Excellent bottle, I had two of this vintage and opened the other a year ago and although it was good, this one was better. Probably could have waited another year.
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Very tasty. Contrary to other reviews, after a 4 hour decant, there was still ample tannin and acidity telling me this could go another year. A little heavy on the Oak held it back from being amazing, but a great bottle none the less.
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Visually, a deep garnet, solid to the rim. The nose was medium- intensity with primary fruit flavours blackberry. A hint of oak, no tertiary aromas present. On the palate the tannins were soft, primary fruit of blackberry, some heat from the alcohol. Unfortunately a very short finish. This wine is ready to drink now, past its prime and unlikely to improve from further ageing (i.e. no tertiary developing, short finish, it will only get thinner from here). At this price point there are aged wines with greater more complexity and a longer finish.
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A generous friend popped this beauty after a four-bottle Cab Sauv blind tasting. A real stunner - great complexity and balance. Right in its window now. a simple roasted rack of lamb would be terrific paired with this gem. Thanks DV!
Dark red , still vibrant but with bricking along edges. Aromas of dark berries, stewed plums, touch of vegetal. Dark berry flavours, plums, cassis. Nice development of leather, cedar. Chocolate on finish as well as some creamy chalkiness on the mouthfeel. Touch of greenness. Full bodied. Waning acidity but still enough to keep the fruit fresh tasting. Really enjoyable. Dusty smooth and drying tannins. Medium to long finish. Very nice wine although starts to ride the line between becoming a bit overblown for my tastes. I prefer more subtlety. But still well balanced to keep the wine in line. If you love new world style then this is your baby.
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No decant, just p&p. Very big nose right away of black cherry and after some air it became stewed plum type dark, dense fruit. Less impressive in the mouth, albeit elegant and balanced. Long finish, but still lots of fine tannins, suggesting this could go several more years. A beautiful wine I'd be happy to share with foreigners as a great example of fine Canadian wine.
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Very good but not at the level this wine usually is (see my previous note). The nose wasn't signing tonight...it was very classy, but not with its usual exuberance. High quality wine that would still require a few more years in the cellar...Bought at a restaurant. Decant for at least 2 hours if you want to drink now.
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Pickle juice, soya sauce, sour cherry and black current. Powdered cocoa. Good acidic lift. A tad too heavy on the oak. I'm sure as the vines mature this will not be a problem in subseqent vintages.
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Second time this year I've had the 2009. It needs air still , but when it opens up it has a huge nose. It has a very full mouth feel with lots of dark fruit. Nice balance of acidity and tannins, decent finish. Very nice wine. Should be good for at least 5-8 more years.
What a great balanced and complex wine...like a really good classified Bordeaux growth. Probably close to its peak...you can hold for a couple more years. Cheers!
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Really nice bottle of wine at this stage. Changed and came together nicely with air. Dark red color, sediment so best to decant. Aromas of dark berries, plums, touch of vegetal. Flavors of dark berries, plums, cassis, touch of greenness, leather, cedar, chocolate. Full bodied. Taste was fresh and juicy and definitely shows as being a cool climate type of wine. Really enjoyable. Dusty smooth and drying tannins. Medium to long finish.
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Second time in less than a week. This time from my Quebec City cellar (certainly colder than a restaurant cellar). Younger and a bit tighter. Blind, I would have guessed a Premier Grand Cru Classe from St-Emilion in an excellent vintage about 50% Merlot-Cab Franc. Slight floral notes (maybe from the Petit Verdot/Syrah). Serious, but absolutely beautiful. Will continue to age perfectly well for another 5-7 years.
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Very impressed. Deep color, slightly evolved, complex nose. Rich, fresh, perfectly balanced with nice tertiary aromas on the palate. Long finish. Still not at its peak, should get there within 1-2 years. Killed the Stags Leap Artemis tonight!
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Big fruity nose, plums with some earthiness, a bit of leather and some spice (I couldn't decide what). Full mouthful of wine, good structure and acidity. Long finish. It went very well with grilled steak. The tannins are still quite powerful and it wants a year or two more in the cellar. Caution: there was lots of sediment in the bottle after being down for three years - decant carefully (I put it through a fine sieve while decanting).
