Still solid, but not as good as I've remembered it in the past. Then again, I had just about recovered from a cold a day earlier, so perhaps my senses were impaired.
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Pretty much the same as last the last one in 2012. Still took a long time to open up, but so good once it did. A core of pure fruit wrapped by so much secondary goodness; its ageing gracefully.
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Found this cleaning out everything I was supposed to drink last year. What a treat. Beautiful dark fruit, nicely balanced and long finish. Last one though!
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PnP. Dark sweet red fruit, chocolate, alcohol on the nose. Silky rich mouthfeel. Very ripe/stewed sweet dark red fruit followed by acidity, slight tannin, sweet and tart fruit, hint of oak. Medium finish. This bottle was slightly more mature than the previous two I've had. Overall still an excellent wine.
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PnVnD. Deep burgundy with lots of medium legs. Focused nose of vanilla, oak, and some bell peppers. Fairly soft tannins with a good dose of acidity to keep things going.
Great wine, but it was overshadowed by the 1996 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages that was poured alongside.
Enjoyed in a Riedel Vinum Bordeaux glass.
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definitely my favorite wines consumed over the last couple of months. drinking much nicer now compared to a few years ago. look forward to revisiting my final bottle in a few more years.
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First time for me: took off the metal cap seal to find no cork and a full bottle of rancid wine? I can't belive that the wine did not leak around the foil but it didn't! Someone screwed up at bottling, costing me $30+.
PnVnD for over 2 hours. Served at a wine tasting party. Was the favorite of the night. Sturdy blue and black fruits. Smooth with a lot of depth on the palate. Consistent!
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Continues to be just top notch. Considerable sweet asphalt mixed with fresh violets on the nose. Sweetness pulling back and showing more earth, stone, bramble, even smoke. Like a Cote-Rotie that's been reduced by half, with all the old world funk stripped out and replaced with elegant essences. Class act all the way around, you can't go wrong with this wine right now. Really good day 2.
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Cool as the other side of the pillow. Dark red-violet. Lingering traces of oak burned off after 15 minutes. Gamey meats against raspberry seeds, flint and menthol on the nose. Taste shows still fresh acids, with a core of dark fruit, slightly on the sweeter side, with a finish of high grade leather. Very balanced, a noticeable cut above. The spicy Cab Franc comes across more than the Cab Sauv. Definite repurchase.
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This has lost some of the awesome, special complexity that made it so enjoyable. I hope it is just in a dormant phase. With a half case left I'll let it at for another 6-12 months.
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Very nice, surprisingly so. Decanted for 45 minutes, rich and full-bodied with a silky finish. The nose is of tobacco and sweet anise, mid-palette is creamy and robust with a slightly spicy cherry flavor while the smoky cabernet is rounded out by the merlot. The finish is pronounced with a pleasant sweet smoky quality. This wine was a fantastic QPR, I should have bought a case!
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Nose offers notes of mint, toffee, coffee, cranberry, and blackberry all at different times in its life cycle as it opens. There is a note of the alcohol as well, pretty much the only detractor from an otherwise stellar wine.
The palate is dominated with coffee and dark fruit flavors with tones of caramel, baking spice and a hint of bramble. Great acidity lifts what would otherwise be a very dark and heavy wine into a refreshing one that leaves your mouth watering for more.
The finish is quite interesting as it flows from coffee to hazelnut to the barest hint of smoke and stone over 15 seconds.
There are some tannins, nothing heavy that show that this wine should hold out well for at least another 5 years and likely beyond that.
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This was arguably the best Lot18 purchase I made, or at least a tie with the '08 Williams-Selyem Russian River pinot. Net price was $7.50/btl after voucher discount, making this an incredible value. I don't think I am quite as enamored with this wine as many others, but it is nicely made, if not in a more flamboyant style than I prefer. Ripe and fruit forward, but with some rustic Old World flavors like black olive, green pepper, and leather. Tried before and after Vinturi treatment, and it definitely benefited from the aeration, as it was rather closed aromatically upon initial opening. Effusive nose of blackberries, coffee, bitter chocolate and Szechuan peppercorn and saddle leather. Big but not overdone, with medium body on the midpalate and a medium-long finish of blueberries, baking chocolate and bay leaf and low-medium tannins. The relative lack of structure suggests to drink up in the short term, but it is open for business now.
