Medium body, with low tannins, relatively high acidity, and velvety texture. Ripe plum and cherry fruit, with tar and hints of tobacco. Time to drink as it's not likely to improve.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The glass bottle is over the top - cork is nothing. Very dark color in the glass. Warm menthol and dark berry aroma. Velvety dark cherry and tar flavors with acidity to complement food. Lengthy finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rich, ripe and expressive, with a meaty note complementing the black cherry and dark plum flavors, remaining open-textured and graceful through the finish. The tannins are not intrusive. Yes the bottle is quite heavy.........
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Found bottle in cellar. PNP and paired with grilled flank steak. Black in the glass. Cassis, plum, strawberry and touch of saline and bell pepper. On palate, medium body, low tannins, medium acidity and long finish. Enjoyable and has improved from 2 years ago. 91+/- today.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The most distinctive thing about this wine is the massive lead-weight bottle. A real chore to lift and pour. Dark, too, making it impossible to tell how much is left at any point during the evening. It paired well with a flash-cooked flat iron steak, which is the best I can say about it. There are plenty of other wines that can do the same for half the price or less.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another nice showing. Dark fruits, interesting sweaty, .meaty note, did not get from prior bottle, but overall an excellent blend, drinking pretty close to peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured through an aerator prior to drinking. Needs a good decant as it was much more open and approachable through the aerator as compared to straight from the bottle. Lots of fruit (dark and red) on the palate. Not showing any real signs of age and I agree with some others here that the wine seems to be lacking much depth. Went well with some grilled steaks. I don't see this improving much with age so time to drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
fully opaque ruby violet; prominent glass staining tears; coffee and tar evident first, then cherry, brambly berries, menthol, and vanilla; sweet red fruit, medium length; full bodied, medium+ acidity, smooth tannins, 14.8% ABV; blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Syrah
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
It hailed today, April 21. Yesterday was sunny, tomorrow will be sunny. I retrieved this bottle from the cellar, never having tried it before either. I like it way better than I like hail. Expansive, expressive, and elegant. Deep dark red in the glass with massive legs. Dark forest aromas in the glass. Dark cherries on the palate. An exquisitely long finish, with luscious tannins. Well done, JB.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red/black color. On nose, ripe cherry, stems, cassis, sweet cherry. Flavor profile similar on palate. Medium+ body, medium tannins/acids with medium+ finish. Nice bottle of wine given price, but not very complex as prior tasters noted. 90-91 range. Not a re-buy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Impressively heavy bottle. Currant and cherry fruit, slightly sweeter than I expected, but drinks nice. Finish is vanilla and coffee, like a vanilla latte. Drink now - 2028.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A rich and unctuous cab, as to be expected. Inky blue and purple color. Nose is pure black fruit compote with hints forest and brush. On the palate a dense and somewhat taught amalgam of bkackbrrry jam, blueberry berry, some elder berry. Small hints of gravel and earth. Well made and shows some complexity. But BIG and I just can’t handle these big boys anymore.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Raspberry, strawberry, and violets on the nose. Lots of darker fruit with some spice on the palate. Peppery finish. The syrah influence is noticeable and blends in nicely. Very good mouth feel. Very tasty bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Definitely a heavy weight by the bottle. First day impression was Gabriel Iglesias; big, bold and fluffy. Second day was still on the big and bold side, but more like Dave Chappelle after a little break. The medicinal qualities, cedar and dark fruit shine on say two. However, still too viscous to drink now and would recommend holding for 3-5 years before revisiting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted and enjoyed with a chargrilled ribeye steak. HUGE Syrah influence, much more than the 5% content advertised on the label and on the producer’s product spec sheet. Full bodied, deep ruby color, bordering on a medium purple. Pronounced aromatics led by smoke, anise, charred meat, blackberry, and vanilla. Developing with mostly primary and to a lesser extent secondary aromas and flavors. Good acidity and silky tannins. Medium plus finish. Very good wine; however, I’m withholding a final evaluation until this has additional time...the Cabernet Sauvignon needs to start showing some presence and depth...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Starting to like these Washington Cabs....not quite as thick and bold as Napa but very well built...nicely balanced and very smooth finish. Great deal at $27.00
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Packed full of black fruit, but with plenty of oak, tobacco, and spice nuance. Silky smooth yet firm. Quite a wine, and as others have noted, a real steal if you got it from Garagiste.
