Tomorrow is the first day of Autumn, so here's the best wines that I reviewed for this Summer season!
#5. Minkov Brothers Tradition Cuvee 2013
Region: Thracian Valley, Bulgaria
Review Release: August 26th, 2018
The wet end of the cork is pure black and the color of the wine is an inky, deep purplish red. Let this bad boy open up because, even though it's five years old, it's still young and holding on to everything tightly until it's given time to breathe. Peppermint candy comes alive on the nose once the wine has awoken, followed by aromas of jammy blackberries, toffee, leather, fine black table pepper, and ethanol fumes. On the palate it's rich and robust with bright acidity and finely grained tannin. There's flavors of blackberries, black cherries, mocha, and... almost like I just licked a freshly cut board of oak. I'm kinda afraid I'm going to get splinters. It finishes strong and tannic with flavors of blackberries, cola, and oak.
#4. VINI Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Region: Thracian Valley, Bulgaria
Review Release: August 12th, 2018
It begins with a cloud of minerality above aromas of pencil shavings, cassis, and black cherries. Lingering in the background there's aromas of vanilla, black pepper, and mint. On the palate it's medium to full bodied with rich mouthfeel and finely grained, astringent tannin. There's flavors of cassis, blueberries, cocoa powder, and cedar. The tannin on the finish leaves your mouth completely dry and really delivers the words of BulgarianWine.com: A crisp, tasty, crunchy cabernet.
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QUALITY VS PRICE RATING
Price: $10
#3. Matsu el Viejo 2015
Review Release: July 15th, 2018
The color of the wine is a dark inky purple that reminds me of my soul. Stewed plums and blackberry sauce lurch over the glass flexing their muscles. Break through the jammy guardians and you'll also find tarragon, salted almonds, and black pepper. It's medium bodied with a velvety yet rich mouthfeel, and a tart acidity that's kept in check by big grippy tannins. Blackberries and prunes combine to make a heavenly dark fruit profile, joined by vanilla and caramel. Then it finishes with a crazy long finish of black raspberries, black pepper, and caramel, with the tannin drying your mouth as the acidity wets it.
This wine is so dark and powerful and... gloomy. It's Batman. This wine is Batman. I can hear it demanding justice. It's just phenomenal, absolutely outstanding, and I can't recommend it enough. I love it when the best is saved for last. Bravo, Matsu!
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QUALITY VS PRICE RATING
Price: $47
Region: Long Island, New York, USA
Review Release: June 24th, 2018
The color of the wine is garnet, leaning more towards purple than red. There was a lot of tobacco and sandalwood on the nose at first, but they take a step back behind the fruit once it opens up. Just like the
2014 vintage, it's all about the black. Black cherries, blackberries, and black olives. It's medium bodied with softer tannin and less acidity than the previous vintage. On the palate the black cherries are big and juicy, and raspberries brighten up the profile while dark chocolate darkens it. The finish of black cherries and black tea goes on fooooooreeeeeevvvvvveeeeeeerrrrr.
This is yet again a perfect example of Merlot that any fan of the varietal will fall in love with, and $20 is an insanely good deal for the quality you're getting. So I'm gonna give this ANOTHER PERFECT SCORE! Lieb knows how to knock it completely out of the park with my favorite varietal. Keep that Merlot coming, guys!
QUALITY VS PRICE RATING
Price: $20
#1. Proemio Reserve Winemaker's Selection 2013
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Review Release: September 20th, 2018 (Literally yesterday!)
Oh. Oh here we go. See, I don't even want to write a review of this. I'm wasting time here. Instead of sitting on the porch looking at the stars and drinking this wonderful wine I've got to spend the next hour analyzing it, writing about it, and then cutting a video. Goddamn it. Do you see the sacrifices I make for you people? Uuuuugh. Alright, let's get on with it then...
So yeah. The spoiler is out: This wine is PHENOMENAL. It's brick red in color with a slight hue in the purple direction. Black olive is the very first thing that pops up for me on the nose, then there's plums, blueberries, toasty oak, chocolate, mint, and saffron. It seriously the kind of nose that makes you just tilt your head away as soon as you take a whiff and say "Oh. Oh here we go." On the palate it has a medium body, an acidity that is so perfectly balanced that you don't even know it's there (but it is because you'd notice a lack of acidity), and fine grained tannin that at this point is pretty chill. It finishes ultra long with plums, chocolate, and mint, and leaves a silky coating in your mouth literally forever.
Wine Spectator gave this 90 points. Really, Wine Spectator? Just 90 points? How dare you. This is a goddamn god among its $27 peers! I give it FIVE OUT OF FIVE in price vs quality for Highly Recommended. Spectate THAT! HA!
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QUALITY VS PRICE RATING
Price: $27
