First of all, I'm definitely into what CA producers are doing with southern French grapes these days, and I'm all for Carignan-heavy blends. However, this one is just not taming the grape well enough to be pleasurable. The tannins are pretty rounded out, which is nice, but the acid is pretty searing and the general mouthfeel is rough and metallic. Everything is a little all over the place at the moment. Some good chewy fruit, but it's not held in place. This could improve with a couple years in bottle, but it could unravel completely. Pass on this one. $10.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Juzt found my DeLong wine notes: Color depth: medium Color hue: ruby Clarity: clear AromA intensity: medium Aromas: black cherry; dark berries Bone dry, medium body Acidity: tart Tannins: mecium Flavors: eRth, tree branch, cherry Finish: short <3seconds Conclusion: 3.5/5 stars
Dad guessed $25 msrp I guessed $22
I noted $15-$18 delivered would be a great qpr
>$12 delivered is a no brainer imo
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PA Wine and Spirits had this last fall as a Chairman's Selection for $9.99. Probably the best deal in the store at the time. I cleaned out a store when I dropped my daughter off to CMU, and bought a case. I have one bottle left. It has been one of my favorite weeknight reds- pour it into the decanter, 30 minutes later it's ready to go.
I got a funky barnyard nose, with dark brooding fruit, a hint of spice, and maybe a little brown sugar. Pairs well with food- had a great meal with some summer sausage back in August. As it opens up with air it gets a little more dusty on the mouthfeel and the palate expands and has more depth.
I really like this wine- kind of a toss up whether I like this better than Wellington Duke, they're both great under $13 wines, similar in their field blend vibe.
Highly recommended, I'm buying more today, as I'm down to my last bottle. For reference, my favorite Woot wines are Wellington and Pedroncelli- varietally correct, well crafted, and typically take a fair amount of air to come around. I'm not a huge fruit bomb fan.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Interesting blend. The heavy Carignane blend reminds me a bit of the woot cellars adequate gift. But in the type of blend only, not in flavor profile though. The wine pours a nice red/garnet and is sediment free. This is a young wine, it was completely closed up so I poured a 2nd glass through a vinturi and it opened up considerably. First sniff gives me all dust and wood. Eventually this gets balanced out by some mild red fruit notes and bit of blueberry.
On the tongue the wine is dry has some acidity but nothing overbearing. Tannins are low and mildly drying in the finish. The wines balance is good, the only thing that sticks out is the wood notes. Maybe it was over oaked maybe it just needs time to integrate, maybe they used wood chips, I have no idea. I did not consume this with food as I opened it after dinner. My guess is that it would do fine with food, acidity seems there, the oakiness should become less noticeable as well. The non vinturi'd glass was completely closed down on the palate as well, again, this wine needs air.
I think this wine needs time in the bottle to integrate the wood and let the fruit come out a bit. The vinturi helped quite a lot but if I were buying this I might just squirrel this away for 6 months to a year like we do with woot cellar red wines. A pass for me since I am beyond what I should have stored in my small house but I would be happy at this price.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blind Cali Reds (Washington, DC): A pretty rose-violet color. Fresh cherries and raspberries on the nose, along with lots of roses, potpourri, vermouth spices, some savory tones. Full, fine tannins, fresh acid, such delicious flavors. Red and sour cherries, raspberries, tangy and tart, but packed with sage, black pepper, anise and menthol. Long, pretty, complex. 56% Carignan, 17% Syrah, 15% Grenache, 11% Mourvedre and 1% Cinsault. A screaming value.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
12/24/2015 - Benj wrote: 82 Points
First of all, I'm definitely into what CA producers are doing with southern French grapes these days, and I'm all for Carignan-heavy blends. However, this one is just not taming the grape well enough to be pleasurable. The tannins are pretty rounded out, which is nice, but the acid is pretty searing and the general mouthfeel is rough and metallic. Everything is a little all over the place at the moment. Some good chewy fruit, but it's not held in place. This could improve with a couple years in bottle, but it could unravel completely. Pass on this one. $10.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2015 - brinko99 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Loved the wine. Rustic and a bit rough around the edges but great complexity; cooked fruits, a bit of pepper, leather...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2015 - jhberkeley Likes this wine: 91 Points