For the record, I’ve had bottles from the winery and from Garagiste and could tell no difference.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Black currant, blackberry, hint of brown sugar, nutmeg. Oak is evident but well done. Terrific flourish, ample acidity. Some cherry emerges on the long finish. Very good indeed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Delicious, dark fruits, cassis, tobacco and earth. Intense nose and palate, this was a steal as a mystery wine from garagiste for 27. Wow, I wish I had bought many more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent. Dark, ripe and well balanced. Nose is dark fruits, dark cherry, blackberry and currant, dark, smokey, tarry edge to the nose. Medium to full bodied, ripe and rounded with lovely smooth tannins and some ripe acidity. Hints of dark chocolate on top of currant, blackberry and black plum fruit. Sounds large scaled, but is really nicely balanced. Found 2 of these when CT said only one was there, happy days!! Will look forward to the other half of the bottle tomorrow and the other bottle in a year or so. No need to age this, drinking just fine with no decant.
Other half of the bottle was just as good, really excellent!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Saved a bit of the bottle this time around so I could do a day two note.
A lot of the secondary notes dropped out of the nose and the fruit got a bit darker, so that it's now mostly stewed blackberry and blueberry compote aroma-wise. Still big and bold with similar fruit flavors and a bit of earth and graham cracker. Smooth tannins. I was surprised by the hit of acid midpalate. Pleasant, medium finish that echoes the nose.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This had a big, bold bouquet of cassis, blueberry, plum, tobacco, herb and spice aromas. The palate was rich and dense with flavors of cassis, blueberry, plum, tobacco, char, herb, spice and minerals.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
We had this in the tasting room on 9/28/17. It had a deep, rich, layered bouquet of cassis, plum, tobacco, herb and spice aromas. The palate was rich, dense and layered with flavors of cassis, plum, herb, spice and minerals.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very aromatic wine, with boysenberry, leather, tobacco, blueberry and earth all mixing it up. Lots of dark fruit up front transitioning to earth on the way to a short, dramatic finish. Very good, although I wish the finish was longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Go West! Tasting (The QEII Centre, Westminster, London): Dense big smoke, toasty, roasted nuts, green bell pepper, very extrovert, spicy, dense oak. In the palate same profile, a bit lighter though which is nice, ripe fruit, toast, oak, spice, med tannins and finish. Outstanding
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
11/13/2023 - jayw wrote:
Medium body, with low tannins, relatively high acidity, and velvety texture. Ripe plum and cherry fruit, with tar and hints of tobacco. Time to drink as it's not likely to improve.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2022 - davidspieker wrote: 90 Points
The glass bottle is over the top - cork is nothing. Very dark color in the glass. Warm menthol and dark berry aroma. Velvety dark cherry and tar flavors with acidity to complement food. Lengthy finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2022 - ibglowin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich, ripe and expressive, with a meaty note complementing the black cherry and dark plum flavors, remaining open-textured and graceful through the finish. The tannins are not intrusive. Yes the bottle is quite heavy.........
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2022 - vintage_whine wrote:
Red fruited and simple.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2021 - seanick wrote: flawed
Really weird aroma
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/25/2021 - CWilliam wrote:
Found bottle in cellar. PNP and paired with grilled flank steak. Black in the glass. Cassis, plum, strawberry and touch of saline and bell pepper. On palate, medium body, low tannins, medium acidity and long finish. Enjoyable and has improved from 2 years ago. 91+/- today.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2021 - jayw wrote:
The most distinctive thing about this wine is the massive lead-weight bottle. A real chore to lift and pour. Dark, too, making it impossible to tell how much is left at any point during the evening. It paired well with a flash-cooked flat iron steak, which is the best I can say about it. There are plenty of other wines that can do the same for half the price or less.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2021 - merlot78 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Well made. powerful but tannins remain in the background and are somewhat soft.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2020 - jmcmchi Likes this wine:
Feels lighter than posted 14.8% abv
Syrah tar is now just a hint, as Cabernet characteristics take the lead, in line with their 95% content
Smooth and supple, pairing very well with moussaka, still on the upswing
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2020 - thebonnydooner Likes this wine: 91 Points
Another nice showing. Dark fruits, interesting sweaty, .meaty note, did not get from prior bottle, but overall an excellent blend, drinking pretty close to peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2020 - RPerro Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fairly consistent with my prior note. Cherry fruit showing nicely. Drink now - 2027.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2020 - bdisk1235 wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured through an aerator prior to drinking. Needs a good decant as it was much more open and approachable through the aerator as compared to straight from the bottle. Lots of fruit (dark and red) on the palate. Not showing any real signs of age and I agree with some others here that the wine seems to be lacking much depth. Went well with some grilled steaks. I don't see this improving much with age so time to drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2020 - ashikoh Likes this wine: 91 Points
fully opaque ruby violet; prominent glass staining tears; coffee and tar evident first, then cherry, brambly berries, menthol, and vanilla; sweet red fruit, medium length; full bodied, medium+ acidity, smooth tannins, 14.8% ABV; blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Syrah
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2020 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 92 Points
It hailed today, April 21. Yesterday was sunny, tomorrow will be sunny. I retrieved this bottle from the cellar, never having tried it before either. I like it way better than I like hail. Expansive, expressive, and elegant. Deep dark red in the glass with massive legs. Dark forest aromas in the glass. Dark cherries on the palate. An exquisitely long finish, with luscious tannins. Well done, JB.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2019 - CWilliam wrote: 90 Points
PNP.
Dark red/black color. On nose, ripe cherry, stems, cassis, sweet cherry. Flavor profile similar on palate. Medium+ body, medium tannins/acids with medium+ finish. Nice bottle of wine given price, but not very complex as prior tasters noted. 90-91 range. Not a re-buy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2019 - redz wrote: 90 Points
Indeed a heavy bottle. Needed hour decant. Not real complex.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2019 - RPerro Likes this wine: 91 Points
Impressively heavy bottle. Currant and cherry fruit, slightly sweeter than I expected, but drinks nice. Finish is vanilla and coffee, like a vanilla latte. Drink now - 2028.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2019 - Mike V wrote: 89 Points
Very dark red. Soft and sweet
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/26/2019 - Jake112380 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Solid bottle with lots of complexity. Darker fruit nose with spice nuance. Big and thick with similar flavors. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/12/2019 - davidspieker wrote: 90 Points
Dark red color. Warm menthol and dark berry aroma. Juicy dark cherry flavors with good acidity. A little bitter on the finish. Should improve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2019 - jmcmchi wrote:
Smooth and intense dark fruit with a hint of smoke. Adaptable accompaniment to both steak and lamb tonight
Developing well, tannins and body suggest still a couple of years to peak
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2019 - T.E.D. wrote: 90 Points
A rich and unctuous cab, as to be expected. Inky blue and purple color. Nose is pure black fruit compote with hints forest and brush. On the palate a dense and somewhat taught amalgam of bkackbrrry jam, blueberry berry, some elder berry. Small hints of gravel and earth. Well made and shows some complexity. But BIG and I just can’t handle these big boys anymore.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2019 - Bjwegrzyn wrote: 93 Points
Drinking really well right now. Elegant wine with balanced fruit and excellent structure. Very impressed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2019 - webreg Likes this wine: 90 Points
Raspberry, strawberry, and violets on the nose. Lots of darker fruit with some spice on the palate. Peppery finish. The syrah influence is noticeable and blends in nicely. Very good mouth feel. Very tasty bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2019 - jimmythesaint wrote:
Definitely a heavy weight by the bottle. First day impression was Gabriel Iglesias; big, bold and fluffy. Second day was still on the big and bold side, but more like Dave Chappelle after a little break.
The medicinal qualities, cedar and dark fruit shine on say two. However, still too viscous to drink now and would recommend holding for 3-5 years before revisiting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/11/2019 - Motz wrote: 90 Points
Polished, modern, and smooth. Nothing stands out, nothing not to like. Showing well now, and it should hold through 2020-2022.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2018 - robmatic wrote: 90 Points
Heavyweight here, with tons of extract and body. Opened at a party and did not take notes, but the wine was a hit with the crowd.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2018 - jhanne8 Likes this wine: 87 Points
Just ok. Nothing special on nose. Fair amount of heat. Maybe needed more time?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2018 - jmcmchi Likes this wine:
Lot of dark fruit turning bramble with syrah influence less evident than a couple of years ago
Firm supple tannins, savoury. Nice
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2018 - tombiro Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smoky, a bit of meat on the nose. Vanilla. Round on the palate and a fun bit of flavor from the syrah. Nice and dry, red fruit finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2018 - joraesque wrote: 91 Points
Softer than expected. No decanting needed.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2018 - wmccone54 wrote:
Decanted and enjoyed with a chargrilled ribeye steak. HUGE Syrah influence, much more than the 5% content advertised on the label and on the producer’s product spec sheet. Full bodied, deep ruby color, bordering on a medium purple. Pronounced aromatics led by smoke, anise, charred meat, blackberry, and vanilla. Developing with mostly primary and to a lesser extent secondary aromas and flavors. Good acidity and silky tannins. Medium plus finish. Very good wine; however, I’m withholding a final evaluation until this has additional time...the Cabernet Sauvignon needs to start showing some presence and depth...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2018 - Winowhyno Likes this wine: 90 Points
Starting to like these Washington Cabs....not quite as thick and bold as Napa but very well built...nicely balanced and very smooth finish. Great deal at $27.00
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2018 - rphskier Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened for my birtday, still enjoyi this wine. Great vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2018 - Jake112380 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Packed full of black fruit, but with plenty of oak, tobacco, and spice nuance. Silky smooth yet firm. Quite a wine, and as others have noted, a real steal if you got it from Garagiste.
