Similar to the one opened at a tasting a couple of years ago, this didn't feel especially...together. Ripe fruit nose, decent structure, then dry/underripe fruit and stemmy qualities come into the finish, with a bit of heat beneath it. Some good components, but disparate and overshadowed by some lesser qualities.
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Blinds with friends (Chicago, IL): Served blind and quickly panned by the group. This wine was a bit confused and out-of-whack. Overtly sweet fruit yet underripe green notes along with a chemical/artificial aftertaste. Not good.
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Some rainy-day blinds (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. I really didn't like this; this had what Tim called a bugspray quality on the nose (to me, it was just super confected red fruit). The palate has much of that sickeningly sweet character, with grippy and almost unripe green tannins. It was pretty easy to get to new world GSM with this wine, but I certainly didn't think it was a good drink.
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PnP, and initially was a bit muted, but opened up more after about 45 mins and some spice and pepper notes came through when having with a braised pork dish at a French restaurant that was quite enjoyable. Probably near the end of its peak drinking window.
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Good, but seemed a touch down from the bottle drunk in 2014. My main issue is still the watery/thin mid-palate, although that lingers on the finish now. This opened up blah and took a good hour to show its stuff. Overall still a great wine, especially at the BD price.
Me - 90, Wife - 92
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I'm enjoying this, but I do get the "thin" comments that've been made. Medium ruby color with transparency. Aromas of dark red, blue, and black fruits, along with some violet and minerality. Light to medium body, medium acidity and finish, a little bit chalky/grainy tannin on the backside, and flavors of dark red fruits, black tea, orange peel, and some dried spices (clove jumps out). Worked well with turkey london broil.
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Black raspberries, cherries, touch of milk chocolate on the frontend and a bit of herbs & great acid on the finish to balance it out. Certainly new world and full flavored but is also interesting, lively, and layered.
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Cloudy rose-garnet. Strawberry, cola, and earth nose. Light to medium bodied, raspberries, herbs, a bit of pepper, soft cherries, well integrated tannins, and a tangy finish. Tasty but a little thin.
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While good on the nose, and pretty in the glass, this btl lacked mid-palete depth, and the finish med -. I don't see holding this will help it gain weight. Certainty not as good as my last btl. Paired with grilled/roasted pork loin.
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Definitely a full bodied grenache. A one hour decant through the vinturi helped. I doubt it will age more. Very varietal with red fruit. Lingering after taste.
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Very nice. Much fuller bodied than the last time I had this wine. Good fruit flavors. Don't know how it will age much better, but a serviceable bottle at this point!
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My last of two bottles. Drinking well now but should last another year or two. The aromas are mostly red fruit along with some smoky notes. The palate also shows black cherry & raspberry notes but also grilled meat and smoke. Light tannins, medium acidity and a fairly long finish.
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Still very closed and refuses to reveal herself. Tannins are high for a CA Grenache, but are quite fine and very much in line with those from Spain and CdP. What sets this wine apart is the extremely restrained fruit due to the cool climate origins in Bennett Valley. There is good acidity, but instead of bright fruit there is a lot of secondary tobacco, wood and spice with some sour cherry. With four hours of patience, I started to get some garrigue, blood and menthol. This should be better integrated in 2-3 years even if the fruit doesn't come to the party.
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Enjoyed this a bit less than in 07/2014 -- A small portion of the fruit gave way to muddiness, and the clipped finish is more pronounced. Still a very good bottle of wine -- 87-89 if scoring -- but may be starting on a down slope.
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Tart red fruit, raspberry, cinnamon, vanilla and tar with a long finish. Nice firm tannins...which makes me think this has a few more years on it. Paired nicely with spiced pork.
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don't have much experience with straight California grenache, but this was just ok. nice nose and some good red fruit on the palate, but a medicinal type quality (cough syrup) appeared on the finish, which I was not a fan of. Well made, but hoped for better from this wine maker
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Much better than my last bottle. I attribute this to the 3 hour decant. It was much more full bodied and the varietal character really came out. Tasted much more like a grenache than a PN which is what my last bottle tasted like.
