2005 Descendientes de José Palacios Bierzo Pétalos purchased for $15 at estate sale, bargain bin. Mid-garnet; old world woody nose; earthy; leather; Grenache-like nose; mid-body; balanced; good style; Rhone-like long fruity hot finish. Beef wine.
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Brick red color. Floral nose. Medium bodied, raseberries, tart cherry, plum nice acidity with light herb and tannin in the finish. Showing really well much better than the bottle I had a couple of years ago. Those that held onto a bottle will be well rewarded.
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Similar to my recent note. While nothing is wrong with it, it's just not too interesting at this point. It is a nice, modest wine though and we drank the bottle with ease. Virtually no fruit but certainly herbal. Faded at the end of the night.
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This was a little past it's prime, but we did finish the bottle. Somewhat austere and certainly lacking fruit it had earlier. Made me think more of some Italian reds than Spanish. Reminded me of bricks and dry erase. A little heat.
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Reminds me a bit of a Rhone. On the nose, game and leather. The palate has more of the same, adding some pepper. I didn't pick up this gaminess in my earlier bottle. This comes across as relatively heavy in flavor profile, but medium-bodied in terms of mouthfeel. Medium to medium long finish. Good value.
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Nose: Juicy but fusty damson & black stone fruit - cherry(?) over very slight tarragon and mit. Spice - cumin - & leather. Mouth: Medium plus acid, medium savoury tannin over dark fruit and peppery spice. Some tarragon again but more like a confected feel liquorice. Long medium plus alcohol chewy finish. Nice.
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A bigger wine than I expected. On the nose, red fruits kept bright by a floral, light citrus note. Medium to full bodied on the palate, with a subtle pencil shaving highlight. All together, a very nice wine. This one from passive storage is drinking very well now. My other bottle in the Eurocave may need another year or so to hit the same stride. Nice QPR.
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Première de deux bouteilles achetées en mars 2007.
Première expérience avec le cépage Mencia je crois. À l'ouverture nez profond et puissant de fruits noirs (cerise+), d'eau-de-vie et de notes torréfiées. Un peu chaud, une saucette rapide dans un seau avec quelques glaçons s'est avérée bénéfique. Bu sur près de 4h00 pour accompagner un BBQ d'orignal. Très intense en bouche au niveau du fruité. Une trame tannique serrée. Acidité encore bien présente. Longueur remarquable. Très animal. L'accord était absolument parfait!! Très évolutif comme vin; à un certain moment, comme quelqu'un le mentionne plus bas, le nez était très bourguignon (assez déroutant). Des notes de tabac et de foin coupé sont apparus graduellement. Il y a même eu un aspect floral initialement. Le seul petit défaut a été une certaine prédominance olfactive de l'alcool, même si celui demeure marginal par rapport à l'ensemble. Un rapport Q/P vraiment incroyable!!
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I tried this one approx. 2 years ago. By then it was very animalistic and rustic, but without a lot of tannins. Now it is very well aged, although there is still a juvenile style noticeable. Plenty of dark berries, slight smoke and various spices. Very Mencia. Very unique wine style. Absolutely recommendable. Especially for just 11 to 13 Euros.
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Medium ruby in the glass. A nose of pomegranite and rose water. Very interesting for its unique flavor profile but not mind blowing. Probably wouldn't buy again.
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A delightfully rich, vibrant and elegant red with creamy black cherry, mocha and tobacco nuances, all framed by a supple tannic structure and just enough acidity to keep this honest. I look at this wine in the context of others in the Palacios stable, and while that may seem disingenuous, the shoe fits: This Mencia bears remarkable similarity to the fruit-forward attack found in the Les Terrasses. However, the Petalos delivers herby nuances, a multitude of fruit allied to remarkably velvet yet distinct tannin, and a licorice-like slate minerality, all for about 10-15 Euro cheaper than the Les Terrasses. Regardless of price, I simply find the Petalos to be a more transparent expression of the Bierzo terroir, not to mention a remarkable rendition of indigenous fruit.
