A lot of the flavor and nose of a high end Napa cab, just without quite the polish and sheen. A good trade-off at $20. Nose a little oak-laden; rich, dark berry flavors with good length. Have to agree with others that there's not a lot of sense of place here, but it's a well-made wine.
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This wine has evolved -- there are some tertiary aromas from its having reduced a bit -- but I'm not sure I'd say it's improved. Decent acidity, some bright, sweet fruit, and some menthol/camphor notes -- but at the same time it mostly drinks like a 20-dollar cab from Anywhere, Earth. The thing in its favor is that while it doesn't necessarily seem to smack much of place, it doesn't come across as spoofulated at all.
I wouldn't wait much on this, though -- CT says till 2017, and I wouldn't wait that long.
Well, I'm surprised it has improved this much since my last tasting about a year ago. 86 to a 90 now. Not flabby anymore with a beautiful nose. Much more mid-palate flavors rolling on the tongue. Loaded with dark berries and camphor. Nice and dry. Decent length. I think it to be a pretty fair price now for an Andrew Jackson.
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Served steak frites amiably, or at least non-confrontationally, but not quite a winner. Medium on the palate, low to medium acidity (not flabby), black fruit with an off note I couldn't quite place right in the middle of the proceedings.
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Very concentrated color. Definately a food wine. I prefer california cabs over this one, although the fruit is kinda flabby like some california's. Not much out of place but nothing jumps out either. Overpriced for sure. I'm thinking Trader Joes pricing here would be better. Say $9.
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Almost a year later this vintage has mellowed and now produces more mid-palate interest. Never was a big heavy Cabernet, never will be. But drinking nicely now; with a bit of time in the glass, quite enjoyable, should continue to develop for the next 2-3 years.
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Ok, this is nice enough, over priced and maybe still needs 2+ yrs - but really comes off a little over-oaked for me that overpowers the, what would be nice, softer dark fruit. Even the next day was a little woody...
For 30$ CAN - pass. Producer, as I've said, is one i like and follow...
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Decanted for a couple of hours. It's been a year+ since I last tasted this wine, and I was hoping for some improvement. Not so much.....
On the nose, relatively reticent, with balanced lightly-oaked cab fruit with a hint of dill. On the palate, relatively acidic versus the fruit, and for my tastes out of balance at present. Not much in the way of tannins. Perhaps some time will improve the acidity / fruit integration. But, for now....87 pts. For my tastes, and at this point in time, this bottle underperformed on a QPR basis.
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Dark garnet color. Muted aroma of dark fruit and tar. Consistent flavors with lots of acidity and tannin. Hopefully, this settles down in a few years or with a lengthy decant.
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This was the first bottle opened, maybe a wee early, but still really good Medium dark in color currant, black fruit, slight botanical, and graphite. Enjoyed this without food, and it opened up nicely in the glass. I will be enjoying a couple of bottles a year to see how it ages in the cellar.
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Fruity, oaky, acidic and tannic. DefInitely new world style. Something on the palate conjures up tastes of winter spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. If I had another bottle, I'd try it with rich, heavy, flavorful cuisine to see if it could provide a comementary experience
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I also don't understand Molee's 65. I have had bad wine and this was not a bad wine, nor a flawed one. Not a tanz 91 either, but still decent. Kind of a skunky nose with a bit of berry on the back end. Grippy tannins that are still light, mineral and blueberry notes. Does turn a bit skunky with air, may be harboring Brett.
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Good on opening but maybe just a bit of Brett revealing late. Not an ager, almost non-existent tannins but a good dose of acidity to frame blueberry and green leaf notes.
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No nose. Acidic and lack of tannin for a cabernet. Little improvement over a couple of days. Hints of cocoa and mocha on the finish. Not impressed overall.
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On the nose, deep red fruits with accents of smoke, tobacco and pencil lead, with some additional florals sneaking with time in the glass. On the palate, more of the same with a nice balance. Medium to medium-full with a decent amount of structure. Plenty of oak, but not to the point of overweighting the wine. A nice wine @$20. One that should continue to improve over the next 2-3 years, and drink well for sometime beyond that. 90+ points.
Footnote - I'm very confused by the WS (Molesworth) 65 point rating of this wine. My experience with this bottle leads me to quite a different conclusion (I also don't think his verbal notes support his rating). IMHO:)
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Popped and poured. Medium-plus dark cherry hue. Forward nose of dark fruits, ripe currant, tobacco leaf, anise, and toasted oak. Medium-plus body, nice concentration. On the palate, this young wine already shows moderate complexity, with a nice core of dark fruits (blackberry, black cherry), earth, toasted spices, and a kiss of sweet oak. As with many Argentinean wines, the moderate-plus acidity keeps this fresh and quenching. The tannins are fine grained and smooth on the moderate close. This is a nice Cabernet that, if tasted blind, would fool many into thinking it was made in CA. While somewhat lacking in complexity, 2-4 years in the cellar should bring out more secondary characteristics.
