Despite aging gracefully, and now showing secondary fragrances and flavors, this wine is meant for drinking young and I would recommend that you drink up whatever is left in your cellar. It still has an explosive Grenache nose, and the alcohol is a bit less present than when younger, but this wine (85:15 Grenache:Syrah, no wood) is all about primary flavors and so should best be enjoyed when young. Excellent QPR.
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A very good CdR at a good price point. Liking this as well as the 2010. I consider it to be a California-style, but it's consistently so and it's not a ding in my book. Good Grenache flavor, forward but not overly so. Nice balance and persistence.
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My last bottle, and it's been interesting to see it evolve. Initially, it was a little too jammy. Over time, the fruit subsided but certainly didn't disappear. It added a little weight and a fair amount of complexity. Now, it's probably about to start fading.
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Lots of CT tasting note drama for this wine, and I'm not sure why. My wife and I have had two bottles now and this is fine for $10 Cotes du Rhone, though behind the 2009 Cercius. The fruit and spice are there with some complexity and the wine is food friendly. We found this to be better the second night, so maybe some air or a Vinturi would help the first night.
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Better than the last bottle, though the first mouthful was just as harsh and devoid of fruit. It got better as it went on but clearly not a wine to cellar. Overall, disappointing.
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nice Rhone blend. Good with a lightly flavored meat and roasted veges. Good balance to fruit and acid. Maybe another year in teh cellar, but that's all.
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France makes a ton of really good, affordable Rhone blends (GSM's =Grenache /Syrah/Mouvedre), vinifying in concrete tanks, but seeing no oak. This is a great example. The stars are the fruit...black and red cherry, herbaceous, but slightly restrained with a feeling of silky elegance. Medium-bodied, acidic enough to pair nicely with a variety of food. 85% Grenache/15% Syrah. Drinkable now, smoking deal- $10.99 at Costco and probably not much more elsewhere. Michael Gassier paired with Eric Solomon on this one, fyi.
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Sampled at a party. I've liked this for years, but haven't tried the 2011. This came across fairly simple, but clean, balanced and enjoyable. Somewhat restrained compared to other vintages. 86.
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I must be on a bad run. Someone rated this 75 and it kind of annoyed because I though it unkind. Until I had the wine. It really didn't taste like wine. It kind of tasted like grape juice having a bad hair day. I agree where does WA come up with these numbers? This wine had no center, it had no direction it certainly was lacking in "Rhone" like character. Yes grape juice having a bad hair day. Avoid this if you can. If not take to a party. No one will know the difference but you.
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Purple-ruby in colour with a nose of black cherries along with some red berries and baking sugar with a hint of green herbs. The palate's a bit restrained with the black cherries, licorice, and some spicy provencal herbs are present. Tannins are still present on the front, and the finish is very nice. The 2010 version of this blew me away, but this one brought me back down to earth. Still, a good QPR value when I found this on sale.
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Amazingly good for the money. Full, rich, clean and devoid of serious defects. Let the initial funky nose blow off and let this wine open up. There is nice Grenache richness an Syrah spice. It's with taking a chance on this one.
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Opaque purple in color, this wine revealed a smoky, meaty nose of dark red fruits dominated by black cherry. The mouth feel was medium bodied and offered up additional notes of glycerin and blackberry. The finish was surprisingly soft but enjoyable with touches of anise rounding out the smooth tannins.
Purchased for $14US, this is an enjoyable CDR with no hard edges. It's flavor profile and lower level acidity make it available for sipping as well as pairing with roasted meats.
An Eric Solomon Selection, imported by European Cellars, LLC, Charlotte, NC.
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A strong recommendation from my local Costco and it did not disappoint. Reminded me a lot of a chocolate cherry cordial with a little tobacco. Very drinkable right now and pleasant but I don’t think it will cellar for more than two more years (doesn’t have the structure for it).
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Tannins are almost completely resolved. Not as jammy as it was initially. Berry pie with hints of licorice and minerals. Low acidity, so it's not the greatest "food" wine, but it's pretty damned tasty to quaff. Probably time to drink up.
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What a polarizing wine! This is new world winemaking for a new world audience and export market. Put it up against Rhone varietals from Paso Robles. Then remember it's $12.99. Grenache is the star here with red violet aromatics rounded out with mixed berry pie from the Syrah. Palate matches the nose. There is a subtle earthiness and wet stone minerality on the finish, just enough to add a hint of character and save this from being boring. Did I mention it's $12.99? Very well made. Oh, the white version is equally pleasing and same price. Don't tell anyone where it's from and enjoy it! Life is good.