It wouldn't hurt to get more of this!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2015 - jhberkeley wrote: 87 Points
Decent, but not special.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2015 - stevefwest wrote: 88 Points
Opened up, try decanting
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2014 - Wine.woot_taster wrote:
Juzt found my DeLong wine notes:
Color depth: medium
Color hue: ruby
Clarity: clear
AromA intensity: medium
Aromas: black cherry; dark berries
Bone dry, medium body
Acidity: tart
Tannins: mecium
Flavors: eRth, tree branch, cherry
Finish: short <3seconds
Conclusion: 3.5/5 stars
Dad guessed $25 msrp
I guessed $22
I noted $15-$18 delivered would be a great qpr
>$12 delivered is a no brainer imo
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2014 - Wine.woot_taster wrote:
PA Wine and Spirits had this last fall as a Chairman's Selection for $9.99. Probably the best deal in the store at the time. I cleaned out a store when I dropped my daughter off to CMU, and bought a case. I have one bottle left. It has been one of my favorite weeknight reds- pour it into the decanter, 30 minutes later it's ready to go.
I got a funky barnyard nose, with dark brooding fruit, a hint of spice, and maybe a little brown sugar. Pairs well with food- had a great meal with some summer sausage back in August. As it opens up with air it gets a little more dusty on the mouthfeel and the palate expands and has more depth.
I really like this wine- kind of a toss up whether I like this better than Wellington Duke, they're both great under $13 wines, similar in their field blend vibe.
Highly recommended, I'm buying more today, as I'm down to my last bottle. For reference, my favorite Woot wines are Wellington and Pedroncelli- varietally correct, well crafted, and typically take a fair amount of air to come around. I'm not a huge fruit bomb fan.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2014 - TottenCellars wrote:
Interesting blend. The heavy Carignane blend reminds me a bit of the woot cellars adequate gift. But in the type of blend only, not in flavor profile though. The wine pours a nice red/garnet and is sediment free. This is a young wine, it was completely closed up so I poured a 2nd glass through a vinturi and it opened up considerably. First sniff gives me all dust and wood. Eventually this gets balanced out by some mild red fruit notes and bit of blueberry.
On the tongue the wine is dry has some acidity but nothing overbearing. Tannins are low and mildly drying in the finish. The wines balance is good, the only thing that sticks out is the wood notes. Maybe it was over oaked maybe it just needs time to integrate, maybe they used wood chips, I have no idea. I did not consume this with food as I opened it after dinner. My guess is that it would do fine with food, acidity seems there, the oakiness should become less noticeable as well. The non vinturi'd glass was completely closed down on the palate as well, again, this wine needs air.
I think this wine needs time in the bottle to integrate the wood and let the fruit come out a bit. The vinturi helped quite a lot but if I were buying this I might just squirrel this away for 6 months to a year like we do with woot cellar red wines. A pass for me since I am beyond what I should have stored in my small house but I would be happy at this price.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2014 - brucerob wrote: 89 Points
Very nice QPR
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2014 - brucerob Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very solid effort - nice balance and subtle fruit - good value daily drinker.
Whoever gave this a 75 was having a bad day ;)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2014 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 89 Points
Blind Cali Reds (Washington, DC): A pretty rose-violet color. Fresh cherries and raspberries on the nose, along with lots of roses, potpourri, vermouth spices, some savory tones. Full, fine tannins, fresh acid, such delicious flavors. Red and sour cherries, raspberries, tangy and tart, but packed with sage, black pepper, anise and menthol. Long, pretty, complex. 56% Carignan, 17% Syrah, 15% Grenache, 11% Mourvedre and 1% Cinsault. A screaming value.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2014 - lifeattable wrote: 85 Points
Not bad for $10, if a little rough around the edges. Violets and purple fruit, typical of Carignano.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment