Pop and pour - heat, relatively thin, a bit tart. Last of a case, mostly gone long ago. Bought from JJB in 2013. Paired with a pair of Sahlen's hot dogs loaded with mustard, ketchup, relish, and freshly chopped onion, along with Chipotle flavored (that was an oversight at the supermarket) sweet potato fries. Heat dissipating over time, but that may be due to palate dulling based on all of above including the wine. I'd leave this note open for any potential evolution but thinking that it's the last of mine so little personal gain to be had, and also assuming I've lost all credibility by now so probably not much help to others
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CT says it's well past peak, and well, I dunno, maybe so ... but there's still plenty of goodness in this bottle. Opened at the end of the evening, so the palate is in no shape to detect all the nuance - but it's showing fine in all the basics: good fruit, balanced (tapering) tannins. I'm guessing this this could even go a few more years if you had to.
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Same notes and my last bottle. Had a bit more of a harsher finish then I remember from my last bottle. Could be in a dumb phase or might have peaked. See previous note. My last bottle so I will never know.
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Still a 90, but better (again) than at last taste a year ago. Developing some meaty flavors and has now lost almost all of the tinny notes. Very much enjoying this now. Two years to peak.
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Decanted 2 hours. The alcohol and barnyard notes present during decanting were gone by taste time. Subtle smoke and saddle leather on the palate with hints of plum and black berries. Nicely integrated on the palate, good structure with interesting subtle fruit. Medium-bodied with a crisp texture. A bit short on the finish but still enjoyable.
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Plump and meaty, full-bodied with dark plum, currant and a subtle tartness. Spicy chocolate and herbs notes linger on the tannic finish. Great value from a stellar vintage.
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While the taste isn't too bad the smell is so overwhelmingly alcoholic. This isn't something I would recommend any longer at any price. They just can't get that ABV under control. I would rather drink a Anarone with as much if not more ABV but with substance to match. No more room on my shelves for these or CdR rouge.
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Thought this might have become less disjointed. It has. Good fruit but like many a Southern Rhine rouge it's just to high in ABV. Went well with grilled steak and basaltic glaze.
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Improved since last reviewed at an 88, 17 months ago. Metal and acid has faded some, and more depth is emerging. Now with a touch of smoke on top of the basic high-pitched character of the nose. Less tin on the palate and more length and body. Still finishes short to medium. Really good with lamb chops off the grill tonight. Even stood up to the Amora mustard.
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Brick orange color. Silky tannin but flabby. It's going to down way. No sign of freshness or elegant. I would give it 87-88 point if when it's young. Alc. 14%
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This has actually improved from when I drank it last (nov 2013). I had originally suggested to drink by the end of 2015, but now I'd say 2017 or maybe even later. That said, it is drinking quite well right now! The watery mid-palate has fleshed out a bit and the aggressive fruit has subsided, leaving a flavorful well-balanced wine. Still not much here in the way of complexity, but at this price point I'm very impressed. Amazing QPR.
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Agree with recent positive reviews. Great QPR for the money I paid ($12 per bottle) and this was the first of three. Very pleasant and smooth bottle with pretty great fruit. It could easily have a price tag 2-3 times retail and I would have still likely been pleased. I can see why WS liked it.
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The fruit is starting to pop out nicely. I think the wine is entering its zone of good drinking, and seems that it will last at least another five years.
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Significantly approved over the last 2 years. Recommend holding until 2016, which is end of window here. Never reached the lofty 91 scores by some critics, IMO. Fruit still there, tannins have relaxed a bit, heat mellowed.
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Drinking very well. Dark, earthy fruit, red cherry. Medium finish with some oak and surprisingly balanced. This has plenty of time left and is a great qpr. 91
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A bit harsher this time than I would have expected, given my prior experience with these wines. Decanted, and it smoothed out a bit. Lots of fruit but just a bit out of balance. Try again.
Nice fruit, smooth tannins, there are a lot of tropical flavors coming through on the nose, almost smells like kool-aid, but in a good way. Very easy to drink -- extremely good value -- I would expect this to cost 2-3x what it does.
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Pnp from a cooler, last bottle of a case. Dramatic improvement since last April. Currant fruit, jammy, blackberry, southern Rhone traits have balanced and integrated well. Very smooth. Throughout drinking the case I found some bottles had heat, were disjointed or needed a long decant...but this bottle was fantastic. Probably entering the start of the peak drinking window now.
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Great qpr, but in a funky heated stage. Loads of blackberry fruit compote with some peppercorn and herbs de Provence. With Thanksgiving dinner with the non-wino in-laws.
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Almost identical to the bottle I had in 2012 of this vintage. Nice red fruit and spice on the nose. There are berry notes and pepper on the palate. Pretty nice QPR.
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This is no 92-94 point wine Mr Parker. It's a decent, medium bodied, acceptably fruited southern French red that I've enjoyed with tacos. The acidity makes it a good food wine, but there's a bit of that metallic nose and finish that often pulls otherwise pretty good wines into the "meh" category, for me anyway.
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This is a very nice Rhone blend of syrah, grenache and carignan. Very well balanced with the blackberry and dark red cherry from the syrah coming to the forefront. This has soft, fine tannins, decent acidity, a touch of earthiness and a medium length finish. Excellent QPR!
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Opened for lab BBQ- most went pretty quickly. This bottle pretty consistent with previous notes. Lots of earthy, funky, and gamy notes to go along with the lively red fruits and solid structure. Overall, this wine has impressive balance and complexity for the price point. Very good if you like the style (which unfortunately K does not).
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I wrote in December 2013 that I would give the next bottle a year. I lied, and glad we had one today. Still youthful, with lots of time ahead, but coming together well. I buy any M. Chapoutier wine I can afford.
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Great value wine. Have had over a case since release. These have evolved some and even are now closed a bit at opening. A 3 hour decant at least has been needed each time to bring things out. Gonna hold the last few bottles a year or so.
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very disjointed this time. Hot, overly alcoholic, with tannin out of whack. I think this is closing down and needs a bit of a cellar nap. I have a few bottles left, so I'll give them the benefit of doubt.
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Light body and relatively short finish, but nice complexity. Rustic, with lots of earth and barnyard, decent fruit, and some spice. Balanced acidity. For the money, expresses the style well.
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A good wine for the price that represents its region well. However, it just doesn't live up to the pro reviews. Ready to go on PnP, it has notes of plum with a hint of meat juice. Medium bodied and smooth, but a bit hollow on the midpalate. Paired well with our venison sausages.
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Excellent wine, especially for the price. Overwhelming nose of flowers, on top of layers of fruit, garrigue and wood. Still drinking really well on the 3rd night.
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This really is the top qpr of 2013. It seems to get better every time, or at least is consistent. Makes me think they can actually make some decent syrah in the Southern regions when slopped hills are involved and the moderating winds keep berries in check. Mostly Grenache, so the expected fruit flavors of blackberry, black raspberry, kirsch liqueur, so smokey earth, garrigue and peppercorns. This is a red that can start out at cellar temperature and be fine with a higher ABV than most wines can handle. Very pleased with the 18 bottles I have purchased over the past 18 months.
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Drinkable, nice fruit, moved broadly across the palate. Inky with aromas of Violet and Raisin. Nice Blackberry and Raspberry flavors, medium bodied and fleshy with decent length. With lower acidity, its not as balanced as previous vintages.
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Un bon vin, chaleureux et frais à la fois. Bien équilibré, il est à point et démontre un beau fruit mure concentré, avec une touche réglissé et de beaux tanins bien fondu. Finale plus que respectable pour le prix! Un des beaux produits courant disponible à la SAQ.
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I think this is an excellent QPR. Dark fruits, and slight barnyard in the nose. On the palate, broad bottom and layers of fruit. I happen to like these rustic southern French wines very much. There is so much going on with the interplay of flavors, that I find them excellent compliments for all kinds of soups, stews, cassolet, etc. I suspect, unlike some of the other reviews, that this has a long life ahead of it. I have nearly a case of this left, and I don't intend to sample it again for at least another year.
Raspberry, strawberry and hint of mushroom on the nose. On the palate, the red berries follow through plus, spices, soil and mushrooms, some bitterness with a hint of chocolate make it more interesting. Low acidity, low/medium tannins, and low/medium finish. Overall it is a good, everyday wine that you can drink without analyzing it. This wine is at its top and I don't think will improve much. Good with lighter red meat and spicy chicken and pork dishes.
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Ruby red in color, with aggressive fruit forward aromas of raspberry, cherry, and loads of spice. Somewhat disconnected on the palate, with the initial fruit leading to a somewhat hollow mid-palate and finish. However, this is an attractive easy-drinking wine with plenty of flavor, especially at this price point - a crowd pleaser. Enough tannins to maintain structure for now, but this wine makes its mark through its fruit forward nature, so I wouldn't wait too long - drink until 2015/2016. Paired well with a saffron-infused rice and chicken casserole.
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For the price $9.50 cannot be beat. True characteristics of Rhone wine, dark fruits, spices, earth, and medium (not light) body. Delicious and a crowd pleaser.
This has come together really well in the past year. Still dark red but the alcohol heat has tuned down considerably. Incredible value for the quality.
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On Day 1 this Languedoc Roussilon blend of syrah, grenache, and carignan seemed weak. But on Day 2 it appealed to me as a fleshy wine with enough structure to give it heft. At $12 worth buying as an everyday drinker.
I have to start this by saying I poured this in to the decanter, but didn't feel well, so I put the top on it and started drinking on day 2. I'm so glad. This was so pleasant with this extended airtime. Great black fruit, silky tannin as they had softened up with time, asian spice, pleasant mouthfeel, good acids and the heat isn't noticeble because the fruit holds up well. This has great aging potential. I'm now drinking the last 2 glasses on day 3 and its still wonderful. One of the most pleasant Rhone blends. Chapoutier has done this so well. The super ripe fruit is so enjoyable and it almost has a sweet feel even with it being a dry wine. There are olives, black tea and some florals to go along with this. Day 1 barely showed anything but acids and heat. Glad I waited, and have 5 more. In no hurry to drink these up and makes me feel great about my 2010 CdP purchases. Enjoy with plenty of air time now or wait until this improves in the bottle. Excellent QPR.
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Mooie wijn! In de neus wat rokerige en vleesachtige tonen. In de mond mooi donker fruit. Een sappige wijn met tonen van drop, koffie, pepertje. Mooie tannines en een klein zuurtje.
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Initially bitter and hot. Softened within 30 minutes of decanting and opened up nicely with flavours of tobacco and pepper. Very good in that price range.
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PnVnD let air for 1hr. dark crimson purple from core to rim dense but not saturated. Smoky creosote plum and cherry aromas with a touch of rosemary and beef jerky. Medium weight with slight cherry skin tannin. Smoky plum cherry cranberry soy and espresso flavours. Need to get beyond the nose (a bit of burnt rubber as with Pinotage). Will give the other bottle at least another year before trying. Good value.
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Third time trying, it's showing extremely well. It is complex and has extraordinary silky mouthfeel. Along with incredible purity, this stands in a perfect balance of the fruit, alcohol, and acidity.
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2005 Chateauneuf du Papes (Rich & Peggy's House, Los Altos, CA): Big, ripe, grapey nose. Overripe, grapey, raspberry compote palate with a tartness that doesn't match and isn't integrated. This seemed to calm down and improve with the limited time it sat in my glass.
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- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of cherry and has flavours of black pepper, oak and vanilla with a medium finish - Very well balanced and fruity, this worked great with Pork chops. a little not a long finish. Would buy again.
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Great PQR! Nose is somewhat closed, but a delicious wine! A bit smoke, jammy, black berry, smooth tannins, some spicy, complex, relatively long finish. Prefect for daily drinking. Good for steak too.
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Smooth finish, Grenache blend so this proves to be a little more fruity than my liking. Strong alcohol base, probably a better fit for a summer night than now. Drinking well now and did decanter for 3 hours.
The second bottle was not as impressive as the first as some zest was lost overnight.
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Drank in a restaurant for $48. The wine was dull and had no flavor. The table agreed that the wine was not very good, not bad but not good. I have enjoyed this wine on other occasions. Is this another case of bottle inconsistency. I find that this is an issue not often discussed. Or is my palette inconsistent.
Decanted over three hours and served around 65 degrees. Right off the bat, garrigue and fig compete for attention while lavender, blackberry, black cherry, raspberry liquer, strawberry, and pepper fill in support with an earthy tar/hot stone note lingering in the background in the bouquet.
Palate follows through what the nose suggested giving a medium-full bodied texture with low acid and fine-grained tannins and a floral, slightly tarry finish.
Only downside is that it's lacking a little concentration on the mid-palate and the finish is nice, but not enduring; however, this stuff is super pretty for 12 bucks, and about as good a QPR as one can find. Gonna go out tomorrow and clean out the rest of the local store's stock.
Also, it probably is a year away from peak. The tannins could stand to smooth out a touch more.
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Tasty, but a bit thin. I'm not getting excess heat, but I think it just needs a little more time. Seems to be putting on a little weight and depth in the glass.
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In it's current state, it is hot and overly extracted. It is simply TOO YOUNG! Seems to have tons of potential but too brash right now. Very harsh and angular. 24 mos should smooth out the rough edges.
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First bottle from the case. A very nice wine, excellent with food (North African stews, in this case). Not much nose on opening. Started opening in the glass. Well balanced, dark fruits, picks up hints of chocolate and spices with food. I didn't get the metallic taste of the previous reviewer. I'll wait a half year for the next bottle, or decant.
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Nice, ripe fruit on the nose: redcurrant and black cherry with sweet spice and smoky notes. Red cherry and blackberry notes on the palate, as well as some spicy, black olive, earthy, and chocolaty notes; soft tannings and vibrant acidity. Great value.
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The nose I found spicy blackberry, pepper, Provencial herbs and hints of wet stone. On the palate it showed medium weight with flavors of juicy blackberry and a waxy, smooth body yet lacked depth. It finished with notes of wild berries and a hint of toasty vanilla (yet I don't believe this saw any new oak).
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Back to my original review, enjoyed his wine. It drinks so smoothe that one may underappreciate it. Good fruit with structure and complexity. Great value.
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Robe de couleur: Bourgogne très foncé; Bouquet: Poivre, fruit mure, boisé; Bonne Astringence; Très corsé; Arômes en bouche: Sang, cuir, cafe, poivre, rose, A decanter, belle aubaine, a boire avec viande rouge
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Rich, meaty, savoury nose. Big and spicy, the fruit is much sweeter than the rest of the Chapoutier 2010's alongside it. Fine and balanced with dry tannins and fresh acidity.
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The Wine Gang (London): Lighter and sweeter than the other reds here - strawberry fruit. Nice schisty texture as well. More refreshing than the Rhones. Very good value. 16.5/20.
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Good interesting wine. Popped and poured. Was a little more lively on night one, these notes are for night 2 after storing in the fridge. Faint nose of dark fruit (plummy). Somewhat one dimensional on the palate. Simple dark fruit...pleasant. Significant tannins, 20-25+ second finish.
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Clearly lots of value here. Extracted, somewhat tart (which keeps it vibrant and light), plum and dark fruit with light spice overtones. Smooth. Good finish. Opened for several hours already, but curious if more time will reveal more complexities.
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Plums, cherry liquor, iron and herbs flavors. Medium bodied with no obvious oak influence. A bit of heat on the finish, although only 14 percent alcohol. Good, fleshy wine... but tough to justify the lofty professional reviews. On day 2, this became quite soft and pillowy... Almost flabby, but more like a simple, easy drinking wine, with the fruit verging on being confected.
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Typical dark cherry, creosote Roussillon funk with a nice wild green herb quality. I find this vintage to be a little less opulent and extracted and with more focus than previous vintages. Still a great qpr bottle.
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YUCK!!! Unquestionably outside my comfort zone. What was I expecting with the RP score. How this wine received the score it did , is simply hilarious. Hot, burning, dark fruit that seems more like an Aussie abomination than anything close to resembling Roussillon. I could not finish my glass. I did re-taste this after about 2 hrs and it had settled down to resemble something other than "PX". Still, barely drinkable. Absolute SPOOF!!!
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Dark-fruit base with a hint of garrigue to the nose. Medium weight (lighter than I guessed) when tasting, with continued brambly red, and wild black fruit. Not tart, not showing heavy polish, but a nice finish with hidden tannins & bits of floral/herb tones. Easier to describe by what it's not (powerful, bombastic, tart, or elegant) makes it feel generic..but still a good bottle
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This being an incredible value shows a very lush and gorgeous fruit that reminds me of several Cru Beaujolais of 2009 and also that famous Chateau Peuch-Haut Cuvee Prestige 2009. Ripe cherries, black pepper, and licorice are generous on the palate. This tastes unoaked although I'm not sure if it is or not. When I pay $10~12 for a bottle, I assume that some off-putting aromas are supposed to be there, and they are to be forgiven because it's cheap. But, this one doesn't have any of that cheap smell and taste. Really worth your $12. 14% alc.
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Zwart fruit, paddestoelen, vochtige bladeren, anijs in de neus. Pruimen, bosbessen, chocolade, lichte bittertje, sappige zuren, licht drogende tanninnes, medium lange nasmaak. Voor deze prijs uitstekend!