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Only a 45 minute decant - the usual dark berry fruit, with some coffee and dark chocolate, but a lot of licorice and maybe some eucalyptus and green pepper. Will probably mellow out nicely after a longer decant. Seems balanced and has a nice medium body mouth feel. Very enjoyable, especially for the price.
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Immensely approachable wine, and Warshington State all the way. Typical profile. Big ripe round blueberry flavors, chocolate, yielding tannins, long finish, good acidity. Rich nose. It's like candy...and most people like candy. I'm not intrigued by this wine but can't deny its quality. I could see it growing on me even more. Slightly hot, which came out the day after.
Inky ruby. Blueberry, oak, coffee, spice, and earth nose. Medium bodied, plums, blackberries, licorice, green veggies, pepper, smooth integrated tannins, good acid, smoke, and a medium to long finish. It took 2-3 hours to open up, but was worth the wait.
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This is a seriously geeky wine. I’ve been waiting some time to experience a wine like this from Washington, having had several nice Bordeaux bottles that left a similar impression on me. What do I mean when I say geeky? This concoction grows ever more austere and complex with each hour of liberation. Right out of the gate it had a powerful oak profile with hints of cassis behind it. It was almost inaccessible at first, but soon notes of mustard seed, olive, fennel, and capsicum began to dominate. I wondered why the hell I was drinking it without food at this point. Hours later a nice fruit profile began to emerge that included almost all of the above aromas but with creme de cassis behind it all. This is far and away the most interesting wine I’ve had in a while.
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Classy, smooth, ripe and nicely oaked, this is a complete package, even young. Has enough acidity and structure to handle some age well, but you don't need to leave it alone, its good to drink now as well. Probably will improve for another 4-5 years.
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Decanted for 1 hr. Dark fruit on the nose to start, wonderful mounthfeel with a long finish. This wine was well balanced and delicate not a powerhouse but was delightful by itself.
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Popped and poured. Very dark in the glass with a purplish rim. Nose is pretty closed off right now, but you can still smell the dark red and purple fruit and a hint of coffee. On the palate, very voluptuous mouthfeel with firm tannins and just enough acidity. Very fruit forward but not overextracted and a hint of oak, vanilla and earthiness. Long finish.
On the second day... WOW. This thing has opened up and floored me with an even greater depth of rich fruit, silky tannins and bright acidity. Bumped this up from a 91 to a 93. Just beautiful.
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Consumed a night after a Columbia Crest Reserve Cab (not the WOTY vintage) and the pedigree difference was clearly evident. Similar flavors, but this bottle has a special level of spice that the CC just didn't posses. Loved it!
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Aerated through a Vinturi. Red-purple rich robe. Immediate surprisingly complex nose of ripe black plum, cedar, tarragon. Initially, just a gob of fruit, racy acidity, drying tannin. With a 1/2 hour air, lots of character develops. The black fruits are joined by a streak of red cherry, the tarragon of the bouquet is now evident, the oak is well-integrated and the tannins are softened and dusty, no longer interrupted the delicate but fairly long finish. This is excellent and absolutely accessible now but showing great potential. The complexity evoked by aeration suggests that patience over a few years will be very rewarding.
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Aromatically interesting with crushed pepper and black fruits surrounded by a cloak of vanilla. Hints of coffee bean and earth through the mid palate but they never built enough strength to be factored into the overall tapestry of flavor. I did like the first sip that brought out some great flavors of plum and crushed blackberry, however those seemed too fleeting. Monolithic tannins lent a nice weight but might have been a bit excessive. A solid wine, if somewhat unremarkable. Consumed another glass on the second day, the wine still had life but didn't gain anything from added exposure to air. Paired nicely with hamburgers but at $25 a bottle, it's an expensive bbq wine..
