2 hour decant. Nose dominated by blue and black fruit, which follows through on the palate with a wild strawberry, cherry, baking spice, plum skin, and more blue and black fruits. Good balance, with sweet integrated tannins. Certainly a "big" wine. Tasty!
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Dark red/purple color. The ripe nose of red raspberry and cherry displays the Grenache aspect of this wine. The palate seems a little overripe with red raspberry, cherry, and a slightly pruney note. There is an earthy, beet root note underneath the fruit. Structurally, this medium-bodied wine has low acidity and soft tannins. The finish is packed with ripe fruit. Overall, this wine is very ripe and hedonistic tonight, but it is slightly out of balance.
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Splash decant for an hour. Lovely big nose of gorgeous dark fruits w/ a touch of alco bite. While this BIG 7 year year old has resolved its tannins, the wrapping of huge sweetness crushes and distracts from other well meaning elements. Unfortunately big fat CA are not to my taste and thus, I must pronounce this as one of McPrice's lesser efforts. Not in my wheelhouse. Oh well.
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47% Mouvedre, 34% Grenache, and 19% Syrah. Medium purple/red color with pink rim. This wine has an intense nose of raspberry, red cherry, lavender, spice, musk, some funk, and a touch of alcohol. The flavors highlight the grenache with ripe red raspberry, cherry, spice, and licorice. Structurally, this medium-bodied wine has solid acidity, a plush mouthfeel, and well managed, but evident, tannins. The finish has good length with ripe fruit and tannins and a touch of alcohol. Overall, this wine has great fruit, a plush mouthfeel, and some tannins to round out the package. My wife, who loves grenache, really enjoyed this wine.
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Second tasting is mostly consistent with the first (although I definitely don't get the "nearly effervescent" midpalate this time). Initial impressions are of a darker, more serious wine than the last notes indicate, but over the course of the bottle, the high tones begin to dominate. I think that's normal for a high-alcohol mourvedre. I wish I had a better vocabulary to describe the nose on this.
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Similar lush, fruity, smoky flavor profile as last 2 bottles, but alcohol is showing more prominently and starting to seem disjointed. This was an enjoyable bottle in its youth but not much value holding onto this much longer.
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Exactly what I needed. Sweet red fruit, cola, brilliant midpalate -- effervescent, almost -- bitter herb finish. Some of the flavors were unfamiliar to me. Makes sense now that I realize that it's almost half Mourvedre. At first, it didn't seem too hot, but after a glass or two, it started to flash a bit -- that's when I looked at the alcohol level. Wow! 15.8! But it's still reasonable somehow. This is not a wine for everyone, certainly, but, well, it's a wine for me.
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Black licorice, blackberry, olives, slightly medicinal on the nose. On the palate, licorice, and deep black fruit. Hot on the finish. Great value as always.
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This is a big wine, with lots of cola and fruit. It's not as good as I had expected based on the scores it received and my recollection from tasting it previously. I think this wine was trying too hard to be big. It was out of balance in terms of being overly alcoholic, with a burn that was even present a day after opening. I expected a little better ...
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Similar to last bottle, dark-fruited, sappy, cola, finishing with smoky BBQ flavors. No doubt this is a ripe wine, but paired with a home-made spicy fire-roasted tomato sauce pasta dish, it stood up very well.
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Decanted 2 hours and chilled. Nose of wet newspaper and sweet fruit. Bright red and black fruit but overly alcoholic. Nice mouthfeel but medium short finish. Big fruit bomb but meh.
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Nice wine, opened nicely after some green tinges upon opening. Smokey with blackberries, blueberries and tar. Medium tannins, fruit forward the wine needs at least 30min to an hour deccant and should be served around 65 degrees. Overall, nice GSM.
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A complete package for this Altas Vinas. Regal red with lots of eye candy on the pour, and aromas of red fruit in the air. Dense, with concentrated flavors of red currant, game, meat drippings and grilled herbs with a complex finish that begins with a wave of chocolate and accents of spice. This is my favorite Altas Vinas to date. Barrel 27 tasting room - Paso Robles Harvest Festival.
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Another rich fruit bomb ready to go. Delivers layers of unctuous black fruit, subtle spice, and copious chewy tannin. This one has a bit of funky, wet wool/gamey meat quality from the mourved. I'm always amazed that Mac achieves such evolved, layered wines so close to vintage. The poster child for precociousness. As always, pleasureable stuff.
