Brownish-purple with lots of long legs. Hot on opening but fruit comes out after a little bit. Mostly notes of black cherry, cherry cola, and white pepper. Q87/D87
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Nice Rhone-style blend from WA. Clearly in that intersection of new and old world styles also. Some nicer cool climate aromas and flavours up front but the darker berry came up after being open a while. Unfortunately it didn't taste so good a few days later after being under vacuum the whole time. Therefore it's probably near/at its peak now. Drink up!
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This bottle really sang or I was really thirsty. Or both. Big meaty mouvedre with spicy syrah and zingy grenache. Well balance and plenty of wieght but not heavy. Yummy with frozen pizza.
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This wine is 55% Syrah, 31% Mourvedre, 14% Grenache, each from a different vineyard.
To The Eye: Deep purple, Syrah clearly dominating
On The Nose: Meaty, bacon fat, elements of the Mourvedre possibly. Black fruits.
In The Mouth: A ‘comfort’ wine. It’s not overly complex, and that’s part of its charm. Sometimes you want a wine you can dissect with many layers, some times its fun to just enjoy a glass of something that tastes good, by the fire or ever a simple meal. Its lush in the mouth with out being over ripe or juicy. Nice texture. The wine is well balanced with nice integration of the Syrah and Mourvedre components. The Grenache adds a touch of spice, but is mostly dominated by its bigger brothers. The finish is long and pleasant. 14.9% alc.
Recommendation. An easy drinking, fun crowd pleaser. Pair with any meat, most grilled fare, or your favorite chair and warm fire. . For ~$20 you can’t go wrong. 88 points
full review: http://www.simplehedonisms.com/archives/6372
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I really enjoyed this wine, nicely N. Rhonesque yet proudly showing Columbia Valley, Washington. 55% syrah, 31% mourvedre, 14% grenache Black raspberry / sour cherry on the nose, some mineral and a slight bit of earthy dampness (wish there was more). Medium bodied wine, and the 14.9% alcohol is so well disguised, I never would have guessed it was that high. The Mourvedre really shines in this one. Wonderful mouthwatering acidity and a good finish. It paired perfectly with the chevre-topped grass-fed burgers, grilled corn, and grilled peach arugula salad. This is definitely a food-friendly wine!
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Good fruit upfront, but not overpowering. I liked this better the first few hours...seemed to fade after that. Good balance, medium finish. Only significant complaint--a little too tart for my palate. Would purchase again at under $16.
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Bright nose. Very fruity on the palate - loads of red fruit. Raspberry seems like a good description. A bit of tartness in the middle, nice mouthfeel, minimal tannins, with some mild heat, not unpleasant, on the finish. Another good quaffer.
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Initial smell after pouring into decanter: Raspberry smell is at the forefront. Bit earthy in the middle, but this is really faint. The end is spicy, but this isn't a strong pepper. Initial taste after pouring into decanter: Bitter, but starts soft and gets harsher. Needs some time to open up. Hour later smell: A plastic scent is at the forefront now, but the rest has disappeared. Hour later taste: Bitterness has disappeared. Blackberry hint is present, with a gentle middle. There is acid towards the end that calls out for something to pair with it, maybe cheese. Slight mineral notes. 2 hours later smell: Smell has finally developed. Bit hot at the end, but the berry is much stronger throughout. The plastic has gone away. It seems like the syrah is really coming out now. 2 hours later taste: Blackberry is smooth throughout, but not overpowering. The fruit is nicely structured, but not strong. Slight hint of pepper appears at the end again. Acid starts at the middle and flows to the end, accompanied by a hot alcohol. This is a fun wine to drink.
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I agree with many of the other reviews here. A nice pleasant nose with a distinct slightly sweet raspberry and leather core, and definitely more Syrah present. But I'm not getting some of the lighter, meatier Rhone qualities that are advertised. It's also a touch hot on the finish. It's well made, it's just not all that distinct. I sense no improvement with additional age, drink up.
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Nice dark fruit nose that makes me guess it's mostly syrah. This is a mellow wine without a ton of fruit or pizzaz, but everything is smooth and in balance.
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11/24/2013 - trifecta Likes this wine:
No detailed notes. Quite enjoyable. Good acid and a nice toasty/spicy finish. Better with food.
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10/28/2012 - dbcomposer wrote: 87 Points
Brownish-purple with lots of long legs. Hot on opening but fruit comes out after a little bit. Mostly notes of black cherry, cherry cola, and white pepper. Q87/D87
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8/26/2012 - K is for Kate wrote:
This definitely worked better with meat than on its own. Paired quite nicely with beef pasties.
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4/24/2012 - BlackIce wrote: 87 Points
Very spicy and meaty. I think would be great with steak. But alas, I drank it as "sipping" wine.
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3/10/2012 - ccrida wrote: 88 Points
meaty, spicy, soft with air, smooth.
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2/17/2012 - klezman Likes this wine:
Nice Rhone-style blend from WA. Clearly in that intersection of new and old world styles also. Some nicer cool climate aromas and flavours up front but the darker berry came up after being open a while. Unfortunately it didn't taste so good a few days later after being under vacuum the whole time. Therefore it's probably near/at its peak now. Drink up!
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12/23/2011 - foobarski wrote: 90 Points
A very enjoyable Rhone-style. Nothing was out of place or unpleasant about it.
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12/11/2011 - ChrisinCowiche wrote: 90 Points
This bottle really sang or I was really thirsty. Or both. Big meaty mouvedre with spicy syrah and zingy grenache. Well balance and plenty of wieght but not heavy. Yummy with frozen pizza.
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11/21/2011 - SonomaWilliam wrote: 88 Points
This wine is 55% Syrah, 31% Mourvedre, 14% Grenache, each from a different vineyard.
To The Eye: Deep purple, Syrah clearly dominating
On The Nose: Meaty, bacon fat, elements of the Mourvedre possibly. Black fruits.
In The Mouth: A ‘comfort’ wine. It’s not overly complex, and that’s part of its charm. Sometimes you want a wine you can dissect with many layers, some times its fun to just enjoy a glass of something that tastes good, by the fire or ever a simple meal. Its lush in the mouth with out being over ripe or juicy. Nice texture. The wine is well balanced with nice integration of the Syrah and Mourvedre components. The Grenache adds a touch of spice, but is mostly dominated by its bigger brothers. The finish is long and pleasant. 14.9% alc.
Recommendation. An easy drinking, fun crowd pleaser. Pair with any meat, most grilled fare, or your favorite chair and warm fire. . For ~$20 you can’t go wrong. 88 points
full review: http://www.simplehedonisms.com/archives/6372
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10/17/2011 - 8count wrote:
breathed for an hour and a half. easy drinker but nothing special.
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8/19/2011 - jhkey wrote: 89 Points
I really enjoyed this wine, nicely N. Rhonesque yet proudly showing Columbia Valley, Washington. 55% syrah, 31% mourvedre, 14% grenache
Black raspberry / sour cherry on the nose, some mineral and a slight bit of earthy dampness (wish there was more). Medium bodied wine, and the 14.9% alcohol is so well disguised, I never would have guessed it was that high. The Mourvedre really shines in this one. Wonderful mouthwatering acidity and a good finish. It paired perfectly with the chevre-topped grass-fed burgers, grilled corn, and grilled peach arugula salad. This is definitely a food-friendly wine!
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7/7/2011 - costacasa wrote: 86 Points
Good fruit upfront, but not overpowering. I liked this better the first few hours...seemed to fade after that. Good balance, medium finish. Only significant complaint--a little too tart for my palate. Would purchase again at under $16.
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6/16/2011 - BlackIce wrote: 87 Points
A very interesting Rhone blend. Tart fruit on both nose and palate that mellows with air. Very nice.
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4/21/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:
Bright nose. Very fruity on the palate - loads of red fruit. Raspberry seems like a good description. A bit of tartness in the middle, nice mouthfeel, minimal tannins, with some mild heat, not unpleasant, on the finish. Another good quaffer.
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3/16/2011 - TowerCellar wrote: 86 Points
Initial smell after pouring into decanter: Raspberry smell is at the forefront. Bit earthy in the middle, but this is really faint. The end is spicy, but this isn't a strong pepper.
Initial taste after pouring into decanter: Bitter, but starts soft and gets harsher. Needs some time to open up.
Hour later smell: A plastic scent is at the forefront now, but the rest has disappeared.
Hour later taste: Bitterness has disappeared. Blackberry hint is present, with a gentle middle. There is acid towards the end that calls out for something to pair with it, maybe cheese. Slight mineral notes.
2 hours later smell: Smell has finally developed. Bit hot at the end, but the berry is much stronger throughout. The plastic has gone away. It seems like the syrah is really coming out now.
2 hours later taste: Blackberry is smooth throughout, but not overpowering. The fruit is nicely structured, but not strong. Slight hint of pepper appears at the end again. Acid starts at the middle and flows to the end, accompanied by a hot alcohol.
This is a fun wine to drink.
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2/27/2011 - JasonG wrote: 87 Points
I agree with many of the other reviews here. A nice pleasant nose with a distinct slightly sweet raspberry and leather core, and definitely more Syrah present. But I'm not getting some of the lighter, meatier Rhone qualities that are advertised. It's also a touch hot on the finish. It's well made, it's just not all that distinct. I sense no improvement with additional age, drink up.
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2/25/2011 - mreinitz wrote: 88 Points
Nice dark fruit nose that makes me guess it's mostly syrah. This is a mellow wine without a ton of fruit or pizzaz, but everything is smooth and in balance.
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2/11/2011 - deadlyapp wrote: 88 Points
Original pour - no decanting
Fantastic smell, fruity, raspberry, no alcohol odor.
Smooth taste, light fruit, very little bitterness, lingers on the tongue. Slight alcohol afterthought.
After an hour open
Similar taste, slightly mellower, very smooth.
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1/9/2011 - ChrisinCowiche wrote: 87 Points
Not as good as 06 allobroges. Still nice drinking Syrah, Mourv, Gren blend. Paired greaat with curried porkchops with apples and onions.
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4/19/2010 - btbarrett wrote:
This should be as good as the 2006 in time, maybe even a little bolder than the '06, but it needs to sit a while.
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