June 22, 2022 - Good value, weeknight wine. Still drinking well, although third night under pump started to get very grapy. Guess 7 years past peak for $15, that’s not bad performance.
April 5, 2020 - At release, this wine was vibrant and tannic. Now, the wine is medium weight and still quite bright in color and taste. Although softer, this wine hasn’t picked up much in complexity characteristics of a mature wine. Still ok to good but no blockbuster.
February 28, 2018 - Very cloudy. Raisiny on the nose. Definitely on the downhill slide. Drink ‘em if you got ‘em. Waited too long. Tasted last week and opened another bottle last night. Same result.
August 18, 2016 - Drinks well now. Dark, dense, bramble, vanilla hints. For some reason, I am growing tired of what appears to me as "designer" projects like this. A country wine, amped up with wood for a "new world" appeal, put in a heavy bottle (adding a few dimes to the cost), nice label and voila - we can charge more (as we're sure to get someone to pronounce "hedonistic fruit bomb" or similar...). I seem to recall conversations with winemakers I respect a lot in CdP that said that Grenache does not take well to wood. I can see here why that was said. Tastes like a shotgun wedding. My rant above notwithstanding, it is not a bad wine, just not me type tonight....
October 28, 2012 - Drinking nicely now. Rough edges smoothed.
May 13, 2012 - Very nice for the price
November 4, 2011 - This is always an enjoyable wine and solid QPR. This isn't my favorite vintage, however, as it was a bit rough and not as balanced as some of the previous years of Ateca I've had. Still enjoyed drinking it though.
November 2, 2011 - Purple claret. Bold red raspberry with cranberry, some tobacco, hints of cedar and cherry stem. Dry, yet rich, concentrated fruit throughout, nice firm tannins. Cranberry returns at finish - though almost too big as it winds down - mixed with raw boysenberry, some black tea and Tamari sauce, faint oak note. Needs at least 60 min after popping or a rigorous decant. 89/B = 50/4/12/8/7/8
October 28, 2011 - Drank with Val after a long day of travel. The nose was nice, strawberries, cranberries, and fresh cut cedar. The palate was a bit too lean for my tastes. The sour cherry and cranberry fruit is light, and the toasty oak comes out a bit, especially on the finish. Just not enough body to keep it balanced. A fun wine, but not one I'll buy again.
August 14, 2011 - Big rich wine with good depth.