Sampled at Oinoscent during service. Notes taken an hour after the bottle was opened. The wine shows hazy cherry color. The wine shows a slightly numb profile, earthy, dusty, overripe and dried red cherry and currant notes, balsamic notes, spice frame. Palate quite evolved, balsamic notes, elevated acidity, dissolved tannins, dried red fruit, alcohol warmth dominating palate, a bit aggressive, earthy cinnamon and whole spice, medium body and finish. With time it gets smoother, juicier, still earthy, overripe red fruit, with spice and coffee notes.
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Opened for cooking, but a small glass sampled first. Very smooth and decent and exactly what you’d expect from a CdR. The years have mellowed it, rounding without any diminution of the fruit at its core. More mellow than the 14abv would suggest. Eminently drinkable and would make a perfectly decent mid week drink. ***
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Found this one in a “dark corner of the cellar” and thought “uh oh..” much to my surprise it is still holding on just fine. Certainly a bit past “peak” but a darn fine wine. Not a lot on the nose but the body is nice, color is deep purple and it still offers flavors of kirsch, black pepper and some sort of floral notes I can’t quite determine (violets?). All in all still a fine glass of wine for $10/bottle. Served with roasted chicken and veg.
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Boosted the points on this one for being an eleven year old wine for $12 and still drinking just fine. Was a nice casual bottler to have with a fresh bluefin tuna nicoise salad.
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Kept as an experiment (how long will a base-level CdR last ?). A somewhat tired garnet-purple colour. Nose of prune/fig/dried blackberry, leather, some liquorice, faded white pepper. Medium to medium-full body; seems to be coming apart: some tannin, a middle of red fruitswith some acidity, a back end of dry leather. No more than a year left.
Brought this to New Ubin Seafood for a lunch with my part-time colleagues today.
Decanted for an hour before serving.
At 10 years of age, the wine is starting to show its true colours. Brickish red with notes of aged leather, cigar, cherries and plums, black pepper and chocolates. Very much in harmony and integrated at this point of time, this wine paired very well with the chicken and pork satay, pork collar and lamb rack.
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Earthy nose with hints of red berry and menthol. This wine has come together nicely, with cherry and light stone fruits balanced against the terroir that makes this wine distinctly French. Wine finishes silky smooth with integrated tannins and more earthy cherry fruit. In a very good place right now, drink over the next couple of years.
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Delightful aromas involving spice and dark fruits with a hint of sweet cherry. The palate has a bold flavour of earthy currants, dark cherries, plums and raspberries.
A wine that was drunk after 6 years and was a perfect accompaniment to turkey meatball spaghetti. After the meal the wine settles with a jolly warmth and feelings of mellow enjoyment. If you have it in your cellar enjoy it now.
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Just drinking nicely now. I did not enjoyed it last two tries, but now was really pleasing next to a hearty local stew. This is where the wine belongs, on the table with food, this way it is lively and fresh, med bodied coffee meet red fruits character.
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Work wine tasting - Triplets: This is improving. Good dense core of dark red fruit, a touch of spice. Starting to show some development around the edges, but still pretty primary. ***
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pourpre opaque ; plein de fruits noirs (myrtille, cerise noire), prune, fleurs aussi (violette ?)... en bouche, les tannins râpent encore, mais l'aération en bouche multiplie les parfums de manière extraordinaire.
Ce vin est loin d'avoir atteint son apogée : il est bien meilleur après quelques jours d'ouverture, et les tannins ont encore à se fondre. Attendez-le, et si vous devez le boire rapidement, décantez une heure au moins...
Ce Côtes-du-Rhône honore non seulement son producteur, mais l'appellation tout entière. Ni alcooleux, ni brutal, mais avec une force et une structure qui garantissent sa longévité. A mon avis, excellent rapport qualité-prix.
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This is my current house wine/daily drinker ... have gone through probably a case of it with several bottles left and it is time to drink up -- each time I have one it's lost a little some tannin and fruit. Acid starting to dominate.
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We decanted the wine for 30 minutes before we poured the first glass. It was dark ruby in colour and offered shy floral notes, forest berries, strawberry, blackberry, dark cherry, plum, spices, black pepper and a hint of chocolate on the nose. On the palate the wine showed red and dark fruit, strawberry, currant, blackberry, dark cherry, plum, spices and black pepper, paired with medium-level acidity, medium-plus tannin, some heat from the alcohol and good length of the dry-ish finish. The medium-bodied, fruit-forward wine lacked balance and complexity and seemed a little thin. A little disappointing, particularly compared to the much better 2010. I would recommend decanting for one hour. Drink know.
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Dark and glowing with a very pleasant nose of cherries, blueberries, meat, fur and savoury spices. Less exciting on the palate, quite tannic, dry and slightly unpleasant acidity. There's a bit of a lack of fruit and balance, the finish is medium. Drink over the next 2-3 years.
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It's OK. Was better last year; doubt it if it's worth keeping. A little disappointed though I'd still be pleasantly surprised if I were to get it on an economy class flight. Needs some air and substantial food (try sausages/beef stew/barbecue or at least roast chicken). Nothing to write home about.
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No notes taken, but even though this is a simple CdR it benefits notably from air. After about an hour it started to open up. It was even better the second night after the 2/3 full bottle was left open on the counter overnight. Well balanced with plenty of dark fruit as well as earth and brush. (This starts around "85" and with air gets to about "88".) Solid QPR.
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Decanting for 3 hours, earthy nose covers berries. Actually, there is not too much nose, which is totally different from my impression on 2007. This wine is still hot in this vintage, so it's sad that there is no berry flavor to cover the burning feeling. This body is about close to medium. A little bit red berry can be tasted, but all the sudden it will transform into animal leather. The grapes are noticeable unripened. Overall, this is a 10 dollar wine, what we can argue about. It's fair enough to be an everyday wine.
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This wine is drinking well right now, but it takes some time in the glass to to open up. I would suggest decanting for an hour or simply opening and pouring a glass to leave open for a while, if you have time. It has a young vibrant garnet color and fast forming legs in the glass. The nose is pleasing and herbal. The palate is generous but short, with a slightly tannic overtone. It's an easy drinker and not overly complex. For the price, I think it's a worthy everyday wine.
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Consistent with other 09 CdR's I have tasted. Lots of alcohol, tannin and glycerine, subdued fruit and medium acid. Not interesting now, try again in two years. This seems to be shut down. Decanted three hours.
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This is a nice, fairly simple cdr that does in fact enough depth and concentration to keep it interesting, especially at this price point, this has a great qpr
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Guigal pedigree. Cotes du Rhone; perfect balance of value and quality. Deep and clean finish, fruit still pronounced, dried and fresh cheeries, bit of blackberry; legs worth of Secretariat, acid on front and sides, specatular deep garnet color and halo, no browning. Purchased this wine from K&L with some bottle age in Nov 2012. Just consistently amazing and the bonus is $12 with 3+ years in bottle...have had this wine several times and none drinking better than tonight.
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Warm nose of cherry, roses and campfire. Lots of fruit on the palate: cherry, blackberry, cranberry. There was also plenty of pepper, some bitter chocolate and a young woody note. The finish is quite long, but as noted by nearly everyone else, this is a very tannic, mouth-drying wine, so it's rather lip-smacking.
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Intéressant! Un nez intense, mais peu persistant. Ses tanins sont souples et son corps très corsé. Il demeure en bouche très longtemps, mais manque un peu d'équilibre.
