Going strong with wonderful complexity of fruit, earth and spice. Totally soft on the palate and ready to go. I would guess it will go further but maybe not too much longer.
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A superb bottle tonight even better than the last bottle. A representative Washington state Cab. It is probably at peak but should hold on well for years to come. A balanced and well made wine.
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Drinking very well, lots going on here. Smell of barn funk (Bordeaux-ish), and lots of dark cherry. The wine starts with a jammy texture, the cherry comes through here, and then finishes with smooth chocolate. Still quite a bit of structure and tannins are softening.
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With some earthiness on the nose. Some sweet meat salt on it. Salty cranberries and dark chocolate. With some tug on the palate. Savory edge to it. Just opened, drinking well.
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Dark, garnet colour. Raisined fruit, toast and Christmas cake nose with earth and graphite notes. Flavourful, and assertive with a solid tannin backbone. Great balance; long, minerally finish. 5/5
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Absolutely gorgeous. Ruby with strong hints of caramel color on the glass. Strong, enticing nose with a little caramel, spice, fruit and wet forest floor. Very full bodied on the palate. Extremely well balanced. All the Edge and acidity of a younger Columbia valley red has melted into a smooth, balanced wine with increased sweetness on the finish. Love this
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Drinking nicely right now. Popped and poured at a restaurant and drank over the next 90 minutes. No detailed notes, but characteristics included dark fruits, pencil shavings, and some tart cherries showing a little age. Good. Nice acid. Definitely a solid wine that has smoothed out and developed into a very easy drinker. Nothing to write home about, but very satisfying regardless.
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A nice, smooth wine overall. Smells of plums, blackberries, tar and tobacco. Dark fruit palate with some stony mineral, tar, and wet leaves. Nice feel on the palate, medium feel with balanced structure. Nothing really jumps out as that exciting, but for $20 you can't go wrong here. It went fantastic with some BBQ'd pork chops and greens, I love wines like this that only add flavor to a meal, not overpower it.
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Merlot dominant blend which is a little sweet and ripe, but still manages to coat your mouth with berries and cherries. Simple finish but somehow carries Washington terroir perfectly. Now is the time to drink if you have any of these.
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Popped and poured. Translucent purple. Excellent nose of cedar, cassis, and graphite. Nice ripe fruit on the attack, but mid palate and finish were pretty simple. Decent acidity. Supple tannins. New oak. Good wine, but nothing special.
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What a lovely domestic Bordeaux blend. Chocolate on the nose, with classic cedar, currant and dark fruits on the palate. Grew richer with air. Full-bodied and layered, with great structure. Very refined.
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drank with valerie. what a surprisingly delicious and complex wine. dark plums, mocha and toast on the nose. full-bodied, toasty, but it's balanced by medium acid. nice, vanilla-laden finish.
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Purchased and consumed on a trip to Washington state; we've had the 04 previously. This '05 is deep dark color, there is no seeing your fingers through this. Nose is dark currant, a bit of dustiness, and a hint of vanilla. Taste is dark fruits, plums and mocha. There's a hit of acid on the front then it quickly goes away and is followed by firm tannins. Bottle says 13.3% alcohol and it never seems to be in your face so from that standpoint its somewhat in balance. The finish is dominated by the tannins so ultimately I'd have to say its not in balance.
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Wow, a nice surprise and a lovely wine. I have a soft spot for good Merlot, when it is done right, it has that spicy, tobacco, dark fruit all layered together and this blend with 61% merlot really shines. Was not expecting much when I plucked this bottle from the cellar and was really pleased.
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An interesting wine, some nice complexity in nose and palate, good color and weight, enough tannin that it seems it could last a few more years, but where was the finish? It disappeared. I was tasting at a 90 point level and then...it was gone.
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Brian and Tess: This had great leather and black frt character--big t’s, very masculine, and went really well w/mashed pot. and Prime Rib w/au jus! Bold frt/big t’s and earthy flavors were just right. Listrac was too weak, soft/light. Val and Anna paula, Brad and family.
