From the Cellar

Sister's Run 2011 Epiphany Shiraz (Australia)

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Category: Uncorked Tonight

(November 24, 2020) ... I've always liked the simplicity of the wines from Sister's Run, they deliver great flavors at an affordable price; they are aged under screwcap and I do believe a wine under screwcap ages quite well (and some times even better than cork) - this is the first time I have opened up an old bottle of Sister's Run and so this is a new experience for me. Starts off with lots of mocha, leather, licorice, blackberry, plum and even some vanilla-black cherry. The acidity comes across as fake, not exactly helping the wine along, but not exactly deterring from it either - plus there's some weak coffee and herbal notes to the finish. But the middle is lovely and concentrated and screams Barossa Valley, and that's truly all you really want from a bottle of wine that didn't cost you an arm and a leg seven or eight years ago.

E. Guigal 2010 Cotes du Rhone (France)

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Category: Uncorked Tonight

(November 22, 2020) ... I remember this being an easy bottle of wine to fall in love with, the price was good and the wine inside was great. But let's find out how it ages.

Now at 10 years from vintage I'm still pretty impressed with this wine, especially because I know I paid around $15 for it. Starts off dark-fruited with notes of forest floor, earth & smoke on the nose. On the palate there's a delicious blend of vanilla, anise, sweet cedar, and dried black fruit ... As it opens it starts to layer in more interesting characteristics like mocha, blackberry and cedar. It's a real beauty for a 10 year old wine - it's complex, and at times shows secondary and tertiary layers on the mid-palate, yet finishes with simple cedar notes. For the price this was an excellent bargain.