Wine Review: Lieb Cellars Estate Cabernet Franc 2016

June is Bridge Lane & Lieb Cellars Month on TheWineStalker.net!

I've had a great relationship with Lieb Cellars for four years now and their wines have been on this blog many times. To learn more about both Lieb Cellars and Bridge Lane, check out my article A Brief History of Lieb Cellars - On the North Fork of Long Island, New York from 2016. With everything you need to know about them there I'm gonna jump right into the reviews. Click here to see read all of the reviews from this month.

The 2016 Estate Cabernet Franc closes out  Bridge Lane & Lieb Cellars Month! I hate it when these themed months are over. If you'd like to see what I thought about the 2013 Reserve Cabernet Franc, check out my review from 2015.

This is 80% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% Merlot, from Lieb's estate grounds on the North Fork of Long Island. Open-top, punch down-fermentation was used with yeast strain BRL-97 for its fast start, moderate speed, and good malolactic fermentation. It macerated for twenty-two days (including three days of pre-ferment), saw 100% malolactic fermentation with Hansen Viniflora bacteria, and spent ten months in Hungarian oak. Harvest was in November 2016, bottling was in January 2018, and it has a final ABV of 12.8%.

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Wine Review: Lieb Cellars Reserve Merlot 2015

June is Bridge Lane & Lieb Cellars Month on TheWineStalker.net!

I've had a great relationship with Lieb Cellars for four years now and their wines have been on this blog many times. To learn more about both Lieb Cellars and Bridge Lane, check out my article A Brief History of Lieb Cellars - On the North Fork of Long Island, New York from 2016. With everything you need to know about them there I'm gonna jump right into the reviews. Click here to see all of the reviews done so far this month.

A few years ago I reviewed the 2014 vintage of this wine but today I've got the 2015 Reserve Merlot. It's 81% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, and 2% Petit Verdot. Yeast strain T23 (from a Spanish Rioja fermentation) was used for open top, punch down fermentation. It macerated for twenty-two days, saw 100% malolactic fermentation with Hansen Viniflora bacteria, then spent ten months in Hungarian oak. Harvest was in October 2015, bottling was in January 2017, and it has a final ABV of 12.9%.

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Wine Reviews: Best of Spring 2018!

Today is the first day of Summer, so here's the best wines that I reviewed for this Spring season!

#5. Bogati Malbec 2016

Region: Virginia, USA
Review Release: April 26th, 2018

The color of the wine is a deep, dark garnet. And holy moly the nose is gorgeous! There's a calming minerality that lurks above the bold aromas of cherries, prunes, and a bowlful of lollipops. I could smell this all night! It's medium bodied with a slick mouthfeel, bitter tannin, and a tart acidity. In fact, it all gets a bit tart and bitter. There's flavors of tart cherries, raspberries, plum skin, and orange mandarin tea. The finish seems to go on forever with tart cherries and bitter orange. This is just so very different and so very good.

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $28

Rating: 4/5 = Recommended (what does that mean?)

#4. Domaine de Magnaut l'Esprit Passion Tannat 2014

Region: Gascony, France
Review Release: May 25th, 2018

The color of the wine is a deep burgundy with a twist of purple. Licorice and pre-lit, but stomped out, tobacco are the first aromas to hit your nostrils. Then there's blackberries, black olives, and vanilla. On the palate it's full bodied with a high acidity that's balanced off with strong, fine-grained tannin. There's flavors of cherries, plums, black olives, and mocha. The finish of plums and mocha go on for awhile but it's that finely grained tannin that shines. It's there, and it wants your attention, but it doesn't suck the saliva right out of your mouth.

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $21

Rating: 4.5/5 = Recommended / Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#3. Morgan Monterey Sauvignon Blanc 2016

Region: Monterey, California, USA

Review Release: April 8th, 2018

The color of the wine is a very pale yellow. On the nose there's aromas of lemon, passion fruit, and a combination of buttery and floral aromas that brings images of buttercup flowers to my head. I mean, I think I remember as a kid knowing they were called buttercups because they were buttery. Right? Am I right or am I just an old fart making things up? I dunno. Anyways, I immediately thought of buttercups and then pieced together why afterwords. Fight me.

On the palate it's medium bodied with a slight creaminess in mouthfeel from the little time in oak that it saw. There's loud and jumpy flavors of lemons, limes, and yellow pears. A very simple but lively and absolutely delicious midpalate. Then it finishes with lemons, a blade of grass, tart acidity, and a slight dusting of fine minerality.

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $18

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#2. Domaine de Magnaut Equilibre de Manseng 2014

Region: Gascony, France
Review Release: May 13th, 2018

The color of the wine is a vibrant pale yellow with a slight hint of green. There's aromas of peaches, melon, and honey. It's full bodied with some sweetness and balanced acidity. There's flavors of apricots, peaches, pear, and honey. And it all continues on to an insanely long finish.

Holy shit this is amazing. I freakin' love it. It's so rounded in body and mouthfeel and succulent with its fruit. This is not a crisp quaffer, this is a sip-and-savor. It's recommended as an aperitif to be paired with fois gras, but I'd prefer it for dessert with whatever pie you've got available.

And it'll only cost you TWELVE DOLLARS! Crap, man. This is a steal. I have no choice but to give it a perfect score. Highly recommended!

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $12

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#1. Godelia Godello-Doña Blanco Bierzo 2015

Region: Bierzo, Spain
Review Release: April 19th, 2018

On the palate... SUCCULENT LEMON! But I'm getting ahead of myself. It's medium bodied with what I think would be a creamy mouthfeel if it wasn't pushed aside by such an aggressively tart acidity. And... STRAIGHT-UP SUCCULENT LEMON! Goddamn, it's so good! Fun and juicy and alive! And DANGEROUS! I could probably down this whole bottle in five minutes. And here's the thing: it's not some low quality thirst quencher that you can down in five minutes. Those are awesome too. This is a damn good quality thirst quencher that you can down in five minutes.

I love this. I don't want it to end. I want a case of this stuff right now. I want to pour it in a bowl of Fruity Pebbles and eat it until I pass out. PERFECT SCORE! Mark it up!

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $17

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

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Wine Review: Lieb Cellars Reserve Sparkling Rosé 2015

June is Bridge Lane & Lieb Cellars Month on TheWineStalker.net!

I've had a great relationship with Lieb Cellars for four years now and their wines have been on this blog many times. To learn more about both Lieb Cellars and Bridge Lane, check out my article A Brief History of Lieb Cellars - On the North Fork of Long Island, New York from 2016. With everything you need to know about them there I'm gonna jump right into the reviews. Click here to see all of the reviews done so far this month.

A few years ago I reviewed the 2013 vintage of this wine but today I've got their 2015 Reserve Sparkling Rosé. It's made from 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay from the North Fork of Long Island. Fermentation took twenty-six days at 64° F using the EC-118: Prise De Mousse yeast strain, it saw no maceration or malolactic fermentation, and spent sixteen months maturing on tirage. Harvest was in September 2015, bottling was in February 2016, and it has an ABV of 13.2%.

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Wine Review: Bridge Lane Chardonnay & Rosé Cans

June is Bridge Lane & Lieb Cellars Month on TheWineStalker.net!

Bridge Lane is the entry level label for Lieb Cellars out of the North Fork of Long Island, New York.  One of the cool things about Bridge Lane is that it comes in all sorts of sizes, and you can see each size drawn on the label. From left to right: bottles, boxes, cans, and kegs. Yup. Kegs!

I've had a great relationship with Lieb Cellars for four years now and their wines have been on this blog many times. To learn more about both Lieb Cellars and Bridge Lane, check out my article A Brief History of Lieb Cellars - On the North Fork of Long Island, New York from 2016. With everything you need to know about them there I'm gonna jump right into the reviews. Click here to see all of the reviews done so far this month.

AND HERE'S A MONKEY
ON A BICYCLE. LOL
IMAGE CREDIT: crazywebsite.com

People scoffed at canned wine when it first came out, like most things that are innovative and different. Spiked Seltzer was hilarious when it was first put on cooler runs and now it's huuuuuge. The iPad was considered useless because it didn't have a flash drive. When the Segway PT was announced, it got a slamming of epic proportions. Bicycles. Cheeseburgers. UMBRELLAS.

All of these things were initially ridiculed, as was (and is) canned wine. But more people are realizing how effective cans are at keeping both red and white wine fresh, and just how useful it is to have half a bottle of Chardonnay or rosé in an ice cold aluminum container right out of the cooler. The category is growing and it will continue to grow so you might as well start accepting it as a thing. Because it's not just the likes of Flip Flop and Barefoot. There's also the likes of Underwood, 90+ Cellars, and Bridge Lane.

So here I am with two cans of Bridge Lane's wine. I'm not going to give them scores but I will tell you what I think of them. Why aren't I giving them scores like I do bottles? I think the point is different. Yeah, Underwood Pinot Noir is in a can so you can enjoy a quality fresh Pinot anywhere. These guys are in a can so you can crush them at the beach while also not drinking crappy wine.

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Wine Quickie: Left Coast Cellars Estate Rosé 2017

54% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier, 6% Pinot Blanc. $24 retail price. Aromas of cherries, watermelon, and white pepper. Medium bodied with a rich mouthfeel, tamed acidity and soft tannins. Mid-palate flavors of cherries, watermelon, and lime peel; then a wonderful finish of watermelon and tea. Love it! A very nice “bigger” rosé.

