Color/App: deep, dark, ruby core -> moderately deep, slightly diffuse ruby rim with no bricking yet evident. Bright, intoxicating nose of Bing cherries, raspberries, rhubarb, graphite, some charred oak and a clutch of violets. Plush mouthfeel showing red fruits (see above), a little smoke and earth (Mourvedre). Pumped-up midpalate and some fine-grained, low level tannins make this really pleasant to drink. Long, luscious finish that does a good job hiding that 15.6% Etoh. Impressive, well balanced, and drinking perfectly; this has developed impeccably.
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Quite good. Not a fan of these wines upon release, but this aged, and properly aerated example was just lovely, showing restraint, balance, and freshness. Could easily have been confused with some modern-leaning old world efforts. Time has been good to this, and all is in a proper proportion. Best to aerate in decanter at least one hour, and serve < 18,5C. A nice surprise, with several years yet ahead. recommended
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Ok, another winner from Booker. A fault, or at least a stylistic minus for me, is the “heat” of this wine. There is a burn associated with the high alcohol that subtracts from its elegance. This attribute aside, the wine is stunning. Bring this into balance and you’d have a wine leaving nothing to be desired.
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This is a very nice, big and bold red wine. The blend is 63% Syrah, 25% Grenache and 12% Mourvedre, aged in 50% new oak barrels. The nose shows off red cherry, ripe plum, charcoal, and some cooking spice. On the palate, the wine is velvety, with beautifully melting tannins that have softened with bottle age. The fruits and spices repeat from the nose, leading into a long and fruit-driven finish with moderate complexity. Drink this very pretty wine now through 2022.
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Stellar Paso Robles non blind tasting. Opened for an hour then tasted over four hours with cheeses and meats. No formal notes taken at the time. Packed with juicy fruit, great balance, and wonderful balance. Started off as a look alike for the Saxum. Great stuff.
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Opened and let breathe in the glass for about an hour and a half before enjoying with roast chicken (I just wanted to drink this tonight). Smooth and luscious fruit like pretty much all of the wines from Booker. Not a hard edge to be found. Delicious and very balanced at this stage. Probably has lots more life, but why wait?
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Boom! What a fabulous wine. We opened the bottle and did a bottle decant (after we poured off some wine down to the shoulder..and drank it). Let it decant for a couple of hours. Flavor profile was dark berries, gentle spices, some smoke and a wonderful languid finish!! It paired perfectly with our roasted leg of lamb for Easter.
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The wine was terrific and a wonderful example of a GSM blend. The other tasting notes capture the wine. We have enjoyed the sustained excellence of Booker wines over the years!
Popped and poured at restaurant, paired with steaks. Stunning wine. Rich, savory red fruit profile. Luscious on the palate. Smooth, long finish. Solid on all fronts, and likely has a lot of life ahead.
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Blend of Rhone varietals: 63% Syrah, 25% Grenache and 12% Mourvedre. Glass decanted. The first day, the Syrah dominates with an undercurrent of Grenache fruit. The second day, much more integrated, with the Mourvedre as an anchor in the background. Another exquisite blend from Mr. Booker.
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Drank over two days. Special wine that has wonderful levels of richness, depth, complexity, elegance and balance. Softer and rounder on day two. Not sure how to improve on this.
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Drank over 4+ hours and it just kept getting better. Another year or two and a decanter would have made it even more special. Great balance for such a big wine.
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63% Syrah, 25% Grenache and 12% Mourvedre, aged in 50% new oak barrels.
Smooth tannins, ready to drink. I recommend opening and pouring into a decanter, so that this massive wine can fully express itself. A big wine from Paso!
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Not as mouth filling as I expected from Booker, not a bad thing at all, just different. With that it was very nice wine, fruity without being jammy and very smooth, the hamburgers loved it.
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Purple, concentrated, medium-to-full bodied. Tight upon opening--almost seems upset at you for wanting to taste right away. Give this some to hang out and get a little less angry. If you do, you will be rewarded with a mouth-coating and mind-coating experience. Lots of black berries, a hint of licorice and leather, with a paradoxical jammy brightness. Has some mild tannins, but not at all backward; this stuff is made to be consumed within 5-10 years of bottling. Done over, I think I would wait until winter and pair this with some kind of stewed meat.
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Purple in color. The nose is night with a bit of earthy funk, black raspberries, grilled meats and black pepper. On the palate, more red fruits come out although with air, the purple fruits join. A bit of heat but not much. Juicy texture. Still very young but develops complexity with air. Nice balance. Worked great with grilled tofu and eggplant.
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Tasted after an hour in a decanter. Very open. Lush and floral nose. Fruit forward blend of ripe red fruit, anise, clove and herbs with a touch of pepper on the finish. Superb.
