Served @ 17c/63f (14.5% abv) with BBQ Pulled-Pork. Crimson in the glass with Cherries and Ripe Red Berries on the nose, carrying over well to the palate. Light to medium body, this wine is smooth and well-balanced. Medium acidity with muted tannin and characteristic spiciness. Dry medium finish. The higher alcohol content (14.5% abv & 15.0% for the 2013 Cline) is not perceivable in the nose or palate. Spouse and I really enjoyed this wine; with food or just for casual sipping. Another good example of a well-made, California Contra Costa County Zinfandel.
Past the CT suggested drinking window, wine is ready to drink now and more cellaring may not result in much improvement; one may as well Drink up!
I will add more Zinfandel to my shopping list; looking forward to comparing this to some North Coast and Central Coast/Paso Robles Zins.
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Given its old vine, Contra Costa County pedigree, I was hoping for a bit more. Yet at 4 years old it's a bit tight, a bit raisiny, and yet a bit underdeveloped. Another year in the bottle, perhaps, to bring out its best?
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Popped and poured. Drank over 3 evenings. This wine is great right now. No rough edges, slightly oaked so fruit shows well. Held up well even on the 3rd evening. Great QPR here.
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The wine is clear and bright with a medium ruby colour.
The nose is clean and developing, showing pronounced intensity aromas of black fruit (dark cherries, dark plums, blackberries) and oak (clove, cedar).
The wine is off-dry in the mouth with a low acidity. It has medium(+) ripe supple tannins and a high warm alcohol. It has a full body and pronounced intensity flavours of black fruit (dark cherries, dark plums, blackberries) and oak (clove, cedar). The finish is long.
It is a good quality wine. It has a lingering finish and very concentrated flavours in balance with the warm alcohol. On the othar hand the acidity is too low and the wine comes out rather flat, it could be more complex too.
Can drink now, but it has enough tannic structure and fruit concentration to be kept for 1-2 years more, albeit I would not expect it to develop much more complexity.
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Clear light red color wine. Dry with light tannin and more cherry notes than I was expecting. Dry finish that is maybe shorther than I was expecting. Not as big and powerful as some other Zins out there but enjoyable and easy drinking.
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Aerated in Venturi to bring out more flavor. Nose of sweet perfume. Very jammy wine, with raspberry and grape fruit abounding. Medium finish with notes of vanilla and redhot spice. Very pleasant value wine. Will be buying more of this.
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PNP, a little harsh and disjointed at first, but opened up with time, as the last glass was better than the first. Good fruit, berries, spicey, with chocolate notes, needs a few months or maybe a year to settle down.
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On our recent swing through the Napa/Sonoma, we happened by Cline on a quiet morning. One thing in its favor is the absence of a tasting fee; another is the wonderful setting. They obviously make a lot of money from selling wine, but most of theirs are in the affordable category. Their zins represent a good value. This is no exception: a medium weight on the zin scale, emphasis on the brambly fruit rather than the baked goods. Eminently quaffable.
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Very good. Dark purple color with thin, watery legs. Sweet cherries on the nose. Flavors of earth, cherry, and pepper. Getting better with time. An exceptional value.
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The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like black pepper. It tastes like blackberry. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium.
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Wow! Un zinfandel rempli de soleil. Un nez puissant et persistant aux notes de fraises. En bouche, les tanins enveloppés sont des plus agréable surtout qu'ils y demeurent très longtemps. Encore!
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Opened and aired for 1 hour prior to consumption. The wine looks purple colored. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black pepper. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes lovely with low acidity. Nice aroma.
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So you may be wondering....is this worth the extra cash over the Cline Lodi Zinfandel ($7.99)? My answer is yes it is, this wine is more varietally correct and a purer expression than the bubble gum tinged Lodi. It may be hard to recognize unless you taste them side by side like I did. This is a much better choice for an everyday pizza wine. Buy the Ancient Vines I say.
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This is a good wine for the price. It isn't great but it certainly is worth $11-12. I've bought many bottles and will continue to drink this wine. Actually I have never tasted a Cline wine that wasn't acceptable.
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It's a lovely Zin for the price. Honestly for 11 bucks we are very impressed. Zin pairs very well with curry and this one did the trick! Double yum and a quarter Solid
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I've had a lot of Zins at this price point and this one is the best in that range. It's not spectacular but a great every wine and especially a great everyday zin.
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PnP. Medium dark purple/maroon with slow wide legs. Tobacco and dark cherries on the nose. Ripe strawberries and other red fruits on the palate. Spicy zin finish with lingering acids. Fairly extracted. Not bad for the price.