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This still needs time and air. It was tight most of the time I was drinking it. Strawberry, raspberry, and earth notes, went well with food, but not as well on its own.
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PnP initially, immediately decided to decant. Still not enough. Finally decanted through a Vinturi. Now, it came alive. It was hard to believe it was a Grenache. More like a PN, which is what others have said in prior reviews. If I am not mistaken, this wine is made by the winemaker at Kosta-Browne. Maybe that explains why it reminds me much more of a PN than a Grenache. In any event, a very nice wine. It probably has some gas in the tank and can go a few more years. I have 4 bottles left--enough to try over time, but not so much they will be around long enough to die!!
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Yah, this is a little different. Definitely not what one expects in CA grenache. Not better or worse, just different. Agree with JOJ and others on the body and texture -- flavors aside, could be convinced this was RRV pinot blinded. For flavors, I'm getting mostly raspberry coulis, flowers, mocha frappe, tar, and roasted herb. Not getting a trace of the Rhone-y pepper that others have mentioned, fwiw. Really tasty stuff, but there's just no finish at all in this thing -- just wham, bam, thank you. Some lingering chalky tannins tho -- makes me wonder if this was popped too early and there's some upside once the tannins resolve. Saving a glass for tmw to see if anything develops -- will report back if so.
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This was fabulous. Concur with notes below that this is lighter styled -- almost shading to pinot noir. Aromatics of strawberry and flowers lead to zesty flavors of strawberry and tart raspberry, with a peppery finish. Good acidity and decent structure, but nothing too heavy. Perfect quaff for a warm summer night. Loved it.
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Earthy. Deep, dark cherries, savory herbs, maybe even some medicinal characteristics on the nose. Not a ton of fruit in the mouth. Tart, sour, savory dark cherries, with some dark chocolate dust to them. Still maintains the peppery, herbal characteristics. Substantial tannins early on, and they linger spicy-like, stronger at the end than the beginning. Enjoyable. Chock full of secondary characteristics, little fruit.
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This grenache blew my wife's mind -- she rated it 92-93 pts. She loved the integrated tannins and lush fruit. This almost reminded us of a pinot noir version of the grenache varietal. I found it somewhat watery on the mid-palate and without much grip. Flavors of berries and dried fruit. Good length on the finish but minimal complexity. Great QPR at the Berserker Day price.
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Splash decant ... Cloudy purple pour, with a slightly floral nose. Warm red fruit to open, with a luscious mouth feel. Dry and spicy to finish. Firm, but not intrusive, backbone. Very nice.
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Spot on for typicity, which to me says light but drying tannins on the back end, but strawberries and a wet carpet kind of funk on the nose, with strawberries and raspberries repeated in the palate, some garrigue and earth. What's missing for me in this wine is the powerful, next day retronasal smell of that wet carpet that I seem to get from my favorite Gigondas. I like this fine, but I'm thinking Garnacha from Navarra and environs is still a better value--more of what I like, less than this or better S. Rhones. I don't think this is going to improve with age--it's not stuffed with enough phenols and acids to improve, and it's at best going to hold even with those tannins, which aren't going to smooth out a ton.
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Consistent with my previous TN of 7/23/12 and echo the pepper notes that this wine has making for a nice expression of the Rhone style. Nicely balanced and drinking very well now.
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This is a much bigger grenache than I was expecting. The texture is smooth and lush. Packed with fruit flavors. Shows a touch of heat on the finish. This is never going to elegant or understated, but hopefully time in the cellar will tame this beast a bit. Desiree loved it.
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Nerdy California Wines (Domaine - Washington, DC): An excellent Sonoma Grenache, Jemrose continues to impress me. I get lots of juicy berries on the nose, mixed in with pepper and spice. Fine tannins, juicy acid, and lots of bright red fruit. The pepper, anise, coffee, oak and earthy flavors are pure and complex. Yum.
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The fruit is huge in this while there's a bit of drying tannin on the finish. Good bottle overall, though I imagine it will improve quite a bit (by settling down) with a few more years under its belt.
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Jermose virtual Tasting (David T's Home): Ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose has a nice candy can, candied raspberry quality to it. very nice texture. On the palate, raspberries and some black licorice. Some tannins. Got better in the glass. Very nice.
