 2 o’clock glass of wine from the deck of my fantasy home overlooking the pure calm of oceans spirit and inhaling the rich moist comfort of her breezes. Eyes closed and solid in my visualization I pledged to reunite and never ever leave her side again. 
To living the dream, Hazza!
Served with: Cardamom maple saLmon, oh so good. Try it along side white fish or chicken, simply prepared. Rich creamy foods with mushrooms and summer vegetables seasoned lightly with fragrant herbs such as basil or dill would work well. Just stay away from lots of spices or acidic content. 
Appearance: Like an orb of sunlight sparkling in your glass she dances in erotic graceful swirls and swells. 
On the snoot: is the scent of orchard blossoms wafting in the summer air over ripened apricot preserves on fresh baked yellow cake.
Taste: Soft tropical papaya awakens the senses then gives way to burnt caramel and butterscotch that blend into her creamy texture. A long wet finish clings to your lips like a menage of kisses from dream time lovers.
Balance: She has a smooth creamy texture livened by alcohol and animating an ever so slender and elegant body. 
Comments: If you like a crisp bitchy chardonnay like I Don't, then you will have to look elsewhere. This wine is warm and approachable; a chardonnay that gives hugs and love. If you as I do wish a buttery rich naked expression on the tongue then you would do well to choose this wine… what, too much?

Rating: 4 tipsys


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Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Middle Sister Forever Cool Merlot 

Naked Wine Review 164

Wine: Middle Sister Forever Cool Merlot
Grapes: 94% Merlot, 6% Malbec
Producer: Middle Sister
Vintage: Non-vintage
Region: California>Napa
Price: Average cost is 9.00 - 12.00 
Date tasted: 6/15/15
Place tasted: I thought it was late but the sun was standing still in the sky. That’s when the dreaming laid me down. A unicorn I had recently spent some time with kept crossing my path like future echoes of inspiration now. Upon waking, my inner muse brought on a late night of wine and poetry. Later came the singing and the scent of hyacinth from a past life where Enchanted Forest Road meets Lovers Lane. 
Banish all obstacles to joyous living and embrace the rainbows before you.
-Cheers All!
Served with: I had it with a slice of pizza and arugala salad with blackened saLmon (or as I call it 'the usual') from Bridge Pizza bridgepizza.com in Missoula Montana. This wine was Perfect with that. It's a remarkably food friendly wine. Just avoid flavors on the extreme ends of the spectrum; nothing too spicy or sharp, and likewise nothing too subtle either. The wide range in between will serve you well for pairing. 
Appearance: A strong athletic build with slow hearty legs become her.  If you gaze into her eyes you'll be seduced into a pool of deep glowing pomegranate, hypnotizing and rich in character. 
On the snoot: Bright red fruit laced with black licorice and pencil lead. 
Taste: Fruit forward and juicy with cassis and plum. Coffee mingles with vanilla in a pool of soft gentle tannins. Finishes long, rich and quenching.
(side note: others seem to taste cocoa… you decide)
Balance: Full bodied and smooth as silk. All elements of sugar, acid, alcohol and tannin complement one another to produce a well structured lovely lady of a wine.
Comments: I could not believe how good this wine was as the price was so very low (on sale at $5/blt, what a bargain!). I shouldn't tell you this because you'll go buy it all up, but I found it at Pattee Creek Market in Missoula. Just leave me a couple bottles, ok? 
On the back of the bottle: The Age of Aquarius has come and gone, but some things never go out of style. Like flowers, peace and a nice glass of Merlot. Let's take a moment to toast the sisters who march on to the beat of a different drummer. Nobody stays forever young. But you will always be forever cool. And for that, we salute you. Sip on!

(I could not have said it better myself)


Rating: 4 enthusiastic tipsy's
Excellent value, on sale or not. 



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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Tilia Malbec-Syrah 13'

Naked Wine Review 163

Wine: Tilia Malbec-Syrah
Grapes: 50% Malbec 50% Syrah 
Producer: Tilia INV-D 70600
Vintage: 13’
Region: Argentina>Mendoza’s East Valley and Uco Valley
Price: 10.00
Date tasted: 5/15/15, make a wish.
Place tasted: I had opened the bottle to let it breathe while I did my daily session of nerve flossing. I have to floss my nerves now. Imagine that. I was focusing on my core muscles and doing my thing while the TV was watching me, fascinated by my every move. I’ve decided to name my TV, Keith. May as well make this a two way conversation right? By the time I got to the wine I felt so much better that I was dancing in joyous naked abandon and singing a lovely song that I thought Keith would most certainly Not enjoy. I don’t really like Keith very much. I did however really enjoy this bottle of wine. 
Served with: Matambre Arrollado, That was quite a production but well worth the effort. I’d recommend you have the butcher flatten that flank steak for you if you can, otherwise it’s pound baby pound… for a very long time to get it thinned down. 
It’s a food friendly wine and would go well with a nice antipasto spread, a large variety of cheeses, grilled red meats and things of that nature. 
Appearance: Slow voluptuous legs move down viscous rolling hills in the fascinating world inside your balloon glass. A swirly deep garnet and purple flower blossoms in full beauty when held to the light.
On the snoot: Ripe dark fruit, oak, and wet sandy beach combine in a powerful punch to the snoot.
Taste: Juicy plum and dark berries radiate through your senses giving pause for ponder. Spanky old leather whips snap with a tobacco patina while back pepper and fresh cut grass move throughout the cocoa dusted clouds of tannin, soft and understated. Finishes long and luscious with subtle notes of creosote on the exhale. 
Balance: Acid over sugar sings high and strong. She’s a little hot coming out of the bottle so let her breathe and warm up her voice first. Tannins light a variable. With such a smooth velvety texture, I’d say she’s probably into mellow jazz. 
Comments: If this wine were a woman she’d be a lusty lounge singer in a dimly lit sad piano bar. She’s Filled with secrets as all good singers are. 
I Loved it. 

Rating: 4 grateful tipsys, excellent value, Excellent!


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Sunday, May 3, 2015

Sagelands
Cabernet Sauvignon 13’ 

Naked Wine Review 162

Wine: Sagelands Cabernet Sauvignon
Producer: Sagelands Vineyard, Walla Walla Washington
Vintage: 13’
Region: Washington State>Columbia Valley
Price: 10.00
Date tasted: 4/20/15
Place tasted: I was so tired from swatting the flies of past injustices that I finally just put up a psychic fly zapper and moved my focus to the setting sun. That’s better. I laid my Bob Marley beach towel over a garage sale lawn lounger then set a shovel and pail of sand at my side, because you never know when the ocean might drop by. A little blue blow up kiddy pool with bright orange Nemo’s on it was sitting just over there for occasional cool offs. Eyes closed under dark glasses I grounded myself and welcomed the great Dionysus to flow into me and carry my useless baggage into the horizon, never to return. Naked, free, starting over.
Served with: My pasta salad. It would be great with grilled red meats, Lamb or other kinds of roasts, herby red stuff (or herby green stuff), Stilton and a wide range of cheeses, and of course good dark chocolate. A very food friendly wine.
Appearance: Viscous and leggy on the glass which is filled with glowing Lambert red cherry and clear ruby glistenings.
On the snoot: The pungent perfume of rose and cherry cotton candy on the snoot inspires memories of that one time we did that weird thing together.
Taste: It’s sooo Big! Fruit forward with a lattice of basil and chocolate caressed by wet cedar, expanding. Soft round tannins ride through subtle leather tunnels in a long luscious finish. 
Balance: Sugar over acid but still nice and dry. Tannins chime in as cushy round accent notes; alcohol smooth and dreamy. 
Comments: Nothing like dusting off the classics. This is a reminder of how satisfying and comforting Cabernet can be. It was like listening to Chris Cornell, Ann Wilson, and Eddie Vedder harmonize in my head. A taste of the Divine to be sure.
Thank you Catie for turning me on to such a great wine.

Rating: 4 tipsys, excellent value


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Saturday, April 18, 2015

Bodegas Triton Tridente tempranillo 2012

Naked Wine Review 161

Wine: Tridente tempranillo
Producer: Bodegas Triton
Vintage: 2012
Region: Spain>Castilla y Leon>Vino do la tierra
Price: 16.00
Date tasted: 4/14/15
Place tasted: I was basking in the glow of naked twilight, enjoying the experience of this most impressive wine. A blackbird swooped in open caw that sounded a warning to all who might mean harm to her little bappies. Spring is in the air, the days are getting longer, and the blossoming has begun. 
May you breathe and blossom in freedom and love. Salud!
Served with: It was perfect with Viva Madrid Spanish Chicken. Give it some spice and even a hint of sweet. Dark chocolate, yes. Bleu cheese, oh ya. Stay away from creamy sauces and more subtle delicate flavors. This wine needs a little challenge to bring out its best. 
Appearance: Black violet hues pour liquid velvet into your glass. Legs of a warrior, strong and defined. He moves with all the control and grace of Nureyev. 
On the snoot: Pheromones of juicy plum, rich soil and wet wood. 
Taste: The first sip is like kissing a god. The second sip is like drinking one. Taste is full of musky warm black current, cracked peppercorn and cocoa powder. A big solid mouthful of pleasure. Finish rides long and sweet on a river of soft chewy tannins. 
Balance: Very well balanced; dry and beautiful. Spice over fruit; acid over sugars but remarkably smooth and full. With a 16% alcohol he's pretty smokin' hot so let him breathe for a while before the dance begins. Tannins are plentiful, chewy and satisfying. 
Comments: You will Love this wine. I'm going to need cases of it so please send money. Oh, you should probably buy some for yourself as well, but I cannot guarantee you that will not make me jealous.


