2004 Numanthia. Finally! Bottle 9 of 12 and it is in the zone……integrated and no longer too big and almost port like. The fruit is still there after 20 years, but now as part of a harmonious mouthful. One hour in decanter and away we go in Zalto Bordeaux. Now I need to try the last three a couple of years apart to see how it progresses but mmmmmm not sure I can wait too long.
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The sediment was more than any 1960/70/80 Bordeaux blockbuster I ever had!!!
But once you are thru this the wine is superb and on apex!
The wine is full body with dark fruit, some minimal oak, dark crushed rocks, and a silky smooth nearly Napa Cab like texture!
This all from Toro for a dollop of the price of many others. You just need to be able to be patient. Drank way too many young and due to that my last bottle!
On apex - 2034
97p
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Drank this at a restaurant in the Caymans with a fantastic wine list - The Grand Ole House. Lisa - the Sommelier was awesome!!
Decanted the wine for about 30 minutes and then 30 more in the glass. Nose was full of dark berries, cigar and leather. Very full of red fruit and coffee. Long finish. Great balance and structure.
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Decanted for c2 hours. Good nose , big full bodied wine. Presents well with good length. Seems to have plenty of life length. A lovely wine Many will like this with a main course meat dish. Interesting and good value for a 2004 vintage
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Smooth, full if still a bit tannic. Great wine with tapas meatballs in garlic/tomato sauce - best yet of my case with five to go. Let’s see again in 2025 ..... it feels like it will see 30 easy
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100% Tinta de Toro from over 100 ungrafted, non-irrigated parcels aged between 70 and 100 yo located in the villages of Valdefinjas, Toro and El Pego. The fully destemmed fruit is cold-soaked with the skins for more than a week followed by fermentation and maceration over a period of 21 days. Aged in new French oak barrels for 19 months. 14,5% alcohol.
Dark, very slightly translucent and subtly evolved black cherry color with a faint brick-red hue towards the rim. The nose feels powerful, quite ripe and nuanced with concentrated aromas of wizened dark plums and ripe figs, some toasty notes of mocha oak, a little bit of blackberry jam, light volatile undertones of balsamico and medicinal ether, dried-fruit hints of raisins and dried dates and a touch of antique furniture. The wine feels dense, chewy and quite sinewy with a full body and rather robust flavors of wizened black cherries and ripe blackberries , some woody notes of oak, a little bit of extracted bitter tones, sweet hints of prunes or even plum liqueur and a touch of peppery spice. The high alcohol lends some obvious heat to the palate and the combination of rather high acidity and quite assertive, moderately drying tannins make the wine feel firm balanced and pretty structure-driven. The finish is long, robust and quite warm with rather grippy tannins and a bold aftertaste of prunes and cherry marmalade, some extracted woody bitterness, a little bit of roasted game, light chocolatey notes of toasty mocha oak, a hint of wizened dark plums and a touch of balsamic VA.
For such a big, ripe and muscular wine, this turned out to be a surprisingly balanced and enjoyable effort. Normally these Numanthia wines are just way too big, ripe and overdone wines for my palate, but here one can find enough acidity and firmness to keep the sense of structure in the focus, and the fruit department doesn't feel too ripe, sweet and pruney in character. The alcohol feels a bit too high, lending a rather hot and boozy feel to the wine - but I guess that is something you can't avoid with the wines of Toro. Can't say I loved the wine, but this was still one of the best vintages of Numanthia we tasted in our 2011-1998 vertical and quite an impressive wine in its own right. I feel the wine might not just keep, but even continue to evolve for a number of years more, but I really don't feel like the wine is going to improve much from here - I'd say the wine has reached its apogee now, at approx. 20 years of age. Probably better to drink up sooner rather than later.
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Big wine. Don't serve it too warm because the present alcohol on the nose. Big palate, needs food to show. There's ripe black fruit on the palate but overall it's all too much. Not for me..
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45 min decant. Tobacco, cedar, violet, moss, rooibos, cherry, vanilla. Well balanced with good harmony between oak, Earth and fruit. Gained steam throughout course of the bottle. Drinking beautifully with 5-7 year window. Very nice.
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This wine continues to drink very well - my last tasting was about a year ago and this wine is better than ever. Decanted 1.5 hrs. Dense purple color with dense core of dark fruit - black raspberry, tart black cherry, cassis with notes of graphite and cedar. Very long finish with well integrated tannins. This wine has a really nice mouthfeel and long finish. Long way to go.
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Powerful deep and intense earthy blackberry fruit. Beyond an earthiness that was also there when it was young and perhaps a touch of leather this is still a primary wine. powerful structure is well integrated. Medium to full bodied. Lovely mouthfeel. Long finish with good complexity. Drink now but will last another 5 to 10 years.
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Bien en forme, il ira loin celui-là. Belle matière, bien nourri et assez corsé. Fruits noirs, épices et herbes avec une belle finale bien longue sur des relents de tabac. Savoureux et complexe.
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Deep garnet red, with medium+ intensity aroma's of blackberry, black currant, black plum, stewed black fruit, kirsch, cranberry, vanilla. Dry, with medium+ acidity with medium finely engrained tannins.
High alcohol, full bodied, medium+ intensity and long finish. Still at a great place and probably for at least 5-7 more years
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Deep red with powerful nose of berries and dark fruits. The entry is smooth with silky tannings, voluptuous body with explosions of dark fruits, vibrant youth, strong acid backing, long finish. Could be left in the cellar for another decade or so.
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Decanted 2 hrs. Dense purple color with dense core of dark fruit - black raspberry, cherry, cassis with notes of graphite and cedar. Very long finish with well integrated tannins.
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After three years went back to this wine, This time from a Magnum. Not too much to add to previous note here, just that I reaffirm this wine needs at least 4 hours of breathing . This time I gave it just 2 hours in decanter thinking that the three extra years should have dented the robust tannins/acidity but no (I didn’t factored in adequately the magnum effect which slows the aging process), and the last glasses after 1 hour more of air were the ones with a 95 score. Not showing signs of aging; at least from this magnum, so I guess still at least 10 more years of drinking window
From 75cl, perfect cork, decanted 90 minutes off big, slimy deposit. Still dark, just a hint of bricking at the rim; immense concentration evident at the first sniff; not particularly unctuous, but packed full of extract which makes for a dense texture on the entry; massive dark spice, blueberry, darkest purple-red X-berry fruit, lively but not overwhelming acidity; finish packed full of ripe tannins. This was absolutely delicious with beef stew, and showed no sign of overt sweetness (unlike many a "premium" Australian Shiraz lately tasted, so that comparison falls flat), nor overripeness (so more obese C9dPape and lookalikes also don't fit). How about just welcoming this for what it is, a stunning Toro from a great year and a highly accomplished producer, just edging into maturity? I loved it, anyway, and look forward to working my way though my remaining 5 bottles over the next decade+. 94+P
Silky, suave wine. Lots of plum, tobacco, blueberry fruit. Big fruit with good resolved tannins, gritty grip, earth. This is a big wine, tons of fruit. Really nice, modern huge wine that's not too sweet. Fully mature and in a great place, peak drinking. I don't think it'll get any better, but should hold here for a few years, I'd say drink by 2025.
