Medium purple with garnet and clear rim. Dark fruit and earthy cedar. Black cherry and pepper with some light cherry notes. Good balance of fine tannins and acid.
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Medium purple going garnet with a light rim. Raspberry and dark cherry with cedar and spice. Raspberry and cedar with strong acid and fine tannins. After decanting a nice match with spicy pasta sauce.
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Medium to light purple just going garnet with light rim. Plum and cherry with a hint of chocolate and cedar. Medium to high acid and fine tannins. The finish is long.
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In some ways, this smooth and approachable Garnacha blend from one of Spain's less prominent regions comes across as exactly what you think a full-bodied red should be, straight down the middle with luscious rich fruit (blackberry, plum) complemented by oodles of sweet and spicy wood (oak, vanilla, black pepper) and a touch of tang (raspberry, cherry). And it works rather well, even if aromatically it's like encountering an odd but intriguing marriage of wine and Bourbon. What it lacks is some savouriness to offset the fruit, and while it's a big wine, it doesn't quite have the structure needed to hold everything together past those big-time aromatics. Still, there's a lot going on, and what's there is impressive.
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Dark ruby in color, this wine showed black cherry, blackcurrant, licorice and spice box. The mouth feel was firm with hints of vanilla but also brought a hollow taste in the mid-palate. The finish was medium in length with silky tannins but more of that hollow element.
Purchased for $13US, this is a good value whose nose was much more impressive than its taste. Very full-bodied, the hollow portion brought my score down multiple notches.
A Jorge Ordonez Selection. Imported by The Country Vintner, Ashland, VA.
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- Slow forming legs. It's somewhat balanced with a light/medium body. Narrow texture with a medium finish - Nice for the price. Not complex, opened up well after 4 hours.
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Blackberry, cinnamon, and a touch of oak. "Everyday" type drinker. Nothing outstanding. We paired with grilled salmon, grilled veggies, and nutty brown rice.
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This wine scored 90 from WA, WS, and ST, so it was an easy buy at $12. I can't complain about the wine for the price, but I do not find this wine special. It is dominated by sweet, tart cherry candy, typical of grenache (and pinot noir for that matter). Other notes (wood, earthiness, spice) are far in the background--too distant for my tastes. It is a juicy, bright wine that has some appeal to me and likely more to other tasters. Tannins are rather firm and long on the finish.
Update: I vacu-vined and stored this in the fridge. The next day, I let it come to cool room temperature. Amazing what a difference a day makes in flavor. The cherry fruit notes are much less pronounced; there are stronger smoked meat and wood notes. Actually, what I suspect happened is simply that the fruit dissipated so I notice the other flavors more now. At any rate, I think the wine was better yesterday.
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The Berola had a nose of currant, iron, mineral and blackberry. Medium bodied, this had more currant and mineral on the palate along with black cherry and plum. Basically a pop and pour. Gotta say I enjoyed this more the first time I had it. Seemed the fruit came out more. Still for $12 not bad for the money.
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Nose of dried cherries, on the palate dried red fruits with some peppery element, I guess from the Shiraz, backbone dry and medium tannins. Overall, is a simple weekday wine.
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Although this is one of the highest priced Borsao wines in the US at the moment (thought still not pricey) it's ironically not the most enjoyable. The bottle I tried was a bit non-descript and was strangely marred (flavor-wise) by waxy Crayola crayon notes. Nothing overt; it wasn't flawed. It was just not that great. The entry level Garnacha bottling, and especially the Monte Oton are tremendous values I'd recommend over this one.
That said: Borsao is a tremendous value producer and I'd be up for trying anything with their name on it.
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Has some appeal at first, and is not the worst example of modernized Spanish wine I've encountered, but most of the appeal is the spice derived from the oak. The wine behind the oak seems ok, but it's hard to tell. later on, the oak shows astringent and the wine mostly empty. Not terrible, but not worth seeking out, at least not for people with tastes like mine.
