March 15, 2016 - Stored properly. Cork completely sealed. Decanted 1 hr. Garnet with no bricking at rim. Cherry, herb, leather. Medium body. Acidity in place and tannins strong but diminished over consumption period. From other notes it appears that Costco had some cooked wines.
November 17, 2014 - Lightweight, tart on the first night. Much better the second as the fruit came forward. Cherry was the predominant flavor. Much better wines for $18 than this. Won't get again.
May 30, 2014 - Buy this wine at your own risk. I have had wildly disparate experiences with this bottling. I initially purchased one bottle, which was fantastic, and went back and purchased a six pack. Unfortunately, all other bottles have been inferior and have ranged from just solid to barely drinkable. I am understanding now why this was so heavily discounted at the local Costco. My first bottle I initially rated a 92 and have since poured two other bottles down the drain for being just plain bad. No discernible flaws, just bad. The other four bottles have been passable but wildly inconsistent - if scoring and taking an average of the aggregate I put it in the mid-80s at best. Again, buy at your own risk.
May 25, 2014 - Ruby red, turning garnet. Nose of raspberry and cherry liqueur, red licorice, thyme. Similar flavors on a medium to full bodied frame. The texture remains very nice, though I didn't find quite the density as before, and it finished medium-length. If I had more bottles, I'd probably drink them over the next 3 years.
April 15, 2014 - just ok
April 14, 2014 - Sour and herbal. Can't believe this was getting decent scores. I'm hoping this was just a bad bottle. No score.
November 22, 2013 - This is drinking very well now with 30 minutes of breathing. Modest earth overtones are mixed with cherry on the nose. The mouthfeel is superb and balanced with very fine light tannins on the back end.
March 25, 2013 - On the nose aromas of black raspberry, cherry-cola, dried rose, black tea. Medium-full bodied, spicy finish.
March 23, 2013 - Very nice blend. Nose of blackberries and blueberries - ripe dark fruits. A round smooth mouth. A bit of tannins. A little initial sweetness. Nice.
February 19, 2013 - Big and full bodied but simple and without nuance on first day. By 2nd day it had smoothed out quite a bit, which made it easier to enjoy the nice fruit flavor.