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Purple, red hue with good clarity. Wonderful nose of cherries, hard fruit candy and a remote floral element. Very fresh and inviting. Medium body, with generous acidity offset by subtle but velvety tannins. Red berry fruits and a hint of oak influence. Expansive finish that does not overpower. A nicely balanced wine that can be quaffed if you don't think about it. It's not too complex and doesn't make you work for enjoyment. A more determined investigation reveals the lovely nuances of the wine.
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Tannic and a little bit hot. Paired OK with a few different foods and was OK on its own as well. Might be my least favorite Petalos, but still a solid wine. Looking back, similar to my first 2 reviews of it. Later..........a streak of fresh herbs in the nose was both intoxicating and abrasive. The flavor fades into what suggests a Manchego cheese. Interesting!
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Much more developed on the nose than the last bottle. This has mushy blueberries, dark violets and wet mud. V burgundian. On the palate, still showing simple cherry fruits and seems to fade away on the palaate. Love the nose though.
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Better than 04? I do not think so. Spanish new wave indded but more rustic, less fruit and this year high alcohol is hiding the lack of finesse. Pretty obvious, this wine, despite tannins and 14 porcentage, is not a long time runner. Easy to find best Palacios family wines. This one is not to my taste. Just fair.
¿Mejor que el 04? No lo creo. Un español de la nueva ola sin duda pero más rústico, con menos fruta y este año el alto porcentaje de alcohol oculta la falta de fineza. Bastante obvio que este vino, a pesar de los taninos y de los 14 grados de alcohol, no tiene mucho recorrido. Es fácil encontrar los mejores vinos de la familia Palacios. Este no es para mi. Simplemente bebible.
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Very dark, almost black in colour. Bouquet not too fruity, fleshy and earthy. On the palate soft, almost delicate, but mineral. A little herbal, but short finish.
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Drank this with smoked pork. Not a bad pairing, but probably not fair to the wine. Deep purple color, nice berry notes and flavors, a touch of earthiness, which is pretty nice. Was much better an hour after dinner.
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100 pst Mencia. Deep,red/violet coulour. Intense ripe fruit on the nose. Licorice. Pepper. Taste of ripe red fruit/blackberry, round, licorice. Nice consentration. Fruit domination. Slight bitterness in finish. Seems less balanced than earlier.
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This was much better on the second day (after a night in a cold fridge): more fruit and balance, suave tannins, fatty mouthfeel, spices, good acidity. Good qpr.
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Beautiful flowers on the nose. Reminds me of a backyard garden full of small blue and purple flowers. Pretty elegantly styled although it is lacking in some real strength. However, it tries its best to display its best with whatever blue fruits it has.
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Bien meilleur un an après la première bouteille. Nez expressif sur les fruits noirs, avec une touche de contfiture. Bouche texturé, telle une liqueur. Finale sur les épices, très beau vin pour le prix.
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2005 Burgundy Grand Cru / 1er Cru Tasting (Denise Wines, Vivocity, Singapore): William's donation as a little extra at a Burg tasting. Fantastic value at its price I think. The half-bottle that we tried had probably been left overnight. Rather simple, with dark cherries throughout, but it was very well integrated with a really surprising elegance and smoothness on the palate.
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Gave this one a double decant--what a difference! More round, with subdued tannins, more pleasing. A great blueberry/bosenberry-like quality comes in and out. Really curious to see where this goes over the next few years.
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Rubi médio. Aroma levemente adocicado e elegante de cedro, frutos vermelhos,doce de leite, mineral e floral. Na boca repete a elegância com taninos firmes, acidez referscante, boa fruta e bastante equilibrio. Tem um levíssimo amargor que em nada incomoda. Fácil, elegante e muito bem feito. Para ser tomado solo ou acompanhando comidas mais leves. Excelente.
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Really interesting stuff: a shovel full of earth, dried cherry, spice, pepper. Fairly tannic yet, could have been decanted. Brooding. Was marvellous with beets roasted in chicken drippings, an excellent pairing.
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decanted for about 90 minutes. Very dark in the glass. On the nose dark chocolate cherries. On the palate the tannins are very smooth. The wine has a nice spicy mid palate. Peppery cherries. Nice acidity. I liked this wine.
