The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis). The body is medium/full. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity. Great with spicy food.
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This has improved since July of last year, and is really drinking well now. What a great value this was at $9; wish I'd have bought more than 2. Between crimson and ruby in color. Aromas of dark and dark red fruits, herbs, earth, smoke, and mineral. Medium body and acid, medium+ finish, and consistent flavors on the palate, though the fruit is leaning redder, and there's an added touch of orange peel. Tannins are just enough to give a bit of backbone and aren't in the way of any enjoyment at this point. While I wouldn't describe this as old school, the modern sensibility of the last bottle is much more down the middle this time around. Good stuff. 90+
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Brownish red, lightening to an orangey color near the rim. Opaque in the deepest part of the glass with progressively more clarity nearing the rim.
Nose has noticeable oak, tending more toward vanilla/lotion than dill/coconut. Cigar tobacco and a dusty/earthy smell as well. Some fruit on the nose but not specifically identifiable to me.
Tannins are just on the light shy of medium, and hit the tongue and cheeks; they're smooth/fine rather than gritty or "rustic". Acid is medium-high. Body is between light and medium, with a silky mouthfeel. Taste is more savory than sweet.
Excellent with a mushroom omelette and roasted vegetables.
Edit: one night later nose has opened up some, with fruit much more apparent -- blueberry perhaps? -- and the oak somewhat receded. Palate has likewise opened a tad with some cherry/blueberry tart fruit more identifiable than it used to be.
Edit 2: night three shows further evolution on the nose, with the fruit staying steady and being joined by floral and some high-pitched tar or new leather type smell. Interesting and pleasant.
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Very nice. Other comments are accurate. Excellent QPR. Mature. A bit tannic upon opening (not bad) - after an hour, it "hit its stride," so to speak, and tasted completely resolved. This wine is everything it's supposed to be, and I would drink it again.
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Medium bodied, easy drinking Rioja. Some black fruits and very mild spices in the mid palate. Very soft tannins on the finish (not much). Good daily drinker and QPR for the price, but nothing to write home about. 87+
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This is the kind of red seasoned wine drinkers will buy by the case.
don't expect this to redifine the $10 QPR or knock your socks off, but a perfect bottle to have around the house for guests or guilt free weeknight(or latenight) opening.
fully mature, good fruit, balanced structure, and incredible price point (i paid $8)
on the lighter side of medium bodied with juicy tannin and ample acidity. slight grip and grit to the finish.
ripe cherry, blueberry, tobacco upfront and a whiff of dill and tart fruit on the finish.
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This is quite terrible. 5th bottle I am testing since purchasing in May, 2014. Becoming more approachable but still very little happening both on the nose and palate. Very mediocre if not just plain yuck. As always, it is possible my batch of bottles suffered from heat, etc, prior to the purchase.
This is drinking really well now. Lots of Spanish goodness...see others notes. For $10 at Joe Canal's you should pick up a case. Its that kind of wine that would be fun to drink & entertain with over the next 6 months/year...
Last Words: The 2008 is a nice everyday wine...truly a tasty bargain while it lasts!
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Light bodied tempro, with rich and somewhat blacker fruits, nicely softening tannins. A very good everyday quaffer, especially with a cheese and sausage mix.
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I had a difficult time with the nose on this one so I'm going to skip it. On the palate I get creamy, peppery cherries. It's almost like a cross between a Zinfandel and a creamy Pinot. I'm starving so naturally I'm trying to figure out what I'd pair this with and I think I'd actually pair it with dessert - perhaps brandies cherries and vanilla bean ice cream over pound cake. A steal from Wine Library at $8.79
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A nice enough Rioja, showing darker fruits, dried herbs and oak. The oak is a bit on the sweet side, so I suspect this could use more time in the bottle for the flavors to integrate?
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It's a bit more modern than the (excellent) label might lead you to believe, as with the reserva, but at $9 I have no complaints with this wine. Solid effort, if not blowing me away with complexity. Dense ruby coloring with aromas of dark red fruit, earth and tar. Medium body, acid and finish, with flavors of black cherry, plum and cola. Enjoyed this equally with black bean and jalapeño corn cakes as alone after the meal, but this would also work well with all manner of BBQ. I'd drink this now and over the next year or 2 max.
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3 weeks later, still like this. Pretty good expression of this varietal. A little disjointed, perhaps. Oak seemed a bit separate, not integrated as well as it could be. More time in the cellar may help this to be the 90+ that Parker gave it. Really outstanding for the money, though.
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Cherries, violets, some oak on the nose. Palate: medium acidity, red fruit and leather, oak on finish. Doesn't merit WA's 91 points, but this is a nice little wine for $11.