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Very dark in the glass, almost black, with a purple-red rim, this wine looks young. On the nose, this is very tight at first, but opens up to big, ripe plums and black raspberries, with some thyme and dark, leafy, green veggies, like freshly cut spinach. There's also a nice dustiness on what becomes a very expressive nose. The palate begins with the same mixture of fruits, and comes across as very fruit-forward and New World. But the mid-palate rises to some nice fine-grained tannins that open into cocoa powder and well-integrated oak. The vegetal note is still there, but is well in the background on a medium long finish. This wine is still very young, and gets much better after a two-hour decant. I would guess it will improve with several more years of bottle age, but it is more than drinkable right now. My one complaint would be excessive alcohol, at 14.8%, which takes away some of the elegance on the finish. Still, this is a very nice find for the $27 price point, especially since the vouchers at Lot18 made this even less expensive in the end. An excellent wine, and an even better QPR.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Smokey, deep fruit nose. Hint of alcohol. Very dense on the palate. Dark blueberries, ripe plums, currants. Fine tannins and balanced acid. Very nice, complex wine with a long finish.
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Note: This review posted a day after consumption, not exact notes
Popped and let sit for 30 min prior to tasting
Color: Dark Purple
Nose and Taste: Very dark, tending to blackberry, plum and chocolate. Significant oak at first but then balanced in with time. Very complex, saturated with flavor, very deep, a bit excessively so.
Tasty and I will enjoy it again but on this night it was a bit over the top.
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This wine was fantastic. The nose opened up with a crushed blackberry, plum and maybe current and dusty spice. On the palate this wine had loads of dark plums, berry, a little underlaying earth and tobacco with a silky smooth finish. Tanzer has his head up his ass that this is an 88. I may not be a ratings expert, but this has got to be a 92-94 on anyones scale.
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Ran through a Vinturi into a decanter. After about 2 hours the tannins mellowed and other flavors of chocolate and blue fruit started to reveal themselves. Very nice blend, looking forward to opening the other bottles.
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I love pdemaio's 'rambunctious youth' comment below. Give it a few hours to breath and the nose itself is worth the price of admission. I'm getting violets and baking spices (as others note below) but with bright and vivid blackberry highlights. Well integrated oak and tannin - although still youthful and evident. Comparable to some much more expensive Andrew Will bottles I've had recently. An absolute steal for the price I paid...
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Like others have mentioned, this wine seems to have a streak of VA in it. The blend is definitely nice but the VA is really off-putting for me. Aside from that, it is really a nice wine.
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Pdq93+. Big hot. Touch of VA? Eitherway it's two tons of straight ahead fun. A Fast and Furious wine. This may age, but I'm not sure it will get better than it is in all it's rambunctious youth.
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A blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Cabernet Franc, 21% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot this Walla Walla wine shows luscious blackberry, dark chocolate and baking spices on the nose. The palate is full bodied and beautifully smooth. More dark berry fruit, tobacco, and minerals with vibrant acidity and delightfully long finish. 492 cases. 94 points Wine Enthusiast and Wine & Spirits
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Of the three wines we opened for Thanksgiving, this was the star of the show. This is the third wine I have had from ÀMaurice Cellars and it is clear the winery is producing some of the best stuff in Washington. The Horiuchi red blend stood up well to the extensive meal, but at no time over-powered any of the dishes. Nice currant flavors, soft tannins and a touch of blackberry made for an excellent wine that caught the attention of all of our family and friends.
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8/2/2021 - GrapeScott wrote:
This has not held up very well. Overripe, stewed fruit. Not good.
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2/22/2017 - SeaWine wrote: 89 Points
Still solid, but not as good as I've remembered it in the past. Then again, I had just about recovered from a cold a day earlier, so perhaps my senses were impaired.
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8/21/2016 - SeaWine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Might have rated this a bit higher when enjoyed with friends a year or more ago, but that could have been due to the situation.
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11/16/2015 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 89 Points
PnP. Initially very sweet fruit that mellowed out. The wine started to fall apart pretty quickly. Drink now.