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Clean high intensity purple, dense legs. Clean medium intensity nose, notes of ripe red fruits, plums, licorice, clove, vanilla and chocolate. Dry, a bit warm, powerful attack, medium body and structure, medium fine-grained tannins, medium well balanced acidity, good amplitude and evolution, tasty, mostly fruity in the mouth with balanced oak notes. Medium+ aftertaste of medium intensity.
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12/6/2019 - Alaskawino Likes this wine: 89 Points
Really well balanced aftan hour decanting. Time to drink up. Hint of cocoa and raspberry.
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6/6/2019 - Alaskawino Likes this wine: 88 Points
Medium purple with garnet and clear rim. Dark fruit and earthy cedar. Black cherry and pepper with some light cherry notes. Good balance of fine tannins and acid.
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6/24/2018 - Alaskawino Likes this wine: 87 Points
Medium purple going garnet with a light rim. Raspberry and dark cherry with cedar and spice. Raspberry and cedar with strong acid and fine tannins. After decanting a nice match with spicy pasta sauce.
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5/8/2018 - Alaskawino wrote: 86 Points
Medium to light purple just going garnet with light rim. Plum and cherry with a hint of chocolate and cedar. Medium to high acid and fine tannins. The finish is long.
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10/22/2017 - nphase wrote: flawed
Cooked.
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1/30/2015 - jbehrendt Likes this wine: 87 Points
An enjoyable wine for weekday meals with beef or chicken dishes.
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1/27/2015 - Decanthor Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very good, but I feel that it has a bit less fruit than when I first bought it. I think it's time to drink up.
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1/17/2015 - Zed57 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I like it more and more. Amazing complexity for the price
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12/27/2014 - mjwstickings Likes this wine: 88 Points
In some ways, this smooth and approachable Garnacha blend from one of Spain's less prominent regions comes across as exactly what you think a full-bodied red should be, straight down the middle with luscious rich fruit (blackberry, plum) complemented by oodles of sweet and spicy wood (oak, vanilla, black pepper) and a touch of tang (raspberry, cherry). And it works rather well, even if aromatically it's like encountering an odd but intriguing marriage of wine and Bourbon. What it lacks is some savouriness to offset the fruit, and while it's a big wine, it doesn't quite have the structure needed to hold everything together past those big-time aromatics. Still, there's a lot going on, and what's there is impressive.
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12/24/2014 - Drcarl Likes this wine: 90 Points
A well blended (red) Garnacha, smooth on the taste & rich in color & odor.
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10/27/2014 - Zed57 wrote: 89 Points
A pretty wine that is great with food but falls a bit flat on its own
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10/20/2014 - cuffthis wrote: 86 Points
Dark ruby in color, this wine showed black cherry, blackcurrant, licorice and spice box. The mouth feel was firm with hints of vanilla but also brought a hollow taste in the mid-palate. The finish was medium in length with silky tannins but more of that hollow element.
Purchased for $13US, this is a good value whose nose was much more impressive than its taste. Very full-bodied, the hollow portion brought my score down multiple notches.
A Jorge Ordonez Selection. Imported by The Country Vintner, Ashland, VA.
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5/31/2014 - keio Likes this wine: 89 Points
good balance between wood and fruit
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3/23/2014 - Slug81 wrote: 86 Points
- Slow forming legs. It's somewhat balanced with a light/medium body. Narrow texture with a medium finish - Nice for the price. Not complex, opened up well after 4 hours.
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3/15/2014 - acbc Likes this wine: 87 Points
Blackberry, cinnamon, and a touch of oak. "Everyday" type drinker. Nothing outstanding. We paired with grilled salmon, grilled veggies, and nutty brown rice.
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2/19/2014 - grdnbrrtt wrote:
Fruit forward, tart cherry. Choose light chicken dish, not veggies or rich sauces. A very simple wine with little complexity.
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2/9/2014 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 87 Points
This wine scored 90 from WA, WS, and ST, so it was an easy buy at $12. I can't complain about the wine for the price, but I do not find this wine special. It is dominated by sweet, tart cherry candy, typical of grenache (and pinot noir for that matter). Other notes (wood, earthiness, spice) are far in the background--too distant for my tastes. It is a juicy, bright wine that has some appeal to me and likely more to other tasters. Tannins are rather firm and long on the finish.