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Somehow I ended up with two bottles of this wine. I find it to be a disgusting and undrinkable fruit bomb. I have come to hate WA for giving high marks to wines like this.
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I do not like Grenache very much. It makes dull, jammy wines with too much glycerin, weak tannins, and insufficient acidity. This wine is no exception.
Edit: next day, poured it out. Fruit bomb garbage. I dislike drinking this stuff, so 80 is kind.
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About an hour and a half decant time, this has jammy tendencies in the bouquet and the palate with a touch of nutmeg and earth mixed in. Lean, firm and slightly closed with a reasonable finish, for the price point it is fine, nothing earthshaking to speak of but with food it is fine.
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Juicy, ripe fruit. Hedonistic style, low acid, no perceivable oak, concentrated nearly jammy. Not what I'd expect from a Rhone, but enjoyable nonetheless.
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Has settled down. Not nearly as jammy as it was last fall, but still has plenty of fruit. The other components are starting to emerge. May never be as good as the 2010, but still a very good value.
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Great value! Definitely competes with more expensive CDR's. Needs air to fully develop...after an hour in the carafe it definitely settled down on the fruit side. Black raspberry, licorice, and smooth. It's not a CDP so I'm not sure what is expected from a value priced wine like this?
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Make no mistake about it, this is very "modern" in style, very ripe, very rich... but given the style, this is reasonably well balanced, with abundant fruit and a sappy, pulpy and rich texture. Tough to complain about this at this price point. Easy drinking, fun wine.
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A ruby/purple color. The nose is a little tight but very pleasant. It shows red berries, cherry, and a hint of soil. The palate is fruity with flavors of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, violet, clove, and a hint of bitter chocolate. This is a very easy drinking wine with low acidity and low tannins but on the whole it does not have much to offer and certainly it is too flabby and fruity for my taste.
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Generous black cherry fruit, but performs more like an Australian cough syrup than a French wine. Super soft, lush, sweet, vanilla, suck, candy, sugar.
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Loads of ripe dark fruit on the nose, with a slight herbal note. On the palate, I'd swear this was a Montsant or even Jumilla. Ripe and fruit forward, with blackberry and plum and just the faintest touch of garrigue. Decent acidity. Good deal for $13.
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Medium red. This offers an inviting red berry fruit entry that is sappy and tinged with licorice. Thereafter, it falls off pretty quickly, with a prickly, short finish that is a little hot and not well balanced. Not a bad gulp, though.
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When did guys in the Southern Rhone start making wine with fruit from Rockpile? On one hand, it is pretty tasty, but on the other, it's somewhat of a jammy fruitbomb. No structure and no secondary flavors. Given the track record of this wine and the people who make it, i expect (hope) that with a little more time, the fruit will subside a little, turning this into a more balanced, food-friendly wine.
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A bit to sweet fruit, but a lovely wine which is very approachable. This effort drinks perfectly right now and is a perfect introduction to the more traditional house style. There is no oak present and the acidity is also pretty forward. A very nice wine!
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The best bottle I have had of this so far. Some of the previous bottles presented overly jammy however it seems perhaps this bottle has entered a good phase. The fruit has calmed down slightly in this bottle and more complexity can be found.
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Tasted during April at a meeting of the American Wine Society, this was the most-liked of five Rhone wines sampled priced in the $15 to $42 range. The group of 27 was not aware of the prices until the end of the evening. We liked the big fruit character with the woody and lusicous appeal. Tasted strawberry, black cherry and cinnamon flavors.
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Pop and pour. Last of 3 bottles of this, and this was the worst of the bunch. Perhaps bottle variation, but this was overly sweet and acidic. Previous bottles were more in the 88-90 range. Not sure if this is gone, or just a bad bottle.
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The nose showed rich, ripe blueberry and blackberry fruit with brush herbs and dark mineral laden soil. On the palate, it was rich with ripe dark fruits and cinnamon, that came across as a little too sweet, then washed clean by brisk acidity as a slight hint of alcohol snuck in, which stayed noticeable on the finish.
In the end, this was very enjoyable but it's missing the balance and energy of the 2010. Pop it open at a party, and watch your guests swoon.
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Drank over 2 days. Excellent qpr, good structure and balance although a bit on the big side. All calmed down on 2nd night along with some nice raspberry notes also showing up on day 2.
