Delish! I’m so happy I forgot about the wine in storage for 10 years. Notes on this bottle same as the last. Everything is coming together for this wine, without any loss due to age. Great nose, smooth tannins, wonderful mix of fruit.
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Beautiful wine. Funk on the nose that persisted but didn't really translate into the glass. Nice balanced dark cherry notes. Have one more bottle. Will drink soon and hope for the same experience.
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Very concentrated, but not over the top. Mostly red fruit coming through that is bright, acidic and very tasty. Good finish. Overall a really well made wine that has gotten better each time I tried.
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At almost ten years old, I am impressed. Still standing. Opened and decanted for thirty minutes. A nose of cherry, light dry earth, graphite, and raspberry liqueur with just a touch of alcohol heat. The palate is broad expansive fruit of black and red fruit, cassis, light oak, tobacco, and soft dusty tannins balanced by just the right amount of acid. Could still stand for two to three years. An expansive finish. Altogether a wonderful value and a strong contender for a strong American Bordeaux blend.
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Great wine! I've had many Rhone varietal wines from Owen Roe but this is my first Bordeaux blend from them. I have been missing out...beautiful perfumed nose of red and black fruit and a touch of floral and cedar. More of the same on the palate from the Merlot along with some herbal and savory notes from the cab franc. Nice juicy acidity keeping it in balance. A true pleasure to drink...in a great spot right now with another 4-5 years left at peak.
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Sweet cherry liqueur nose, hint of cedar. Palate of sweet cherry, blackberry, cassis, and a touch of tobacco. Medium bodied, lingering cherry liqueur finish, nice acididty and fully integrated tannin. Nicely done, should seek this out. Drank unaccompanied.
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I am pleased to report that this bottle, the last of a case purchased directly from the winery, is excellent. My previous unfavorable review of this wine is now clearly the result of an unfortunate encounter with a bad bottle, which is something that happens from time to time. I look forward to a time when more serious winemakers give up cork and adopt modern bottle closures.
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Have enjoyed previous bottles of this vintage but now wonder if this wine is beyond its pull date. Strong alcoholic smell; overbearing cherry flavor; perhaps even a slight sherry taste.
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Very dark garnet opaque. Nose had dark fruit and oak. On the palette the oak and fruit came though As well as vanilla and coffee. A good Monday nite wine would buy again,
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Decanted 1 hour. Oak very apparent on the nose, sweet dark fruit as well. Flavors of currant, blackberry and vanilla. Finish is slightly bitter and chalky, extending for 20-25 seconds. Full body, medium acidity, medium tannin. This might have drank better when younger...not bad now, but not what I remember from previous bottles.
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Decanted 1 hour. This bottle was either slightly off or in a dumb phase. Really high acidity, bitter cherry fruit, harsh on the palate. Just not that enjoyable, compared to other bottles of this vintage bought at the same time. The cherry was off the charts...quite different from how I remember it from the previous bottles. 1 more to go...
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This is full of fruit and is well balanced despite having a solid acid presense. Dark fruit, plum, and earth and a bit of liquorish. This is really tasting terrific right now.
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Probably a little early. We did pnp and can tell it needs time to open up. After just 40 minutes it softened nicely with flavors of cherry and cassis, leather, and graphite. Very dry and tannic still. I'd give it more time in the cellar as it shows great promise.
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Nose of cherry, blackberry, spices, dust, graphite and some espresso. More dark fruit on the palate with tart tannin. Broad in the mouth, yet finishes with some acidity.
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59/24/17 Merlot/Cab Franc/Cab Sauv. Nice lush profile, chocolate notes, red berries, sweet spice. Enough structure for balance but not really dry. New World style.
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Great effort here... but may need more time. This is a nice blend that is Merlot heavy with the typical players support it, Cab Sauv & Cab Franc. Full nose of red fruits, spice and slight mineral. Smooth mouth feel with just a slight edge but it works just fine. A good food wine I think with the solid Merlot fruits.
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Delicious paired with an Italian Pork Ragu. Wonderful floral notes and berry flavors. Smooth right from opening, but improved over the next hour. Did not decant.
