Tasted thin when first opened, but it improved with some air. Color is lighter than most pinots. Strawberry, cotton candy, maraschino cherry on the nose. Tart cherry flavor. Acidity is a bit on the heavy side, but I like it. Finish is fairly short. Good QPR.
color 3/5 nose 7/10 taste 13/20 balance 7/10 finish 3/5
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Decanted for 1 hr: Garnet color - definitely darker than other pinots I've seen. Fresh aromas of dark cherry, strawberry and grape jelly. Smooth tastes of tart raspberry, cherry and asparagus. A bit of smoke, tannins and spice on the finish, which is moderate in length. Paired well with honey baked ham, stuffing, yams and green beans. Very good value at $10.
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My last bottle of this drank much better. Although this wine does possess a distinct pinot nose, the dominant taste (right out of the bottle) was grape jelly. After some time in the glass, it developed hints of fresh grass clippings. My wife gave it two thumbs down and a "blech". I hope my other bottles show better. Otherwise I will have to pawn them off on the unsuspecting.
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I think this is really a "go to" every day Pinot. Eminently quaffable. You get the standard characteristics of Pinot Noir (some smokiness and bright red fruit, plus sweet floral aromas) but it doesn't go beyond the call of duty. There's a hearty bready quality at the back of the throat that almost makes it chewy and made me want to drink big gulps of it. Very translucent red color. Not particularly complex and the body and finish are both on the lighter side, but it's solid and has presence. I've certainly never found another Pinot in the $10 price range that can compare, hence it's good bargain fodder for the cellar.
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Thin extraction, no legs to speak of. Pale crimson shading to pink. Aromas: cherries, cherries, and more cherries; and rose petals, maybe a little almond. On the palate bright red fruit -- cherries, plum, not much structure. Light body, fades quickly. Overall an insubstantial quaffer -- about what you expect for the price (but you can do a lot better for $10).
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For $11.95 at Cost Plus, I couldn't resist. The first thing I noticed is that it smelled like Pinot Noir. Kinda tasted like Pinot, too. Great QPR for an evening relaxing and enjoying a glass of wine. Hard to find anything with Pinot characteristics at this price.
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Medium purple. Typical PN nose of raspberries, green tomato and rose developing into blackcurrant and mint. Subtle on the palate - smooth, few tannins and very slightly bitter finish. It is simple but there is something going on underneath. Very fairly priced.
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Simple but good, and affordable for that matter, Pinot Noir with actual Pinot Noir characteristics. Raspberry fruit on nose and palate with a touch of spicy oak, a hint of stemminess, and very light tannins. Light to medium body, nice mouthfeel, and balanced acidity. What more do you expect from a $10 PN?
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4/2/2010 - Maryann268 wrote: 90 Points
Drank with pizza with Charlie, Bob and Pat.
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3/30/2008 - rloomis wrote: 83 Points
heavy coffee oak, cranberry, plush round ripe fruit, touch of peppermint. simple, dark, full body.
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2/5/2008 - topher18 wrote: 83 Points
Tasted thin when first opened, but it improved with some air. Color is lighter than most pinots. Strawberry, cotton candy, maraschino cherry on the nose. Tart cherry flavor. Acidity is a bit on the heavy side, but I like it. Finish is fairly short. Good QPR.
color 3/5
nose 7/10
taste 13/20
balance 7/10
finish 3/5
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1/26/2008 - spyder47 wrote: 83 Points
Decanted for 1 hr: Garnet color - definitely darker than other pinots I've seen. Fresh aromas of dark cherry, strawberry and grape jelly. Smooth tastes of tart raspberry, cherry and asparagus. A bit of smoke, tannins and spice on the finish, which is moderate in length. Paired well with honey baked ham, stuffing, yams and green beans. Very good value at $10.