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Was impressive on opening-- complex fruit, medium body, well-structured tannins. Was less impressive the more I drank, but by no means unsatisfactory. After three days in the wine cooler most complexity vanished and it became a rather middle of the road CdR with tannins dominating. Decent for the price, and perhaps worth trying again.
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Cough medicine in the mouth out of the bottle. Had a different taste than "typical" Rhone wine. After decanted for a half hour, the "funny" flavor was toned down. Would have no clue what varietal this was supposed to be if not for the label!
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Beautiful ruby color. Nose of tangy cherry, little dirt or dust, floral. Smells inviting. On the palate, this is youthful and mouth drying. Flavors of green wood, rose, pepper, spicy, bitter dark chocolate. Very tight. Medium plus body. Long peppery mouth drying finish.
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for 13 bucks, i could drink these again. both bottles with consistent notes. great color and a nose that is pleasant fruit and spice. mouthfeel is little light but not thin to point of fault. just not much heft. flavor profile consistent with the nose - nice bright, tangy fruit, spicebox (as others have noted) and very mild wood to enhance. overall a tad flat. finish is short but not offputting, just kind of fades without fanfare. overall, though, nice drinker at home.
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Drunk over two nights and held up well. Quite a full purple-edged dark red. Dark red fruit, a touch of spice. Good acidity and fruit on the palate. No huge complexity but smooth and balanced. Good for what it is. bare ***
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Dark garnet, lively nose with black spicy fruit, garrigue and floral notes, tangy black fruit on the attack followed by spice box, black cherry and earthy undertones, finish is sweet and primary with cherry, blueberry and hints of char
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Nez intense, fruité et épicé. Bouche puissante et charnue, dotée d'une grande intensité aromatique et parfaitement équilibrée. Etonnante complexité à ce niveau d'appellation. Un véritable petit châteauneuf-du-pape !
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Deep ruby colour. Simple fruit nose. Soft smooth fruit on the palate but with a sharp even bitter bight on the finish. But very easy to drink. A well structured blend.
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Translucent cardinal color; very light. The nose is a high pitched combination of candied red fruit and ample vanilla. Unfortunately this wine lingers only briefly on the palate and then evaporates, with little in the way of fruit, acid or tannin to leave a lasting impression. Overall this is inoffensive and is a good choice to wash down heartier foods, but it's hard to recommend this as a standalone wine for conscientious drinking.
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14.0% - Clear, med to deep purple / clean, med+ intensity - bramble, black cherry, garrigue, herbal, toast and smoky / dry, med acidity, med+ body, med supple tannin, med- intensity and length. Straightforward, but it would be hard to ask for more at that price...
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This was a dense wine, very dark. Very spicy, with black pepper and yellow pepper. However, there's enough dark fruit to hold it in balance. Nice wine.
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this needs a little time to calm down. the attack is lush and full but then it becomes a little disjointed. i'm sure another year or so will sort it out as it has all you could want from a wine at this price point.
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{cork, 14%, A$20} Bang on form; this fruit-driven grenache-based wine avoids too much oak or tannin, but has juicy acidity and an almost medium-length finish. It’s a bit simple; there are generic-red flavours on the palate, but it’s dry and almost savoury in a light-medium bodied way. Good effort – but still a bit costly in this country for what it is.
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A go-to wine that is consistently good from a large volume producer. The price cannot be beat for a wine that goes nicely with a variety of foods. Just a step below the '07 vintage but remains consistently good. Looking forward to tasting the '10 and comparing to the '09 and '07.
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This improved a lot after decanting and letting stand for an hour. Not the most interesting wine I've tasted, but plenty tasty, and good with my buffalo burger. Probably won't buy again but if I had different tastes I might, I certainly did not find anything to dislike in it.
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This needs more time. It opened up over the night and started to introduce some of its complexities. Ruby red on the edges, blood red at its core. I sense dried cherries and dark chocolate coming through. Legs like a runway model. Be patient with this one.
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Upfront red and blackberry fruit, some garrigue, charcoal and violet. Simple, soft and appealing. Hard pressed to find a better wine from any other region in the world for $12.99. ***Those scoring the wine in the 70's are way off. You can't expect this to taste like a wine from cote rotie or hermitage. It's damn fine for what it is.
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I am a bit neutral on this wine, going to see how night #2 is. Right off the bat this wine hits you with a nose of smoky ash. It is almost cigarette-like which is going to turn some people off (especially me). That went away with some aggressive swirling in the glass and a pure barbecue smokiness emerged. Black fruit is present on the palate and there is some length to the finish, but it lacks fruit and contains a bit of heat. I had thought that my palate was going through a funny patch over the past week as four of the last five wines I have tasted had a finish that I could not quite get my arms around. Maybe I was accurate and the wines were not noteworthy.
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Guigal's CDR really shoots the lights out in good vintages and this reminds me a lot of the 2005. Meaty, dirt and tar, crumbling tannin, aniseed; good complexity and quite young. Will look better in 2 years +.
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Black pepper,coffee, light bodied, a bit sweet in the mouth, absolutely anonimus, but when one is making millions of bottles with this wine - not surprised.
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Agree with most of the other reviews below. This is a relatively expensive Cotes du Rhone (on par with many CdR Villages), yet it is one of the most insipid CdR's that I have tasted in a long while. Not to say there is no flavor - the classic dark fruit, tobacco, and herbs are all there, they are just lifeless and dull. Last year I had a few bottles of the 2007 vintage, and it was also one of the weakest of all the 2007's I have had. Save your money as there are an abundance of other CdR's at 2/3 the price of this wine that are heads and shoulders above.
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Clear medium ruby wine on appearance. On the nose it is clean with medium intensity of flavors; flavors of dark fruit, pepper and plum. On the palate, it is dry, with medium acidity and medium plus tannin. Medium flavors, body and finish with the same flavors on the palate that were on the nose. Overall I think it is good, but not outstanding. The wine should be drunk now.
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Good showing for this wine. Good tobacco note that I suspect comes from mourvedre adds interest and character. Past several vintages have underwhelmed but this was quite decent.
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After seeing all these controversial tasting notes on this wine, I started to worry and tried one. Had it with duck breast, caramelized brown-sugar glazed carrots (harvested from my garden today) and dumplings (knoepfli). I think the reason for the controversy became clear to me. Smell of dark berries, cedar wood, forest floor. What you would expect for a CDR. First 5 seconds a nice fruit-centered taste, good balance of tannins and acidity (even though some noted low acidity). But then it happens! Taste is gone within seconds, but tannins persist and start to dominate, not much aftertaste either. So what to expect? I will give it some time for the aromas to evolve and the tannins to soften. I think it will improve during the coming months!
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Three bottles consumed and despite there's nothing wrong here, there's also nothing special as well. Interesting nose with ripe red fruit, syrup and some black pepper. On palate though, it's quite flat. It barely holds acidity for its weight, it's fruity but you find not demanding an extra sip or glass. In comparison, I found the 07 to be much more enjoyable. This 09, unless at a discount price or for daily drinkers purpose, it's expendable.
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French fast food in a glass. Almost no legs or bouquet. Plummy, pruney flavors accented by a whiff and taste of Herbs de Provence. Bland, generic, and could have been produced anywhere. Given other scores and reviews, perhaps either Lyn and I were in a bad mood (unlikely on a Saturday evening) or someone slipped some different juice into our bottle. We've had more tasty Cotes du Rhones at half the price.
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No formal notes. Nice nose of berries, leather, earth, and dried flowers. Relatively simple but pure on the palate, with modest tannin and a short but pleasant finish. Perfect party wine.