Update: I vacu-vined and stored this in the fridge. The next day, I let it come to cool room temperature. Amazing what a difference a day makes in flavor. The cherry fruit notes are much less pronounced; there are stronger smoked meat and wood notes. Actually, what I suspect happened is simply that the fruit dissipated so I notice the other flavors more now. At any rate, I think the wine was better yesterday.
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2/8/2014 - slywka7 wrote: 88 Points
The Berola had a nose of currant, iron, mineral and blackberry. Medium bodied, this had more currant and mineral on the palate along with black cherry and plum. Basically a pop and pour. Gotta say I enjoyed this more the first time I had it. Seemed the fruit came out more. Still for $12 not bad for the money.
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1/1/2014 - Oldworlddrinker wrote: 86 Points
Nose of dried cherries, on the palate dried red fruits with some peppery element, I guess from the Shiraz, backbone dry and medium tannins. Overall, is a simple weekday wine.
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12/10/2013 - Woodbyrd wrote: 85 Points
Nice black cherry at first taste. Decent for weeknight.
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11/23/2013 - wineshaman wrote: 88 Points
Tasted from 1/2full bottle left on kitchen counter for 6 days, tart cherry, red plums, hints of spice, smooth, decent balance, nice QPR.
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11/6/2013 - DRS-Inc wrote: 85 Points
Drank over 2 nights. Didn't take any formal TN, but recall being less stellar than the '08 vint of this wine.
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10/17/2013 - RobertDwyer wrote: 86 Points
Although this is one of the highest priced Borsao wines in the US at the moment (thought still not pricey) it's ironically not the most enjoyable. The bottle I tried was a bit non-descript and was strangely marred (flavor-wise) by waxy Crayola crayon notes. Nothing overt; it wasn't flawed. It was just not that great. The entry level Garnacha bottling, and especially the Monte Oton are tremendous values I'd recommend over this one.
That said: Borsao is a tremendous value producer and I'd be up for trying anything with their name on it.
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10/9/2013 - Winemiller wrote: 89 Points
Good
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9/6/2013 - DUNCANSWI wrote: 89 Points
Great value. Picked it up on sale for 10.99. Tasted earthy and rich. Liked it a lot
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9/3/2013 - ddahl wrote: 85 Points
Rough around edges despite age. Good color and bite.
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8/13/2013 - BRY Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice balance of fruit and earthiness, but needs to breathe in order to smooth out.
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4/20/2013 - Bromios wrote: 85 Points
Skip it, way better for around the price
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3/23/2013 - Surinam wrote: 89 Points
Not terribly complex but very tasty. Would buy again. Great bargain for under 20.
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3/2/2013 - yofog wrote: 83 Points
Has some appeal at first, and is not the worst example of modernized Spanish wine I've encountered, but most of the appeal is the spice derived from the oak. The wine behind the oak seems ok, but it's hard to tell. later on, the oak shows astringent and the wine mostly empty. Not terrible, but not worth seeking out, at least not for people with tastes like mine.
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12/7/2012 - Man in Black wrote:
Clean high intensity purple, dense legs. Clean medium intensity nose, notes of ripe red fruits, plums, licorice, clove, vanilla and chocolate. Dry, a bit warm, powerful attack, medium body and structure, medium fine-grained tannins, medium well balanced acidity, good amplitude and evolution, tasty, mostly fruity in the mouth with balanced oak notes. Medium+ aftertaste of medium intensity.
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11/17/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Bargains from the Jorge Ordonez Spain Portfolio (Noe Valley Wine Merchants, San Francisco): Darker ruby. As opposed to the other 2 reds, in this one, the wood was overdone and had that astringent, green American oak quality that subjugated the rest of the wine. What was there was rather soupy and shapeless. My least favorite wine by quite a distance.
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9/7/2012 - the_art_of_drink_ing wrote:
Tons of fruit on the nose, with a hint of red licorice. Well-balanced with a touch of spice on the palate. Very good.
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