Tasting Notes 888 found

First time I've had a Charbono that worked for me. And surprising, given the context of this vintage, and the professional scores. I thought this was nice--plenty of acid, bright red and blue fruits, a bit of graham cracker on the mid-palate and finish. Not a hugely complex wine, nor one that is likely to age forever, but it was really enjoyable now, and, nearly 3 years after my last bottle, seems to have made positive progress in the bottle. Almost sorry that it was my last bottle. (PE: 90) (24 views)

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Started off not too different from my last experience, but after some time in the glass and warming up a bit I'd say this has improved slightly. There's a zingy, citrus element that seems at odds with the rest of the wine--almost as if somebody put some Sauvignon Blanc in with the Chard. When that element receded, this was very nice, although still not up to the level of the other wines. (149 views)

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Fairly elegant Zinfandel, especially from Turley. One of my best experiences with either the '05 or '06 vintage. Light on the nose, with some strawberry and kirsch, the palate is lively and crisp, with strawberry/rhubarb pie and a bit of plum. Shows some heat and the finish isn't super-long, but pretty decent effort. (PE: 89) (161 views)

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Initially this could have been mistaken for an Old World wine (I know--I was surprised, too). It was very earthy, some barnyard, no overt fruit, but definitely Pinot Noir. After some time it started to knit together into an interesting blend of OW/New World. After a couple hours it showed heat more than fruit and kind of fell off, but it was quite tasty while it lasted. (PE: 91) (79 views)

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My first bottle of this, and I was duly impressed. Red cherry, notes of cola, some hard spice on the nose. The wine opened up over the course of an hour or so and started to really sing. Silky in the mouth, with warm, rounded fruit and great balance. Impressed even the Francophiles at the table. (PE: 95) (112 views)

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Interesting experience with this "old" California Pinot. The nose reminded me of a much younger wine--rich, lush, with velvety fruit. The palate was a bit more subdued, and initially showed some alcohol. However, after some time it showed earthiness, forest floor, some hidden red fruits, and was fairly balanced. Would be curious to see how this shows in 10 more years. (PE: 90) (74 views)

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I think this was one of the best showings of the '06 wines for me. Maybe they just needed some more time to come together. Nice lemon grass, orange, green tea notes. Acidity is noticeable, and well-balanced by the fruit. Had a hard time not chugging this one down. (PE: 95) (421 views)

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No formal note, but this was really tasty. It needed a couple hours to open up, and the last glass was definitely the best. Both Carolynn and I had a hard time savoring this, as it just went down too easily. Compared to the Pax we opened first, this had a lot more focus, complexity, and better balance on the palate. (PE: 98) (241 views)

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Great nose of dusty, dark fruit and bacon fat. The palate is somewhat subdued, however, and a bit rustic and disjointed. Maybe it just needs some time, but this was only okay for me. (PE: 87) (236 views)

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Starting to show nicely, although I'd guess another year or two will really help still. The nose shows hints of bacon, camphor, and black and blue fruits. Quite dark, rich, blackberry fruit on the palate, with noticeable tannins. Viscous and mouth-coating, the finish goes on fairly long. Excellent stuff. (550 views)

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Needs some time, but quite tasty anyway. Rich, lush, expansive Cabernet fruit, plenty of tannins and acid to balance. Reminds me of TRB wines, but with a bit of Howell Mtn austerity and structure thrown in. Hold off a couple years, and I bet this will be smokin'. (PE: 94) (231 views)

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Dynamite nose--meat, expansive red fruit, hints of savory spice, some dusty coffee bean notes. The palate is a bit less giving at this time, and there's a tart element that I don't remember from the previous 3 vintages. After an hour the palate softened a bit, and became more integrated, with the fruit balancing out the acidity. Still tannic, this will probably be better in 1-2 years. (PE: 92) (169 views)

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It has been nearly 5 years since my last bottle of this. Initially it's a bit tight and not giving up a lot on either the nose or the palate. After an hour or more, however, this really opened up. As a confessed Cali-phile, I usually don't have big expectations for French wines, and I view them in the context of California wines. This is pretty smokin'. Deep blue and black fruits (cherry and blackberry), streaks of tobacco and a bit of zing from acid (almost a citrus component, but not at odds with the fact this is a red wine). Quite tannic still, but otherwise good balance. (PE: 92) (434 views)

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Third bottle of wine opened tonight (first was corked, second just wasn't tasty). Finally, something decent. Definitely could use some more time, but at least it's a very solid bottle without flaws and is varietally correct. Blue and black fruits on the nose, along with a hint of bacon fat. Noticeable tannins, but lots of fruit and good acidity to balance things out. The Mourvedre (14%) seems to be giving it a very earthy element. Didn't notice the alcohol--was surprised to read that it is 15.7%. (PE: 91) (328 views)

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Insipid at best. Not sure where Tanzer's score came from, and I think Bob's must've been hopeful vs. what was in the bottle, at least this particualr bottle. Poured out and moved on. (PE: 80) (441 views)

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