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Pinot Cafe: This tasted pretty bold tonight; big cassis, blkberry notes, a bit spice near the back, obvious oak, med. heavy bod. Slight pine-sap aspect a la WA wines. “Choc. covered cherries”. Good w/lamb. What happened? At the tasting, these were much more elegant. Good wine, seemed huge, but good med. bod wearing it well. Good bold wine w/lamb. W/MD<EA<BT
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Wow, these merlot-heavy blends always seem to surprise me. Popped and poured. A lovely floral aroma with red and black raspberrries...on the palette, more raspberries and dark red fruit and chocolate...smooth with delicate tannins. Delicious!
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rusty-red in color, shy nose of dried leaves, soft on the palate, true to it's Bordeaux roots, tobacco, cedar, soil, chocolate, and faint traces of dark fruit, good buy for $18, actually with it's ability to age further; great buy
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This is a classic right bank Bordeaux style wine! The tasting was a little on the dry side for me for a Washington State wine, but overall I liked this wine, but definitely would lay it down for a couple of years before opening another bottle. Color: dark dense garnet. Aroma: Dark cherries and chocolate. Tasting notes: Raspberries and plum. I would definitely buy this wine again!
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Not as big a fan as prior vintages. Seems rounder, without the structure of previous vintages. Still a good wine, but not at that "Red Mountain" level I expect.
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Solid tannins and woody but slightly sharp - I had not decanted it and will do so now. I will see what it is like in a few hours. Smokey nose and leathery with a robust dark chocolate and cherry finish which is moderately long. No fruit on the aroma. Would drink again.
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Dark purple color. Nose was subtle with lots of non-fruit notes, including leather, smoke, and chocolate. The palette showed similar character but with some blackberry and dark plum. Good clean finish and nice low alcohol.
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Definite oak - heavy vanilla, to go with sweet fruit. For $22, not a bad red. Paired with florentine flank steak pinwheels, was an ok match (meat and cheese hit well, but spinach threw this a bit). Would buy again at $20-$22 price point.
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Toni says coffee grounds. Nice power, freshness and delivery. I will let you go for the fruit salad. Not a whole lot on the nose. The body has some good weight and lift but one would expect more fattness with all that Merlot hanging around. Just opened thought. I expect it will open and deliver more. It has the structure to.
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France vs. West Coast (Vancouver, WA): Nice nose with medium intensity aromas of berries, oak, and vanilla. The palate was medium body with moderately firm tannins and acidity.
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Was looking forward to this but it was gone, been lying on its side for at least 3 months, and cork was almost dry to the touch, and showed bad seepage along the side of the cork. Oh well next time I'm in Wa I'll hit Costco for another bottle.
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Love this wine. We have been drinking Hedges wines for quite a while and have never been disappointed. This bordeaux style is as good as it gets for the region. Tons of oak and tannins that make drinking this with food a must. Drank with steak with a bordelaise sauce and pomme frites and I was in heaven. We ordered 4 bottles of this for the table and everyone raved. (3) 2005 and (1) 2004.
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Nose was extremely potent, hot with blueberry and plums......almost fake over the top nose, but very intriquing. Taste was very dry, tons of tannins, hints of berries...definitely completely different than the nose. This is a pretty intense wine that needs some rich food to be paired with, perhaps filet covered with butter and heavily peppered aspargus. Probably should be kept for a few years to let all the elements integrate. The best part of this wine is the mid-pallate.
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Deep garnet in the glass. This was decanted and enjoyed throughout the evening. It seems to be pretty accessible after about 90 minutes. Signature Red Mountain nose...in the mouth it's full and finishes a little spicy. Very nice QPR. At this point, the '04 seems to be more 'lush', but no doubt this will improve and develop with time.
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1/4/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Going strong with wonderful complexity of fruit, earth and spice. Totally soft on the palate and ready to go. I would guess it will go further but maybe not too much longer.
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1/2/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Very rich dark cherry on the nose. And some savory earthy notes but still all there.