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Grenache (85%) and Syrah (15%) blend. Popped and poured. Medium garnet with aroma of cherry. In the mouth, medium-bodied with kirsch, blackberries, licorice, spice and a hint of white pepper. Medium-length finish. This wine pales (literally) in comparison to the better 2010 Cercius. It was aged in concrete rather than the obligatory new oak and is approachable now. Excellent QPR. This wine experiences significant deterioration with 24 hrs of air, so don't cellar and drink now. Multiple bottles from different retailers tasted with identical notes.
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I concur that it is not as good as the 2010, but it's also a different style of wine. I think the winemaker adapted the style to the vintage. If you told me this was the second wine of a good North Rhone producer from a warm vintage I would believe you. I kind of get the 'fruity' element mentioned by other reviewers, but no jam at all. I thought the wine too austere to be jammy. There's lots of Syrah-like pepper on the nose and palate, a whole lot, and I liked it. It's tighter, thinner, and more austere, in a very good way, than the previous vintage. Also, it's not as fruity and jammy as a lot of New World styled CdRs. It's a very good wine and a good bargain.
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youthful and primary, relatively simple and fruit forward. Not bad, but not that interesting. Not sure I see many, if any, of the attributes in the 92point rhone report tasting note.... maybe needs more time or air...
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Open up floral and powerful. Has a component of elegance in the upper nose. Palate is a bit thick,initially and I found the. Next day it has taste of burnt coffee,(others described it as chocolate or tar, I can totally see that. Less enjoyable as I think about it, and having gone through 3 bottles over the last week. Very little harmony between the nose and palate/
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At $11 an excellent QPR. Complex, rewarding wine marred by too much alcohol. Clear garnet color; explosive nose of dark fruit, berries, and herbs; full, balanced flavor between sweetness and acid; very long, savory finish with delicious lingering bitterness. I would suggest roast fowl with this.
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Dark color. Big fruity nose goes with big red fruit taste. This certainly needs food at the moment unless you are into jammy reds. After an hour in the bottle, the fruit calmed down and some nicer components started to make an appearance (a little tar and spice). Do yourself a favor and let this bottle breathe for awhile (at this point in its age). 87pts.
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A very nice Grenache blend, the Syrah gave it a little punch. As usual with French over domestic versions, the wine was smooth with an easy finish. A big, fruity nose upon opening, it opened up rather well over the course of an hour.
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such parody between the nose and the actual taste. Berry forward through the smell but very pleasant and smooth through the whole tasting. Reading the label which states that it was aged in steel barrels. Steel tanks (or cement or ceramic, as are often used in Euro, FR and Spain, Greece, Ital)...impart a diffT style to the wine, put fruit and freshness ahead of wood, and depth and complexity
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Young and a bit less complex then 2010 Cercius. On day 1 this bottle showed strong dark fruit, a touch of woodiness, and a bit of an alcohol burn. On day 2 however it was much improved with the fruit being more well integrated and the burn from alcohol was gone. It had smoothed out nicely and there was a touch of chocolate on the palate. Perhaps a decant, time in the glass, or more time in storage will help this to show earlier after opening.
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Appearance: Clear, dark garnet, pale rim. Nose: Clean, expressive dark berries, dried herbs. Palate: Dry, expressive very ripe blackberries, flowering herbs, fresh fennel, whispers of black cherries. Long finish. Plastic cork, 14.5% abv. (D 7, F 7; MSW/ES)
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Deep rich blackberry and blueberry nose, tea and slight herbal component; very modern style, "jam-packed", a bit hot and fruit forward; solid fruity style.
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1/12/2019 - tomoem Likes this wine: 89 Points
Read the reviews and I must have gotten lucky because mine is not bad
Day 1 Fragrant with floral dominated Syrah over any fruit of Grenache. Jammy and fruit forward style. Slightly cloudy
Day 2 strawberry jam aromatics with spice driven aged fruit. Slightly rotted fruit palette with a creamy mouthfeel.
Great value wine which is not over the hill.
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2/9/2018 - mvande21 wrote: flawed
Good in its day. Now bad and down the drain. Fortunately it was my last bottle.
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7/7/2017 - WyneBear wrote:
Unfortunately this went bad. =(
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1/14/2017 - HarlanPSU wrote: flawed
This wine went bad.
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8/7/2016 - Quarked wrote: 88 Points
Previous review hits the nail on the head. Except I would give it a somewhat smaller score.
