2/21/2011 - Jbegleiter Likes this wine:

Thought this was excellent once it opened up... had it with some goat cheese pizza, and it was fantastic.

11/30/2010 - Jbegleiter Likes this wine:

Obviously a much-hyped wine... but for us, lived up to it. Excellent. Delicious and lush; easy drinking. Did not pair particularly well with a chicken quesadilla and some salads, but that's our fault.

10/31/2010 - Jbegleiter Likes this wine:

Really opened up after an hour or so... a little tight at the beginning. Would absolutely buy this again.

8/15/2010 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Took a few hours to open up, but once it did we enjoyed it.

8/15/2010 - Jbegleiter Does not like this wine:

Overly oaked, and huge, candified fruit... just not interesting enough for this price point.

8/8/2010 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Enormous fruit, both on the nose and in the mouth... but does not finish in a cloying, sweet way. Much more fun and palatable that its nose or profile would indicate... but a little overpriced for what it is. At $20, this is a winner. At $30, it just doesn't cut it...

5/23/2010 - Jbegleiter Likes this wine:

Just an excellent fruit punch of a wine. Intense red fruit with a lengthy finish... if this is drinking this well now, I cannot imagine what it will taste like in 5 years. Exceptional.

5/4/2010 - Jbegleiter Likes this wine:

Took about two hours to really open up; until then, very bitter and tannic. Ultimately some great red fruit, and very drinkable. But nothing I would go seek out again.

3/5/2010 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Incredible nose... but ultimately a little too bitter for me. Smells like red fruit; back-end is like a plum pit. My wife loved it MUCH more than I did; definitely eat with heavy food; not a drink-by-itself wine.

3/1/2010 - Jbegleiter wrote:

An exceptionally sweet merlot... would have been excellent with dessert, but was a little cloying to go with pasta and red sauce. Tons of red fruit, candy, and sugar.

2/15/2010 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Absolutely buy again. Fantastic with big fruit.

2/15/2010 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Massively disappointing... though after about three hours, it began to improve and open up. Very Pinot-y on initial taste... which for me is a bad thing. Like Welch's Grape Juice. Eventually got hints of leather, and became more nuanced... definitely not worth re-buying.

2/5/2010 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Rhubarb and raspberries on the nose. Big fruit; typical Aussie red. New leather, and a little bit of thyme. Excellent wine.

1/25/2010 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Nothing too special, but a completely serviceable bottle... not as fruity forward as expected, and therefore maybe more appealing to palates other than mine.

1/17/2010 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Absolutely astonishing value at this price. Big, jammy, and delicious... everyone at the table loved it.

1/11/2010 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Started out with over-the-top grape juice flavors, like a pinot... after an hour of decanting mellowed into a much more interesting wine. Good fruit, firm mouth... pretty decent. Worth trying at under $15.

12/10/2009 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Overly oaked and a little too silky and subtle for my palate... did not hold up to a steak. Won't be buying again. Not terrible, just not for me.

12/6/2009 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Insanely smokey... burnt rubber, and a charcoal/smoking cigar taste... in a great way. This is a very distinctive wine, and will not be for everyone... but it's absolutely wild. A must try... would be amazing with ribs or barbeque; will be eating it with tuna burgers later and think it will hold up exceptionally well. The more this one sticks in my throat, the more I like it.

12/6/2009 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Peppery and hot; a little too juicy and a little less nuanced than I'd like. Not a bad bottle, and was NOT decanted... may try again.

6/13/2009 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Mushrooms and fungal notes, licorice on the nose. Heavy licorice, and the taste of stems and seeds. Still somehow appealing; would be great with red meat. Not fantastic with a light meal.

6/13/2009 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Blueberry pie on the nose, with smoke and strawberries and blueberries on the finish. Absolutely delicious, without being a fruit bomb.

5/21/2009 - Jbegleiter wrote:

To be fair, we did not decant, and drank it a little warm. That said, didn't have much depth. Blackberries on the nose; black fruit and leather. Quick finish. Fine, but not great QPR.

5/17/2009 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Huge fruit bomb, which is something I really like. Drinking it on day two; it was opened by my wife last night. Cherry, leather, and green grass. Classic California zin.

5/16/2009 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Outstanding, fruit-forward zin. Perfect for drinking by itself... big strawberry jam, and got even better as it opened up. Highly recommended.

5/16/2009 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Serviceable, for the price, and opened up after a bit... but nothing special. A perfect third bottle of wine if drinking in a smaller group. Pepper, leather, and a bit of spice.

5/14/2009 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Not much there upon opening; mellowed to more well-rounded upon decanting. A little grape-juicy, but other bottles have been excellent.

5/14/2009 - Jbegleiter wrote:

Incredibly jammy; hints of gasoline upon opening turn to leather and big fruit... absolutely fantastic QPR, and would definitely buy again.