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9/20/2021 - acheng wrote: 92 Points
Consistent note. At peak drinking now.
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1/15/2021 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
This bottle a bit more savory than the last. Still with energy so while fully mature not going over the hill.
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12/26/2020 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Still going really strong and in a perfect place right now.
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7/20/2020 - acheng wrote: 92 Points
Once again, drinking really well. Always a pleasure especially vis a vis its QPR.
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2/5/2020 - acheng wrote:
A superb bottle tonight even better than the last bottle. A representative Washington state Cab. It is probably at peak but should hold on well for years to come. A balanced and well made wine.
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11/24/2019 - BiillyBob wrote:
Still drinking well. Plenty of life left.
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3/23/2019 - Swypych wrote: 93 Points
Drinking very well, lots going on here. Smell of barn funk (Bordeaux-ish), and lots of dark cherry. The wine starts with a jammy texture, the cherry comes through here, and then finishes with smooth chocolate. Still quite a bit of structure and tannins are softening.
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1/30/2019 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
With some earthiness on the nose. Some sweet meat salt on it. Salty cranberries and dark chocolate. With some tug on the palate. Savory edge to it. Just opened, drinking well.
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11/25/2018 - vinelouse wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed it quiet a bit. It is at a very good point in its development. The tertiary notes are in balance with the fruit and minerality.
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10/16/2018 - acheng wrote: 92 Points
Drinking better than the 2011 I had a couple years ago. Aging well and no hurry. Should improve even further .
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3/20/2018 - Double-A Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark, garnet colour. Raisined fruit, toast and Christmas cake nose with earth and graphite notes. Flavourful, and assertive with a solid tannin backbone. Great balance; long, minerally finish.
5/5
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1/16/2017 - pmroddy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Absolutely gorgeous. Ruby with strong hints of caramel color on the glass. Strong, enticing nose with a little caramel, spice, fruit and wet forest floor. Very full bodied on the palate. Extremely well balanced. All the Edge and acidity of a younger Columbia valley red has melted into a smooth, balanced wine with increased sweetness on the finish. Love this
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11/27/2013 - RDAwine Likes this wine: 90 Points
nice nose ,smooth, full body, good qpr, always a nice quaff
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10/16/2012 - jconwell wrote: 84 Points
A bit strong and harsh, which is saying a lot because I love Spanish wines. Used it for cooking wine. Worked well that way
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5/25/2012 - cwaltonhouse wrote: 89 Points
Drinking nicely right now. Popped and poured at a restaurant and drank over the next 90 minutes. No detailed notes, but characteristics included dark fruits, pencil shavings, and some tart cherries showing a little age. Good. Nice acid. Definitely a solid wine that has smoothed out and developed into a very easy drinker. Nothing to write home about, but very satisfying regardless.
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2/26/2011 - gripNsip wrote: 88 Points
A nice, smooth wine overall. Smells of plums, blackberries, tar and tobacco. Dark fruit palate with some stony mineral, tar, and wet leaves. Nice feel on the palate, medium feel with balanced structure. Nothing really jumps out as that exciting, but for $20 you can't go wrong here. It went fantastic with some BBQ'd pork chops and greens, I love wines like this that only add flavor to a meal, not overpower it.
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1/16/2011 - chanote44 wrote: 89 Points
Merlot dominant blend which is a little sweet and ripe, but still manages to
coat your mouth with berries and cherries. Simple finish but somehow carries Washington terroir perfectly. Now is the time to drink if you have any of these.
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11/21/2010 - ksd999 wrote: 90 Points
Vey smooth - last bottle, have to get more if the 2005
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8/11/2010 - Wink wrote: 87 Points
Popped and poured. Translucent purple. Excellent nose of cedar, cassis, and graphite. Nice ripe fruit on the attack, but mid palate and finish were pretty simple. Decent acidity. Supple tannins. New oak. Good wine, but nothing special.
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7/6/2010 - vinomex wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured. Not as good as I remember, very simple, lacked body.