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3/29/2015 - WestbyGod wrote: 88 Points
Rounder and more fruit forward than I expected at this stage.
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3/28/2015 - merryberry Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pretty much the same as last the last one in 2012. Still took a long time to open up, but so good once it did. A core of pure fruit wrapped by so much secondary goodness; its ageing gracefully.
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1/10/2015 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Found this cleaning out everything I was supposed to drink last year. What a treat. Beautiful dark fruit, nicely balanced and long finish. Last one though!
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1/28/2014 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP. Dark sweet red fruit, chocolate, alcohol on the nose. Silky rich mouthfeel. Very ripe/stewed sweet dark red fruit followed by acidity, slight tannin, sweet and tart fruit, hint of oak. Medium finish. This bottle was slightly more mature than the previous two I've had. Overall still an excellent wine.
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11/9/2013 - spidersva Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good, just didn't show me anything special.
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8/17/2013 - hesnctrl Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnVnD. Deep burgundy with lots of medium legs. Focused nose of vanilla, oak, and some bell peppers. Fairly soft tannins with a good dose of acidity to keep things going.
Great wine, but it was overshadowed by the 1996 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages that was poured alongside.
Enjoyed in a Riedel Vinum Bordeaux glass.
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7/21/2013 - jset22 wrote: 90 Points
Bright acidity is the name of the game w this wine. Drinking very well now. Corked and tried day 2 w disappointing results tho. So drink up!
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6/28/2013 - Kevinseattle wrote: 94 Points
definitely my favorite wines consumed over the last couple of months. drinking much nicer now compared to a few years ago. look forward to revisiting my final bottle in a few more years.
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5/20/2013 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistently impressed by this wine. My wife described it best: "It tastes expensive."
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5/8/2013 - dsgris Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium ruby. Red berry, bright acid with very good balance of acid, fruit and tannins. Good mouthfeel, smooth body, drinking very well.
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5/6/2013 - MrMitosis wrote:
First time for me: took off the metal cap seal to find no cork and a full bottle of rancid wine? I can't belive that the wine did not leak around the foil but it didn't! Someone screwed up at bottling, costing me $30+.
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5/4/2013 - bkrup Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnVnD for over 2 hours. Served at a wine tasting party. Was the favorite of the night. Sturdy blue and black fruits. Smooth with a lot of depth on the palate. Consistent!
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4/13/2013 - JasonG Likes this wine: 93 Points
Continues to be just top notch. Considerable sweet asphalt mixed with fresh violets on the nose. Sweetness pulling back and showing more earth, stone, bramble, even smoke. Like a Cote-Rotie that's been reduced by half, with all the old world funk stripped out and replaced with elegant essences. Class act all the way around, you can't go wrong with this wine right now. Really good day 2.
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4/10/2013 - jfaulk wrote: 90 Points
Continues to be a great QPR & a well balanced delight.
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3/30/2013 - srwatters Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent with previous review. Will actively look for more of this excellent red blend.
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3/30/2013 - ErikaandAmy wrote:
Very good. Had just tasted the 2009 blend and found this in the basement. Yum!
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1/7/2013 - JasonG Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cool as the other side of the pillow. Dark red-violet. Lingering traces of oak burned off after 15 minutes. Gamey meats against raspberry seeds, flint and menthol on the nose. Taste shows still fresh acids, with a core of dark fruit, slightly on the sweeter side, with a finish of high grade leather. Very balanced, a noticeable cut above. The spicy Cab Franc comes across more than the Cab Sauv. Definite repurchase.
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11/10/2012 - bkrup wrote:
This has lost some of the awesome, special complexity that made it so enjoyable. I hope it is just in a dormant phase. With a half case left I'll let it at for another 6-12 months.
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10/18/2012 - emrugger wrote: 93 Points
Very nice, surprisingly so. Decanted for 45 minutes, rich and full-bodied with a silky finish. The nose is of tobacco and sweet anise, mid-palette is creamy and robust with a slightly spicy cherry flavor while the smoky cabernet is rounded out by the merlot. The finish is pronounced with a pleasant sweet smoky quality. This wine was a fantastic QPR, I should have bought a case!
