1/31/2012 - spartacus111 wrote:

This vintage port is quite delicious. Very little sediment upon opening. The nose is chocolate and red fruit. I decanted the wine and it needed only an hour or so to open up. Chocolate and raspberry are the dominant flavors. More delicious than complex but I'll be buying this again. In my opinion it is probably close to its peak with maybe another five years to go before it's decline.

1/31/2012 - spartacus111 wrote:

The nose was red fruit, chocolate and alcohol. This was best after about 3 hours of decanting. Strawberry, chocolate with a hint of raisins were the dominant flavors. My biggest issue with this bottle was that it was a little hot. At around 3 hours decanting it was best integrated but there was still a bit of heat. Overall, very nice LBV. I think this has the structure to go for another five years.

8/30/2011 - spartacus111 wrote:

Lush, velvety and a touch of spice. A very nice Malbec. Perfect for sipping and watching the US Open

7/20/2011 - spartacus111 wrote:

One of my favorite rose wines. It has a lot structure and body and yet it is extremely refreshing. Hints of strawberry. Floral notes.

7/6/2011 - spartacus111 wrote:

Very rich! But refreshing, too, with nice acidity.

1/8/2011 - spartacus111 Does not like this wine:

Not terrible, but not great. For the price point I usually feel pretty safe with a merlot but this one was a disappointment. My major issue with it was the moderate citrus notes that creep in on the finish.

Drinkable but you get MUCH better Merlot at $14

12/26/2010 - spartacus111 Does not like this wine:

As far as New York reds go, it's not terrible, but lord, it's not good. The taste is better than the nose. Strawberry soda is my closest compassion.

7/14/2010 - spartacus111 Likes this wine:

This one goes down way too easy. A great wine for the price. Grassy, mild grapefruit, and a touch of smoky wood. One of my favorite "go to" value wines during a hot summer.

3/31/2010 - spartacus111 Likes this wine:

This is exactly what I like in a Garnacha. It's juicy, light with lots of red fruit, and a little spiciness on the finish. Nothing complex about it but it goes down easy and you'll have a hard time not finishing the bottle.

3/22/2010 - spartacus111 Likes this wine:

Very solid, "go to" wine for the price. Red fruit, soft tannins, spicy finish. Nothing too complex, but this is one of those wines that once you open it, you're going to have a hard time not finishing it.

3/5/2010 - spartacus111 Likes this wine:

Red fruit, earth, leather, meaty. A slight hint of minerals. This is a very nice and complex wine. I imagine this is good with food but it's also good by itself.

3/4/2010 - spartacus111 Likes this wine:

This is a very solid, quaffable wine for the price. Fairly acidic, red fruits. Very little in the way of complexity but you'll have a hard time not finishing the bottle.

1/7/2010 - spartacus111 wrote:

I have to admit that I looked at the price of this wine when I really should have been looking at the year. This wine is not ready to drink although when it is, I think it will be quite nice. Mostly heat on the nose. Pepper and jammy red fruits on the palate. Strong tannins to age for at least a few years. Decanting for a few hours has helped soften it a bit, but really, this probably shouldn't be touched for at least a year.

11/27/2009 - spartacus111 wrote:

Bright, young, red fruit and tabacco. Mellow tannins and a bit of heat. Another year or two of mellowing might do this some good but it is certainly delicious now.

10/24/2009 - spartacus111 wrote:

Black fruits and a subtle minerality. Balanced tannins and acidity and a medium finish. A nice, solid, enjoyable wine.

9/28/2009 - spartacus111 wrote:

This is the kind of wine that is dangerous because it is so drinkable and smooth that you can easily find yourself having finished a bottle all by your lonesome. There nothing that it is overly complex about this wine, but it is very enjoyable. A slightly thin finish knocks its score down a bit.

8/9/2009 - spartacus111 wrote:

Strawberry and floral. Fairly full-bodied for a rose; can hold it's own with light food . Refreshing with just the right amount of acidity. Becoming a fan of Channing Daughter's rose wines this summer.

7/25/2009 - spartacus111 wrote:

A fairly simple but enjoyable sav blanc. Citrus and apple, not overly acidic but refreshing. Some minerality adds a nice touch.

7/24/2009 - spartacus111 wrote:

My first French sav blanc. Minerals balancing the the acidity nicely. Lots of structure. Floral notes, lime and a hint of apple. Very refreshing.

6/2/2009 - spartacus111 wrote:

This is definitely a wine you want to drink with food. I am not sure how I ultimately feel about this wine. It's crisp, nice acidity, and quite full-bodied. It has nice minerality. It reminds me more of an unoaked chardonnay more than a sav blanc blend save the apricot notes. It's pretty good but I am not sure that I really like the style. I could see other people, though, giving this a higher grade than the 87 I am going to give it.

5/21/2009 - spartacus111 wrote:

Citrus and watermellon jolly ranchers on the mouth. A little more acidity than I would find ideal but overall, pretty good for the price.

5/20/2009 - spartacus111 wrote:

Strawberry and citrus notes. Refreshing and extremely well balanced. I am not a big rose fan but this one has me hooked!

3/21/2009 - spartacus111 wrote:

Earthy and light with nice acidity to balance out the tannins. Nice red fruit including strawberry. Another year and this might be even better but not something I'd cellar for more than a year or two.

3/20/2009 - spartacus111 wrote:

This wine is juicy and bright with cherry and strawberry. Enjoyable but one dimensional. A good option for by the glass in a restaurant.

3/17/2009 - spartacus111 wrote:

This is a nice, solid burgundy for the price. Mostly red fruits with a tiny bit of watermelon jolly rancher. Lots of acidity and very mild tannins. A little chalk on the finish. Overall, juicy and fruity and a nice quaffable burgundy. Good for just drinking without food.

1/4/2009 - spartacus111 wrote:

Earthy, red fruits, very nice. With a little decanting, the tannins fade to a manageable level. Long finish. A nice bottle.

12/28/2008 - spartacus111 wrote:

Cork fell apart upon opening but decanted through cheese cloth so it was fine. Lots of fruit on the nose: cherries and apple. Licorice. No noticeable sediment. +1.5 hours -- lots of fruit, mostly cherry, a hint of chocolate. Smooth, no noticeable alcohol. +3.25 hours -- lots of red fruit, long finish. Acidity creates a long, juicy finish. +4 hours -- coming together nicely. The chocolate is starting to dominate the cherry, fruit tastes, but it is subtle. Nice, long finish. Silky and voluptuous. Threw this in the fridge to rest over night (may apartment gets very hot). +27 hours -- chocolatey, some raisins, thick and silky.

I am not a big fan of LBV ports, but this was really very nice. Best LBV I've ever had. I could see it getting better over the next 5 years or so.

12/17/2008 - spartacus111 wrote:

This is still pretty tight but enjoyable. Ideally, it probably needs a couple of years in the cellar still. Wood, plums, earthy, full tannins, nice acidic finish.

12/15/2008 - spartacus111 wrote:

Cork came out easily. Heat, red fruits and bark on the nose. Decanted at room temperature. +1 hour -- cherry and chocolate, like a piece of chocolate with a cherry liquor center, a hint of raisins, nice acidic finish that makes the mouth water. +3.5 hours -- lots of chocolate, carmel, round, smooth tanins, a nice long finish, hint of plum? + 6 hours -- chocolate still the dominate flavor, black cherry, long juicy finish

Stuck this in the fridge because it was time to go to bed.

+28 hours -- complexity gone, but still delicious with a strong taste of chocolate and red fruits.

Overall, I really enjoyed this port and I am glad I have a couple of bottles left. Very nice value for the money. Not as amazing as some ports, but thoroughly enjoyable. It seems to have another decade or two left.

12/13/2008 - spartacus111 wrote:

Drank from 375ml bottle bought at online auction. Very tawny in appearance upon decanting, a dark rose/ruby color. I was a little worried..., +1.25 hours -- red fruits mostly cherry, some heat. Very round tannins, velvety in the mouth. +2.25 -- this starting to get very nice. Thick on the tongue, cherry and other red fruits, not much heat anymore. +3.25 -- heat is back and still a little distracting, cherry and strawberries +4 hours -- this is finally hitting it's stride, heat has dissapated again, velvety, cherries and strawberries, some mild chocolate notes creeping in, maple syrup.

Overall, bit of a disappointment. Enjoyable but nothing special. Maybe I don't like the Graham's style??? Or perhaps since this was from a 375mL it is showing that most bottles have hit their peek and are on the decline???? Maybe this wasn't stored well...

11/26/2008 - spartacus111 wrote:

spicy, big red fruits, nice acidity and very soft tanins. A bit of thin finish. A nice, enjoyable bottle

11/21/2008 - spartacus111 wrote:

This a nice little wine. Spicy, red fruits (most noticeably strawberry), nice acidity, and firm tannins. A very good recommendation from my local wine store and just right for the price point.

11/1/2008 - spartacus111 wrote:

Amber color, very little heat on the nose. Caramel, cherries, acts like it is going get a bit medicinal on the finish but instead fades into a nice, long 20 second nutty finish. Zero heat. Very nice, indeed.

11/1/2008 - spartacus111 wrote:

Dark fruit, spicy, a taste of minerals. A tad closed. Maybe needs 6 months but pretty enjoyable for the price point

10/15/2008 - spartacus111 wrote:

Fairly acidic and large, chalky, smooth, medium body, good fruit and spicy. A nice pinot. Might be better in 6 months or a year when it has settled down a bit. Decided to try this after listening to 3 Wine Guys. Not one of the wines they tasted but intrigued me about NZ pinot noirs as had not tried one before.

5/30/2008 - spartacus111 wrote:

Nice citrus notes, a little smokey, goods for price point

3/15/2008 - spartacus111 wrote:

+14 hours decanting. This is a nice one. Cherry and a lot of acidity. Lingering finish. I'd give this another five years.

3/12/2008 - spartacus111 wrote:

A nice grenache blend. Smooth, nice acidity that helps create a lasting finish. Floral with a hint of wood. Good value for the money.

2/10/2008 - spartacus111 wrote:

Smooth tannins, rich, but not a big fruit bomb which is a real plus. Excellent value.

2/9/2008 - spartacus111 wrote:

Little sediment upon decanting. Stored and decanted at 55 degrees. +4 hours decanting -- lots of chocolate and berries, supple and dense. +6 hours -- alcohol has become less integrated. Still a lots of chocolate. Raspberries and a hint of cherry. +28 hours -- past it's prime although still enjoyable. The complexity has disappeared, but chocolate, red berries and a hint of raisin still persist.

I fear that I missed the prime decanting time on this which I am guessing was in the 8-12 hour range. Another guess is that this wine has the backbone for another 10-15 years of improvement. I'd but more on the strength of what I tasted last night.

1/11/2008 - spartacus111 wrote:

Surprisingly little alcohol on the nose. +5.5 hours -- almost no heat and already very smooth. Chocolate, blackberry and strawberry. Tannins and fruit are well balanced. I think it is still a bit closed and needs some more decanting. +7.5 hours -- this is opening up a bit. Quite dense, chocolate, blackberry w/ a hint of anise. +20 hours -- this has opened up a great deal and shows massive amounts of fruit although the alcohol is starting to show a bit.

This baby has decades and decades ahead of it but is very young. I am going to let my other 8 bottles sleep for a very long time and won't touch another one for 10 years. Best atb 20 hours decanting.

1/1/2008 - spartacus111 wrote:

Bright, vibrant, dry and fruity. I really like the fact that this is unoaked. A very nice buy at $10.

12/29/2007 - spartacus111 wrote:

Slight signs of seepage. Cork fell into the bottle. +2 hours decanting -- incredibly smooth with little heat, fruit and cocoa. While not super complex, absolutely delicious and a good example of why I like vintage port. This has years ahead of it but I don't think it has the backbone to improve much.

12/22/2007 - spartacus111 wrote:

Rose in color. A LOT of heat on the nose. Tastes of caramel, anise, and clove. The finish is all chocolate. The heat is a bit distracting but maybe will improve with some air time?

12/15/2007 - spartacus111 wrote:

Surprisingly good. Smooth, gentle tannins, nice acidity. Taste of cinnamon, wood. Finish is a bit light and clipped.

12/8/2007 - spartacus111 wrote:

Decanted at 55 degrees. +3.5 hours -- Juicy, fruity, chocolate, licorice, smooth and velvety, a bit acidic, slightly astringent tannins. +4.5 hours -- tannins have smoothed out a bit but still very acidic. +29 hours -- still showing nicely with chocolate and berries being the dominant flavors. Slightly hot finish.

This is has a lot of potential but I'd give it another 2 years before trying again. For the price point, this is tough to beat.

12/8/2007 - spartacus111 wrote:

A lot of oak, smooth, a little spicy. This is not a "big" Cabernet but that is what i kinda of like about it.

12/1/2007 - spartacus111 wrote:

Fruity with some hints of cocoa and cinnamon. Not surprisingly given its age, this is still very tight and tannic. I think this will be awesome but I wouldn't touch it again for another 5 years at least. Best right now at 5+ hours decanting.

11/24/2007 - spartacus111 wrote:

Small amounts of sediment, cork came right out. Decanted at cellar temp. +3.5 hours -- aromas of cherries and bark. Lots of fruit on the palate and strong tannins that get in the way a bit. Nice acidity. +5 hours -- tannins have mellowed a bit, but still get in the way. +7 hours, tannins have receded considerably and this drinking very nicely. Fairly sweet.

This needs are fair amount of decanting to be at its best, but is nice if not a tad sweet. An enjoyable port but very tannic still.

11/22/2007 - spartacus111 wrote:

Medium sediment, cork came out easily. +2.5 hours -- caramel, malted milk. berries, some flavors I can't describe and can't decide yet if I like. Nice acidity. Firm tannins. +4 hours --- this is drinking really nicely now. The off flavors have dissipated and it is now all berries, caramel, and malted milk. +5 hours -- same flavors, still drinking extremely well. We will revisit this tomorrow.

Overall, a very nice VP with a couple of decades to go. I won't open another for 3-5 years.