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Opulent and full of big ripe fruit. Well balanced. Interesting without being too complicated. Blueberries, blackberries, some spice. Maybe some pine needles. Very good.
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Connoisseur of Oregon Wines Series, Class 2: Owen Roe Winery (St Paul, Oregon): 59% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16 months French oak, 15% new. 1 hour aeration time, served in temperature controlled warehouse. This required some warming up: Plush blueberries, leather, earth and wet rock aromas. The big blue and black fruit filled palate was tight as a drum. Chewy, toasted dried fruits and cigar box. Finish was medium in length, smooth, coating and notes of vibrancy on the hind palate. This needs several more years in the bottle to soften. Good solid wine, but not a good QPR at $42. As with all the Owen Roe wines, the significant increase in production has led to suffering of quality. Drink 2015++
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First taste immediately after opening. Dark garnet color. Ripe fruit and forest floor aroma. Black cherry, blueberry and anise flavor. Full but soft texture. The tannins are very quiet in this one. I would be surprised to see much improvement with age but no need as it is delicious now. We finished a case of the 2005 this spring and were looking for more. This did not disappoint. Thank you Costco. Oak was prominent in the 2005 flavor profile but there is better balance here.
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This is just delicious. Wonderful citrusy aroma, great structure, great with food. It doesn't have a great finish, but I think the winemaker made a fantastic blend for this vintage.
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I find this a very tasty blend. Cherries from the Merlot, tannic bite from the Cab. This will improve over time but I like it now too. Admittedly I was drinking it with chips and fire roasted salsa so that may have cut some of the tannin.
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PnP, served single-blind. This was served last in the lineup, something worth mentioning because the ambient temp had risen at least 2 or 3 degrees in the room we were using to taste. This wine suffered, I think, because of it. I reserved my score until I had a chance to taste it again after 20 minutes in the fridge - better, but still not anything memorable, though it did go from an 86 to an 88. The point, if it's not obvious (and I find this with the majority of Owen Roe wines - serve them on the cooler side of the equation, lest they become monolithic and flabby. These are NOT structured wines). Opens with a nose of French Toast, oak, toast, oak spice. Full-bodied (-), forward, with low-ish acids, ripe red currants, blueberry sauce, high-toned cherry and a clipped finish. Some unwelcome heat pokes its head out now and again. 14,6% abv, I would not seek this out. My #4, group #4 (last). Drink thru 2014.
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Initially decanted for 1 hour. Had a glass at that point and was a tad underwhelmed. Recorked and didn't get back to it for 2 days. By that time, it had really mellowed out and integrated into something very nice. Fruit forward, great robust flavors, can definitely taste the Merlot in the blend. Winery was blowing this out for $300/case to make room for the '10, so some friends and I split a case. I think I'll be sitting on my remaining bottles for a bit.
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I know this is still a young wine but we were disappointed with the sharp tannins and short finish. It's certainly drinkable but we didn't like it nearly as much as most other Owen Roe wines. We were tasting it now to see if we should get some more as the winery has a great special on it. We decided we'd pass.
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I agree that there seems to be less complexity compared to the 2008. Still, this is very enjoyable. Getting lots of vanilla on the nose and the taste. A little hot and the tannins are a little bitter, but still very tasty. I can see this getting better with some time, though can't be positive.
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Love the '08. Wanted to test the '09 in case I needed to get more. Let decant for 90 minutes. Just non-existent. Very disappointing as it didn't do anything more after another few hours of being opened. The the traditional Owen Roe quality I'm used to.
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10/19/2021 - NPBWineGuy wrote: 92 Points
Delish! I’m so happy I forgot about the wine in storage for 10 years. Notes on this bottle same as the last. Everything is coming together for this wine, without any loss due to age. Great nose, smooth tannins, wonderful mix of fruit.
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10/27/2020 - NPBWineGuy wrote: 92 Points
Delicious. The tannins are resolving, and the fruit is exploding. This might be good for another couple of years, but right now it’s feels peak.
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9/12/2020 - herzog330 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Less funk on the nose as last time but still a tasty wine that is in its prime.