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7/31/2016 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 90 Points
Despite aging gracefully, and now showing secondary fragrances and flavors, this wine is meant for drinking young and I would recommend that you drink up whatever is left in your cellar. It still has an explosive Grenache nose, and the alcohol is a bit less present than when younger, but this wine (85:15 Grenache:Syrah, no wood) is all about primary flavors and so should best be enjoyed when young. Excellent QPR.
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4/15/2016 - Altonplace wrote: 85 Points
Almost syrupy sweet from this big name cooperative offering. Too many other solid Rhones to spend bucks on this mediocre one (despite low price).
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3/24/2016 - rama Likes this wine:
Ripe and big, though well executed.
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2/23/2016 - Leomania Likes this wine: 89 Points
A very good CdR at a good price point. Liking this as well as the 2010. I consider it to be a California-style, but it's consistently so and it's not a ding in my book. Good Grenache flavor, forward but not overly so. Nice balance and persistence.
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12/12/2015 - deschamp52 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Well balanced fruit and tannins. Food friendly; very drinkable.
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11/7/2015 - SeanTrapani Likes this wine: 86 Points
Shared with friends at Pi. Drink it when you buy it. Loses fruit quickly.
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10/27/2015 - rama Likes this wine:
Syrah on the nose. Lush, rich fruit on the palate. Bright and long milk chocolate finish. Tasty cocktail style wine.
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9/11/2015 - Paul Benigeri wrote: 92 Points
Really solid.
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9/11/2015 - Paul Benigeri Likes this wine: 92 Points
Loved it. Awesome wine, crisp and refreshing. Great value.
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9/6/2015 - bin905 Likes this wine: 90 Points
On the lighter more delicate side.
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7/17/2015 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tasty and a good bargain too.
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6/9/2015 - sholbert wrote: 84 Points
Hot finish, almost kind of bitter. Everything up to that point was pretty nice though. Dark fruit, minerality, soft up front. Definitely aerate.
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6/8/2015 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Candied black berry Grenache fruit.
Whew is that hot on the back end.
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6/7/2015 - Night Train Likes this wine: 89 Points
My last bottle, and it's been interesting to see it evolve. Initially, it was a little too jammy. Over time, the fruit subsided but certainly didn't disappear. It added a little weight and a fair amount of complexity. Now, it's probably about to start fading.
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5/23/2015 - cab_fran Likes this wine: 89 Points
Lots of CT tasting note drama for this wine, and I'm not sure why. My wife and I have had two bottles now and this is fine for $10 Cotes du Rhone, though behind the 2009 Cercius. The fruit and spice are there with some complexity and the wine is food friendly. We found this to be better the second night, so maybe some air or a Vinturi would help the first night.
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5/17/2015 - brodrig33 Likes this wine: 82 Points
Better on first day
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3/30/2015 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Loads of sweet black fruit.
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3/22/2015 - ledocq wrote: flawed
Tasted muted then 2 hours i there's this butane-like flame out at the end, shrill alcohol. Day 2: all nail polish. Dumped.
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3/10/2015 - shadowjack Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice heavy fruit nose but smooth and light on the palate. Great value.
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3/7/2015 - cmr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ditto my previous note. This is drinking wonderful right now.
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3/2/2015 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
Still drinking very nicely with balanced red fruit, pepper and earth flavors.
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2/24/2015 - cmr Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle was exceptional for the price. Wonderful balanced fruit, acid and tannins. Strong Southern Rhone flavors.
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1/3/2015 - Ianjaig wrote: 88 Points
Better than the last bottle, though the first mouthful was just as harsh and devoid of fruit. It got better as it went on but clearly not a wine to cellar. Overall, disappointing.
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12/28/2014 - phils_hobby wrote: 88 Points
nice Rhone blend. Good with a lightly flavored meat and roasted veges. Good balance to fruit and acid. Maybe another year in teh cellar, but that's all.
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12/27/2014 - Night Train Likes this wine: 89 Points
Blueberries and a hint of licorice. Fairly rich, with a solid finish. Holding up well. Terrific value.
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12/27/2014 - Z1nnfull Likes this wine: 89 Points
France makes a ton of really good, affordable Rhone blends (GSM's =Grenache /Syrah/Mouvedre), vinifying in concrete tanks, but seeing no oak. This is a great example. The stars are the fruit...black and red cherry, herbaceous, but slightly restrained with a feeling of silky elegance. Medium-bodied, acidic enough to pair nicely with a variety of food. 85% Grenache/15% Syrah. Drinkable now, smoking deal- $10.99 at Costco and probably not much more elsewhere. Michael Gassier paired with Eric Solomon on this one, fyi.
