11/16/2017 - OlegE Does not like this wine:

Practically undrinkable. It feels like over, over-aged, although it is only 4 yo. It could be storage condition (not mine - I drunk it a week after I bought it). Cork seems OK.

3/17/2016 - OlegE wrote:

Light and easy to drink section in liqueur store is not where you look for Rhone wines. But some - including this one - are pretty close to this description. You can suspect it from the very beginning. It has a purple hue, but color is not dense. I would not call flavor sophisticated - to me it is berry, mostly blackberry, but it is elegant. It is slightly acidic, light, with hint of bitter aftertaste (which I like). It is nice, easy companion for light food. For my personal taste - which is not a benchmark - it is well paired with pizza, and I would not mind to drink it with dessert. In a way, I can call it a table wine, as it should be a food companion, and (in my opinion) is not designed to be enjoyed specifically as a fine wine, let say, with cheese. However, it is elegant and pleasant food companion.

12/31/2015 - OlegE wrote:

Color is turning brick or brownish garnet indicating that it is getting old. Flavor is still there: red fruits and licorice, a little bit of tobacco, with extra complexity and nobility. However, the texture is thin, almost no body, and taste is a little sharp because alcohol, acidity and tannins (which are still there) become noticeable. I wish I could drink it a couple of years ago, but I still like it.

12/9/2015 - OlegE wrote:

Strong cherry and sweet crushed black currant flavor. Feels dryer than expected. Overall tastes like average Rhone - which is good. Medium body. Rather easy and pleasant drinking; would not spoil any dinner.

12/6/2015 - OlegE wrote:

For several years I was looking for a good table wine. Not failed good wine, with complex flavor and structure, but also with flaws. A simple one, but clean, with no issues. No regrets to drink it with simple food, no bad feeling to pour it in any glass, when life is simple, and food is just food, and wine is what you drink it with. This is what it is. Table wine. The problem is that by now I found better contenders - but probably this is my coddled soul says. If you like it simple - this is it.

4/14/2015 - OlegE wrote:

It was light when I tried it after opening, uncharacteristically for Rhône wines. It has nice red berries aroma, nothing extraordinary, but I would not mind take couple of bottles of this wine to picnic with a girl... Not now, of course, but maybe 40 years ago. Why with a girl? Because I still think that Rhone wines have aura of women's wine - after decades of drinking predominantly Rhone wines myself. Because it is beautiful, sophisticated, delicate but powerful, classy and tasty.
Well, this one gets only 84, but it is not bad at all, and after some aeration it gets a little bit more body and depth.

3/19/2015 - OlegE wrote:

Color is dark ruby red with slight but apparent brownish hue. It was pretty rough, not sophisticated, muted flavor, but not unpleasant. It was not the first bottle I tried, and this impression is consistent. This time I drunk it three days, and, to my amazement, taste of wine becomes really, really good next day, with complexity and noble bitterness at the end. No miracles in flavor department, but no unpleasant surprises either. On third day wine deteriorated, and I felt taste I often feel in wines which are too old. Overall it was strange experience. I think there is a potential in it, but it is really hard to get it out. Maybe I was lucky this time.

9/9/2014 - OlegE wrote:

This is where power overrides complexity. Flavor is shockingly powerful. I was immersed into crushed ripe black currant, right away, without any breathing. Later it comes prune, which could feel strong if not black currant. On taste it is more prune though, and, again, it is overwhelming. There is enough body and texture, no problems here. Acidity and tannins are right to feel it like quite young, energetic wine. It feels a little too sweet, and have a little bit of taste of some American meritage wines, which is not quite right to me. It is "tasty" and "yammy", but not how I think wine should taste. It is not prominent though, and mostly fades away after some aeration.

8/9/2014 - OlegE wrote:

Flavor is pleasant and quite pronounced: crashed cranberries first, than blueberries and cherry. It has less body than I expected, almost as light as pinot and feels a little empty or watery, pretty acidic and at the beginning feels a little rough, probably because of high alcohol content. It becomes better when giving time to breath. It is not bad at all, but disappointing as compared to other Gerard Bertrand wines I tried.

4/5/2014 - OlegE wrote:

Strangely this merlot reminds me some Barossa shiraz wines for its dense, cloudy flavor of exotic spices of eastern bazaar with coffee and chocolate and a little bit of dried black cherries. It may deserve more than 88 points, but it is not kind of wine I used to drink and appreciate, and I did not find it that cohesive and mesmerizing as some of Jacob's creek wines.