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So different than the 2003 (which was totally up my alley) that i really didn't want to like it at first. This thing grew on me though. Red/black/purple in the glass. Nose of pure cranberry, beef jerky (something salty) and a little bit of dried cherry all mixed togehter. The taste had some nutmeg and cedar, with excellent soft tannins and a springy texture that make this a great value. Improved over three hours, then tannins increased and smell became a bit odd and somehow like mildew.
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Fruity nose... slight strawberry that is overpowered by black cherry and maybe blueberry? The taste is great- full, firm but smooth and leaves my mouth feeling good. It even opened up and developed during the course of the wine... after being open for about an hour it seemed to have more qualities, a bit more pepper and spice aspects, less fruit. Everyone seemed to like this one over some of the others of the night.
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First exposure to ths varietal. Fleshy plush wine, but with good underlying acidity. I am pleasantly surprised, since I didn't know what to expect. Fruit forward, plum, smoky tobacco, faint flowers on the nose. Ripe fruit carries on the palette as well.
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Maybe a bit young, but very promising. One of the best Bierzo bottles I've had. The nose develops amazingly after a while. There's something "green" (in a good way) that I can't really describe, like esparragus or broccoli....With sharp acidity and nice finish this is a real heavy-weight, without being an oaky fruit bomb.
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Excellent wine with bright red fruits (cherry-plum-cranberry) and some underlying blackberry tones, and definite minerality Slightly drying tannins. Easily the best mencia I've tasted in the sub-$40 range.
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My boyfriend and I drank this while chowing down on earthy veggie burritos on a perfect summer evening. Since we drank this out of thimble-sized plastic cups, which was all the BYO restaurant had, it was hard to identify all its characteristics, but this is certainly a balanced, well-toned, round-mouthed, smoky, spicy, sexy wine.
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Inky violet. Very tight nose requires time (days) and coaxing to show some char, mineral, and a vague suggestion of dark fruit. Juicy entry is followed by a lively midpalate and oodles of grip, but the tannins currently make for an abbreviated finish. Quite embryonic now, but I don't pretend to know what will emerge later.
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Least favorite bottle of Petalos, eh-ver! Purple color, enjoyable nose of red grape and blueberry, medium body. Last month i remembered it having more concentration and a wonderful cooked meat type nose. This bottle was much less interesting. Hoping the next few are better.
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Again, not decanted as long as I would have liked. Dark color, with notes of blue fruit and pine needles. Spicy dark fruit on the palate, someone also noted a bubble gum note in this wine. Not as good as the previous wine.
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Nose of grilled meat, aromatic herbs, ripe red and black fruit. Extracted dark fruits and earth on the palate, punctuated by bright acidity, but muted with lots of chewy, unresolved tannins. Really curious what this will taste like in a year or two, but for now it's a little austere due to the tannins.
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This is one rich and concentrated Petalos. This is very tight and primary with big chewy tannins, making it a bit tough to drink right now. Very tasty juicy red fruit, fine minerality, hints of herbs and roasted meats, good depth, terrific texture. I will pick up a few more for the cellar. More approachable on day two.
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Carrots are initially present pre decant on the nose, in a civilized way, with alot of earth and soil, and grenadine/cherry juice, with distant currant nuance.
Overall, not incredibly enjoyable by any means....
Lighter bodied than I would have liked, lacking finish. Earthy/vegetal with some dirtiness. Astounded by spectator's opinion of this wine. Not terrible, but at best an 88 point effort for me. aegisepolis@hotmail.com
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El Bierzo is a bowl-like depression ringed by snowcapped peaks, its unique geological formation attributed to Roman master engineering (according to locals, the Romans drained an ancient mountain lake to access the mineral riches beneath its waters). On the frontier between Castilla y León and Galicia, its climate is moderated by a mixture of Continental and Atlantic influence. Soils are mineral, slate and quartzite predominating. El Bierzo’s predominant local variety is the Mencía, descended from grapes brought by the Roman settlers and generally regarded as the immediate precursor to the Cabernet Franc. A great majority of the vines are over 30 years old.
This particular Mencia reveals the minerals and slate of the terrior combined with the Cabernet Franc underpinnings. Not a wine for everyone, but a pretty good example from this region.
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I would agree that this wine is very young. However, it shows great promise. After decanting for about 4 hours, it started to open up and show some fruit, and the tannins receded enough to get a glimpse of its true potential.
