Decanted for 3 hours. Fantastic. Dark berries, old strawberries, hints of baseball-glove leather, just the tiniest bits of brick/ash. The only disappointment is this was our last bottle.
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Still a bit of a disappointment; I was expected so much more. I agree with my tasting note of almost two years ago. The cork was nearly perfect after over a decade in the bottle and came out clean. I consumed this Rhone blend over two days. Deep ruby color with no oxidation, clarity medium. Popped and poured, this wine had a bit of astringency. Aromas of licorice, plum, black cherry, and vanilla. Silky flavors of black cherry cola, blackberry, glycerin, and leather with a hint of tobacco and mushroom; and has a slightly bitter medium finish. This blend is reminiscent of an old style Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This age worthy wine may have more years of life left, but I'm not sure it will improve with more time. I still have two bottles of this vintage remaining, I will revisit soon to validate my tasting notes.
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Although this wine is tasting pretty good right now, it was a bit of a disappointment; I was expected so much more. The cork was nearly perfect after over a decade in the bottle and came out clean. I consumed this Rhone blend over two days. Deep ruby color with no oxidation, clarity medium. Popped and poured, this wine really benefited from gentle oxygen since it was much more soft and integrated on day two, but still had a bit of astringency. Aromas of plum, black cherry, and vanilla. Silky flavors of black cherry cola, blackberry, glycerin, and leather with a hint of tobacco and mushroom; and has a slightly bitter medium finish. This iblend is reminiscent of an old style Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This age worthy wine may have more years of life left, but I'm not sure it will improve with more time. I still have three bottles of this vintage remaining, I will revisit soon to validate my tasting note.
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Dark purple but short of opaque. Enticing aromas of raspberry and blackberry, The sip shows a fine balance between fruit, acid, and tannin that is tasty, refreshing, smooth, and elegant. The swallow adds a light texture but ends with a streak of astringent bitterness. Got somewhat richer by day 4 of being opened but what the wine most lacks is any caressing lushness.
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Medium garnet with some clearing. Medium aromas of red and black fruit with secondaries of dried flowers/herbs and perhaps a little game/meat on the back end. Medium(+) palate of red/black fruit again with nice herbal quality. Medium(+) tannins and medium(+) acidity with ETOH high but not all dominant. Drinking quite nicely now but I would guess will go at least another 3-5 yrs.
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Tasted for 5 days after being opened. Opaque black to the end. Generous fruit aromas of raspberry and black plum. The sip adds juicy blackberry to the fruit and shows bright acidity, rounded tannin, and the integration one would hope from an 8 year old. The crowning part of the taste is the swallow, which features great clarity of flavors with upfront richness, depth, and concentration, without being sour, astringent, or leathery. Overall, beautifully aging, delicious, and fully enjoyable any time over the next 5 years.
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With roast rib of beef and roasted vegetables - this has opened up since 2014 - greater depth of fruit and balanced tannins. Enjoyed by the group and will open another in 2017 but drinking well now.
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Medium garnet color. Medium aromas of muted sweet red/black fruit - cherry and plum primarily. Medium on the palate, with medium fine tannins and maybe a bit short. Well balanced though. Nothing exciting but well crafted and no negatives.
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Clear dark ruby with some clearing at rim. Medium(+) aromas of blackberry/ sweet cherry/ cola. Minor secondary aromas of wood smoke/leather/cedar. Some reductive aromas at first, quickly blew off. Full on palate, with blackberry/oak. Medium (+) tannins and medium(+) acidity. Medium(+) to high alcohol. This appears a little hollow on mid palate. Little tight altogether, more so than last bottle tasted. Will try again 1-2 yrs, appears to have the fruit to allow some aging.
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Didn't really change much from 16 months ago. Generic, but definitely better than some $80 Napa wines I've had that were made in the "old world" style. When I think of this wine, I think about drinking a glass of wine from an unmarked, unlabeled bottle from a French ancestor's cellar in Rhone while he's serving me some of the best food I've had. This wine is a good accoutrement to an earthy dish given that the earthy quality in this wine will match just right, and the acidity to help. This wine is still a bit acidic on the front....has died down a little bit, but is rather dry on the finish and earthy in the middle. Good plum and raspberry notes in the front with more of an earthy tar note in the middle carrying to a lingering dry and earthy finish. This medium bodied wine is definitely better with food. I don't expect the structure of this wine to hold up much longer, but I do expect it to hold longer than 2016 as reported by some others. I give this one until 2018, but given that things didn't really change from 5/2013 to now, I don't believe this one is going to really improve drastically in the bottle.