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I'm afraid I can't say I like this as much as others here on CT. Transparent in color; the nose is a bit jammy, full of red cherry. The palate is on the lighter side, with red fruit, a touch of oak, some spice, and a bit of heat/jammy flavors towards the end. I think this needs time, I'll report back if it changes on day 2.
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This vintage continues to improve. Showing more palate focus now and the fruit is more defined. We unfortunately drank this from what felt like 5 pound Libby stems so it was abit hard to nail down some of the finer nuance.
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While somewhat tannic, I found this wine very open and accessible. Very pure and balanced, with a flash of Grenache lushness and concentrated fruit. A superior Grenache.
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Been a year since I last tasted this wine. This time out, I perceived it heavier than last time. Lots of tannin, wth dark strawberry and darker tones. I have a bottle now for the cellar, I will let it rest another 2 years and then retry. As a side note, perhaps this is the vintage and also where my palate seems to be heading, we also tried the 2010, which has not been bottled but is blend complete and I preferred the 2010 over the 2009. For me, for grenache, I seem to keep heading for the more driven and more acidic tones.
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Fresh blueberry compote aromas come accross friendly and nuanced. A bit more depth here than the 2008, but remains a lighter styled grenache with a sense of light red berry fruits with nice clean finish.
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Tasted from barrel, this was a final blend that will be bottled shortly. Has 5% syrah in the final composition, too, along with 10% new wood only. Pepper and dark fruit in the aromatic. Dried cherry, juicy and a tannin grip at this young stage. Jim's model for this wine is Rayas, and while we don't need to entertain the argument about 'this is California, not France, so don't try and make french wine here', Jim's vision for this wine is to get his grenache into that vein, with the wood nearly gone from the input and the varietal speaking. This version is getting that direction more each vintage, particularly as one looks at the 07 and 08 in contrast to this 09.
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3/29/2021 - joesi16 Likes this wine:
Deep dark color with no bricking good flavor and some pepper, but still hot on finish. Held up for 2 days.
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4/15/2020 - Chucksw wrote: 89 Points
Good balance, light but thoroughly enjoyable with banana bread during COVID-19 Stay-At-Home days. A good casual drinking wine.
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5/4/2019 - cobbpa wrote:
Similar to the one opened at a tasting a couple of years ago, this didn't feel especially...together. Ripe fruit nose, decent structure, then dry/underripe fruit and stemmy qualities come into the finish, with a bit of heat beneath it. Some good components, but disparate and overshadowed by some lesser qualities.
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5/20/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Late Night, After Dinner Blind Tasting (House of Nanda - Chicago IL): Rich and extremely ripe in a manner that seemed a little too manipulated. Not exactly my style of wine. Others said it was terrible when they tasted it earlier in the evening.
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5/20/2017 - Nanda wrote:
Blinds with friends (Chicago, IL): Served blind and quickly panned by the group. This wine was a bit confused and out-of-whack. Overtly sweet fruit yet underripe green notes along with a chemical/artificial aftertaste. Not good.
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5/20/2017 - acyso wrote: 70 Points
Some rainy-day blinds (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. I really didn't like this; this had what Tim called a bugspray quality on the nose (to me, it was just super confected red fruit). The palate has much of that sickeningly sweet character, with grippy and almost unripe green tannins. It was pretty easy to get to new world GSM with this wine, but I certainly didn't think it was a good drink.
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2/12/2017 - vinole wrote: 91 Points
PnP, and initially was a bit muted, but opened up more after about 45 mins and some spice and pepper notes came through when having with a braised pork dish at a French restaurant that was quite enjoyable. Probably near the end of its peak drinking window.
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5/27/2016 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good, but seemed a touch down from the bottle drunk in 2014. My main issue is still the watery/thin mid-palate, although that lingers on the finish now.
This opened up blah and took a good hour to show its stuff.
Overall still a great wine, especially at the BD price.
Me - 90, Wife - 92
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5/10/2016 - studleytrey Likes this wine: 90 Points
I'm enjoying this, but I do get the "thin" comments that've been made. Medium ruby color with transparency. Aromas of dark red, blue, and black fruits, along with some violet and minerality. Light to medium body, medium acidity and finish, a little bit chalky/grainy tannin on the backside, and flavors of dark red fruits, black tea, orange peel, and some dried spices (clove jumps out). Worked well with turkey london broil.
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3/30/2016 - cobbpa Likes this wine: 91 Points
Black raspberries, cherries, touch of milk chocolate on the frontend and a bit of herbs & great acid on the finish to balance it out. Certainly new world and full flavored but is also interesting, lively, and layered.
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1/3/2016 - merryberry Likes this wine: 89 Points
Cloudy rose-garnet. Strawberry, cola, and earth nose. Light to medium bodied, raspberries, herbs, a bit of pepper, soft cherries, well integrated tannins, and a tangy finish. Tasty but a little thin.
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11/8/2015 - VineLine wrote: 92 Points
Sssmmmmoooootttthhhhh! Beautiful flavors and a smooth backbone to back them up! Russell Bevan did again.
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9/18/2015 - MikeATL wrote: 89 Points
Ripe and fairly pure, and unmistakably Grenache, a little tart on the finish which improves the pairing with spare ribs.
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6/29/2015 - wino121 wrote: 88 Points
While good on the nose, and pretty in the glass,
this btl lacked mid-palete depth, and the finish med -.
I don't see holding this will help it gain weight.
Certainty not as good as my last btl.
Paired with grilled/roasted pork loin.
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5/30/2015 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 90 Points
Definitely a full bodied grenache. A one hour decant through the vinturi helped. I doubt it will age more. Very varietal with red fruit. Lingering after taste.
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3/27/2015 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice. Much fuller bodied than the last time I had this wine. Good fruit flavors. Don't know how it will age much better, but a serviceable bottle at this point!
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3/22/2015 - David_T wrote: 89 Points
My last of two bottles. Drinking well now but should last another year or two. The aromas are mostly red fruit along with some smoky notes. The palate also shows black cherry & raspberry notes but also grilled meat and smoke. Light tannins, medium acidity and a fairly long finish.
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3/20/2015 - Diama Likes this wine: 89 Points
Still very closed and refuses to reveal herself. Tannins are high for a CA Grenache, but are quite fine and very much in line with those from Spain and CdP. What sets this wine apart is the extremely restrained fruit due to the cool climate origins in Bennett Valley. There is good acidity, but instead of bright fruit there is a lot of secondary tobacco, wood and spice with some sour cherry. With four hours of patience, I started to get some garrigue, blood and menthol. This should be better integrated in 2-3 years even if the fruit doesn't come to the party.
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2/8/2015 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really full bodied for a Grenache. 3 hour decant. Still a good degree of tannin given the decant time. Could go a few more years.
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1/28/2015 - tomherer wrote:
Enjoyed this a bit less than in 07/2014 -- A small portion of the fruit gave way to muddiness, and the clipped finish is more pronounced. Still a very good bottle of wine -- 87-89 if scoring -- but may be starting on a down slope.
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1/18/2015 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot wrote: 90 Points
Tart red fruit, raspberry, cinnamon, vanilla and tar with a long finish. Nice firm tannins...which makes me think this has a few more years on it. Paired nicely with spiced pork.
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1/18/2015 - wiscgrad wrote: 87 Points
don't have much experience with straight California grenache, but this was just ok. nice nose and some good red fruit on the palate, but a medicinal type quality (cough syrup) appeared on the finish, which I was not a fan of. Well made, but hoped for better from this wine maker
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1/12/2015 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much better than my last bottle. I attribute this to the 3 hour decant. It was much more full bodied and the varietal character really came out. Tasted much more like a grenache than a PN which is what my last bottle tasted like.
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12/22/2014 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 91 Points
Very nice and consistent with previous note.
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11/12/2014 - td1836 wrote: 89 Points
This still needs time and air. It was tight most of the time I was drinking it. Strawberry, raspberry, and earth notes, went well with food, but not as well on its own.