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Great floral nose, not overly oaked. Good, firm tannins that smoothed out over time in the glass. Color relatively light, but the flavor is not. Very approachable. Could have used a bit more acidity. Certainly not the best Rioja I've ever had, but probably the best Crianza. All this with a price that rivals Yellow Tail.
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Heavy on the oaky sweet vanilla, with a smooth, dark, plum and vanilla palate. Relatively full bodied, perhaps largely from oak tannin. Good intro Rioja for the money, though.
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Great fruit but with structure; nice bouquet; excellent value; 08 vintage but tastes fresh;drank with paella; not heavy but not too light; find it and drink up.
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Popped and poured. Initially had some green to it, but with some air it definitely improved. Nose had some coffee and leather, but it was weird that I didn't sense a lot of fruit. The taste was pretty easy going, but not a lot of complexity.
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VG Rioja with good fruit, lacks a little finesse but just quibling. Liked alot; would drink again. Group liked this wine. Price of 11.99 makes this a real bargain.
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This is new in private wine store in YWG. Also may be mis labled with wrong producer and just "hacienda..." - this is clearly bodega classica.
Anyway - this is a low price rioja that is 5 yrs old now and drinking well and still has a few years left in it...Comments from other vintages and entries suggest it is a nice drinking vino, perhaps over oaked. I get this but think with food and a solid 1 hr decant - is drinking nice and matches well with food. Some specifics - nose is oaky, creamy fruit. Palate is med/full bodied with lighter acid and tannin, then you get some darker fruit notes mixed with that oaked quality. The oak makes itself known, but not overly heavy handed in my opinion. Finish is med/long and is a tich hot perhaps and is woodsy...Again for the low entry level price here in MB this is more than expected...Buy some and try in 2014/15.
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Scents of red berries, white pepper, craisins and vanilla. Not over-the-hill as expected and actually needs a bit of air to soften the tannins. This is because its massively over-oaked for the amount of fruit. Still it tastes ambitious and delivers pretty good value at such a low price point. Spice, red fruit, garrigue, and lots of smoky oak.
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Popped and poured. Aroma is oak with some dark fruit of blueberry. The taste does have that dark fruit, but it seems a bit lacking. Still a pretty enjoyable drink, though.
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Very barnyard on the nose! Very good value wine. No need to let decant, tastes best early in drinking. But could see this wine drinking even better next year with more balance.
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4/3/2022 - franwine Likes this wine: 88 Points
Past its prime but still pleasant. Notes of tobacco
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3/26/2017 - WarnerNL wrote: 91 Points
very very nice wine, all of them started off smelling like it's corked, but weren't, smell is gone + wine is much better better 2nd day
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12/2/2016 - Kentw wrote: 86 Points
Medium body, fresh, tart. Lots of sour cherry in this bottle. Better with food.
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3/28/2016 - Valmor wrote: 90 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis). The body is medium/full. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity. Great with spicy food.
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3/21/2016 - jrundlet Likes this wine: 91 Points
for the price you can't beat this wine. consistent bottle every time.
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1/16/2016 - Connecticut Wino Likes this wine: 90 Points
Solid Rioja. Good structure for rich food (even rich, oily food like salmon). Red fruits with cedar, cigar box accents.
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1/2/2016 - LNJWino Likes this wine: 87 Points
Rich taste, fantastic price. I really enjoyed this wine.
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11/20/2015 - studleytrey Likes this wine: 90 Points
This has improved since July of last year, and is really drinking well now. What a great value this was at $9; wish I'd have bought more than 2. Between crimson and ruby in color. Aromas of dark and dark red fruits, herbs, earth, smoke, and mineral. Medium body and acid, medium+ finish, and consistent flavors on the palate, though the fruit is leaning redder, and there's an added touch of orange peel. Tannins are just enough to give a bit of backbone and aren't in the way of any enjoyment at this point. While I wouldn't describe this as old school, the modern sensibility of the last bottle is much more down the middle this time around. Good stuff. 90+
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7/8/2015 - jdp89 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Brownish red, lightening to an orangey color near the rim. Opaque in the deepest part of the glass with progressively more clarity nearing the rim.
Nose has noticeable oak, tending more toward vanilla/lotion than dill/coconut. Cigar tobacco and a dusty/earthy smell as well. Some fruit on the nose but not specifically identifiable to me.
Tannins are just on the light shy of medium, and hit the tongue and cheeks; they're smooth/fine rather than gritty or "rustic". Acid is medium-high. Body is between light and medium, with a silky mouthfeel. Taste is more savory than sweet.
Excellent with a mushroom omelette and roasted vegetables.
Edit: one night later nose has opened up some, with fruit much more apparent -- blueberry perhaps? -- and the oak somewhat receded. Palate has likewise opened a tad with some cherry/blueberry tart fruit more identifiable than it used to be.
