Tag Archives: mystery c

Stew it is

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At the start of 2020, the Sichel Family took control of Château Daviaud, a neighbouring property it well knew as one of their longtime growers. With the Château up for sale, the family didn’t want to lose the connection to the vines and land through new owners.

Bordeaux has a cool marine coastal climate, with mild weather and no dry season. Bordeaux reds tend to be lower in alcohol and are slightly lighter in body.

Blend of 45% Merlot, 21% Cab Franc, 19% Cab Sauv, 15% Malbec This was still very young. Warm baking spices on the finish Smooth tannins for a good finish.  A sense of sophistication and elegance. Went very well with homemade stew the first night, and a meat pie the second.

BORDEAUX – CHATEAU DAVIAUD ROUGE 2019

$17.99 regularly $19.99

14% Alcohol

UPC: 03394150053724

No! You can’t have mine .. I’m not sharing!

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Medium bodied. Light. Clear. Non-citrusy. Very nice minerality with a hint of lemongrass.  

It is superbly structured and balanced .  There is an excellent crisp acidity on the finish.


This delightful wine is entirely grown, crafted, and bottled in Marlborough and certified sustainable by the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand organization.


This would be great with snacks fare.


We should look for their Gewurtz and Chardonnays to see what they are like

SAUVIGNON BLANC – WHITEHAVEN MARLBOROUGH 2019

$16.99 regularly $18.99

13.0% alcohol

UPC: 09418579070019

Summertime Summertime. Out on the Deck

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Animus Venho “Verde” refers to the fact these are young wines meant to be drunk early.  The wine is light, fresh, and delicious.

Get ready to be surprised.  And she was!  She, who doesn’t like bubbles, got by the slightly fizziness on the side of the glass very quickly.

This is a wine that is going to make you smile, even before you taste it.  Look closely at the label.  Great Artwork. The green ‘i’ in the name gives you a hint at what’s coming.

The grapes are pressed at low pressure, and then fermented with low temperature.   90% Louriero (one of the major grapes in the region) and 10% Arinto grapes.   The Faria family has been making wine in Vinho Verde for over 200 years. Beginning just a decade ago, growers like Vicente Faria decided to make their own, estate Vinho Verde and take control of the finished wine.

After all, Vicente is a 7th generation winemaker, so he has a long family history to his advantage. He also studied oenology in Bordeaux and Portugal to give him a broader slate on which to draw ideas and concepts. Up to five grapes can be used for Vinho Verde, but he only used the best two, resulting in a great wine. 

This is going to be great with salad and nibblies.

Vinho Verde Animus 2019

$11.99 regularly 13.99

10.5% alcohol

UPC: 05601815411514

Great Education

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It’s bold, medium soft, dry, and very smooth. There is a lot of complexity here. Supple and well balanced.


Some of the reviews think that this is still pretty young.  That may be the case, but I wasn’t about to stow it away in the dungeon for 10 years. I just may go back and grab one to put down.  I need to come back to this when I have a much more experienced palate to really understand and appreciate what’s going on with this wine.

We had it with dinner, but I suspect that it would be better appreciated if you are enjoying by itself with friends.

This is made predominantly from Merlot and Cabernet Franc.  Saint-Émilion wines tend to have a rich, mouth-drying tannic structure, but in this case we have small amounts of Carménère,  Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot balancing out the blend.

An under the radar Estate that should be snapped up before it gathers more attention and the price starts to rise.

Vieux Chateau des Combes 2015

$36.99

14.5% Alcohol