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10/12/2012 - cmaldoon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really an amazing wine.
Nose offers notes of mint, toffee, coffee, cranberry, and blackberry all at different times in its life cycle as it opens. There is a note of the alcohol as well, pretty much the only detractor from an otherwise stellar wine.
The palate is dominated with coffee and dark fruit flavors with tones of caramel, baking spice and a hint of bramble. Great acidity lifts what would otherwise be a very dark and heavy wine into a refreshing one that leaves your mouth watering for more.
The finish is quite interesting as it flows from coffee to hazelnut to the barest hint of smoke and stone over 15 seconds.
There are some tannins, nothing heavy that show that this wine should hold out well for at least another 5 years and likely beyond that.
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10/11/2012 - jfaulk Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great complexity and balance. Fruit, spice, leather, tobacco...Lots going on, but put together well. Good QPR and a style right up our alley
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10/6/2012 - exsmith21 wrote:
Really enjoyed this. Big with medium finish. Alcohol very prominent on day 2. Wouldn't wait too long to drink remaining bottles.
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9/29/2012 - bkrup wrote: 92 Points
Needs at least an hour in Decanter.
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9/24/2012 - GrapeScott wrote: 90 Points
This was arguably the best Lot18 purchase I made, or at least a tie with the '08 Williams-Selyem Russian River pinot. Net price was $7.50/btl after voucher discount, making this an incredible value. I don't think I am quite as enamored with this wine as many others, but it is nicely made, if not in a more flamboyant style than I prefer. Ripe and fruit forward, but with some rustic Old World flavors like black olive, green pepper, and leather. Tried before and after Vinturi treatment, and it definitely benefited from the aeration, as it was rather closed aromatically upon initial opening. Effusive nose of blackberries, coffee, bitter chocolate and Szechuan peppercorn and saddle leather. Big but not overdone, with medium body on the midpalate and a medium-long finish of blueberries, baking chocolate and bay leaf and low-medium tannins. The relative lack of structure suggests to drink up in the short term, but it is open for business now.
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7/13/2012 - bkrup wrote: 93 Points
Just about a year since I had my last bottle this wine is much more accessible sooner out of the bottle. Love it, but only 2 left.
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5/23/2012 - Suss wrote: 93 Points
I really enjoyed this one. PnP and was pleasantly surprised. It only got better. Very disappointed I only had one. Its a must buy next time I see it.
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5/3/2012 - wjochim wrote: 90 Points
Only a 45 minute decant - the usual dark berry fruit, with some coffee and dark chocolate, but a lot of licorice and maybe some eucalyptus and green pepper. Will probably mellow out nicely after a longer decant. Seems balanced and has a nice medium body mouth feel. Very enjoyable, especially for the price.
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4/23/2012 - jazanol07 wrote: 92 Points
Very nice wine. I wish I had more!
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3/22/2012 - jeffal66 wrote: 92 Points
Immensely approachable wine, and Warshington State all the way. Typical profile. Big ripe round blueberry flavors, chocolate, yielding tannins, long finish, good acidity. Rich nose. It's like candy...and most people like candy. I'm not intrigued by this wine but can't deny its quality. I could see it growing on me even more. Slightly hot, which came out the day after.
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2/17/2012 - merryberry wrote: 90 Points
Inky ruby. Blueberry, oak, coffee, spice, and earth nose. Medium bodied, plums, blackberries, licorice, green veggies, pepper, smooth integrated tannins, good acid, smoke, and a medium to long finish. It took 2-3 hours to open up, but was worth the wait.
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2/2/2012 - ksteiner wrote: 91 Points
Great big wine. Lush and full.
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12/24/2011 - NathanT wrote: 91 Points
This opened up rather quickly. Smooth and pure. As time goes by, it gained some weight and became richer. Nice bottle.
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12/22/2011 - Kevincrouch wrote: 93 Points
This is a seriously geeky wine. I’ve been waiting some time to experience a wine like this from Washington, having had several nice Bordeaux bottles that left a similar impression on me.