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8/15/2014 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 90 Points
PnP initially, immediately decided to decant. Still not enough. Finally decanted through a Vinturi. Now, it came alive. It was hard to believe it was a Grenache. More like a PN, which is what others have said in prior reviews. If I am not mistaken, this wine is made by the winemaker at Kosta-Browne. Maybe that explains why it reminds me much more of a PN than a Grenache. In any event, a very nice wine. It probably has some gas in the tank and can go a few more years. I have 4 bottles left--enough to try over time, but not so much they will be around long enough to die!!
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7/12/2014 - tomherer wrote: 90 Points
Yah, this is a little different. Definitely not what one expects in CA grenache. Not better or worse, just different. Agree with JOJ and others on the body and texture -- flavors aside, could be convinced this was RRV pinot blinded. For flavors, I'm getting mostly raspberry coulis, flowers, mocha frappe, tar, and roasted herb. Not getting a trace of the Rhone-y pepper that others have mentioned, fwiw. Really tasty stuff, but there's just no finish at all in this thing -- just wham, bam, thank you. Some lingering chalky tannins tho -- makes me wonder if this was popped too early and there's some upside once the tannins resolve. Saving a glass for tmw to see if anything develops -- will report back if so.
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7/4/2014 - JOJ wrote: 93 Points
This was fabulous. Concur with notes below that this is lighter styled -- almost shading to pinot noir. Aromatics of strawberry and flowers lead to zesty flavors of strawberry and tart raspberry, with a peppery finish. Good acidity and decent structure, but nothing too heavy. Perfect quaff for a warm summer night. Loved it.
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6/23/2014 - rrschrumjr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Earthy. Deep, dark cherries, savory herbs, maybe even some medicinal characteristics on the nose. Not a ton of fruit in the mouth. Tart, sour, savory dark cherries, with some dark chocolate dust to them. Still maintains the peppery, herbal characteristics. Substantial tannins early on, and they linger spicy-like, stronger at the end than the beginning. Enjoyable. Chock full of secondary characteristics, little fruit.
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6/23/2014 - wino121 wrote: 91 Points
A lovely wine, not too dry or gripping like many, rose pedals, rasberrys and a touch of mocha.
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6/11/2014 - noahbw wrote: 90 Points
Deep dark fruit, pepper, pine and earth on the nose. Peppery on the palate. Bright, a little acidic, but with good mouth feel. Finishes dry. PJG 89-90
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6/10/2014 - WineCPA wrote: 88 Points
Uninspiring. Lighter-medium bodied with bright fruit. Good, but quaff now.
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5/15/2014 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This grenache blew my wife's mind -- she rated it 92-93 pts. She loved the integrated tannins and lush fruit. This almost reminded us of a pinot noir version of the grenache varietal. I found it somewhat watery on the mid-palate and without much grip. Flavors of berries and dried fruit. Good length on the finish but minimal complexity. Great QPR at the Berserker Day price.
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4/27/2014 - markandsusanw Likes this wine: 91 Points
Splash decant ... Cloudy purple pour, with a slightly floral nose. Warm red fruit to open, with a luscious mouth feel. Dry and spicy to finish. Firm, but not intrusive, backbone. Very nice.
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3/13/2014 - Not647f wrote:
Spot on for typicity, which to me says light but drying tannins on the back end, but strawberries and a wet carpet kind of funk on the nose, with strawberries and raspberries repeated in the palate, some garrigue and earth. What's missing for me in this wine is the powerful, next day retronasal smell of that wet carpet that I seem to get from my favorite Gigondas. I like this fine, but I'm thinking Garnacha from Navarra and environs is still a better value--more of what I like, less than this or better S. Rhones. I don't think this is going to improve with age--it's not stuffed with enough phenols and acids to improve, and it's at best going to hold even with those tannins, which aren't going to smooth out a ton.
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2/1/2014 - vinole wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with my previous TN of 7/23/12 and echo the pepper notes that this wine has making for a nice expression of the Rhone style. Nicely balanced and drinking very well now.
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1/28/2014 - DSP Likes this wine: 90 Points
Full-bodied with lush and juicy raspberry fruit. Slightly grippy tannins contribute a bit of texture.
On day two, tannins are much more prominent. So I guess either pop and pour and finish in one sitting, or hold for a while.
