1/27/2020 - Paul_Stagg Likes this wine:

Nose: Nice fruit. Blueberry. A little earthy undertone

Taste: classic pomerol. Could stand to open up a little, wouldn’t want to hold this much longer. V good!

3/18/2018 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Nose is wonderful. Initial flavors are pure Merlot, then thins out on mid palate with a slightly disjointed finish. A bit astringent. Give it more time.

3/3/2018 - Paul_Stagg Likes this wine:

Pepper, smoke. Thin on the mid palate. V good.

2/5/2018 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Meh. Cherries and menthol.

1/28/2018 - Paul_Stagg Likes this wine:

Some sweetness, but a mineral backbone. Honey and apples. Nice with teriyaki chicken.

1/21/2018 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

This might be corked. I remember this wine being very good. This has some musty/dust that isn’t quite the moldy gym socks you get with corked wine, but I think it’s a little off. There is a good undercurrantnof friut. Will need
To try another bottle

11/23/2016 - Paul_Stagg Likes this wine:

Nice

10/13/2016 - Paul_Stagg Likes this wine:

Delicious

10/1/2014 - Paul_Stagg Likes this wine:

Nice, simple, good fruit, very food friendly

10/27/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Very good

9/13/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Light color, coppery. Nose is bright red fruit, cherry, licorice, a little dust.

Bright fruit, spice, soft tannins, a little lighter body, long dry finish. Very good

8/24/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Pale Yellow.

Nose is minerals and tropical fruit.

Citrus, tropical fruit, and minerals. Great acid. depth and richness unusual in a Sauv Blanc, you can tell this has semillon in it. Spent some time in oak. Delicious.

8/18/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Another of the 15 under$15.

Not as dark as I expected. Translucent. Nose is cedar, tobacco, and dark fruit.

Bright. Acidic. Some tannin, but not overwhelming. Rustic. A little thin. Might grow on me as it opens up. OK.

8/18/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Another of the 15 under $15. Light purple. Musty, dark fruit underneath.

Palate is steikingly tart, bitter, with a fruit underlay net. Very dry, still has that mustiness. Second taste, it's corked

8/10/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Dark color, but still translucent. Nose is a little tight, some tobacco mixed with fruit.

WOW. rich, complex. Blueberry, blackberry, with cigar box and earth. Velvety, fairly long finish. Some tannins, very well balanced. Delicious.

8/2/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Very purple. Nose is jammy fruit, plum, and I get some vanilla.

Palate is plum, spice, some tannins. Long, rather pleasant finish. A little thin, but bright acidity. Not a tidal fruit bomb Shiraz, which is a good thing. OK

7/20/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Pale, nose is floral, a little citrus, and honey, with underlying yeast. Yeast on th evaluate dominates, with tart citrus. Refreshing. Good.

7/9/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Dark, rich color, much moreso than expected with this wine. Nose is red fruit, dust, a hint of anise and tobacco. Pretty complex, again a bit of a surprise with this wine.

The taste is subdued fruit - it's there, but not overwhelming, some cherry, some strawberry, red raspberry are all kind of in there. Well balanced tannins, but pretty darn acidic. Very dry, medium to long finish. This is a style of wine I enjoy very much - rustic, but with a delicious factor, and the acid makes it scream for hearty Italian style fare - I'm going to have it with lasagna. It's a glass if Italy, though, and a great value. A touch off balance, just enough to keep it Very Good.

7/2/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Light but opaque in the glass. Smokey spicy nose with purple fruit. Medium body, more spice, red fruit. Well balanced, rustic, Very good!

6/11/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Light gold co,or. Apples and pears and mineral nose.

Pear dominates with great minerality. Nice balance until the finish, which is all apple. Very good

6/9/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Vanilla, chocolate, and huge fruit on the nose. Robust is the word that comes to mind. Inky in the glass.

Chocolate, blackberry, blueberry, and some raspberry. I don't normally like such big fruit, but this is fairly well balanced for a fruit bomb, with the chocolate and some tannins. Pretty short finish, a bit thin mouthfeel. I don't think this would be great with many foods, maybe a coffee rubbed piece of meat. OK.

6/6/2013 - Paul_Stagg Likes this wine:

Light straw color. Nose is muted, a bit of tropical fruit and stone.

Troopical fruit and minerals on the palate, almost creamy, but then the minerality and acidity kick in for a nice clean finish. Very food friendly, also quaffable as an apertif. Very Good.