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I agree with other reviewers that this has a polished, refined quality while still being recognizable as a Rhone wine. Herbs and wet earth on the nose. On the palate, cherry, herbs and a steely minerality that carries on to the finish. I like this and hope to revisit it soon considering the low price.
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I mean how often do you open an averaged priced bottle of wine and get completely blown away! The nose on this wine was stunning after it opened up. Lots of dark ripe rich fruit, a hint of anise and tar. Plum and chocolate dipped blueberries lead the way on the palate, licorice, a hint of tar round it out. The carignan in this blend is so perfect!
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Agree with another reviewer, this is not 92-94 and not even as good as the 08 in my opinion. Still a really well balanced, correct, and elegant wine. 90ish.
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Nose: Earth and floral perfume with some tar accents. Palate: Dark fruited with some of the earthy secondary character showing. While a value based wine this does show excellent Southern Rhone character albeit in simplistic fashion with regard to the palate. Once again M. Chapoutier shows it's great winemaking ability even at the value price point level. 89 points largely due to the compelling nose. Good QPR.
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Lifted nose with raspberries and some mixture of floral end earthy aromas. On the palate this has medim-to-full body and powerful taste, with more raspberries, cherries, plums, iron and good acidity, tannins and minerals on the finish. Really well made, great value. 89+
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Good, balanced Rhone wine. No outstanding characteristic. The only reason folks are discussing this wine is the positive Parker review.Enjoyed the bottle with ribs, since I find that wines like this go well with barbecue.
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Offers ripe plums, blackberry, damp earth and fresh minerals. This is soft and supple as the fruit glides effortlessly across the palate into the finish where it picks up some chocolate and spice flavors. Rolling in around $10 this is a serious value! (Best 2012-2014) 90+ POINTS
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Agree with most of the notes here. On PnP, this was a bit awkward, but after a short decant it came alive more. Lively red fruits and definitely some earthy qualities and minerality on the back end. Pretty well balanced even at this really young age and quite drinkable. At $10.99, this was a great buy and I'll be stocking up. Once this smooths out a bit with time, it may be a 90 point wine. No issues with this being oaky or hot. There is modest tannic and acidic structure here, and I think this will be good for a few years but it not a long-term ager
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Giant Wine Sale & Tasting 8/11/2012 (Cellar on Greene, Columbia, SC): To me, this is not a 92-94 point wine, but it is a ridiculous easy purchase at $14. You can tell this is primo effort by a pedigreed producer. Whenever a wine starts off with violets on the nose, it wins our hearts, and 99% of the time follows with other serious wonderful characteristics. On one hand, this wine shows a touch of it's old world heritage, with a slight rusticity and earthiness, on the other hand, this really is pretty polished, and upscale for the price. The fruit is pure and precise black cherry, plum, and raspberry pie,backed up with some smokey, herbal, outdoors, secondary flavors. Significant dry tannins, and adequate acid give it some structure and backbone. Almost rich, but not chewy. The finish is concentrated and penetrating dark fruit, with a light touch of chocolate.
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Reserved nose, low acidity. It was still old world but very polished and smooth - almost too much so. But I'm just being overly critical....it's a great bottle of wine at $12, especially for these varietals. I don't think it has much of a sense of place, but it's pretty tasty and hides the 14% alcohol well.
The RP score at 92-94 is just insane - and it seems like he didn't even write a note for this specific wine! (Just a score)
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Despite vinturi-aeration to decanter and vigorous swirling in both the decanter and the glass, this was showing little if anything on the nose, and for that reason no score. A little bit of red cherries, herbs. On the palate, this reminded me a lot of the 2010 Michel Gassier Cercius to which RP also gave a big score. Concentrated cherries/Kirsch, blackberry and flowery notes that powers into an extended finish. I found this to be a little harsh on entry - not very enjoyable. Fruity and smoother on the midpalate, and rich + some alcohol in the back of the throat through the finish that made me crave a glass of water. Big, concentrated, simple, young. As of this bottle it feels more like an 87-88; not feeling the RP 92-94. At least very good for the concentration of fruit feeding a lengthy finish. I'll feel better if the next bottle shows a Roussillon bouquet. Seems a fairly good value in that it's concentrated and bigger than what you typically see at 12 USD.
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Full ruby. A whiff of funk upfront. Rich and chocolatey with lush black cherry fruit and no overripeness. Smooth, modern feel. Lots of wine here, impressive for the price.
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92-94 points from Robert Parker for a $12 bottle of wine is silly of course, but a low rating in the 80s doesn't seem right either. For pop and pour southern French wine I was very pleased. With a light fruit character reminiscent of a beaujolais style quaffer, I would definitely recomend this wine and will buy more. Incidentally I'm a huge fan of the 2011 blanc (which had mixed reviews on cellar tracker) and is being released right now.
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Little nose gives way to burst of fruit, earthy tones. Alcohol seems strong- overwhelms the palate and prevents full enjoyment. Tannins dwell and don't make for good balance. Maybe decent in 2-3 yrs of cellaring, but today worth only the sticker price.
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Fresh blackberry/black cherry fruit with licorice flavors, good structure, very integrated, tasty, but lacks complexity and depth deserving of higher ratings, very enjoyable quaffing wine
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Dark purple in color, with a nice palate of spice and dark fruits like cherries and blackberries. Got a bit of violets as well. The palate seemed a bit hot from alcohol however, so the 14% may be more like 15+%. Excellent with the prime rib done medium rare. A definite QPR at under $13.
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This is a very good but not quite great wine. A little more weight would have put it over the top but it does benefit from some air. Very nice fruit with Grenache dominant and a fair amount of structure to match. Drink with beef or full flavored foods. Great value; worth buying by the case.
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Donkerrood.Geurend naar vleeskers, framboos en drop. In de smaak vleeskers, bramen, peperig en het bittere van provencaalse kruiden (rozemarijn) en amandelen. Vrij korte afdronk met zachte tannines. Niet erg complexe, sappige wijn.
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I drank this while sharing some meatballs and a vegetarian pizza at Bolu in Basking Ridge. Nothing extraordinary but nice QPR. Light with red fruit and spice. I would buy again.
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Nice for the price. More on the lighter side of the spectrum with berries, herb, and pepper.Good structure for a $11 wine, but fades pretty quickly on the finish. Not seeing the Parker score at all.
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Drinks like a decent CdR with spice, red fruit, rubber and licorice. Short finish. Decent for the money.Low acidity with some chalky tannins and earth on the end.
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- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of black currant and raspberry with a medium/full body. Leathery texture with a medium finish.
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92-94 points must have been a mistake. It does have structure, so I'll give it that. But the fruit is very short-lived. Actually - everything is short-lived. The smooth mouthfeel, moderate weight, and fruit dissipate as the acid and tannins come in. It was less aggressive on day 2, with good minerality and a great bouquet still, but nothing particularly noteworthy on the palate. Sorry - I'd rather save the $11 I spent and put it towards something else. For $7-$9, then sure, this may have been a great deal, but double digits is a bit much.
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Parker said 92-94, I think that's a little high. Going with a 92. And for the money (10.98 on wine library), this is an impressive value. Nice full mouth feel. Bright and intense fruit. Well integrated tannins.
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Aromas and flavors of red berry, fresh game, and garden herbs. Gains weight with air. Soft mouthfeel and easy to drink. Dry and moderate length finish.
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Fruity and very pleasant. Was quite impressed how drinkable this was for a2010. The wife declared she "loved" it, which caused me to jump on wine-searcher to look for a case. A couple of retailers are already out, which is no surprise given the marketing firestorm. All too often these hyped wines turn out to be uninteresting plonk. I would argue that this lives up to the hype. A pinot weight, but rich dark fruit on the nose and front end. I felt the only weakness was the back end, which showed this as a bit one dimensional/basic. That said, this is a $11-12 bottle, so sit back and just enjoy. Looking for more.
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7/3/2023 - pmcellar Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Way pass it’s drinking window.
Maybe use it for cooking or something.
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4/5/2022 - Jack667 wrote:
Pop and pour - heat, relatively thin, a bit tart.
Last of a case, mostly gone long ago. Bought from JJB in 2013.
Paired with a pair of Sahlen's hot dogs loaded with mustard, ketchup, relish, and freshly chopped onion, along with Chipotle flavored (that was an oversight at the supermarket) sweet potato fries.
Heat dissipating over time, but that may be due to palate dulling based on all of above including the wine.
I'd leave this note open for any potential evolution but thinking that it's the last of mine so little personal gain to be had, and also assuming I've lost all credibility by now so probably not much help to others
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1/26/2021 - Ntj7802 Likes this wine:
Nice simple smooth
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2/21/2020 - maxima wrote: 88 Points
Plus sage que dans mes souvenirs, pas mal d'épices,
un peu de fruits et une finale assez longue
avec une petite pointe de chauffe.