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Attractive nose of spring flowers, meaty chestnuts, and earthy, roasted dark cherries. Good length and texture, although somewhat hot finish. Drinking well now as a PnP.
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This bottle is even better than the last. As everyone has said, an hour decanting is amazing for this bottle. You then get all the fruit, spice & mineral tastes of the bottle. Order more!
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Bonnie really liked this one. I did too, but not quite as much as she. Has a bright and sweet nose upon opening. Has some cola going on, as well as some minerality. Decent balance but the finish is a little short. It's a good bottle for the money, mid $20s, so not much to offer but praise. Telegraphe is $50 more, and I think I'd rather have one bottle of that than three of this, if that makes sense. Try serving with a soft cheese and fresh figs.
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Tastes of dusty strawberries, pepper & cinnamon, wt hints of cotton candy. Will really round out well over next several mos for an even better drinking CDP.
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Medium bodied. Some spice, sweet bright fruit on the front. Not overly impressive yet. But certainly tasty and drinkable. Finish has discernible tannins that lead me to believe it may have room for improvement. Next in 6-12 months.
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This is the bottle that taught me the realities of bottle shock. Had first bottle about three months ago the day it arrived and it was ok. Disappointing. But tonight we tried it again and it was BEAUTIFUL! But understand we tend to like that candy nose and bright fruitiness this CDP provides. After an hour it started opening and showed more depth and character, which we appreciated, but sure did like that candy nose for the first thirty mins.
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Not the typical CdP at this time. Lighter in color and body. well made with strawberries / elderberry and early morning dew and hidden minerals that arrive at the finish ). balanced tannins and very drinkable now. I'm going to pull the next one out in about 6 months to see how this will age further - my instincts are that it will not change too much.
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This wine was enjoyed without food at first, and was (unfortunately) served as a pop and pour on the day after it was received. And for that I gave this an NR. This bottle was uncorked to a medium purple stain, zero cork bleed. The wine was served immediately and was a little acidic on the front and tannic on the rear. On the front was dusty black cherry and some vanilla sweetness. There was a earthy quality about the middle, yet the wine was still relatively soft given the subtle herbal notes in the mid-palate and finish. The wine finished with some kind of tart finish. This was not a very UNpleasing note and as a matter of fact just kind of reminded me that I had murdered a good 2010 CDP probably 1-2 years too early. In my opinion this wine was a little bit "generic" at this moment, not really showing those CDP red berries, spice, complexity. And probably a combination of my boneheaded move to kill this beauty before its time ..... without decanting. I'd give it an 88 with this current showing, but I know I could have probably done a lot to change this.
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11/23/2023 - markyc Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Fantastic. Dark berries, old strawberries, hints of baseball-glove leather, just the tiniest bits of brick/ash. The only disappointment is this was our last bottle.
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3/10/2023 - bdhanna Likes this wine: 88 Points
Still a bit of a disappointment; I was expected so much more. I agree with my tasting note of almost two years ago.
The cork was nearly perfect after over a decade in the bottle and came out clean. I consumed this Rhone blend over two days. Deep ruby color with no oxidation, clarity medium. Popped and poured, this wine had a bit of astringency. Aromas of licorice, plum, black cherry, and vanilla. Silky flavors of black cherry cola, blackberry, glycerin, and leather with a hint of tobacco and mushroom; and has a slightly bitter medium finish. This blend is reminiscent of an old style Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This age worthy wine may have more years of life left, but I'm not sure it will improve with more time. I still have two bottles of this vintage remaining, I will revisit soon to validate my tasting notes.
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2/21/2023 - Mossrose Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice surprise. Garrigue and raspberry followed by leathery notes. Holds its 14.5 % all well. Fantastic QPR.