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Decanted 90 minutes prior to consumption. Deep, dark red and sticks to the side of the glass. Complex nose of exotic dark fruit, and chocolate. Full in the mouth with long, smooth finish.
Dark purple /red colour. Fresh berry aromas, cedar. Cassis, cedar, berries. Nice balance, medium tannins, medium + acidity. Medium length of finish. Overall there is good structure. Medium bodied, feels lighter, fresh, not over-ripe berry flavours. Borders on sweet berries, but the acidity and tannins bring it into balance.
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One of a small handful of Canadian red wines that has left me considering using the word excellent as a descriptor. Drank over two days; really showed best on the second. Well balanced with a fantastic nose dominated by iodine and black fruits. Slightly reminiscent of, dare I say it, some modern Ornellaia vintages. Firm tannins and, while not the most complex of wines on the palate, decent structure. Primary flavors of blueberry/blackberry complemented by graphite and hints of savory herbs. Lingers forever with an unreal 80+ second finish. Excellent.
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Deep red right to the rim. Rather high alcohol content at 14.3%. Nose of cassis and black berries, a little too much oak in flavor. Medium finish. Overall in a blind tasting would peg it more like an Italian blend than a Bordeaux.
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- Brick color with slow forming legs. It's overly acidic. Silky texture with a long finish - Drank with Cameron on fathers day. A bottle he bought me earlier.
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10/30/2022 - The Major Likes this wine:
Excellent bottle, I had two of this vintage and opened the other a year ago and although it was good, this one was better. Probably could have waited another year.
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4/26/2019 - DaneM Likes this wine:
Drinks much older than its age, lots of California cab character. Really good.
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7/10/2018 - S_Gillett Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very tasty. Contrary to other reviews, after a 4 hour decant, there was still ample tannin and acidity telling me this could go another year. A little heavy on the Oak held it back from being amazing, but a great bottle none the less.
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4/14/2018 - Alberta66 wrote: 85 Points
Visually, a deep garnet, solid to the rim. The nose was medium- intensity with primary fruit flavours blackberry. A hint of oak, no tertiary aromas present. On the palate the tannins were soft, primary fruit of blackberry, some heat from the alcohol. Unfortunately a very short finish. This wine is ready to drink now, past its prime and unlikely to improve from further ageing (i.e. no tertiary developing, short finish, it will only get thinner from here). At this price point there are aged wines with greater more complexity and a longer finish.
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11/13/2017 - Canoehead Likes this wine: 93 Points
A generous friend popped this beauty after a four-bottle Cab Sauv blind tasting. A real stunner - great complexity and balance. Right in its window now. a simple roasted rack of lamb would be terrific paired with this gem. Thanks DV!
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8/12/2017 - OttawaB Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark red , still vibrant but with bricking along edges.
Aromas of dark berries, stewed plums, touch of vegetal.
Dark berry flavours, plums, cassis. Nice development of leather, cedar. Chocolate on finish as well as some creamy chalkiness on the mouthfeel. Touch of greenness. Full bodied. Waning acidity but still enough to keep the fruit fresh tasting. Really enjoyable. Dusty smooth and drying tannins. Medium to long finish. Very nice wine although starts to ride the line between becoming a bit overblown for my tastes. I prefer more subtlety. But still well balanced to keep the wine in line. If you love new world style then this is your baby.
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8/11/2017 - Doug4seth wrote:
Sandra & Joe Redman
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6/18/2017 - darrenv Likes this wine: 91 Points
No decant, just p&p. Very big nose right away of black cherry and after some air it became stewed plum type dark, dense fruit. Less impressive in the mouth, albeit elegant and balanced. Long finish, but still lots of fine tannins, suggesting this could go several more years. A beautiful wine I'd be happy to share with foreigners as a great example of fine Canadian wine.
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10/17/2016 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good but not at the level this wine usually is (see my previous note). The nose wasn't signing tonight...it was very classy, but not with its usual exuberance. High quality wine that would still require a few more years in the cellar...Bought at a restaurant. Decant for at least 2 hours if you want to drink now.