I would definitely like to see this again in 2-6 years.
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What a pleasent surprise! Dark colored. Fruity nose of sweet dark fruits and some underbrush. Medium-bodied it has great elegance and a seducing palate. I think I saw another tasting note with the words ", lush", and ", something wild", which are great descriptors for this wine! It represents a style of its own somewhere in between old-fashioned tempranillo (Rioja) and modern Pinot Noir. Remarkable QPR at about 20 USD.
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A little tight but still lovely. Not as rich as the '04, which was fabulous. However, a very nice wine and at fair price. Really balanced. Companionable tannins. Round fruits. Great finish. Might score even higher in a few months.
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5/10/2020 - KaupCava wrote: flawed
Way past it’s recommended drink by 2011
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6/29/2019 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 89 Points
2005 Descendientes de José Palacios Bierzo Pétalos purchased for $15 at estate sale, bargain bin. Mid-garnet; old world woody nose; earthy; leather; Grenache-like nose; mid-body; balanced; good style; Rhone-like long fruity hot finish. Beef wine.
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6/23/2015 - wine65 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brick red color. Floral nose. Medium bodied, raseberries, tart cherry, plum nice acidity with light herb and tannin in the finish. Showing really well much better than the bottle I had a couple of years ago. Those that held onto a bottle will be well rewarded.
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9/8/2013 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 86 Points
Similar to my recent note. While nothing is wrong with it, it's just not too interesting at this point. It is a nice, modest wine though and we drank the bottle with ease. Virtually no fruit but certainly herbal. Faded at the end of the night.
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3/18/2013 - GrandeSerataFuori Likes this wine: 86 Points
This was a little past it's prime, but we did finish the bottle. Somewhat austere and certainly lacking fruit it had earlier. Made me think more of some Italian reds than Spanish. Reminded me of bricks and dry erase. A little heat.
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3/6/2013 - no leashes wrote: 89 Points
Bright cherry, pepper, earth flavors. Agree with Vanpe003 that it is somewhat rhone-like. Enjoyable bottle.
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9/22/2012 - vanpe003 wrote: 90 Points
Reminds me a bit of a Rhone. On the nose, game and leather. The palate has more of the same, adding some pepper. I didn't pick up this gaminess in my earlier bottle. This comes across as relatively heavy in flavor profile, but medium-bodied in terms of mouthfeel. Medium to medium long finish. Good value.
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8/10/2012 - marcobellini wrote: 88 Points
Needs some air, but well balanced. Excellent QPR.
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10/21/2011 - olioli wrote: 91 Points
BBQ de caribou. Encore une fois la magie opère. Alcool moins marquée que la première fois.
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9/18/2011 - chatters wrote:
Nose: Juicy but fusty damson & black stone fruit - cherry(?) over very slight tarragon and mit. Spice - cumin - & leather.
Mouth: Medium plus acid, medium savoury tannin over dark fruit and peppery spice. Some tarragon again but more like a confected feel liquorice. Long medium plus alcohol chewy finish. Nice.
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5/18/2011 - DStone wrote: 89 Points
This was my first Mencia wine. Reminded me of a VV Grenache. Surprisingly big wine which woul pair with red meat easily...
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4/20/2011 - vanpe003 wrote: 90 Points
A bigger wine than I expected. On the nose, red fruits kept bright by a floral, light citrus note. Medium to full bodied on the palate, with a subtle pencil shaving highlight. All together, a very nice wine. This one from passive storage is drinking very well now. My other bottle in the Eurocave may need another year or so to hit the same stride. Nice QPR.
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10/28/2010 - davidspieker wrote: 89 Points
Aromas of rose petal and earth. Big blackberry and black cherry flavors with some mocha and earth. Medium body with decent balance and nice finish.
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6/11/2010 - LARich wrote: 89 Points
Smooth red fruit and cardamom spice notes. Lightweight body. Nice.
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5/9/2010 - benfri wrote: 87 Points
New World kind of wine. Nose full of sweet fruit. Nicely structured. A good but my favorite type wine though. It went well the wild boar.