For the record, I’ve had bottles from the winery and from Garagiste and could tell no difference.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2018 - Leomania Likes this wine: 92 Points
Black currant, blackberry, hint of brown sugar, nutmeg. Oak is evident but well done. Terrific flourish, ample acidity. Some cherry emerges on the long finish. Very good indeed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2018 - Decanting Queen wrote: 92 Points
Delicious, dark fruits, cassis, tobacco and earth. Intense nose and palate, this was a steal as a mystery wine from garagiste for 27. Wow, I wish I had bought many more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2018 - jhanne8 Likes this wine:
Needed lots of air. Decant next bottle for an hour or more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2018 - Portland Seth Likes this wine: 92 Points
Blackberry, cassis, menthol, smoke, coffee, chocolate and tar. Drinking very well, should be good for another couple years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/15/2018 - stbraunt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Paired really well with chicken mole dish tonight. Rich, good flavor, very nice finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2018 - thebonnydooner wrote: 92 Points
Excellent. Dark, ripe and well balanced. Nose is dark fruits, dark cherry, blackberry and currant, dark, smokey, tarry edge to the nose. Medium to full bodied, ripe and rounded with lovely smooth tannins and some ripe acidity. Hints of dark chocolate on top of currant, blackberry and black plum fruit. Sounds large scaled, but is really nicely balanced. Found 2 of these when CT said only one was there, happy days!! Will look forward to the other half of the bottle tomorrow and the other bottle in a year or so. No need to age this, drinking just fine with no decant.
Other half of the bottle was just as good, really excellent!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2018 - Jake112380 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Saved a bit of the bottle this time around so I could do a day two note.
A lot of the secondary notes dropped out of the nose and the fruit got a bit darker, so that it's now mostly stewed blackberry and blueberry compote aroma-wise. Still big and bold with similar fruit flavors and a bit of earth and graham cracker. Smooth tannins. I was surprised by the hit of acid midpalate. Pleasant, medium finish that echoes the nose.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2017 - garambler Likes this wine: 91 Points
This had a big, bold bouquet of cassis, blueberry, plum, tobacco, herb and spice aromas. The palate was rich and dense with flavors of cassis, blueberry, plum, tobacco, char, herb, spice and minerals.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2017 - garambler Likes this wine: 91 Points
We had this in the tasting room on 9/28/17. It had a deep, rich, layered bouquet of cassis, plum, tobacco, herb and spice aromas. The palate was rich, dense and layered with flavors of cassis, plum, herb, spice and minerals.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/20/2016 - Jake112380 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very aromatic wine, with boysenberry, leather, tobacco, blueberry and earth all mixing it up. Lots of dark fruit up front transitioning to earth on the way to a short, dramatic finish. Very good, although I wish the finish was longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2016 - jmcmchi wrote: 90 Points
Lot of syrah influence on the intense nose
Palate shows soft smooth cab tannins with ripe juicy blackberries Tarry tannins develop towards finish with mineral notes blending in
90-92
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2016 - kostaslonis wrote: 92 Points
Go West! Tasting (The QEII Centre, Westminster, London): Dense big smoke, toasty, roasted nuts, green bell pepper, very extrovert, spicy, dense oak. In the palate same profile, a bit lighter though which is nice, ripe fruit, toast, oak, spice, med tannins and finish. Outstanding
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2016 - kenb59 Likes this wine: 89 Points
@@@/
$60.00
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment