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| Billecart Salmon Brut Rose
Mareuil-Sur-Ay NV |
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Bounty Hunter Comments: |
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Ever wonder why it seems
every high-end restaurant on the planet pours “Billy Bubbles” by the
glass? Ever wonder why wine geeks seem to tingle in its presence? Maybe
it’s time to get up to speed. Lovely cherry and strawberry flavors are
carried across the palate by creamy bubbles and whisked away by bright,
engaging acidity. Delicate enough to enjoy on its own, yet fully capable
of handling a complex food pairing, it’s tough to get more versatile
than Billecart without spending serious dough. This Champagne can hang
with other rosés that sell for north of 200 bucks. It’s one of those
insider treats that never lasts long. |
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| Cardinale Napa Sonoma 2001 |
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Bounty Hunter Comments: |
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A blend of fruit from legendary vineyards sites like
To-Kalon and Les Pavots, Cardinale is unquestionably one of California's
superstars. An absolutely seamless red from start to finish, this wine
combines Angelina Jolie's big juicy lips with Sophia Loren's
sophistication. Parker wrote that it "allies power with elegance" and
hailed it as "rich, full-bodied, (and) opulent." Laden with dense plum,
black cherry, expresso and oak vanilla, it seems to expand with each
sip. Pure hedonism in a glass. |
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Rick's Notes: The red cherry comes on and predominates
revealing a slight astringency on the finish. Rating 93.
Price: $124.95 |
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| Diamond Creek Single Vineyard Cabernet
Sauvignons |
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Bounty Hunters comments -
In his youth founder Al Brounstein studied fine art at the Sorbonne in Paris.
One of his original works grace the label of these spectacular
collector's wines. |
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Red Rock Terrace 2002 - This 2002
Red Rock Terrace Cabernet marks the 30th Anniversary for this esteemed
Napa estate. It is made, like 30 wines before it, from a heralded
seven-acre vineyard whose iron-rich soils set the tone for this tannic,
brawny, earthy Cabernet with a long (very long) life ahead of it. |
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Gravelly Meadow 2002 - Mouth filling
black currants, plum and smoke built upon a mineral and pencil lead
influence from the rocky soil. Defined by chewy fruit tannins and a
finish you could time with a sundial, this is one serious wine. |
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Volcanic Hill 2002 - The warmest of
the three vineyards, its wines are usually the longest lived. Dusty
black cherry, leather and mineral components combine with some cedary
notes on the massive finish. This will cellar as long as anything
produced in California. |
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| Lancaster Alexander Valley 2001 |
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Bounty Hunters comments:
Anyone who's seen the obscene resources poured into the vineyards and
winery at Lancaster understands that they're aiming for the top of the
food chain. Their Bordeaux model of age-worthy red wine certainly caters
to the patient connoisseur. Black fruit, creosote and anise flavors
deliver California ripeness while tongue-coating tannins let you know
this one will be kicking long after its contemporaries are coating salad
greens. Hardly a one-trick pony, this muscular thorough-bred should be
escorted gently to the cellar. It'll be worth the wait.
Price: $59.95 |
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| Palmaz Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2001 |
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Bounty Hunters comments: You
don't build a 40k sq ft, five level winery entirely underground unless
you're pretty serious about the long haul. Nor do you convince the
legendary Randy Dunn to make your wine unless you've got world class
fruit at your disposal. This highly impressive debut release makes a
statement out of the chute. Crafted in Randy's broad-shouldered style,
it's a medley of black cherries, earth, toast and tobacco leaf with
massive structured tannins. You would do well to put this towards the
back of the cellar while some of the more fruit driven 01's are being
drunk. |
| Rick's comments: If you asked
me to pick the wine that Randy Dunn crafted from a blind tasting of all
wines tonight it would be obvious! His unique Howell Mtn currant fruit
taste and style shows in this blockbuster. Delicious! Rick's
rating 94. |
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| Pursuit Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2002 |
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This is the private label of
the Bounty Hunter. He can't disclose the source of the wine but with his
contacts and connections you can bet the sources of this wine are well
known and highly respected. This is good value based on the quality and
price-point. As Mark says, "if it isn't great, we don't sell it" and he
uses his "taste per dollar" quotient as his measure of value and merit.
He succeeds with this sophisticated, complex wine that is fruit filled,
forward, yet balanced and polished for easy drinking but also age-worthy
for setting aside. Not quite as big as some of the other brutes tasted
but of the same ilk none-the-less. Well done!
Rick's rating: 91.