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5/2/2010 - olioli wrote: 91 Points
Première de deux bouteilles achetées en mars 2007.
Première expérience avec le cépage Mencia je crois. À l'ouverture nez profond et puissant de fruits noirs (cerise+), d'eau-de-vie et de notes torréfiées. Un peu chaud, une saucette rapide dans un seau avec quelques glaçons s'est avérée bénéfique. Bu sur près de 4h00 pour accompagner un BBQ d'orignal. Très intense en bouche au niveau du fruité. Une trame tannique serrée. Acidité encore bien présente. Longueur remarquable. Très animal. L'accord était absolument parfait!! Très évolutif comme vin; à un certain moment, comme quelqu'un le mentionne plus bas, le nez était très bourguignon (assez déroutant). Des notes de tabac et de foin coupé sont apparus graduellement. Il y a même eu un aspect floral initialement. Le seul petit défaut a été une certaine prédominance olfactive de l'alcool, même si celui demeure marginal par rapport à l'ensemble. Un rapport Q/P vraiment incroyable!!
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3/12/2010 - Oh Dae-su wrote: 89 Points
I tried this one approx. 2 years ago. By then it was very animalistic and rustic, but without a lot of tannins. Now it is very well aged, although there is still a juvenile style noticeable. Plenty of dark berries, slight smoke and various spices. Very Mencia. Very unique wine style. Absolutely recommendable. Especially for just 11 to 13 Euros.
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12/24/2009 - yipen wrote: 88 Points
Stronger fruit then I think. it is a good wine
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12/12/2009 - caeleric wrote: 89 Points
Medium ruby in the glass. A nose of pomegranite and rose water. Very interesting for its unique flavor profile but not mind blowing. Probably wouldn't buy again.
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11/11/2009 - jvogel wrote:
A delightfully rich, vibrant and elegant red with creamy black cherry, mocha and tobacco nuances, all framed by a supple tannic structure and just enough acidity to keep this honest. I look at this wine in the context of others in the Palacios stable, and while that may seem disingenuous, the shoe fits: This Mencia bears remarkable similarity to the fruit-forward attack found in the Les Terrasses. However, the Petalos delivers herby nuances, a multitude of fruit allied to remarkably velvet yet distinct tannin, and a licorice-like slate minerality, all for about 10-15 Euro cheaper than the Les Terrasses. Regardless of price, I simply find the Petalos to be a more transparent expression of the Bierzo terroir, not to mention a remarkable rendition of indigenous fruit.
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11/6/2009 - bboy wrote: 85 Points
My first Bierzo. Very dark in colour, herbs with dark cherris . nice acid.
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9/23/2009 - jim_crane wrote: 89 Points
Purple, red hue with good clarity. Wonderful nose of cherries, hard fruit candy and a remote floral element. Very fresh and inviting. Medium body, with generous acidity offset by subtle but velvety tannins. Red berry fruits and a hint of oak influence. Expansive finish that does not overpower. A nicely balanced wine that can be quaffed if you don't think about it. It's not too complex and doesn't make you work for enjoyment. A more determined investigation reveals the lovely nuances of the wine.
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8/24/2009 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 86 Points
Tannic and a little bit hot. Paired OK with a few different foods and was OK on its own as well. Might be my least favorite Petalos, but still a solid wine. Looking back, similar to my first 2 reviews of it. Later..........a streak of fresh herbs in the nose was both intoxicating and abrasive. The flavor fades into what suggests a Manchego cheese. Interesting!
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8/19/2009 - vassnesen wrote: 85 Points
Tasted a year ago and the impressive power and fruit is almost gone. Liked it better when it was younger. Drink up-
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8/15/2009 - Alex H wrote: 82 Points
Much more developed on the nose than the last bottle. This has mushy blueberries, dark violets and wet mud. V burgundian. On the palate, still showing simple cherry fruits and seems to fade away on the palaate. Love the nose though.
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6/21/2009 - Harley1199 wrote:
Better than 04? I do not think so. Spanish new wave indded but more rustic, less fruit and this year high alcohol is hiding the lack of finesse. Pretty obvious, this wine, despite tannins and 14 porcentage, is not a long time runner. Easy to find best Palacios family wines. This one is not to my taste. Just fair.
