12/19/2015 - RandyC Likes this wine:

The nose on this was fairly closed with dustiness and oak. On the palate this was a monster. Blackberry, rounded jammy flavors that last for in excess of 60 seconds of finish. The fruit is amazing with an initial attack, strong mid palate, and a long incredibly smooth finish. There are hints of oak in the powerful wine, but it is extremely inviting. The tannins are rounded and exquisite, and high alcohol content isn't even noticed. This is extremely good. I'm impressed.

10/30/2011 - RandyC wrote:

This wine was a deep amber colour. With aging I assume that it has brought out this brown colour. On the nose a great deal of honey with some floral notes. On the palate this wine was pure delicous - a sweet wine with much complexity - and a molases note that was purely fabulous. A truly decadent wine that we enjoyed - my only wish was that we had bought more.

8/21/2011 - RandyC wrote:

A huge opulent fruit bomb. This is a massive wine that pelts you with rich fruit from the start through the mid palate and then on to the long finish. A very dense wine with massive mouth feel that coats rather than wets the palate. This is delicous and an experience.

10/30/2011 - RandyC wrote:

An immensely powerful wine with a good deal of oak on the palate. Huge vibrant fruit that was able to compete with the oak but on aging I think that this will mesh together even more. A fantastic wine.

9/3/2012 - RandyC wrote:

This was one huge wine with loads of black fruit very concentrated flavors of BlackBerry, plum, cassis and great integration of oak. An excellent wine that is definitely over the top but in a good way.

8/4/2011 - RandyC wrote:

A very big yet approachable wine. Dark fruit throughout yet with multiple undertones of chocalate and oak. This is a thick and meaty shiraz that can be enjoyed on its own. Approachable enough that a wine novice can drink it, yet complex enough that a wine enthousiast can enjoy it. Very good.

10/27/2012 - RandyC wrote:

A massive wine with excellent dark fruit throughout. Blackberries exploding into a cassis with a complimenting amount of oak. An extended finish seemingly going on for days. This is a well done wine with truly excellent polish and complexity.

10/30/2011 - RandyC wrote:

A huge bodied shiraz. A very delicous wine that I enjoy all by itself.

9/2/2011 - RandyC wrote:

Pepper and powerful dark fruit on the nose. Very easy to tell on the nose that this has structure and is well made. On the palate a fruit forward wine (cherry, blackberry) and with a smooth transition through the mid palate and a very nice long finish extending 50 plus seconds. A real treat and an excellent bottle. Truly decadent and approachable, this is a well made and enjoyable bottle of wine that is drinking extremely well now and i would anticipate will drink well for several more years.

9/8/2012 - RandyC wrote:

Same note as previous. Dark opaque color is impressive.

8/31/2012 - RandyC wrote:

While lacking some compexity in terms of weight and body, this kills it on the fruit forward approach. Not what was expected; this is new world Italy. The fruit is engaging and substancial, the only thing holding it back is the lack of oak age that would have imparted something special to this already impressive wine.

5/30/2009 - RandyC wrote:

Vanilla, cocoa, leather, rye toast on the nose. Dark chocolate, blackberries and plum flavors on the palate. Good finish, Tannins are there but tolerable the wine is drinking well now but lay down for another few years and it should show even better. This is a very big wine, with great complexity, yet is remarkably approachable. Extremely dark in color, approaching black.

10/30/2011 - RandyC wrote:

Still drinking extremely well. Vanilla and cocoa still dominate and I am still amazed at just how smooth and integrated the tannins are on this one.

2/19/2012 - RandyC wrote:

Still drinking extremely well. Will hold on to what I have and give them a few more years in the cellar.

11/11/2012 - RandyC wrote:

Notes of honey and strawberries. Sweet notes but this icewine isn't cloying. A very good effort.

7/16/2011 - RandyC wrote:

Had without decanting and then let the rest sit. Pop and pour this is a different wine entirely. It needs time in the bottle or at least an hour decanting before it begins to open up. More notes of cherry and blackberry and is a very big wine.

7/9/2011 - RandyC wrote:

Old World and new world colide. This has black licorice and black cherry on the nose. The balance is superb and the wine is very much a big player. The palate shows that this wine is full on serious. Blackberry fruit, coupled with good secondary flavors and a significantly long finish. This dances all over the palate. A real winner and a great showing. This wine drinks well now but can be put down for years. Tasted after a 3 hour decant.

4/7/2012 - RandyC wrote:

blackberry fruit and oak on the nose. A very smooth well made wine with signifiant structure and balance. This is one giant of a wine but yet still delicate. Very good job.

2/19/2012 - RandyC wrote:

This is a young wine but with potential. Dark fruit, amazingly well integrated tannins. Decanted for 60 minutes but it probably could stand another hour to make it more approachable.

2/15/2019 - RandyC Likes this wine:

A very nice wine. New world style fruit forward and with silky smooth tannins. Delicious and full of jammy blackberry fruit. Long pleasant finish.

7/10/2010 - RandyC wrote:

No Formal Notes. This was an intense and dark wine. Lots of fruit, good structure and a good finish. Was drinking well.

1/14/2012 - RandyC wrote:

Lots of smoke on the nose and a very good mouthfeel. This is velvety and delicous on the palate. Really good integration of tannins and dark fruit throughout. Very good effort.

3/16/2013 - RandyC Likes this wine:

Heavy notes of cedar and oak on the nose. On the palate this is heavily oaked but in a good way, transition through to peppery and acidic notes with a backbone of plum and cassis flavors. Drinking well now.