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11/15/2014 - swade wrote: 86 Points
Sampled at a party. I've liked this for years, but haven't tried the 2011. This came across fairly simple, but clean, balanced and enjoyable. Somewhat restrained compared to other vintages. 86.
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10/16/2014 - fdub Likes this wine: 89 Points
Clean, well made and really a nice quaff. Black fruits some sage and herbs.
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10/13/2014 - Chrism422 wrote: 92 Points
No way is this an 89 point wine.
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10/2/2014 - Ianjaig Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Not the raspberry bomb I remember it being. A year on and it seems quite harsh and unpleasant. All tannin and little fruit. A drink young only wine?
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9/26/2014 - wmccone54 wrote: 88 Points
The Fleming's 100 preview Tasting Event (Flemings Steakhouse, The Domain, Austin TX): A very enjoyable Rhone blend comprised of 85% Grenache, and 15% Syrah. Medium to full bodied displaying mixed red and black fruits underscored with a great herbal flair. Buy.
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9/25/2014 - Ideasthatstick Does not like this wine:
I must be on a bad run. Someone rated this 75 and it kind of annoyed because I though it unkind. Until I had the wine. It really didn't taste like wine. It kind of tasted like grape juice having a bad hair day. I agree where does WA come up with these numbers? This wine had no center, it had no direction it certainly was lacking in "Rhone" like character. Yes grape juice having a bad hair day. Avoid this if you can. If not take to a party. No one will know the difference but you.
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9/23/2014 - F_&_M Likes this wine: 87 Points
Pretty good wine, and a very good value. A bit disjointed, but all the right notes are there.
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9/20/2014 - AMC Eagle wrote: 90 Points
Purple-ruby in colour with a nose of black cherries along with some red berries and baking sugar with a hint of green herbs. The palate's a bit restrained with the black cherries, licorice, and some spicy provencal herbs are present. Tannins are still present on the front, and the finish is very nice. The 2010 version of this blew me away, but this one brought me back down to earth. Still, a good QPR value when I found this on sale.
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9/17/2014 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 90 Points
Amazingly good for the money. Full, rich, clean and devoid of serious defects. Let the initial funky nose blow off and let this wine open up. There is nice Grenache richness an Syrah spice. It's with taking a chance on this one.
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9/10/2014 - cmr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank over 2 nights. Excellent and well balanced.
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9/4/2014 - cuffthis Likes this wine: 88 Points
Opaque purple in color, this wine revealed a smoky, meaty nose of dark red fruits dominated by black cherry. The mouth feel was medium bodied and offered up additional notes of glycerin and blackberry. The finish was surprisingly soft but enjoyable with touches of anise rounding out the smooth tannins.
Purchased for $14US, this is an enjoyable CDR with no hard edges. It's flavor profile and lower level acidity make it available for sipping as well as pairing with roasted meats.
An Eric Solomon Selection, imported by European Cellars, LLC, Charlotte, NC.
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9/3/2014 - DavidDay Likes this wine: 88 Points
Ripe cherries dominate the flavor, rich full mouth feel
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8/28/2014 - Chrism422 wrote: 90 Points
A strong recommendation from my local Costco and it did not disappoint. Reminded me a lot of a chocolate cherry cordial with a little tobacco. Very drinkable right now and pleasant but I don’t think it will cellar for more than two more years (doesn’t have the structure for it).
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8/10/2014 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 88 Points
a great QPR, this is sub $10 if you can find it - friendly, with big fruit forward notes of fig dark berries backed with ganache.
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8/10/2014 - Night Train Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tannins are almost completely resolved. Not as jammy as it was initially. Berry pie with hints of licorice and minerals. Low acidity, so it's not the greatest "food" wine, but it's pretty damned tasty to quaff. Probably time to drink up.
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7/29/2014 - Altonplace wrote:
Doesn't taste like a typical CdR. Much fruitier. Pleasant at this price point.
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7/24/2014 - tekygeek wrote: 88 Points
What a polarizing wine! This is new world winemaking for a new world audience and export market. Put it up against Rhone varietals from Paso Robles. Then remember it's $12.99. Grenache is the star here with red violet aromatics rounded out with mixed berry pie from the Syrah. Palate matches the nose. There is a subtle earthiness and wet stone minerality on the finish, just enough to add a hint of character and save this from being boring. Did I mention it's $12.99? Very well made. Oh, the white version is equally pleasing and same price. Don't tell anyone where it's from and enjoy it! Life is good.