¿Mejor que el 04? No lo creo. Un español de la nueva ola sin duda pero más rústico, con menos fruta y este año el alto porcentaje de alcohol oculta la falta de fineza. Bastante obvio que este vino, a pesar de los taninos y de los 14 grados de alcohol, no tiene mucho recorrido. Es fácil encontrar los mejores vinos de la familia Palacios. Este no es para mi. Simplemente bebible.
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6/1/2009 - honest bob wrote: 88 Points
Big, bitter, dark wine. Good value but not distinguished. No need to try again. 88P
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5/23/2009 - mkaminski wrote: 87 Points
Very dark, almost black in colour. Bouquet not too fruity, fleshy and earthy. On the palate soft, almost delicate, but mineral. A little herbal, but short finish.
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4/21/2009 - slogan wrote: 90 Points
Drank this with smoked pork. Not a bad pairing, but probably not fair to the wine. Deep purple color, nice berry notes and flavors, a touch of earthiness, which is pretty nice. Was much better an hour after dinner.
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2/19/2009 - Jozefs wrote: 90 Points
Retasted with consistent notes. Remains one of my qpr bottles, sadly this one was the last of the '05s.
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1/26/2009 - Villon wrote: 89 Points
Excellent vin, style moderne, l'élevage camoufle malheureusement la typicité. Tannins encore un peu carrés, peut encore évoluer.
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1/8/2009 - Jozefs wrote: 90 Points
Best on the second day. A very good qpr wine with both good fruit and nice stuffing. Consistent notes.
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12/19/2008 - vassnesen wrote: 87 Points
100 pst Mencia. Deep,red/violet coulour. Intense ripe fruit on the nose. Licorice. Pepper.
Taste of ripe red fruit/blackberry, round, licorice. Nice consentration. Fruit domination. Slight bitterness in finish.
Seems less balanced than earlier.
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12/2/2008 - Jozefs wrote: 90 Points
This was much better on the second day (after a night in a cold fridge): more fruit and balance, suave tannins, fatty mouthfeel, spices, good acidity. Good qpr.
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10/1/2008 - Alex H wrote: 82 Points
Beautiful flowers on the nose. Reminds me of a backyard garden full of small blue and purple flowers. Pretty elegantly styled although it is lacking in some real strength. However, it tries its best to display its best with whatever blue fruits it has.
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9/6/2008 - Tree512 wrote: 87 Points
Had a sour note I couldn't figure out - not nearly as good as the 2003 for me. Sweet profile of the food may have been a poor pairing.
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9/1/2008 - honest bob wrote: 89 Points
Much calmer than last year, and frankly a tiny bit dull. Full muscled wine, but monolithic. 89P
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8/7/2008 - davidrh1 wrote: 89 Points
Deep striking purple color, floral aromas, lush and full flavor, cherry with some mint and spice, cinnamon, very nice.
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7/15/2008 - jwwinec wrote: 90 Points
Still very right and young; shows a lot of structure relative to previous years. Give it some time.
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6/20/2008 - Aloysius16 wrote: 90 Points
Another very nice Bierzo. More approachable than many of the over-oaky premium Mencias, but still a little on the young side.
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6/1/2008 - curtispomeroy wrote: 89 Points
Very enjoyable wine. Great wine if you want to play stump the band.
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5/11/2008 - ludwigbpm wrote: 90 Points
Bien meilleur un an après la première bouteille. Nez expressif sur les fruits noirs, avec une touche de contfiture. Bouche texturé, telle une liqueur. Finale sur les épices, très beau vin pour le prix.
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4/19/2008 - Paul S wrote: 90 Points
2005 Burgundy Grand Cru / 1er Cru Tasting (Denise Wines, Vivocity, Singapore): William's donation as a little extra at a Burg tasting. Fantastic value at its price I think. The half-bottle that we tried had probably been left overnight. Rather simple, with dark cherries throughout, but it was very well integrated with a really surprising elegance and smoothness on the palate.
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3/10/2008 - bknysak wrote: 90 Points
Gave this one a double decant--what a difference! More round, with subdued tannins, more pleasing. A great blueberry/bosenberry-like quality comes in and out. Really curious to see where this goes over the next few years.