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Decanted through an aeration device. Cherries on the nose, somewhat closed at first, then showing dark berries with gamey/earthy/mushroom. Very silky texture with dark berries and smokey/bbq and spice flavors, cola, very long finish still changing several seconds later. Paired with grilled eggplant. 47% Mourvedre 34% Grenache 19% Syrah
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15.8% ABV. Dark garnet in the glass, somewhat to fairly translucent. This wine seems to have a more sauvage nose than most of MM's wines that I've tasted. Chalk it up to the Mourvedre - pepper, earth, a touch of something like iodine and a slight animal fur quality, but all that said, the nose is still ripe and pleasing. Medium to full bodied with rich black fruit and a savory cut, yet supple and satisfying. Very good.
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1/26/2015 - Hamilton1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
brawny, almost port-like
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12/7/2014 - CellarGuy17 wrote: 93 Points
Layers of ripe fruit, stewed fruit and dried fruit.
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5/6/2014 - Grape Stuff Likes this wine: 91 Points
2 hour decant. Nose dominated by blue and black fruit, which follows through on the palate with a wild strawberry, cherry, baking spice, plum skin, and more blue and black fruits. Good balance, with sweet integrated tannins. Certainly a "big" wine. Tasty!
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2/24/2014 - Meerlust wrote: 89 Points
Dark red/purple color. The ripe nose of red raspberry and cherry displays the Grenache aspect of this wine. The palate seems a little overripe with red raspberry, cherry, and a slightly pruney note. There is an earthy, beet root note underneath the fruit. Structurally, this medium-bodied wine has low acidity and soft tannins. The finish is packed with ripe fruit. Overall, this wine is very ripe and hedonistic tonight, but it is slightly out of balance.
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1/26/2014 - NotNYC wrote:
Afraid I have to go low in this.
Splash decant for an hour.
Lovely big nose of gorgeous dark fruits w/ a touch of alco bite.
While this BIG 7 year year old has resolved its tannins, the wrapping of huge sweetness crushes and distracts from other well meaning elements.
Unfortunately big fat CA are not to my taste and thus, I must pronounce this as one of McPrice's lesser efforts. Not in my wheelhouse.
Oh well.
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8/13/2013 - Meerlust wrote: 91 Points
47% Mouvedre, 34% Grenache, and 19% Syrah. Medium purple/red color with pink rim. This wine has an intense nose of raspberry, red cherry, lavender, spice, musk, some funk, and a touch of alcohol. The flavors highlight the grenache with ripe red raspberry, cherry, spice, and licorice. Structurally, this medium-bodied wine has solid acidity, a plush mouthfeel, and well managed, but evident, tannins. The finish has good length with ripe fruit and tannins and a touch of alcohol. Overall, this wine has great fruit, a plush mouthfeel, and some tannins to round out the package. My wife, who loves grenache, really enjoyed this wine.
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8/1/2013 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine just keeps getting better!
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2/15/2013 - alpha_ori wrote: 93 Points
Second tasting is mostly consistent with the first (although I definitely don't get the "nearly effervescent" midpalate this time). Initial impressions are of a darker, more serious wine than the last notes indicate, but over the course of the bottle, the high tones begin to dominate. I think that's normal for a high-alcohol mourvedre. I wish I had a better vocabulary to describe the nose on this.
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12/21/2012 - ksteiner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Extremely lush. Deep fruit and dark berry on the nose.
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11/11/2012 - MotoMannequin wrote:
Similar lush, fruity, smoky flavor profile as last 2 bottles, but alcohol is showing more prominently and starting to seem disjointed. This was an enjoyable bottle in its youth but not much value holding onto this much longer.
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10/8/2012 - alpha_ori wrote: 94 Points
Exactly what I needed. Sweet red fruit, cola, brilliant midpalate -- effervescent, almost -- bitter herb finish. Some of the flavors were unfamiliar to me. Makes sense now that I realize that it's almost half Mourvedre. At first, it didn't seem too hot, but after a glass or two, it started to flash a bit -- that's when I looked at the alcohol level. Wow! 15.8! But it's still reasonable somehow. This is not a wine for everyone, certainly, but, well, it's a wine for me.
