December 2020 Wine & Spirits Reviews

Here are the wines and two spirits I have reviewed this month. December is the busiest month of the year on so many levels: I completed my annual top 100 wines which takes more than what one might expect.

Top 100 Wines of 2020 – James Melendez

Blackbird Dissonance Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2019

Pale, pale straw color; 14.X% ABV, SRP: $20

Nose: bright citrus tones, white stone fruit, moistened minerals, and white flowers.

Palate: Meyer lemon citrus zest, hint of fennel and oyster shell

An appreciable Sauvignon Blanc that will be optimum for seafood, white pizza and white sauce pasta cheese, and rotisserie chicken

Esporão Alentejo Reserva Red Wine 2016 93 Points

This wine is a blend of Aragonez, Trincadeira, Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Bouschet; ABV is 14.5%; the SRP is $24.99. The wine is aged 12 months in American 60% and American and 40% French oak. Dark ruby colour.

Notes: red cherry, suedey/leathery notes; fresh crushed spices and violets

Palate: rich red cherry, pepper, allspice and crushed dried red rose petal

I served this with pork loin and this wine completed the dish and neither losing their robust and rich flavours.

Aerena North Coast Chardonnay 2019

I like the art work is by artist Tony Hernandez this is title “Conversations in Yellow.”

This wine is produced by Blackbird. Nose of apple, Comice pear, honeysuckle, and nutmeg and a palate of green apple, spice, and moist stones.

Raeburn Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2019 92

14.5% ABV, SRP: $19.99; 150,000 case produced, winemaker: Joe Tapparo

Nose: Comice pear, autumnal fruit, orchard, moist stones and ground nutmeg

Palate of autumnal fruit – Comice pear/green apple, sea shell, flowers and nutmeg

Raeburn Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2019

14.5% ABV, SRP: $24.99; 20,000 case produced, winemaker: Joe Tapparo

Wine is aged 11 months French oak barrels, 25% new.

Nose: blackberry, pepper, wood pile and violets

Palate: cassis, pepper, graphite and rose petals.

Battuello Vineyards St. Helena Napa Valley Valdiguié 2018

Light-medium bodied wine; mid garnet coloration,

Nose: Black cherry, dense forest, underbrush, spice rack and violets.

Palate: boysenberry, pomegranite, pepper, clove and Cardamom

Battuello Vineyards St. Helena Napa Valley Valdiguié Rosé 2019

Pale salmon color, slight frizzante.

Nose: Lemon peel, strawberry, crushed minerals and flower bunch

Palate: crushed red candy, cherry, almond, and flower

Il Bastardo IGT Sangiovese 89 Points

SRP: $8.99; 13% ABV, 100% Sangiovese, Dark garnet color.

Nose: red currant, spice, red floral and pepper

Palate: black cherry, fennel, pepper and cardamom.

Lost Eden Red Blend 2018 90 Points

This is a blend of Saperavi and other grapes from Georgia. It had been quite sometime since I have tasted a Georgian wine. Vitreous ruby red colour.

Nose: bright red cherry, spice, winter forest, violets.

Palate: fresh red cherry, strawberry, dried red flowers, and simmering spice notes.

Domaine Bousquet Pinot Noir/Chardonnay Mendoza Brut NV 91 Points

Sparkling wine from organic grapes. 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay; Dosage 12 g/L, 12% ABV. SRP: $13

Nose of strawberry, citrus zest, and flowers.

Palate: mountain strawberry, almond and moistened minerals.

I hope you had a wonderful wine and spirits month!

Santé,

James

© 2020 James Melendez / James the Wine Guy— All Rights Reserved – for my original content, drawings, art work, graphs, photographs, logo, brand name, rating, rating, taxonomy, graphic and award, and design and all designs of James the Wine Guy. James the Wine Guy is also on Facebook, Twitter and most major social medias.

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About James Melendez

I love wine. I am passionate about the subject as well as art, music, lyric writing and poetry, history, sciences, organization management, and making things less complex I have been a former national wine marketing manager for a large off-premise food and wine retailer (280+ retail locations in 30 US States); the love for wine taught me the good practice of using the best methodologies to right side a business which unto itself is complex. Further complexity is wine. Wine simple to enjoy and yet profoundly complex because of many factors: Many grape varieties States of wine: sparkling, still and fortified wines Vintage Blends Regions/AVAs/DOCs etc. Many producer styles Many producers Limited supply Limited and often restricted distribution My experience is still a lot of intimidation with respect to wine. Wine means many things to many people; status, fear, success, ‘you’ve arrived’, enjoyment, good times, tradition and even ceremony. I have consulted with wine producers and association. I have spoken on Wine and Social Media, Wine and Video and The Business of Wine in conferences in the United States and Europe. Beer and spirits do have the same dynamics–there are many producers but compared to wine there is no other consumer product like it. I have been writing about since November 2006 on my site and I have over 3,000 wine videos on my YouTube channel talking about general wine subject matter as well as specific educational topics on wine and reviews. I have been a wine judge and have traveled to many wine countries in the new and old world. Wine has taken me to great places. Life is tough for most of us and it is nice to celebrate life with those near and even far. What wine is really about is sitting around a table with family and friends raising your wine glass and saying—to life! I love to write about travel, food, technology and business–please subscribe! Santé, *** A plethora of wine reviews from wines regions around the world. Read more of my wine reviews:jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com © 2022, 2020, 2018, 2017, 2010 James P. Melendez – All Rights Reserved.

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