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3/6/2008 - losvinhos wrote: 90 Points
Rubi médio. Aroma levemente adocicado e elegante de cedro, frutos vermelhos,doce de leite, mineral e floral. Na boca repete a elegância com taninos firmes, acidez referscante, boa fruta e bastante equilibrio. Tem um levíssimo amargor que em nada incomoda. Fácil, elegante e muito bem feito. Para ser tomado solo ou acompanhando comidas mais leves. Excelente.
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2/8/2008 - espia wrote:
Took to José Ramón's b-day. No particular recollection
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1/28/2008 - bknysak wrote: 90 Points
Really interesting stuff: a shovel full of earth, dried cherry, spice, pepper. Fairly tannic yet, could have been decanted. Brooding. Was marvellous with beets roasted in chicken drippings, an excellent pairing.
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1/26/2008 - robnmo wrote: 89 Points
decanted for about 90 minutes. Very dark in the glass. On the nose dark chocolate cherries. On the palate the tannins are very smooth. The wine has a nice spicy mid palate. Peppery cherries. Nice acidity. I liked this wine.
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1/21/2008 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 88 Points
So different than the 2003 (which was totally up my alley) that i really didn't want to like it at first. This thing grew on me though. Red/black/purple in the glass. Nose of pure cranberry, beef jerky (something salty) and a little bit of dried cherry all mixed togehter. The taste had some nutmeg and cedar, with excellent soft tannins and a springy texture that make this a great value. Improved over three hours, then tannins increased and smell became a bit odd and somehow like mildew.
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12/29/2007 - tatumvay wrote: 89 Points
Fruity nose... slight strawberry that is overpowered by black cherry and maybe blueberry? The taste is great- full, firm but smooth and leaves my mouth feeling good. It even opened up and developed during the course of the wine... after being open for about an hour it seemed to have more qualities, a bit more pepper and spice aspects, less fruit. Everyone seemed to like this one over some of the others of the night.
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12/1/2007 - honest bob wrote: 91 Points
Fine, weighty, dark, brooding, bitter. Fine balance between rich sweetness and bitter bark-like quinine notes. Very, very good 92P
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11/18/2007 - slogan wrote: 91 Points
Bright, fruity, tempered as time past, was wonderful with leftover cassoulet.
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11/8/2007 - bubbachumps wrote: 90 Points
First exposure to ths varietal. Fleshy plush wine, but with good underlying acidity. I am pleasantly surprised, since I didn't know what to expect. Fruit forward, plum, smoky tobacco, faint flowers on the nose. Ripe fruit carries on the palette as well.
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10/30/2007 - Alekos wrote: 90 Points
Maybe a bit young, but very promising. One of the best Bierzo bottles I've had. The nose develops amazingly after a while. There's something "green" (in a good way) that I can't really describe, like esparragus or broccoli....With sharp acidity and nice finish this is a real heavy-weight, without being an oaky fruit bomb.
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10/22/2007 - Pedro G wrote: 90 Points
Cereja intenso, aroma potente a fruta vermelha, boca potente, rico em fruta, aroma da madeira, bem constituido, taninos amargosos
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10/20/2007 - Herve wrote: 90 Points
Elevage totalement intégré, belle matière. Nez discret. Peu encore attendre
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9/13/2007 - pgm wrote: 89 Points
Excellent wine with bright red fruits (cherry-plum-cranberry) and some underlying blackberry tones, and definite minerality Slightly drying tannins. Easily the best mencia I've tasted in the sub-$40 range.
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8/2/2007 - win wrote: 90 Points
Very enjoyable.
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7/24/2007 - drdebs wrote: 86 Points
Hardly any aroma at all, this wine had rich cranberry flavors and dusty tannins.
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7/19/2007 - win wrote: 90 Points
Very modern, fruit forward wine with nice complexity and spice. Very impressed by this wine....interested to see how it ages.
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6/26/2007 - Wicker Parker wrote:
My boyfriend and I drank this while chowing down on earthy veggie burritos on a perfect summer evening. Since we drank this out of thimble-sized plastic cups, which was all the BYO restaurant had, it was hard to identify all its characteristics, but this is certainly a balanced, well-toned, round-mouthed, smoky, spicy, sexy wine.