3/18/2012 - RandyC wrote:

Very huge wine with lots of inviting fruit and good structure. A real winner that would have benefited from decanting.

7/10/2012 - RandyC wrote:

An exceptionally approachable and smooth drinking blend full of plum and blackberry on the nose and palate. A very deep and dark colored wine that impresses both with the fruitiness but the integration of the fruit with the tannins. Will age for several years but drinking extremely well now.

11/11/2012 - RandyC wrote:

Deep inky dark wine with blackberry and notes of cedar. Long finish on this. This big wine could still cellar for many more years.

6/10/2015 - RandyC Likes this wine:

On the nose blackberries and plums very extracted fruit. Palate fills the mouth with cherry and cedar notes. Very nice finish.

5/19/2014 - RandyC Likes this wine:

A bit of greenness and cedar on the nose with hints of leather. The palate is black fruit and cassis with relatively smooth tannins and some notes of cedar.

2/4/2017 - RandyC Likes this wine:

black purple color, jammy blackberry and blueberry fruit with creamy and silky tannins with a slight astringency on the finish. Nice long finish.

10/30/2011 - RandyC wrote:

Huge blackberry fruit on the nose - with a good amount of oak. This was a pop and pour but it was still very good, I imagine it would do much better with some time in a decanter. Very dark and extremely powerful wine.

12/29/2019 - RandyC Likes this wine:

No formal notes. Lots of dark fruit, however the acid was a bit elevated taking away from the score.

5/19/2014 - RandyC Likes this wine:

A nose having dark plum flavors. On the palate heavy amounts of plum, blackberries and cassis very smooth and well integrated tannins. A very approachable wine - drinking very well but could still sit for several years.

7/26/2010 - RandyC wrote:

A nose of raspberry and cherries. Palate smooth and well integrated with hints of oak, leather and dominated by cherries. Very smooth, well aged, and drinking extremely well. Some tannins suggest this could last a few more years but it is delicious now. A classic rioja flavor profile.

12/12/2010 - RandyC wrote:

Much the same as the previous. Huge fruit bomb.

9/25/2010 - RandyC wrote:

This is a massive bomb full of dark fruit and accented with a good amount of oak flavors. Drinks extremely well and is a delicious find. A real powerful and complex wine that pleases a wide variety of palates.

3/16/2013 - RandyC Likes this wine:

A good wine with muted tannins and excellent mouth feel. Real approachable and with good structure. Missing some of the fruit that would make this a real powerhouse wine. Could age for close to a decade, but doesn't need it.

9/26/2011 - RandyC wrote:

Excellent fruit and massive smoothness, decadent and approachable. A real fruit bomb.

7/9/2011 - RandyC wrote:

Excellent fruit bomb. Black cherry and pepper on the nose, coupled with a solid feel that this is serious juice with good depth. On the mouth this is truly decadent the alchol which is significant doesn't show through. The mouth feel is such that you get a very healthy viscousness. On the mouth much dark fruit shows through. Given the right mood and expecting a large fruit forward wine this wine hits the spot.

9/3/2012 - RandyC wrote:

Good oak and blackberry on the nose. On the mouth blackberry plum choclate and cedar. A real winner with good structure and rounded tannins.

3/22/2020 - RandyC Likes this wine:

Lots of vibrant fruits throughout.

7/10/2010 - RandyC wrote:

This bottel was vibrant and young even considering that it is 30 years old. Concentration of grape and blueberry flavors this was a delicious bottle and still has more years left.

8/31/2012 - RandyC wrote:

An excellent fruit forward shiraz from Australia. A lot of solids in this wine (decant carefully). A win here, in that this is a huge fruit forward shiraz, typical of the two hands offering. Huge explosive fruit complemented with a good amount of oak aging that makes for a smooth aproach on the mouth.

9/25/2010 - RandyC wrote:

An old world feel with new world fruit. This was an extremely good find and is drinking quite well but certainly will age for at least 5 more years. The fruit is blackberry and cassis primarily. A real nice blend.

10/5/2012 - RandyC wrote:

A very good wine with good amount of aok and impression that the wine carries itself well. Good stucture and good oak aging. Fruit (blackberries, plum) carry throughout.

10/27/2012 - RandyC wrote:

A leather and blackberry nose. Jammy black current with a smooth yet powerful finish.

1/21/2012 - RandyC wrote:

Standard chardonnay without a doubt but in a good way. Lots of butter and oak on the nose. On the palate a healthy mix of butter oak and citrus and green Apple. A real good job on this one and definitely will age fantastically really good acidity on this as well.

10/5/2012 - RandyC wrote:

An excellent wine but needs a few more years in bootle to truly excel. This wine is great but would have been much better had it spent another 6 months in oak, as it sits the fruit is excellent but the complexity would be enhanced with more time in some oak. The fruit truly is spectacular and could deal with more time in the oak.

10/27/2012 - RandyC wrote:

Formal tasting note lost. This was a big wine with excellent potential to age easily for a further 5 years.

5/9/2009 - RandyC wrote:

Nutty and caramel smells on the nose. Sweet caramel and nutty with a delicous long finish and a good mouth feel. Ate a very aged Brie with this one and it was a great combination. This is just good you really can not go wrong with this 20 year old tawny.

4/8/2017 - RandyC Likes this wine:

Full of fruit, blackberry, plums. Real nice, long finish, very approachable. A fantastic bottle.