2/13/2024 - dpeters99 wrote:

This wine is clear, shiny, ruby red with cherry highlights. The varietal aromas of the Merlot express themselves with notes of red currants and black cherries. The attack is frank, the morello cherry and the vanilla accompany a final licorice and ample. With tannins that are both soft and present.

12/1/2023 - dpeters99 wrote:

Ray Jordan - "This is a quite a modern expression of the Barossa Valley from this excellent subregion. It’s bright and brilliant with cherry and plummy notes. There’s a nice hit of American oak to complement the fruit with fine almost silky tannins sustaining and supporting a long finish. Quite high in alcohol but it handles it rather well."

6/2/2023 - dpeters99 Likes this wine:

Deep intense red color. On the nose, subtle aromas of black fruit and old leather. On the palate, flavors of black fruit, licorice, spices. The tannins are soft with long lasting finish.

Food Pairing: Great with grilled meat, games and strong cheeses.

10/12/2021 - dpeters99 wrote:

Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve delivers intense scents of blackcurrant cordial, boysenberry, star anise, cinnamon stick, warm plums and hints of Black Forest cake. Full bodied with lots of poise and finesse the palate features layers of red and black fruit, a touch of oak and fine grained tannins, finishing perfumed and polished.

4/21/2018 - dpeters99 wrote:

Spicy in clove and allspice on the nose, this wine invites in bold, brambly currant and berry, retaining a softness on the palate despite its full-bodied ripeness and richness. That silky, fleshy character gives it a finesse that lingers and remains indelibly etched on the brain

5/21/2013 - dpeters99 wrote:

Spectacular - a great pomerol with the essence of what you would want to find. We decanted and it was still 4 hours until it had opened to share all it's beauty. Lafleur is amazing. Loved this bottle!

1/1/2012 - dpeters99 wrote:

Nummy

6/2/2010 - dpeters99 wrote:

Left at Rachels.

6/2/2010 - dpeters99 wrote:

Average table wine. Dry, fruit, tannins - nice balance. Drinking okay now. I would give this wine more time.

8/21/2009 - dpeters99 wrote:

Fruit bomb

8/12/2009 - dpeters99 wrote:

Skip this wine, not a good QPR. This wine would be okay for washing pizza down, but is not enjoyable on it's own. No fruit or depth, just a boring thin table wine. Can't imagine it will be better with time but we can always hope.

7/27/2009 - dpeters99 wrote:

Had with tacos it is a tired wine

11/1/2008 - dpeters99 wrote:

Very solid and enjoyable.

11/8/2008 - dpeters99 wrote:

Wow - nose was full of gun powder. This was classic Rhone and very good.

11/8/2008 - dpeters99 wrote:

Perfect balance - great nose, everything you would be looking for from a left bank wine. Still has nice fruit, the tannins have softened. This wine is very tasty.

10/14/2008 - dpeters99 wrote:

Aromas and flavors of pineapple, hazelnut and brioche are balanced with a crisp acidity reminiscent of orange peel. This complex white manages to balance great fruit, good acidity and rich body as well as keeping the oak well in the background.

9/4/2008 - dpeters99 wrote:

Ready to be drunk - this wine will not improve with any more time. It has a great nose with all the traditional Bordeaux character. Tannins are gone, still nice fruit and good balance. Wine is full of leather and very very very dry. Enjoy now!

7/14/2008 - dpeters99 wrote:

Num, num! This wine is full of fruit, tanins and a little acidity - overall great balance. Starts big and finishes smooth and lingering. It has the grapefruit, citrius with hints of mango. A beautiful nose. Not overpowering. Very enjoyable.

6/15/2008 - dpeters99 wrote:

This wine is very nice. It is a bit of a fruit bomb. Loads of black cherry, plum and cedar. It is certainly better then anything coming out of Napa at this price point. It has a nice long finish.

6/6/2008 - dpeters99 wrote:

Big - this wine has a great nose with classic coffee and graphite smells. It is very well rounded (i.e. balanced with fruit, tannins and suble acids). It is still young and will be better in the coming years.

6/6/2008 - dpeters99 wrote:

Still to young and unbalanced. Loaded with fruit and vanila. This wine should continue to get much better with time. This wine needs another 3 -5 years before it will be much more interesting and complex. This is a full bodied wine with a lot of potential.

6/6/2008 - dpeters99 wrote:

Noise of chocolate and coffee, a bit of plastic that is not great. The taste is very balanced - fruit, rounded tannins, suble acids. Very drinkable now and pleasant. Would be great with a big chunk of red meat. I would recommend

5/15/2008 - dpeters99 wrote:

very drinkable, nice balance.

5/13/2008 - dpeters99 wrote:

This is a fairly fruity wine. The nose shows no depth or interst. Smells of burnt rubber and cherry. The taste is very fruity - strawberry and cherry. It is very fruit forward and does not show any character or depth. Okay with a meal. I don't think it is getting any better. Drink now.