Edit 2: night three shows further evolution on the nose, with the fruit staying steady and being joined by floral and some high-pitched tar or new leather type smell. Interesting and pleasant.
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5/21/2015 - PimpDaddy2Kool wrote: 87 Points
Thin and short finish. A bit acidic on the pallet. Good nose. But hey for $8 a pretty good quaffer and makes a great party wine!
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5/17/2015 - OregonLoafer Likes this wine: 86 Points
Very nice. Other comments are accurate. Excellent QPR. Mature. A bit tannic upon opening (not bad) - after an hour, it "hit its stride," so to speak, and tasted completely resolved. This wine is everything it's supposed to be, and I would drink it again.
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4/28/2015 - Sauvyfan wrote: 88 Points
softer on night two, but still not particularly impressive.
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4/22/2015 - Kentw wrote: 87 Points
Medium bodied, easy drinking Rioja. Some black fruits and very mild spices in the mid palate. Very soft tannins on the finish (not much).
Good daily drinker and QPR for the price, but nothing to write home about. 87+
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3/23/2015 - layzboy Likes this wine: 89 Points
Really like this one especially at $10 a pop, this wine has great QPR.
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3/20/2015 - Merky_Waters Likes this wine: 88 Points
This is the kind of red seasoned wine drinkers will buy by the case.
don't expect this to redifine the $10 QPR or knock your socks off, but a perfect bottle to have around the house for guests or guilt free weeknight(or latenight) opening.
fully mature, good fruit, balanced structure, and incredible price point (i paid $8)
on the lighter side of medium bodied with juicy tannin and ample acidity. slight grip and grit to the finish.
ripe cherry, blueberry, tobacco upfront and a whiff of dill and tart fruit on the finish.
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2/26/2015 - Slaz Does not like this wine: 80 Points
This is quite terrible. 5th bottle I am testing since purchasing in May, 2014. Becoming more approachable but still very little happening both on the nose and palate. Very mediocre if not just plain yuck. As always, it is possible my batch of bottles suffered from heat, etc, prior to the purchase.
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2/24/2015 - mwneil Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is becoming our new go to wine. A great bargain. Light , fruity but nice tannins. Goes well with many foods. Will drink again.
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2/23/2015 - TriggerFingers Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is drinking really well now. Lots of Spanish goodness...see others notes. For $10 at Joe Canal's you should pick up a case. Its that kind of wine that would be fun to drink & entertain with over the next 6 months/year...
Last Words:
The 2008 is a nice everyday wine...truly a tasty bargain while it lasts!
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2/22/2015 - deekmon Likes this wine: 89 Points
Oak, Licorice, a lot of black cherries & plums, some red fruit, tobacco hints, medium-bodied with a little acidity. A steal at <$15.
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1/23/2015 - wynja Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine is really drinking well right now.
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1/17/2015 - BrunelloBob wrote:
Priced appropriately, but would not seek out. Most of bottle used for cooking.
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12/21/2014 - Devo99 wrote: flawed
Hairline crack on bottle neck. Corked. :-(
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12/10/2014 - Mr.Overhill Likes this wine: 88 Points
Light bodied tempro, with rich and somewhat blacker fruits, nicely softening tannins. A very good everyday quaffer, especially with a cheese and sausage mix.
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12/6/2014 - kylerogers wrote: 91 Points
I had a difficult time with the nose on this one so I'm going to skip it. On the palate I get creamy, peppery cherries. It's almost like a cross between a Zinfandel and a creamy Pinot. I'm starving so naturally I'm trying to figure out what I'd pair this with and I think I'd actually pair it with dessert - perhaps brandies cherries and vanilla bean ice cream over pound cake. A steal from Wine Library at $8.79
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11/2/2014 - awolosewicz Likes this wine:
Liked
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10/18/2014 - danielbleier wrote: 89 Points
Earthy notes of tar and tobacco complement some good plum and dark cherry notes...good value.
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10/12/2014 - mdefreitas wrote: 86 Points
A nice enough Rioja, showing darker fruits, dried herbs and oak. The oak is a bit on the sweet side, so I suspect this could use more time in the bottle for the flavors to integrate?
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9/5/2014 - Tpairing wrote: 89 Points
A great food wine - pan fried sausage and linguini with marinara sauce. Good value.
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8/26/2014 - wynja Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent balance!
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7/26/2014 - brooklynJ&O wrote: 90 Points
this is great. classic rioja for rioja fans.
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7/7/2014 - studleytrey Likes this wine: 88 Points
It's a bit more modern than the (excellent) label might lead you to believe, as with the reserva, but at $9 I have no complaints with this wine. Solid effort, if not blowing me away with complexity. Dense ruby coloring with aromas of dark red fruit, earth and tar. Medium body, acid and finish, with flavors of black cherry, plum and cola. Enjoyed this equally with black bean and jalapeño corn cakes as alone after the meal, but this would also work well with all manner of BBQ. I'd drink this now and over the next year or 2 max.
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7/1/2014 - Euell Gophar wrote: 87 Points
Definitely a wine to drink with a meal. Pork chop is a good choice.
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6/27/2014 - SadEdjo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Sweet and sour cherry with spicy cinnamon notes. Plush, weighty entry and finish. Excellent QPR (when not bottle not corked/fault)
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6/2/2014 - MuseMaven Likes this wine: 89 Points
3 weeks later, still like this. Pretty good expression of this varietal. A little disjointed, perhaps. Oak seemed a bit separate, not integrated as well as it could be. More time in the cellar may help this to be the 90+ that Parker gave it. Really outstanding for the money, though.
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5/20/2014 - cjsadler Likes this wine: 88 Points
Cherries, violets, some oak on the nose. Palate: medium acidity, red fruit and leather, oak on finish. Doesn't merit WA's 91 points, but this is a nice little wine for $11.
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5/15/2014 - MuseMaven Likes this wine: 89 Points
Great floral nose, not overly oaked. Good, firm tannins that smoothed out over time in the glass. Color relatively light, but the flavor is not. Very approachable. Could have used a bit more acidity. Certainly not the best Rioja I've ever had, but probably the best Crianza. All this with a price that rivals Yellow Tail.
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5/5/2014 - yofog wrote: 87 Points
Heavy on the oaky sweet vanilla, with a smooth, dark, plum and vanilla palate. Relatively full bodied, perhaps largely from oak tannin. Good intro Rioja for the money, though.
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5/1/2014 - brooklynJ&O wrote: 80 Points
uninspiring. needs time?
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4/4/2014 - SadEdjo wrote: flawed
Corked!!
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3/30/2014 - mwneil Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great fruit but with structure; nice bouquet; excellent value; 08 vintage but tastes fresh;drank with paella; not heavy but not too light; find it and drink up.
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2/1/2014 - alden.vansolkema Likes this wine: 89 Points
full, berries and lots of plum. Easy tannins but a nice finish.
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1/18/2014 - Wine Sparty wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured. Initially had some green to it, but with some air it definitely improved. Nose had some coffee and leather, but it was weird that I didn't sense a lot of fruit. The taste was pretty easy going, but not a lot of complexity.
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1/6/2014 - ddahl wrote: 85 Points
I expected more based on reviews and age. Still drinks rather young.
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10/26/2013 - mwneil Likes this wine: 91 Points
VG Rioja with good fruit, lacks a little finesse but just quibling. Liked alot; would drink again. Group liked this wine. Price of 11.99 makes this a real bargain.
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9/13/2013 - YWG Wine Guy Likes this wine: 87 Points
This is new in private wine store in YWG. Also may be mis labled with wrong producer and just "hacienda..." - this is clearly bodega classica.
Anyway - this is a low price rioja that is 5 yrs old now and drinking well and still has a few years left in it...Comments from other vintages and entries suggest it is a nice drinking vino, perhaps over oaked. I get this but think with food and a solid 1 hr decant - is drinking nice and matches well with food. Some specifics - nose is oaky, creamy fruit. Palate is med/full bodied with lighter acid and tannin, then you get some darker fruit notes mixed with that oaked quality. The oak makes itself known, but not overly heavy handed in my opinion. Finish is med/long and is a tich hot perhaps and is woodsy...Again for the low entry level price here in MB this is more than expected...Buy some and try in 2014/15.
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5/1/2013 - neilemc wrote: 86 Points
Scents of red berries, white pepper, craisins and vanilla. Not over-the-hill as expected and actually needs a bit of air to soften the tannins. This is because its massively over-oaked for the amount of fruit. Still it tastes ambitious and delivers pretty good value at such a low price point. Spice, red fruit, garrigue, and lots of smoky oak.
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4/27/2013 - Wine Sparty wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured. Aroma is oak with some dark fruit of blueberry. The taste does have that dark fruit, but it seems a bit lacking. Still a pretty enjoyable drink, though.
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2/26/2013 - RussK wrote: 89 Points
Russk. Nose OK. Opens a touch bitter/carbonic, most of which blows off after a 1 hr decant. Sweet easy. 89+ Dont buy more.
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8/11/2011 - Alansusan wrote: 86 Points
Simple, dark fruit start with a light smokey finish.
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8/3/2011 - vinzen cellar wrote: 87 Points
Very barnyard on the nose! Very good value wine. No need to let decant, tastes best early in drinking. But could see this wine drinking even better next year with more balance.
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