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Lovely perfumed nose with caramel, coffee, lavender, mint, and ripe cherry; however, the palate was rather flat and simple compared to the nose; but still a good CDR considering its price and another wine which will probably do better if paired with red meat.
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Exciting nose followed by a complete lack of stuffing. Taste of colored water. He was disappointed by this vintage. She did not like it all. We did not finish it. It only gets into the 80's for the name and the nose.
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Medium purple, with a nose of raspberry and garrigue. Licorice, raspberry and pepper with medium length. Good for under fifteen bucks, but definitely lacks depth.
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Everything in it´s right place, but perhaps somewhat to warm in this vintage. All the same, a really good value and a safe bet. Looking forward to the 2010!
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Decanted for an hour. A rather dark red with a purple edge to it. A pretty strong wine, with lots of blackberry and cassis, with a hint of bacon on the nose. The palate is also very powerful and fruity with lots of tannins, not sweet at all. This feels like a young wine that could certainly sit in the cellar for a few years, even a decade. Pretty wound up now.
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Garnet colour. Plums and dark berries. Just a trace of earth. This is fairly balanced, but there is some heat on the finish that is a little distracting. The wine is lacking the complexity I've enjoyed with other vintages, but this is also the youngest I've had this wine. A little disappointing, but perhaps just needs more time in bottle.
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2009 is shaping up to be an all-round great vintage for Guigal, and this is the best version of the entry level quaffer I've seen so far.
The nose has a nice pepper and red currant profile and the palette has really good tannin integrated with the supple red fruit. There is a spicy mineral and racy acidity through to the finish. Great value.
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this does not really suffer at all in comparison to the Coudoulet, which is about twice the price. Never going to excite but nothing wrong with it at all, exactly what I want from a Cotes du Rhone. **1/2
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Tasted from 375ml. Slightly alcoholic nose and herbal and bitter palate initially, but it came around after 1 hour. Medium to full body. Black currant, pepper, and beef jerky.
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A lovely blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre, it is a very nice wine for about $15. The rich, fruity nose opens up with cherry, red plum, and blackberry aromas. The palate is silky smooth, with very light tannins, delivering flavors that mirror the nose, building to a highlight of pepper at the finish. Meant to be consumed young, it pairs well with turkey, grilled chicken, or pork chops.
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8/5--8/8/2012. Purple/brick. Needs time to open (30 min. decanting; 60+ min. is better; much better on the second and third day, tailed off on fourth day). Fair bit of fruit. Nice length to finish. Tannins overwhelming without time to breathe, but quite enjoyable after having time to breathe. (Good value once it opens up. Will get more.) 88--90 pts.
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A good, decent quaffing wine. Medium bodied but with enough to it to keep it interesting. I enjoyed it but would probably prefer to spend another $15 and get something more complex.
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I have had two bottles in a week, both have been superb with food and without. The wine needs to be decanted as it is quite mute when first opened, but there are distinct notes of pencil shavings and dark cherries after an hour or so.
I reckon this is the best young Guigal CdR I have tasted.
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This was compared with the great '07 and really blew it out of the water. While the tannin was more grippy the wine is much more found. Again half Syrah with the rest grenache and a touch of mouvedre. The fruit was balanced and supple black and red fruit with red raspberry dark plum and a bit of tart red currant predominant on the nose and mouth. The grippy tannins gave this wine a solid mouthfeel that lets you know this is a serious red wine. It has nice mineral and a medium long finish. This really can't be touched at this price.
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Second bottle within a couple of weeks - struggling through this one - quite strong green elements with some sharp alcohol elements. A bit astringent on the finish. One for the BBQ - not the best showing for what is usually a fairly decent mid-range quaffer.
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First of the new vintage for me - reminds me how good the 2007 was on release. Dark, almost opaque. Drunk straight from the cellar at 15 celsius. Fantastic juicy taste with strawberry nose. Still young but dangerously quaffable just as it is.
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At first quite strong alcohol and red fruit, but when the wine is chilled a touch it takes on black fruit aromas with a dash of Southern French herbs. Decent length on the finish. Always a decent quaffer at a fair price. Good enough.
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O - mörkt blåröd D - röda o svarta bär , björnbär, ek, bittermandel o drag av vinäger hmm S - medelfyllig, outvecklad m fläskig grenach frukt, choklad, ek-vanilj o stickande alkohol. Tyvärr bekräftas intrycket i ytterligare en flaska. Inte alls samma finess som 07'an. 7p
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Somewhat bitter and astringant, not bad if you like your wines with herb, mineral, pine and dirt. Very austaire, but does need a little fruit to round things out. 2 nd time tried with similar results.
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Started off a little weedy and acidic but with a 30min decant it came together. Classic raspberry-sagebrush-basil combo. Went great with roasted chicken in a demi glaze sauce and roasted garlic & yukon gold mashers. The Guigal CDR has always been very consistant for my palate
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Forward and oaked, but still gives a disciplined, fresh and balanced feel on the palate, not void of interesting complexity. This is a well-made and price-worthy shiraz, eh, I mean syrah. I quite like it as a matter of fact.
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Needed some time to open up (~ 1-2 hours). In the beginning it was atually more like pinot, but the syrah came out later. Not as good as the 2007. QPR not so good.
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From a blend of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 10% Mourvedre, this surprisingly deeply colored wine is filled with pepper, earth and dark cherries. In ripe vintages, this simple wine gives a lot of pleasure for under $10. However, it does not last and should be consumed in the first few years of its life. Look for the 2010.
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With something like 3 million bottles of this wine made, I had low expectations. However, I agree with reviewer below: this is a completely serviceable wine. Cherries, spicy raspberries, and a hint of smoke. This is a good, cheap, winter wine.
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Nice nose with spices and ripe dark fruit, almost sweet/jam-like. Mediumbodied with decent lenght. Ok balance. Spicy finish. Somewhat plump, but enjoyable. Good value at oslo airport.
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This one tried to fool me. The nose was trying to hide it's true self, like a young wine not sure of itself. As the first taste hit my lips, I thought it was rather on the thin side. But then the breeding of these grapes, and the quality characteristics of the 2009 vintage took over. It probably is a little light in viscosity, kind of Pinot Noir in style. There is very dark color. The somewhat shy nose starts with violets, and other floral components, with dark fruit, minerals and earth tones trying to jump out. On the palate, the fruit is a nice combination of expressive, intense, but still soft and rounded. They told me it was mostly Syrah, but it acts and tastes like Grenache. Balanced. The finish starts with blackberry jam but has considerable amounts of earthy minerals, road tar, and tobacco. I don't think is designed to age, but one more year would really help.
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One of the best Cotes-du-Rhones always, and in this vintage truly superlative, for the price. Dark ruby with good legs, chock full of the heady Southern Rhone garrigue - even a hint of tarragon! - smells that distinguish these wines from all others. Reminds me of molten milk chocolate. Heaven in a glass. This will undoubtedly age well, but it is drinking so beautifully mow, why wait? I'll take this Ober many a Chateauneuf at 3x the price. Awesomely rich and flavory. Bravo! 5-13-17-8: 93/100
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1/28/2023 - kostaslonis wrote:
Sampled at Oinoscent during service. Notes taken an hour after the bottle was opened.
The wine shows hazy cherry color.
The wine shows a slightly numb profile, earthy, dusty, overripe and dried red cherry and currant notes, balsamic notes, spice frame.
Palate quite evolved, balsamic notes, elevated acidity, dissolved tannins, dried red fruit, alcohol warmth dominating palate, a bit aggressive, earthy cinnamon and whole spice, medium body and finish.
With time it gets smoother, juicier, still earthy, overripe red fruit, with spice and coffee notes.