3/31/2014 - OlegE wrote:

Spoiled. This is not the first bottle of big Italian or French appellations with amazingly low price from Trader Joe's which were either spoiled or not enjoyable.

3/23/2014 - OlegE wrote:

I think it was spoiled. It was not completely undrinkable, but rough and unpleasant. Based on my previous positive impression I think this bottle was spoiled.

3/7/2014 - OlegE wrote:

It has some complexity and interesting notes... But somehow overall I did not like it. Some fruit punch taste and flavor which presents and spoils other components for me.

2/22/2014 - OlegE wrote:

I like this unpretentious wine; this time I enjoyed it with pizza. Flavor is red berries, it is not light, but a little bit too thin for medium body. Peppery, easy to drink. Very good for the money.

2/17/2014 - OlegE Likes this wine:

In my mind this is a picnic wine. But a very good one. Flavor is very distinctly red berries: lingonberry, cranberry and maybe red current; nothing else, clean and clear. It does not lie: taste confirms it, with some bitterness of pressed berries, and you need efforts to believe that it is actually made from grapes.... Wine is light, even slightly watery and very easy to drink. It needs only a few minutes to breathe, and the best to consume the same day. Sophistication, depth and complexity is about different wine. But today I drink and enjoy this one.

12/9/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Flavor is interesting and quite complex. Mostly red berries, with raspberries leading. Less dense than most Rhone wines, and feels relatively easy-to-drink, does not feel too dry, but no much sweetness either. Surprisingly, feels better on the second day; at the beginning it feels a little rough. In taste I feel cranberries, some tannins (not excessive), it is pleasantly acidic.

11/25/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Very dark with park purple hue. Looks like a black blood of ancient magical monster when I filled the glass. It is flavorful, not too sharp or strong, and the flavor did not disappoint. Prune with dark chocolate and something else... like exotic dark fruits. All a little smoky and surreal. Taste was quite disappointing. Too concentrated and sharp, no much of finish. Overall resemble some Australian shirazes (Barossa), but more dry than most of them and with less powerful flavor.

10/15/2013 - OlegE wrote:

I am sure it was a very good wine, but the bottle I tried start being spoiled. Chemical smell and rough taste are still subtle enough to appreciate powerful bouquet, good intensity and structure, but to the extend.

10/12/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Smooth, flawless to perfection, light pleasant fruity flavor with very subtle coffee, with light tannins which feels only after some aeration - and a disappointment. I expected so much more, jumping into higher price (for me) territory. Nice, but flat, jammed flavor lacking structure, complexity and richness. Flat taste reminding pleasant high-quality fruit punch. Absolutely no Cabernet Sauvignon signature character, and no cassis flavor mentioned by others. Very nice wine - if it would cost 8 times less.

9/23/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Very pleasant wine. Nice, soft bouquet of red fruits (raspberry, cherry, cranberry) with some floral (violets) tones, smooth, no intrusive acidity, easy drinking.

9/22/2013 - OlegE wrote:

This wine is done right, with right balance of everything and keeping Cotes du Rhone sole. It is a little rough and a little lacking of true sophistication, but it is great everyday wine.

9/15/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Good table wine is hard to find; most of them are failed premium wines; they have problems and lacking simplicity. This is good Cotes du Rhone table wine.

9/9/2013 - OlegE wrote:

I used to drink cheap Montepulciano and acquired taste to its specific smell of fusty cellar (or you can think of some cheeses) and slightly fizzy feel. Vino nobile is certainly more noble - or at least refined, and smell is gone (for better or for worse) making it more traditional and common wine from center of Italy. I would classify it as good, refined table wine, very well paired with pizza.

9/2/2013 - OlegE wrote:

I expected Rhone-style wine, but Argentinian Malbec came to my mind than I tried it. It may not be appropriate comparison; it has different structure, more acidic on the taste and packs different fruit components than I used to feel in more direct Malbec wines, but strong body and crushing power are what they make them alike. I like some oak in this wine, btw. Anyway, this is not my cup of tea, and my evaluation certainly reflects it. But the wine is not bad at all.

8/28/2013 - OlegE wrote:

It is quite similar to Bourgogne wines, a little bit hotter and more sweet. Red berries flavor, with recognizable sweet strawberries and not fully ripen wild cherries. Slightly bitter aftertaste. Pretty nice, easy to drink.