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This one definitely needs some time in a decanter or in the cellar. It's pretty closed down at first, with a slightly funky aroma that blows off to produce pepper and spice. Pepper, cassis, and herbal flavors dominate the midpalate. Dyring tannins at present, but they soften as the wine opens up.
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12/12/2021 - mdvino63 Likes this wine: 90 Points
quite delicious and still going strong. I agree that it is lacking a sense of place, but it is really tasty.
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8/24/2019 - ToughRalph Likes this wine: 90 Points
Among best Argentina cabs I’ve had. Very nice for $20. Just not quite the fruit polish of best Napa cabs.
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11/1/2015 - Shrages wrote: 90 Points
A lot of the flavor and nose of a high end Napa cab, just without quite the polish and sheen. A good trade-off at $20. Nose a little oak-laden; rich, dark berry flavors with good length. Have to agree with others that there's not a lot of sense of place here, but it's a well-made wine.
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6/7/2015 - wormfarmer wrote: 87 Points
This wine has evolved -- there are some tertiary aromas from its having reduced a bit -- but I'm not sure I'd say it's improved. Decent acidity, some bright, sweet fruit, and some menthol/camphor notes -- but at the same time it mostly drinks like a 20-dollar cab from Anywhere, Earth. The thing in its favor is that while it doesn't necessarily seem to smack much of place, it doesn't come across as spoofulated at all.
I wouldn't wait much on this, though -- CT says till 2017, and I wouldn't wait that long.
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3/14/2015 - PinotAge-Weetree wrote: 90 Points
Well, I'm surprised it has improved this much since my last tasting about a year ago. 86 to a 90 now. Not flabby anymore with a beautiful nose. Much more mid-palate flavors rolling on the tongue. Loaded with dark berries and camphor. Nice and dry. Decent length. I think it to be a pretty fair price now for an Andrew Jackson.
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11/18/2014 - wormfarmer wrote: 87 Points
Served steak frites amiably, or at least non-confrontationally, but not quite a winner. Medium on the palate, low to medium acidity (not flabby), black fruit with an off note I couldn't quite place right in the middle of the proceedings.
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8/7/2014 - PinotAge-Weetree wrote: 86 Points
Very concentrated color. Definately a food wine. I prefer california cabs over this one, although the fruit is kinda flabby like some california's. Not much out of place but nothing jumps out either. Overpriced for sure. I'm thinking Trader Joes pricing here would be better. Say $9.
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9/14/2013 - haBu wrote: 90 Points
Almost a year later this vintage has mellowed and now produces more mid-palate interest. Never was a big heavy Cabernet, never will be. But drinking nicely now; with a bit of time in the glass, quite enjoyable, should continue to develop for the next 2-3 years.
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8/27/2013 - Mr T wrote:
nice cab and certainly very good for the money
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8/19/2013 - YWG Wine Guy wrote: 87 Points
Ok, this is nice enough, over priced and maybe still needs 2+ yrs - but really comes off a little over-oaked for me that overpowers the, what would be nice, softer dark fruit. Even the next day was a little woody...
For 30$ CAN - pass. Producer, as I've said, is one i like and follow...
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4/5/2013 - davidspieker wrote: 88 Points
Consistent with last tasting.
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3/19/2013 - vanpe003 wrote: 87 Points
Decanted for a couple of hours. It's been a year+ since I last tasted this wine, and I was hoping for some improvement. Not so much.....
On the nose, relatively reticent, with balanced lightly-oaked cab fruit with a hint of dill. On the palate, relatively acidic versus the fruit, and for my tastes out of balance at present. Not much in the way of tannins. Perhaps some time will improve the acidity / fruit integration. But, for now....87 pts. For my tastes, and at this point in time, this bottle underperformed on a QPR basis.
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2/13/2013 - davidspieker wrote: 88 Points
Dark garnet color. Muted aroma of dark fruit and tar. Consistent flavors with lots of acidity and tannin. Hopefully, this settles down in a few years or with a lengthy decant.
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12/23/2012 - haBu Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was the first bottle opened, maybe a wee early, but still really good Medium dark in color currant, black fruit, slight botanical, and graphite. Enjoyed this without food, and it opened up nicely in the glass. I will be enjoying a couple of bottles a year to see how it ages in the cellar.