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7/19/2014 - MattMauldin wrote:
Winehound, Santa Barbara- European Wine tasting July 2014: Cherry, licorice and spice. Rich and ripe on the palate with full juicy tannins through the finish. Crowd pleaser- good QPR.
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7/17/2014 - rmalloy Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Somehow I ended up with two bottles of this wine. I find it to be a disgusting and undrinkable fruit bomb. I have come to hate WA for giving high marks to wines like this.
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6/16/2014 - rmalloy wrote: 80 Points
I do not like Grenache very much. It makes dull, jammy wines with too much glycerin, weak tannins, and insufficient acidity. This wine is no exception.
Edit: next day, poured it out. Fruit bomb garbage. I dislike drinking this stuff, so 80 is kind.
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6/11/2014 - quaffnov wrote: 87 Points
About an hour and a half decant time, this has jammy tendencies in the bouquet and the palate with a touch of nutmeg and earth mixed in. Lean, firm and slightly closed with a reasonable finish, for the price point it is fine, nothing earthshaking to speak of but with food it is fine.
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6/1/2014 - rama Likes this wine: 90 Points
Juicy, ripe fruit. Hedonistic style, low acid, no perceivable oak, concentrated nearly jammy. Not what I'd expect from a Rhone, but enjoyable nonetheless.
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5/19/2014 - Night Train Likes this wine: 89 Points
Has settled down. Not nearly as jammy as it was last fall, but still has plenty of fruit. The other components are starting to emerge. May never be as good as the 2010, but still a very good value.
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4/5/2014 - Altonplace wrote: 91 Points
Exploding with berries on nose, palate. Ridiculous bargain at around ten bucks.
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3/9/2014 - Mosnowman Likes this wine: 89 Points
Great value! Definitely competes with more expensive CDR's. Needs air to fully develop...after an hour in the carafe it definitely settled down on the fruit side. Black raspberry, licorice, and smooth. It's not a CDP so I'm not sure what is expected from a value priced wine like this?
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3/3/2014 - mdefreitas wrote: 89 Points
Make no mistake about it, this is very "modern" in style, very ripe, very rich... but given the style, this is reasonably well balanced, with abundant fruit and a sappy, pulpy and rich texture. Tough to complain about this at this price point. Easy drinking, fun wine.
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2/12/2014 - Cadby Likes this wine: 89 Points
2011 Cercius Cotes Du Rhone +++ $25
Pop & drink. Light, rich nose. delicious, balanced, generous.
http://8wordsonwine.blogspot.com/2014/02/2011-cercius-cotes-du-rhone-25.html
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1/13/2014 - Sourdough wrote: 86 Points
Not much nose. Moderate color. Flavor of red fruit/cherry. Little complexity. Simple! Slightly sweet tasting. Kind of funky balance and bitterness.
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1/8/2014 - dssinger wrote: 85 Points
Soft, not a lot of fruit or character, but pleasant enough.
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1/6/2014 - Alv3sachan Likes this wine: 88 Points
Spicy wine with some earthy minerality. Wish it had more fruit pop or I had decanted more.
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1/3/2014 - Fat Lips wrote: 82 Points
A ruby/purple color. The nose is a little tight but very pleasant. It shows red berries, cherry, and a hint of soil. The palate is fruity with flavors of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, violet, clove, and a hint of bitter chocolate. This is a very easy drinking wine with low acidity and low tannins but on the whole it does not have much to offer and certainly it is too flabby and fruity for my taste.
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12/31/2013 - wetlandwino wrote: 89 Points
Nice wine for the price.
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12/15/2013 - jtoskey wrote: 85 Points
Whoa hopefully will show.a little softer or complex in another year or two
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11/26/2013 - kidsmurf2000 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Interesting enough daily drinker, with some nice body, cherry whiskey taste, nice gravelly nose.
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11/14/2013 - keepitreal Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Generous black cherry fruit, but performs more like an Australian cough syrup than a French wine. Super soft, lush, sweet, vanilla, suck, candy, sugar.
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11/9/2013 - jpstough wrote: 84 Points
Fruit forward. Very rich and jammy. A little too sweet for me. Limited oak. More like a fruity table red.
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11/9/2013 - ziavino wrote: 88 Points
Loads of ripe dark fruit on the nose, with a slight herbal note. On the palate, I'd swear this was a Montsant or even Jumilla. Ripe and fruit forward, with blackberry and plum and just the faintest touch of garrigue. Decent acidity. Good deal for $13.
