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Wine Type
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Vintage
Name
Variety
Locale
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Date
Posted
Score
Helpful
Comments
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Spirits
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NV Camus Elegance XO
Cognac
Ugni Blanc, Trebbiano more
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Appearance:
Lighter than the Remy & Hennessy XO’s The Camus XO is a beautiful, crystal clear light amber color.
Nose:
A beautiful nose balanced between floral , orange , almonds and hints of vanilla. Closing my eyes it reminds me of everything I love about Christmas cookies.
Flavors:
At a recent party my friends & I all tasted the Camus XO Cognac … and had similar tasting notes. Without question there are flavors of orange peel , butterscotch, maple syrup & caramel there is also a spicy quality which no one could seem to pin down.. maybe cinnamon?
Finish: Smooth… really smooth and nuanced. I really like how this finishes.
Final Thoughts:
Despite my admittedly “snooty” palate when it comes to wine, I’ll admit that I’m a relative novice as it pertains to Cognac’s. I have been fortunate however to have some of the higher end offerings such as Louis XIII and Martell Creation .. so my benchmark is pretty high.
I found the Camus XO to be a pleasant surprise! I like it better that the Remy Martin XO and slightly less that the Hennessy XO. It’s incredibly smooth & completely devoid of that astringent quality that I find (and dislike) with the Remy XO. It’s not as complex or bold as the Hennessy but it is delicious and elegant.
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Red
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2009 Balance by Heath Dolan Red Field Blend
Mendocino County
Red Blend more
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So you might get the idea from my other tasting notes that I like everything I drink .. this is not the case lol.
I bought the 2009 Balance - Red Field Blend because of the write ups and their organic farming techniques. Unfortunately I intensely dislike this wine.
I cant get past the nose which honestly smells like they aged this in barrels filled with hay. The aroma was so repugnant to me that we opened up the second bottle thinking the first might have been corked.
Perhaps the nose disrupted my ability to taste however the wine also tasted like a barn smells. I hate to sound so negative but it was truly overpowering.
Not something I would purchase again.
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Red
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2009 Château de Cruzeau
Pessac-Léognan
Red Bordeaux Blend more
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2009 Château De Cruzeau
Very interesting to read the tasting notes here! My taste buds must be on the fritz because I thought this was absolutely delicious & bought a case!
I read the "Pro" reviews and honestly have no idea what linzer torte, damson plums or currant actually taste like... what I can say is this:
On the nose this wine is smoky with a touch of oak, black fruit and cocoa powder.
While I read a number of tasting notes that refer to this wine as "thin" or "weak" I found the flavors to be full bodied and layered with flavors of blackberry and black plum as well as subtle flavors of tobacco, oak and vanilla.
What I liked most is the finish and agree with Tarrant when he says "dusty" tannins. They literally reminded me of powdered cocoa and left that lingering flavor on my lips.
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Red
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2011 Montes Malbec
Colchagua Valley
more
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2011 Montes Malbec
I was a little apprehensive to buy this. I've become a bit gun shy of sub $10 wines after a number of disappointments. That said however I am a HUGE fan of Purple Angel by Montes so I decided to give this a shot .. and I'm glad I did!
For the life of me I can't figure out what I experience on the nose but what I can tell you is that the bouquet is nearly identical to Purple Angel and I love that! If I had to try and describe the nose I would say dried red and blue fruits with hints of rose petal & something earthy like tobacco or cedar. There is something intoxicating about the nose on the Montes wines that is singularly unique to this vineyard.
Although the taste is where this wine truly shines it does require a disclaimer; Zuperdaave is right .. this does not drink like a Malbec. To me this has very little in common with a traditional Malbec.
Rather than a Malbec this drinks like a fantastic Carmenere .. it drinks very much like the $60 Purple Angel. Deep in color and flavors this wine is remarkably balanced. There is this terrific balance of dark & blue fruits, cigar box , chocolate and the spiciness of an old vine Zin.
What I really love about this wine is the finish. It has these fine "grainy " tannins & a subtle minerality that seem to dance on your tongue leaving you wanting the next sip.
For $10 this is remarkable IMHO.
