I think the name gets it quite right. Definitely seems to have some tobacco notes. Plum, maybe some baking spice. Good acidity. Overall just excellent. Nice pairing with hoisin glazed salmon with plum sage salsa.
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Vin ample et assez corsé. Assemblage GSM avec un peu de Cinsault. Un nez sur les fruits noirs et les épices. En bouche, tannins assez fermes avec un fruit dense, finale longue et un peu de chauffe.
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Nose: Savory - play dough, celery .Dark plum. Ripe to overripe. Slightly oxidative, hint of carbonic / whole cluster. I'm not the biggest fan of the nose here.
Medium plus body, medium plus alcohol 14% [actually 13.3%] medium plus acid, medium tannins (blockish) with some phenolic bitterness and possible stem inclusion.
Some partially new or 2nd-3rd use oak - bourbon, vanilla, sawdust on the palate.
New World Pinot - color is too deep, tannins are too high. Tempranillo from California? Maybe. The alcohol is pretty high. Nebbiolo - fruit is dark plum, tannins not high enough. Sangiovese, California, 2010. $30.
Actually: GSM from California, “Le Cigare Volant” - Bonny Doon, 2009 (regular, not reserve). ~$36.
Discussion: Sangiovese wouldn’t be purple. It would be more ruby/red at the core and red/garnet at the rim.
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Robe rubis pourpre moyenne. Nez attrayant de fruits des champs et poivre rose. Bouche toute en fraîcheur qui laisse ensuite place à un fruit généreux et des tannins de qualité.
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Be fun to try this blind in a flight of CDPs. Very CDP like in a somewhat lighter frame. ALC is a low 13.3% for this type of wine and from CA too! Like that the Grenache doesn't dominate the blend. Great value for the $26 I paid for it.
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Blind Cali Reds (Washington, DC): Medium purple color. Interesting nose of black cherries, cranberry sauce, pepper, sweet herbs and a mushroom and soy note. Fleshy but firm tannins, tangy acid, quite balanced and pretty. The black cherry and tangy plum fruit shows a tart, fresh but bold approach at the same time. I love the soil, pickle, meat and pepper notes, which add all sorts of complexity. Lots of interwoven flavors, but it could use some time to unwind. Just a step down in complexity from the en bonbonne reserve, but this is a beautiful wine. 36% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre and 19% Cinsault.
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Nose with pepper and fruit, oak and heavy wood spices, charcoal and vanilla. Same on the palate, but with the addition of sweet candied jam. A bit more sophisticated than many US Syrah’s, but not very complex or good. However, form experience with this producer (had a bottle of 2005 a while back, that surprised, in a good way), perhaps with time things might straighten up and become better, once it gets more integrated and less all over the place? At this point, not a good wine.
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Ett lättillgängligt och sötfruktigt vin med smak av plommon, nypon och söta röda bär. Ett helt ok kvalitativt vin som man inte behöver analysera allt för mycket. Vinet dekanterades i 3 timmar innan vi drack det.
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4/21/2017 - Redfish wrote: 91 Points
I think the name gets it quite right. Definitely seems to have some tobacco notes. Plum, maybe some baking spice. Good acidity. Overall just excellent. Nice pairing with hoisin glazed salmon with plum sage salsa.
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7/28/2016 - maxima wrote: 89 Points
Vin ample et assez corsé.
Assemblage GSM avec un peu de Cinsault.
Un nez sur les fruits noirs et les épices.
En bouche, tannins assez fermes avec un fruit dense, finale longue et un peu de chauffe.
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9/21/2015 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 83 Points
Blinds at Nopa with Tim - Bonny Doon (Nopa SF): Wine 1 - a blind wine, but we know it’s from Bonny Doon.
Medium ruby-purple to a ruby rim. No signs of age in color. Dull.
Nose: Savory - play dough, celery .Dark plum. Ripe to overripe. Slightly oxidative, hint of carbonic / whole cluster. I'm not the biggest fan of the nose here.
Medium plus body, medium plus alcohol 14% [actually 13.3%]
medium plus acid, medium tannins (blockish) with some phenolic bitterness and possible stem inclusion.
Some partially new or 2nd-3rd use oak - bourbon, vanilla, sawdust on the palate.
New World Pinot - color is too deep, tannins are too high.
Tempranillo from California? Maybe. The alcohol is pretty high.
Nebbiolo - fruit is dark plum, tannins not high enough.
Sangiovese, California, 2010. $30.
Actually: GSM from California, “Le Cigare Volant” - Bonny Doon, 2009 (regular, not reserve). ~$36.
Discussion:
Sangiovese wouldn’t be purple. It would be more ruby/red at the core and red/garnet at the rim.
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5/17/2015 - FMRsommelier wrote: 90 Points
Robe rubis pourpre moyenne. Nez attrayant de fruits des champs et poivre rose. Bouche toute en fraîcheur qui laisse ensuite place à un fruit généreux et des tannins de qualité.
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10/9/2014 - chablis28 wrote: 91 Points
Be fun to try this blind in a flight of CDPs. Very CDP like in a somewhat lighter frame. ALC is a low 13.3% for this type of wine and from CA too! Like that the Grenache doesn't dominate the blend. Great value for the $26 I paid for it.
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5/9/2014 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 91 Points
Blind Cali Reds (Washington, DC): Medium purple color. Interesting nose of black cherries, cranberry sauce, pepper, sweet herbs and a mushroom and soy note. Fleshy but firm tannins, tangy acid, quite balanced and pretty. The black cherry and tangy plum fruit shows a tart, fresh but bold approach at the same time. I love the soil, pickle, meat and pepper notes, which add all sorts of complexity. Lots of interwoven flavors, but it could use some time to unwind. Just a step down in complexity from the en bonbonne reserve, but this is a beautiful wine. 36% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre and 19% Cinsault.
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3/16/2014 - yofog wrote: 88 Points
Deep plum fruit, a little spice, a really good spine that I think is coming from the mourvedre, but this is not ready for drinking yet.
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2/7/2014 - Ramberg wrote: 83 Points
Nose with pepper and fruit, oak and heavy wood spices, charcoal and vanilla.
Same on the palate, but with the addition of sweet candied jam.
A bit more sophisticated than many US Syrah’s, but not very complex or good.
However, form experience with this producer (had a bottle of 2005 a while back, that surprised, in a good way), perhaps with time things might straighten up and become better, once it gets more integrated and less all over the place?
At this point, not a good wine.
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2/1/2014 - mnor wrote:
Ett lättillgängligt och sötfruktigt vin med smak av plommon, nypon och söta röda bär. Ett helt ok kvalitativt vin som man inte behöver analysera allt för mycket. Vinet dekanterades i 3 timmar innan vi drack det.
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