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11/3/2013 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium red. This offers an inviting red berry fruit entry that is sappy and tinged with licorice. Thereafter, it falls off pretty quickly, with a prickly, short finish that is a little hot and not well balanced. Not a bad gulp, though.
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10/31/2013 - AMM3RD wrote: 86 Points
The fruit was a little too stewed for my taste. Skip it.
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9/27/2013 - Ianjaig Likes this wine: 91 Points
Raspberries in a glass. Similar to the D'Arenberg Custodian. At $17 a bottle, this offers exceptional value.
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9/23/2013 - Night Train wrote: 87 Points
When did guys in the Southern Rhone start making wine with fruit from Rockpile? On one hand, it is pretty tasty, but on the other, it's somewhat of a jammy fruitbomb. No structure and no secondary flavors. Given the track record of this wine and the people who make it, i expect (hope) that with a little more time, the fruit will subside a little, turning this into a more balanced, food-friendly wine.
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9/2/2013 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 89 Points
A bit to sweet fruit, but a lovely wine which is very approachable. This effort drinks perfectly right now and is a perfect introduction to the more traditional house style. There is no oak present and the acidity is also pretty forward. A very nice wine!
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8/30/2013 - Kraigers1 wrote: 87 Points
Give it time. Very floral to start & pungent.
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8/23/2013 - cortisj2 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice Eric Solomon Selection I would buy this one up... Not going to last long at this price.
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8/9/2013 - W2WineGuy Likes this wine: 87 Points
nice everyday wine, a little acidic, so let it breathe, but still nice
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8/2/2013 - bcmatthias Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good everyday wine.
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6/19/2013 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote: 90 Points
The best bottle I have had of this so far. Some of the previous bottles presented overly jammy however it seems perhaps this bottle has entered a good phase. The fruit has calmed down slightly in this bottle and more complexity can be found.
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6/9/2013 - W2WineGuy Likes this wine: 88 Points
similar to other comments, great everyday drinker, give it some air, even better
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5/27/2013 - W2WineGuy Likes this wine: 87 Points
great everyday drinker. Popped and poured, a bit acidic in the beginning but smoothed out over time. Nice stuff
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5/24/2013 - Cody 18 wrote: 89 Points
Very fruity start with a smooth finish.
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5/24/2013 - cortisj2 wrote: 91 Points
strawberry, black cherry and cinnamon flavors, very well made Rhone well balanced. I noticed this vintage is selling out fast $14.99
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5/17/2013 - DelmarvaWine.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasted during April at a meeting of the American Wine Society, this was the most-liked of five Rhone wines sampled priced in the $15 to $42 range. The group of 27 was not aware of the prices until the end of the evening. We liked the big fruit character with the woody and lusicous appeal. Tasted strawberry, black cherry and cinnamon flavors.
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5/8/2013 - thelostverse wrote: 85 Points
Pop and pour. Last of 3 bottles of this, and this was the worst of the bunch. Perhaps bottle variation, but this was overly sweet and acidic. Previous bottles were more in the 88-90 range. Not sure if this is gone, or just a bad bottle.
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5/7/2013 - edgar wrote: 87 Points
Big wine; fruit forward. Palate strong with ripe dark fruits, but finish balanced
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4/27/2013 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 88 Points
The nose showed rich, ripe blueberry and blackberry fruit with brush herbs and dark mineral laden soil. On the palate, it was rich with ripe dark fruits and cinnamon, that came across as a little too sweet, then washed clean by brisk acidity as a slight hint of alcohol snuck in, which stayed noticeable on the finish.
In the end, this was very enjoyable but it's missing the balance and energy of the 2010. Pop it open at a party, and watch your guests swoon.
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4/3/2013 - Grape_ape wrote:
consistent with previous note..
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4/1/2013 - cmr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank over 2 days. Excellent qpr, good structure and balance although a bit on the big side. All calmed down on 2nd night along with some nice raspberry notes also showing up on day 2.
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3/31/2013 - Navyweaver wrote: 88 Points
Drank this with Easter ham. Really enjoyed it for the price.
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3/31/2013 - bcmatthias Likes this wine: 88 Points
Great quality for price. Well balanced for drinking on its own.
