10/29/2008 - conscious wrote:

Great balance and structure. Good fruit, acidity and tannins. Benefitted from a couple hours of decanting and served with some short ribs. I'm getting some more.

6/6/2008 - conscious wrote:

excellent qpr -cheap but good.

7/12/2008 - conscious wrote:

good qpr

8/1/2008 - conscious wrote:

Wow, really good. Drinking very well now. Purchased at the winery after tasting a vertical of 2000-2004. 03 and 04 not quite ready and the 2000 bottle I had was past, IMO. 01 and 02 were the class of the field. My buddy preferred the 01 and I enjoyed the 02. You pick em - these are really good bottles.

8/12/2008 - conscious wrote:

Pretty good bottle at a very fair price. This tasted a lot like gamay (light to medium body, with strawberry but also some meaty flavours), but not cheap beaujolais, more like cru. Would definitely get it again.

6/2/2008 - conscious wrote:

Deep opaque colour. Black cherry, licorice, and cedar on the nose. Rich mouthfeel, with chococate, black fruit, cedar and green tea on the finish. Excellent QPR and nice balanced, structured wine.

5/24/2008 - conscious wrote:

Initial warmth and disjointedness blew off, pretty quickly and left a very good wine at a pretty decent price. Nice meaty nose, black cherry and licorice on the nose. Plum, cherry jam, spice and licorice followed by soft supple tannins. Very nice, GSM.

5/11/2008 - conscious wrote:

Very nice Cab Franc. 2003 produced a big, bold style with intense colour and fruit. Very nice secondary vegetal characteristics. Old world lovers will enjoy.

5/11/2008 - conscious wrote:

Toasty, bread on nose and in mouth. Very fine bead. Quite nice, but would like more secondary fruit.

5/4/2008 - conscious wrote:

Drank at restaurant last night. Very nice bottle of wine. Deep colour with nose of black cherry, chocolate and hint of vanilla. Full bodied mouth feel with balanced acidity and smooth, long tannins. Blackberry, licorice, vanilla and pepper with slight earthy tones. Good QPR and will be trying to buy a few.

4/24/2008 - conscious wrote:

Love the menthol and tobacco on the nose. The mouth feel is full bodied with lots of fruit and acidity. This is the third bottle I've had and the tannins are still there but going quickly - drink up. Great QPR. Might buy one more - fine bottle.

4/24/2008 - conscious wrote:

Not everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed this. Lighter bodied wine with supple tannins. Strong green olive nose and flavour.

4/12/2008 - conscious wrote:

On opening, nice complexity on nose and in the mouth - more like a GSM. Next day, lacked complexity - stewed fruit nose with little acidity. Don't think I'd want to age or decant this wine.

4/12/2008 - conscious wrote:

Nice nose of apple, pear and almond. Same flavours in mouth with added citrus and ginger. Nice fruit and touch of sweetness in the mouth. Very nice with bread and cheese. Would buy again.

4/10/2008 - conscious wrote:

Big nose of cherry, strawberry with a bit of orange zest. Supple mouth feel with light acidity and tannins. Very ripe pinot but lacks some complexity and finish. Not a great QPR.

4/8/2008 - conscious wrote:

Good nose with black cherry, licorice and pepper. Good mouth feel, with licorice, cherry and balanced tannins. Good QPR.

4/6/2008 - conscious wrote:

Brought this to a party and it was a big hit. Tasting notes consistent with previous bottle.

4/1/2008 - conscious wrote:

Wow! Probably my first experience with a fully ripened Carmenere. I didn't get any of the telltale green peppers of every other sample that I've had of this varietal . This is a very interesting bottle of wine. Deep, opaque, teeth staining colour with nose of plums, hint of vanilla and spice. Mouth feel is well balanced with black fruit, spice and compost on the finish. The finish is reminiscent of CdP with that earthy aspect of Mourvedre. A Bourdeaux grape with some Rhone characteristics from Chile??!! I think I'm getting some more.

3/28/2008 - conscious wrote:

I realize that GV tastes A LOT more wines than I do, but I disagree with his 84. I don't think you get this kind of fruit and tannin balance from 84 point aussie and spanish wines. This wine has big fruit with acidity and back end tannins to match - great with a prime rib steak. Definitely new world and not overly complex but this is a well made wine and a pretty good QPR. I'm getting some more. Gotta trust my own "pal" after all.