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9/5/2020 - herzog330 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful wine. Funk on the nose that persisted but didn't really translate into the glass. Nice balanced dark cherry notes. Have one more bottle. Will drink soon and hope for the same experience.
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4/16/2020 - bablues wrote: 92 Points
Very concentrated, but not over the top. Mostly red fruit coming through that is bright, acidic and very tasty. Good finish. Overall a really well made wine that has gotten better each time I tried.
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3/23/2019 - neilsforest wrote:
This is still presenting quite well. Plenty of body/fruit left but some signs of a drying/alcohol presence on the finish, so drink soon
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11/24/2018 - lvepicure Likes this wine: 91 Points
At almost ten years old, I am impressed. Still standing. Opened and decanted for thirty minutes. A nose of cherry, light dry earth, graphite, and raspberry liqueur with just a touch of alcohol heat. The palate is broad expansive fruit of black and red fruit, cassis, light oak, tobacco, and soft dusty tannins balanced by just the right amount of acid. Could still stand for two to three years. An expansive finish. Altogether a wonderful value and a strong contender for a strong American Bordeaux blend.
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3/31/2018 - Supercheese wrote:
Solid.
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3/28/2018 - SICILIAN-SOLE Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great wine! I've had many Rhone varietal wines from Owen Roe but this is my first Bordeaux blend from them. I have been missing out...beautiful perfumed nose of red and black fruit and a touch of floral and cedar. More of the same on the palate from the Merlot along with some herbal and savory notes from the cab franc. Nice juicy acidity keeping it in balance. A true pleasure to drink...in a great spot right now with another 4-5 years left at peak.
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2/4/2018 - Smatk Likes this wine: 91 Points
Sweet cherry liqueur nose, hint of cedar. Palate of sweet cherry, blackberry, cassis, and a touch of tobacco. Medium bodied, lingering cherry liqueur finish, nice acididty and fully integrated tannin. Nicely done, should seek this out. Drank unaccompanied.
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9/11/2017 - kanab ram Likes this wine:
Nice rich Bordeaux blend. Significantly better than the last bottle. Could be the additional age or last bottle was flawed.
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4/25/2016 - djpo wrote: 92 Points
Classic, NW blend.
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12/25/2015 - Skiffpoint Likes this wine: 91 Points
I am pleased to report that this bottle, the last of a case purchased directly from the winery, is excellent. My previous unfavorable review of this wine is now clearly the result of an unfortunate encounter with a bad bottle, which is something that happens from time to time. I look forward to a time when more serious winemakers give up cork and adopt modern bottle closures.
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12/4/2015 - Skiffpoint wrote: flawed
Have enjoyed previous bottles of this vintage but now wonder if this wine is beyond its pull date. Strong alcoholic smell; overbearing cherry flavor; perhaps even a slight sherry taste.
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5/25/2015 - Jwd12 wrote: 91 Points
Very dark garnet opaque. Nose had dark fruit and oak. On the palette the oak and fruit came though As well as vanilla and coffee. A good Monday nite wine would buy again,
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2/25/2015 - RPerro Likes this wine: 88 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Oak very apparent on the nose, sweet dark fruit as well. Flavors of currant, blackberry and vanilla. Finish is slightly bitter and chalky, extending for 20-25 seconds. Full body, medium acidity, medium tannin. This might have drank better when younger...not bad now, but not what I remember from previous bottles.
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11/25/2014 - RPerro wrote: 84 Points
Decanted 1 hour. This bottle was either slightly off or in a dumb phase. Really high acidity, bitter cherry fruit, harsh on the palate. Just not that enjoyable, compared to other bottles of this vintage bought at the same time. The cherry was off the charts...quite different from how I remember it from the previous bottles. 1 more to go...
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10/17/2014 - tonysmith72 wrote: 92 Points
Very good dark fruit. High alcohol but you don't notice it. Good drinking window.
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10/8/2014 - ptmilne wrote: 92 Points
Dang. I should have thrown this whole case in the cooler so I'd now be drinking the first bottle instead of the last. Alas.