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3/22/2013 - Dagalaifus Likes this wine: 90 Points
Grenache (85%) and Syrah (15%) blend. Popped and poured. Medium garnet with aroma of cherry. In the mouth, medium-bodied with kirsch, blackberries, licorice, spice and a hint of white pepper. Medium-length finish. This wine pales (literally) in comparison to the better 2010 Cercius. It was aged in concrete rather than the obligatory new oak and is approachable now. Excellent QPR. This wine experiences significant deterioration with 24 hrs of air, so don't cellar and drink now. Multiple bottles from different retailers tasted with identical notes.
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3/7/2013 - Motz wrote: 89 Points
I concur that it is not as good as the 2010, but it's also a different style of wine. I think the winemaker adapted the style to the vintage. If you told me this was the second wine of a good North Rhone producer from a warm vintage I would believe you. I kind of get the 'fruity' element mentioned by other reviewers, but no jam at all. I thought the wine too austere to be jammy. There's lots of Syrah-like pepper on the nose and palate, a whole lot, and I liked it. It's tighter, thinner, and more austere, in a very good way, than the previous vintage. Also, it's not as fruity and jammy as a lot of New World styled CdRs. It's a very good wine and a good bargain.
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2/21/2013 - Grape_ape wrote:
youthful and primary, relatively simple and fruit forward. Not bad, but not that interesting. Not sure I see many, if any, of the attributes in the 92point rhone report tasting note.... maybe needs more time or air...
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2/14/2013 - pilot360 wrote: 84 Points
Open up floral and powerful. Has a component of elegance in the upper nose. Palate is a bit thick,initially and I found the. Next day it has taste of burnt coffee,(others described it as chocolate or tar, I can totally see that. Less enjoyable as I think about it, and having gone through 3 bottles over the last week. Very little harmony between the nose and palate/
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2/13/2013 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 90 Points
At $11 an excellent QPR. Complex, rewarding wine marred by too much alcohol. Clear garnet color; explosive nose of dark fruit, berries, and herbs; full, balanced flavor between sweetness and acid; very long, savory finish with delicious lingering bitterness. I would suggest roast fowl with this.
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12/8/2012 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote: 87 Points
Dark color. Big fruity nose goes with big red fruit taste. This certainly needs food at the moment unless you are into jammy reds. After an hour in the bottle, the fruit calmed down and some nicer components started to make an appearance (a little tar and spice). Do yourself a favor and let this bottle breathe for awhile (at this point in its age). 87pts.
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10/20/2012 - mgottberg wrote: 88 Points
A very nice Grenache blend, the Syrah gave it a little punch. As usual with French over domestic versions, the wine was smooth with an easy finish. A big, fruity nose upon opening, it opened up rather well over the course of an hour.
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10/13/2012 - Cjcooker wrote: 90 Points
such parody between the nose and the actual taste. Berry forward through the smell but very pleasant and smooth through the whole tasting. Reading the label which states that it was aged in steel barrels. Steel tanks (or cement or ceramic, as are often used in Euro, FR and Spain, Greece, Ital)...impart a diffT style to the wine, put fruit and freshness ahead of wood, and depth and complexity
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10/2/2012 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote: 88 Points
Young and a bit less complex then 2010 Cercius. On day 1 this bottle showed strong dark fruit, a touch of woodiness, and a bit of an alcohol burn. On day 2 however it was much improved with the fruit being more well integrated and the burn from alcohol was gone. It had smoothed out nicely and there was a touch of chocolate on the palate. Perhaps a decant, time in the glass, or more time in storage will help this to show earlier after opening.
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9/1/2012 - nubbin wrote: 90 Points
Appearance: Clear, dark garnet, pale rim.
Nose: Clean, expressive dark berries, dried herbs.
Palate: Dry, expressive very ripe blackberries, flowering herbs, fresh fennel, whispers of black cherries. Long finish.
Plastic cork, 14.5% abv. (D 7, F 7; MSW/ES)
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8/29/2012 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Juicy juice. I like it in that cool aid kinda way. Ok at $14.99, rockin' at $9.99.
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7/26/2012 - peternelson wrote: 88 Points
Deep rich blackberry and blueberry nose, tea and slight herbal component; very modern style, "jam-packed", a bit hot and fruit forward; solid fruity style.
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6/30/2012 - tooch wrote: 60 Points
Saturday Wine Tasting (Chicago, IL): I poured this down the drain. Tasted like grape cough syrup. Atrocious.
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6/23/2012 - dke wrote: 86 Points
Rhone tasting (retailer): Young, fruity and jammy. Almost full bodied with some spice and alcohol, a touch sweet and simple.
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