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This definitely should be decanted for about an hour before consuming. It helps take the edge off. Lighter fruit flavors than most Bookers, more like early season blackberries. Enjoyed.
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Decanted 8 hours. On the palate this plays mostly bass notes with its dark fruits and mocaccino profile along with some back end toasted oak and spice. There is a subtle but noticeable acid streak that runs through this brightening things up. Deep and lush with a mouth coating texture and fine grained tannins. Great balance in this big, warm, and friendly wine. Outstanding juice.
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Glad I waited to drink this beauty. A couple of years in the bottle really helped integrate the flavor sand tone down the heat. Lots of black fruits and jammy goodness. Well done.
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Great bottle, loved it. Beautiful forward fruit dominated by Syrah. Silky and voluptuous yet the Grenache comes in with light steps of violet and acidity. Maybe a tiny touch of heat (15.6% alcohol on the label ) but still well in balance. I think it's still tight, and would love a couple years more bottle age before opening another.
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Rich, highly-extracted blackberry fruit, excellent structure and texture, high viscosity, despite having been opened for about an hour wine was still very tight and closed, difficult to access the compacted flavors
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Decanted for about an hour, then drank over the next 2.5 hours. Aroma of graphite and blackberry, although it does seem like a lighter blackberry and almost going to some cranberry. Taste has acidity that hits the tongue right away, but the mid-palate has plenty of that dark fruit and has a finish that is almost buttery & smooth.
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After drinking this bottle count me as a fan of Booker. This blend is showing well so there is not need to wait before trying a bottle. Just wish I had some more to see how they age. My guess is that they will age quite nicely.
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Another great wine from Booker. Fabulous notes on the nose of blackberry jam, plums, and candied fruit with tremendously long legs. On the palate deep rich tastes of blackberries, dark fruit, leather with a slightly dusty mid palate exceedingly long finish.
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Decanted through a Vinturi 12 hours prior to tasting. Yes, yes, yes. For various reasons the past several vintages from this winery have been disappointing to me, but this, my first 2010 tasting, is a reminder of what attracted me to Booker upon its first release. Sweet blue and black berry fruit, luxuriant texture, coffee notes and a touch of dust. Perfectly proportioned, fine tannins and muted acid arise at back palate. There is still noticeable oak at this point, but I clearly loved this bottle.
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Briefly from memory - 15.6% ABV iirc. Opaque dark garnet in the glass. Somewhat primary at this point with ripe berry fruit and some inflections of dusty minerals. Full bodied with ripe fruit and a fairly heft dollop of oak on the palate. A bit heavy. A cold winter night kind of wine. I would suggest giving this some additional time or a decant. Lots of potential, but didn't really distinguish itself for me on this occasion.
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11/10/2023 - kend707 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Like before, with the alcohol turned down a notch.
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5/7/2023 - kend707 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A bit heated probably due to the alcohol level, but quite good anyway. Bing cherries and bramble. Long finish and tannins are fairly well integrated.
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12/25/2021 - BVal wrote: 93 Points
Color/App: deep, dark, ruby core -> moderately deep, slightly diffuse ruby rim with no bricking yet evident. Bright, intoxicating nose of Bing cherries, raspberries, rhubarb, graphite, some charred oak and a clutch of violets. Plush mouthfeel showing red fruits (see above), a little smoke and earth (Mourvedre). Pumped-up midpalate and some fine-grained, low level tannins make this really pleasant to drink. Long, luscious finish that does a good job hiding that 15.6% Etoh. Impressive, well balanced, and drinking perfectly; this has developed impeccably.
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8/21/2020 - mvande21 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Big, lush, aromatic GSM in an excellent place. Balanced. Long finish. Perfect with filet mignon. Open up beautifully with some air time. Killer stuff.
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5/18/2020 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Quite good. Not a fan of these wines upon release, but this aged, and properly aerated example was just lovely, showing restraint, balance, and freshness. Could easily have been confused with some modern-leaning old world efforts. Time has been good to this, and all is in a proper proportion. Best to aerate in decanter at least one hour, and serve < 18,5C. A nice surprise, with several years yet ahead. recommended
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5/5/2020 - timshel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ok, another winner from Booker. A fault, or at least a stylistic minus for me, is the “heat” of this wine. There is a burn associated with the high alcohol that subtracts from its elegance. This attribute aside, the wine is stunning. Bring this into balance and you’d have a wine leaving nothing to be desired.
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3/26/2020 - JT from LA Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big, lush GSM wine with plenty of character. Lots of life left in it. Enjoyed with steak & mushroom sauce.
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2/28/2019 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big, lush and powerful, but age has given this some graces as well. Black and Blue berries, freshly tilled earth, and coffee notes.
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9/17/2018 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent with previous notes. Drinking at peak I think.
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8/12/2018 - PinotPaul Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fabulous wine. Aged to perfection. Wish I has more.
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6/1/2018 - drrobvino wrote: 92 Points
This is a very nice, big and bold red wine.
The blend is 63% Syrah, 25% Grenache and 12% Mourvedre, aged in 50% new oak barrels.
The nose shows off red cherry, ripe plum, charcoal, and some cooking spice.
On the palate, the wine is velvety, with beautifully melting tannins that have softened with bottle age. The fruits and spices repeat from the nose, leading into a long and fruit-driven finish with moderate complexity.
Drink this very pretty wine now through 2022.
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5/17/2018 - spidersva Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking very nicely now. No edge, just a big, full wine.
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12/31/2017 - andrewdodd86 wrote: 96 Points
Started off as the most Saxum-esque of the bunch, but became more red fruit centric. So well rounded and elegant.
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12/30/2017 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Stellar Paso Robles non blind tasting. Opened for an hour then tasted over four hours with cheeses and meats. No formal notes taken at the time. Packed with juicy fruit, great balance, and wonderful balance. Started off as a look alike for the Saxum. Great stuff.
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10/29/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent with previous notes.
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10/28/2017 - The Wine Write Likes this wine: 93 Points
PNP at restaurant. Good from the get go. Rich, luscious red fruit. Just a delicious wine.
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9/25/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
More garrigue on the nose and chocolate on the palate than the Remnant, otherwise similar. Full and delicious.
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7/28/2017 - JLucas Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened and let breathe in the glass for about an hour and a half before enjoying with roast chicken (I just wanted to drink this tonight). Smooth and luscious fruit like pretty much all of the wines from Booker. Not a hard edge to be found. Delicious and very balanced at this stage. Probably has lots more life, but why wait?
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4/16/2017 - Tetherton Likes this wine: 93 Points
Boom! What a fabulous wine. We opened the bottle and did a bottle decant (after we poured off some wine down to the shoulder..and drank it). Let it decant for a couple of hours. Flavor profile was dark berries, gentle spices, some smoke and a wonderful languid finish!! It paired perfectly with our roasted leg of lamb for Easter.
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12/30/2016 - Tetherton Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine was terrific and a wonderful example of a GSM blend. The other tasting notes capture the wine. We have enjoyed the sustained excellence of Booker wines over the years!
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12/14/2016 - ravbik Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful, lush, ripe full bodied red. loads of red fruits with complex layers of flavors.
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10/15/2016 - The Wine Write Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured at restaurant, paired with steaks. Stunning wine. Rich, savory red fruit profile. Luscious on the palate. Smooth, long finish. Solid on all fronts, and likely has a lot of life ahead.
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9/2/2016 - ELH wrote: 95 Points
Blend of Rhone varietals: 63% Syrah, 25% Grenache and 12% Mourvedre. Glass decanted. The first day, the Syrah dominates with an undercurrent of Grenache fruit. The second day, much more integrated, with the Mourvedre as an anchor in the background. Another exquisite blend from Mr. Booker.
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7/4/2016 - SteveOPasO wrote: 94 Points
Wow. Great . Mouthful. Fantastic . Can wait a few years but now is fantastic.
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6/14/2016 - Castle Peak wrote: 95 Points
Drank over two days. Special wine that has wonderful levels of richness, depth, complexity, elegance and balance. Softer and rounder on day two. Not sure how to improve on this.
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5/6/2016 - mkubow wrote: 92 Points
Drank over 4+ hours and it just kept getting better. Another year or two and a decanter would have made it even more special. Great balance for such a big wine.
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12/20/2015 - JohnnyShiraz Likes this wine: 95 Points
15.6% ABV
63% Syrah, 25% Grenache and 12% Mourvedre, aged in 50% new oak barrels.
Smooth tannins, ready to drink. I recommend opening and pouring into a decanter, so that this massive wine can fully express itself. A big wine from Paso!
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9/2/2015 - mhewitt wrote: 96 Points
One of the greatest rhone based wines coming out of the US. Amazing.
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8/15/2015 - Stumpy wrote: 91 Points
Not as mouth filling as I expected from Booker, not a bad thing at all, just different. With that it was very nice wine, fruity without being jammy and very smooth, the hamburgers loved it.
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8/3/2015 - k-dubious Likes this wine: 92 Points
Purple, concentrated, medium-to-full bodied. Tight upon opening--almost seems upset at you for wanting to taste right away. Give this some to hang out and get a little less angry. If you do, you will be rewarded with a mouth-coating and mind-coating experience. Lots of black berries, a hint of licorice and leather, with a paradoxical jammy brightness. Has some mild tannins, but not at all backward; this stuff is made to be consumed within 5-10 years of bottling. Done over, I think I would wait until winter and pair this with some kind of stewed meat.