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Wine Review: Bridge Lane White Merlot 2017

June is Bridge Lane & Lieb Cellars Month on TheWineStalker.net!

Bridge Lane is the entry level label for Lieb Cellars out of the North Fork of Long Island, New York.  One of the cool things about Bridge Lane is that it comes in all sorts of sizes, and you can see each size drawn on the label. From left to right: bottles, boxes, cans, and kegs. Yup. Kegs!

I've had a great relationship with Lieb Cellars for four years now and their wines have been on this blog many times. To learn more about both Lieb Cellars and Bridge Lane, check out my article A Brief History of Lieb Cellars - On the North Fork of Long Island, New York from 2016. With everything you need to know about them there I'm gonna jump right into the reviews. Click here to see all of the reviews done so far this month.

I know what you're thinking: "White Merlot? Seriously, dude?" Yeah, I'm serious. Because this White Merlot is seriously delicious. This is the third vintage that I've had of Bridge Lane's White Merlot and the second that I've reviewed on the blog. That review was for the 2015 vintage so you can check that out if you're interested. But this is something you're gonna want to drink fresh, and I've got the latest release right here.

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Wine Review: Bridge Lane Red Blend 2016

June is Bridge Lane & Lieb Cellars Month on TheWineStalker.net!

Bridge Lane is the entry level label for Lieb Cellars out of the North Fork of Long Island, New York.  One of the cool things about Bridge Lane is that it comes in all sorts of sizes, and you can see each size drawn on the label. From left to right: bottles, boxes, cans, and kegs. Yup. Kegs!

I've had a great relationship with Lieb Cellars for four years now and their wines have been on this blog many times. To learn more about both Lieb Cellars and Bridge Lane, check out my article A Brief History of Lieb Cellars - On the North Fork of Long Island, New York from 2016. With everything you need to know about them there I'm gonna jump right into the reviews. Click here to see all of the reviews done so far this month.

This red blend is 44% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 13% Petit Verdot, 12% Malbec, and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, all from New York State. Fermentation took an average of twelve to sixteen days at 62°F with fourteen days maceration. 100% of the wine went through malolactic fermentation and it saw six months of 100% Hungarian oak barrels. Harvest was in October 2016, bottling was in April 2017, and it has a 12.9% ABV.

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Wine Quickie: Left Coast Cellars The Orchard Pinot Gris 2017

91% Pinot Gris, 9% Pinot Blanc. $18 retail price. Aromas of green apple, yellow pear, orange blossom, and walnuts. Full bodied with a smooth mouthfeel and a lively acidity. Flavors of green apple, yellow pear, honeydew melon, and wet stone. This is the third vintage I’ve had of this and the third that I’ve really enjoyed. Love me some Left Coast!

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Wine Review: Bridge Lane Sauvignon Blanc 2017

June is Bridge Lane & Lieb Cellars Month on TheWineStalker.net!

Bridge Lane is the entry level label for Lieb Cellars out of Long Island and I've got a whole month of both their wines lined up.  One of the cool things about Bridge Lane is that it comes in all sorts of sizes, and you can see each size drawn on the label. From left to right: bottles, boxes, cans, and kegs. Yup. Kegs!

I've had a great relationship with Lieb Cellars for four years now and their wines have been on this blog many times. To learn more about both Lieb Cellars and Bridge Lane, check out my article A Brief History of Lieb Cellars - On the North Fork of Long Island, New York from 2016. With everything you need to know about them there I'm gonna jump right into the reviews. Click here to see all of the reviews done so far this month.

This is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from New York State. Yeast strain EC-1118: Prise De Mousse was used for twenty-seven days of fermentation at 60°F before the wine spent three months in stainless steel tanks. It saw no maceration or no malolactic fermentation. Harvest was in September of 2017, bottling was in January of 2018, and it has a 12% ABV.

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June Wine Pick: Domaine de Pallus Messanges Rosé Cabernet Franc 2017

Cabernet Franc holds a special place in my heart. So it’s only natural that Chinon, located in the Loire Valley of France and pretty much the world capital of Cabernet Franc, is like music to my ears... that I drink? And it goes, uh, straight to my heart? Yeah, that perfectly sums it up. Drinkable heart music. And then there’s Chinon rosé, made from Cabernet Franc, which I genuinely get excited about even seeing.

But I bought this wine for my wife because 1) she loves rosé 2) the label. Janice, my mother-in-law, passed away almost four years ago. She loved birds. It was kind of her thing. So since her passing my wife has taken to anything with birds on it because it reminds her of her mother. So she drank the wine and she loved it. I drank the wine and I loved it. Just like that it’s my wine pick of the month!

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