8/10/2013 - OlegE wrote:

It has it's flavor, and it opens fast. It is complex, with red fruits at the core, and it includes cranberries which becomes more pronounced with time (next day). Finish with jammed fruits is moderate, just right, not too long, not too short, not too pronounced, but very noticeable. It has pronounced acidity, which is just right at the beginning, but it becomes too strong as the wine aerated. Tannins are low, which makes the wine a little bit flat and pale. It is pleasant, unpretentious, but good quality wine, which should be consumed right away.

8/4/2013 - OlegE wrote:

It could be my personal specific taste - but many Bourgogne wines are associated with cranberry taste and flavor. This one more than others. By chance, I had a real cranberry wine (Paser cellars), and could not help to compare them side by side. And it was not my imagination - the wine is, indeed, taste and have a flavor similar with cranberry wine. True, they were in very different leagues - cranberry wine was very simplistic drink, but I would believe they are distant cousins. After all, all wines are from grapes, and they are so different, why this wine could not be a premium, high quality wine from pinot noir cranberries? This wine needs just 10 minutes to open, and the flavor is reach, complex (cranberries has complex flavor), crispy. Very pleasant wine.

8/4/2013 - OlegE wrote:

I often find Merlot from Napa and Sonoma more interesting than Cabernet, but not this one. Although flavorful (cassis, but not as pronounced as in Canernet, oak and a little bit of black cherry) and powerful, oak is too strong and over-power fruits, and aftertaste has too much of bitter wood. Tannins are strong, even excessive, which I did not expect in 6 years old wine. I think it is overall good, just fell short of expectations.

8/4/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Overall - disappointing. It feels similar to Barolo wines I previously tried, with light body, crispy fruity and floral aroma, but taste is sharp, almost acetic, with noticeable alcohol, which makes the whole experience of drinking not very pleasant.

7/30/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Australian magic. Different kind of stuff. There is nothing like that on any other continent. Sweet, heavy, hot, insanely flavorful, fruits (mostly black cherries and sweet black currant), cinnamon and tobacco, dark and dense. I was looking for something like than for some time, after I accidentally tasted one Australian wine with similar character. This is quite an adventure to drink something like that. A little bit too much of everything to my taste. Hard to find food pairing.

7/27/2013 - OlegE wrote:

I think that in blind testing I would classify it as typical Barbera wine (in spite of my very limited experience). It is light bodied (at least lighter than medium), with pronounced fruity-floral aroma, with complexity which does not stress you a bit, fresh and easy. Clarity in taste tones, almost crispy. It is not simplistic table wine, it certainly can be enjoyed, but it does not pretend to be sophisticated treasure wine. I drunk more than I expected without noticing it. Pleasant.

7/17/2013 - OlegE Likes this wine:

Typical Southern Cotes du Rhone in many regards but with unusual and pretty powerful flavor... I could not believe - the most dominant component was sweet black current, similar to Napa's cabs, but there were also other fruits and berries, such as black cherry. Taste was harmonic, slightly sweet, meaty. Tannins were pleasant, but excessive; one or two more years would be surely helpful.

7/11/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Flavor is red berries bouquet, with black cherries and strawberries most noticeable, a little bit perfume-like artificial feeling, but certainly nice. I did not like the taste though - a little bit too rough and strong. Overall feels a little simplistic and brutal.

7/6/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Lime pie flavor, traditional taste, overall very good

7/6/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Flavor is amazingly vivid; If I did not smell it from the glass I would not believe it's wine. The flavor is very familiar, but the name is slipping from my tongue, it resembles sweet cloudberry with a little bit of sweet raspberries and hint of vanilla beans. As soon as I tried it, the flavor subdues, but it was still very noticeable. Taste is sweet juice of the same ripe berries. Quite interesting.

6/27/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Purple red with violet hue, not very dense. Cassis and dark fruits on the nose, dark fruit and wood finish, pretty long. Taste is pretty rough, with sharp tannins.

6/25/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Plush Napa valley wine, the one which (in my mind) is very exemplary for the region. I tried Raymond Cabernet Sauvignon, but merlot is more complex and deep. Balanced, with playful acidity and tannin, not over the board. Finish with oak. Contrary to another review found that too long aeration (overnight) flattens the wine, but it is still very good. It is lacking true complexity in flavor and long finish this is why it is not great in my opinion, but it is very good.