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6/1/2010 - valecnik wrote: 90 Points
What a lovely domestic Bordeaux blend. Chocolate on the nose, with classic cedar, currant and dark fruits on the palate. Grew richer with air. Full-bodied and layered, with great structure. Very refined.
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5/28/2010 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 89 Points
drank with valerie. what a surprisingly delicious and complex wine. dark plums, mocha and toast on the nose. full-bodied, toasty, but it's balanced by medium acid. nice, vanilla-laden finish.
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4/15/2010 - winejnky wrote: 87 Points
generic, earthy, bordeaux style blend, fine but nothing to get excited about. agree with hutch.
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3/8/2010 - JuliannaDHS wrote: 89 Points
Nice fruit on the palate, smooth finish. Stood up to spinach pizza just fine.
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2/18/2010 - Bellissimo wrote: 88 Points
Purchased and consumed on a trip to Washington state; we've had the 04 previously. This '05 is deep dark color, there is no seeing your fingers through this. Nose is dark currant, a bit of dustiness, and a hint of vanilla. Taste is dark fruits, plums and mocha. There's a hit of acid on the front then it quickly goes away and is followed by firm tannins. Bottle says 13.3% alcohol and it never seems to be in your face so from that standpoint its somewhat in balance. The finish is dominated by the tannins so ultimately I'd have to say its not in balance.
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1/22/2010 - Arch57 wrote: 90 Points
Wow, a nice surprise and a lovely wine. I have a soft spot for good Merlot, when it is done right, it has that spicy, tobacco, dark fruit all layered together and this blend with 61% merlot really shines. Was not expecting much when I plucked this bottle from the cellar and was really pleased.
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12/7/2009 - sichuanpeppercorn wrote: 87 Points
An interesting wine, some nice complexity in nose and palate, good color and weight, enough tannin that it seems it could last a few more years, but where was the finish? It disappeared. I was tasting at a 90 point level and then...it was gone.
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9/2/2009 - Sleckhardt wrote: 90 Points
Nice deep wine, with great aftertaste
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4/12/2009 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Brian and Tess: This had great leather and black frt character--big t’s, very masculine, and went really well w/mashed pot. and Prime Rib w/au jus! Bold frt/big t’s and earthy flavors were just right. Listrac was too weak, soft/light. Val and Anna paula, Brad and family.
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12/25/2008 - soyhead wrote: 90 Points
nose -cocoa and chocolate
mouth - very smooth, well balanced. Nice red fruit. tasty midpalate. yummy
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11/29/2008 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Pinot Cafe: This tasted pretty bold tonight; big cassis, blkberry notes, a bit spice near the back, obvious oak, med. heavy bod. Slight pine-sap aspect a la WA wines. “Choc. covered cherries”. Good w/lamb. What happened? At the tasting, these were much more elegant. Good wine, seemed huge, but good med. bod wearing it well. Good bold wine w/lamb. W/MD<EA<BT
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11/15/2008 - DSAStar wrote: 90 Points
Wow, these merlot-heavy blends always seem to surprise me. Popped and poured. A lovely floral aroma with red and black raspberrries...on the palette, more raspberries and dark red fruit and chocolate...smooth with delicate tannins. Delicious!
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10/23/2008 - whits wrote: 90 Points
rusty-red in color, shy nose of dried leaves, soft on the palate, true to it's Bordeaux roots, tobacco, cedar, soil, chocolate, and faint traces of dark fruit, good buy for $18, actually with it's ability to age further; great buy
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10/10/2008 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Kori’s: Darkish ruby red w/blk hues; earth, moss, mint, pine-sap; a;most nutty; cherry, choc. cherry; med. bod, firm but present t’s; grt bal, grt earthy-nutty; almost Barbaresco-like; chalky firm t’s.
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10/5/2008 - aharrover wrote: 89 Points
Opened 90 minutes in advance of meal. Would probably benefit from a little more age but delicious. Very approachable now.
