FRIDAY’S FIVE

Posted on February 12, 2021 by Stan The Wine Man

In a week’s time, I taste a boatload of wine (seriously). A lot of my friends think I’m lucky. Well, they’re right and I wouldn’t give this job up for the world. The only thing that makes my job hard, is my feeling of responsibility to taste the samples given to me as quickly as possible and to put my reviews either in my Moleskine, on my YouTube channel (Stan The Wine Man TV), or on Stanthewineman.com. Here for your reading pleasure, are five wines that I have reviewed in my Moleskine (good or bad), this past week.

2019 Chronic Cellars Red “Purple Paradise” (Paso Robles, CA)… $14.

Aromas of dark currants, tobacco and brown sugar. Solid and deep dark currant notes backed by underlying minerals and white pepper with a kiss of bittersweet chocolate front to finish. Structured tannins that are approachable. Finishes bright and juicy with vibrant acidity driving the fruit notes. 70% Zinfandel, 17% Petite Sirah, 9% Syrah, 4% Grenache (B+)

2018 Reserve de Marande Sauvignon Blanc Cotes De Gascogne (France)… $10.

Pineapple, mango, papaya and a kiss of tangerine on the nose. Mango and papaya notes hit on the front of the palate with pineapple notes lingering underneath. Creamy upfront, but then the pineapple notes take over on the mid-palate into the dry finish where there is a kiss of citrus. Nice balance of fruit and acidity. (B)

2019 “Ma Vie” Vignes Des Lumieres IGP Gard (France)… $10.

Slightly perfumed on the nose with notes of strawberries, cherries and blackberries. Solid, structured tannins that have a little grip to them, support notes of leather, blackberries and strawberries that are wrapped in a tight package. Cherry notes sneak in on the mid-palate into the finish where there is a hit of black tea leaf that lingers. A nice core of acidity hangs out in the background. This baby has a meaty texture and needs food. Something in the beef category. 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah (B)

2016 Arganza Legar De Robla Mencia (Castilla Y Leon, Spain)… $10

Dark cherry notes on the nose, joined by currants and spice with a hit of red flowers and red candy. Deep currant notes on the palate that rest on a bed of spices that are well integrated. Red flower notes come through on the mid-palate and persist into the finish, joined by notes of bittersweet chocolate and tobacco that lingers with pepper and spice. 100% Mencia (B+)

2018 Woop Woop Shiraz (South Australia)… $11.

Coffee and currant notes on the nose with a kiss of eucalyptus and petrol. Coffee and currant notes on the palate, backed by structured tannins and solid acidity. Eucalyptus notes sneak out here and there with pepper notes in the background. Nice, fresh finish. Good balance and integration. (B-/B)

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

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BITS & BOBS

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Stan The Wine Man

It is so cliche’ to give the Quarterback of a Superbowl winning team the MVP. Did Tom Brady prove himself to be the most valuable player in the big game? That is debatable for sure. Any defense that can stop the potent offense of the Kansas City Chiefs needs recognition. There are two reasons Tampa won. Their defense and the calls that went in their favor. End of discussion.

I believe I may have discovered my “Winery Of The Year” for 2021. There is a lot of time left of course, but the wines I’ve tried from this new winery are very impressive. It’s funny to me, that after all these years in the wine biz, my palate has stayed very consistent. I also have the influence of all the other palates that I sell wine to. What does that mean? What it means is that I have developed what I call a retail palate. By listening to all the customers that I sell wine to, getting their take on a particular wine that I suggested to them and adjusting future suggestions accordingly, I have honed my skills and know instinctively what wines will appeal to a broad stroke of people. I get it wrong sometimes of course and I learn from my mistakes. A few years back, my winery of the year fell flat at the store. I no longer carry any of their wines. I personally was very excited about the wines when I first tried them. I still like them, but realize now that they are over-priced for what you get. The current winery I am looking at has fair pricing and the wines deliver. We will see what the rest of the year has in store.

I think I am finally getting my YouTube channel on target. I have switched to Monday and Thursday episodes and so far it seems to be the right direction. Monday for the beginning of the week and Thursday for the weekend. It takes persistence and patience to grow the channel, neither of my strongest attributes. I do want to take a moment and thank all of you who continue to encourage and support me. I hope to deliver quality content that both entertains and educates. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel so you know when each episode is aired. I am very excited about the increase in comments I am getting on each episode. I make a concerted effort to reply to everyone that comments so that I can develop a sense of community. I love making new friends in the wine world.