6/3/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Very pale color. Nose is citrus and green veggies, green pepper and asparagus. Interesting.

Wow. Very complex for a NZ Sauvignon blanc. Citrus, green veggies, grass. Tart, but it all balances with high acidity and some minerals. Very nice. Very Good

6/1/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Looks like it could be Cabernet, which will be pretty much the best thing I will say about it. Nose is grape juice and vodka spilled in a cigar box.

It's not as bad as it smells, but it is thin, disjointed, hot, and unbalanced. More juice and vodka. No walnuts, as the label suggests, unless they are the walnuts your grandmother left out from Christmas 2009 and you just ate one. If you could bottle disappointment, this would be it. Yech.

5/30/2013 - Paul_Stagg Does not like this wine:

A bit on the pale side for a Chardonnay. Nose is some butter, some honey, and tropical fruit.

At first this is all buttered popcorn, then settles a bit into honey and even floral notes along with some tropical fruits. It's a bit unbalanced, lacking acid, a bit thin. Finish is long, but not really making me want more. Tastes pretty much exactly how you would expect a $9 California Chardonnay to taste. OK.

5/27/2013 - Paul_Stagg Likes this wine:

Pale pink. Nose is muted, a little strawberry and cherry, lots of minerals.

This is very nice! More strawberry on the palate, with lots of minerality and acidity. Quaffable, but would also be great with a host of summer foods, Asian flavors, or anything on the spicy side. Very Good.

5/27/2013 - Paul_Stagg Likes this wine:

Pale pink. Nose is muted, a little strawberry and cherry, lots of minerals.

This is very nice! More strawberry on the palate, with lots of minerality and acidity. Quaffable, but would also be great with a host of summer foods, Asian flavors, or anything on the spicy side. Very Good.

5/23/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Pretty pale color. Nose is mango, pineapple, apple, and lemon.

Dominated by the pineapple, this is a very high acid wine. Lots of lemon, a little mango too. On it's own, it's a little acidic, but with food, it settles down nicely. Am I going to run out and buy more? Probably not, but if I were having 50 people over for banquet chicken, this would work just fine. OK.

5/22/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Just barely more than a rose in the glass. Not much on the nose, a little fruit, but more like smelling a glass of water.

Fruit is muted, and that's all that's there. Thin, disjointed, a little heat at the end. I guess if you got a good chill on it and drank it with some BBQ it might be OK. Dissapointing.

Rating: OK.

4/18/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Pale yellow. Peaches and floral nose. Peach, a little acid bite, peach lingers, but not sweet. Not dry, either, nice body and weight. Good for fish with some heft, orange roughy or cod.

Very good.

4/16/2013 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Dark, rich color. Strawberry, cedar, and tobacco nose. Velvety, but has the southern Rhone sensibility. Strawberries kept in a cigar box.

Delicious

4/1/2013 - Paul_Stagg Likes this wine:

Stunning. Still young, but wonderful structure, fruit, and creaminess. A very nice juxtaposition of California Cab and Bordeaux, it has the American bluster at first, but settles down with a great deal of refinement, much like an AMG can smoke the tires but still be a great grand touring car.

Delicious.

4/30/2012 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Big fruit nose. Nice balance, earthy, peppery, good acid, dry. Basic

Grilling burgers? Have some.

3/5

4/7/2012 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Inky. Nose is interesting, lots of dark fruit with underlying mushrooms.

Pretty big fruit, Some chocolate, but has complexity. Dry. There's acid there, too. Tannins are well integrated. Nice wine.

4/5

4/5/2012 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Dark purple.

Nose is blueberry, jammy, some wood shaving,

Big jammy fruit gives way to some acid, dry, nice mid palate and mouthfeel. Decent, but not exciting, almost cloying. If your favorite restaurant is The Olive Garden, you'll like this

13%

2/5

1/29/2012 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Rich golden color. Nose is tropical fruit and pear, a little tight.

Apple, pear, a little citrus, and a little mango - very interesting, very complex flavors. A hint of minerality. Finish lingers, a tiny bit of a stale flavor. Save for that, this is a very good wine, and a surprising value.

3/5

1/28/2012 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Pretty light color, translucent. Nose is blueberry pie and oak, which doesn't excite me.

Wine is very heavy fruit, bubble gum, and wood. A bit cloying. Mouthfeel is nice, but this isn't very good wine.

1/5

1/7/2012 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Nose is jammy, but has an underlying old word mineral/soil component.

