2020 Marques de Caceres Rioja Crianza

 Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2020 Marques de Caceres Rioja Crianza

Dos February - 2025

For dinner we enjoyed Italian style Stuffed Bell Peppers with a Spanish Red Wine Favorite of ours for many years.  The 2020 Marques de Caceres Crianza was on par with previous vintages and our dinner was most enjoyable!

The nose has accents of plum and blueberry, while the flavors are more reminiscent of cherries and blackberries, with a little blueberry in the background.  This is a medium bodied, well rounded wine, with a lingering finish, and is a good companion for a wide variety of food.  The alcohol content is 14%. and Norm's score is 90.

Great with grilled meats and red sauced dishes, this wine is an especially good choice for Cioppino or Manhattan Clam Chowder.

score: 90

price : $15 - $19

Now, that's just the way I see it, and you can tell them I said so!

Here's looking at you Kid!

Norm

normwine@bellsouth.net

Facebook/Norm's Tasting Notes

normwine.blogspot.com

AVAILABLE ONLINE AT:

Pine Island Eagle.com

ALSO AVAILABLE at: Dunwoody Patch

Dunwoody, GA Patch

Wine - God's Proof of his Love for Humanity

2016 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

 Norm's Tasting Notes

by Norm Bentley

The North Georgia Wine Advisor

2016 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Uno February - 2025

We had company for dinner last week, so of course, we broke out the "Good Stuff" to go with our steak dinner.  In this case it was a bottle of 2016 Beringer Knights Valley Cab, which is probably no longer in the marketplace with that vintage.  However, research shows that the 2020 vintage attained a score of 92.

The Knights Valley is near the county line in Sonoma County, close to Napa County, and the Chardonnay Queen and I visited there some years back.  It is a beautiful place, and I have enjoyed Cabs from there for over thirty years, with never a bad vintage.  The 2016 was one of the best, and it was simply delicious, and a great addition to our steak dinner!

This dark red Cab has a heady aroma, which grabs you by the nose as it leaps from the bottle.  The flavors range from cassis and blueberry, to dark cherry and black raspberry, which lead to a strong finish with lingering effects.  It is a true Claret, with 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Verdot.  The alcohol content is 15%. and Norm's score is 94.

This is a serious Cab with the heritage and the taste to back it up, and it will make a great companion for anything you enjoy Cabs with!

score: 94

price : $42 - $47

Now, that's just the way I see it, and you can tell them I said so!

Here's looking at you Kid!

Norm

normwine@bellsouth.net

Facebook/Norm's Tasting Notes

normwine.blogspot.com

AVAILABLE ONLINE AT:

Pine Island Eagle.com

ALSO AVAILABLE at: Dunwoody Patch

Dunwoody, GA Patch

Wine - God's Proof of his Love for Humanity