Tasted in a Riedel Vinum Chianti Classico glass at 60°F.
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Very good. Inky purple with thin legs. Cherry on the nose. Soft tannins. Enjoyable and food friendly. Borders on "Delicious." Just not as peppery as it could be.
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Medium(+) purple, ruby rim, well developed legs, slow moving @14.5%. Medium developing aromas black fruits, leafy notes, tobacco. Dry, low acidity, medium(-) tannins, medium(+) alcohol, medium(+) body. Concentrated flavors of black cherries, pepper, all spice. Glycerine-fatty texture, balanced but personally prefer more acidity. Good length with restrained fruit-spicy finish, and for a Zin rather elegant (vs some over extracted power wines).
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Very pleasant. Spice, pepper, rasberry, followed by dark berry/fruit/candied fruit explosion. Nice weight on the tongue, and bright young fruit continues through to the end. Easy drinking solo or with food. Very respectable for the price.
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A very decent Zin for this price point. Nothing to write home about, but great with pizza or a burger. Some nice jammy fruit, and a little pepper. A little sweet for my preference.
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Great quality Zin for this price point. Don't expect alot of nuance or secondary flavors. Just Jammy Black and red berry goodness. Great with Pizza or burgers.
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Nice notes of spice and green pepper on the nose. Not at a screaming fruit bomb ... much more "old-style" Zin. Even at somewhat more inflated Ohio prices (~$14) it's worth every penny.
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QPR home run! Picked up a couple of these Zins at Costco yesterday and popped one last night to accompany a spaghetti dinner. For a price slightly north of $10/bottle this is a shockingly good wine. While Cline refers to this wine as being "ripe," I found it to be pleasingly subtle for a mass produced old vine Zin. Lovely aromas of dark fruits and a pleasing hint of chocolate. Flavors revolve around more of those dark red fruits, a hint of smoke and a subtle vanilla note. This is a wonderfully satisfying wine that actually fits inside our budget! Way to go Cline!
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4/8/2018 - jerrysvino Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good Zin for the money. Thin but still a lot of fruit. Classic Zin nose and taste, strawberry jam
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4/1/2018 - Weslerjb wrote: 87 Points
A good table wine for the price.
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9/13/2017 - Red Don Likes this wine: 88 Points
Served @ 17c/63f (14.5% abv) with BBQ Pulled-Pork. Crimson in the glass with Cherries and Ripe Red Berries on the nose, carrying over well to the palate. Light to medium body, this wine is smooth and well-balanced. Medium acidity with muted tannin and characteristic spiciness. Dry medium finish. The higher alcohol content (14.5% abv & 15.0% for the 2013 Cline) is not perceivable in the nose or palate. Spouse and I really enjoyed this wine; with food or just for casual sipping. Another good example of a well-made, California Contra Costa County Zinfandel.
Past the CT suggested drinking window, wine is ready to drink now and more cellaring may not result in much improvement; one may as well Drink up!
I will add more Zinfandel to my shopping list; looking forward to comparing this to some North Coast and Central Coast/Paso Robles Zins.
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4/23/2017 - oakville72 Likes this wine: 87 Points
Given its old vine, Contra Costa County pedigree, I was hoping for a bit more. Yet at 4 years old it's a bit tight, a bit raisiny, and yet a bit underdeveloped. Another year in the bottle, perhaps, to bring out its best?
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12/21/2015 - Dan & Krista Stockman Likes this wine: 89 Points
Usually this wine is very reserved and subtle, but this one was big and lush. Was it the age? Whatever it was, it was great.
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7/23/2015 - ewisor wrote: 86 Points
Popped and poured. Drank over 3 evenings. This wine is great right now. No rough edges, slightly oaked so fruit shows well. Held up well even on the 3rd evening. Great QPR here.
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4/26/2015 - Man in Black wrote:
The wine is clear and bright with a medium ruby colour.
The nose is clean and developing, showing pronounced intensity aromas of black fruit (dark cherries, dark plums, blackberries) and oak (clove, cedar).
The wine is off-dry in the mouth with a low acidity. It has medium(+) ripe supple tannins and a high warm alcohol. It has a full body and pronounced intensity flavours of black fruit (dark cherries, dark plums, blackberries) and oak (clove, cedar). The finish is long.
It is a good quality wine. It has a lingering finish and very concentrated flavours in balance with the warm alcohol. On the othar hand the acidity is too low and the wine comes out rather flat, it could be more complex too.
Can drink now, but it has enough tannic structure and fruit concentration to be kept for 1-2 years more, albeit I would not expect it to develop much more complexity.
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3/12/2015 - Daviana Likes this wine: 90 Points
Smells like strawberry. Sweet and peppery taste. Enjoyed it and eating it with a nice pasta and calamari dish.
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3/10/2015 - gravedee Likes this wine: 88 Points
Decent Zinfandel, good QPR, nothing special but an easy drinker and a good table wine.
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3/9/2015 - Boutip wrote: 84 Points
Clear light red color wine. Dry with light tannin and more cherry notes than I was expecting. Dry finish that is maybe shorther than I was expecting. Not as big and powerful as some other Zins out there but enjoyable and easy drinking.
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12/1/2014 - d1gital wrote: 86 Points
Dark ruby. Berry nose. Notes of overripe strawberries, chocolate and delectable alcohol. Not full-bodied, smooth.
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11/20/2014 - edog77 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice fruity nose. Strawberry, chocolate, smokey hickory. Nice zin and pretty balanced. This is my go to zinfandel for QPR.
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11/9/2014 - Tpairing wrote: 87 Points
Black berries with spice, smoke, coffee and chocolate. Pleasant but luck of depth. Ready to drink and a great partner to a spiced herby rib rack.
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9/13/2014 - Slug81 wrote: 89 Points
Great bottle to go with baby backs that have been on the smoker for 6 hours.
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8/29/2014 - Ronwine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decant at less 1hr
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8/14/2014 - WatkinsWine wrote: 89 Points
Aerated in Venturi to bring out more flavor. Nose of sweet perfume. Very jammy wine, with raspberry and grape fruit abounding. Medium finish with notes of vanilla and redhot spice. Very pleasant value wine. Will be buying more of this.
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8/8/2014 - Wine4Life Likes this wine: 90 Points
Terrific value, great California Zin.
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7/15/2014 - wbduval Likes this wine: 86 Points
Drinkable, but nothing special
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7/10/2014 - wineshaman wrote: 87 Points
PNP, a little harsh and disjointed at first, but opened up with time, as the last glass was better than the first. Good fruit, berries, spicey, with chocolate notes, needs a few months or maybe a year to settle down.
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7/9/2014 - Zed57 wrote: 90 Points
Better than expected. A vibrant fruity Zin that is fun to drink. I wouldn't wait too long..
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6/19/2014 - Dulcie and Aylwin wrote:
On our recent swing through the Napa/Sonoma, we happened by Cline on a quiet morning. One thing in its favor is the absence of a tasting fee; another is the wonderful setting. They obviously make a lot of money from selling wine, but most of theirs are in the affordable category. Their zins represent a good value. This is no exception: a medium weight on the zin scale, emphasis on the brambly fruit rather than the baked goods. Eminently quaffable.
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6/8/2014 - Zuperdaave wrote: 90 Points
Very good. Dark purple color with thin, watery legs. Sweet cherries on the nose. Flavors of earth, cherry, and pepper. Getting better with time. An exceptional value.
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6/7/2014 - aagrawal wrote: 88 Points
Retreat; 6/6/2014-6/8/2014 (Anvil Vineyard and Ranch): Dark fruit, peppery spice; full bodied, peppery black fruit, very drinkable, nice. 88
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5/30/2014 - trailrunnr Likes this wine: 88 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like black pepper. It tastes like blackberry. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium.
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5/20/2014 - RandomCoil wrote:
Black cherry, mint, chlorine? It's good. Light for a zin. Looks almost like Pinot
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5/17/2014 - Dbader wrote: 87 Points
Good mixture of tannins and fruit.
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5/16/2014 - jazzbot Likes this wine: 87 Points
Consistently good for the last 4 years and the 2012 does not disappoint. The 2012 will continue to be in this years rotation.
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4/30/2014 - Wine4Life Likes this wine: 89 Points
Great daily food wine
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4/26/2014 - Drinker Diary Likes this wine: 89 Points
Oeil: Rubis - Grenat
Nez: Fraise - Café
Bouche: Cassis - Chocolat - Poires
Wow! Un zinfandel rempli de soleil. Un nez puissant et persistant aux notes de fraises. En bouche, les tanins enveloppés sont des plus agréable surtout qu'ils y demeurent très longtemps. Encore!
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4/20/2014 - kenhud Likes this wine: 88 Points
An excellent value. Full bodied and balanced nicely. Great example of a Calif zin. Not overly sweet, but fruity.
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4/16/2014 - trailrunnr Likes this wine: 88 Points
Opened and aired for 1 hour prior to consumption.
The wine looks purple colored. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black pepper. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes lovely with low acidity. Nice aroma.
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4/14/2014 - KarenMcD Likes this wine: 86 Points
Cherries on the nose. A little vanilla with mild tannins. Not overly big for a Zinfandel. Pleasant. Good buy for $11
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4/12/2014 - wineotim Likes this wine: 88 Points
So you may be wondering....is this worth the extra cash over the Cline Lodi Zinfandel ($7.99)? My answer is yes it is, this wine is more varietally correct and a purer expression than the bubble gum tinged Lodi. It may be hard to recognize unless you taste them side by side like I did. This is a much better choice for an everyday pizza wine. Buy the Ancient Vines I say.
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3/14/2014 - Mountain Sparty Likes this wine: 80 Points
This is a good wine for the price. It isn't great but it certainly is worth $11-12. I've bought many bottles and will continue to drink this wine. Actually I have never tasted a Cline wine that wasn't acceptable.
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3/10/2014 - Martnmac wrote: 88 Points
It's a lovely Zin for the price. Honestly for 11 bucks we are very impressed. Zin pairs very well with curry and this one did the trick! Double yum and a quarter Solid
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3/10/2014 - Larahargrave wrote: 84 Points
I've had a lot of Zins at this price point and this one is the best in that range. It's not spectacular but a great every wine and especially a great everyday zin.
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2/2/2014 - hesnctrl wrote: 87 Points
PnP. Medium dark purple/maroon with slow wide legs. Tobacco and dark cherries on the nose. Ripe strawberries and other red fruits on the palate. Spicy zin finish with lingering acids. Fairly extracted. Not bad for the price.
Tasted in a Riedel Vinum Chianti Classico glass at 60°F.
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2/2/2014 - Zuperdaave wrote: 85 Points
Very good. Inky purple with thin legs. Cherry on the nose. Soft tannins. Enjoyable and food friendly. Borders on "Delicious." Just not as peppery as it could be.
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1/14/2014 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Dried red fruit, not raisiny. Dried flower and some herb spice aromas. Not over done. Orange zest on the finish. Solid Zin.
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1/6/2014 - kenhud wrote:
Subdued fruits with a solid structure. This could become a go to zin. Big in the mouth without being overpowering.
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12/15/2013 - Barolo Raymond wrote: 88 Points
Medium(+) purple, ruby rim, well developed legs, slow moving @14.5%. Medium developing aromas black fruits, leafy notes, tobacco. Dry, low acidity, medium(-) tannins, medium(+) alcohol, medium(+) body. Concentrated flavors of black cherries, pepper, all spice. Glycerine-fatty texture, balanced but personally prefer more acidity. Good length with restrained fruit-spicy finish, and for a Zin rather elegant (vs some over extracted power wines).
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12/7/2013 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 87 Points
No formal notes, but lots of dark fruits, rich texture, peppery-spice. A good move for a holiday party.
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10/16/2013 - aidyl wrote: flawed
Bad bottle. :-(
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10/9/2013 - BigChalice Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very pleasant. Spice, pepper, rasberry, followed by dark berry/fruit/candied fruit explosion. Nice weight on the tongue, and bright young fruit continues through to the end. Easy drinking solo or with food. Very respectable for the price.
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9/15/2013 - mpricher wrote: 88 Points
A very decent Zin for this price point. Nothing to write home about, but great with pizza or a burger. Some nice jammy fruit, and a little pepper. A little sweet for my preference.
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9/1/2013 - mpricher wrote: 88 Points
Great quality Zin for this price point. Don't expect alot of nuance or secondary flavors. Just Jammy Black and red berry goodness. Great with Pizza or burgers.
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8/26/2013 - foobarski Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice notes of spice and green pepper on the nose. Not at a screaming fruit bomb ... much more "old-style" Zin. Even at somewhat more inflated Ohio prices (~$14) it's worth every penny.
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8/13/2013 - smokeshowing Likes this wine: 90 Points
QPR home run! Picked up a couple of these Zins at Costco yesterday and popped one last night to accompany a spaghetti dinner. For a price slightly north of $10/bottle this is a shockingly good wine. While Cline refers to this wine as being "ripe," I found it to be pleasingly subtle for a mass produced old vine Zin. Lovely aromas of dark fruits and a pleasing hint of chocolate. Flavors revolve around more of those dark red fruits, a hint of smoke and a subtle vanilla note. This is a wonderfully satisfying wine that actually fits inside our budget! Way to go Cline!
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8/1/2013 - mpricher wrote: 88 Points
Nice quaffable table Zin... Enjoyed with pasta. Lots of jammy red berry goodness, but nothing to write home about.
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