alongside a 2009 chateau monbousquet, the nose on this was little more restrained, subtle. eventually, raspberry and blackcurrant emerge, mint, spice, bubblegum. the palate is where this shines though, bright berry fruit, pure and linear, with that mint and spice in support and in perfect balance. very nice showing and i would think this will hold here for a year or two yet.
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We were drinking 2009, 2010, 2010 Cinq Cepages as part of a steak dinner. While all were very good, the 2010 stood out with a bright fruit, balanced, and entirely enjoyable surprise. Thought we had waited too long but our storage in the Vinotemp kept this year just right. Cork in amazing shape and some sediment but decanting solved for that. Everyone enjoyed it !
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deep and layered smooth dark plum and earth; still has plenty of fruit with some secondary notes; a bit less acidity than i prefer, though it may be masked by the fruit
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Retail $80. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec. Three weeks ago, this was the second wine of a mini-verticle and it finds itself in the precisely same position tonight. Dark, on the verge of quite dark in the glass with a rather tart nose of blackberry, plum, and cassis. There is also some spice and a decided herbal aspect (dill and basil) that lends an austere aspect. The palate is as close to a complete opposite as I have experienced. Rich, fruity, layered, tart, intense. It is balanced and harmonious, yowza. With the tannins mostly integrated, now is the time to drink!
Retail $80. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec. The second of the mini-vertical ('05, '10, '15) the '05 was stellar and this wine is simply fantastic. Dark and brooding in the glass, but rather shy on the nose, even after some time open. The palate, however, is quite expressive, with tart, rich fruit, an abundance of spice, and considerable tannic grip on the finish. While I think I prefer the '05, it is only slightly.
Sonoma Bordeaux blend 2010 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages ($50 in 2017 estate sale). Mid-dark garnet, rim variation, viscous (14.4 alc.); red fruit, berries, herbaceous, oak and mint nose; bright fruit; mid-acids; mid-plus tannins; long semi-deep semi-hot finish. w/short ribs. 16.5-17 UC Davis scale, 91-92 other scales.
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Slo-oxed for 30 minutes with lots of sediment. Suggest decanting for about 20 minutes to separate sediment and aerate. Overall, a nicely balanced, quite smooth CA version of a Bordeaux blend. Lots of dark red fruits on the nose, along with notes of chocolate and coffee. The medium to plus bodied palate highlighted these dark red fruits along with some brighter red fruit, some spice, and secondary oak notes of cedar, chocolate and coffee. The acidity was nicely balancing and there was just a touch of tannin on the finish. I would think that this bottle could hold for another couple of years. Purchased at retail upon release and properly stored until opening.
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ABV 14.4; big and brooding ripe dark berry; plenty of structure; too big for the italian comfort food; by day three, this is a bit leaner and you notice some heat/acidity on the finish;
Well aged Bordeaux style wine. Pleasing berry bouquet with soft fruit flavors of plum and black cherry upfront transitioning to a slightly herbal taste mid palate. Enough tannin structure to give the wine a long and pleasing finish. Definitely worth the wait.
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This is mostly about fruit without major structure, but as a 2010, it needs another year or 2 to be at peak....red fruits..medium complexity and finish.
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A very Bordeaux like wine which is precisely what the winemakers were intending using all 5 of the classic Bordeaux grapes. Stored in my cellar since 2013 was a good time to consume this wine. I didn’t have a chance to decant as we got invited to sit on our neighbors patio for Covid socializing and ran to the cellar and plucked this off the rack. Great nose we with some cigar box notes. The tannins got softer after the first glass and this was drinking nicely at this stage.
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2010 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages. Mid-garnet; berry, mint, berries, Cabernet nose; hints of oak; mid-body; balanced; good fruit and flavor; long rich finish. 17.
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This bottle was decanted for about an hour and showed better than the one last month. Nose is fabulous—classic Bordeaux with notes of pencil lead. On the palate, thick mouthfeel and flavors of currants, more graphite, and some mint. Tannins are firm but integrated. A rich, complex wine at a reasonable price point.
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Solid wine albeit a bit overpriced. Full bodied. Fruit took over the palate and didn't show any sublties. Moderate tannins and a cloying sweetness on the finish. Drink now.
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dark with dark bubbles; intense ripe mixed dark berry that still has some primary characteristics. Some sediment. Plenty of structure and the fruit hides the oak. A bit too young for my taste but plenty of stuffing/upside.
