Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Kimmel Four Blocks 2012 Merlot

This is a big style Merlot that would appeal to those who enjoy red blends and wines with grit as I like to say. This wine has everything I want to experience in a red wine.

Opaque very dark black cherry red colored Merlot opens with a craisin, black raspberry bouquet with a hint of black currant and dark Swiss chocolate.
On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, smooth and fruit forward with flavors of ripe plum, blackberry, baked bing cherry and a slight hint of spice with a touch of oak and a smidgen of dark chocolate and black olive tapenade. The finish is pleasant and displays dry sticky tannins which linger for quite a while. Tastes like it has been aged a few years but is still fairly young.  


 
 
For more Information on Kimmel Vineyards



Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Kimmel Four Blocks Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (California)

Another great wine from Kimmel Vineyards. This wine is from their Four Blocks collection.

Slightly opaque and dark ruby colored Cabernet from Mendocino County. Light black cherry with notes of mellow oak and a hint of minerality.
Shines aromatically with rich, dark fruit and beautifully integrated notes of oak. As it opens up, there are layers of red berries, rose petals, black cherries with a kiss of oak.
The palate is sleek and concentrated with dark fruit, spice, vanilla and cedar. The finish is framed by bright acids and big, juicy tannins. I can only imagine how amazing this wine will be after it ages a bit.


For more great wines from Kimmel Vineyards


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

2012 Kimmel unoaked Chardonnay (California)

For those of you who love a nice unoaked Chardonnay, this one is amazing and my absolute favorite!

This pale straw colored unoaked Chardonnay opens with a very mild apple like bouquet with a hint of lemon zest. 

The flavor profile is a combination of pear and tangerine with a hint of honey, green melon, crisp apple and lime. The finish is dry and refreshing and juicy. This wine would be perfect for a summer afternoon at the beach with fish and chips and a bucket of clam strips.

This Chardonnay from California is a really nice offering and quite affordable as well.


For more information on Kimmel Wines visit their website at

Friday, August 23, 2013

Kimmel 2010 Merlot (California)

Merlots, people seem to love it or dislike it. I struggled to find a Merlot I really liked for many years and Kimmel Merlot as I have mentioned before gave me a whole new love for the varietal.

So I received this wine last week and I could hardly wait to open it. Kimmel Merlot has always been amazing and this one was no exception. Aged 20 months in oak.

This onyx ruby colored Merlot opens with a blackberry, red currant, and mild old oak bouquet with an alluring hint of spice and just the faintest soupçon of strawberry.
On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, plush and juicy. The flavor profile is a rich blackberry with notes of spice, mineral infused plum, vanilla oak with tiny hints of dark chocolate. Smooth and savory, the flavors linger on your tongue long after your last sip.

This is an elegant wine, but don't let the finesse fool you, it has the structure to support 8 to 10 years plus in the cellar.
If you can wait that long to open the bottle.


Visit Kimmel Winery at

Monday, August 19, 2013

Kimmel Chardonnay 2011 (California)

If you keep up with my wine blog you know I am a huge fan of Kimmel wines so it goes without saying I was pretty excited to taste the 2011 wines.

This Chardonnay is big and juicy. Pale yellow with aromas of mild oak and honey with a hint of honeysuckle, like summer in a glass. Aged 10 months in oak.
 
Medium bodied wine, slightly acidic and mouthwatering. Toasted almond, buttered peach and succulent fruit flavors. Lemon zest, baked pineapple with a hint of toffee. Dry yet juicy finish with flavors that linger long after the wine is gone.
 
I served this wine with mushroom risotto and roasted
asparagus. Great pairing!


You can visit the Kimmel Vineyards Website at http://www.kimmelvineyards.com/

Monday, July 29, 2013

Kimmel 2012 Redessence Red Blend (California)

Kimmel Redessence was a highly anticipated red blend. If you are a red wine lover, especially red blend this is a must try! The wine is 85% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, 2% Petite Verdot

In appearance, the Kimmel Redessence is a dark onyx garnet purple color in the glass. Little light shown through the wine.  The wine was quite leggy with lots of slow moving, skinny legs inside the glass.

The wine opens with a fragrant burst of blackberry and red currant bouquet with just a hint of anise. On the palate, this wine is a fruit forward bomb. The flavor of blackberry, spiced cherry, ripe blueberry coat your palate with a savory port like finish, a medium bodied, very nicely balanced, and smooth red blend.

This is a red wine that any red wine lover would really enjoy, great served with a meal or simply all on it's own.


Visit Kimmel Vineyards at http://www.kimmelvineyards.com/

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Bodega Chakana Estate Selection Malbec 2010 (Argentina)

This wine hails from the Mendoza region of Argentina, where some of the best Argentine wines come from.
100% Malbec, aged in new and 1 year old French oak Barrels for 18 months.

In the glass this wine is very dark purple, almost black. Not unlike most Malbec wines. Floral nose with hints of violets and white pepper. On the palate prominent vanilla oak, black cherry, liquorice, redcurrant and violet perfume. A powerful wine with remarkably good integration of judicious oak and dark cherry fruit. Very juicy and lifted by acidity, this shows a classic New World style.
 
It's seems you either are or are not a Malbec fan, either way you will remember this wine.

 

Chakana winery was founded by Juan Pelizzatti on May 2nd, 2002. Juan was driven to enter the wine industry first and foremost by his passion for wine, and also by the desire to invest his time and money on a product of agriculture. Although Juan did not know it at the time, the company was founded on the same day the Chakana was celebrated on the Andes highlands: on that same day, the Southern Cross (the Chakana for the Inca people) becomes vertical in the night Andean sky.

Friday, April 5, 2013

L de Lyeth Merlot (California)

A Merlot with good enough character, elegance and balance for the price; honestly I did not expect to find such elevated qualities in this wine. It has definitely aged well, but at its peak, right now!
Proof of that is its brownish color and mature fruity taste, but showing an acceptable balance in terms of its bold and approachable tannins, acidity and its not-to-high alcohol level, with a nice oaky and lengthy aftertaste. A good effort here, for a below $10 bottle of wine from CA, after about 5 years of age; that proves how a great vintage the 2007 was, particularly in California.


Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Milat 2009 Zinfandel (California)

This Wine hails from St. Helena California in Napa County, a mecca of amazing wineries. Milat Vineyards is a family-owned and operated winery, situated on 20 acres of estate vineyard just south of St. Helena in the Napa Valley.

Ageing was in 80% American oak and 20% French barrels(20% new) 100% Zinfandel, 15.4% alcohol.

I had this wine at a Christmas Party. I love to see what other wine lovers drink and the Doc had quite a bit of Milat Zinfandel, it was her favorite Zinfandel.

Garnet red in the glass, I just love a dark red wine. The nose was rich with hints of spice, pepper and oak. The palate was fruit forward, dark cherry with intense blackberry spice mid palate and finishes smooth, slightly tannic. This wine would cellar well for a few years. Pairs well with grilled meats, Italian dishes or drinks well alone.