Consumed over several days. Th wine got better on the 2nd day, and retained beautiful structure, finely grained tannins, and nicely balanced acidity. Very nice red berry fruit, alongside a streak of anise, and some light peppery spice. Definitely California, but very well done. Drink now through 2019 or so...I'd drink now.
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A pleasant medium bodied wine with spice and plum and pepper all coming into focus against a soft tannin. Even a hint of herb and floral in there. Pretty interesting for a single varietal rhone. Probably close to its peak right now.
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An elegant Grenache that brings together the best of New and Old World styles. Deep ruby purple with clinging legs and a perfumed nose of black cherries, lavender and forest during rainfall. A farmer's fruit stand of cherries, raspberries, peaches, watermelon rind, and dark pitted fruits, which carry over into the 30-second-plus finish, where it picks up green moss and cedar notes. Very elegant, and likely in its prime right now -- unless you're wanting to see if any more of the secondary notes come to the fore. Delicious!
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w big spare ribs from grill. Upon opening this was lightish red and had a cherry juice nose. After half hour in decanter it started smelling like wine. This was not very interesting, maybe disjointed? The alcohol was prevalent. Drink now or if you have just one bottle and you dont care, put it away another 5 yrs? Too bad, first mediocre wine i ever had from these guys.
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Though there's spiced fruits and earth that kept me going back for more, this was out of balance and the fruit seemed overripe / cooked in a way that brought out baked to burnt flavors and created a heavy style that is too much for Grenache. It had a dark brown sugar to molasses element that I dislike.
Aside: An "85" seems quite low, but it's at the top of the "Good" range and that's what I mean. I just couldn't go to "Very Good" here. Fair to poor QPR.
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I like the leanness of the bright red fruits on this wine, but it can't cover up the 15+% ABV. I remember this seeming more balanced in its early days, so maybe held too long or going through an awkward phase. Never ca me together, even after a lengthy decant.
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Wow, this is one YUMMY wine!! No doubt partially due to its high alcohol content (15.5%, the result of ripe fruit/grapes), there is a raspberry jam component up front, along with a red cherry and (some slight) plum and strawberry characteristics in the wine’s fruit profile. In addition to the fruit flavors, there is an abundance of savory spices and black pepper, all supported by zippy acidity and crisp, smooth, supple tannins.
This wine is fairly light-bodied but it packs quite a wallop of complexity and depth-of-flavor. It is very well-balanced, smooth, silky, and has quite a lingering, delicious finish. There’s also some subtle oak and Calineuf-du-Pape earthiness running through the wine’s core structure as well.
This is one of the best California Grenaches I’ve tasted in quite a while. It is deliciously fruity, spicy, earthy, and food-friendly beyond belief.
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PnP out of my suitcase at room temp while on a trip in SF. Was a bit spritzy on opening, but this totally blew off over the first hour. Considerably improved over 2 hours, fleshed out, tannins became more noticeable, fruit was med ripe cherry and some plum, acidity med, some complexity on palate with tobacco and savory mushroom flavors. Finish med length repeating notes from palate. A very good quality wine, drinking well now, will continue to do so another 4-5 years.
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A bit more heat than previous vintages which might mellow out over time. Nice fruit and traditional Grenache character, but not up to the quality of the 07 IMO.
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POP, Light red in color, nice nose of fruit, candy apple, a little acidic but fairly smooth, long finish, light tannins. As the air gets to it the tannins come out more and fruit move to the background, still a little acidic.
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Popped and poured from the cellar. In the glass it's seductive in it's sheer brick color. The nose is candied apples - fun! Front of the palate is hard red candy for grownups without any cloying sweetness. Mid-palate is where the depth hits and a bit of heat. Fun doesn't stop there as the wine sings in the back of the palate and holds that note. Mmmm... Stems up!
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A nice wine, quite soft and approachable, not as spicy and full of bright red fruits as their paste vintages. It's really ready to drink now. The fruit is very soft, although quite pleasant.
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Dark and red fruit, plum, some spice and a touch of brown sugar, this is a more fruit forward wine, but with sufficient bones to present well; very nice nose, ample body, and medium finish. QPR?
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Paso Wine Country Trip; 9/1/2011-9/4/2011: This is an elegant and beautiful wine. 100% Grenache. Floral notes, followed by slate/wet stones, then spice /licorice on the nose. Med/full bodied mouthfeel, silky tannins, dark plum and raspberry fruit, with a sweet, almost medicinal finish that lingers for 30+ seconds. This was a WOTN for me, will drink much better in another 2-3 years, and should last 10+.
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Grenache Grand Tour at Tablas Creek: My favorite single varietal grenache from the tasting. Light rusty red. Sweet red fruits and flowers on nose. Med body but persistent flavors of red fruits and milk chocolate. Tight on mid palate and lightly tannic with a sweet but dry finish that shows a touch of white pepper. This will benefit from time but is excellent now. More appropriate representation of grenache than the '07.
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Red licorice, plums, and toasted oak on nose with a touch of a medicinal aroma - iodine?- that was not unpleasant. Bright and rich on the attack with plums, cherries, white pepper, and some caramel on the finish. Very good acidity, medium body, nice dusty tannins. A little sweet (as I usually find in grenache) and the oak is not fully integrated at this point. I'd hold these for another year or two.
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Tasting room pour. Strawberry and licorice on the nose. Peppery, cherry, and berry notes with savory spice and herb. Grainy tannins and medium plus finish.
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Typical grenache with bright fruit, but with hich acidity and very dry. It was a combination that really worked for me. The finish was medium and interesting. One of the best Grenache only wines I have tasted. I begged, but they would not sell me a bottle (wine club only). I would like to try this in a few years.
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Bright blueberries, strawberries, and dusty cherries, with some tea and spice on the nose. Vibrant and light on the palate, with balanced medium finish. Over time, clenches down a bit with some fine, dusty tannins. Right up my alley in terms of vibrant flavors in a less weighty package...
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Tablas Creek Spring Tasting Party: Lighter red than I expected. Bright, delicious fruit. A little thin and definately tight on the back end. Medium bodied. Delicious and very pretty. New world yet elegant.
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Pop & Pour. Elegant dark ruby with a nice floral perfume on the nose. Palate shows strawberries, cherries, white pepper, slate, and milk chocolate with creamy vanilla on the finish. Tannins are there but not intrusive. This is quite elegant and delicious, but I'd enjoy it more if the oak was better integrated, which may occur with time. Winemaker notes say this was fermented in stainless and aged in foudre. I'm surprised that kind of barrel treatment shows like this, yet I found a distinct vanilla finish which was a bit distracting
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From the winemaker: Bright medium red, with a classic Grenache nose of currant, red plum, and cherry. Fresh and pure on the palate with flavors of red fruit and milk chocolate, nice chalky tannins that provide firmness and a touch of saline minerality on the long finish. Drink now or over the next six to eight years.
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12/26/2022 - SUnger Likes this wine: 88 Points
Drank fairly well, still bright, strawberry, light cherry, lighter, faded a little over time
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12/24/2017 - drrobvino wrote: 91 Points
Consumed over several days. Th wine got better on the 2nd day, and retained beautiful structure, finely grained tannins, and nicely balanced acidity. Very nice red berry fruit, alongside a streak of anise, and some light peppery spice. Definitely California, but very well done. Drink now through 2019 or so...I'd drink now.
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4/9/2016 - dankrems wrote: 91 Points
A pleasant medium bodied wine with spice and plum and pepper all coming into focus against a soft tannin. Even a hint of herb and floral in there. Pretty interesting for a single varietal rhone. Probably close to its peak right now.
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10/3/2015 - jonahfactor Likes this wine:
An elegant Grenache that brings together the best of New and Old World styles. Deep ruby purple with clinging legs and a perfumed nose of black cherries, lavender and forest during rainfall. A farmer's fruit stand of cherries, raspberries, peaches, watermelon rind, and dark pitted fruits, which carry over into the 30-second-plus finish, where it picks up green moss and cedar notes. Very elegant, and likely in its prime right now -- unless you're wanting to see if any more of the secondary notes come to the fore. Delicious!
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4/19/2015 - MichielV wrote: 86 Points
w big spare ribs from grill. Upon opening this was lightish red and had a cherry juice nose. After half hour in decanter it started smelling like wine. This was not very interesting, maybe disjointed? The alcohol was prevalent. Drink now or if you have just one bottle and you dont care, put it away another 5 yrs? Too bad, first mediocre wine i ever had from these guys.
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11/21/2014 - tward wrote: 85 Points
Though there's spiced fruits and earth that kept me going back for more, this was out of balance and the fruit seemed overripe / cooked in a way that brought out baked to burnt flavors and created a heavy style that is too much for Grenache. It had a dark brown sugar to molasses element that I dislike.
Aside: An "85" seems quite low, but it's at the top of the "Good" range and that's what I mean. I just couldn't go to "Very Good" here. Fair to poor QPR.
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8/16/2014 - PIntag wrote: 92 Points
Drinking really well right now. Soft and rich but still showing good balance. Loved it.
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7/31/2014 - stubbie999 Likes this wine:
I like the leanness of the bright red fruits on this wine, but it can't cover up the 15+% ABV. I remember this seeming more balanced in its early days, so maybe held too long or going through an awkward phase. Never ca me together, even after a lengthy decant.
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6/9/2014 - Justin B Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasting fantastic now... a great example of grenache from California.
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5/1/2014 - borneman Does not like this wine:
It smells like plum and prune and tastes like plum. Silky texture. The wine finishes long. High alcohol and am little tannin.
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11/20/2013 - DaveZack Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wow, this is one YUMMY wine!! No doubt partially due to its high alcohol content (15.5%, the result of ripe fruit/grapes), there is a raspberry jam component up front, along with a red cherry and (some slight) plum and strawberry characteristics in the wine’s fruit profile. In addition to the fruit flavors, there is an abundance of savory spices and black pepper, all supported by zippy acidity and crisp, smooth, supple tannins.
This wine is fairly light-bodied but it packs quite a wallop of complexity and depth-of-flavor. It is very well-balanced, smooth, silky, and has quite a lingering, delicious finish. There’s also some subtle oak and Calineuf-du-Pape earthiness running through the wine’s core structure as well.
This is one of the best California Grenaches I’ve tasted in quite a while. It is deliciously fruity, spicy, earthy, and food-friendly beyond belief.
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11/20/2013 - DodgerDave wrote: 85 Points
Nice wine maybe tart at first.
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10/29/2013 - drrobvino wrote: 90 Points
PnP out of my suitcase at room temp while on a trip in SF.
Was a bit spritzy on opening, but this totally blew off over the first hour.
Considerably improved over 2 hours, fleshed out, tannins became more noticeable, fruit was med ripe cherry and some plum, acidity med, some complexity on palate with tobacco and savory mushroom flavors. Finish med length repeating notes from palate.
A very good quality wine, drinking well now, will continue to do so another 4-5 years.
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3/24/2013 - Smiths22 wrote: 89 Points
Light bright taste. Slightly uneven finish. Good wine bit far better for price!
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8/5/2012 - Tom Warden wrote: 87 Points
A bit stark...good, but not a crowd pleaser.
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7/23/2012 - keelegl wrote: 88 Points
A bit more heat than previous vintages which might mellow out over time. Nice fruit and traditional Grenache character, but not up to the quality of the 07 IMO.
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5/31/2012 - RLP805 wrote: 88 Points
POP, Light red in color, nice nose of fruit, candy apple, a little acidic but fairly smooth, long finish, light tannins. As the air gets to it the tannins come out more and fruit move to the background, still a little acidic.
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4/9/2012 - mcubed wrote: 89 Points
We need more Grenache. Smooth, fruit forward, long finish. Would drink now but should be fine for some time.
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4/4/2012 - JCarella wrote: 89 Points
Smells like Christmas. Awesome wine
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3/29/2012 - bunkie wrote: 89 Points
Nice wine... drinking well now! Don't hold back...it tastes lovely.
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3/10/2012 - pocchia Likes this wine: 89 Points
Popped and poured from the cellar. In the glass it's seductive in it's sheer brick color. The nose is candied apples - fun! Front of the palate is hard red candy for grownups without any cloying sweetness. Mid-palate is where the depth hits and a bit of heat. Fun doesn't stop there as the wine sings in the back of the palate and holds that note. Mmmm... Stems up!
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2/18/2012 - dino_mike wrote: 86 Points
A nice wine, quite soft and approachable, not as spicy and full of bright red fruits as their paste vintages. It's really ready to drink now. The fruit is very soft, although quite pleasant.
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10/9/2011 - kenhoeve wrote: 86 Points
Solid but not too much going on otherwise. Better in their blends.
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10/6/2011 - tward wrote: 88 Points
Dark and red fruit, plum, some spice and a touch of brown sugar, this is a more fruit forward wine, but with sufficient bones to present well; very nice nose, ample body, and medium finish. QPR?
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9/4/2011 - drrobvino wrote: 92 Points
Paso Wine Country Trip; 9/1/2011-9/4/2011: This is an elegant and beautiful wine. 100% Grenache. Floral notes, followed by slate/wet stones, then spice /licorice on the nose. Med/full bodied mouthfeel, silky tannins, dark plum and raspberry fruit, with a sweet, almost medicinal finish that lingers for 30+ seconds. This was a WOTN for me, will drink much better in another 2-3 years, and should last 10+.
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9/4/2011 - Redguy wrote: 90 Points
Grenache Grand Tour at Tablas Creek: My favorite single varietal grenache from the tasting. Light rusty red. Sweet red fruits and flowers on nose. Med body but persistent flavors of red fruits and milk chocolate. Tight on mid palate and lightly tannic with a sweet but dry finish that shows a touch of white pepper. This will benefit from time but is excellent now. More appropriate representation of grenache than the '07.
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8/10/2011 - Redguy wrote: 89 Points
Red licorice, plums, and toasted oak on nose with a touch of a medicinal aroma - iodine?- that was not unpleasant. Bright and rich on the attack with plums, cherries, white pepper, and some caramel on the finish. Very good acidity, medium body, nice dusty tannins. A little sweet (as I usually find in grenache) and the oak is not fully integrated at this point. I'd hold these for another year or two.
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5/25/2011 - MattMauldin wrote: 91 Points
Tasting room pour. Strawberry and licorice on the nose. Peppery, cherry, and berry notes with savory spice and herb. Grainy tannins and medium plus finish.
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5/13/2011 - 9skinner@verizon.net wrote: 91 Points
Very nice, clean and lasting finish, somewhat dry.
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4/19/2011 - Grenik wrote: 91 Points
Typical grenache with bright fruit, but with hich acidity and very dry. It was a combination that really worked for me. The finish was medium and interesting. One of the best Grenache only wines I have tasted. I begged, but they would not sell me a bottle (wine club only). I would like to try this in a few years.
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4/6/2011 - jsherdc wrote: 90 Points
Light weight. Smooth and tasty red berries with some pepper in the finish. 90/91
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4/6/2011 - Haltermr wrote: 91 Points
Bright blueberries, strawberries, and dusty cherries, with some tea and spice on the nose. Vibrant and light on the palate, with balanced medium finish. Over time, clenches down a bit with some fine, dusty tannins. Right up my alley in terms of vibrant flavors in a less weighty package...
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4/3/2011 - Redguy wrote: 89 Points
Tablas Creek Spring Tasting Party: Lighter red than I expected. Bright, delicious fruit. A little thin and definately tight on the back end. Medium bodied. Delicious and very pretty. New world yet elegant.
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3/27/2011 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 88 Points
2011 Rhone Rangers Tasting San Francisco (Fort Mason, San Francisco, California): Reduction, pepper, charcoal nose; reduction, tart berry, red berry, spice palate, a little hot; medium finish
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3/27/2011 - MotoMannequin wrote:
Pop & Pour. Elegant dark ruby with a nice floral perfume on the nose. Palate shows strawberries, cherries, white pepper, slate, and milk chocolate with creamy vanilla on the finish. Tannins are there but not intrusive. This is quite elegant and delicious, but I'd enjoy it more if the oak was better integrated, which may occur with time. Winemaker notes say this was fermented in stainless and aged in foudre. I'm surprised that kind of barrel treatment shows like this, yet I found a distinct vanilla finish which was a bit distracting
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3/27/2011 - aagrawal wrote: 84 Points
Rhone Rangers 2011 (San Francisco): Restrained, medium/light with good sweetness. A bit simple.
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3/27/2011 - ichhina wrote:
From the winemaker: Bright medium red, with a classic Grenache nose of currant, red plum, and cherry. Fresh and pure on the palate with flavors of red fruit and milk chocolate, nice chalky tannins that provide firmness and a touch of saline minerality on the long finish. Drink now or over the next six to eight years.
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