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4/14/2021 - bdhanna Likes this wine: 90 Points
Although this wine is tasting pretty good right now, it was a bit of a disappointment; I was expected so much more.
The cork was nearly perfect after over a decade in the bottle and came out clean. I consumed this Rhone blend over two days. Deep ruby color with no oxidation, clarity medium. Popped and poured, this wine really benefited from gentle oxygen since it was much more soft and integrated on day two, but still had a bit of astringency. Aromas of plum, black cherry, and vanilla. Silky flavors of black cherry cola, blackberry, glycerin, and leather with a hint of tobacco and mushroom; and has a slightly bitter medium finish. This iblend is reminiscent of an old style Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This age worthy wine may have more years of life left, but I'm not sure it will improve with more time. I still have three bottles of this vintage remaining, I will revisit soon to validate my tasting note.
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3/15/2021 - wiscgrad wrote: 90 Points
good value CDP. slightly past peak and starting to show secondary flavors. Still some decent fruit.
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7/16/2018 - Mossrose wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple but short of opaque. Enticing aromas of raspberry and blackberry, The sip shows a fine balance between fruit, acid, and tannin that is tasty, refreshing, smooth, and elegant. The swallow adds a light texture but ends with a streak of astringent bitterness. Got somewhat richer by day 4 of being opened but what the wine most lacks is any caressing lushness.
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2/25/2018 - dsamuel Likes this wine: 89 Points
Medium garnet with some clearing. Medium aromas of red and black fruit with secondaries of dried flowers/herbs and perhaps a little game/meat on the back end. Medium(+) palate of red/black fruit again with nice herbal quality. Medium(+) tannins and medium(+) acidity with ETOH high but not all dominant. Drinking quite nicely now but I would guess will go at least another 3-5 yrs.
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2/19/2018 - Mossrose wrote: 93 Points
Tasted for 5 days after being opened. Opaque black to the end. Generous fruit aromas of raspberry and black plum. The sip adds juicy blackberry to the fruit and shows bright acidity, rounded tannin, and the integration one would hope from an 8 year old. The crowning part of the taste is the swallow, which features great clarity of flavors with upfront richness, depth, and concentration, without being sour, astringent, or leathery. Overall, beautifully aging, delicious, and fully enjoyable any time over the next 5 years.
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11/23/2017 - manny651 Likes this wine: 90 Points
aging very nicely, great qpr on this
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12/31/2016 - amswine wrote: 89 Points
With roast rib of beef and roasted vegetables - this has opened up since 2014 - greater depth of fruit and balanced tannins. Enjoyed by the group and will open another in 2017 but drinking well now.
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12/4/2016 - dsamuel Likes this wine: 86 Points
Medium garnet color. Medium aromas of muted sweet red/black fruit - cherry and plum primarily. Medium on the palate, with medium fine tannins and maybe a bit short. Well balanced though. Nothing exciting but well crafted and no negatives.
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2/6/2016 - bin905 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very smooth and delicate with very fine tannins.
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9/11/2015 - dsamuel Likes this wine: 88 Points
Clear dark ruby with some clearing at rim. Medium(+) aromas of blackberry/ sweet cherry/ cola. Minor secondary aromas of wood smoke/leather/cedar. Some reductive aromas at first, quickly blew off. Full on palate, with blackberry/oak. Medium (+) tannins and medium(+) acidity. Medium(+) to high alcohol. This appears a little hollow on mid palate. Little tight altogether, more so than last bottle tasted. Will try again 1-2 yrs, appears to have the fruit to allow some aging.
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3/7/2015 - Dale Rattles Likes this wine: 91 Points
A textbook CDP with cedar, earth and ripe fruit showing through a generous finish. Even better on day 2 after Vacuvin. Wish I had more.
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10/4/2014 - mflesh wrote: 89 Points
Didn't really change much from 16 months ago. Generic, but definitely better than some $80 Napa wines I've had that were made in the "old world" style. When I think of this wine, I think about drinking a glass of wine from an unmarked, unlabeled bottle from a French ancestor's cellar in Rhone while he's serving me some of the best food I've had. This wine is a good accoutrement to an earthy dish given that the earthy quality in this wine will match just right, and the acidity to help. This wine is still a bit acidic on the front....has died down a little bit, but is rather dry on the finish and earthy in the middle. Good plum and raspberry notes in the front with more of an earthy tar note in the middle carrying to a lingering dry and earthy finish. This medium bodied wine is definitely better with food. I don't expect the structure of this wine to hold up much longer, but I do expect it to hold longer than 2016 as reported by some others. I give this one until 2018, but given that things didn't really change from 5/2013 to now, I don't believe this one is going to really improve drastically in the bottle.