What do I mean when I say geeky? This concoction grows ever more austere and complex with each hour of liberation. Right out of the gate it had a powerful oak profile with hints of cassis behind it. It was almost inaccessible at first, but soon notes of mustard seed, olive, fennel, and capsicum began to dominate. I wondered why the hell I was drinking it without food at this point. Hours later a nice fruit profile began to emerge that included almost all of the above aromas but with creme de cassis behind it all. This is far and away the most interesting wine I’ve had in a while.
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11/12/2011 - cpsmith33 wrote: 90 Points
Nice smooth blend. Dark fruits, a little spice. Cab Franc definitely there...
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10/8/2011 - BradboBaggins Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classy, smooth, ripe and nicely oaked, this is a complete package, even young. Has enough acidity and structure to handle some age well, but you don't need to leave it alone, its good to drink now as well. Probably will improve for another 4-5 years.
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9/28/2011 - chj wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 1 hr. Dark fruit on the nose to start, wonderful mounthfeel with a long finish.
This wine was well balanced and delicate not a powerhouse but was delightful by itself.
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9/27/2011 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Very dark in the glass with a purplish rim. Nose is pretty closed off right now, but you can still smell the dark red and purple fruit and a hint of coffee. On the palate, very voluptuous mouthfeel with firm tannins and just enough acidity. Very fruit forward but not overextracted and a hint of oak, vanilla and earthiness. Long finish.
On the second day... WOW. This thing has opened up and floored me with an even greater depth of rich fruit, silky tannins and bright acidity. Bumped this up from a 91 to a 93. Just beautiful.
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8/30/2011 - Philly NQ King wrote: 92 Points
Consumed a night after a Columbia Crest Reserve Cab (not the WOTY vintage) and the pedigree difference was clearly evident. Similar flavors, but this bottle has a special level of spice that the CC just didn't posses. Loved it!
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8/28/2011 - cpsmith33 wrote: 89 Points
Hurricane Night: Popped and poured unfortunately. Dark fruits, oak, smooth mouthfeel. Nice solid blend for the price.
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7/9/2011 - PDXinSEA wrote: 92 Points
Aerated through a Vinturi. Red-purple rich robe. Immediate surprisingly complex nose of ripe black plum, cedar, tarragon. Initially, just a gob of fruit, racy acidity, drying tannin. With a 1/2 hour air, lots of character develops. The black fruits are joined by a streak of red cherry, the tarragon of the bouquet is now evident, the oak is well-integrated and the tannins are softened and dusty, no longer interrupted the delicate but fairly long finish. This is excellent and absolutely accessible now but showing great potential. The complexity evoked by aeration suggests that patience over a few years will be very rewarding.
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6/26/2011 - wineguy58 wrote: 90 Points
same as previous notes except for the oak shows more when cold
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6/19/2011 - Nbkat8 wrote: 92 Points
Good solid wine, lots of fruit flavor with smooth mid pallete, popped and poured.
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6/17/2011 - uncle al wrote: 89 Points
Very smooth and fruity. Medium finish. I had never heard of this wine before but it was very pleasant.
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6/5/2011 - wineguy58 wrote: 91 Points
balanced medley of red fruits. Excellent QPR
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6/3/2011 - ucbeau wrote: 87 Points
Aromatically interesting with crushed pepper and black fruits surrounded by a cloak of vanilla. Hints of coffee bean and earth through the mid palate but they never built enough strength to be factored into the overall tapestry of flavor. I did like the first sip that brought out some great flavors of plum and crushed blackberry, however those seemed too fleeting. Monolithic tannins lent a nice weight but might have been a bit excessive. A solid wine, if somewhat unremarkable. Consumed another glass on the second day, the wine still had life but didn't gain anything from added exposure to air. Paired nicely with hamburgers but at $25 a bottle, it's an expensive bbq wine..
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6/1/2011 - uncle al wrote: 88 Points
Smooth wine with good fruit. Medium finish. A very drinkable wine for the price.