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From magnum. Cherry fruit, red berry compote, herbal notes along with concentrated, sweet notes that are finely built into the bouquet. Also a bit meaty and aging notes of leather and earth. Pretty well balanced. This probably at its peak currently and drinks really nicely.
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Big rich satisfying wine. Huge intensity and depth of dried black fruits. Huge tannin gives a dry finish, along with a healthy slug of acidity. Tertiary cedar and spice. Persistent and complex. Drink now as fruit balances the considerable structure. Once the fruit recedes this may fall out of balance.
Kleur: Diep ondoordrinkbaar robijnrood. Aroma / bouquet: Minder expressief en in elk geval stukken minder 'explosief' dan in 2019. Het bouquet is vooral donker met tonen van bittere chocola en espresso. Smaak / Afdronk: Mondvullende, dik-sappige wijn, beperkte zuurgraad, boordvol droppige tannies maar vooral met een zeldzame concentratie en een dito lange finale. Geweldig verleidelijke Powerwijn. Algemeen / potentieel: Kleur? Zuurgraad? Numanthia wordt gemaakt van Tinta de Toro, een lokale, vroeger rijpende, variant van de Tempranillo met minder zuur en meer kleur. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 92/100
Color: Deep impenetrable ruby red. Aroma / bouquet: Less expressive and in any case much less 'explosive' than in 2019. The bouquet is mainly dark with notes of bitter chocolate and espresso. Taste / Finish: Mouth-filling, thick-juicy wine, limited acidity, brimming with droppy tannies but above all with a rare concentration and a ditto long finish. Incredibly seductive Power wine. General / potential: Color? Acidity? Numanthia is made from Tinta de Toro, a local, earlier ripening, variant of the Tempranillo with less acidity and more color. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Taste / Finish: 17 + Overall / potential: 8 = 92/100
Very dark purple, opaque Black fruit nd pepper nose Big, rich semisweet black fruit long flavor. Took an hour to open up. Big chewy wine but not well balanced
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Opaque purple. Blueberry, blackberry, plum, cassis, and a bit of licorice on the nose. Beautifully balanced between the soft tannins and bright acidity. Full bodied. The fine sediment clogged the Nuance finer. Long finish. This still has miles to go, glad I have more to keep sampling.
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After a 4 hour decant amazing to say it gets better in glass and puts on weight in the middle the longer it’s in the glass. At the start of drinking the middle is just a little thin.
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Improbably muscular with no excess fat. Crazily magically wonderful wine that touches all my G-spots. Blackish red without the slightest hint of maturation tones. On the nose, we find everything beautiful that mineralized concentration brings with it. Liquorice, jam, all kinds of berries and fruits, tar, freshly laid asphalt, freshly rained-upon paving stones, tobacco, straw, unwashed tiger...
In the mouth, it's a total slap in the face! So much concentration, tannins, rocket fuel, the ferret Göran and wonders that go all the way. Fills the whole mouth, ticks all our boxes and is still but a baby...
The fact that you can achieve such wonderful vibes of Penfold's Grange Hermitage with Tempranillo is amazing. Made us smile secretly - as this is still reasonably affordable. Looking forward to more encounters of this magical wine. For this is, in fact, the cellar master's own favourite vintage. Will develop much further. Next btl ~2030-ish.
One hours decant at 19c gave a thin wine with an edge BUT after 4 hours at 22c it was wonderful . Full bodied dark fruits round with tar in the backgroud. Will remember for the last 5 bottles. Much more like the 2005 I had which was very impressive
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Nose, upon opening as decanting, pleasant dark fruit not strong or powerful in anyway . After one hour decant 19c no real body nothing really to say except correct with a sort of bitter cherry finish. No tannins anywhere integrated or otherwise. Purchased 13 -14 years ago. Disappointing. As it has warmed up an hour later much better and showing some fullness in the middle. Next bottle will get a longer decant and be served at 21/22c which i would normally consider too warm BUT needs must
Still super sweet, but also harboring a minor oxidative note. Abundant tannins make for structure, but the whole package is not very coherent. I'll give this one a good score for being an enjoyable bottle, but I don't think this is going anywhere great in the future. Drink up.
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Dark fruit is nice, but strong sour taste which has not blown off even on second night. Maybe this needs more time to dissipate but for now this detracts from this wine.
This one confused me. Too big when last tasted a few years ago, I thought it was time to see at 16years old. Opened and decanted for 1.5 hours. The test sip when opened was almost sour with tannin, but kind of sparkly with fruit and promise, Strangely though, it seemed to close up in the decanter and later glasses were almost port like. Big and thick.....not great. Perhaps I should have left longer? Anyway....I loved the wine I tasted in the first sip......I will try again in five years. Appreciate thoughts on whether I am experiencing tiredness or it is still too early 😃
Absolutely in its prime. Delicate and balanced but still enough power to show off. Opened for a. Hour before drinking and could have used more time. Drink now a bit will last a few more years with ease.
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Black fruit, alcohol and heat, really powerful and muscular, lots of wood. No freshness, no elegance, heavy and weighty. A wine that showcases everything that is wrong when aiming for an overblown "Parker-style".