6/25/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Fruity and floral, quite interesting and elegant aroma. A little too acidic and not smooth.

6/17/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Dust of majestic structures wracked by power of time, bitterness of past glory, tiredness of eternal grandeur, flavor of the past... And dust again... I think it past the peak. There is no residual sweetness, acidity is prominent, but it does not spark the wine. There is no much flavor left, but finish is long and giving you all that memories of past glory...

6/16/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Excellent wine, harmonic, with complex pleasant fruit and grass flavor, good structure, very enjoyable.

6/12/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Côtes du Rhône at it's best. Dense, complex, meaty and ripe. Does not feel immature. Flavor is complex, overall dark fruits and oak. There are specifics in flavor, some kind of red fruit/berry fresh tone, but I did not put enough efforts to analyze it.

6/9/2013 - OlegE wrote:

A little acidic, peppery at the end. Flavor and taste unremarkable, but finish is long nice mild cherry - not the wild one.

6/3/2013 - OlegE wrote:

In blind testing Cores du Rhone would not probably be my first guess... It is less dense in color, no purple hue, but light garnet. I feels lighter than any respectful Southern Rhone wine, light body, with clear, distinct, but not overwhelmingly strong dark cherry flavor with yogurt? - something milky. The flavor is very well defined and structured, but somehow feels delicate and noble. Overall the wine is very good. Just do not keep it open for too long - it is still very good, but does not feel so refined.

5/27/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Plush, gorgeous vacqueyras, one of the best. Typical for appellation, with a little bit of purple hue, very dense, almost chewy, with typical southern Rhone flavor package with extra vanilla beans.

5/19/2013 - OlegE wrote:

I often prefer Californian merlot to cabernet; with the exceptions of some great Napa cabs merlot shows more complexity and depth. Washington may be another story, but at least it was the reason I was looking for merlot. In a way, it is a smaller, weaker brother from the North. Which is not necessarily bad. Flavor from the glass is pure ripe black current, clear, pronounced, but not overwhelming or mesmerizing. It is still a flavor of wine. On taste it feels a little bit too acidic. Finish is oaky. I do not find it over the board, although I would expect a little more fruit involvement. What I appreciate in this wine is that it feels delicate. Maybe there is not much to deliver, but it tries hard to make it in high class manner.

5/19/2013 - OlegE wrote:

It's big wine, and it inherits body and intensity from Malbec. Flavor is not strong from the glass, but it is all packed inside and strikes when you take a sip. It is powerful and very fruity, dark fruits with some cherries. However, the wine is kind of harsh and rough to my taste.

5/16/2013 - OlegE wrote:

I would give it 89 which reflect how I like it overall, but I should admit that it has some amazing qualities. Right after opening the first thing I felt was pure very ripe black current flavor. We grew black current for many, many years, and believe THAT flavor was not similar to, or close to flavor of some sample from kit - it was as realistic as it can be, giving you schizophrenic flashes of images of ripe berries. Some people feel raspberries and cherries - it is all right as long as you recognize that flavors when eating black current. But pure realistic black current does not mean that flavor is not complex or not elegant - actually, it is. At the beginning it feels flat, but after some aeration somehow I start taste more acidity and depth, and wine awakes and becomes very enjoyable. However, I would like to see more complexity and sophistication in wines exceeding 90 point level.

5/10/2013 - OlegE wrote:

Solidly good wine, but I expected more. Flavor is modest, character is different from Rhone wines.

5/7/2013 - OlegE wrote:

It must be 90 points wine, it is just not my taste. It is very balanced, medium bodied wine with dark fruit, prune dominated flavor. I drunk one Faugeres in Nimes in 1999 - still remember it! - it was similarly good and balanced wine. What is lacking to get over 90? Complexity and sophistication of flavor and integration with taste.

5/5/2013 - OlegE wrote:

This wine received gold medal in Paris 2012 and excellent reviews here. However, I found it pleasant, but not exceptional. For me it represents French grenache - and a teaching point for me; I think this is only the second French grenache I tried. From the glass flavor is not that appealing; you have to have a sip to appreciate the bouquet. This is fruity wine, with some strawberries, cherries and raspberries, peppery finish. Pepper and fruit stays forever, and I understand people who found this wine seductive - but it did not do that trick for me. It has good acidity and no noticeable tannins.