I hope all of you have a great week. See you soon.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

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FRIDAY’S FIVE

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Stan The Wine Man

In a week’s time, I taste a boatload of wine (seriously). A lot of my friends think I’m lucky. Well, they’re right and I wouldn’t give this job up for the world. The only thing that makes my job hard, is my feeling of responsibility to taste the samples given to me as quickly as possible and to put my reviews either in my Moleskine, on my YouTube channel (Stan The Wine Man TV), or on Stanthewineman.com. Here for your reading pleasure, are five wines that I have reviewed in my Moleskine (good or bad), this past week.

2018 Hecht & Bannier Syrah-Grenache-Carignan (Languedoc, France)… $14.

Violets, plums and boysenberries on the nose with a kiss of earth. Rich plum and boysenberry notes on the front of the palate, balanced by nicely integrated acidity and a solid splash of minerality. Hints of bacon fat come through on the mid-palate. Finishes fresh with a hit of red flower notes that linger. Good balance. (B/B+)

2015 Chateau Blaignan Bordeaux Rouge (Bordeaux, France)… $17.

Aromas of rust,, cherries, earth and red flowers. Fresh on the palate and a bit hollow on the mid-palate. Earth notes come through, joined by minerals, red flowers and rust. This baby is thin and boring AND over-priced. The finish is all rust. (D+/C-)

2017 Banfi Col Di Sasso Toscana Red (Tuscany, Italy)… $10.

Candied red flowers on the nose, joined by notes of raspberry, strawberry and a kiss of licorice. Sweet tannins on the palate that support notes of black raspberries and currants. Smooth with a fresh edge to it from the well-integrated acidity. Rust notes sneak in underneath along with licorice. Sweet fruit notes beam through front to an earthy finish. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese (B-)

2018 Banfi “Centine” Toscana Red (Tuscany, Italy)… $13.

Aromas of earth (dirt), pomegranate, cherries and red flowers with a little brownie and sage thrown in. Smooth tannins that have a touch of rust to them, support notes of chocolate, cherries and pomegranate front to finish. Balanced and nicely integrated. On the finish, the pomegranate notes linger with red flowers. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese (B/B+)

2016 Chronic Cellars La Munca Red (Paso Robles, California)…. $15.

Aromas of Smucker’s Mixed Berry Jam and ripe currants. Plump mixed berry notes on soft tannins with a good shot of white pepper. Ripe currant notes hit big-time on the back of the mid-palate into the fresh finish. Good balance and integration. Starts out fruit-forward and ends on the cleaner side. Interesting complexity for the price. 68% Zinfandel, 28% Petite Sirah, 2% Syrah, 2% Grenache (B-)

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

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BITS & BOBS

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Stan The Wine Man

Another Super Bowl with Tom Brady in it. I don’t know exactly how I feel about that. Certainly, the fact that the Patriots are not part of it is a refreshing change. Personally, I am sick of seeing Tom’s mug at the Super Bowl. However, you have to have respect for a guy with the skillset that he has. He’s 43, which is quite old for a quarterback in the NFL. He has had a mediocre year really, but with some of the weapons he has at his disposal, Mike Evans being a key one, he has had the tools to guide a completely different team to the big game. You can only imagine the confidence he must instill in the players around him. Of course, I will be rooting for Kansas City, since I believe we are watching a new dynasty develop in the NFL, if they can keep their team together (not easy these days).

I have started a new schedule for my YouTube channel which I think will help me be consistent in putting content out regularly. I will be uploading an episode on Mondays and Thursdays each week. Monday to kick off a new week and Thursday for the weekend. Recently I uploaded an episode on how I go about selecting the “Pick Of The Month” at Kings Market. I also featured a new line of value wines from Chateau Ste Michelle, and I was pleasantly surprised with them. I am happy with the content I am putting out and I am especially stoked with the comments that are coming in. I want to develop a strong community of viewers that I can interact with. I’m getting closer to 400 subscribers which is very exciting. If you haven’t subscribed to my YouTube channel yet, I would appreciate your support. I think you will find the episodes educational and entertaining. I’ve set a new goal in 2021 to reach 700 subscribers. I think with a little effort and help from my friends spreading the word, that this is a doable goal.

What I love about the wine world are the endless things there are to learn. I have been doing this for a long time, and it seems as if I find something I never knew about on a regular basis. For instance, I shot an episode for my channel featuring Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. This is from the grape Montepulciano, which I sell at the store and am very familiar with. What I didn’t know about is the DOCG in Abruzzo (central Italy) Colline Teramane which was established in 2003. This is a very hilly area and the crown Jewel of the Abruzzo region. Carefully hand-harvested grapes and low yields make for some incredible wines. I am going to write a detailed article on this region for my blog, and the episode featuring a wine from this appellation will air on Thursday the fourth. Make sure to check it out.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

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