3/27/2008 - conscious wrote:

Nice fruit and spice, but tannins are just a little light for me. Good, but not great.

3/26/2008 - conscious wrote:

Good aromatics. Jammy fruit on entry with soft tannins. Drink up, I don't think there's much length left in this bottle. Fairly one dimensional. Disappointed for the price.

3/22/2008 - conscious wrote:

Couldn't shake the taste of vanilla. Over-oaked, IMO.

3/22/2008 - conscious wrote:

Simple, extracted fruit. Not much tannin - a bit flabby. More interesting than Yellowtail and would appeal to that crowd. Nice price, but not for me.

3/14/2008 - conscious wrote:

Had a 375ml bottle and it has probably just passed it's window. Really nice nose of menthol, licorice and vanilla. Light tannins with vanilla, and chocolate. Meduim finish. Drink up

3/6/2008 - conscious wrote:

This is my last bottle of a case it has lost a lot of it's tannins. Was rated a 91 for me through 06 and 07 but now it is a bit flabby and acidic on the finish. Drink up. Was a great ride though, and great QPR.

3/3/2008 - conscious wrote:

Nice floral nose and mouth feel. Light pretty wine.

3/3/2008 - conscious wrote:

Good nose and fruit on entry, but finish was a touch short and warm for my liking. Needs food.

2/29/2008 - conscious wrote:

Deep colour. Nose and entry are big, almost like a cab. Nose is black fruit with some cedar and tea. Good fruit on entry with grippy tannins and warm finish. Not terribly complex, but excellent mid-week red at a decent price. Even Miles would like this one.

2/20/2008 - conscious wrote:

Very solid napa cab at a good price. Nose of tobacco leaf, blackberry and menthol. Smooth with balanced tannins. Vanilla, cassis and again menthol on the finish. Would buy again.

2/8/2008 - conscious wrote:

Third time I've had this wine and I'm a big fan - the cheapest pinot I've actually enjoyed. The colour is remarkably deep as there is a lot of ripe fruit in this wine of 14.5% alcohol (which remarkably doesn't show it's teeth...in tasting). Earthy, rootsy, nose with hints of licorice. The entry is silky smooth with black cherry, barnyard with a touch or spice and orange zest. This $15 cdn is better than any Pinot I've had under $30. Great QPR for Pinot fans.

2/2/2008 - conscious wrote:

Very different experience to previous CT tasters - quite enjoyed this wine and since it was on for quite a good price, I bought several bottles. Big dark fruit with just enough tannin. Finishes with some spice - very popular to a wide variety of palates - excellent party sipper or barbecue red.

1/28/2008 - conscious wrote:

Very dense, almost black colour. Prominent nose of cassis, and tobacco. Slightly sweet entry with cedar, and leather. Dry finish with chunky tannins. Somewhat disjointed. I don't think time will help - needs a steak to tame the tannins.

1/26/2008 - conscious wrote:

Floral and citrus nose. More citrus, honey with a bit of minerality on the palate. Clean finish. More Sancerre than Kiwi - good value.

1/6/2008 - conscious wrote:

Friend brought this for dinner. Hadn't had an Amarone before, but all the references I've read about the slightly cooked fruit or raisin like qualities were definitely present in this mini-Amarone. Needed 1 hour of decanting as it was really closed in before decanting. Somewhat muted nose of black cherry, but on the palate black cherry, licorice, mocha and cooked fruit. Supple tannins with a nice long finish. I think I'll get a few bottles of this - it's quite yummy and definitely unique.

1/1/2008 - conscious wrote:

Nice fruit forward nose of cherry, with earthy characteristics. The entry has these flavours, nice acidity and interesting flavours like orange and celery salt. Plush texture. Excellent QPR in BC where finding a decent $30 dollar pinot is akin to the quest for the grail.

7/6/2007 - conscious wrote:

Nose with cherry and pepper. Black fruit on entry with just enough tannin and acidity. Easy sipper. Good QPR, would buy again.