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11/11/2007 - normg wrote: 87 Points
cherry flavor
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11/3/2007 - Unseth wrote: 76 Points
My last bottle of this drank much better. Although this wine does possess a distinct pinot nose, the dominant taste (right out of the bottle) was grape jelly. After some time in the glass, it developed hints of fresh grass clippings. My wife gave it two thumbs down and a "blech". I hope my other bottles show better. Otherwise I will have to pawn them off on the unsuspecting.
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10/30/2007 - normg wrote:
Benesch wine tasting 11/7/2007 - rated lowest of 3 wines by most of the group
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10/29/2007 - valecnik wrote: 86 Points
I think this is really a "go to" every day Pinot. Eminently quaffable. You get the standard characteristics of Pinot Noir (some smokiness and bright red fruit, plus sweet floral aromas) but it doesn't go beyond the call of duty. There's a hearty bready quality at the back of the throat that almost makes it chewy and made me want to drink big gulps of it. Very translucent red color. Not particularly complex and the body and finish are both on the lighter side, but it's solid and has presence. I've certainly never found another Pinot in the $10 price range that can compare, hence it's good bargain fodder for the cellar.
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10/15/2007 - joncohen wrote: 82 Points
Thin extraction, no legs to speak of. Pale crimson shading to pink. Aromas: cherries, cherries, and more cherries; and rose petals, maybe a little almond. On the palate bright red fruit -- cherries, plum, not much structure. Light body, fades quickly. Overall an insubstantial quaffer -- about what you expect for the price (but you can do a lot better for $10).
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9/25/2007 - greenwalter wrote: 87 Points
A solid QPR pinot. Good varietal character, even if light and one dimensional.
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8/31/2007 - DanSm wrote: 82 Points
Good QPR.
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8/27/2007 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 70 Points
Barrel Monkeys - My First Tasting (Little, Princeton University): Unremarkable, unoffending. $13
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8/10/2007 - judgepalmer wrote: 80 Points
For $10 it was fine. Nothing special to note, lacking any real defining characteristics, but there were no major flaws either.
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7/28/2007 - vegasrenie wrote: 87 Points
For $11.95 at Cost Plus, I couldn't resist. The first thing I noticed is that it smelled like Pinot Noir. Kinda tasted like Pinot, too. Great QPR for an evening relaxing and enjoying a glass of wine. Hard to find anything with Pinot characteristics at this price.
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7/27/2007 - BurgundyRed wrote: 84 Points
Suprisingly good! Nice fruity berry tastes, not complex. Nice quaff for the price.
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7/14/2007 - neurovino wrote: 84 Points
Typical Cycles Gladiator. Nothing spectacular, but good value.
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6/29/2007 - DanSm wrote: 82 Points
Great QPR
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5/30/2007 - GraemeBell wrote: 86 Points
Medium purple. Typical PN nose of raspberries, green tomato and rose developing into blackcurrant and mint. Subtle on the palate - smooth, few tannins and very slightly bitter finish. It is simple but there is something going on underneath. Very fairly priced.
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4/1/2007 - DanSm wrote: 83 Points
For the price, this is a very nice light PN. A simple bargain.
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3/26/2007 - greenwalter wrote: 87 Points
light in body but vibrant cherry fruit; tending towards fake but holding enough balance to be enjoyable.
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3/1/2007 - Dave Kearn wrote: 87 Points
Lighter Pinot that seems aged well at 2 years. Mild black pepper on finish
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2/2/2007 - jjclips2 wrote: 82 Points
Simple but good, and affordable for that matter, Pinot Noir with actual Pinot Noir characteristics. Raspberry fruit on nose and palate with a touch of spicy oak, a hint of stemminess, and very light tannins. Light to medium body, nice mouthfeel, and balanced acidity. What more do you expect from a $10 PN?
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2/1/2007 - hutch wrote: 78 Points
Sweet cherries on a decent nose. The palate is rather flat, actually almost acrid. Not appealing. High 70's.
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11/26/2006 - cgatesman wrote: 84 Points
Only had one glass out of the bottle, but I found it very smooth. Seems young and could benefit from decanting or aging.
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