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6/7/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
Purple in color. The nose is night with a bit of earthy funk, black raspberries, grilled meats and black pepper. On the palate, more red fruits come out although with air, the purple fruits join. A bit of heat but not much. Juicy texture. Still very young but develops complexity with air. Nice balance. Worked great with grilled tofu and eggplant.
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1/26/2015 - Corrie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had this with the Epoch Veracity, six people--3 liked this best, 3 liked the Veracity. All loved both wines.
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1/7/2015 - Joegish Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent wine with impeccable balance of fruit and tannin. Long, juicy finish. Loved it! Glad I have another one, but wish I had more.
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12/3/2014 - tantotinto wrote: 93 Points
Tasted after an hour in a decanter. Very open. Lush and floral nose. Fruit forward blend of ripe red fruit, anise, clove and herbs with a touch of pepper on the finish. Superb.
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11/1/2014 - bambam wrote: 92 Points
This definitely should be decanted for about an hour before consuming. It helps take the edge off. Lighter fruit flavors than most Bookers, more like early season blackberries. Enjoyed.
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10/4/2014 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big, rich, and concentrated, but balanced. Blue/black fruit and savory notes with decent acid/tannin backbone.
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7/15/2014 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good juice. I Like the extended barrel version a little better.
9.3-
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7/12/2014 - gfm10 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for about 30 minutes. Very tasty!
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5/30/2014 - samiamx_1999 wrote: 93 Points
Big, heavy, and yummy.
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4/5/2014 - ClubTerry Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needs some time for the alcohol to blowoff.
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3/25/2014 - Redguy wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 8 hours. On the palate this plays mostly bass notes with its dark fruits and mocaccino profile along with some back end toasted oak and spice. There is a subtle but noticeable acid streak that runs through this brightening things up. Deep and lush with a mouth coating texture and fine grained tannins. Great balance in this big, warm, and friendly wine. Outstanding juice.
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3/3/2014 - UofM Likes this wine: 93 Points
Glad I waited to drink this beauty. A couple of years in the bottle really helped integrate the flavor sand tone down the heat. Lots of black fruits and jammy goodness. Well done.
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10/4/2013 - rcg62 wrote: 94 Points
Great bottle, loved it. Beautiful forward fruit dominated by Syrah. Silky and voluptuous yet the Grenache comes in with light steps of violet and acidity. Maybe a tiny touch of heat (15.6% alcohol on the label ) but still well in balance. I think it's still tight, and would love a couple years more bottle age before opening another.
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9/11/2013 - Amerique wrote: 92 Points
Rich, highly-extracted blackberry fruit, excellent structure and texture, high viscosity, despite having been opened for about an hour wine was still very tight and closed, difficult to access the compacted flavors
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8/23/2013 - Wine Sparty wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for about an hour, then drank over the next 2.5 hours. Aroma of graphite and blackberry, although it does seem like a lighter blackberry and almost going to some cranberry. Taste has acidity that hits the tongue right away, but the mid-palate has plenty of that dark fruit and has a finish that is almost buttery & smooth.
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5/13/2013 - Screameagle Likes this wine: 91 Points
After drinking this bottle count me as a fan of Booker. This blend is showing well so there is not need to wait before trying a bottle. Just wish I had some more to see how they age. My guess is that they will age quite nicely.
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5/3/2013 - bzell Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another great wine from Booker. Fabulous notes on the nose of blackberry jam, plums, and candied fruit with tremendously long legs. On the palate deep rich tastes of blackberries, dark fruit, leather with a slightly dusty mid palate exceedingly long finish.
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3/31/2013 - jeagle Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted through a Vinturi 12 hours prior to tasting. Yes, yes, yes. For various reasons the past several vintages from this winery have been disappointing to me, but this, my first 2010 tasting, is a reminder of what attracted me to Booker upon its first release. Sweet blue and black berry fruit, luxuriant texture, coffee notes and a touch of dust. Perfectly proportioned, fine tannins and muted acid arise at back palate. There is still noticeable oak at this point, but I clearly loved this bottle.
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9/19/2012 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 91 Points
Briefly from memory - 15.6% ABV iirc. Opaque dark garnet in the glass. Somewhat primary at this point with ripe berry fruit and some inflections of dusty minerals. Full bodied with ripe fruit and a fairly heft dollop of oak on the palate. A bit heavy. A cold winter night kind of wine. I would suggest giving this some additional time or a decant. Lots of potential, but didn't really distinguish itself for me on this occasion.
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