4/30/2009 - mangell wrote:

Opened with dark currant and strawberry aroma. Initial profile of pure tobacco with a tomato water back. After decanting for 2+ hours the currant came out- the tobacco and vegetable still apparent. Tannins not as balanced as I had hoped, but still very good if not challenging.

2/8/2009 - mangell wrote:

Decanted for about an hour, while the reserve was opened an hour earlier. Deep purple in color- same as reserve. Nose of jammy cherries with lavender/floral components. Aroma almost indistinguishable from the reserve. Great profile of lush cherry and a bit of smoky sandalwood. Longer finish than the reserve, and we all agreed better.

12/15/2008 - mangell wrote:

First 5 minutes showed strong mint and lilac on the nose. Mint left leaving strawberries and floral accents. Extremely well integrated- jammy strawberries, vanilla, gravel, and velvety tannins. Seems like we popped it at its peak.

10/2/2008 - mangell wrote:

CLassic St. Francis/Sonoma. lots of oak, forest, and current/dark cherry with a subtle spice.

9/17/2008 - mangell wrote:

Bumping this 2 points since the last try more than 2 years ago. Color is still brownish, but the aromas and flavors have grown much deeper. Dried fruit and spicy earth were not noted in my original tasting. Acids and red fruits are in great harmony now. A great education on what 2 years can bring. Wish I had bought more.

8/2/2008 - mangell wrote:

Really great bottle. Rich and silky red and blue berries with a hint of spicy tobacco. Seems like it would go for another 5-7 years.

7/5/2008 - mangell wrote:

Straight up red fruit and some rich structure, but lacks that real Medoc experience. Kind of a new world meets old world profile.

5/26/2008 - mangell wrote:

No detailed notes taken,but it was excellent! Well structured, even though its a bit on the extracted side.

5/24/2008 - mangell wrote:

This is a perfect bottle to highlight in the old vs new world debate. Candy/cola profile is certainly abundant, but the earthiness and spice profile tend to bridge the gap. Drinking wonderfully now, which leads one to believe its may bit a bit over processed, but it is still an delicious glass.

4/24/2008 - mangell wrote:

Extremely expressive across the board. Loads of deep dusty cherry, blue and black berries, sandlewood, and a hint of black pepper. Tannins put it on the dry side, but don't distract from the overall core. Some time might help, but it is outstanding now.

4/19/2008 - mangell wrote:

Hugely rich dark cherry, black licorice, and molasses. Even at that, had a bit of a tight edge that would hopefully blend out with another few years in the bottle.

4/19/2008 - mangell wrote:

Rather disappointing. Limited bouquet and simple leathery cherry flavors. Rather unexpressive.

3/14/2008 - mangell wrote:

Dark velvety blueberry, toast, and a hint of cedary vanilla. This is at its prime for sure, as the tannins were in perfect harmony with the flavors.

3/14/2008 - mangell wrote:

Well blended red berries and excellent tannins. Some spice in the long finish.

3/8/2008 - mangell wrote:

Very astringent, lacking in depth, and overall uninteresting.

3/8/2008 - mangell wrote:

Dark garnet with a syrupy texture in the glass. Anise and nutmeg dominate the spice component with velvety rich back and blue berries rounding out the tight integration. This is one heady wine! It seemed more like 16% based on how we felt after the bottle- no hint of alcohol to be tasted however. Be careful!

3/8/2008 - mangell wrote:

Great aromas of dark berries and leather. Light spiciness with bright currant and raspberry on the pallet. Would like to visit this again in a few years.

3/8/2008 - mangell wrote:

Perhaps this was a bumb bottle, but we felt it was a big disappointment. Just in your face without any real style or finesse.

3/8/2008 - mangell wrote:

Not so good. No fruit to speak of. Dry and thin

2/21/2008 - mangell wrote:

no notes taken

2/20/2008 - mangell wrote:

Bright red plums and strawberry, but the menthol distracted from the overall balance.

2/15/2008 - mangell wrote:

Deep aromas of blueberries and leather when first opened. However, the flavor profile was a bit lacking. Expected much more fruit. Seemed a bit thin, but still well balanced.

1/24/2008 - mangell wrote:

This is one sexy bottle! Velvety tannins, concentrated blue and black berries, wonderfully integrated anise spiciness, all wrapped up in an elegant round deepness that can only be described as vanilla tobacco. Whoa- is this thing drinking well!

1/23/2008 - mangell wrote:

A year later, and the funk is almost gone! Alcohol is still on the front, however the fruit is coming in to its own. +3 points.

1/23/2008 - mangell wrote:

Just coming in to its prime. Fantastically concentrated dark fruit and spice. This is really up there in the price/quality ratio.

12/13/2007 - mangell wrote:

Bright red fruits and some honey on the nose. Pure Baralo body with a nice balance of raspberry, tobacco, and fine tannin. A bit young, but overall quite nice to drink.

12/9/2007 - mangell wrote:

Slightly muddy red in the glass. Strong aromas of wildflower and currant. Hints of black pepper. Only slightly jammy - more reminiscent of an old world pinot. Still a bit acidic. Needs a couple more years.

12/8/2007 - mangell wrote:

Very astringent right after opening, but calmed down greatly after only 10 min. Nice chewy dark fruits and earthy minerals. Excellent for the price.

11/30/2007 - mangell wrote:

Whew! Way past its prime. Sour finish, no tannin, and almost all but the slightest hint of berry- gone.

11/30/2007 - mangell wrote:

Fantasticly deep garnet. Excellent strucfture to everything about this wine. The aromas and flavors of cherry, rasberry, cinamon, pepper, and vanilla oak come together in so much more than the price suggested. Wish I had more, as the overall complexity is sure to increase over the next 5-7 years.

11/25/2007 - mangell wrote:

Thick dark purple. Opened to large aromas of game, smoke, spice, and a hint of blueberry jam. LOADS of oak on the pallet- almost overpowering on the first day. Saved half the bottle in a decanter for 24hrs which helped even out the smoky oak letting the spicy blueberry come out a bit. An interesting style, but a tad bit overdone.

10/24/2007 - mangell wrote:

Aspirin grape juice. Not a fan.

10/15/2007 - mangell wrote:

Deep flavors and aramos of dark berries with a bit of coco and ink on the mid. Finishes very nicely. Great structure, but might benefit from 12-18 more months.

10/1/2007 - mangell wrote:

Love this stuff! Honey, haystacks, lavender, and a surprising splash of Garam Masala on this finish. Expressive acid without being overpowering. Our new favorite white under $25. A fantastic intro bottle to white burgandy!

10/1/2007 - mangell wrote:

Wonderful deep ruby/garnet in the glass. Rich mocha carmel nose with a deep dark berry presence. It seems this is just coming to to the drinking window exhibiting lovely spice, blackberry, and plum. The balance of tannins and acid may need a bit more time to develop, however its everything we hoped from Clos Fourtet.

9/19/2007 - mangell wrote:

Amazing for a stateside Port. Wonderfully balanced, with a tremendous amount of resiny velvet black cherry/pruney goodness.

9/19/2007 - mangell wrote:

Nice and brightc- decent structure with nice ripe red berries after being open for an hour.

8/20/2007 - mangell wrote:

Strange black walnut funk on the nose even after 45 min open. Extremely odd greeness and funk to everything about it. A tad bit of blackberry and plum, but overall a big disappointment.

8/20/2007 - mangell wrote:

Pineapple spiked with a bit a green herb. Decent, but a bit too acidic for my taste. Lacks any real complexity that I was hoping for.

7/29/2007 - mangell wrote:

Purple brown color with a thin rim. Soft velvet body immediately after opening with ripe red jam jumping from the glass and pallet. Finish is a tad bit short, but would have guessed to be much more expensive.

7/29/2007 - mangell wrote:

Nice peppery petite. Punchy strawberry and vanilla.

7/29/2007 - mangell wrote:

Perfect acids balance the pineapple and pear. Great!

7/29/2007 - mangell wrote:

Intense aroma and taste of salted caramel and fig- however this profile wained after being open for an hour and turned to a smoky raspberry. Very delicious.

7/15/2007 - mangell wrote:

Nice red raspberry fruits, but seemingly light on complexity.

6/30/2007 - mangell wrote:

Aromas of smokey dark fruit. Flavors need a bit more time to incorporate (a bit too much alchohol), but jammy strawberry and ripe plum are enough to hold it together for now.

6/23/2007 - mangell wrote:

Funky pinot nose (Loring all the way) on opening. Smoothed out to a nice dark cherry and wildflower after 30 min. A bit tart, but is showing a nice blend of blackberry, cherry, and a hint of orange rind.

6/3/2007 - mangell wrote:

Strangest woft of fish oil on opening and early in the glass. Grassy citrus and chalk, with just a hint of vanilla. Second day lost much of the grass.

5/30/2007 - mangell wrote:

Aroma is hot ink and herbal currant/crushed cherry. Purple-brown hue in the glass with oily edges. This is an intense wine, with too much ink and green herb in the way of the fruit. I hope to see this improve with age, but it might just miss the mark.

5/27/2007 - mangell wrote:

This surprisingly looks like sparkling water in the glass. Lots of tropical pineapple and carmel on the nose. Very fine effervescence, with a semi-sweet musky mango profile. Quite enjoyable.

5/27/2007 - mangell wrote:

Citrus domintes the lightly crisp green apple and minerals. Pretty tasty, but somewhat unrefined and straightforward Sancerre.