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10/9/2012 - davidspieker wrote: 85 Points
Dark fruit and cedar aromas. Juicy cherry and blackberry fruit flavors initially with espresso and cedar finish. Somewhat disjointed.
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8/30/2012 - kakpoo wrote:
Fruity, oaky, acidic and tannic. DefInitely new world style. Something on the palate conjures up tastes of winter spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. If I had another bottle, I'd try it with rich, heavy, flavorful cuisine to see if it could provide a comementary experience
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8/4/2012 - lewisrise wrote: 90 Points
Nose of meat, violets, and graphite/alluminum. Spicy cedar with cherry and blackberry.
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6/29/2012 - guitarguy wrote: 87 Points
I also don't understand Molee's 65. I have had bad wine and this was not a bad wine, nor a flawed one. Not a tanz 91 either, but still decent. Kind of a skunky nose with a bit of berry on the back end. Grippy tannins that are still light, mineral and blueberry notes. Does turn a bit skunky with air, may be harboring Brett.
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4/27/2012 - guitarguy wrote: 87 Points
Good on opening but maybe just a bit of Brett revealing late. Not an ager, almost non-existent tannins but a good dose of acidity to frame blueberry and green leaf notes.
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4/8/2012 - wineywhites wrote: flawed
Tastes like there's some brett, so will try the other one
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3/29/2012 - Chucs wrote: 78 Points
No nose. Acidic and lack of tannin for a cabernet. Little improvement over a couple of days. Hints of cocoa and mocha on the finish. Not impressed overall.
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3/22/2012 - henrygjeffreys wrote:
very dark colour
v. tannic, dark, nice fruit, good acidity
tastes expensive,
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3/10/2012 - Nchiapas wrote:
Year 2009
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1/27/2012 - lewisrise wrote: 92 Points
Nose of briar and dark fruit. Hint of wet cedar as well. Many layers of dark fruit with spice box and cedar. Great house red.
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1/13/2012 - chaos wrote: 91 Points
Really enjoyed this bottle. It was fun to have a fruit driven, lively Cab, rather than brooding and tannic.
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12/10/2011 - tabrand wrote: 85 Points
Big fruit in this wine, perhaps a little too much for my taste.
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11/12/2011 - tabrand wrote: 92 Points
Earthy, big fruit with hints of vanilla. We really enjoyed this one, will buy again!
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11/5/2011 - vanpe003 wrote: 90 Points
On the nose, deep red fruits with accents of smoke, tobacco and pencil lead, with some additional florals sneaking with time in the glass. On the palate, more of the same with a nice balance. Medium to medium-full with a decent amount of structure. Plenty of oak, but not to the point of overweighting the wine. A nice wine @$20. One that should continue to improve over the next 2-3 years, and drink well for sometime beyond that. 90+ points.
Footnote - I'm very confused by the WS (Molesworth) 65 point rating of this wine. My experience with this bottle leads me to quite a different conclusion (I also don't think his verbal notes support his rating). IMHO:)
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9/17/2011 - revanness wrote: 90 Points
Has improved from 7 months in the cellar.
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7/21/2011 - PhilJ wrote: 88 Points
I would like to try this again in the future. Oaky overtones with some earthy tastes.
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6/11/2011 - AllRed wrote: 87 Points
Gibby's monthly tasting - Argentina (Gibby's Wine Den, Geneva, IL): Deep crimson color. Has an understated, restrained bouquet; cherry and herb notes. Chalky tannins; dark fruit and herb flavors.
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6/9/2011 - *Vine* wrote:
Popped and poured. Medium-plus dark cherry hue. Forward nose of dark fruits, ripe currant, tobacco leaf, anise, and toasted oak. Medium-plus body, nice concentration. On the palate, this young wine already shows moderate complexity, with a nice core of dark fruits (blackberry, black cherry), earth, toasted spices, and a kiss of sweet oak. As with many Argentinean wines, the moderate-plus acidity keeps this fresh and quenching. The tannins are fine grained and smooth on the moderate close. This is a nice Cabernet that, if tasted blind, would fool many into thinking it was made in CA. While somewhat lacking in complexity, 2-4 years in the cellar should bring out more secondary characteristics.
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12/11/2010 - drdebs wrote: 89 Points
This one definitely needs some time in a decanter or in the cellar. It's pretty closed down at first, with a slightly funky aroma that blows off to produce pepper and spice. Pepper, cassis, and herbal flavors dominate the midpalate. Dyring tannins at present, but they soften as the wine opens up.
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