Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Red Wine 2009

Date of Tasting: 25 March 2015

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec

Alcohol: 15.2%

Origin: Washington, USA

Appellation: Columbia Valley

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR60

Web: http://www.quilcedacreek.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 92/100
Critics' Opinion: WA - 94/100, ST - 91/100, CT - 92/100

Appearance: Deep crimson

Aroma: Herbs, smoke, cocoa, tobacco and black fruits

Palate: Full on the palate. Deep exotic spices. Sweet ripe berries, chocolate, graphite, and oakiness. Fine and smooth tannins.

Needless to say much. This second wine from Quilceda Creek is surely one of the top of New World wine from Washington. It is sexy and yet opulent. Ones will indeed enjoy a big punch of this bordeaux blend. It is ready now and should be fabulous at least 5 years ahead. Quilceda Creek Red Wine 2009 will surely be a perfect compliment with red meat and rich dishes. Raise the glass!!!!

Shafer Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley 2010

Date of Tasting: 21 March 2015

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 84% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec

Alcohol: 15.3%

Origin: California, USA

Appellation: Napa Valley

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR50

Web: http://www.shafervineyards.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 93/100
Professional Rating: WA - 93/100, WE - 91/100, WS - 90/100, CT - 91/100

Appearance: Dense purplish red

Aroma: Sweet black fruits and cherry. Mild floral and spices floor. 

Palate: On the texture, it is almost full, kind of big and jammy but beautifully soft. Exhibit licorice, chocolate, blackberry, and integrated vanilla, earthiness and spice touches. 

It is a merlot base blend that is showing tremendously now. I had it along with rib eye steak and it did compliment each other well. Sensational mouth feel and aroma, it has. Though, there are some cabernet sauvignon and malbec in the blend but they do not seem to overwhelm the characters of merlot. But they more like enhancing structure of this wine. Throughout the course of this bottle, it kept developing along. Perhaps gentle decanting would do for those who need immediate consumption. Personally, I may wait until the end of 2016 before accessing another bottle to see how it develops.

Craggy Range Sophia Gimblett Gravels 2008

Date of Tasting: 13 March 2015

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 89% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc

Alcohol: 14.5%

Origin: Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Appellation: Gimblett Gravels

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR60

Web: http://www.craggyrange.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 95/100
Professional Rating: WA - 94/100, CT - 94/100

Appearance: Opulent garnet

Aroma: Persistent aroma of dark berries, spices, and floral

Palate: Firm and tannic kind of style with big bodied but yet subtlety. Sweet blackcurrant and cassis bursting out at the first sip. Rich and smooth texture. Vibrant acidity balanced the picture well. Apparent toasty oaky feel.

Pretty nice bottle of Merlot based wine in its own style. Rich in fruit. Elegant despite power. Somewhat fabulous with oakiness that did not overwhelm. It might, however, be a little plain for those who look for multi dimensions structure. Well, it is wonderful now for drinking. I enjoyed it with nice piece of medium-rare rib eye. Red meat dish that is not too complex should pair well. Cheers!!!

Achaval Ferrer Finca Altamira Mendoza 2008

Date of Tasting: 31 May 2014

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 100% Malbec

Alcohol: 13.5%

Origin: Mendoza, Argentina

Appellation: La Consulta

Expect to Pay: ~ THB3,000

Web: http://www.achaval-ferrer.com/
Chubby Score: 95/100
Value for money: 8/10
Professional Rating: WA - 97/100, WS - 94/100, WE - 90/100, ST - 93/10, CT - 93/100

Appearance: bright and deep purplish ruby

Aroma: cassis, dark berries, exotic spices

Palate: big and broad with sublime smoothness. long and lush with violet fruit forward and graphite note. excellent balance with fine acidity. subtle aftertaste.

Excellent bottle of single vineyard at the altitude of 3,400 feet and low yield (12 hectoliters/hectare) by Achaval Ferrer. This is a kind of power and opulent that combines with elegance as well. So rich on the flavour and so smooth on the texture. It showed fabulously throughout the 2 hours period of drinking. It gives so much pleasure right now and should be impressive for a decade to go. Looking forward to revisit in a few years.