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Red
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2009 Amici Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
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So I'm enjoying this 2009 Amici Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon tonight and I find myself torn between two reviews.
On the one hand this is A super smooth, highly drinkable cabernet sauvignon. The aroma is subtle and very pleasant with a touch of cedar, a touch of dark, dried fruits and maybe a hint of vanilla.
The palate is equally balanced and exhibits that same subtle, smooth quality with a touch of minerality on the finish. It really is a tremendously pleasant wine.
On the other hand, at $38 I can name a host of wines that I like better. For me at least if a wine is going to be this smooth .. this balanced then it needs to be opulent & and least for me this wine, while delicious .. is "common".
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Red
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2007 Owl Ridge Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Brigden Vineyard
Sonoma County
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On the nose, the 2007 Owl Ridge Cabernet Sonoma County Brigden Vineyard reminds me a lot of the Caymus or Justin isosceles ..with a healthy dose of leather and oak. The similarity ends there however!
This is a dry, spicy Cabernet with balanced flavors of blueberry, boysenberry and blackberry. In addition you certainly get a hint of bitter (but fantastic chocolate), cigar box, leather and crushed stone. It starts powerful and spicy, midway through you pick up the black / blue fruits and it finishes long with a definitive minerality and well structured tannins
I really enjoyed this and at $34 , I would absolutely buy this again.
I have read that "it's not one for the cellar" ... I'm not sure why ... or that I agree but in case that critique is right.... Perfect! Because I'm loving this now.
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Red
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2009 Justin Vineyards & Winery Isosceles
Paso Robles
Red Bordeaux Blend more
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I guess I should start this tasting note by saying that the 2009 Justin Isosceles is my #1 sub $100 bottle of wine. I simply cannot say enough about how delicious this wine is.
I honestly cannot say if it tastes like cassis or currant since I have never actually eaten either by themselves LOL! What I can say is that on the nose this wine reminds me a lot of the Caymus Cabernet. It is opulent, sexy and extremely balanced. This quality extends to the palate where I taste extremely balanced flavors of cinnamon, dark chocolate, dark fruits and coffee. The tannins are soft and supple and there is this terrific quality where it leaves this delicious bakers chocolate "dryness" on my tongue. It's not minerality, it's not tannic but something leaves this fantastic dry, sweet, bitter yet smooth finish. I'm honestly not sure how else to describe it.
The best part is the finish is incredibly long. I sear I can taste it on my lips an hour later and I'm hugely thankful for that!
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Red
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2009 Château de Rochemorin
Pessac-Léognan
Red Bordeaux Blend more
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While I typically prefer big , full bodied reds, I also enjoy medium bodied, earthy wines .. especially those from France. This Chateau Rochemorin Rouge Pessac, 2009 required about an hour or more of decanting but the wait was worth it.
This was a wonderful wine for about 30 bucks. After an hour of breathing, the nose was that of blueberry and "barnyard" which I have to admit was unusual for me but apparently typical of the old vine, Bordeaux wines.
On the tongue, the wine was terrific. Lots of blueberry herbs and had a leathery / tobacco finish that I really enjoyed! We had this with a pot roast coated in Rosemary, tyme, flour, salt and pepper and then slow roasted in a mixture of cream of mushroom soup, Worcestershire sauce, lipton onion soup mix, some red wine and veggies.
It was a fantastic pairing!
I will definitely pick up a few more bottles of this "different" but delicious Bordeaux!
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Red
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2006 Hestan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Meyer Vineyard
Napa Valley
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I went to Total Wine this evening and asked if they could recommend a wine similar to the Justin Isosceles at half the price. The Isosceles is a bargain at $60 but it's still a fair bit for me! The gentleman suggested this 2006 Hestan "Meyer Vineyard" Napa Cabernet Sauvignon .. they even had it behind their locked glass cabinet.
I have to agree with some of the other tasting notes here. This one is far too "syrupy" for me. There was some nice oak, tobacco or smoke and finished with some excellent spice & chocolate however the body of the wine is far too chewy.. and I like my big reds! I hate to compare it but it reminds me of Apothic Red.
Did I like it? Yes .. no .. maybe.
Would I buy it again? Nope.
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