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5/30/2011 - Phredd Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very dark in the glass, almost black, with a purple-red rim, this wine looks young. On the nose, this is very tight at first, but opens up to big, ripe plums and black raspberries, with some thyme and dark, leafy, green veggies, like freshly cut spinach. There's also a nice dustiness on what becomes a very expressive nose. The palate begins with the same mixture of fruits, and comes across as very fruit-forward and New World. But the mid-palate rises to some nice fine-grained tannins that open into cocoa powder and well-integrated oak. The vegetal note is still there, but is well in the background on a medium long finish. This wine is still very young, and gets much better after a two-hour decant. I would guess it will improve with several more years of bottle age, but it is more than drinkable right now. My one complaint would be excessive alcohol, at 14.8%, which takes away some of the elegance on the finish. Still, this is a very nice find for the $27 price point, especially since the vouchers at Lot18 made this even less expensive in the end. An excellent wine, and an even better QPR.
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5/29/2011 - jshearer wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Smokey, deep fruit nose. Hint of alcohol. Very dense on the palate. Dark blueberries, ripe plums, currants. Fine tannins and balanced acid. Very nice, complex wine with a long finish.
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5/23/2011 - cmaldoon wrote: 92 Points
Note: This review posted a day after consumption, not exact notes
Popped and let sit for 30 min prior to tasting
Color: Dark Purple
Nose and Taste: Very dark, tending to blackberry, plum and chocolate. Significant oak at first but then balanced in with time. Very complex, saturated with flavor, very deep, a bit excessively so.
Tasty and I will enjoy it again but on this night it was a bit over the top.
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5/19/2011 - enjoyvino wrote: 93 Points
This wine was fantastic. The nose opened up with a crushed blackberry, plum and maybe current and dusty spice. On the palate this wine had loads of dark plums, berry, a little underlaying earth and tobacco with a silky smooth finish. Tanzer has his head up his ass that this is an 88. I may not be a ratings expert, but this has got to be a 92-94 on anyones scale.
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5/15/2011 - bkrup Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ran through a Vinturi into a decanter. After about 2 hours the tannins mellowed and other flavors of chocolate and blue fruit started to reveal themselves. Very nice blend, looking forward to opening the other bottles.
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5/14/2011 - jazanol07 wrote: 91 Points
very nice blend
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5/10/2011 - ksteiner wrote: 93 Points
A different taste that stands out from the rest and makes a very good mark.
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5/10/2011 - Philly NQ King wrote: 92 Points
I love pdemaio's 'rambunctious youth' comment below. Give it a few hours to breath and the nose itself is worth the price of admission. I'm getting violets and baking spices (as others note below) but with bright and vivid blackberry highlights. Well integrated oak and tannin - although still youthful and evident. Comparable to some much more expensive Andrew Will bottles I've had recently. An absolute steal for the price I paid...
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5/10/2011 - cyc wrote: 90 Points
Like others have mentioned, this wine seems to have a streak of VA in it. The blend is definitely nice but the VA is really off-putting for me. Aside from that, it is really a nice wine.
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5/8/2011 - pdemaio wrote: 93 Points
Pdq93+. Big hot. Touch of VA? Eitherway it's two tons of straight ahead fun. A Fast and Furious wine. This may age, but I'm not sure it will get better than it is in all it's rambunctious youth.
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5/7/2011 - jamieirving wrote: 94 Points
A blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Cabernet Franc, 21% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot this Walla Walla wine shows luscious blackberry, dark chocolate and baking spices on the nose. The palate is full bodied and beautifully smooth. More dark berry fruit, tobacco, and minerals with vibrant acidity and delightfully long finish. 492 cases. 94 points Wine Enthusiast and Wine & Spirits
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11/25/2010 - mdstoltz wrote:
Of the three wines we opened for Thanksgiving, this was the star of the show. This is the third wine I have had from ÀMaurice Cellars and it is clear the winery is producing some of the best stuff in Washington. The Horiuchi red blend stood up well to the extensive meal, but at no time over-powered any of the dishes. Nice currant flavors, soft tannins and a touch of blackberry made for an excellent wine that caught the attention of all of our family and friends.
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