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Lots of flavor, good development. Ripe jammy black fruits, prune, blackberry jam, raisin. Chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, liquorice. Tobacco, cedar, ash, smoke. Needs more acid and tannin, way too soft for the power of the fruit and flavor.
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Wow was this great. Dark, real dark and flavor to match, Very well rounded and smooth right out of the bottle with no airing. Great wine for the price...I paid $50 and worth every penny. Now I need to get my teeth whitened!
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This 2010 vintage may be the best Cinq Cépages I have had - bigger, fuller and more concentrated than any I remember. This was immediately apparent when we opened and poured the dark inky purple thick full bodied juice into the glass while the room filled with bright floral and berry fruit aromatics.
This was dark inky purple, full bodied, dense, concentrated, muscular, complex with black fruits of plum, berry and currants accented by layers of clove spice, cedar, leather, cigar box and notes of earthy black olive with silky smooth lingering tannins and hints of cassis and dark mocha on the finish. This demands expressive food, full flavored cheese or dark mocha chocolate. This might improve further with several more years of aging as it settles and softens a bit as its a bit obtuse still at this time.
A beautiful bottle of CA Bordeaux that was super smooth and ready to drink. Really enjoyed this one and glad I have another four to get to over the next 2-4 years. It was excellent. Nice hints of dark fruit, chocolate, and spice box.
Purplish in visibility and slow legs; nose had sufficient hints of cherry + vanilla + oak + cassis. Quite enjoyable this evening with King Salmon and chicken. Grilled eggplant and Corn-on-the-Cobb accompanying the protein was perfect. The tannin's needed to settle down even after an hour of decanting, which indicates to me this bottle has a few more years of life left. 2018 or 2019 might be the perfect time to open and drink/finish. Looking forward to remaining 2 bottles in my cellar.
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Layers of flavor here! 3 hr decant. On the nose, very (ripe) Bordeaux like, cassis, woodsy pencil shaving, cigar tobacco, slight pyrazine influence, freshness, floral, and something candy-sweet. Very complex. On the palate, big(-) body, dark fruit profile, blackberry, cassis, licorice, dark chocolate bitter edge, mocha. 30+ sec finish. Definitely some oak influence but in moderation. Great with ribeye steak dinner.
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Tasted at the winery a couple of years ago and liked it, so purchased a bottle. Floored by how much the wine has developed since then. Appears to be drinking in its prime right now.
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One of my favorite Bordeaux blends and this did not disappoint.
Nose of dark cherry with hints of chocolate, tobacco and allspice. Beautiful dark purple with almost no clarity.
First sip to the last this is delivering bright red and dark fruits, chocolate, spices and a tiny herbal note of the finish. Not overly complex but a very interesting and pleasing wine none the less.
Drinking well and just a delicious wine.
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Deep Ruby color, sucking a small amount of light from the room. After it opened up a bit, it was definitely rich berry on the nose and palate and just a hint of spice and tobacco on the finish.
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More blue than red purple color. Green woody nose with a fair amount of earthiness. Gentle hit of cassis on introduction, but lots more going on. Again, I’m getting a green viney thing, but definitely not “in your face.” Dark chocolate with only the suggestion of bitterness. A full-bodied wine, but not a brute. On the other hand it is not as sophisticated as a Claret. Acid as of stone fruit—not citrus. Firm, but not off-putting tannin.
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Effusive nose with dark fruits especially plums and blackberries. Palate is muscular and fleshy with acidic undertone. The wine finishes medium in length. This wine is a strong showing and perhaps value for Sonoma.
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Great rich nose, aromas of dark fruit. Slightly acidic on the front end with dark black fruit, but after 1/2 hour rounded out to an excellent long finish complicated tobacco and vanilla taste. Drinking nicely.
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90-91 Opulent and extracted. Drink now. Cassis, black fruit preserves, and an inky minerality. Graphite, iodine, and dense milk chocolate French oak. "Volcanic" and sanguine.
Creamy full body, low acid and silky soft tannins. Ready to go but bordering on ovverripe. I prefer a bit more backbone and structure but the sheer richness of the fruit make this hard to critique. Delicious Christmas treat.
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Wow this is drinking nicely right now, dense black fruit and integrated tannins...rich, wonderful. The extra year in bottle has raised my score a point.
