7/12/2022 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Consumed with burgers. Was not decanted. Decanting/air could have helped. Slight bricking. Herbal notes were present as was a spicy background note. Fruit felt constrained. Better an hour after opening but still did not reach the threshold for me. Did not pick up the leather/gamey notes this time. Overall found it a touch underwhelming. One bottle left. Hopeful the remaining bottle will show better in another year or two.

7/12/2022 - DanTheRhoneFan Likes this wine:

Shared with friends with a flourless chocolate cake with raspberries.
For my palate, the black fruit and bitter dark chocolate notes paired well with the dessert. Wine presented a spicy/hot finish. Perhaps it is on the young and wild side at the moment and needs a little time to mellow. Will hold the remaining bottles for several years and revisit.

7/5/2022 - DanTheRhoneFan Likes this wine:

In the proper drinking window for my palate. Opened 1hr before dinner. Did not decant. Black fruit, lightly smoked meat, olive, herbs, and spice. Long spicy finish reminiscent of peppered bacon. Some minty undertones. Wanted a US wine to pair with a July 4 dinner of steak, peppery broccolini, and potato and this fit the bill perfectly. This is the last of 3 bottles consumed over the past 7 years and was the best of the 3 for me. IMO: Drink up.

2/23/2020 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Unfortunately this bottle had turned. Sherry vinegar. Sad.

8/1/2016 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Day 1 200ml was used in a lovely cassoulet on the grill. My sample pop and pour to check for corkage showed slightly high alcohol and tightness expected at this point. But it worked just fine in the cassoulet. Day 2 that tightness was gone and it showed great balance and good fruit. Perhaps more 'new world' but it was a world that I enjoyed tonight. 90pts.

8/9/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

On the lighter/brighter side for rose. Consumed with a strawberry/spinach salad. Minerals and Strawberry. Started a little tart for me but settled in quickly. Good bottle, good pairing.. 90 pts.

8/9/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Interesting wine. Open for 1 hour in bottle.. no decant. Brambles and baking spices. Dark fruit, earth, spice. Tannins more present and more firm than I expected. Recommend to drink with food but we had it on its own and it was still quite enjoyable. Wish I had more.. 90pts.

4/25/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Decanted for an hour. Drank with beef tenderloin. Better this time around then my scoring from July 2012. Age has helped it out. Aromas of dark fruit (plum and blackberry) and garrigue. Flavors follow with additions of some pepper. Good body and balance. med+ finish with spicy pepper notes. med+ tannins that went perfectly with the grilled beef. 90pts.

4/23/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Garnet core with a ruby rim. Plum and black cherry nose with tobacco undertones. Flavors in line with with the aroma, med+ body, med chalky tannins. Acid balances it out. Med finish of tobacco and earth. For $9 this was a good bottle. Glad to have a couple more. Drinking well now but may improve with age when those underlying tobacco and earth tones make their presence more noticeable.

4/20/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Decanted for 1.5 hours before re-bottling. Restaurant was quite dark but wine appeared to be a dark ruby color. Aromas of dark fruit and chocolate. Silky smooth front end with flavors of red and dark fruit and spice. full body, medium+ tannins, medium acidity, medium+ finish with a darker fruit and chocolate profile.

4/20/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan Likes this wine:

Decanted for filtering and for air approximately 1.5 hours. Re-bottled for transport. Wine left a lot of sediment in the decanter (note that it is unfined/unfiltered). It was dark in the restaurant but wine appeared to present as ruby with light rim. Rich scents of candied cherry and red fruit along with some light spice. Expressive red fruit flavors with hints of earth and spice. medium body, medium acid, medium+ finish with lingering fruit and floral notes. Will wait on the next one until 2017.

4/19/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan Likes this wine:

Decanted for 2 hours before re-bottling for travel. Opened with dinner. As others have noted, lovely classic Margaux profile. Dark fruit, cedar, leather, earth. Good balance with med acid and med+ fine tannins.

4/19/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan Likes this wine:

My last bottle. Noticed my note from 2013 regarding how light it was then. Planned for it to be light this time and so it turned out to be an enjoyable bottle to start the evening with. Bright nose of cherry and some minerality. Flavors follow with a light body and pleasant medium finish. 90pts.

4/17/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan Likes this wine:

From memory (no notes taken at time). Dark ruby color. No sign of sediment. Nose of dark fruit, pencil shavings, and a lovely menthol background that I mistook for a more earthy/herbal scent on the first glass. Flavors deliver the same. Full bodied with medium+ fine tannins. Nicely balanced and well delivered. 91pts.

4/14/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Very cloudy. This wine is unfiltered. Bright red berry aromatics with a hint of band-aid. Day 1 this wine was almost effervescent (something I rather disliked). Day 2, the effervescence has settled down but still very bright red fruit profile with some lightly toasted nuts and then a tart finish becoming tannic in the end. Juicy. Medium- body. Medium+ tannins. Overly fruit forward for my liking.. 85pts.

3/29/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Nose in line with its varietal and origin. Light bodied. Slightly more acidic then desirable for me but not offensively so. Paired with grilled pork tenderloin.

3/17/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Nose of spicy pepper and meat. Taste of dark berries (black/blue), pepper, game meat. Balanced. Lovely spicy finish of medium length. Good value for a well made wine. Enjoyed with bone-in rib eye.

3/12/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Day 1: Deep garnet color. Ruby rim. Slight bricking. Nose of cherry with an alcohol burn. Black cherry up front. Middle of oak and alcohol. Light tannin and oak to finish up. Some disjointedness in the finish.. seems to fall apart. Medium/Long finish.

Day 2: Fruit has nearly disappeared leaving only the oak and alcohol behind. Drink up and drink on night 1.

87pts on Night 1.. 80 on Night 2.

3/12/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Overly bright red fruit nose.. light hint of tobacco. A flash of bright red fruit on the palate followed by a touch of tobacco and sticks. Faded into nothing within seconds. Felt like it was finished before it started. (i.e. short finish). Nothing offensive. Nothing remarkable. On sale at $8.99 so price was ok for a simple sipper.

2/1/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Nose of citrus and stone. Flavor profile was similar. More mineral then I expected but it was quite nice. Good level of acidity. Rather enjoyable bottle.

1/30/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Syrupy cherry yet interesting nose this evening. At first was not entirely unpleasant but further inhalation proved to be unwise as it regressed into an alcohol burn. Tart flavor profile that was not unpleasant but somewhat more tart then desirable. Very short. Last bottle and it wasn't the worst thing I ever put in my mouth but it wasn't the best thing either.. 86.. '09 Courtois Vinsobres: All your review are belong to me.

1/28/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Poured in the decanter 1.5 hours before hitting the table. Light bricking. Nose of red fruit and herbs. Same to be found on the palate but the fruit was almost explosive (a touch overly aggressive in my opinion). However, that did settle down as the decanter and glasses sat on the table over the next 1.5 hours. Recommend to decant for several hours before serving or to leave those bottles alone for 2+ years. 87 after 1.5 hour decant.. 89 after another 1.5 hours.

1/28/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Notes are sketchy on this bottle. I recall it to have been one dimensional upon opening. It did not get finished on night one as it was the least interesting thing on the table. On night 2 it was slightly improved with some coffee and spice notes making an appearance. 85 on night 1, 87 on night 2.

1/28/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Cork nearly launched itself from the bottle as soon as it was uncaged. Orange color. Nose of toast and strawberries. Tastes of strawberry, toast, and stone. Good acidity. Over all a pleasurable experience but nothing stood out as more than a good rose. Sourced at a discounted price of $20 which is an outstanding price for a true rose champagne. I would buy more at that price point.

1/28/2015 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Dark yellow almost orange color. Peach and a touch of petrol on the nose. Flavors of apple and peach. Good balance. Medium bodied and a short finish. Was not terribly exciting, it was OK. 87pts.

12/14/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan Likes this wine:

No detailed tasting notes until I pop the next bottle. From memory, it was perhaps a bit straightforward and "simple" but it was $7.99.. seriously. This is very good at that price point. Actually, I would say it is good for 2x that price but for $7.99 it was one of the better bottles I have opened. QPR makes this a no-brainer cellar defender, crowd pleaser, or Tuesday night sipper.

11/27/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Very young for a Sauternes obviously but was only $12 for a 350ml so why not pop it with some dessert and see what's going on. What was happening does not make me want to run out and buy more but it was OK. Very simple and a bit too much alcohol flavor/burn for my taste in Sauternes. Some of that might be its age but I have had good young Sauternes in the past so I know it can be done. Is OK for it's price point but not outstanding in any way.

9/13/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

On initial opening it was nothing.. Very little aroma at all and mostly tasted like purple water. I was slightly surprised. After about 30m open it is starting to show some character. Still light but that is OK in this instance. Light cherry and stone. Medium finish. Tannins are balanced at this point. Not remarkable but not bad at all. Give it 20m of air to open up.

6/24/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Pop and pour. Color is medium to dark red, light watery rim. Scents of alcohol, iodine, red fruit. Flavors of wet wood, cherry. Dusty tannins. 20s finish. One dimensional. 82pts.

6/16/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Hrmm.. Read through the previous reviews and am wondering if I drank the same bottle of wine. Poured in a decanter to get some air for approximately 2 hours. When served I did not find vanilla or over blown oak. Instead I enjoyed a dark fruit with one of my favorite regional scents/flavors of menthol/mint. I am a sucker for cabs with the mint/menthol scent and flavor profile. This provided that mint/menthol in an almost annoyingly flirtatious manner. i.e. I could smell it and imagine it but could not taste it. Flavor of dark fruits (again) and a touch of the oak others have mentioned (not overbearing to me though). Left wanting more of the characteristics I yearned for but exactly that.. left wanting more. 1 remaining and will save it for 3-4 years to see what happens to it. 90pts.

6/13/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan Likes this wine:

Opened at 42 grams. Popped and poured. Superb bottle of wine. Aromatics were bold dark fruits and spice. Flavors of rich red meat, dark fruit, spice, touch of earth. Perfect balance. Hit all the right spots. Nothing overbearing. Voluptuous. Lingering meaty finish tapering into graphite. Tannins are in the right place for pairing with some meat/fat dishes. Paired with the pork belly course, the wagyu, and the charred crusted sweetbread. Nearly perfect for those dishes. A very very rare 96pts.

6/6/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan Does not like this wine:

Better this time than 2 years ago. Typical Chilean profile. Dusty tannins more manageable now. 88pts

6/2/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Drank alongside a 2009 Lewis Ethan's Syrah. I enjoyed this bottle ever so slightly more than the Lewis. Aroma was spectacular. Abundance of floral, herbs, black fruit. Light to medium bodied (in comparison with the Lewis). Nice black fruit and herb flavor profile with some dusty tannin and a nice long finish. Was good on its own but better with some food to interact with the tannin. 92 pts.

6/2/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Last bottle that we picked up from the tasting room while on vacation in the Seattle area. Sad that there are no more in the cellar as I truly enjoy this wine. Lovely floral aroma with hints of peach, oak, and stone. A touch light on acid lending it an ever so slightly sweet leaning but not out of balance overall. Just something to note when thinking about pairings. Same notes in the flavor profile as in the nose with a mineral/stone finish. 92pts.

6/1/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

1.5hr decant. Found this more restrained this time than I recall from my previous opening (~2yrs ago). Upon first opening it had a lovely bouquet that unfortunately seemed to die out with the decant time. However, it was a touch on the hot side on first opening and thankfully the decant tamed that. If only we had found the sweet spot where the nose was still vibrant yet the alcohol heat had subsided a bit. Overall still a very good bottle with tasting notes similar to other on CT. 91 pts.

5/19/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Wow.. Bought 4 of these and cracked one 16mo ago. Gave it 91 pts. Practically the same tasting notes as 01/2013 but enjoyed it more tonight due to the improved depth of flavor. Was leaning towards 93 but backed off. Looking forward to the other 2. Yum. 92pts.

5/16/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan Likes this wine:

Mint, tobacco, blackberry in both the nose and flavor. Tannins are well integrated. Good balance. Lingering finish. 92pts.

5/12/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

No formal notes but I recall lovely dark fruit with a touch of mint in both aroma and flavor. Drinking beautifully now. It is certainly in its zone.

5/9/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

No formal notes. 91pts.

5/9/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Night one.. Pop and pour. This was very tight. Wonderful floral nose with some hints of tobacco. Tannic beast without air. Left most for next day.

Night two.. Nose had faded slightly. Still a fabulous nose IMO though. Tannins had receded and now the leather, twigs, and fruit were present.

Let it sit for a few more years but if you can't wait then some decant time and food will help tame the beast. 91pts

5/2/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Crisp. Highly citric. Very much like a NZ Sauv Blanc. More citric than I was expecting but enjoyable nonetheless. 87pts.

4/27/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Could taste that there was good stuff going on under the TCA but overall not drinkable due to being corked.

4/25/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Medium color with a clear edge. Cherry and floral nose. Upon opening it was a bit hot but that resolved itself fairly quickly in the glass. Cherry, earth, and black pepper. Lingering finish. Another year in the cellar may help squash that initial heat.

4/24/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Deep dark yellow. Almost orange. Nose of petrol and honey. Slick/Thick mouthfeel but not overly heavy or oily. Acidity helped to thin things out nicely. Peach, honeysuckle and some of that petrol from the nose. Right in my zone for its level of sweetness. Paired with some spicy dishes and performed well.

4/2/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Gifted by neighbor for picking up papers. Nose of cherry and blackberry. Cherry, oak, coffee. Heavy tannins. Short finish. Time will help loosen things up a bit but ok now with 15m of air and some food.

3/30/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan Likes this wine:

First of our rose wines in 2014. Trying to force summer to make some sort of appearance and shoo away this polar vortex nonsense that has grown quite tiring. Fairly straight forward rose but very well done IMO. Lovely bright floral/berry nose. Melon, red berries, citrus (but not overdone). Good balance of flavors. Refreshing and paired nicely with a basic salad with balsamic and parmesan frico. Bring on the heat so we can open more of these with friends in the great outdoors!

3/30/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan Likes this wine:

Enjoyed with some stuffed pork chops and roasted sweet potato/apples. Has the backbone to age several more years with no issue but was quite enjoyable now. Did not decant but did open the bottle approximately 1 hour before pouring. No notes on the scent but I recall it to be cherry and cedar shavings. Cassis, smoke, earth flavor profile. Well structured. Did not disappoint.

2/12/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

In a good place right now. Lovely cherry nose . Dark fruit, black pepper, earth. Finish has a touch of oak. 89pts. got this for <$10 on closeout.. great deal at that price point.

2/8/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Hints of cherry and red berry undertones. A little green. Too thin and tart for my liking this time. Short finish. Very light tannins.

2/5/2014 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote:

Immediately after opening - cherry, wood, earth dominated with moderate+ tannins. 10s floral and stem finish. After an hour the moderate+ tannins were softening and the floral component was becoming more bright. The floral+stem finish became more tea-like. Not a bad bottle for a standard price. I liked previous openings of this bottle more.