Kleur: Helder robijnrood. Aroma / bouquet: BOOMMMM. Explosief bouquet met tonen van donker fruit, espresso en donkere chocola. Smaak / Afdronk: Ook in de mond maakt deze wijn een explosieve indruk, super geconcentreerd. Boordevol prachtig gerijpte tannines die de wijn structuur bieden, tegelijkertijd boterzacht. Zeldzame kracht met een zeldzaam lange finale. Algemeen / potentieel: Modern gemaakte powerwijn met een lange toekomst voor zich. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 95/100
Google Translate:
Color: Bright ruby red. Aroma / bouquet: BOOMMMM. Explosive bouquet with notes of dark fruit, espresso and dark chocolate. Taste / Aftertaste: This wine also makes an explosive impression in the mouth, super concentrated. Packed with beautifully ripened tannins that provide wine structure, but are at the same time butter soft. Rare power with a rare long final. General / potential: Modernly made power wine with a long future ahead. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Taste / Finish: 18 + General / potential: 9 = 95/100
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blind I had this wine a few times before and 3-4 years ago I enjoyed really very much but this time tired, blurred and fruit- and loveless. Too alcoholic, no elegance and power. one dimensional. Parker problem of too much extraction? 91
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Dunkke farbe, die 15 jahre sieht man überhaupt nicht. Dunkle Beeren, Oliven, holz, voller Körper, sehr gut strukturiert, Minze. Extrem langer Abgang. Wunderbar.
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Very dark, almost black. Smokey, big black fruits, spices. Still very solid tannins but not coarse. Less monolithic than I anticipated. Decent acidity. Never elegant but with some finesse. Long. It had been double decanted about six hours previously. Worked very well with mountains of excellent aged steaks. And black marks for the ludicrous heavy bottle.
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Decanted at 5:30 and tasted through the evening. Deep dark, almost opaque garnet with a crimson edge. Spicy, vanilla, oak, alcohol, non-descript dark fruit. Decidedly modern in style and like most wines dominated by Tempranillo (in my view) wholly one dimensional in that it lacks layers and depth. I keep giving them a try but am consistently disappointed. Clearly a big wine but rather “brutish” and lacking in nuance. Fine with a big grilled steak but overall un-interesting, though by no means “bad” and I guess stylistically consistent.
What can you say about Numanthia? Intense, dark chocolate, fruit, alcohol, mouthfilling, over-the-top. No subtlety here. A wine that seems still young. 15% alcohol, yet still quite balanced.
Powerful, concentrated, impressive. Maybe even a little overwhelming. interesting nose of dark fruit, leather and smoke. Balanced palate, alcohol well blended in. There is not much subtlety in this wine, that is for sure.
Still inky black in colour. Lovely aromas of black currant, vanilla and spice and just a touch of menthol. The black fruit carries on to the palate, but what you notice most is not the flavours but the body. This is a massive wine, still youthfully tannic, and very full bodied. The first few sips were almost over-powering but with air and some food things settled down and it became a delicious but very powerful wine. With the current trend towards more elegant wines, I doubt too many somms would have much good to say here, but we certainly enjoyed it. www.advinetures.ca
Ruby with purple tint without any signs of aging. First dominated by black currants and vanilla. After decant and three hours it adds on in terms of complexity. Currants, blackberries, cherries, herbs, vanilla, baconfat, licorice. On the palate concentrated but yet showing poise (in contrast to a bottle one year ago) with nice acidity and still large amounts of round tannin, which after all keep me from giving more than an outstanding score . All in all very young with two decades to go, I guess, if optimal stored since release. 5 hours after decant it got even more intense. Jay S Miller from the WA wasn't so wrong in scoring at least this wine as the last scores from Neal Martin and R. Parker (Termanthia) suggest. 5/13/18/10 -2030+
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One of the most impressive Numanthia wines. Pitch black, aromatic black cherry and black currant. Exudes richness and power in the mouth. Somehow manages to be grippy tannic and still lush and superbly integrated. Not the slightest hint of anything tired, old, or off flavored. Overall, endlessly enjoyable now and for years more.
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Well well well. This is a completely different animal than the bottles I drank earlier. This bottle was singing. Very lively, full bodied, fine grained tannins. I’m glad I held on to this case :)
Pnp a glass, decanted & drank bottle over 2 hours. Tight & seemed flawed. Even in 2nd hour it opened up but tasted old, not corked but somehow off. Disappointed based on ratings/reviews. This bottle = 86.
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Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow" #032: Wines with 98+ points: In the bouquet a firm dose of toasted oak and coffee as well as black berries. On the palate a concentrated wine with beautifully fresh acidity and round tannin. Firm oak as well. Still another decade to go? 94+
An exceptional wine at this moment. Licorice, leather, black fruits, flower scent, tar, spices. Give AT LEAST 4 HOURS in a decanter to allow it to blossom and show at its best. Tannins well integrated and a very good palate and finish. At current price (internet search) is a very good buy. I ll try to buy more, it reminds me of a 2000 st emilion grande cru
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Superbe...il commence à entrer dans sa fenêtre de buvabilité. Au nez, fruits noirs, un peu de tabac et de fumée avec des épices. En bouche, velouté et charmeur. Des mures et du cassis avec du poivre, du moka et des herbes. Les tannins sont bien enrobés et veloutés. La finale est très longue et suave. Une très belle bouteille.
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This is great stuff! Popped and poured and it delivered from the start. Tar, tobaco, dried figs, this is swirling nuances. It took us only two hours, a great steak with bearnaise and all of a sudden the bottle was empty. Luckily I have three bottles left!
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My first thought was that this can go a lot longer. Very rich and round, complex, deep. Still a little tannic, but not pucker worthy. I think this might improve with a few more years, but it is mighty delicious right now, a good foil for grilled marinated skirt steak.
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This is a disjointed wine. There is a dark roast coffee/pete moss element on the one side and a stewed prune/golden raisin element on the other. There are no dark berry elements or other fruit to be enjoyed. It is drinkable but utterly boring and leaving one simply unsatisfied. Life is short, poured the other half of the bottle down the sink.
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Drinking my second bottle in a week. Now I’m convinced it tastes like bad southern Rhône. Professionally stored since release. I’m accepting any reasonable offers for my remaining 10 bottles
Dark, dense, inky black wine with deep, chewy, thick fruit. Prune, black coffee, a bit of nutmeg. Long long finish. A massive wine full of black fruit, slightly sweet, licorice. I think this is fully mature. No rush to drink, this has fruit to spare. Muscular, concentrated. A serious glass of wine.
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Late Dec 2017: deep purple red color; cranberry, blueberry, blackberry, cherry, mulberry and pomegranate plus vanilla, melon and light toast; soft and lush on the palate; medium/full body; smooth texture; little tannins left; mellow, medium finish.
When I encountered the 2004 Numanthia in the year 2007 it was a young, tannic fruit concentrate. Today it was a fully mature wine. The bottle had been kept in my wine fridge at 50 F the last 5-6 years. Based on this tasting experience I don’t think the wine will improve further. Moreover, first hints of aging (softness, very weak tannins) can be reported. You don’t need to be hasty but I recommend to drink your bottles in the next 4-7 years. My guess is after that time this wine will start to rapidly disintegrate.