5/5/2008 - dpeters99 wrote:

This is not a wine to be taken seriously. Very boring with lack of characther. The nose is full of vegetables, green pepper and earth. The fruit is forward and the wine is not balanced. Want to be chasing down pasta with this wine.

4/12/2008 - dpeters99 wrote:

Can see the wine starting to age moving from ink to brick colored. Nose is full of fruit - blackberry, earth (minerals). Taste - get the fruit right up front. It has a nice balance of fruit, tannins and acidity. The mid-palate and finish is thin and nonmemorable. This wine is a decent Sonoma cab. I think it will continue to improve over the next five years.

3/3/2008 - dpeters99 wrote:

Enjoyed this bottle more then expected - very good for $13. It was what you would expect from a CA Cabernet. Very fruit forward, but balanced a nice smooth finish. Oaky with a hint of black cherry.

2/14/2008 - dpeters99 wrote:

Not a bottle of wine I enjoyed. It is like drinking koolaid - very fruity and sweet. The taste is blueberry soap with a herbal mid-palate. The wine is bitter and harsh. Must be consumed with food to hide the lack of anything interesting within the wine.

12/25/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

Great wine to have with pasta. The is not a lot to this wine - very balanced, but also a bit boring. My wife really liked it - i.e. it is very drinkable and not over powering. It is pleasant but nothing special.

12/25/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

I loved this wine. It is ready to be drunk. I decanted for just an hour and it was ready. Has the charater of a nice bordeaux. The graphite and fruit flavors are layered and tasty. Great nose! I hope the other 5 bottles I have will be just as good.

12/27/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

Very balanced, was better early, does not need time to open up. Mature beautiful color. Hints of chocalate, black currant and cherry.

11/23/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

Ready to be drunk. Has aged well, nice character and balance.

10/29/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

This wine is past it's prime and going down hill. Was much better 18 months ago.

10/21/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

Did decant for an hour. Beautiful rose color, nice nose - fruit and earth. It was better then I expected. Very nice balance with fruit, tannins and acid. Very oaky and full of fruit.

10/11/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

Disappointing. This wine has no character. It does still have some tannins but is too acidic. No enjoyable. I did leave half the bottle overnight. The next day the wine was more drinkable, more balanced.

9/27/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

Color is very purple inky, the smell is offensive; herbal, cherries, rotting meat. The taste was okay. It is very fruity, full of tannins - hints of strawberry and some oak / leather. This wine is to be consumed with hambergers or to have with a cigar...

9/19/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

Rather heavy aroma of cocoa, seriously constructed wine but without finesse, or nuances of any kind and no freshness here. The whole thing lacks personality.

9/19/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

Black currant, bell pepper - earthy. Not a very interesting wine - thin without much of a finish. Wine to be drunk with a meal...

9/18/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

An okay bottle for the $15 price point - was very dry and drinkable. Not a lot of character but was pleasant.

9/4/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

Wow - big bold wine, loaded with fruit and spice. Very intersting with a great finish.

9/4/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

Very balanced, great color - this wine is ready to drink. Light fruit with cherry and hints of honey. An okay table wine that should be consumed with a meal.

9/4/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

This is a very fruity bold spicy shiraz... a bit too fruity for my tastes but a nice wine at this price point.

8/22/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

This wine is good for the varietal - just too fruity for my tastes. It has black cherry and blueberry fruit with a black pepper bite for finish. I prefer a drier wine... Ready to drink and very balanced.

8/21/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

Very interesting bordeaux... the nose is full of bell pepper and black currant. I think it needs an hour to decant and open up. It is very pleasant and good for a lower (cheaper) wine. It has character and depth that you may enjoy.

8/15/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

This is an awesome buy from Costco. I love good bordeaux and for $15 a bottle this is a great buy. The color is rose and beautiful, the nose is delicious and it has all the classic graphite, chocalate, cherry tastes you would expect from a bordeaux. It does not have the layers and lasting finish of a better wine, but at this price point I would buy all you can get. If you like dry traditional french bordeaux wines - you will not be dissappointed with this wine. I would guess it will last for the next 24 months...

8/13/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

I drank this wine while camping out of a plastic cup - not ideal tasting conditions and everything always tastes better when you are camping. For a very inexpensive Costco wine, it tasted great with bbq ribs. It had nice balance and was just a bit sweet for my tastes but would not avoid.

8/1/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

This wine is still very drinkable. It is balanced - the fruit, tannins and acidity are just right. I don't think it will last more the 24 months. It has a floral nose, with a bit of must. It is a bit too fruit forward. Cherry and strawberry. Great with bread and olives. Enjoy!

7/8/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

Very nummy with ribs. It is fruity but not overyl sweet or too fruit forward. Good wine to have with ribs.

6/1/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

Very good CA cabernet. This is a complex, well balanced big red wine. Full of great leather, black cherry and tobacco flavors. It is ready to be drunk and very enjoyable. Not too jammy - which is a good thing!

6/1/2007 - dpeters99 wrote:

Classic CA cabernet - over the top fruit forward for my tastes.