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7/4/2014 - blabbott wrote: 92 Points
This is full of fruit and is well balanced despite having a solid acid presense. Dark fruit, plum, and earth and a bit of liquorish. This is really tasting terrific right now.
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6/10/2014 - dala4 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Probably a little early. We did pnp and can tell it needs time to open up. After just 40 minutes it softened nicely with flavors of cherry and cassis, leather, and graphite. Very dry and tannic still. I'd give it more time in the cellar as it shows great promise.
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4/21/2014 - noahbw wrote: 90 Points
Nose of cherry, blackberry, spices, dust, graphite and some espresso. More dark fruit on the palate with tart tannin. Broad in the mouth, yet finishes with some acidity.
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11/16/2013 - Deb Hansen wrote: 92 Points
Always good.
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8/23/2013 - jset22 wrote: 87 Points
Decent not great. Better paired with food (we had grilled lamb). But on its own had a bit too much acidity and bright bing cherry taste to me.
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8/22/2013 - George Lopez Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really good QPR. We thoroughly enjoyed this.
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8/21/2013 - GTFreek wrote:
59/24/17 Merlot/Cab Franc/Cab Sauv. Nice lush profile, chocolate notes, red berries, sweet spice. Enough structure for balance but not really dry. New World style.
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8/9/2013 - TheBrowns wrote: 92 Points
Yummmmm.... Awesome.
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7/18/2013 - brouigu1 wrote: 90 Points
Great effort here... but may need more time. This is a nice blend that is Merlot heavy with the typical players support it, Cab Sauv & Cab Franc. Full nose of red fruits, spice and slight mineral. Smooth mouth feel with just a slight edge but it works just fine. A good food wine I think with the solid Merlot fruits.
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7/11/2013 - Jwd12 wrote: 91 Points
Very nice wine. Plush notes of red fruit on the nose with shiny of chocolate & coffee. Taste of cherry and mineral. Wish I had more.
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5/19/2013 - ocperu wrote: 94 Points
This was drinking beautifully right out of the bottle.
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2/18/2013 - tantotinto wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with previous note. Better after having been open a couple of hours. Excellent this evening with roasted eggplant and chicken.
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2/18/2013 - bgreenak wrote: 93 Points
Delicious paired with an Italian Pork Ragu. Wonderful floral notes and berry flavors. Smooth right from opening, but improved over the next hour. Did not decant.
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2/3/2013 - bablues wrote: 92 Points
Did not take detailed notes but this was much more complex and less heat compared to last time I tried this..
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1/26/2013 - Jab_343434 wrote: 91 Points
Terrific wine, very plush lots of fruit.
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1/25/2013 - BHP1994 wrote: 91 Points
Opulent and full of big ripe fruit. Well balanced. Interesting without being too complicated. Blueberries, blackberries, some spice. Maybe some pine needles. Very good.
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1/10/2013 - ocperu wrote: 89 Points
It was not as great as the other one we had last month. Hope it was an off bottle.
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1/2/2013 - mvarner Likes this wine: 90 Points
Yummmm!
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12/16/2012 - ocperu wrote: 93 Points
Wow. This was a nice surprise. It is drinking beautifully right now.
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10/23/2012 - tantotinto wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with last note.
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10/13/2012 - VinLancaster wrote: 89 Points
Connoisseur of Oregon Wines Series, Class 2: Owen Roe Winery (St Paul, Oregon): 59% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16 months French oak, 15% new.
1 hour aeration time, served in temperature controlled warehouse. This required some warming up:
Plush blueberries, leather, earth and wet rock aromas. The big blue and black fruit filled palate was tight as a drum. Chewy, toasted dried fruits and cigar box. Finish was medium in length, smooth, coating and notes of vibrancy on the hind palate. This needs several more years in the bottle to soften. Good solid wine, but not a good QPR at $42. As with all the Owen Roe wines, the significant increase in production has led to suffering of quality.
Drink 2015++
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10/10/2012 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Strawberry and red cherry fruit, brighter flavored than many in WA. Just a little bit more force on the back of the palate.