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Ruby with purple tints and a hint of orange lightening to the rim. Black currant and after decantation and half an hour in the decanter adding blueberry, flowers, coffee and lead pencil. With time it put on weight, but the high levels of adstringent tannin are still creating a wine that is a bit out of tune. Far to young to evaluate wether it will develope to a more poised example of wine. If it will even a extraordinary score is possible. Given the fruit concentration there is good reason for optimism. 94+
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Very dark - hardly any discolouration. On the nose concentrated fruit, spices, smoke, hints of cocoa, oak. At first not very expressive on the palate - rather tight and a little disjointed, heat, drying tannins, medium finish. Improved quite a bit with more time in the glass - powerful, concentrated, spicy with lots of fruit, decent acidity and drying tannins. This might improve. 91-93
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This isn't my type of wine. That doesn't mean it not good but not to my liking. Decanted for 2hrs and it need allot of it. lots of fruit and tannins are just beginning to shed off.
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This wine shows no signs of age. A little too big and burly for my palate. Fruit hides behind an earthy and mineral character. I will wait a long while before trying the next one.
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This wine has only gotten better with age. Cork was solid and stained deep purple, very dark. Nice fruit and tennis still present but well integrated to give a fuller, silkier taste on the palate. I had this wine open for 4 days, taking a glass here and there, and it never faded, never developed off flavors. It just hung together. The first night opened it improved by having the tannins and fruit fall better into balance. The remaining nights it kept its place on the podium. This producer seems to make a very decent wine capable of aging. I know this was an exceptional vintage for Numanthia and i lived up to the critics appraisal. Recommended and I think it will got a little more in the bottle, say five years. The fruit hasn't really fallen off nor did any of the other components overpowered it.
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I've had quite a few vintages of this wine, mainly the '05 though. This '04 is clearly a step above the rest, though more intellectual and cerebral vs. outright delicious. It has the expected massive concentration but there is some restraint and delicacy too. I could see this scoring higher still but there is just that bit of hardness and assertiveness that holds it back a bit, though that is more likely just the style and nothing for it to apologize for. Very impressive and cerebral and likely will improve by another step or two with time.
Held up perfectly on the 2nd day.
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Weekly tasting group RWP #259: Spain (@ The factory by AH): In the bouquet very ripe fruits, some barnyard and a good dose of oak. On the palate a mouth full of supple wine with good fruits, acidity and tannin. Till so far my blind note. Overall the wine is much more mature than expected. I don’t know how this bottle has been kept over the years, but I hope this was a bad bottle. No score for today.
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Leftovers from a morning tasting so this had already been decanted for a good while and received plenty of air by the time this bottle arrived at dinner, courtesy of Joe. Needed every bit of air it got and it's still pretty big. Deeply colored and youthful in appearance. Aromas of chocolate, mocha, black cherry, plum and violets. Has some tannin yet, supporting an abundance of rich, deep fruit. Coffee and spice notes too. Lengthy finish.
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Nose - cinnamon, clove, heat. Mulled. Mouth - big wine, raisin-y, barrel spice. Tasted blind and I guessed valpolicella. Stand alone wine, not really jiving with the food
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Decanted for four hours; considerable sediment. Deep clear ruby red color. Nose of dark fruit, tobacco and vanilla. Full-bodied, bold dark fruit on the palate with lively acids and prominent tannins. Lengthy finish. This powerful wine has probably not yet come into its own, and given my 75 years of age, it'll live on a lot longer than I will.
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First of a six pack. Gave this three hours in the decanter and it just started to strut it's stuff. Big, bold black fruit with loads of tannic structure. Nice earth and asphalt tones. This is big but not overly ripe or modern in character. Will be interesting to see how these age and whether any layering/complexity emerges.
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Castilla y Leon tasting (at my home): P&P dark opaque red-purple reduced nose at first, then heavy dark fruits, roasted coffee, oak-vanilla on the nose dark heavy fruity flavours, liquorice, firm tannins, rich earthy flavours, requires 2-3 hours of decanting, still very young and can further age 5-15 years.
after 20 hours: excellent hedonistic nose & palate
This is a dark bold wine and still surprisingly youthful after more than ten years in the bottle. Decanted for three hours to bring it all out - the nose has dark fruit, tobacco, chocolate, and a bit of tar. The flavors are super concentrated with strong tannins, high acidity, and a long, mouth coating finish.
I agree with other recent tasting notes that this wine needs more time to show its full potential - at least another five years and maybe ten. I'm quite happy to have a few more in my cellar.
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Kleur: Diep ondoordringbaar donker rood Aroma / bouquet: Heftig en zwaar bouqet. In de eerste indrukken vooral tabak, espresso en bittere chocola. Een beetje stoffig. Rode biet. Donker fruit zoals zwarte bessen en bramen. Smaak / Afdronk: Zwaar en geconcentreerd. Zachte zuurgraad. Indrukwekkende concentratie. Boordevol krachtige tannines, perfect gerijpt. Zeer lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Extreem geconcentreerde wijn. In dit stadium niet optimaal. Het primaire fruit is verdwenen. De secundaire en tertiaire aroma's vragen nog steeds om meer tijd. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 94/100
Google Translate:
Color: Deep impenetrable dark red Aroma / bouquet: Intense and heavy bouquet. First impressions especially tobacco, espresso and bitter chocolate. A bit dusty. Beetroot. Dark fruits like black currant and blackberry. Taste / Finish: Heavy and concentrated. Soft acidity. Impressive concentration. Packed with powerful tannins, perfectly ripened. . Very long finish General / potential: Extremely concentrated wine. At this stage, not optimal. The primary fruit has disappeared. The secondary and tertiary aromas still asking for more time. 50+ Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Taste / Finish: 18 + General / potential: 8 = 94/100
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Dark fruit, licorice, black currant and tar on the nose, palate is filled with cigar box, more currants, a mouthful of chewy gritty tannins, good acidity with some dark fruit finishing. It really does need another 5 years min but probably won't hit it's stride until another 10. Finish builds after tannins die down, really interesting flavors that change after every 10 seconds. This is very good, 93 now with a good decant, could easily be 96-97 later.
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An inky black offering with a purple rim giving off aromas of ripe plum, blackberry, forest floor and tobacco notes that echo on the balanced, full-bodied licorice driven palate that has shedded its primary fruit and is beginning to develop its secondary nuances. Drinking now but give it a couple of years to shine, 94+ for now
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drank all wines without decant, popped cork a few hours before drinking over 4 hours. all wines were purchased at release, and stored properly. all wines were in prime drinking window, without any evidence of fading.
'04 numanthia numanthia 96: clear winner with that deft balance of sweet ripe fruit, concentration, and acidity - just gorgeous.
'05 numanthia numanthia 92: less fruit than the '04, which made it seem more tannic although still quite good. same fruit profile.
'04 pintia 91: slight brett on nose, good palate of sweet ripe fruit, I'm sensitive to brett so this was #3 in this tasting but the palate was quite delicious. hopefully other bottles will be clean.
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Robert Mondavi mused that customers who purchased a case of his wines (e.g. cabernet) should drink a bottle each year to form a full picture of the wine's potential and to get a clear picture of how aging plays a major part in it's evolution. I purchased six bottles of the Numanthia and have previously opened two bottles. Unfortunately this didn't reveal anything except that my decision was premature. However, tonight my third bottle reinforced all the pundit reviews claiming the Numanthia will evolve into a world class wine. I now see twenty years plus in the future, and definitely world class accolades. I'll wait another five years for my next bottle. It's a win-win bet.
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Impression only, didn't take notes but this was excellent last night. While I agree with several below reviews that this has not yet developed many secondary (or beyond) characteristics, I would argue that this is in a good spot. The flavors are still those of a young wine but the edge is off the "tannic beast" from my bottle back in 07. It's delicious right now, and for my taste, not sure this rich a wine will make a good drink when it's totally evolved. Anyway, I should have another bottle and will see where a few years takes us.
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Kleur: Diep ondoordringbaar donker rood Aroma / bouquet: Ingehouden. Opvallend donker en opvallend zwaar. Donker fruit, zwarte bessen, bramen. Tabak, bosgrond, sigarenrook. Smaak / Afdronk: Wow. Intense wijn. Gematigde zuurgraad. Boordevol krachtige maar perfect rijpe tannines. Dit is ècht een mond vol wijn, sublieme concentratie. Afdronk: extreem lang. Algemeen / potentieel: Extreem geconcentreerde wijn. In dit stadium niet optimaal. Het primaire fruit is verdwenen. De secundaire en tertiaire aroma's vragen om meer tijd. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 94/100
Google Translate:
Look: Deep impenetrable dark red Aroma / bouquet: Retained. Striking deep and remarkably heavy. Dark fruit, black currants, blackberries. Tobacco, forest floor, cigar smoke. Taste / Finish: Wow. Intense wine. Moderate acidity. Packed with powerful but perfectly ripe tannins. This is truly a mouth full of wine, superb concentration. The finish is extremely long General / potential.: Extremely concentrated wine. At this stage, not optimal. The primary fruit has disappeared. The secondary and tertiary flavors need more time to develop. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Taste / Finish: 17 + General / potential: 9 = 94/100
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Still dense and a bit blocked off but it's like scuba diving through your favorite heavy down pillow. Spicy and beefy with some confection and burnt orange rind. There's enough fruit that I'm hoping another year will do this a lot of good. 2017-2022
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This is drinking well now, but can go for years. Interesting spice to it, but I couldn't put my finger on it. The nose was subdued on opening, but came alive after an hour in the decanter. Paired with pork shank.
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Intense, black with inky (Blackberry & licorice) flavors. I patiently waited, and was rewarded by a great wine that is drinking very well at 10 years of age. Maybe some alcohol and primary notes, but that is balanced by the tannins and fruit. I'm very willing t put a 95 on this.
Initially thought this was mildly corked, but blew off with some time in the decanter. With that said, this ended up being pretty good. Rich and meaty, but not tiring like the last bottle I drank. I suspect this will do better with some more age and will bury the other bottles to try the next one in three years.
98 Parker... This is too much of everything which makes it a boring glass of wine. It's well made, it's tasty, it's good but boring. I have two bottles left and will wait 5 and 10 years and see...
Again a great wine, mighty, fruity phase, very complex more like a Bx than a Toro wine, but his powerful body shows his provenance, no oxidative signs, nearly black colour, ripe tannins, developed and profited by hours of decantation, at this stage "much" better than his big brother termanthia 2004. very long fruity finish with some cedar and cigarbox, licorice in essence, I guess this wine will age over the next 20 years
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Black with a deep ruby rim. Heavy blackberry and spice notes on the nose. Full bodied on the palate with lots of fine tannin. Comes across as a rustic wine with character.
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I gave no air, I probably should have. Lovely wine. Dark red color, mint on the nose, teasing in the mouse with dark fruit, moderate structure with roundness in the mouth, and beautiful adolescent finish, no "wisdom", but nice tannins.
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Decanted 5 hours before drinking. Good choice. Dark, extracted and still a nice amount of tannins left which adds a lot of bite to the wine. Dark red fruit, marinade, meat. Medium long finish.
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Drank the balance of a previously Coravined bottle. This is such an amazing wine. Dense and dark. Still a lot of dark fruit and a nose to die for. Amazing stuff.
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Der Wein wurde ca. 3 h vorher geöffnet. Tiefes Rot, fast Schwarz. In der Nase zunächst etwas verschlossen, dann der Duft von Gewürtzen, etwas Pfeffer, Im Mund ein harmonisches Zusammenspiel von Aromen, mit den Gewürzen (u.a. Pfeffer), bereits gut trinkbar, kann aber auch weiter gelagert werden.
Zur Hasenkeule kamen die Fruchtaromen in Verbindung mit Pfeffer, Leder und Kaffe sehr gut hervor. Toller Wein.
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Decanted and served. Much like a year ago a consistent 89. Modern, forward, ripe and at this stage at least a solid core of fruit devout of complexity and charm. Not bad but really a heavy handed wine , 89 and we would suggest cellaring and prayer so that it might evolve.
This may be going through a phase. The fruit--if you can access it below the density and tannins--now has some age and nuance on it, possibly at the expense of some freshness. Improved over a few hours in the decanter. Still, Nanette, who doesn't want a wine that's "too big" these days called it "lovely," so there's something elegant about it despite how stuffed it is. I'll be waiting a year if not two for the next bottle and probably giving it plenty of air.
UWS (@ JB): Served completely blind and although this wine came to mind, I did not say it out loud, so that doesn’t count ;-). In the bouquet dark forest fruits and a firm dose of luxurious oak. Same on the palate. Some sweetness, good acidity and tannin. The oak is starting to integrate and this is a great and still powerful wine.
As skifree noted this was part of an odd bottle blind tasting in Seattle. This wine was impenetrably dark in the glass. The nose was of intense anise. The tannins were almost mouthstripping -- literally removing any moisture. Over the evening a bit more was revealed. Very dark and brooding. The finish was a bit sweet, but turns a bit bitter by the end. I was very intrigued with this wine -- it was my third, compared to the group's seven. I would love to try this in ten years or more.
Brought to CT SEA double-blind tasting with the theme of "odd wines". Very dark in the glass, long legs after swirling. Lots of anise on the nose, sweet deep fruit in the mouth. Long finish, with more anise and noticeable tannins. Double decanted 2.5 hours before tasting, and it was noticeably smoother than when I tasted just after opening. This was 6th out of 10 in the group, and was tasted just after an older Sangiovese (yin and yang!). Most people thought this was a young wine.
I am just not feeling the love for this wine. The nose is somewhat subdued and tightly defined black licorice. The fruit is more plum and purple grape flavored but entirely too dense for my taste and lacking in any nuances or sophistication. The finish is mouth wateringly short and truncated. After ten years, it still sticks to your teeth. You shouldn't need a water back after your vino...time to go brush my teeth.
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This wine smashes in to your taste buds, like hitting a thick and utterly impenetrable mud-wall. This is condensed like no other Tempranillo. This is unimaginably rich. This is beautiful insanity in a bottle, especially as the immense concentration is natural.
Will evolve for many years to come, as this is not yet showing any signs of maturation.
So, pay no attention to the fruit-musterbeiterz who don't find (or like?) any mature aromas, but still think that a wine from 2004 ought to be mature ;-)
This wine has a very long life ahead, and I'd be darned if it's mature before 2020.
Still have not enjoyed a Thermantia, but becoming rather curious... A step up from this wine means only one thing: utter perfection!
At fabulous Restaurant Tani, outdoing themselves as always, including Japanese bear meat for the main dish tonight. Yowza!
Weekly tasting group #140; A fully blind test. (@ AH): Luxurious bouquet with cassis, smoke and beautiful oak. On the palate rich and concentrated, dark forest fruits, a lot of sweetness, good acidity, chocolate and beautiful oak again. Soft but still powerful tannin. Early maturity now and can last probably another decade.
BUY THIS WINE! Good Lord, if I were a religious man I would say the wine was touched by God, himself. The perfume on the nose was so divine. Deep dark fruit with smooth tannins and a twist a tartness of the finish. This stuff is almost black.
Coravined a good sized class. What a special treat. If you have a Coravin or a bunch of bottles, it would be a great time to try it.
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Some Spanish Wines on a Saturday afternoon (Some very old ones) (CB): Great wine, but also a wine that seems to ageing quite slowly. Lots of fruit and lots of oak and not integrating yet. My first sip was quite hot despite a 2 hour decant before serving. With air and time in the glass, the heat disappears. This has jammy black cherries, cedar, vanilla, slight floral notes on the nose. On the palate, jammy black cherry fruit, and oak notes. It would be a love or hate wine right now I think, but check back in 5 or ten years.
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This wine is a rock. It's hasn't really progressed in seven years. Aromatic, with baking spice, pepper, and tobacco on the blackberry-scented nose. Very rich in the mouth, with ripe black berry fruit and a caramel, asian-spice character. Ends with a spicy, foresty finish that lasts a good while.
The tannins are still pretty huge. They don't bite, but this still seems like a quite young wine with development to come.
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Openedthis wine from my Cellar and decanted it for 2hrs prior to taken it to a marvellous Spanish tapas restaurant. In total it was decanted for 3hrs. The nose was full of wonderful spice route of tabbaco and saddle leather. The overall sense of fruit of red current is very evident. The taste is suburb. Layers of ripe plum along with a butterscotch. The Finnish was strong for a full minute. This wine as a winner and I highly recommend you give it time to breath. The 3hrs highly benifited it cause it as much tighter early on.
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It has very little sediment because the grapes are tiny and come from a truly arid climate, which means natural concentration. Made in quite a different style from Rioja, and (arguably) with less oak. Nose of warm, sunny notes of very mature grapes. On the palate we all found a rich, GRANDE wine that I'd happily enjoy every day. Perfectly balanced: the acids keep this wine fresh, despite its magnificent concentration and warm, rich fruit on the palate.
Still almost untouched by age, and should (according to my palate) not be drunk on this side of 2020. Will mature very well! One btl to go for ~2023.
Castilla y Leon tasting (Osteria da Fiorella, Tel Aviv): Uncorked 2 hours in advance. Dark opaque colour. Rustic & noble tertiary aromas, spicy, cedary nose, heavily-oaked profile, with the anticipated power. Full bodied, firm tannins, good acidity level, powerful, lots of good dark fruit edged with black licorice and smoke, long quality finish. Can age 5-10 years more.
Delicious right now. Dark, almost completely opaque. Brambly nose, some dark forest smells, some spicy oak quality. Full-bodied, ripe, rich, dense. Finishes nicely, but I do find it a little boozy. Labeled as 14.5%, I'm guessing it's a little more. It'll last a few years longer for sure, although it's starting to show some secondaries.
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Monthly Tasting Group: Spain (Solera, Mpls, MN): Very dark purple color. Unknown if decanted - I think not. Drank 2oz pour over 1 hour. Some brown sugar on the nose, black fruit, oak. The palate has firm, grippy tannins, lots of oak and alcohol currently, very spicy, black fruits, big wine. Very young; needs time to hopefully settle down. 88-92pts depending on where this goes.
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Medium dark red; pleasant slightly lean nose; nice tobacco and caramel spices blending well together, however followed by being quite sharp with dry very pronounced tannins plucking your mouth and teeth; some nice characters but the very dry tannins detract the experience
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This wine needs a 2 hour decant. I won't give it a rating because I popped and poured. That being said, it got better after bring opened for an hour or so. I do feel that it was probably better 2 years ago, but it is still a good wine. Giving it a 76 is a bit silly.
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Bring your best you paid under $100- double blind (Norcross, GA): Opaque core with thin red rim; mint, paint thinner, tar, menthol; fat, no to low acid, red fruit, menthol, leather, older, hard as nails; this shows how blockbuster New World wines age...not well.
A complete and utter abomination to the world of wine. I purchased two six packs of this wine upon its release from the glowing review from RP's Jay Miller (Before I realized he had the palate of a Ruby Tuesday's waiter) and opened my first bottle to see where the wine was at.
This wine is so awash in oak I don't think the fruit will last long enough to shed it. Drying out and utterly tannic this wine is disjointed and imbalanced. Several hours in the decanter did little to help this wine come together. This wine accounted for 90% of the dump bucket for that evening's dinner party. For the masochists here that are into this kind of thing, you can soon find the remaining case for auction at WC.
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Phenomenal wine deep rich, complex. Decanted for an hour before drinking. Notes of cassis, blackberry and fruit with some earthiness and licorice. Deep and rich with plenty of tannins
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This is a brooding beast. It needs time, time. I'm giving this on a lot of prediction. This is tobacco, black fruit and black olive. It's still primary 10 years out and has another 10. Interesting...
Decent fruit. Lots of oak that is fairly well-integrated. Quite acidic, which gives it good lift but also too much bite. Some earth character as well. Fairly tannic. This was better than I expected based on some reviews, but still not really my thing. Seems like it could use some more time, but not sure it has the material (especially not fruit) to make it.
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Hours in the decanter. Deep, dense, and powerful, with a sour flirtatiousness that incorporates levitating minerality, grounded spice, and solid structure.
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Pas aussi complexe et étoffé que le 2005 mais très bon. Nez sur les fruits noirs et les herbes. Bouche puissante et ample, tannins serrés et finale assez longue. ...à attendre 5-7 années!
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Not sure how RP could give this 98 points in 2006. Did he have an Ouija board ? It is quite drinkable now with hours of O2. It has the legs to go probably longer than I will be around. I should have waited on this one, but it was opened for an opening of a new spanish restaurant in Portland and shared it with the chef who liked it.
Breeders' Cup XXX; 11/1/2013-11/2/2013: Decanted 4 hours. Spicy, cedary nose, the expected heavily-oaked profile, but it doesn't bring the anticipated power. Same on the palate: lacks the power you'd associate with this label. Up front there's good dark fruit edged with black licorice and smoke, but the fruit concentration falls off considerably in late palate and finish. While I don't think this is in a dumb phase, I do think a few more years will improve it by letting some of the oak integrate.
Very dark purple, opaque. Dark black fruit cedar nose. Full bodied, dark red fruit, full flavored, sturdy, good mix of acid and richness, long finish. Great flavor, long finsh, great wine
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Ditto of "WINK"s review in April 2013. Seems like it still needs a few more years as the tannins were visceral. Good stuff though, could go up a couple of points in the future.
Modern Spain to the maximum. Colour is purple/red. The nose is of a sweet oak forest with an interlace of ripe fruit. Good extraction. On the palate the tannins are now mellow, no sharp wall here but a silky round crowd pleasing wine. Somewhere along the line though, the complexity checked out, the typicity went on holiday and the 70+ yr old vines were buried under pile of oak. Wont disappoint but not a wine of excitement. 89-90 and drinks just fine now.
Good red wine, just very intense and strong wood overtone. Needs a mood, some iberico and loud music. Open at least 2 hours prior. Drink or stay, its just ok wine
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After Jay Miller gave this wine a score of 98 in the Wine Advocate, I went out hunting for bottles. I could only locate one, as the others had been scarfed up. It has been in my cellar ever since. I could keep my hands off this bottle no longer, so I opened it tonight. And it is really, really good. 98 points? I don't think so. But I wouldn't fault Jay's enthusiasm. Dark, nearly opaque garnet. Nose of dust, licorice, cedar, and dark fruits. Full palate of ripe dark fruit (blackberry, currant, plum), spice, and licorice. Excellent length. Vibrant, focused, mouthwatering acidity. Youthful tannins. Integrated oak. High alcohol barely noticeable. I really wish I had more bottles.
Dark red, compact colour. Nose with ripe dark berries, blackberries and some dark cherries, molten tar and sweet liquorice, some violets and hints of vanilla. A slightly sweet impression on the nose but the "dark" notes dominate. More than medium bodied, ripe dark fruit mixed with some sour berries, blackberries, tar aromas, good acidity, some spice, medium+ tannins, just a hint of alcohol, rather tannic aftertaste. The palate is powerful, but actually less sweet than the nose. The acidity provides good balance and some freshness and lift. Currently, the wine is in an in-between phase; it does not have the explosive primary aromas that I remember when it was released, but doesn't really show any developed notes. While definitely enjoyable, I expect this to show better in another 2-5 years. Score 91+.
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At first tannic, then softened up to reveal sweet dark purple/black fruits, full bodied, slightly viscous and a great finish. A very nice wine that will go another 10, you'd never guess it was 8 old.
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A very "masculine" wine. Still nearly black, with a vivid violet rim. Our first bottle was badly corked, but the nose on the second one was clean: a spicy aroma of musky leather, sweat, licorice, ripe plums, beeswax. Back in 2007 I commented that this could be a high-end Cote Rotie and I agree with myself; the wine is definitely in a style I associate with northern Syrah in a year with good ripeness. Powerful and concentrated; the fruit here is ripe but framed by intense tannins and serious acidity. Finish is long and mineral driven. Nowhere near maturity; I would say that if this is how it tastes at age 8, it won't be really mature at least until age 15!
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Weekly tasting group #045; A mixed set of red wines. (@ DJ): Still an almost black color. Very concentrated bouquet with ripe dark fruits like blackberries, beautiful oak and some eucalyptus. On the palate juicy dark fruits; ripe blackberries and dark cherries. A lot of sweetness balanced by good acidity and tannin with a good bite. Luxurious oak as well. This wine is still so youthful! Probably wise to wait until 2020, although it is pleasure already.
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A bit tight after pop and pour. Opened up over next couple of hours of drinking. Black tarry fruit. Ripe, but not opulent or overly extracted. Searing tannins on finish. Needs time or a long decant.
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Hmm - I would have thought this was more complex and better by now. Good but not great. I am looking for more complexity and now after 8 years I am not sure it will ever show.
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A very good wine that does not offer much complexity in either nose or palate but is very pleasent to drink and to enjoy over a nice meal or conversation. Black fruits, vanilla and spice is what it offers in a full-bodied harmony that probably not will evolve to become much better than today.
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Opened by Anwar at the Haggis offline. Black purple color. Hugely concentrated. Chewy tannins. Black currant, grape skin and blackberry notes. Full bodied. Too over the top and lacking balance for me. I'm sure others at the offline liked it better. I liked the 2000, 2001 and 2003 better than this bottle. Perhaps it will smooth out with time. 88 points.