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10/10/2022 - SimonG wrote: 87 Points
Opened for cooking, but a small glass sampled first. Very smooth and decent and exactly what you’d expect from a CdR. The years have mellowed it, rounding without any diminution of the fruit at its core. More mellow than the 14abv would suggest. Eminently drinkable and would make a perfectly decent mid week drink. ***
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7/19/2022 - Ed B Likes this wine: 90 Points
PnP as second wine of the evening Drinking well.
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4/21/2021 - robseconti@aol.com wrote: 88 Points
Found this one in a “dark corner of the cellar” and thought “uh oh..” much to my surprise it is still holding on just fine. Certainly a bit past “peak” but a darn fine wine. Not a lot on the nose but the body is nice, color is deep purple and it still offers flavors of kirsch, black pepper and some sort of floral notes I can’t quite determine (violets?). All in all still a fine glass of wine for $10/bottle. Served with roasted chicken and veg.
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1/4/2021 - Kansas Rock Chalk wrote: flawed
Old
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12/15/2020 - apecha wrote:
Bad. Dumped
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9/12/2020 - Two Winos Likes this wine: 90 Points
Boosted the points on this one for being an eleven year old wine for $12 and still drinking just fine. Was a nice casual bottler to have with a fresh bluefin tuna nicoise salad.
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8/10/2020 - Samaul wrote: 83 Points
Mognadstoner, brun kant.
Sötlakrits
Oxiderad, vitpeppar. Saknar frukt. Passerat bäst före datum.
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10/25/2019 - derekjohn wrote: 84 Points
Kept as an experiment (how long will a base-level CdR last ?). A somewhat tired garnet-purple colour. Nose of prune/fig/dried blackberry, leather, some liquorice, faded white pepper. Medium to medium-full body; seems to be coming apart: some tannin, a middle of red fruitswith some acidity, a back end of dry leather. No more than a year left.
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8/9/2019 - Ed B wrote: 89 Points
PnP. Openned up quickly to be pleasant, but nothing special.
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6/12/2019 - P&EinAK wrote:
For Rich Mary Davis Anniversary
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3/6/2019 - stayhappy21 wrote: 85 Points
Brought this to New Ubin Seafood for a lunch with my part-time colleagues today.
Decanted for an hour before serving.
At 10 years of age, the wine is starting to show its true colours. Brickish red with notes of aged leather, cigar, cherries and plums, black pepper and chocolates. Very much in harmony and integrated at this point of time, this wine paired very well with the chicken and pork satay, pork collar and lamb rack.
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2/9/2019 - SimonG wrote: 87 Points
Opened for cooking. Still some youthful fruit, tannins resolving but present. Good acidity. Really quite decent.
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9/19/2017 - Wine Gent wrote: 87 Points
A reliable consistent everyday drinking wine.
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8/30/2017 - kingkanu wrote: 88 Points
Drinking very well, nicely developed, there's a lot for the very reasonable entry price and very large volume produced, a recommended buy most years
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10/28/2016 - Rno Likes this wine: 88 Points
Still delivering good flavors. Prime drinking age.
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7/2/2016 - pswe Likes this wine: 89 Points
This one is in a very good drinking window right now. Well matured and not too much more to gain from further ageing.
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5/13/2016 - H. Eugene wrote: 87 Points
Gave to Carmen
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4/30/2016 - hjstern Likes this wine: 89 Points
Good fruit, deep color, enjoyed it so much, I'll buy more
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3/30/2016 - Sam57 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Soft and drinkable. Floral cinnamon and other spices. But just starting it's downhill ride. Drink soon.
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3/24/2016 - Sam57 wrote: 87 Points
A bit one dimensional and more tannin than expected with very little acidity. Plan to open the next bottle about 5 hours before drinking.
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12/13/2015 - SchlaepDog Likes this wine: 91 Points
Earthy nose with hints of red berry and menthol. This wine has come together nicely, with cherry and light stone fruits balanced against the terroir that makes this wine distinctly French. Wine finishes silky smooth with integrated tannins and more earthy cherry fruit. In a very good place right now, drink over the next couple of years.
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9/26/2015 - Crispin Likes this wine: 89 Points
Aged lovely. Gentle fruit on nose, deep and purple hue, balanced and long with earthy fruits and cherries.
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7/25/2015 - VeronicaXu wrote: 88 Points
A ripe vintage. Plummy, leathery. Medium tannin, medium body, medium acidity. 50% Syrah, 45% Grenache, 5% Mourvèdre.
With Zoe, Gwen.
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6/9/2015 - NiklasW wrote: 87 Points
Decanted for 30 mins. Seems to be at its peak right now, very quaffable, good dark fruit on the nose and palate, light tannins, easy to drink.
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6/7/2015 - troikken Likes this wine: 87 Points
Delightful aromas involving spice and dark fruits with a hint of sweet cherry. The palate has a bold flavour of earthy currants, dark cherries, plums and raspberries.
A wine that was drunk after 6 years and was a perfect accompaniment to turkey meatball spaghetti. After the meal the wine settles with a jolly warmth and feelings of mellow enjoyment. If you have it in your cellar enjoy it now.
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2/21/2015 - John McCabe wrote: 91 Points
Sumptuous,juicy, lively with a savory and slightly sour taste.
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12/21/2014 - Lyubomir Lefterov wrote: 87 Points
Just drinking nicely now. I did not enjoyed it last two tries, but now was really pleasing next to a hearty local stew. This is where the wine belongs, on the table with food, this way it is lively and fresh, med bodied coffee meet red fruits character.
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12/6/2014 - wicho Likes this wine: 87 Points
A very good table wine.
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12/4/2014 - SimonG wrote: 87 Points
Work wine tasting - Triplets: This is improving. Good dense core of dark red fruit, a touch of spice. Starting to show some development around the edges, but still pretty primary. ***
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11/30/2014 - pswe wrote: 87 Points
Still fairly young with quite a bit of fruit and accidty left. Requires some food. Will keep remaining bottles for some time still.
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11/12/2014 - ccarter5181 wrote: 88 Points
Solid Rhone. Drinking well now.
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11/6/2014 - redz wrote: 88 Points
solid CDR, needs couple hours decant and food. Still young.
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9/17/2014 - derekjohn Likes this wine: 88 Points
The benchmark wine of the southern Rhone.
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9/11/2014 - winecent Likes this wine: 87 Points
Very good Q/P ratio. Fruity CDR, very drinkable.
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8/29/2014 - derekjohn wrote: 88 Points
A point (That's supposed to be in French).
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8/23/2014 - Crispin Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good. I like this best at six or seven years old it seems. But still good.
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8/17/2014 - casper01 wrote: 88 Points
Time to drink up
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7/27/2014 - Chateau Bywood wrote: 81 Points
Gift Tarapacky
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7/19/2014 - ddahl Does not like this wine: 82 Points
Strong flavor of saddle leather and tobacco. Not what I expected from a cotes du Rhone or a guigal. Disappointed.
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6/29/2014 - rwpalmer wrote: 86 Points
I enjoyed this more a couple years back and agree it might be "coming off its peak" as one taster queried.
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5/29/2014 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
PnP. Excellent Vin Ordonaire. Violets, Blackberry, slight minerality, enough acid to go another 5 years. No funk.
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5/25/2014 - roederer Likes this wine: 90 Points
pourpre opaque ; plein de fruits noirs (myrtille, cerise noire), prune, fleurs aussi (violette ?)... en bouche, les tannins râpent encore, mais l'aération en bouche multiplie les parfums de manière extraordinaire.
