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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FRIDAY’S FIVE

Posted on January 29, 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 Lestrillle-Capmartin Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle (Entre-Deux-Mers, France)… $16.

Aromas of cut grass and melon with a kiss of lemon and grapefruit. Bright grapefruit notes on the palate with a hit of wet stone on the mid-palate and a little stainless steel action underneath. Melon and lemon notes join up on the fresh finish. (B-)

2015 Monchiero Carbone Pelisa Barbera d’Alba (Piedmont, Italy)… $19.

Aromas of rose petal, cherries, black olives and perfumed licorice. Solid acidity makes this wine dry on the palate with notes of black pepper, black olive, red flowers and a good shot of minerals front to finish with a touch of funk. This is what old world is about, and this baby screams for stews, lamb or roast. (B-)

2015 Chateau Larose-Trintaudon Les Hauts de Trintaudon (Haut Medoc, France)… $17.

Aromas of tobacco, dark cherries, red plums, worn leather and hints of red flowers. There is a huge leather attack on the front of the palate, joined by notes of dark cherries and wilted red flowers. Wood tannins hide underneath front to finish. There is a high tone of acidity that comes out on the mid-palate into the finish where worn leather and cherry notes linger with a dusty minerality. Still needs 5-8 years to hit its peak. Please decant before imbibing. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (B+/A-)

2018 Masseria Li Veli Primonero (Salento, Italy)… $11.

Aromas of currants, tobacco, wood, oregano and thyme with hits of red licorice, red flowers and BBQ spices. Currant notes on the palate, with dried herb notes underneath. Smooth tannins that have a mineral edge to them. Tobacco notes hide underneath and come out in force on the finish where herbs and red berry notes join up and linger. Good balance and integration. fresh on the finish. A blend of Negroamaro and Primitivo (B)

2018 JorJao Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina)… $16.

Dark cherries on the nose with slight burnt wood, vanilla and red flower notes sneaking in. Brooding dark cherry notes on the palate with wilted red flower notes thrown in and a touch of gritty minerality. Fresh and slightly thin finish where the grit lingers with red flowers. (C-/C)

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man

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