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12/25/2018 - edge Likes this wine: 89 Points
Great value. Great turkey wine.
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11/27/2018 - wino from way back Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Barely drinkable. Wifey refused to drink.
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7/28/2018 - Adventr.us wrote: 88 Points
CT says it's well past peak, and well, I dunno, maybe so ... but there's still plenty of goodness in this bottle. Opened at the end of the evening, so the palate is in no shape to detect all the nuance - but it's showing fine in all the basics: good fruit, balanced (tapering) tannins. I'm guessing this this could even go a few more years if you had to.
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4/28/2018 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 88 Points
Drank at journal club. Was very solid. Earthy up front, but still with decent fruit, and good acid. Good for an $11 wine
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3/11/2018 - imissjerry wrote: 93 Points
Absolutely amazing wine for the price point and the extra aging paid off!
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2/24/2018 - VinnieVeritas wrote: 88 Points
Still drinking well.
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2/10/2018 - travelme Likes this wine: 87 Points
Same notes and my last bottle. Had a bit more of a harsher finish then I remember from my last bottle. Could be in a dumb phase or might have peaked. See previous note. My last bottle so I will never know.
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12/23/2017 - JWG wrote: 88 Points
Matches my notes of the last couple bottles. A very pleasing Cote du Roussillon, and a small price.
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11/20/2017 - maderay wrote: 85 Points
Flat, probably past its time
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8/21/2017 - Shrages wrote: 90 Points
Still a 90, but better (again) than at last taste a year ago. Developing some meaty flavors and has now lost almost all of the tinny notes. Very much enjoying this now. Two years to peak.
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8/12/2017 - VinnieVeritas Likes this wine: 88 Points
Decanted 2 hours. The alcohol and barnyard notes present during decanting were gone by taste time. Subtle smoke and saddle leather on the palate with hints of plum and black berries. Nicely integrated on the palate, good structure with interesting subtle fruit. Medium-bodied with a crisp texture. A bit short on the finish but still enjoyable.
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5/3/2017 - JWG wrote: 89 Points
Another bottle that matches my previous tasting notes. A very pleasant Cote du Roussillon.
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3/11/2017 - Dionysusx Likes this wine: 92 Points
Plump and meaty, full-bodied with dark plum, currant and a subtle tartness. Spicy chocolate and herbs notes linger on the tannic finish. Great value from a stellar vintage.
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2/12/2017 - SpoochMan wrote:
Donated to journal club meeting. Did not taste.
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12/4/2016 - maderay wrote: 88 Points
G. Cinnamon, soft
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10/27/2016 - Champagneinhand Does not like this wine: 79 Points
While the taste isn't too bad the smell is so overwhelmingly alcoholic. This isn't something I would recommend any longer at any price. They just can't get that ABV under control. I would rather drink a Anarone with as much if not more ABV but with substance to match. No more room on my shelves for these or CdR rouge.
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9/3/2016 - Timmy17 wrote: 88 Points
Nice wine for value
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8/16/2016 - Good Stuff Likes this wine: 88 Points
surprisingly good, light body, some leather like a burgundy and a little musk in its bouquet, really good qpr
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8/9/2016 - jonanator wrote: 89 Points
Fantastic QPR, sad this was my last bottle but glad current vintages are pretty close to as good
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6/11/2016 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 86 Points
Thought this might have become less disjointed. It has. Good fruit but like many a Southern Rhine rouge it's just to high in ABV. Went well with grilled steak and basaltic glaze.
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6/6/2016 - Shrages wrote: 90 Points
Improved since last reviewed at an 88, 17 months ago. Metal and acid has faded some, and more depth is emerging. Now with a touch of smoke on top of the basic high-pitched character of the nose. Less tin on the palate and more length and body. Still finishes short to medium. Really good with lamb chops off the grill tonight. Even stood up to the Amora mustard.
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5/3/2016 - wss Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine has truly improved with age with the harsh leaning tanins smoothed while still maintaining a wonderful berry taste. Drink soon.
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4/29/2016 - Good Stuff Likes this wine: 88 Points
very clean and light, very balanced, blackberry taste, good stuff
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4/10/2016 - Altonplace Likes this wine: 89 Points
Improved with age! Great buy and hold for $13.
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4/4/2016 - TJ_The VitiViewer wrote: 86 Points
Brick orange color. Silky tannin but flabby. It's going to down way. No sign of freshness or elegant. I would give it 87-88 point if when it's young. Alc. 14%
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1/18/2016 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This has actually improved from when I drank it last (nov 2013). I had originally suggested to drink by the end of 2015, but now I'd say 2017 or maybe even later. That said, it is drinking quite well right now!
The watery mid-palate has fleshed out a bit and the aggressive fruit has subsided, leaving a flavorful well-balanced wine. Still not much here in the way of complexity, but at this price point I'm very impressed. Amazing QPR.
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1/13/2016 - joet626 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Really good with food. Just Ok with out.
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1/3/2016 - travelme Likes this wine: 90 Points
Agree with recent positive reviews. Great QPR for the money I paid ($12 per bottle) and this was the first of three. Very pleasant and smooth bottle with pretty great fruit. It could easily have a price tag 2-3 times retail and I would have still likely been pleased. I can see why WS liked it.
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11/15/2015 - Border Boss Likes this wine: 90 Points
The fruit is starting to pop out nicely. I think the wine is entering its zone of good drinking, and seems that it will last at least another five years.
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8/28/2015 - Altonplace Likes this wine: 88 Points
Significantly approved over the last 2 years. Recommend holding until 2016, which is end of window here. Never reached the lofty 91 scores by some critics, IMO. Fruit still there, tannins have relaxed a bit, heat mellowed.
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8/6/2015 - RDHudak wrote: 91 Points
Drinking very well. Dark, earthy fruit, red cherry. Medium finish with some oak and surprisingly balanced. This has plenty of time left and is a great qpr. 91
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6/25/2015 - Vandiner Likes this wine: 88 Points
Full bodied, still plenty of fruit.
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6/19/2015 - JWG Likes this wine: 88 Points
Another bright spicy friendly wine from the Rhone
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3/29/2015 - LightDancer wrote: 86 Points
A bit harsher this time than I would have expected, given my prior experience with these wines. Decanted, and it smoothed out a bit. Lots of fruit but just a bit out of balance. Try again.
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2/17/2015 - wangglen wrote: 87 Points
smooth tannin,but not very strong.elegant beginning but poor finish.3/12/15/7 pw87
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2/15/2015 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice fruit, smooth tannins, there are a lot of tropical flavors coming through on the nose, almost smells like kool-aid, but in a good way. Very easy to drink -- extremely good value -- I would expect this to cost 2-3x what it does.
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1/17/2015 - MMiazga Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pnp from a cooler, last bottle of a case. Dramatic improvement since last April. Currant fruit, jammy, blackberry, southern Rhone traits have balanced and integrated well. Very smooth. Throughout drinking the case I found some bottles had heat, were disjointed or needed a long decant...but this bottle was fantastic. Probably entering the start of the peak drinking window now.
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11/29/2014 - ctjared Likes this wine:
very solid southern rhone
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11/29/2014 - Joannie wrote:
Another review rated this 90. Says best from 2014 - 2018
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11/27/2014 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 86 Points
Great qpr, but in a funky heated stage. Loads of blackberry fruit compote with some peppercorn and herbs de Provence. With Thanksgiving dinner with the non-wino in-laws.
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11/2/2014 - JWG wrote: 88 Points
Almost identical to the bottle I had in 2012 of this vintage. Nice red fruit and spice on the nose. There are berry notes and pepper on the palate. Pretty nice QPR.
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11/1/2014 - df1962 wrote: 88 Points
Consistent with previous note. Still has a touch of burnt rubber which holds it back.
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10/27/2014 - timmer57 Likes this wine: 88 Points
More complexity than I expected -nice earthiness
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10/21/2014 - Shrages wrote: 88 Points
This is no 92-94 point wine Mr Parker. It's a decent, medium bodied, acceptably fruited southern French red that I've enjoyed with tacos. The acidity makes it a good food wine, but there's a bit of that metallic nose and finish that often pulls otherwise pretty good wines into the "meh" category, for me anyway.
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10/7/2014 - jonanator wrote: 88 Points
Feels like previous bottles showed better.
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8/29/2014 - pkatz Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasty, black fruit.
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8/24/2014 - vin0vin0 Likes this wine: 89 Points
This is a very nice Rhone blend of syrah, grenache and carignan. Very well balanced with the blackberry and dark red cherry from the syrah coming to the forefront. This has soft, fine tannins, decent acidity, a touch of earthiness and a medium length finish. Excellent QPR!
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8/6/2014 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 88 Points
Opened for lab BBQ- most went pretty quickly. This bottle pretty consistent with previous notes. Lots of earthy, funky, and gamy notes to go along with the lively red fruits and solid structure. Overall, this wine has impressive balance and complexity for the price point. Very good if you like the style (which unfortunately K does not).
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8/4/2014 - maderay wrote: 86 Points
G.
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6/4/2014 - slippytoad wrote:
Great value Rhone
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4/26/2014 - LightDancer wrote:
I wrote in December 2013 that I would give the next bottle a year. I lied, and glad we had one today. Still youthful, with lots of time ahead, but coming together well. I buy any M. Chapoutier wine I can afford.
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4/22/2014 - MMiazga wrote: 89 Points
Great value wine. Have had over a case since release. These have evolved some and even are now closed a bit at opening. A 3 hour decant at least has been needed each time to bring things out. Gonna hold the last few bottles a year or so.
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4/16/2014 - pkatz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Considerably better than 1st bottle. Very tasty dark fruit.
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4/16/2014 - Champagneinhand wrote:
very disjointed this time. Hot, overly alcoholic, with tannin out of whack. I think this is closing down and needs a bit of a cellar nap. I have a few bottles left, so I'll give them the benefit of doubt.
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4/13/2014 - Border Boss Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking fabulously right now. Definitely in the zone that will give maximum pleasure. Great red fruits and balanced tannins.
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4/8/2014 - bluepeter2020@outlook.com wrote: 87 Points
Enjoyable floral-earthy Roussillion
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3/31/2014 - GlassHalfFull wrote: 89 Points
Light body and relatively short finish, but nice complexity. Rustic, with lots of earth and barnyard, decent fruit, and some spice. Balanced acidity. For the money, expresses the style well.
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2/1/2014 - winegr wrote: 88 Points
Like this less over time, not more.
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1/31/2014 - Decanthor wrote: 87 Points
A good wine for the price that represents its region well. However, it just doesn't live up to the pro reviews. Ready to go on PnP, it has notes of plum with a hint of meat juice. Medium bodied and smooth, but a bit hollow on the midpalate. Paired well with our venison sausages.
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1/27/2014 - Adventr.us wrote: 87 Points
Nice peppery nose, but seemed a bit thin through the middle this evening. Pleasant nonetheless.
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1/22/2014 - Quarked wrote: 91 Points
Excellent wine, especially for the price. Overwhelming nose of flowers, on top of layers of fruit, garrigue and wood. Still drinking really well on the 3rd night.
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1/21/2014 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 91 Points
This really is the top qpr of 2013. It seems to get better every time, or at least is consistent. Makes me think they can actually make some decent syrah in the Southern regions when slopped hills are involved and the moderating winds keep berries in check. Mostly Grenache, so the expected fruit flavors of blackberry, black raspberry, kirsch liqueur, so smokey earth, garrigue and peppercorns. This is a red that can start out at cellar temperature and be fine with a higher ABV than most wines can handle. Very pleased with the 18 bottles I have purchased over the past 18 months.
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1/11/2014 - sfern wrote: 85 Points
Drinkable, nice fruit, moved broadly across the palate. Inky with aromas of Violet and Raisin. Nice Blackberry and Raspberry flavors, medium bodied and fleshy with decent length. With lower acidity, its not as balanced as previous vintages.
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1/4/2014 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 89 Points
Ridiculous value. Depth, complexity, touch of alcohol, such length for a bottle of this price range.
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12/22/2013 - ManuKey Likes this wine: 88 Points
Un bon vin, chaleureux et frais à la fois. Bien équilibré, il est à point et démontre un beau fruit mure concentré, avec une touche réglissé et de beaux tanins bien fondu. Finale plus que respectable pour le prix! Un des beaux produits courant disponible à la SAQ.
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12/17/2013 - LightDancer Likes this wine: 89 Points
I think this is an excellent QPR. Dark fruits, and slight barnyard in the nose. On the palate, broad bottom and layers of fruit. I happen to like these rustic southern French wines very much. There is so much going on with the interplay of flavors, that I find them excellent compliments for all kinds of soups, stews, cassolet, etc. I suspect, unlike some of the other reviews, that this has a long life ahead of it. I have nearly a case of this left, and I don't intend to sample it again for at least another year.
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11/30/2013 - Fat Lips Likes this wine: 89 Points
Raspberry, strawberry and hint of mushroom on the nose. On the palate, the red berries follow through plus, spices, soil and mushrooms, some bitterness with a hint of chocolate make it more interesting. Low acidity, low/medium tannins, and low/medium finish. Overall it is a good, everyday wine that you can drink without analyzing it. This wine is at its top and I don't think will improve much. Good with lighter red meat and spicy chicken and pork dishes.
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11/28/2013 - mwneil Likes this wine:
Drank with turkey. Family loved it. I did not taste.
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11/14/2013 - Janstan Likes this wine: 84 Points
OK but not very interesting
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11/13/2013 - Twinkles wrote: 88 Points
Very nice weekday wine. Good fruit, balance and acidity.
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11/4/2013 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Ruby red in color, with aggressive fruit forward aromas of raspberry, cherry, and loads of spice. Somewhat disconnected on the palate, with the initial fruit leading to a somewhat hollow mid-palate and finish. However, this is an attractive easy-drinking wine with plenty of flavor, especially at this price point - a crowd pleaser.
Enough tannins to maintain structure for now, but this wine makes its mark through its fruit forward nature, so I wouldn't wait too long - drink until 2015/2016.
Paired well with a saffron-infused rice and chicken casserole.
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11/2/2013 - cliffkol wrote: 89 Points
Crowd Pleaser. Several positive unsolicited comments from friends
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10/17/2013 - Patrick101 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I opened my first bottle about a year ago and was not real impressed, but it is has come together and is drinking very well now.
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10/1/2013 - ctjared Likes this wine:
Veery nice the second day
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9/27/2013 - cliffkol wrote: 89 Points
For the price $9.50 cannot be beat. True characteristics of Rhone wine, dark fruits, spices, earth, and medium (not light) body. Delicious and a crowd pleaser.
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9/2/2013 - Twinkles wrote: flawed
Seemed flawed. Way too metallic.
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8/22/2013 - europat55 wrote: 89 Points
1983 Cabernet Retrospective, Part 2 (Tasted Blind) (Tom's house in Palo Alto, California): Excellent nose. Softer palate. Fruity.
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8/18/2013 - Border Boss Likes this wine: 90 Points
This has come together really well in the past year. Still dark red but the alcohol heat has tuned down considerably. Incredible value for the quality.
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6/24/2013 - jonanator wrote: 90 Points
A solid 90pts, great QPR.
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6/21/2013 - mwneil wrote: 88 Points
This bottle was much better than some previous bottles. Nice CDR with good fruit and balance.
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6/19/2013 - Pour Boy wrote: 89 Points
On Day 1 this Languedoc Roussilon blend of syrah, grenache, and carignan seemed weak. But on Day 2 it appealed to me as a fleshy wine with enough structure to give it heft. At $12 worth buying as an everyday drinker.
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5/13/2013 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 90 Points
I have to start this by saying I poured this in to the decanter, but didn't feel well, so I put the top on it and started drinking on day 2. I'm so glad. This was so pleasant with this extended airtime. Great black fruit, silky tannin as they had softened up with time, asian spice, pleasant mouthfeel, good acids and the heat isn't noticeble because the fruit holds up well. This has great aging potential. I'm now drinking the last 2 glasses on day 3 and its still wonderful. One of the most pleasant Rhone blends. Chapoutier has done this so well. The super ripe fruit is so enjoyable and it almost has a sweet feel even with it being a dry wine. There are olives, black tea and some florals to go along with this. Day 1 barely showed anything but acids and heat. Glad I waited, and have 5 more. In no hurry to drink these up and makes me feel great about my 2010 CdP purchases. Enjoy with plenty of air time now or wait until this improves in the bottle. Excellent QPR.
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5/11/2013 - Antonius wrote: 89 Points
Mooie wijn! In de neus wat rokerige en vleesachtige tonen. In de mond mooi donker fruit. Een sappige wijn met tonen van drop, koffie, pepertje. Mooie tannines en een klein zuurtje.
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5/4/2013 - Twinkles wrote: 88 Points
Initially bitter and hot. Softened within 30 minutes of decanting and opened up nicely with flavours of tobacco and pepper. Very good in that price range.
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4/28/2013 - df1962 wrote: 88 Points
PnVnD let air for 1hr. dark crimson purple from core to rim dense but not saturated. Smoky creosote plum and cherry aromas with a touch of rosemary and beef jerky. Medium weight with slight cherry skin tannin. Smoky plum cherry cranberry soy and espresso flavours. Need to get beyond the nose (a bit of burnt rubber as with Pinotage). Will give the other bottle at least another year before trying. Good value.
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4/21/2013 - Mjd5441 wrote: 89 Points
Great nose, not very complex but a good every night wine. Will be great with grilled meat.
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4/15/2013 - wineywhites wrote: 87 Points
Great wine at this price point! More of a quaff than a keeper, but perfect for a spring sunny afternoon!
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4/2/2013 - Number51 wrote: 93 Points
Third time trying, it's showing extremely well. It is complex and has extraordinary silky mouthfeel. Along with incredible purity, this stands in a perfect balance of the fruit, alcohol, and acidity.
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4/1/2013 - europat55 wrote: 86 Points
2005 Chateauneuf-de-Pape (Tasted Blind) (Rich and Peggy's House, Los Altos, California): Very fruity nose. Feels very young. Good potential. Tasted blind.
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4/1/2013 - zscheiner wrote: 84 Points
2005 Chateauneuf du Papes (Rich & Peggy's House, Los Altos, CA): Big, ripe, grapey nose. Overripe, grapey, raspberry compote palate with a tartness that doesn't match and isn't integrated. This seemed to calm down and improve with the limited time it sat in my glass.
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3/26/2013 - marine.mag39 wrote: 79 Points
List of smoky overtones and complex earthy fruit textures. A little heavy for my tastes.
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3/11/2013 - Barrygloec Likes this wine: 90 Points
Went well with Thai mixed vegetables and shrimp. I should buy another bottle
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3/7/2013 - Brunhylde wrote: 89 Points
- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of cherry and has flavours of black pepper, oak and vanilla with a medium finish - Very well balanced and fruity, this worked great with Pork chops. a little not a long finish. Would buy again.
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3/4/2013 - EdKz@comcast.net Does not like this wine: 82 Points
inky red, weak nose, bodiless uninteresting taste, short, slightly acidic finish
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3/4/2013 - jackfughy Likes this wine: 89 Points
Good balanced wine. spicy and mineral afterteste. Too drink now.or next. 5 years
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3/1/2013 - Hawk94 wrote: 89 Points
Great PQR! Nose is somewhat closed, but a delicious wine! A bit smoke, jammy, black berry, smooth tannins, some spicy, complex, relatively long finish. Prefect for daily drinking. Good for steak too.
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2/25/2013 - ddgd Likes this wine: 89 Points
Smooth finish, Grenache blend so this proves to be a little more fruity than my liking. Strong alcohol base, probably a better fit for a summer night than now. Drinking well now and did decanter for 3 hours.
The second bottle was not as impressive as the first as some zest was lost overnight.
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2/3/2013 - Neras Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pleasant, balanced every-day wine. A wine for everyone!
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2/1/2013 - mwneil wrote: 83 Points
Drank in a restaurant for $48. The wine was dull and had no flavor. The table agreed that the wine was not very good, not bad but not good. I have enjoyed this wine on other occasions. Is this another case of bottle inconsistency. I find that this is an issue not often discussed. Or is my palette inconsistent.
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1/25/2013 - Carniolan Likes this wine: 90 Points
nice floral nose; smooth tannins, well-balanced; nice finish - drinkng well right now, don't see any need to hold it
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1/20/2013 - Jgrubb wrote: 90 Points
Very smooth and aging well.
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1/16/2013 - liberlibri Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted over three hours and served around 65 degrees. Right off the bat, garrigue and fig compete for attention while lavender, blackberry, black cherry, raspberry liquer, strawberry, and pepper fill in support with an earthy tar/hot stone note lingering in the background in the bouquet.
Palate follows through what the nose suggested giving a medium-full bodied texture with low acid and fine-grained tannins and a floral, slightly tarry finish.
Only downside is that it's lacking a little concentration on the mid-palate and the finish is nice, but not enduring; however, this stuff is super pretty for 12 bucks, and about as good a QPR as one can find. Gonna go out tomorrow and clean out the rest of the local store's stock.
Also, it probably is a year away from peak. The tannins could stand to smooth out a touch more.
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1/15/2013 - ecola Likes this wine: 87 Points
Decent wine with upfront and fresh red berries. Maybe a little herb comes in on the midpalate to the finish. Modest acidity.
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1/15/2013 - Adventr.us wrote: 89 Points
Tasty, but a bit thin. I'm not getting excess heat, but I think it just needs a little more time. Seems to be putting on a little weight and depth in the glass.
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1/14/2013 - Levinsb wrote: 88 Points
Earthy olive, a bit rough for my taste. Interesting but not for me.
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1/13/2013 - BMG Wine Likes this wine: 87 Points
In it's current state, it is hot and overly extracted. It is simply TOO YOUNG! Seems to have tons of potential but too brash right now. Very harsh and angular. 24 mos should smooth out the rough edges.
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1/6/2013 - Henrycastro wrote: 88 Points
Good QPR. Some dark fruit and other stuff... Great with skirt steak on the grill.
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1/5/2013 - Tpetyt wrote: 90 Points
- Brick color.
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12/31/2012 - dreamsavor Likes this wine: 89 Points
Transports me to SW France~would cheerfully have on my table regularly.
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12/20/2012 - AlbertaOenologist wrote: 83 Points
friend brought over for party. -good enough.
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12/19/2012 - mnoljo wrote:
to bojena
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12/18/2012 - muskie wrote: 90 Points
wine had a grt nose , would go great with roasted meat. Excellent QPR
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12/13/2012 - markcic wrote: 86 Points
Good QPR - opens quickly to red fruits and some spices, a nice finish.
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12/6/2012 - Vinsant wrote:
Basic but enjoyable Cdr.
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12/6/2012 - Vinsant wrote:
Enjoyable for the price.
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12/5/2012 - LightDancer wrote: 89 Points
First bottle from the case. A very nice wine, excellent with food (North African stews, in this case). Not much nose on opening. Started opening in the glass. Well balanced, dark fruits, picks up hints of chocolate and spices with food. I didn't get the metallic taste of the previous reviewer. I'll wait a half year for the next bottle, or decant.
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12/3/2012 - Mark in Seattle wrote: 85 Points
Metallic overtones dominate the blackberry-like dark wine. Not quite my preference.
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12/3/2012 - jonanator wrote: 89 Points
Amazing QPR. Will be buying much more for daily drinking. Easily drinks at 2-3x the price.
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12/1/2012 - Number51 wrote: 90 Points
Very pure.
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11/30/2012 - sancor20 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Worth every penny and then some. Great QPR and everyday go to.
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11/30/2012 - ecola Likes this wine: 87 Points
Decent acid throughout would make this a solid food wine. Ripe cherry and raspberry flavors. Soft tannins. Drink over the next year or so.
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11/22/2012 - MatthijsVisser Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice, ripe fruit on the nose: redcurrant and black cherry with sweet spice and smoky notes. Red cherry and blackberry notes on the palate, as well as some spicy, black olive, earthy, and chocolaty notes; soft tannings and vibrant acidity. Great value.
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11/21/2012 - Hamilton1 wrote: 87 Points
Started off with strong minerality, which softened with aeration into a tasty cote du rhone style wine. Good for the price point, but not outstanding.
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11/15/2012 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 88 Points
The nose I found spicy blackberry, pepper, Provencial herbs and hints of wet stone. On the palate it showed medium weight with flavors of juicy blackberry and a waxy, smooth body yet lacked depth. It finished with notes of wild berries and a hint of toasty vanilla (yet I don't believe this saw any new oak).
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11/11/2012 - mwneil wrote: 91 Points
Back to my original review, enjoyed his wine. It drinks so smoothe that one may underappreciate it. Good fruit with structure and complexity. Great value.
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11/8/2012 - flussier wrote: 86 Points
Robe de couleur: Bourgogne très foncé; Bouquet: Poivre, fruit mure, boisé; Bonne Astringence; Très corsé; Arômes en bouche: Sang, cuir, cafe, poivre, rose, A decanter, belle aubaine, a boire avec viande rouge
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11/5/2012 - Carniolan wrote: 87 Points
ruby color; nose light and floral;sweet berry taste with smooth tannins; nice daily drinker
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11/4/2012 - Biggsy wrote: 86 Points
Rich, meaty, savoury nose. Big and spicy, the fruit is much sweeter than the rest of the Chapoutier 2010's alongside it. Fine and balanced with dry tannins and fresh acidity.
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11/3/2012 - davestenton wrote:
The Wine Gang (London): Lighter and sweeter than the other reds here - strawberry fruit. Nice schisty texture as well. More refreshing than the Rhones. Very good value. 16.5/20.
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11/3/2012 - tigerpaw75 wrote: 88 Points
Good interesting wine. Popped and poured. Was a little more lively on night one, these notes are for night 2 after storing in the fridge. Faint nose of dark fruit (plummy). Somewhat one dimensional on the palate. Simple dark fruit...pleasant. Significant tannins, 20-25+ second finish.
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10/30/2012 - winegr wrote: 90 Points
Very well balanced with some nice nuance. Earth, chalk, iodine, balancing red fruits. 90+.
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10/29/2012 - keelegl wrote: 90 Points
Fantastic for the price
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10/28/2012 - SCMeyer wrote: 89 Points
Clearly lots of value here. Extracted, somewhat tart (which keeps it vibrant and light), plum and dark fruit with light spice overtones. Smooth. Good finish. Opened for several hours already, but curious if more time will reveal more complexities.
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10/27/2012 - swinder Likes this wine: 88 Points
Earthy, a hint of leather and dark berries. A short but pleasant tannic finish.
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10/27/2012 - Darkhorn wrote: 88 Points
Good stuff. Nice QPR and a great every day drinker. well balanced dark fruit, terrio, and tannins. Easily my favorite "fall back" wine.
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10/24/2012 - BMG Wine wrote: 91 Points
Forgot to wait
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10/23/2012 - mdefreitas wrote: 86 Points
Plums, cherry liquor, iron and herbs flavors. Medium bodied with no obvious oak influence. A bit of heat on the finish, although only 14 percent alcohol. Good, fleshy wine... but tough to justify the lofty professional reviews. On day 2, this became quite soft and pillowy... Almost flabby, but more like a simple, easy drinking wine, with the fruit verging on being confected.
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10/17/2012 - krmcgrath wrote: 89 Points
Dark ripe fruit, earth, spice, mouthwatering acidity and nice smooth tannins. A lot going on for the money.
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10/15/2012 - bianca15 wrote: 89 Points
Gorgeous bouquet and great flavor. Very smooth and it feels lighter than the 14% alcohol content would suggest. Has nice spice. A great value.
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10/14/2012 - S1 wrote:
Typical dark cherry, creosote Roussillon funk with a nice wild green herb quality. I find this vintage to be a little less opulent and extracted and with more focus than previous vintages. Still a great qpr bottle.
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10/13/2012 - gregg g wrote:
YUCK!!! Unquestionably outside my comfort zone. What was I expecting with the RP score. How this wine received the score it did , is simply hilarious. Hot, burning, dark fruit that seems more like an Aussie abomination than anything close to resembling Roussillon. I could not finish my glass. I did re-taste this after about 2 hrs and it had settled down to resemble something other than "PX". Still, barely drinkable. Absolute SPOOF!!!
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10/11/2012 - cobbpa wrote: 85 Points
Dark-fruit base with a hint of garrigue to the nose. Medium weight (lighter than I guessed) when tasting, with continued brambly red, and wild black fruit. Not tart, not showing heavy polish, but a nice finish with hidden tannins & bits of floral/herb tones. Easier to describe by what it's not (powerful, bombastic, tart, or elegant) makes it feel generic..but still a good bottle
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10/6/2012 - Zhyve Belarus wrote: 89 Points
A little too much funk on the nose at first, but got better with a little breathing time.
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10/5/2012 - Fido wrote: 90 Points
Rich, dark and full bodied. Very good value.
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9/29/2012 - Number51 wrote: 92 Points
This being an incredible value shows a very lush and gorgeous fruit that reminds me of several Cru Beaujolais of 2009 and also that famous Chateau Peuch-Haut Cuvee Prestige 2009.
Ripe cherries, black pepper, and licorice are generous on the palate. This tastes unoaked although I'm not sure if it is or not.
When I pay $10~12 for a bottle, I assume that some off-putting aromas are supposed to be there, and they are to be forgiven because it's cheap. But, this one doesn't have any of that cheap smell and taste.
Really worth your $12. 14% alc.
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9/28/2012 - theoakkermans wrote: 89 Points
Zwart fruit, paddestoelen, vochtige bladeren, anijs in de neus.
Pruimen, bosbessen, chocolade, lichte bittertje, sappige zuren, licht drogende tanninnes, medium lange nasmaak.
Voor deze prijs uitstekend!
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9/26/2012 - impresario51 wrote: 86 Points
Unremarkable, if somewhat dense, decent fruit up front but a little bitter on the finish which is always a let down.
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9/25/2012 - WineScoundrel wrote: 89 Points
Solid QPR.
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9/19/2012 - special juice wrote: 88 Points
I agree with other reviewers that this has a polished, refined quality while still being recognizable as a Rhone wine. Herbs and wet earth on the nose. On the palate, cherry, herbs and a steely minerality that carries on to the finish. I like this and hope to revisit it soon considering the low price.
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9/18/2012 - Fateful Destiny wrote: 87 Points
not as impressed this time
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9/17/2012 - wbq8f wrote: 90 Points
Rich, good dark fruit, nice, slightly hot finish. Probably needs a bit more air time. But for the price, a really good wine.
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9/16/2012 - imissjerry wrote: 93 Points
I mean how often do you open an averaged priced bottle of wine and get completely blown away! The nose on this wine was stunning after it opened up. Lots of dark ripe rich fruit, a hint of anise and tar. Plum and chocolate dipped blueberries lead the way on the palate, licorice, a hint of tar round it out. The carignan in this blend is so perfect!
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9/15/2012 - Lessthanzero wrote: 88 Points
Frankly a little disappointing, for the hype, but at the price, there is no complaint. Red fruit/berries and some herbs on the nose, medium palate.
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9/15/2012 - winegr wrote: 90 Points
Agree with another reviewer, this is not 92-94 and not even as good as the 08 in my opinion. Still a really well balanced, correct, and elegant wine. 90ish.
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9/12/2012 - Fateful Destiny wrote: 88 Points
Light, ejoyable easy drinker. Not highly concentrated for those that love rich oppulent wines, but enjoyable and nice for what it is.
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9/10/2012 - Mattshank wrote: 89 Points
Nose: Earth and floral perfume with some tar accents. Palate: Dark fruited with some of the earthy secondary character showing. While a value based wine this does show excellent Southern Rhone character albeit in simplistic fashion with regard to the palate. Once again M. Chapoutier shows it's great winemaking ability even at the value price point level. 89 points largely due to the compelling nose. Good QPR.
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9/9/2012 - dke wrote: 89 Points
Lifted nose with raspberries and some mixture of floral end earthy aromas. On the palate this has medim-to-full body and powerful taste, with more raspberries, cherries, plums, iron and good acidity, tannins and minerals on the finish. Really well made, great value. 89+
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9/9/2012 - biggie wrote: 86 Points
Simple - a bit disappointed... Had much better bottles in the past
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9/8/2012 - mwneil wrote: 88 Points
Good, balanced Rhone wine. No outstanding characteristic. The only reason folks are discussing this wine is the positive Parker review.Enjoyed the bottle with ribs, since I find that wines like this go well with barbecue.
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9/5/2012 - Amaja1 wrote: 91 Points
Extremely good wine at this price point
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9/3/2012 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 90 Points
Offers ripe plums, blackberry, damp earth and fresh minerals. This is soft and supple as the fruit glides effortlessly across the palate into the finish where it picks up some chocolate and spice flavors. Rolling in around $10 this is a serious value! (Best 2012-2014)
90+ POINTS
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8/28/2012 - markcic wrote: 88 Points
Awesome QPR - nice nose of fruits, the palate is smooth with plums, berries, spices and the finish adds a touch of caramel.
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8/23/2012 - mlgroves Likes this wine: 87 Points
Still too early for this wine.
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8/23/2012 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 89 Points
Agree with most of the notes here. On PnP, this was a bit awkward, but after a short decant it came alive more. Lively red fruits and definitely some earthy qualities and minerality on the back end. Pretty well balanced even at this really young age and quite drinkable. At $10.99, this was a great buy and I'll be stocking up. Once this smooths out a bit with time, it may be a 90 point wine. No issues with this being oaky or hot. There is modest tannic and acidic structure here, and I think this will be good for a few years but it not a long-term ager
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8/17/2012 - Brenda&John wrote: 88 Points
Great wine for the price.
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8/17/2012 - Sethstodder wrote: 89 Points
Delicious, balanced wine for the money. Highly recommended.
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8/11/2012 - Mike Kopanski wrote: 90 Points
Giant Wine Sale & Tasting 8/11/2012 (Cellar on Greene, Columbia, SC): To me, this is not a 92-94 point wine, but it is a ridiculous easy purchase at $14. You can tell this is primo effort by a pedigreed producer. Whenever a wine starts off with violets on the nose, it wins our hearts, and 99% of the time follows with other serious wonderful characteristics. On one hand, this wine shows a touch of it's old world heritage, with a slight rusticity and earthiness, on the other hand, this really is pretty polished, and upscale for the price. The fruit is pure and precise black cherry, plum, and raspberry pie,backed up with some smokey, herbal, outdoors, secondary flavors. Significant dry tannins, and adequate acid give it some structure and backbone. Almost rich, but not chewy. The finish is concentrated and penetrating dark fruit, with a light touch of chocolate.
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8/11/2012 - mnoljo wrote: 89 Points
with lura and ted. very drinkable soft and supple. The alcohol seemed well integrated to me in contrast to others.
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8/9/2012 - christyler wrote: 88 Points
Reserved nose, low acidity. It was still old world but very polished and smooth - almost too much so. But I'm just being overly critical....it's a great bottle of wine at $12, especially for these varietals. I don't think it has much of a sense of place, but it's pretty tasty and hides the 14% alcohol well.
The RP score at 92-94 is just insane - and it seems like he didn't even write a note for this specific wine! (Just a score)
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8/8/2012 - Vinacull wrote:
Despite vinturi-aeration to decanter and vigorous swirling in both the decanter and the glass, this was showing little if anything on the nose, and for that reason no score. A little bit of red cherries, herbs. On the palate, this reminded me a lot of the 2010 Michel Gassier Cercius to which RP also gave a big score. Concentrated cherries/Kirsch, blackberry and flowery notes that powers into an extended finish. I found this to be a little harsh on entry - not very enjoyable. Fruity and smoother on the midpalate, and rich + some alcohol in the back of the throat through the finish that made me crave a glass of water. Big, concentrated, simple, young. As of this bottle it feels more like an 87-88; not feeling the RP 92-94. At least very good for the concentration of fruit feeding a lengthy finish. I'll feel better if the next bottle shows a Roussillon bouquet. Seems a fairly good value in that it's concentrated and bigger than what you typically see at 12 USD.
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8/5/2012 - kheld wrote:
A bit low in acid, good fruit. Good value.
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8/4/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Full ruby. A whiff of funk upfront. Rich and chocolatey with lush black cherry fruit and no overripeness. Smooth, modern feel. Lots of wine here, impressive for the price.
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7/30/2012 - bluepeter2020@outlook.com wrote: 88 Points
Good food wine. 2-3 years of bottle aging will benefit this wine.
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7/30/2012 - BMG Wine wrote: 91 Points
Tons of potential, this is just too young now. 24 mos min...
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7/29/2012 - BrunelloBob wrote: 85 Points
PnP. Some nice acidic and tannic structure, but the flavor is all mineral/iodine. Lacks fruit. Medium bodied.
Not a style I'm crazy for.
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7/29/2012 - Silveradoup wrote: 90 Points
Very nice!
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7/25/2012 - Tomarnold@gmail.com wrote: 89 Points
Fruity blackberry cherry with limited bouquet. Tasty though good balance and great QPV
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7/24/2012 - Dental Jay wrote: 90 Points
92-94 points from Robert Parker for a $12 bottle of wine is silly of course, but a low rating in the 80s doesn't seem right either. For pop and pour southern French wine I was very pleased. With a light fruit character reminiscent of a beaujolais style quaffer, I would definitely recomend this wine and will buy more. Incidentally I'm a huge fan of the 2011 blanc (which had mixed reviews on cellar tracker) and is being released right now.
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7/20/2012 - Altonplace wrote: 83 Points
Little nose gives way to burst of fruit, earthy tones. Alcohol seems strong- overwhelms the palate and prevents full enjoyment. Tannins dwell and don't make for good balance. Maybe decent in 2-3 yrs of cellaring, but today worth only the sticker price.
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7/17/2012 - kidsmurf2000 wrote: 91 Points
Very well rounded, easy to drink, but well built. A good value.
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7/16/2012 - kronfeld wrote: 84 Points
Rustic cherry cough syrup.
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7/15/2012 - Amerique wrote: 91 Points
Fresh blackberry/black cherry fruit with licorice flavors, good structure, very integrated, tasty, but lacks complexity and depth deserving of higher ratings, very enjoyable quaffing wine
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7/14/2012 - Jobu wrote: 91 Points
Nice ripe red fruit from the grenache. Medium bodied, smooth, and easy to drink. Great value.
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7/8/2012 - Border Boss wrote: 88 Points
Dark purple in color, with a nice palate of spice and dark fruits like cherries and blackberries. Got a bit of violets as well. The palate seemed a bit hot from alcohol however, so the 14% may be more like 15+%. Excellent with the prime rib done medium rare. A definite QPR at under $13.
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6/25/2012 - pkatz wrote: 89 Points
This is a very good but not quite great wine. A little more weight would have put it over the top but it does benefit from some air. Very nice fruit with Grenache dominant and a fair amount of structure to match. Drink with beef or full flavored foods. Great value; worth buying by the case.
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6/21/2012 - PimpDaddy2Kool wrote: 88 Points
Not bad but nothing outstanding. But for $11 it is a great everyday quaffer.
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6/15/2012 - Strikermax wrote: 85 Points
Donkerrood.Geurend naar vleeskers, framboos en drop. In de smaak vleeskers, bramen, peperig en het bittere van provencaalse kruiden (rozemarijn) en amandelen. Vrij korte afdronk met zachte tannines. Niet erg complexe, sappige wijn.
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6/15/2012 - mwneil wrote: 90 Points
Enjoy this wine, good structure and balance with more complexity than the average wine, nice bouquet, great bargain.
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6/11/2012 - vruyr wrote:
Moderately acidic, but that is pretty much it.
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5/30/2012 - JWG wrote: 89 Points
Nice red fruit and spice on the nose. There are berry notes and pepper on the palate. Pretty nice QPR.
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5/28/2012 - cmcclane wrote: 88 Points
I drank this while sharing some meatballs and a vegetarian pizza at Bolu in Basking Ridge. Nothing extraordinary but nice QPR. Light with red fruit and spice. I would buy again.
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5/26/2012 - mwneil wrote: 93 Points
Loved this wine; balance of fruit and tannin, nice structure and bouquet, not too heavy, ate with pork fajitas.
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5/23/2012 - pete s. wrote: 87 Points
Nice for the price. More on the lighter side of the spectrum with berries, herb, and pepper.Good structure for a $11 wine, but fades pretty quickly on the finish. Not seeing the Parker score at all.
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5/15/2012 - Rickfell wrote:
lots of red fruit, low acid, not much else, not rally my thing
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5/10/2012 - RDHudak wrote: 86 Points
Drinks like a decent CdR with spice, red fruit, rubber and licorice. Short finish. Decent for the money.Low acidity with some chalky tannins and earth on the end.
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5/9/2012 - Quarked wrote: 90 Points
Really nice for the price. Would rate higher if it was fuller, but nice fruit and herbs. Anxious to see how it develops on 2nd night.
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5/8/2012 - Myersei wrote: 89 Points
- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of black currant and raspberry with a medium/full body. Leathery texture with a medium finish.
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5/4/2012 - BadOyster wrote: 88 Points
92-94 points must have been a mistake. It does have structure, so I'll give it that. But the fruit is very short-lived. Actually - everything is short-lived. The smooth mouthfeel, moderate weight, and fruit dissipate as the acid and tannins come in. It was less aggressive on day 2, with good minerality and a great bouquet still, but nothing particularly noteworthy on the palate. Sorry - I'd rather save the $11 I spent and put it towards something else. For $7-$9, then sure, this may have been a great deal, but double digits is a bit much.
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5/3/2012 - Myersei wrote: 92 Points
Parker said 92-94, I think that's a little high. Going with a 92. And for the money (10.98 on wine library), this is an impressive value. Nice full mouth feel. Bright and intense fruit. Well integrated tannins.
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4/28/2012 - KyleMittskus wrote: 87 Points
Black pepper, dark fruit, moderate tannins, nice acid, somewhat short finish. Pretty great QPR. Excellent burger wine.
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4/26/2012 - ecola Likes this wine: 88 Points
Aromas and flavors of red berry, fresh game, and garden herbs. Gains weight with air. Soft mouthfeel and easy to drink. Dry and moderate length finish.
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4/16/2012 - laxman wrote: 89 Points
This wine seems to have a couple of different entries. Posted my comments here: https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1358294
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4/16/2012 - laxman wrote: 89 Points
Fruity and very pleasant. Was quite impressed how drinkable this was for a2010. The wife declared she "loved" it, which caused me to jump on wine-searcher to look for a case. A couple of retailers are already out, which is no surprise given the marketing firestorm. All too often these hyped wines turn out to be uninteresting plonk. I would argue that this lives up to the hype. A pinot weight, but rich dark fruit on the nose and front end. I felt the only weakness was the back end, which showed this as a bit one dimensional/basic. That said, this is a $11-12 bottle, so sit back and just enjoy. Looking for more.
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