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9/17/2014 - Dcristman wrote:
H wasn't crazy about it. D likes ... Funkier.
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9/12/2014 - auhead Likes this wine: 90 Points
Attractive nose of spring flowers, meaty chestnuts, and earthy, roasted dark cherries. Good length and texture, although somewhat hot finish. Drinking well now as a PnP.
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3/6/2014 - Winoluver wrote: 91 Points
This bottle is even better than the last. As everyone has said, an hour decanting is amazing for this bottle. You then get all the fruit, spice & mineral tastes of the bottle. Order more!
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3/1/2014 - mjm226 wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and it made a huge difference! Opened up and drank smooth. Great paired with pork tenderloin.
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2/16/2014 - mjm226 wrote:
Decanted for 2 hours and what a difference! Nice bottle with chicken Marsala.
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12/17/2013 - ktcollopy Likes this wine: 91 Points
fantastically especially after being open for 1-4 hours. great fuits still has a lot of life left.
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11/9/2013 - Tim and Bonnie wrote: 86 Points
Bonnie really liked this one. I did too, but not quite as much as she. Has a bright and sweet nose upon opening. Has some cola going on, as well as some minerality. Decent balance but the finish is a little short. It's a good bottle for the money, mid $20s, so not much to offer but praise. Telegraphe is $50 more, and I think I'd rather have one bottle of that than three of this, if that makes sense. Try serving with a soft cheese and fresh figs.
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10/30/2013 - Winoluver wrote: 90 Points
Tastes of dusty strawberries, pepper & cinnamon, wt hints of cotton candy. Will really round out well over next several mos for an even better drinking CDP.
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10/24/2013 - WineCPA wrote: 88 Points
Medium bodied. Some spice, sweet bright fruit on the front. Not overly impressive yet. But certainly tasty and drinkable. Finish has discernible tannins that lead me to believe it may have room for improvement. Next in 6-12 months.
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10/24/2013 - xsivjosh Likes this wine: 89 Points
Started thin, opened over 1 hour. Tannins actually increased. Will finish tonight.
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6/23/2013 - Tim and Bonnie wrote: 90 Points
This is the bottle that taught me the realities of bottle shock. Had first bottle about three months ago the day it arrived and it was ok. Disappointing. But tonight we tried it again and it was BEAUTIFUL! But understand we tend to like that candy nose and bright fruitiness this CDP provides. After an hour it started opening and showed more depth and character, which we appreciated, but sure did like that candy nose for the first thirty mins.
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6/2/2013 - amswine wrote: 88 Points
Not the typical CdP at this time. Lighter in color and body. well made with strawberries / elderberry and early morning dew and hidden minerals that arrive at the finish ). balanced tannins and very drinkable now. I'm going to pull the next one out in about 6 months to see how this will age further - my instincts are that it will not change too much.
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5/8/2013 - mflesh wrote:
This wine was enjoyed without food at first, and was (unfortunately) served as a pop and pour on the day after it was received. And for that I gave this an NR. This bottle was uncorked to a medium purple stain, zero cork bleed. The wine was served immediately and was a little acidic on the front and tannic on the rear. On the front was dusty black cherry and some vanilla sweetness. There was a earthy quality about the middle, yet the wine was still relatively soft given the subtle herbal notes in the mid-palate and finish. The wine finished with some kind of tart finish. This was not a very UNpleasing note and as a matter of fact just kind of reminded me that I had murdered a good 2010 CDP probably 1-2 years too early. In my opinion this wine was a little bit "generic" at this moment, not really showing those CDP red berries, spice, complexity. And probably a combination of my boneheaded move to kill this beauty before its time ..... without decanting. I'd give it an 88 with this current showing, but I know I could have probably done a lot to change this.
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