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12/23/2013 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 91 Points
This is a much bigger grenache than I was expecting. The texture is smooth and lush. Packed with fruit flavors. Shows a touch of heat on the finish. This is never going to elegant or understated, but hopefully time in the cellar will tame this beast a bit. Desiree loved it.
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12/16/2013 - Chuck Miller wrote:
On initial opening, a nice pure red fruited nose, elegant and pinot like. As it aired out, the tannins clamped down hard. Give it a few more years.
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11/9/2013 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 92 Points
Nerdy California Wines (Domaine - Washington, DC): An excellent Sonoma Grenache, Jemrose continues to impress me. I get lots of juicy berries on the nose, mixed in with pepper and spice. Fine tannins, juicy acid, and lots of bright red fruit. The pepper, anise, coffee, oak and earthy flavors are pure and complex. Yum.
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7/8/2013 - jrkennedy37 wrote:
The fruit is huge in this while there's a bit of drying tannin on the finish. Good bottle overall, though I imagine it will improve quite a bit (by settling down) with a few more years under its belt.
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2/19/2013 - Rktekt3 wrote: 90 Points
A bit young i think.
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12/21/2012 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 89 Points
Jermose virtual Tasting (David T's Home): Ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose has a nice candy can, candied raspberry quality to it. very nice texture. On the palate, raspberries and some black licorice. Some tannins. Got better in the glass. Very nice.
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12/20/2012 - David_T wrote: 88 Points
I'm afraid I can't say I like this as much as others here on CT. Transparent in color; the nose is a bit jammy, full of red cherry. The palate is on the lighter side, with red fruit, a touch of oak, some spice, and a bit of heat/jammy flavors towards the end. I think this needs time, I'll report back if it changes on day 2.
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11/19/2012 - Mike Dildine wrote: 91 Points
Excellent Bennett Valley Grenache!
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10/14/2012 - Frank Murray III wrote:
This vintage continues to improve. Showing more palate focus now and the fruit is more defined. We unfortunately drank this from what felt like 5 pound Libby stems so it was abit hard to nail down some of the finer nuance.
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7/23/2012 - vinole wrote: 92 Points
Napa & Sonoma Trip (Dunn, O'Shaughnessy, Conn Valley, Seavey, TOR, Jemrose, Hansel); 7/23/2012-7/26/2012: This saw very little new oak, resulting in mostly dark red fruit with medium body and acidity. What really stood out to me was the spiciness and pepper notes found in many Southern Rhones. Lovely balance and not overripe or hot like some CA grenache producers. 95% grenanche, 5% syrah.
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4/11/2012 - Mike Dildine wrote: 92 Points
While somewhat tannic, I found this wine very open and accessible. Very pure and balanced, with a flash of Grenache lushness and concentrated fruit. A superior Grenache.
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4/9/2012 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Been a year since I last tasted this wine. This time out, I perceived it heavier than last time. Lots of tannin, wth dark strawberry and darker tones. I have a bottle now for the cellar, I will let it rest another 2 years and then retry. As a side note, perhaps this is the vintage and also where my palate seems to be heading, we also tried the 2010, which has not been bottled but is blend complete and I preferred the 2010 over the 2009. For me, for grenache, I seem to keep heading for the more driven and more acidic tones.
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9/18/2011 - KenK wrote: 90 Points
Fresh blueberry compote aromas come accross friendly and nuanced.
A bit more depth here than the 2008, but remains a lighter styled grenache with a sense of light red berry fruits with nice clean finish.
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3/22/2011 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Tasted from barrel, this was a final blend that will be bottled shortly. Has 5% syrah in the final composition, too, along with 10% new wood only. Pepper and dark fruit in the aromatic. Dried cherry, juicy and a tannin grip at this young stage. Jim's model for this wine is Rayas, and while we don't need to entertain the argument about 'this is California, not France, so don't try and make french wine here', Jim's vision for this wine is to get his grenache into that vein, with the wood nearly gone from the input and the varietal speaking. This version is getting that direction more each vintage, particularly as one looks at the 07 and 08 in contrast to this 09.
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