Ce vin est loin d'avoir atteint son apogée : il est bien meilleur après quelques jours d'ouverture, et les tannins ont encore à se fondre. Attendez-le, et si vous devez le boire rapidement, décantez une heure au moins...
Ce Côtes-du-Rhône honore non seulement son producteur, mais l'appellation tout entière. Ni alcooleux, ni brutal, mais avec une force et une structure qui garantissent sa longévité. A mon avis, excellent rapport qualité-prix.
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5/6/2014 - derekjohn Likes this wine: 87 Points
Just coming off its peak?
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4/23/2014 - derekjohn Likes this wine: 88 Points
Beginning to decline from its peak.
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4/5/2014 - johnnyrichardson Likes this wine: 86 Points
good...drink now!
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3/15/2014 - Chip Merlot Likes this wine: 87 Points
This is my current house wine/daily drinker ... have gone through probably a case of it with several bottles left and it is time to drink up -- each time I have one it's lost a little some tannin and fruit. Acid starting to dominate.
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3/9/2014 - PSPatrick wrote: 85 Points
We decanted the wine for 30 minutes before we poured the first glass. It was dark ruby in colour and offered shy floral notes, forest berries, strawberry, blackberry, dark cherry, plum, spices, black pepper and a hint of chocolate on the nose. On the palate the wine showed red and dark fruit, strawberry, currant, blackberry, dark cherry, plum, spices and black pepper, paired with medium-level acidity, medium-plus tannin, some heat from the alcohol and good length of the dry-ish finish. The medium-bodied, fruit-forward wine lacked balance and complexity and seemed a little thin. A little disappointing, particularly compared to the much better 2010. I would recommend decanting for one hour. Drink know.
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2/8/2014 - rossi.wine wrote: 86 Points
Dark and glowing with a very pleasant nose of cherries, blueberries, meat, fur and savoury spices. Less exciting on the palate, quite tannic, dry and slightly unpleasant acidity. There's a bit of a lack of fruit and balance, the finish is medium. Drink over the next 2-3 years.
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1/17/2014 - Herschel Krustofski wrote: 84 Points
It's OK. Was better last year; doubt it if it's worth keeping. A little disappointed though I'd still be pleasantly surprised if I were to get it on an economy class flight. Needs some air and substantial food (try sausages/beef stew/barbecue or at least roast chicken). Nothing to write home about.
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1/2/2014 - smatchnego wrote: 88 Points
Great. But needs time out of the bottle. Decanting required to bring out the real wine.
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12/28/2013 - manny651 wrote: 88 Points
a very enjoyable CdR and good Qpr.
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12/21/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 88 Points
Pleasant mix of dark fruit, earth, meat and spice. Pretty and light on the palate. Certainly not a wine to age but easy to enjoy now.
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12/18/2013 - tward Likes this wine: 87 Points
No notes taken, but even though this is a simple CdR it benefits notably from air. After about an hour it started to open up. It was even better the second night after the 2/3 full bottle was left open on the counter overnight. Well balanced with plenty of dark fruit as well as earth and brush. (This starts around "85" and with air gets to about "88".) Solid QPR.
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12/16/2013 - RyanWu wrote: 83 Points
Decanting for 3 hours, earthy nose covers berries. Actually, there is not too much nose, which is totally different from my impression on 2007. This wine is still hot in this vintage, so it's sad that there is no berry flavor to cover the burning feeling. This body is about close to medium. A little bit red berry can be tasted, but all the sudden it will transform into animal leather. The grapes are noticeable unripened. Overall, this is a 10 dollar wine, what we can argue about. It's fair enough to be an everyday wine.
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12/7/2013 - deatovino wrote: 88 Points
This wine is drinking well right now, but it takes some time in the glass to to open up. I would suggest decanting for an hour or simply opening and pouring a glass to leave open for a while, if you have time. It has a young vibrant garnet color and fast forming legs in the glass. The nose is pleasing and herbal. The palate is generous but short, with a slightly tannic overtone. It's an easy drinker and not overly complex. For the price, I think it's a worthy everyday wine.
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12/1/2013 - kdsipe wrote: 88 Points
Consistent with other 09 CdR's I have tasted. Lots of alcohol, tannin and glycerine, subdued fruit and medium acid. Not interesting now, try again in two years. This seems to be shut down. Decanted three hours.
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11/28/2013 - casper01 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Starting to drink well
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11/13/2013 - mmcdds wrote: 87 Points
This is a nice, fairly simple cdr that does in fact enough depth and concentration to keep it interesting, especially at this price point, this has a great qpr
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10/20/2013 - RussK wrote: 89 Points
Russk. 87 on day one. 90+ on day 4, when some of the young wine nose g ave way to a nice meaty mouth feel.
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10/19/2013 - HRFishbowl Likes this wine: 86 Points
this is our trusted house wine.
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10/13/2013 - Jona wrote: 84 Points
Decent but maybe slightly too old.
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9/22/2013 - Lyubomir Lefterov wrote: 86 Points
Red fruit, coffee, peppery, medium to light bodied, better than other bottles I've got before, but still nothing impressive.
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9/15/2013 - Niccolo Donzella wrote: 85 Points
Big tannins, short mid-palate, and then alcohol dominates a dry finish. Better with food than without.
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8/25/2013 - Jona wrote: 86 Points
Quite green and herby on the palate and with OK juicyness. Decent.
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8/5/2013 - Rick.Bennett Likes this wine: 92 Points
Guigal pedigree. Cotes du Rhone; perfect balance of value and quality. Deep and clean finish, fruit still pronounced, dried and fresh cheeries, bit of blackberry; legs worth of Secretariat, acid on front and sides, specatular deep garnet color and halo, no browning. Purchased this wine from K&L with some bottle age in Nov 2012. Just consistently amazing and the bonus is $12 with 3+ years in bottle...have had this wine several times and none drinking better than tonight.
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8/5/2013 - phillyboyP wrote: 89 Points
Nice little CdR, and a great little food wine. Good spice/fruit/tannin mix. Overall very pleasing for the $. 89
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7/25/2013 - Merrit wrote: 88 Points
Warm nose of cherry, roses and campfire. Lots of fruit on the palate: cherry, blackberry, cranberry. There was also plenty of pepper, some bitter chocolate and a young woody note. The finish is quite long, but as noted by nearly everyone else, this is a very tannic, mouth-drying wine, so it's rather lip-smacking.
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7/20/2013 - rrush wrote:
Still tight needing a little cellar time. Nice and fresh w good structure.
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7/19/2013 - Drinker Diary wrote: 82 Points
Oeil: Rubis
Nez: Épices - Prunes
Bouche: Cerises mures - Réglisse
Intéressant! Un nez intense, mais peu persistant. Ses tanins sont souples et son corps très corsé. Il demeure en bouche très longtemps, mais manque un peu d'équilibre.
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7/19/2013 - Orlandus wrote: 88 Points
Was impressive on opening-- complex fruit, medium body, well-structured tannins. Was less impressive the more I drank, but by no means unsatisfactory. After three days in the wine cooler most complexity vanished and it became a rather middle of the road CdR with tannins dominating. Decent for the price, and perhaps worth trying again.
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7/16/2013 - sjhoffman Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Cough medicine in the mouth out of the bottle. Had a different taste than "typical" Rhone wine. After decanted for a half hour, the "funny" flavor was toned down. Would have no clue what varietal this was supposed to be if not for the label!
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7/5/2013 - jgleitman wrote: 80 Points
Not enough fruit. Pretty tannic. Dont even feel like more notes. Overpriced
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6/13/2013 - winestlouis wrote: 88 Points
I need a water chaser after the finsh on this ...