Price: $49.95. |
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| Ramey Claret Napa Valley 2002 |
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Bounty Hunters comments:
David Ramey is more a deity of vinification than he is a mere
wine-making mortal. His legacy with producers such as Chalk Hill,
Dominus and Rudd is mighty impressive, but its where he's taking his own
label that is leaving people in awe. There are few is any winemakers in
the entire world who are consistently producing such a broad swath of
incredible wines. In what is surely the best "taste-per-dollar" red
being produced in the new world, David's claret is a tidal wave of black
cherries, chocolate, liquid minerals and cassis, all working together in
a medley of flavor.
Price: $36.95.
Rick's comment: Definitely one to pick up and enjoy now as well as to
set aside a few and see how it develops. Rick's rating 92. |
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| Ramey "Hudson" Chardonnay Carneros 2002 |
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Bounty Hunters comments:
Reminiscent of a Mersault from a warm vintage, Hudson is a treat for the
senses. A big luscious mouthful of ripe pineapple, orange zest, toast
and vanilla, is perfectly balanced by a bracing, thoroughly juicy palate
weight. far from being solely about ripe fruit, this has an almost regal
air of elegance and sophistication. The French don't like to admit we
can make wine that tastes like this.
Price: $54.95 |
| Rick's comments: I don't
normally spend this much for a white wine. Then again, I can't remember
when I tasted a white that was so full, complete, pleasing, but not
overpowering or obtuse. This is a smooth polished sophisticated wine
that pack a powerhouse of flavor. Get some! Ricks rating 94. |
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| Rudd Estate Oakville 2001 |
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Parker says, "This huge, powerful, deep , rich
2001reveals telltale, big, sweet, chocolatey expresso, blackberry,
cassis aromas as well as massive flavors that ooze across the palate
with great richness, purity and equilibrium ... .(a) brilliant effort." |
| Bounty Hunter comments: WIth the vineyards Leslie Rudd
has developed, the facility he's built, and Charles Thomas' formidable
winemaking talent, there may be no limit to what this winery is capable
of producing. |
Rick's added comments: The smooth polished perfect harmony of
fruit gives way to a slightly smoky tannin finish. This was best of the
tasting! Rating 95.
Price: $124.95 |
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| Snowden Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2001 |
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Bounty Hunter comments: Ever wonder where
the likes of Caymus, Silver Oak, Viader or Stag's Leap buy grapes for
some of their award winning wines? They get them from a property
east of Rutherford in the heart of Napa Valley where Scott and Randy
Snowden are growing some incredible grapes and making some great wine.
This silky cab is a potent brew of black currants, licorice, cedar and
plum." |
| Rick's added comments: We discovered
Snowden during our 1997 Napa trip when we obtained some of the inaugural
release of this wine. We've been great fans ever since. This
release is as good as any Snowden we've tasted - smooth, polished,
tasty, easy but sophisticated drinking. Rating 93. |
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Price: $59.95 |
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| Thirteen - Napa Valley 2002 |
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| Bounty Hunter comments: Crafted
by Reynolds Family Winery, "Thirteen" is a partnership between some of
Napa's best farmers and winemakers. One ton of fruit from each of Napa's
13 sub-appellations was used to create this blend, an intense very rare
treasure. Black cherries, cassis, chocolate, vanilla bean, expresso...
the list of flavors is long and varied. One of the most unique and
inspired reds we've encountered in some time. This is the first time
this wine is shown to the public. |
| Rick's comments: Very
interesting wine - big and powerful - very complex but testimony to why
blends tend to have very precise and calculated ratio's of components.
In this case the dense forward black fruit overpowers the rest of the
wine rendering a style that is extraordinary. Under different design
objectives, that part of the blend likely would be reduced for better
balance and polish. Try this one on a wine snob friend in a blind
tasting! Rick's Rating 92. |
| Price: $99.95 |
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| Viader Napa Valley 2002 |
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Bounty Hunter comments:
One of Napa's most coveted reds. A deep muscular blend dominated by
cabernet franc, it offers multi-layered black cherry, plum, graphite and
barrel spiced nuances. Rich and brooding, it promises to develop into a
silken treasure in the cellar. This one always does well with the
critics. Delia Viader's stunning property in the hills above Lake
Hennessey is one Napa Valley's most impressive vineyard sites. Robert
Parker has |
commented it is
"one of the most magnificently situated California vineyards I have ever
visited".
Price: $89.95
Rick's notes: The fruit is a bit muted and closed perhaps offset by the
graphite tones. Rick's rating 91. |
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| Mission Hill Riesling Icewine -
Okanagan Valley 2002 |
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From British Columbia comes one of the
world's rarest treasures. Riesling grapes are picked frozen and
carefully pressed. The riesling nectar offers honey, apricots, orange
peel, beeswax, poached pears.... the list goes on. A vein of
acidity helps elevate this beyond the merely sticky into the realm of
extremely decadent. |