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9/27/2008 - mreinitz wrote: 89 Points
Very dry and a bit tight, but enjoyable. Cherry and plum flavors. Finish is a bit short.
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9/5/2008 - dawgdaze wrote: 89 Points
This is a classic right bank Bordeaux style wine! The tasting was a little on the dry side for me for a Washington State wine, but overall I liked this wine, but definitely would lay it down for a couple of years before opening another bottle. Color: dark dense garnet. Aroma: Dark cherries and chocolate. Tasting notes: Raspberries and plum. I would definitely buy this wine again!
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8/29/2008 - hutch wrote: 87 Points
Not as big a fan as prior vintages. Seems rounder, without the structure of previous vintages. Still a good wine, but not at that "Red Mountain" level I expect.
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8/29/2008 - cab blends wrote: 90 Points
Solid tannins and woody but slightly sharp - I had not decanted it and will do so now. I will see what it is like in a few hours. Smokey nose and leathery with a robust dark chocolate and cherry finish which is moderately long. No fruit on the aroma. Would drink again.
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8/2/2008 - jcbrand wrote: 91 Points
Huge black cherry and mocha. Very fun to drink. Better on the first night than the second; bigger bouquet. Slightly off on the finish.
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7/18/2008 - nomadfromcincy wrote:
Dark purple color. Nose was subtle with lots of non-fruit notes, including leather, smoke, and chocolate. The palette showed similar character but with some blackberry and dark plum. Good clean finish and nice low alcohol.
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6/21/2008 - DukeDrew wrote: 88 Points
Definite oak - heavy vanilla, to go with sweet fruit. For $22, not a bad red. Paired with florentine flank steak pinwheels, was an ok match (meat and cheese hit well, but spinach threw this a bit). Would buy again at $20-$22 price point.
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6/20/2008 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Toni says coffee grounds. Nice power, freshness and delivery. I will let you go for the fruit salad. Not a whole lot on the nose. The body has some good weight and lift but one would expect more fattness with all that Merlot hanging around. Just opened thought. I expect it will open and deliver more. It has the structure to.
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6/8/2008 - tommyvernieri wrote: 86 Points
Smoky nose. Subtle raspberry-like flavors on the palate. A bit flabby and thin. Light to medium tannins on the short finish.
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5/3/2008 - kris.h wrote: 89 Points
France vs. West Coast (Vancouver, WA): Nice nose with medium intensity aromas of berries, oak, and vanilla. The palate was medium body with moderately firm tannins and acidity.
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4/7/2008 - Noto Bene wrote: flawed
Was looking forward to this but it was gone, been lying on its side for at least 3 months, and cork was almost dry to the touch, and showed bad seepage along the side of the cork. Oh well next time I'm in Wa I'll hit Costco for another bottle.
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3/21/2008 - buddy22 wrote: 92 Points
Love this wine. We have been drinking Hedges wines for quite a while and have never been disappointed. This bordeaux style is as good as it gets for the region. Tons of oak and tannins that make drinking this with food a must. Drank with steak with a bordelaise sauce and pomme frites and I was in heaven. We ordered 4 bottles of this for the table and everyone raved. (3) 2005 and (1) 2004.
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3/16/2008 - DuelNGrapes wrote: 87 Points
Nose was extremely potent, hot with blueberry and plums......almost fake over the top nose, but very intriquing.
Taste was very dry, tons of tannins, hints of berries...definitely completely different than the nose. This is a pretty intense wine that needs some rich food to be paired with, perhaps filet covered with butter and heavily peppered aspargus. Probably should be kept for a few years to let all the elements integrate. The best part of this wine is the mid-pallate.
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2/24/2008 - winenewb068 wrote: 89 Points
Deep garnet in the glass. This was decanted and enjoyed throughout the evening. It seems to be pretty accessible after about 90 minutes. Signature Red Mountain nose...in the mouth it's full and finishes a little spicy. Very nice QPR. At this point, the '04 seems to be more 'lush', but no doubt this will improve and develop with time.
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