Beautiful ruby color. Nose of tangy cherry, little dirt or dust, floral. Smells inviting. On the palate, this is youthful and mouth drying. Flavors of green wood, rose, pepper, spicy, bitter dark chocolate. Very tight. Medium plus body. Long peppery mouth drying finish.
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6/11/2013 - jc-mmb Likes this wine: 87 Points
for 13 bucks, i could drink these again. both bottles with consistent notes. great color and a nose that is pleasant fruit and spice. mouthfeel is little light but not thin to point of fault. just not much heft. flavor profile consistent with the nose - nice bright, tangy fruit, spicebox (as others have noted) and very mild wood to enhance. overall a tad flat. finish is short but not offputting, just kind of fades without fanfare. overall, though, nice drinker at home.
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5/31/2013 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 85 Points
Pleasing spice, richness and decent weight. Smooth with good length.
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5/30/2013 - kenny pacino wrote:
Nice and easy. Like a French Eagles cover band
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5/28/2013 - SimonG wrote: 86 Points
Drunk over two nights and held up well. Quite a full purple-edged dark red. Dark red fruit, a touch of spice. Good acidity and fruit on the palate. No huge complexity but smooth and balanced. Good for what it is. bare ***
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5/23/2013 - syrahiously wrote: 85 Points
Pleasant nose. Lacks overall depth and is a bit flat on the finish. Still a decent value as a daily drinker.
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5/19/2013 - Gurto wrote: 83 Points
Ur minnet: Gott och relativt kraftigt men inget speciellt. Vettigt vardagsvin.
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5/8/2013 - duchamp wrote: 89 Points
Dark garnet, lively nose with black spicy fruit, garrigue and floral notes, tangy black fruit on the attack followed by spice box, black cherry and earthy undertones, finish is sweet and primary with cherry, blueberry and hints of char
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5/3/2013 - linuhage wrote: 88 Points
Stabilt och gott som vanligt.
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5/1/2013 - Jeanda Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nez intense, fruité et épicé. Bouche puissante et charnue, dotée d'une grande intensité aromatique et parfaitement équilibrée. Etonnante complexité à ce niveau d'appellation. Un véritable petit châteauneuf-du-pape !
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4/19/2013 - slippytoad Likes this wine: 89 Points
Impressed at the mouthfeel, smoothness and inkiness. For the money, outstanding!
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4/15/2013 - Bouddi26 wrote: 88 Points
Deep ruby colour. Simple fruit nose. Soft smooth fruit on the palate but with a sharp even bitter bight on the finish. But very easy to drink. A well structured blend.
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4/14/2013 - jens.thogersen wrote: 87 Points
Deep red impenetrable.
Aroma: a bit smokey, bog, pepper, peat.
Palate, blueberry, smoke peat
lenght 8/12 tannins 7/12 acid 5/12
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4/13/2013 - NineteenEightyTwo wrote: 84 Points
Translucent cardinal color; very light. The nose is a high pitched combination of candied red fruit and ample vanilla. Unfortunately this wine lingers only briefly on the palate and then evaporates, with little in the way of fruit, acid or tannin to leave a lasting impression. Overall this is inoffensive and is a good choice to wash down heartier foods, but it's hard to recommend this as a standalone wine for conscientious drinking.
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4/9/2013 - Pimenta Likes this wine: 86 Points
Bom para o dia a dia.
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4/6/2013 - Ramberg wrote: 86 Points
Good value everyday Rhône wine.
Guigal is always dependable, and this vintage is a good one.
Good qpr.
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4/2/2013 - shallIshantI wrote: 83 Points
Tastes like a young Rhone - plenty of fruit, no wood, does not linger. Drink within 2 years
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3/31/2013 - SiR wrote: 86 Points
14.0% - Clear, med to deep purple / clean, med+ intensity - bramble, black cherry, garrigue, herbal, toast and smoky / dry, med acidity, med+ body, med supple tannin, med- intensity and length. Straightforward, but it would be hard to ask for more at that price...
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3/30/2013 - Cadby wrote:
2007 E. Guigal CdR $12ish
Garnet, nice spicebox, generous fruit, weighty tannin, value
http://8wordsonwine.blogspot.com/2012/03/2007-e-guigal-cdr-12ish.html
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3/28/2013 - Rob MacKay wrote: 85 Points
For $12, it's hard to find anything wrong with this wine. Simple everyday drinker here. Great value.
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3/24/2013 - Coleman wrote: 88 Points
This was a dense wine, very dark. Very spicy, with black pepper and yellow pepper. However, there's enough dark fruit to hold it in balance. Nice wine.
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3/24/2013 - fatherdamo wrote: 87 Points
this needs a little time to calm down. the attack is lush and full but then it becomes a little disjointed. i'm sure another year or so will sort it out as it has all you could want from a wine at this price point.
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3/23/2013 - graemeg wrote:
{cork, 14%, A$20} Bang on form; this fruit-driven grenache-based wine avoids too much oak or tannin, but has juicy acidity and an almost medium-length finish. It’s a bit simple; there are generic-red flavours on the palate, but it’s dry and almost savoury in a light-medium bodied way. Good effort – but still a bit costly in this country for what it is.
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3/11/2013 - pakabear Likes this wine: 90 Points
better than expected, good balance and overall flavor. Not hugely complex but very enjoyable.
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3/10/2013 - Rance Likes this wine: 89 Points
A go-to wine that is consistently good from a large volume producer. The price cannot be beat for a wine that goes nicely with a variety of foods. Just a step below the '07 vintage but remains consistently good. Looking forward to tasting the '10 and comparing to the '09 and '07.
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3/9/2013 - psrv wrote: 89 Points
PnP. Aromas and flavors of cherries, raspberries, minerals, and pepper. Medium-bodied, juicy, with a medium finish.
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3/8/2013 - Herschel Krustofski Likes this wine: 87 Points
Good for the price (and the quantity produced).
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3/7/2013 - mkupfers Likes this wine:
Decent... Good for the price
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2/24/2013 - Thoughtcraft wrote: 85 Points
This improved a lot after decanting and letting stand for an hour. Not the most interesting wine I've tasted, but plenty tasty, and good with my buffalo burger. Probably won't buy again but if I had different tastes I might, I certainly did not find anything to dislike in it.
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2/23/2013 - HRFishbowl Likes this wine: 88 Points
This needs more time. It opened up over the night and started to introduce some of its complexities. Ruby red on the edges, blood red at its core. I sense dried cherries and dark chocolate coming through. Legs like a runway model. Be patient with this one.
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2/8/2013 - flyinburrito wrote:
Upfront red and blackberry fruit, some garrigue, charcoal and violet. Simple, soft and appealing. Hard pressed to
find a better wine from any other region in the world for $12.99. ***Those scoring the wine in the 70's are way off. You can't expect this to taste like a wine from cote rotie or hermitage. It's damn fine for what it is.
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2/7/2013 - JM_IS wrote: 85 Points
Not bad, but a bit disappointing. Some fruit, some flavor, but a bit flat and 36 hours later, not memorable enough for any other information to post.
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2/5/2013 - wineslide wrote:
I am a bit neutral on this wine, going to see how night #2 is. Right off the bat this wine hits you with a nose of smoky ash. It is almost cigarette-like which is going to turn some people off (especially me). That went away with some aggressive swirling in the glass and a pure barbecue smokiness emerged.
Black fruit is present on the palate and there is some length to the finish, but it lacks fruit and contains a bit of heat.
I had thought that my palate was going through a funny patch over the past week as four of the last five wines I have tasted had a finish that I could not quite get my arms around. Maybe I was accurate and the wines were not noteworthy.
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1/25/2013 - StewartWent wrote: 89 Points
Guigal's CDR really shoots the lights out in good vintages and this reminds me a lot of the 2005. Meaty, dirt and tar, crumbling tannin, aniseed; good complexity and quite young. Will look better in 2 years +.
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1/20/2013 - allencbk wrote: 84 Points
Pepper , hint of sweet fruit, hint of spice
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1/12/2013 - Lyubomir Lefterov wrote: 84 Points
Black pepper,coffee, light bodied, a bit sweet in the mouth, absolutely anonimus, but when one is making millions of bottles with this wine - not surprised.
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1/6/2013 - La Grappe wrote: 83 Points
Still quite youthful fruit, with reasonable depth but a bit short on the finish. Good of its kind.
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1/1/2013 - aleksds Likes this wine: 88 Points
nice density, strong tannins, long peppery finish
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12/30/2012 - strugs wrote: 84 Points
Agree with most of the other reviews below. This is a relatively expensive Cotes du Rhone (on par with many CdR Villages), yet it is one of the most insipid CdR's that I have tasted in a long while. Not to say there is no flavor - the classic dark fruit, tobacco, and herbs are all there, they are just lifeless and dull. Last year I had a few bottles of the 2007 vintage, and it was also one of the weakest of all the 2007's I have had. Save your money as there are an abundance of other CdR's at 2/3 the price of this wine that are heads and shoulders above.
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12/29/2012 - Gen_snowball Likes this wine:
Clear medium ruby wine on appearance. On the nose it is clean with medium intensity of flavors; flavors of dark fruit, pepper and plum. On the palate, it is dry, with medium acidity and medium plus tannin. Medium flavors, body and finish with the same flavors on the palate that were on the nose. Overall I think it is good, but not outstanding. The wine should be drunk now.
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12/28/2012 - Plalonde90 wrote: 76 Points
First glass was a bit of a bite to it but once it sat and next glass was more smooth
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12/12/2012 - sleepyhaus wrote:
Good showing for this wine. Good tobacco note that I suspect comes from mourvedre adds interest and character. Past several vintages have underwhelmed but this was quite decent.
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12/2/2012 - Aschi Likes this wine: 88 Points
After seeing all these controversial tasting notes on this wine, I started to worry and tried one. Had it with duck breast, caramelized brown-sugar glazed carrots (harvested from my garden today) and dumplings (knoepfli). I think the reason for the controversy became clear to me. Smell of dark berries, cedar wood, forest floor. What you would expect for a CDR. First 5 seconds a nice fruit-centered taste, good balance of tannins and acidity (even though some noted low acidity). But then it happens! Taste is gone within seconds, but tannins persist and start to dominate, not much aftertaste either. So what to expect? I will give it some time for the aromas to evolve and the tannins to soften. I think it will improve during the coming months!
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11/30/2012 - jzz56 wrote: 87 Points
4 for color, 12 for Aroma & Intensity, 14 for flavour and palate range, 7 for potential improvment. Not bad for a $6.99 375 ml bottle.
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11/23/2012 - Periko wrote: 80 Points
Three bottles consumed and despite there's nothing wrong here, there's also nothing special as well. Interesting nose with ripe red fruit, syrup and some black pepper. On palate though, it's quite flat. It barely holds acidity for its weight, it's fruity but you find not demanding an extra sip or glass. In comparison, I found the 07 to be much more enjoyable. This 09, unless at a discount price or for daily drinkers purpose, it's expendable.
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11/23/2012 - tooch wrote: 86 Points
Thanksgiving Week Wines; 11/22/2012-11/25/2012 (Edison, NJ): An easy going wine. Lots of red fruit, some nice spices and subtle earth. Nice value.
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11/22/2012 - czar33 wrote: 85 Points
Honnête, sans défaut mais assez ordinaire, manque de caractère.
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11/18/2012 - jonahfactor wrote: 78 Points
French fast food in a glass. Almost no legs or bouquet. Plummy, pruney flavors accented by a whiff and taste of Herbs de Provence. Bland, generic, and could have been produced anywhere. Given other scores and reviews, perhaps either Lyn and I were in a bad mood (unlikely on a Saturday evening) or someone slipped some different juice into our bottle. We've had more tasty Cotes du Rhones at half the price.
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11/15/2012 - JVG wrote: 88 Points
No formal notes. Nice nose of berries, leather, earth, and dried flowers. Relatively simple but pure on the palate, with modest tannin and a short but pleasant finish. Perfect party wine.
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11/14/2012 - CWang wrote: 88 Points
Lovely perfumed nose with caramel, coffee, lavender, mint, and ripe cherry; however, the palate was rather flat and simple compared to the nose; but still a good CDR considering its price and another wine which will probably do better if paired with red meat.
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11/13/2012 - slippytoad wrote: 90 Points
Was impressed by the length and depth for the money. Really enjoyable wine for every day drinking.
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11/3/2012 - bacchus of knockholt wrote: 85 Points
Nose of black fruit, some farmyard. To taste it's black fruit, quite sappy, nice balance. Solid but uninspiring.
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10/29/2012 - Penguino212 wrote: 82 Points
Exciting nose followed by a complete lack of stuffing. Taste of colored water. He was disappointed by this vintage. She did not like it all. We did not finish it. It only gets into the 80's for the name and the nose.
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10/21/2012 - La Grappe wrote: 85 Points
Light to medium, youthful, fruity red with a peppery touch. Well made, but a bit straightforward. Decent enough for the price.
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10/17/2012 - J.D. Whitelock wrote: 87 Points
Medium purple, with a nose of raspberry and garrigue.
Licorice, raspberry and pepper with medium length.
Good for under fifteen bucks, but definitely lacks depth.
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9/29/2012 - Blauweiss wrote: 86 Points
Everything in it´s right place, but perhaps somewhat to warm in this vintage. All the same, a really good value and a safe bet. Looking forward to the 2010!
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9/27/2012 - NiklasW wrote: 87 Points
Decanted for an hour. A rather dark red with a purple edge to it. A pretty strong wine, with lots of blackberry and cassis, with a hint of bacon on the nose. The palate is also very powerful and fruity with lots of tannins, not sweet at all. This feels like a young wine that could certainly sit in the cellar for a few years, even a decade. Pretty wound up now.
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9/12/2012 - urbanfarmer9@gmail.com wrote: 85 Points
Easy going. good 2009 and lasted several days with proper corking.
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9/6/2012 - Kitura wrote: 85 Points
Garnet colour. Plums and dark berries. Just a trace of earth. This is fairly balanced, but there is some heat on the finish that is a little distracting. The wine is lacking the complexity I've enjoyed with other vintages, but this is also the youngest I've had this wine. A little disappointing, but perhaps just needs more time in bottle.
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8/25/2012 - AlexGarner wrote: 91 Points
2009 is shaping up to be an all-round great vintage for Guigal, and this is the best version of the entry level quaffer I've seen so far.
The nose has a nice pepper and red currant profile and the palette has really good tannin integrated with the supple red fruit. There is a spicy mineral and racy acidity through to the finish. Great value.
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8/20/2012 - benhalton wrote:
this does not really suffer at all in comparison to the Coudoulet, which is about twice the price. Never going to excite but nothing wrong with it at all, exactly what I want from a Cotes du Rhone. **1/2
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8/18/2012 - Number51 wrote: 88 Points
Tasted from 375ml.
Slightly alcoholic nose and herbal and bitter palate initially, but it came around after 1 hour.