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9/13/2012 - tantotinto wrote: 91 Points
First taste immediately after opening. Dark garnet color. Ripe fruit and forest floor aroma. Black cherry, blueberry and anise flavor. Full but soft texture. The tannins are very quiet in this one. I would be surprised to see much improvement with age but no need as it is delicious now. We finished a case of the 2005 this spring and were looking for more. This did not disappoint. Thank you Costco. Oak was prominent in the 2005 flavor profile but there is better balance here.
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8/31/2012 - K28226 wrote: 90 Points
Good bouquet, red berry forward, not great complexity or layers after.
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8/29/2012 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Cherry fruit, on the second day becoming slightly dessicated. But still all there.
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8/15/2012 - Votefordennis wrote: 92 Points
This is just delicious. Wonderful citrusy aroma, great structure, great with food. It doesn't have a great finish, but I think the winemaker made a fantastic blend for this vintage.
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7/17/2012 - texaswino wrote: 90 Points
I find this a very tasty blend. Cherries from the Merlot, tannic bite from the Cab. This will improve over time but I like it now too. Admittedly I was drinking it with chips and fire roasted salsa so that may have cut some of the tannin.
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6/30/2012 - Tim Heaton wrote:
PnP, served single-blind. This was served last in the lineup, something worth mentioning because the ambient temp had risen at least 2 or 3 degrees in the room we were using to taste. This wine suffered, I think, because of it. I reserved my score until I had a chance to taste it again after 20 minutes in the fridge - better, but still not anything memorable, though it did go from an 86 to an 88. The point, if it's not obvious (and I find this with the majority of Owen Roe wines - serve them on the cooler side of the equation, lest they become monolithic and flabby. These are NOT structured wines). Opens with a nose of French Toast, oak, toast, oak spice. Full-bodied (-), forward, with low-ish acids, ripe red currants, blueberry sauce, high-toned cherry and a clipped finish. Some unwelcome heat pokes its head out now and again. 14,6% abv, I would not seek this out. My #4, group #4 (last). Drink thru 2014.
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6/10/2012 - Harddriv wrote: 89 Points
Still a little young...
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4/14/2012 - Chibears wrote: 90 Points
Drank with Christopher.
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3/28/2012 - RPerro wrote: 90 Points
Initially decanted for 1 hour. Had a glass at that point and was a tad underwhelmed. Recorked and didn't get back to it for 2 days. By that time, it had really mellowed out and integrated into something very nice. Fruit forward, great robust flavors, can definitely taste the Merlot in the blend. Winery was blowing this out for $300/case to make room for the '10, so some friends and I split a case. I think I'll be sitting on my remaining bottles for a bit.
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2/3/2012 - kanab ram wrote:
Agreed with RoyM4. Something off about this and hoping it comes around over time.
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1/10/2012 - RoyM4 Likes this wine: 86 Points
I know this is still a young wine but we were disappointed with the sharp tannins and short finish. It's certainly drinkable but we didn't like it nearly as much as most other Owen Roe wines. We were tasting it now to see if we should get some more as the winery has a great special on it. We decided we'd pass.
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10/22/2011 - Don and Pam wrote: 91 Points
- Medium forming legs.
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10/17/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Coming into its own with fruit and delivery. Vibrant, a touch full, and worth $40.
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10/1/2011 - brainfroth Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good solid wine. Not my favorite Owen Roe, but still very drinkable. A bit of vanilla, bright red fruit. I think it will soften with age.
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9/5/2011 - bablues wrote: 90 Points
I agree that there seems to be less complexity compared to the 2008. Still, this is very enjoyable. Getting lots of vanilla on the nose and the taste. A little hot and the tannins are a little bitter, but still very tasty. I can see this getting better with some time, though can't be positive.
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6/14/2011 - asorom wrote: 90 Points
less complexity here, but ultimately drinkable.
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4/29/2011 - philipmac wrote: 86 Points
Love the '08. Wanted to test the '09 in case I needed to get more. Let decant for 90 minutes. Just non-existent. Very disappointing as it didn't do anything more after another few hours of being opened. The the traditional Owen Roe quality I'm used to.
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4/26/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
More Merlot this year, and maybe for the better? Yes, indeed, the Merlot is all there.
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