Community Tasting Note

Champagneinhand Likes this wine:

Tuesday, March 3, 2015 - I decide to drink this after all the highs and lows and my horrid experience with this vintage Grand estates Merlot, which was dreadful while the cab was passable for a warm vintage. Some describe this as over-oaked, I find that these people must not be used to really oaked wines with new french, American of Slovenian Oak as this is obviously stainless steel with some chips. Yes this sports some coffee grounds, dark cocoa powder and vanilla, so call it cappuccino, but its not over whelming or is any unintegrated oak. The vintage was warm, maybe this was harvested a bit too late, but the dark fruit comes with a lower acidity, but there is tannin but its dusty and fine. Nothing overwhelming and it may be fine for appetizers or on its own, if served a few degrees below room temp.

Don't think you can replace good food or mountain cabernet with this wine as it doesn't hold up with food that needs a more acidic wine, but still this isn't plonk, nor would I mind serving this to non-winos with preconceived notions. If served blind, most would find this quite enjoyable, but to a seasoned wino, this stands out as warm vintage, mass produced, but there is certainly a place for good quality of wine made in mass for drinking within the 5 years.

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