Medium to full body. Black currant, pepper, and beef jerky.
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8/13/2012 - Alain Harvey wrote: 88 Points
A lovely blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre, it is a very nice wine for about $15. The rich, fruity nose opens up with cherry, red plum, and blackberry aromas. The palate is silky smooth, with very light tannins, delivering flavors that mirror the nose, building to a highlight of pepper at the finish. Meant to be consumed young, it pairs well with turkey, grilled chicken, or pork chops.
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8/10/2012 - GoBlue2002 wrote: 88 Points
Weak aroma, but decent strength flavors pull it back. The finish was of moderate length but simple. Overall good but nothing noteworthy.
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8/5/2012 - 314 Likes this wine: 89 Points
8/5--8/8/2012. Purple/brick. Needs time to open (30 min. decanting; 60+ min. is better; much better on the second and third day, tailed off on fourth day). Fair bit of fruit. Nice length to finish. Tannins overwhelming without time to breathe, but quite enjoyable after having time to breathe. (Good value once it opens up. Will get more.) 88--90 pts.
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7/23/2012 - tendring Likes this wine: 89 Points
Wine Education Service - Guigal - King of the Rhône (LSE): Just opaque.
Black fruit, slightly herby nose.
Fruity, plenty of tannin, balanced, sweet and bitter in the mid palate, quite long.
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7/15/2012 - Carolus81 wrote: 87 Points
Ett vin som är okej gott men ganska slätstruket. En okej vardagsrhonare.
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7/12/2012 - Ianjaig wrote: 86 Points
A good, decent quaffing wine. Medium bodied but with enough to it to keep it interesting. I enjoyed it but would probably prefer to spend another $15 and get something more complex.
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7/7/2012 - Phil C wrote: 90 Points
Solid bottle, great berry fruit for such a young wine. Needed some time (~1 hr) to open up. Finish is quite nice, not too long or too short.
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7/5/2012 - Julian B wrote: 91 Points
I have had two bottles in a week, both have been superb with food and without. The wine needs to be decanted as it is quite mute when first opened, but there are distinct notes of pencil shavings and dark cherries after an hour or so.
I reckon this is the best young Guigal CdR I have tasted.
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6/12/2012 - Champagneinhand wrote: 90 Points
This was compared with the great '07 and really blew it out of the water. While the tannin was more grippy the wine is much more found. Again half Syrah with the rest grenache and a touch of mouvedre. The fruit was balanced and supple black and red fruit with red raspberry dark plum and a bit of tart red currant predominant on the nose and mouth. The grippy tannins gave this wine a solid mouthfeel that lets you know this is a serious red wine. It has nice mineral and a medium long finish. This really can't be touched at this price.
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6/8/2012 - pjaines wrote:
Second bottle within a couple of weeks - struggling through this one - quite strong green elements with some sharp alcohol elements. A bit astringent on the finish. One for the BBQ - not the best showing for what is usually a fairly decent mid-range quaffer.
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6/3/2012 - kendag wrote: 88 Points
First of the new vintage for me - reminds me how good the 2007 was on release. Dark, almost opaque. Drunk straight from the cellar at 15 celsius. Fantastic juicy taste with strawberry nose. Still young but dangerously quaffable just as it is.
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5/30/2012 - pjaines wrote:
At first quite strong alcohol and red fruit, but when the wine is chilled a touch it takes on black fruit aromas with a dash of Southern French herbs. Decent length on the finish. Always a decent quaffer at a fair price. Good enough.
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4/21/2012 - jazzb wrote:
O - mörkt blåröd
D - röda o svarta bär , björnbär, ek, bittermandel o drag av vinäger hmm
S - medelfyllig, outvecklad m fläskig grenach frukt, choklad, ek-vanilj o stickande alkohol. Tyvärr bekräftas intrycket i ytterligare en flaska. Inte alls samma finess som 07'an.
7p
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4/19/2012 - pilot360 wrote: 84 Points
Somewhat bitter and astringant, not bad if you like your wines with herb, mineral, pine and dirt. Very austaire, but does need a little fruit to round things out. 2 nd time tried with similar results.
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4/9/2012 - hubas wrote: 87 Points
Lots of fruit almost a bit like jam, some liquorice and herbes with some fire to it. very nice
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4/4/2012 - bajayngo wrote: 87 Points
Started off a little weedy and acidic but with a 30min decant it came together. Classic raspberry-sagebrush-basil combo. Went great with roasted chicken in a demi glaze sauce and roasted garlic & yukon gold mashers. The Guigal CDR has always been very consistant for my palate
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3/23/2012 - Omar Khayyam Likes this wine: 85 Points
Forward and oaked, but still gives a disciplined, fresh and balanced feel on the palate, not void of interesting complexity. This is a well-made and price-worthy shiraz, eh, I mean syrah. I quite like it as a matter of fact.
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3/16/2012 - hcl-1 wrote: 85 Points
Needed some time to open up (~ 1-2 hours). In the beginning it was atually more like pinot, but the syrah came out later. Not as good as the 2007. QPR not so good.
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3/8/2012 - Border Street wrote:
Strong, tannic, good with cheese burger.
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12/20/2011 - TheAndyKing Likes this wine: 84 Points
Decent red Rhone blend. Doesn't pair well with food. "First drink of the night" kind of wine.
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11/1/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 87 Points
From a blend of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 10% Mourvedre, this surprisingly deeply colored wine is filled with pepper, earth and dark cherries. In ripe vintages, this simple wine gives a lot of pleasure for under $10. However, it does not last and should be consumed in the first few years of its life. Look for the 2010.
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10/24/2011 - WineBec wrote:
With something like 3 million bottles of this wine made, I had low expectations. However, I agree with reviewer below: this is a completely serviceable wine. Cherries, spicy raspberries, and a hint of smoke. This is a good, cheap, winter wine.
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10/9/2011 - larsrog wrote: 84 Points
Nice nose with spices and ripe dark fruit, almost sweet/jam-like.
Mediumbodied with decent lenght. Ok balance. Spicy finish.
Somewhat plump, but enjoyable. Good value at oslo airport.
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9/30/2011 - Mike Kopanski wrote: 88 Points
This one tried to fool me. The nose was trying to hide it's true self, like a young wine not sure of itself. As the first taste hit my lips, I thought it was rather on the thin side. But then the breeding of these grapes, and the quality characteristics of the 2009 vintage took over. It probably is a little light in viscosity, kind of Pinot Noir in style. There is very dark color. The somewhat shy nose starts with violets, and other floral components, with dark fruit, minerals and earth tones trying to jump out. On the palate, the fruit is a nice combination of expressive, intense, but still soft and rounded. They told me it was mostly Syrah, but it acts and tastes like Grenache. Balanced. The finish starts with blackberry jam but has considerable amounts of earthy minerals, road tar, and tobacco. I don't think is designed to age, but one more year would really help.
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7/11/2011 - cbuhlman wrote: 85 Points
a serviceable Rhone with a dusty garrigue scent and finish.
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7/8/2011 - MicklethePickle wrote: 93 Points
One of the best Cotes-du-Rhones always, and in this vintage truly superlative, for the price. Dark ruby with good legs, chock full of the heady Southern Rhone garrigue - even a hint of tarragon! - smells that distinguish these wines from all others. Reminds me of molten milk chocolate. Heaven in a glass. This will undoubtedly age well, but it is drinking so beautifully mow, why wait? I'll take this Ober many a Chateauneuf at 3x the price. Awesomely rich and flavory. Bravo! 5-13-17-8: 93/100
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