Rating: 4 afterglowing tipsys


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Saturday, April 4, 2015

Maraia Barbera del Monferrato 13'


Maraia Barbera del Monferrato 13'

Naked Wine Review 160

Wine: Maraia Barbera del Monferrato
Grape: 100% Barbera
Producer: Marchesi di Barolo
Vintage: 13'
Region: Italy>Piedmont
Price: 12.00
Date tasted: 4/1/15
Place tasted: Contemplating the upcoming seed moon and with an air of optimism, I sipped this light and lovely wine and sent visions of health and beauty out to the universe that it might send them back to me tenfold. 
Have you ever felt that you've just emerged from a cocoon, wings all wet and heavy but beautiful and filled with the inspiring potential of flight? That's where I was when I tasted this wine, grateful for every breath I took, and every movement I could make. 
Served with: I had it with Mushroom Bolognese on tagliatelle pasta. It was fabulous! Due to the high and bright acidity of this wine, best stay away from rich buttery cream sauces and the like. 
Appearance: A red rainbow of pure pomegranate with glowing violet refractions. She has a thin body and slow forming bulbous legs. It's like watching a gentle spring rain stream down weeping windows. 
On the snoot: A powerful bouquet of wild flowers and cherry cotton candy.
Taste: Bright juicy raspberry and a little pie cherry give her honest beauty and elegance. Proudly naked she wears only a halo of star anise and bathes in a cold mountain stream running over minerals and stone. Finish is full and quenching if not a little fast. 
Balance: A nice medium/light well balanced experience with brilliant shining acids; no residual sugars; lively alcohol and minimal tannins. 
Comments: Life is not about living up to expectations, yours or anyone else's. Life is about perceiving and collecting experiences; being observant and curious; forming your own thoughts and ideas. You were not put here to do and think what you are told. You Chose to be in human form that you might express the divine intelligence that is uniquely and eternally part of you. This form is capable of great accomplishments, and these senses are capable of filling you with immeasurable joy. As far as I'm concerned, "the wine alone was worth the trip".
(twist on a quote from the movie K-PAX... just the bit in "quotes", the rest is all mine)
Wine Comments: It's a light and quenching mouthful. A good spring and summer wine. Throw a bottle in your picnic basket with a nice antipasto spread and go have a memorable experience with a good friend.
To being happy and free, cin cin.

Rating: 3.7 tipsys


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Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Domaine de la Janasse
Cotes du Rhone Cuvee
Reserve 12'

Naked Wine Review 159

Wine: Cotes du Rhone
Grapes: Grenache (55%), Syrah (25%), Carignan (10%), Cinsault (5%), Mourvedre (5%)
Producer: Domaine de la Janasse
Vintage: 12'
Region: France>Rhone>Southern Rhone>Cotes du Rhone
Price: 15.00
Date tasted: 1/1/15
Place tasted: I was welcoming in 2015... and I don't mean to alarm you, but I think we are being followed. Stay quiet and keep to the shadows like I do; a painted naked warrior. Grab that bottle of wine and come with me. We are going to a land where there is still such a thing as privacy, empathy, and love. You and I will find our way now to the blessed garden where the air is manufactured by the mother herself. A place where the sea and the earth are clean healthy and strong. We will travel to where the true balance of nature once again is respected and adored by whatever superior species replaces the evil ones, before they do any more damage. As we ascend to meet them, we are becoming.... better beings. A toast to a better world and a more real tomorrow; image be damned!
Cheers All
Served with: I enjoyed it with a simple Cornish game hen dinner along side a wine poached Bosc pear salad, which was exceptional. 
It's a nice wine to go with all your favorite winter time comfort foods, such as hearty stews, shepherd's pie, pasta, pizza, steak au poivre, venison, and a wide range of cheeses. 
Appearance: Her soft round body hugs your glass while long royal statuesque legs stream in perfect unison back down into a delicious puddle of brilliant liquid ruby light; beautiful .
On the snoot: Heavily scented with sandalwood, dark fruit & berries. 
Taste: A mouthful of soft blueberry; herby and interesting with a spank of pepper and just a hint of oak. Long slow finish of posh spice, fruit, and lots of luscious dry tannins.
Balance: Medium/light body with no residual sugars, just subtle charm and grace. Dry and smooth, acid over sugar. There are plentiful bold tannins and high (14%) alcohol but somehow she's not too hot out of the bottle. That said, she does blossom and warm nicely when you let her breathe for a good hour or more before pouring. 
Comments: This wine was created with love and then blessed by the spirit of Dionysus himself..... you can just tell. What a great wine to start the new year with.  


Rating: 4 tipsy's, excellent value


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