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4/24/2007 - tcfishler wrote: 87 Points
Inky violet. Very tight nose requires time (days) and coaxing to show some char, mineral, and a vague suggestion of dark fruit. Juicy entry is followed by a lively midpalate and oodles of grip, but the tannins currently make for an abbreviated finish. Quite embryonic now, but I don't pretend to know what will emerge later.
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4/14/2007 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 85 Points
Least favorite bottle of Petalos, eh-ver! Purple color, enjoyable nose of red grape and blueberry, medium body. Last month i remembered it having more concentration and a wonderful cooked meat type nose. This bottle was much less interesting. Hoping the next few are better.
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4/1/2007 - AllRed wrote: 84 Points
Again, not decanted as long as I would have liked. Dark color, with notes of blue fruit and pine needles. Spicy dark fruit on the palate, someone also noted a bubble gum note in this wine. Not as good as the previous wine.
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2/22/2007 - blue wrote:
Didn't like it. too much extraction, prefer by far the domino de tarres for half of the price
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2/18/2007 - 5laton wrote:
Nose of grilled meat, aromatic herbs, ripe red and black fruit. Extracted dark fruits and earth on the palate, punctuated by bright acidity, but muted with lots of chewy, unresolved tannins. Really curious what this will taste like in a year or two, but for now it's a little austere due to the tannins.
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2/14/2007 - jwwinec wrote: 90 Points
This is one rich and concentrated Petalos. This is very tight and primary with big chewy tannins, making it a bit tough to drink right now. Very tasty juicy red fruit, fine minerality, hints of herbs and roasted meats, good depth, terrific texture. I will pick up a few more for the cellar. More approachable on day two.
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2/2/2007 - giveitalittlesniffysniff wrote: 88 Points
Carrots are initially present pre decant on the nose, in a civilized way, with alot of earth and soil, and grenadine/cherry juice, with distant currant nuance.
Overall, not incredibly enjoyable by any means....
Lighter bodied than I would have liked, lacking finish. Earthy/vegetal with some dirtiness. Astounded by spectator's opinion of this wine. Not terrible, but at best an 88 point effort for me. aegisepolis@hotmail.com
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12/17/2006 - mimik wrote: 88 Points
Needs lots more time.
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12/10/2006 - idrinkvino wrote: 88 Points
El Bierzo is a bowl-like depression ringed by snowcapped peaks, its unique geological formation attributed to Roman master engineering (according to locals, the Romans drained an ancient mountain lake to access the mineral riches beneath its waters). On the frontier between Castilla y León and Galicia, its climate is moderated by a mixture of Continental and Atlantic influence. Soils are mineral, slate and quartzite predominating. El Bierzo’s predominant local variety is the Mencía, descended from grapes brought by the Roman settlers and generally regarded as the immediate precursor to the Cabernet Franc. A great majority of the vines are over 30 years old.
This particular Mencia reveals the minerals and slate of the terrior combined with the Cabernet Franc underpinnings. Not a wine for everyone, but a pretty good example from this region.
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12/2/2006 - abkennedy wrote: 88 Points
I would agree that this wine is very young. However, it shows great promise. After decanting for about 4 hours, it started to open up and show some fruit, and the tannins receded enough to get a glimpse of its true potential.
I would definitely like to see this again in 2-6 years.
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11/15/2006 - East Dallas Wino wrote:
Do not even bother opening this until 2007 or even 2008. Way too youthful and tannic.
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11/11/2006 - gorm wrote: 90 Points
What a pleasent surprise! Dark colored. Fruity nose of sweet dark fruits and some underbrush. Medium-bodied it has great elegance and a seducing palate. I think I saw another tasting note with the words ", lush", and ", something wild", which are great descriptors for this wine! It represents a style of its own somewhere in between old-fashioned tempranillo (Rioja) and modern Pinot Noir. Remarkable QPR at about 20 USD.
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10/26/2006 - nubbin wrote: 89 Points
A little tight but still lovely. Not as rich as the '04, which was fabulous. However, a very nice wine and at fair price. Really balanced. Companionable tannins. Round fruits. Great finish. Might score even higher in a few months.
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