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Decanted, drank over two days. Black berry and floral notes on the nose. Palate was blackberry, blueberry, slight graphite hints. Smooth and well integrated fruits. Medium to long finish... with a little tannins at the finish. Generally, a very nice sipper.
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Dark in color. Nose of coffee, plums and chocolate. Good balance, long and good power. Rich without being over the top. Drink now over the next 10-15 years.
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Blackfruit, currant and cassis on the nose. If you're going to open this wine now, give it around two hours to open up. Round merlot fruit was the first thing I noted, backed with the cab franc spice and cabernet structure. Lots of blackberry, black cherry, plum and black olive notes, backed with tobacco, earth and spice. Nearly full bodied and after two hours, the tannins are much more integrated. While this wine shows well now, based on the structure, density and roundness, it should improve over the next few years.
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A Bordeaux blend that hit the mark. Pnp first day. Better the second day. The bottle is about an inch taller than the usual 750ml bottle which is a bit annoying for storage purposes.
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As others have noted, needs a decent session in the decanter but after a couple hours this wine was really quite nice. Bordeaux blend with just a touch of new world essence but not overpowering in any way. First time I've had this wine and for me it's almost like a mellow Phelps Insignia (at half the price). Good stuff and will certainly buy more.
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First Cinq Cepages we've had in years, courtesy of a generous dinner host. Almost black in the glass with a well-formed necklace that danced in the candlelight. Aroma of dark berries, moss and light tar, and blackberries, cassis and hints of tar and mint on the palate. A full-throttled finish with some pipe tobacco notes. Full-bodied and drinking well right now. Tannins are nicely integrated. However, this offering peters out with time in the glass, seemingly grinding down to half strength after an hour in the glass. Drink now-2017.
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2014 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/14/2014-10/21/2014 (New York City, NY): This deep-to-opaque ruby wine is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. It flaunts aromas of cassis, cedar, clove, pipe tobacco and allspice. On the palate, it is medium-to-full-bodied, round and seamlessly alcoholic. The flavors mirror the nose and are wrapped with medium-weight, grippy tannins. Solid in the middle, it closes with a dusty, medium-to-long finish. Although this wine is more finesse than power, it would still benefit from short-term cellaring in order to smooth out the rough edges on the tannins. Drink 2017-2025.
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New World Blind Tasting Group $40+ (Bin 75): Very dark core with bright maroon rim; dark fruit, smoke, tar, cassis, blackberry, green pepper, sweet fruit, tobacco, non-fruit is underneath, smells ageworthy; good sweet fruit on the palate along with tartness, larger scale, good ripeness, liqueur-like; really deserving of a few more years before cracking one; like where this is headed with longer cellar time as it may seem a bit more Old World in style then.
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Very dark core with thin bright purple rim; vanilla, oak, char, smells purple, candied cassis, good depth; spicy, green pepper, vanilla, medium finish; good, needs time.
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Very dark violet-red color. East bank Bordeaux nose stylistically, a showy L'Angelus imposter ? Sweet oak-spiced cherry fruit, ground coffee, licorice, mushroom, bay leaf. On arrival, pervasive but fine-grained tannin and balanced acidity. Flavor impact is forceful, developing in the mouth as the initial sensation of structure begins to dissipate and recede. Superb finish. We're going to throw a couple of these into the cellar and we scoff at current Bordeaux prices. Bottle #1 of one.
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This bottle was consumed over two days. On day one, the wine was very tight on the nose and palate, and really needs a good decant at this early stage. Notes below are from day 2 as day 1 did not offer reasonable note opportunities.
Color - Deep black cherry in color.
Aroma - This is a very expressive wine on the nose. The wine is very earthy, with mushroom, violets, loamy wet soil, crushed rock, anise, leather, cedar, and a hint of tobacco. Also offers black currant and black cherry.
Palate - The tannins possess a nice zip, but despite their youth they are nicely balanced with the fruit and earthy aromas. The acidity takes the background to the tannins, but offers a crispness to the wine. This has a gripping dill on the entry, followed by blackberries, black olive, and pepper in the mid palate. The finish has notes of bitter toasted vanilla glazed almonds. The bitterness in the end held back the final score for me. The finish is very persistent.
This really needs probably a minimum of 2 years to drop some of the bitterness, and like many Cinq Cepages should drink well 15 years from now.
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Not my favorite vintage of Cinq Cepages (yet), but clearly a fine offering. This wine is a bargain if you can snag it for $40 or less. Well balanced, integrated, but not as memorable as other vintages. Love the winery and the winemaker. Will buy more if I can get it for less than $40 and cellar for a while to see how it develops.
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Popped and poured. Nice balance between tannins and finesse. Up front dark fruit, low sugar. Doesn't elevate after first taste. Complexity and finish lacking a little. Expected more in a $60 bottle. Addendum-1 hour later openining up a little mid palate a little better, now
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2/18/2024 - #1 or #2? Likes this wine: 93 Points
alongside a 2009 chateau monbousquet, the nose on this was little more restrained, subtle. eventually, raspberry and blackcurrant emerge, mint, spice, bubblegum. the palate is where this shines though, bright berry fruit, pure and linear, with that mint and spice in support and in perfect balance. very nice showing and i would think this will hold here for a year or two yet.
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2/11/2024 - pdotterw Likes this wine: 92 Points
We were drinking 2009, 2010, 2010 Cinq Cepages as part of a steak dinner. While all were very good, the 2010 stood out with a bright fruit, balanced, and entirely enjoyable surprise. Thought we had waited too long but our storage in the Vinotemp kept this year just right. Cork in amazing shape and some sediment but decanting solved for that. Everyone enjoyed it !
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7/11/2023 - wabi47 Likes this wine: 92 Points
deep and layered smooth dark plum and earth; still has plenty of fruit with some secondary notes; a bit less acidity than i prefer, though it may be masked by the fruit
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2/24/2023 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 95 Points
Retail $80. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec. Three weeks ago, this was the second wine of a mini-verticle and it finds itself in the precisely same position tonight. Dark, on the verge of quite dark in the glass with a rather tart nose of blackberry, plum, and cassis. There is also some spice and a decided herbal aspect (dill and basil) that lends an austere aspect. The palate is as close to a complete opposite as I have experienced. Rich, fruity, layered, tart, intense. It is balanced and harmonious, yowza. With the tannins mostly integrated, now is the time to drink!
www.thedrunkencyclist.com
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2/11/2023 - JoeyfromNoe Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking exceptionally well. Great balance. Good fruit. Seems to be peaking so go time.
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2/5/2023 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 93 Points
Retail $80. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec. The second of the mini-vertical ('05, '10, '15) the '05 was stellar and this wine is simply fantastic. Dark and brooding in the glass, but rather shy on the nose, even after some time open. The palate, however, is quite expressive, with tart, rich fruit, an abundance of spice, and considerable tannic grip on the finish. While I think I prefer the '05, it is only slightly.
www.thedrunkencyclist.com
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7/8/2022 - Mdonze wrote: 97 Points
Aged very well. What I would expect from a great wine
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6/20/2022 - houstonjeff@hotmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drink now. Great and interesting wine but aging will not improve this wine.
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6/9/2022 - Le Huray Cellar Likes this wine: 65 Points
Full of fruit mid-palette but front and finish lacking. Needs further cellaring.
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4/17/2022 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sonoma Bordeaux blend 2010 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages ($50 in 2017 estate sale). Mid-dark garnet, rim variation, viscous (14.4 alc.); red fruit, berries, herbaceous, oak and mint nose; bright fruit; mid-acids; mid-plus tannins; long semi-deep semi-hot finish. w/short ribs. 16.5-17 UC Davis scale, 91-92 other scales.
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4/9/2022 - Le Huray Cellar Likes this wine: 80 Points
Bold fruit, elegant palate with long finish. Paired with Spaghetti bolognese.
Reorder
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9/11/2021 - VlgJeff wrote: 92 Points
Slo-oxed for 30 minutes with lots of sediment. Suggest decanting for about 20 minutes to separate sediment and aerate. Overall, a nicely balanced, quite smooth CA version of a Bordeaux blend. Lots of dark red fruits on the nose, along with notes of chocolate and coffee. The medium to plus bodied palate highlighted these dark red fruits along with some brighter red fruit, some spice, and secondary oak notes of cedar, chocolate and coffee. The acidity was nicely balancing and there was just a touch of tannin on the finish. I would think that this bottle could hold for another couple of years. Purchased at retail upon release and properly stored until opening.
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6/22/2021 - wabi47 wrote: 91 Points
ABV 14.4; big and brooding ripe dark berry; plenty of structure; too big for the italian comfort food; by day three, this is a bit leaner and you notice some heat/acidity on the finish;
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6/20/2021 - swoop71 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Well aged Bordeaux style wine. Pleasing berry bouquet with soft fruit flavors of plum and black cherry upfront transitioning to a slightly herbal taste mid palate. Enough tannin structure to give the wine a long and pleasing finish. Definitely worth the wait.
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12/18/2020 - wabi47 Likes this wine: 92 Points
dark brooding fruit; blackberry, then dark plum; a bit of herb; good, albeit bitter cabernet tannins; still young in a good way
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8/28/2020 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is mostly about fruit without major structure, but as a 2010, it needs another year or 2 to be at peak....red fruits..medium complexity and finish.
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8/23/2020 - joet626 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good. Dark berries. Tasty
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8/12/2020 - pmjordan wrote: 100 Points
So smooth yet complex. Love it.
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5/17/2020 - Arch57 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A very Bordeaux like wine which is precisely what the winemakers were intending using all 5 of the classic Bordeaux grapes. Stored in my cellar since 2013 was a good time to consume this wine.
I didn’t have a chance to decant as we got invited to sit on our neighbors patio for Covid socializing and ran to the cellar and plucked this off the rack.
Great nose we with some cigar box notes. The tannins got softer after the first glass and this was drinking nicely at this stage.
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12/26/2019 - DebButler Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still had a lot of tannin structure. Could be aged for additional 3-5 years.
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7/3/2019 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 92 Points
2010 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages. Mid-garnet; berry, mint, berries, Cabernet nose; hints of oak; mid-body; balanced; good fruit and flavor; long rich finish. 17.
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2/17/2019 - jsebiri wrote:
Excellent
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2/8/2019 - Ecoenophile wrote: 91 Points
No detailed notes... decanted 1.5 hours. Very smooth and well integrated tannins. Remember nice notes of lavender/violet.
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1/5/2019 - joet626 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Good but had a funky taste on the finish
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12/31/2018 - jsebiri wrote:
I thought this was very nice, fruit and wood, well done. Have 3 more, I wouldn't hesitate to pull corks on them at any point, drink up, ready to go.
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12/15/2018 - COWineLover wrote: flawed
Corked. My second corked bottle out of 14 purchased. Not a good average.
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12/9/2018 - Bax62 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle was decanted for about an hour and showed better than the one last month. Nose is fabulous—classic Bordeaux with notes of pencil lead. On the palate, thick mouthfeel and flavors of currants, more graphite, and some mint. Tannins are firm but integrated. A rich, complex wine at a reasonable price point.
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11/26/2018 - wabi47 Likes this wine: 92 Points
lovely texture and mouthfeel; balanced; brooding to start, but opened up over an hour.
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11/23/2018 - Bax62 wrote: 88 Points
Definitely reminiscent of Bordeaux, but not feeling it has the complexity to justify the price tag.
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11/10/2018 - COWineLover wrote: 90 Points
A good quality wine that is comparable in aroma, complexity, and profile to Bordeaux wines costing about 1/3rd the price.
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11/10/2018 - OWC wrote:
Corked!
Hints of greatness behind the ugly veil, but this went straight down the sink.
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11/10/2018 - Martnmac wrote: 91 Points
Exceptional. Drinking very well right now also. Decanted for half an hour.
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10/7/2018 - WineCPA wrote: 89 Points
Solid wine albeit a bit overpriced. Full bodied. Fruit took over the palate and didn't show any sublties. Moderate tannins and a cloying sweetness on the finish. Drink now.
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9/25/2018 - Mbressack Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark brooding but soft tasting mouthfeel. Low acidity. Nice medium finish
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6/28/2018 - danscellar wrote: 91 Points
A very nice easy drinking blend!!! Enjoy!!
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5/6/2018 - wabi47 Likes this wine: 92 Points
dark with dark bubbles; intense ripe mixed dark berry that still has some primary characteristics. Some sediment. Plenty of structure and the fruit hides the oak. A bit too young for my taste but plenty of stuffing/upside.
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3/22/2018 - PT insurgent wrote:
Lots of flavor, good development. Ripe jammy black fruits, prune, blackberry jam, raisin. Chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, liquorice. Tobacco, cedar, ash, smoke. Needs more acid and tannin, way too soft for the power of the fruit and flavor.
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2/23/2018 - joet626 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Best cinq cepage in quite a few years. Great color and nose. Dark fruits that linger forever on the palate. Wonderful wine
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1/30/2018 - allenadale wrote: 94 Points
Wow was this great. Dark, real dark and flavor to match, Very well rounded and smooth right out of the bottle with no airing. Great wine for the price...I paid $50 and worth every penny. Now I need to get my teeth whitened!
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12/28/2017 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 93 Points
This 2010 vintage may be the best Cinq Cépages I have had - bigger, fuller and more concentrated than any I remember. This was immediately apparent when we opened and poured the dark inky purple thick full bodied juice into the glass while the room filled with bright floral and berry fruit aromatics.
This was dark inky purple, full bodied, dense, concentrated, muscular, complex with black fruits of plum, berry and currants accented by layers of clove spice, cedar, leather, cigar box and notes of earthy black olive with silky smooth lingering tannins and hints of cassis and dark mocha on the finish. This demands expressive food, full flavored cheese or dark mocha chocolate. This might improve further with several more years of aging as it settles and softens a bit as its a bit obtuse still at this time.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/12/robert-craig-veeder-cinq-cepages-byob.html
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11/12/2017 - uchronia Likes this wine: 91 Points
Better than expected and still has a lot of legs to run.
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8/22/2017 - travelme Likes this wine: 92 Points
A beautiful bottle of CA Bordeaux that was super smooth and ready to drink. Really enjoyed this one and glad I have another four to get to over the next 2-4 years. It was excellent. Nice hints of dark fruit, chocolate, and spice box.
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8/12/2017 - jdjtk Likes this wine: 92 Points
Purplish in visibility and slow legs; nose had sufficient hints of cherry + vanilla + oak + cassis. Quite enjoyable this evening with King Salmon and chicken. Grilled eggplant and Corn-on-the-Cobb accompanying the protein was perfect. The tannin's needed to settle down even after an hour of decanting, which indicates to me this bottle has a few more years of life left. 2018 or 2019 might be the perfect time to open and drink/finish. Looking forward to remaining 2 bottles in my cellar.
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7/9/2017 - floridawinedrkr wrote: 92 Points
Great wine. Nice depth, smooth, and easy to drink. Needs 2 hours to get going. Very nice for $60.
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6/17/2017 - Eric.S Likes this wine: 93 Points
Layers of flavor here! 3 hr decant.
On the nose, very (ripe) Bordeaux like, cassis, woodsy pencil shaving, cigar tobacco, slight pyrazine influence, freshness, floral, and something candy-sweet. Very complex.
On the palate, big(-) body, dark fruit profile, blackberry, cassis, licorice, dark chocolate bitter edge, mocha. 30+ sec finish.
Definitely some oak influence but in moderation. Great with ribeye steak dinner.
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6/17/2017 - ocperu wrote: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully now. Hints of spice, muted cardamom and fresh pencil shavings. Body is solid with a weighty finish. Still has some shelf life.
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4/21/2017 - Bkdk wrote: 95 Points
Tasted at the winery a couple of years ago and liked it, so purchased a bottle. Floored by how much the wine has developed since then. Appears to be drinking in its prime right now.
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3/24/2017 - Ryan Smith Likes this wine: 96 Points
Amazing
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12/24/2016 - deekmon wrote: 92 Points
78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec.
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12/22/2016 - brouigu1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
One of my favorite Bordeaux blends and this did not disappoint.
Nose of dark cherry with hints of chocolate, tobacco and allspice. Beautiful dark purple with almost no clarity.
First sip to the last this is delivering bright red and dark fruits, chocolate, spices and a tiny herbal note of the finish. Not overly complex but a very interesting and pleasing wine none the less.
Drinking well and just a delicious wine.
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11/20/2016 - md.dunbar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep Ruby color, sucking a small amount of light from the room. After it opened up a bit, it was definitely rich berry on the nose and palate and just a hint of spice and tobacco on the finish.
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9/12/2016 - Mbressack Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still delicious Bordeaux with dark fruit, but needed to open. Long finish complicated tobacco, tar and toasted vanilla taste.
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9/4/2016 - dkemery Likes this wine:
Layers! Complexity yet easy to drink. Delightful finish
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8/14/2016 - Aldhib Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for an hour. Cherries up front, becoming more complex, with a hint of vanilla on the finish.
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5/10/2016 - EMark Likes this wine:
More blue than red purple color. Green woody nose with a fair amount of earthiness. Gentle hit of cassis on introduction, but lots more going on. Again, I’m getting a green viney thing, but definitely not “in your face.” Dark chocolate with only the suggestion of bitterness. A full-bodied wine, but not a brute. On the other hand it is not as sophisticated as a Claret. Acid as of stone fruit—not citrus. Firm, but not off-putting tannin.
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4/3/2016 - farinas Likes this wine: 93 Points
Effusive nose with dark fruits especially plums and blackberries. Palate is muscular and fleshy with acidic undertone. The wine finishes medium in length. This wine is a strong showing and perhaps value for Sonoma.
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3/14/2016 - mhewitt wrote: 93 Points
This is an excellent cabernet that competes favorably with more expensive Napa wines. Drinking well now.
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1/11/2016 - Mbressack Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great rich nose, aromas of dark fruit. Slightly acidic on the front end with dark black fruit, but after 1/2 hour rounded out to an excellent long finish complicated tobacco and vanilla taste.
Drinking nicely.
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12/25/2015 - Merky_Waters Likes this wine: 91 Points
90-91
Opulent and extracted. Drink now.
Cassis, black fruit preserves, and an inky minerality. Graphite, iodine, and dense milk chocolate French oak. "Volcanic" and sanguine.
Creamy full body, low acid and silky soft tannins. Ready to go but bordering on ovverripe. I prefer a bit more backbone and structure but the sheer richness of the fruit make this hard to critique. Delicious Christmas treat.
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12/20/2015 - mntebolt wrote:
It was good
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12/12/2015 - COWineLover wrote: 84 Points
The wine was very flat with a very heavy prune on the palate. Did not have the freshness of a bottle 18 months ago. This was a huge disappointment.
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10/12/2015 - Grayvino wrote: 92 Points
Wow this is drinking nicely right now, dense black fruit and integrated tannins...rich, wonderful. The extra year in bottle has raised my score a point.
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9/19/2015 - bkskimachine wrote:
x
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9/12/2015 - Lar F wrote: 90 Points
Very good I would buy this again
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8/31/2015 - mcoleman1722 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great bottle. I've had 5-6 vintages of this wine, and it never disappoints. Very floral nose with great depth of flavor and a long finish.
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8/25/2015 - domestic_primate Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine always impresses; will always look for more if I can get it for < $50 CAD.
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6/20/2015 - Ecoenophile wrote: 91 Points
Decanted, drank over two days. Black berry and floral notes on the nose. Palate was blackberry, blueberry, slight graphite hints. Smooth and well integrated fruits. Medium to long finish... with a little tannins at the finish. Generally, a very nice sipper.
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6/6/2015 - Savannahman Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is an excellent cab. Good value.
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4/24/2015 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark in color. Nose of coffee, plums and chocolate. Good balance, long and good power. Rich without being over the top. Drink now over the next 10-15 years.
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4/12/2015 - clubs Likes this wine: 92 Points
2/3 hour air necessary - best 2nd night
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3/14/2015 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Blackfruit, currant and cassis on the nose. If you're going to open this wine now, give it around two hours to open up. Round merlot fruit was the first thing I noted, backed with the cab franc spice and cabernet structure. Lots of blackberry, black cherry, plum and black olive notes, backed with tobacco, earth and spice. Nearly full bodied and after two hours, the tannins are much more integrated. While this wine shows well now, based on the structure, density and roundness, it should improve over the next few years.
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2/12/2015 - Wine_in_HD wrote: 90 Points
A Bordeaux blend that hit the mark. Pnp first day. Better the second day. The bottle is about an inch taller than the usual 750ml bottle which is a bit annoying for storage purposes.
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2/9/2015 - clubs Likes this wine: 91 Points
90 first night with decant. 91 third night.
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2/1/2015 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was the best new world wine of the night. Plum and Cherry are matched with leather and licorice. Intense flavors and long finish
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12/27/2014 - Rob MacKay wrote: 92 Points
As others have noted, needs a decent session in the decanter but after a couple hours this wine was really quite nice. Bordeaux blend with just a touch of new world essence but not overpowering in any way. First time I've had this wine and for me it's almost like a mellow Phelps Insignia (at half the price). Good stuff and will certainly buy more.
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12/20/2014 - jonahfactor Likes this wine: 88 Points
First Cinq Cepages we've had in years, courtesy of a generous dinner host. Almost black in the glass with a well-formed necklace that danced in the candlelight. Aroma of dark berries, moss and light tar, and blackberries, cassis and hints of tar and mint on the palate. A full-throttled finish with some pipe tobacco notes. Full-bodied and drinking well right now. Tannins are nicely integrated. However, this offering peters out with time in the glass, seemingly grinding down to half strength after an hour in the glass. Drink now-2017.
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12/1/2014 - domestic_primate Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine needs a good decant to show its true value. Will try to keep my last bottle corked for at least another year.
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11/26/2014 - Thatsgreatjuice wrote: 91 Points
Good bottle of wine. I will wait on opening another until summer of 2015.
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11/13/2014 - TheRhoneranger Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great nose. Dark fruits, tobacco and cocoa. Still young. Probably needs another year or two to mellow the tannins.
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10/17/2014 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 91 Points
2014 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/14/2014-10/21/2014 (New York City, NY): This deep-to-opaque ruby wine is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. It flaunts aromas of cassis, cedar, clove, pipe tobacco and allspice. On the palate, it is medium-to-full-bodied, round and seamlessly alcoholic. The flavors mirror the nose and are wrapped with medium-weight, grippy tannins. Solid in the middle, it closes with a dusty, medium-to-long finish. Although this wine is more finesse than power, it would still benefit from short-term cellaring in order to smooth out the rough edges on the tannins. Drink 2017-2025.
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9/13/2014 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
New World Blind Tasting Group $40+ (Bin 75): Very dark core with bright maroon rim; dark fruit, smoke, tar, cassis, blackberry, green pepper, sweet fruit, tobacco, non-fruit is underneath, smells ageworthy; good sweet fruit on the palate along with tartness, larger scale, good ripeness, liqueur-like; really deserving of a few more years before cracking one; like where this is headed with longer cellar time as it may seem a bit more Old World in style then.
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8/26/2014 - ewasowicz wrote: 93 Points
Nose: oak, brandy, vanilla
Taste: lack berries, oak, low tannins, well balanced
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6/24/2014 - Rezy13 wrote:
Very dark core with thin bright purple rim; vanilla, oak, char, smells purple, candied cassis, good depth; spicy, green pepper, vanilla, medium finish; good, needs time.
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6/20/2014 - Hodby wrote: 93 Points
Very dark violet-red color. East bank Bordeaux nose stylistically, a showy L'Angelus imposter ? Sweet oak-spiced cherry fruit, ground coffee, licorice, mushroom, bay leaf. On arrival, pervasive but fine-grained tannin and balanced acidity. Flavor impact is forceful, developing in the mouth as the initial sensation of structure begins to dissipate and recede. Superb finish. We're going to throw a couple of these into the cellar and we scoff at current Bordeaux prices. Bottle #1 of one.
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6/13/2014 - COWineLover wrote: 91 Points
This bottle was consumed over two days. On day one, the wine was very tight on the nose and palate, and really needs a good decant at this early stage. Notes below are from day 2 as day 1 did not offer reasonable note opportunities.
Color - Deep black cherry in color.
Aroma - This is a very expressive wine on the nose. The wine is very earthy, with mushroom, violets, loamy wet soil, crushed rock, anise, leather, cedar, and a hint of tobacco. Also offers black currant and black cherry.
Palate - The tannins possess a nice zip, but despite their youth they are nicely balanced with the fruit and earthy aromas. The acidity takes the background to the tannins, but offers a crispness to the wine. This has a gripping dill on the entry, followed by blackberries, black olive, and pepper in the mid palate. The finish has notes of bitter toasted vanilla glazed almonds. The bitterness in the end held back the final score for me. The finish is very persistent.
This really needs probably a minimum of 2 years to drop some of the bitterness, and like many Cinq Cepages should drink well 15 years from now.
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5/13/2014 - rsed Likes this wine: 92 Points
Full bodied blueberry cobbler, dark fruits, kind of sweet but mouth watering, great with the lamb chops
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2/2/2014 - StacyA Likes this wine: 93 Points
Not my favorite vintage of Cinq Cepages (yet), but clearly a fine offering. This wine is a bargain if you can snag it for $40 or less. Well balanced, integrated, but not as memorable as other vintages. Love the winery and the winemaker. Will buy more if I can get it for less than $40 and cellar for a while to see how it develops.
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12/6/2013 - redrules Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Nice balance between tannins and finesse. Up front dark fruit, low sugar. Doesn't elevate after first taste. Complexity and finish lacking a little. Expected more in a $60 bottle. Addendum-1 hour later openining up a little mid palate a little better, now
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