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9/28/2012 - cbkamp Likes this wine: 91 Points
Black licorice, blackberry, olives, slightly medicinal on the nose. On the palate, licorice, and deep black fruit. Hot on the finish. Great value as always.
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8/29/2012 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Potent. Should wait 5-10 years before drinking the there bottle
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6/3/2012 - ddsolomon2000 wrote: 92 Points
Keeps getting better.
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2/15/2012 - ddsolomon2000 wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful wine.
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9/1/2011 - Central Coast Wino wrote: 89 Points
This is a big wine, with lots of cola and fruit. It's not as good as I had expected based on the scores it received and my recollection from tasting it previously. I think this wine was trying too hard to be big. It was out of balance in terms of being overly alcoholic, with a burn that was even present a day after opening. I expected a little better ...
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8/25/2011 - MotoMannequin wrote:
Similar to last bottle, dark-fruited, sappy, cola, finishing with smoky BBQ flavors. No doubt this is a ripe wine, but paired with a home-made spicy fire-roasted tomato sauce pasta dish, it stood up very well.
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7/4/2011 - jupiter33 wrote: 87 Points
Clearly my last bottle was corked. This drank much better but it is an over extracted fruit bomb with too much heat/alcohol.
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6/11/2011 - ksteiner wrote: 93 Points
Wow in a bottle.
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5/11/2011 - jupiter33 wrote: 86 Points
Decanted 2 hours and chilled. Nose of wet newspaper and sweet fruit. Bright red and black fruit but overly alcoholic. Nice mouthfeel but medium short finish. Big fruit bomb but meh.
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5/2/2011 - Central Coast Wino wrote: 91 Points
A full bodied Rhone blend, with just a little "sweetness". Absolutely delicious, but a big wine.
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4/22/2011 - ddsolomon2000 wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding, well balanced, fruit forward. Really nice wine. Well done.
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1/31/2011 - beezer6 wrote: 86 Points
Glunz Grand Tasting (Union League Club of Chicago): Over extracted. Just not good.
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10/27/2010 - emrugger wrote: 90 Points
Nice wine, opened nicely after some green tinges upon opening. Smokey with blackberries, blueberries and tar. Medium tannins, fruit forward the wine needs at least 30min to an hour deccant and should be served around 65 degrees. Overall, nice GSM.
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10/19/2010 - samiamx_1999 wrote: 90 Points
Nice body and fruit, mild tannins.
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10/16/2010 - wine maestro wrote: 90 Points
A complete package for this Altas Vinas. Regal red with lots of eye candy on the pour,
and aromas of red fruit in the air. Dense, with concentrated flavors of red currant,
game, meat drippings and grilled herbs with a complex finish that begins with a wave
of chocolate and accents of spice. This is my favorite Altas Vinas to date. Barrel 27
tasting room - Paso Robles Harvest Festival.
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7/11/2010 - WineKnurd wrote:
Popped & poured, general impression is too much oak and heat on the palate. Finishes with a medicinal, nyquil quality.
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6/11/2010 - Jody Smith wrote:
Another rich fruit bomb ready to go. Delivers layers of unctuous black fruit, subtle spice, and copious chewy tannin. This one has a bit of funky, wet wool/gamey meat quality from the mourved. I'm always amazed that Mac achieves such evolved, layered wines so close to vintage. The poster child for precociousness. As always, pleasureable stuff.
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5/30/2010 - MotoMannequin wrote: 92 Points
Decanted through an aeration device. Cherries on the nose, somewhat closed at first, then showing dark berries with gamey/earthy/mushroom. Very silky texture with dark berries and smokey/bbq and spice flavors, cola, very long finish still changing several seconds later. Paired with grilled eggplant. 47% Mourvedre 34% Grenache 19% Syrah
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5/3/2010 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 92 Points
15.8% ABV. Dark garnet in the glass, somewhat to fairly translucent. This wine seems to have a more sauvage nose than most of MM's wines that I've tasted. Chalk it up to the Mourvedre - pepper, earth, a touch of something like iodine and a slight animal fur quality, but all that said, the nose is still ripe and pleasing. Medium to full bodied with rich black fruit and a savory cut, yet supple and satisfying. Very good.
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