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5/28/2016 - SadEdjo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pickle juice, soya sauce, sour cherry and black current. Powdered cocoa. Good acidic lift. A tad too heavy on the oak. I'm sure as the vines mature this will not be a problem in subseqent vintages.
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12/27/2015 - darrenv Likes this wine: 91 Points
Second time this year I've had the 2009. It needs air still , but when it opens up it has a huge nose. It has a very full mouth feel with lots of dark fruit. Nice balance of acidity and tannins, decent finish.
Very nice wine. Should be good for at least 5-8 more years.
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11/10/2015 - Francois Le Mouel wrote: 92 Points
What a great balanced and complex wine...like a really good classified Bordeaux growth. Probably close to its peak...you can hold for a couple more years. Cheers!
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7/10/2015 - OttawaB Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really nice bottle of wine at this stage. Changed and came together nicely with air. Dark red color, sediment so best to decant.
Aromas of dark berries, plums, touch of vegetal. Flavors of dark berries, plums, cassis, touch of greenness, leather, cedar, chocolate. Full bodied. Taste was fresh and juicy and definitely shows as being a cool climate type of wine. Really enjoyable. Dusty smooth and drying tannins. Medium to long finish.
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6/30/2015 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Second time in less than a week. This time from my Quebec City cellar (certainly colder than a restaurant cellar). Younger and a bit tighter. Blind, I would have guessed a Premier Grand Cru Classe from St-Emilion in an excellent vintage about 50% Merlot-Cab Franc. Slight floral notes (maybe from the Petit Verdot/Syrah). Serious, but absolutely beautiful. Will continue to age perfectly well for another 5-7 years.
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6/28/2015 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very impressed. Deep color, slightly evolved, complex nose. Rich, fresh, perfectly balanced with nice tertiary aromas on the palate. Long finish. Still not at its peak, should get there within 1-2 years. Killed the Stags Leap Artemis tonight!
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6/21/2015 - theDesch Likes this wine: 90 Points
Big fruity nose, plums with some earthiness, a bit of leather and some spice (I couldn't decide what). Full mouthful of wine, good structure and acidity. Long finish. It went very well with grilled steak. The tannins are still quite powerful and it wants a year or two more in the cellar. Caution: there was lots of sediment in the bottle after being down for three years - decant carefully (I put it through a fine sieve while decanting).
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2/7/2015 - NoseKnows Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted 90 minutes prior to consumption. Deep, dark red and sticks to the side of the glass. Complex nose of exotic dark fruit, and chocolate. Full in the mouth with long, smooth finish.
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9/15/2013 - OttawaB Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark purple /red colour. Fresh berry aromas, cedar.
Cassis, cedar, berries. Nice balance, medium tannins, medium + acidity. Medium length of finish. Overall there is good structure. Medium bodied, feels lighter, fresh, not over-ripe berry flavours. Borders on sweet berries, but the acidity and tannins bring it into balance.
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7/20/2013 - matthyson wrote: 93 Points
One of a small handful of Canadian red wines that has left me considering using the word excellent as a descriptor. Drank over two days; really showed best on the second. Well balanced with a fantastic nose dominated by iodine and black fruits. Slightly reminiscent of, dare I say it, some modern Ornellaia vintages. Firm tannins and, while not the most complex of wines on the palate, decent structure. Primary flavors of blueberry/blackberry complemented by graphite and hints of savory herbs. Lingers forever with an unreal 80+ second finish. Excellent.
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2/25/2013 - pna.ipad wrote: 80 Points
Not impressed.
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2/22/2013 - Alberta66 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Deep red right to the rim. Rather high alcohol content at 14.3%. Nose of cassis and black berries, a little too much oak in flavor. Medium finish. Overall in a blind tasting would peg it more like an Italian blend than a Bordeaux.
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8/27/2012 - Leathem Likes this wine: 92 Points
Awesome.
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6/18/2012 - Sboniferro wrote:
- Brick color with slow forming legs. It's overly acidic. Silky texture with a long finish - Drank with Cameron on fathers day. A bottle he bought me earlier.
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6/2/2012 - Solange wrote: 96 Points
Gold medal winner 2011 Canadian wine awards. Serious complex wine.
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