Pretty big fruit, at first there was an astringent mouthfeel that disappears almost immedatly leading to pretty intense berry. Really interesting. Not weighty, medium finish, some acid comes through as well.

As is typical of a relatively inexpensive Barbera, this is going to be a very food friendly wine, and would certainly make for an excellent house red, or match with any traditional Italian fare (think pasta with a meat sauce, or Lasagna!) Good Stuff!

3/5

13.5%

1/2/2012 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Great prosecco!

1/2/2012 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Light gold in the glass. Very tight nose, just a hint of tropical fruit and minerals.

Oh my goodness! crisp. More of a citrus than tropical flavor, with stone and great acid. Will be a fantastic food wine, very tasty! I love this style of wine, flavorful and acidic, just perfect to have with just about any fish or chicken dish.

5/5

12/28/2011 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Rich color. Nose is buttered popcorn, with some tropical fruit coming through.

Not as buttery/oaked as I expected - there's some bold fruit here along with the richness. Nice mouthfeel, a little aciditiy on the back end, too.

3/5

11/23/2011 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Earthy, a bit jammy, nice fruit, acidity, will be good with food, on it's own not super exciting.

3/5

10/13/2011 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Dark purple in the class. Nose is pretty bold fruit, pomegranate(?), some pepper, and a little oak.

It's got quite a bit of red fruit, with a very nice dryness and solid tannin structure. Finishes with some vanilla, and some herbs. Complex. Good acidity. Nice balance as it opens up. This is a big boy, but he's wearing a well tailored suit. I like this a lot. would be well served with a decant, and will go with hearty meals (think beef stew), big cheese, and anything that used to moo cooked on a grill. I have a few more bottles, will be interesting to see how this evolves over time - I think it will soften and become a bit more elegant with 5 more years in the bottle.

My first Lot 18 purchase, a positive experience.

4/5

15.5%

10/8/2011 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

I usually like Cava. This one is pale yellow, with a very tight nose. Just a hint of stone and fruit. It's not terribly dry, not bery complex. There is nice minerality and acid, but not much else draws me in.

I'd make a Mimosa with it, but I'm not running out to get more.

2/5

11.5 percent

9/14/2011 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Fairly light color. Nose is red fruit and spice, some smoke, some wood.

A bit astringent, some red fruit, light/medium body, dry finish. Disjointed, never really comes together, too much wood. Will probably be better with food, something like paella.
This is decent inexpensive wine, but not all that, not something I would go run out and buy again, not something I would serve guests to show off my great taste or my ability to find a good value.

2/4

13%

8/28/2011 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Color is dark purple. Nose is jam, vanilla, and some chocolate.

Plums and berries, with some wood and spice, along with the vanilla. A lot going on, maybe too much, as it's disjointed. A tick hot for me (at 13.5% it shouldn't be, adding to the thought that this is disjointed), although the bright berry finish is pretty interesting.

2/5

13.5%, don't know what it cost, it was a gift.

8/20/2011 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Pretty dark yellow. Nose is pepper, petrol, and tropical fruit.

Pretty complex. Lots of fruit, but there's a bite of acid and a little petrol. Very interesting. Would certainly match well with lots of Greek food - tomatoes, feta, stuffed grape leaves. Very good.

4/5

12.5%

8/14/2011 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Pretty light yellow. Fresh citrus with a bit of tropics on the nose.

Crisp, bright, tart. Grapefruit, but much, much more than that. Elegant. Great acid, minerality. Makes the mouth water.

Wonderful wine, went very well with caprese salad.

4/5

13%

7/24/2011 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Light violet color. Nose is big red fruit, some tobacco, some cedar. A little jammy, so I'm a little concerned I won't like this.

Or maybe, I'll love it. Wonderful integration of fruit with acid, rich tannins, a touch of vanilla from oak, and a little smoke. Elegant mouthfeel. Then a bright finish. Makes me think of sunshine.

Really.

This is wonderful wine, and one of the reasons Spanish (especially Rioja) wines are so appealing. Enough snuff for a wine geek, but delicious enough for the everyman. I could drink this every day. Killer QPR.

YUM.

5/5

7/9/2011 - Paul_Stagg wrote:

Very pale in the glass. Nose is different - some grass, floral, and almost a peppery note. Herbs, maybe?

On the palate, it is a little green, with honeydew, and more herbs and pepper. Very complex, nice mingling of flavors. Mouthfeel is rich, mid-palate to finish is honeydew melon and pepper, with mostly pepper on the finish. Finish is long. Decent acid. I like this a lot.

4/5