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This is really to much... WAY to much.. An explosion in the mouth, but not a pleasant one.. If this wine is getting good, it will take atleast 20 years.. But frankly I doubt it.. It is to much of every two things...
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This is a big ass wine. And not so in an overly tannic way but very dense in its flavor profile. A bit subdued in its aromatics, this is rich in a black inky sort of way. The fruit will probably unfold and become more complex as time goes on adding to its flavors of black berry and black licorice...yeah thats it, fruity black licorice. Wow.
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This wine is still a beast that needs more cellar time. Inky purple. Black cherry nose. Huge palate still dominated by dusty tannin. Brooding background flavors promise a payoff for those who are a little more patient. This youngster has lots of dark fruit, especially cherry. I will wait at least two years before I open another. Lots of upside potential here.
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Coming together nicely. Good but not spectacular nose. In the mouth the wine is far more integrated than on earlier occassions with spectacularly pure fruit (and lots of it, be it short of jammy and overdone) and big, velvety tannins.
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Slow ox for 4 hours, then consumed over 2 hours or so. Reticent at first, but then quite good. Although not a traditional Spanish red, it was not sweet, ripe or heavy at this age either, but rather fairly precise, complex and balanced. Lots of graphite, mineral, dark fruit and spice. I think this will still improve in the coming years.
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Talk about dimensional. This wine has a lot going on. It is probably at least 3 to five years until it reaches it's peak. Everything is there, it just needs to balance out. There is a little too much heat at the end, but the fruit, oak, and earth are great. Hold at least for 2 years.
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A veritable black hole (EWS). The bouquet is an impatient young athlete wearing an exotic, cherry tuxedo of campfire, iron violets, and mulling spices. Tongue-staining flavors of cherry’d peppercorns, saddle leather, serious intoxication, ink, earth, citrus oil, and purple grape. Koolaid, cold coffee, sticks, and briar. Dense structure and a long, streamlined finish.
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Still some heat but settles out over a couple of hours. Somewhat disjointed. There'a a lot goimg on here but it never seemas to come together. I have a couple left and will let them sit another couple of years
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Audouzed in the cellar for 8 hours. Decanted (in my glass) for 2 hours before consuming. The nose on this wine vanilla, black fruits, and almost a fresh burnt (brulee style) sugar. The nose is very delicious. The palate does not live up to the nose. It is a BANG! In your mouth (no not like that), that immediately makes you take notice. The palate states: Hey! I'm here, taste my delicious explosive black current jam, coffee, and vanilla! This wine is definitely new world, nothing old world about it at this point. The finish is has substantial tannins despite the prolonged decanting. It ends with more delicious over-the top fruit and vanilla which lasts for 10 seconds in the mouth. I bought three of these, and I am not sure this wine will improve anymore. I guess I will wait and see. Delicious now with a decant; especially if you enjoy the style.
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Donkerpaars van kleur, volle geur van zwart fruit, leer, chocolade en espresso. Wat port-achtige smaak, met flink wat alcohol, cassis en kruiden. Mega-lange afdronk, er lijkt echt geen einde aan te komen (3 minuten is niet overdreven). De tannines zijn duidelijk aanwezig, maar prachtig geïntegreerd. Op dit moment al fantastisch om te drinken, een belofte voor de toekomst!
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Very dark (black) red; soft, round, dense, deep nose, ripe blackberry, vague hint of port; powerful almost overwhelming, deep, lots of ripe red/black fruit, tannic (quite a lot), slightly prickly (not much), not jammy acidity holding it up; very long aftertaste; lots of power, not fine or with finesse; quite enjoyable
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still young; thick and concentrated, yet so tannic and rough, fruit is hidden by a wall of chocolate and oak; better on night 2 - relented but not enough. on a holding pattern.
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Consumed at Quimet and Quimet in Barcelona. First taste of this wine in several years. FINALLY, starting to soften up. This was an absolute monster that is just starting to enter drinkability. I'd still suggest waiting a year or two, but if you must...go ahead and give one a try.
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Tasted 7 hours later and the tannin has finally found the balance needed to enjoy this wine. While it is very "new world" in style I can still enjoy what little I am tasting of this. It will be interesting to see what happens to this wine given more time sideways...
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Smell: dark fruits, earth and mineral notes. There is a slight burn on the nose...that I hope will fade away with some time in the decanter.
Taste: Dark fruits are eclipsed by firm tannins and the alcohol has quite a bit of a drying effect on the mouth.
Overall: Med + fruit, High tannin, and med+ acidity. We shall see how this is in a few hours as I am opening this for a friend who is joining me for dinner. My hope is that with 5-6 hours in a decanter that the tannin will step out of the spotlight and this wine might start to shine. An excellent wine...but I have high hopes that it will become something outstanding given some air and room to breathe. The alcohol and tannin are too dominant for me to really fall for this wine.
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Wow--a tannic monster. I had this for the first time about three years ago and I don't remember it being this tannic. Perhaps the fruit is receding yet the tannin integration hasn't caught up yet? Plenty of dark fruit, brooding structure, and I'd guess this will get better as the tannins meld with the rest of the wine, but right now it needs a LOT of air to make it drinkable. (PE: 90)
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Black color. A bit closed on the nose with some spicy black fruit peeking through. Big, massive black currant & black licorice flavors on the palate. The alcohol just takes over the palate. Not a bad effort & clearly well made except that the alcohol needs to be tamed. Tasted double blind.
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Blind. Big looking but monolithic and not enough sweet fruit. Left some for next day and maybe somewhat better but not much. Had this at a tasting in 2008, loved it and bought 6 bottles and tried 2 that both have been disappointing.
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Drank at Sahalee with the prime rib. Decanted for 2 hours and that was nowwhere near enough. Still extremely power juice and a bit too tanic at this stage for me to truly enjoy how good this wine can be.
huge nose of dark fruit, oak, coffee, and pepper. flavor profile was again dark fruits, pepper, some earth and oak. decanted for about an hour and consumed one glass and finished the bottle the following day. the second day was better the oak blew off and was able to enjoy this wine much more.
openned at 2 , decanted at 530 drank at 7.......a huge wine that is developing well, tannins , chocolate, dark fruit, smoke, cherries....long finish and well integarted Alcohol
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Chocolate-covered cherries, copious smoky dark fruit, vanilla, coffee, and gobs of toasty new oak. A large-scaled, highly extracted, ultra-modern wine that could have come from anywhere. Anonymous though it may be, it's quite drinkable and the alcohol is under control.
This is a great wine that I think will grow significantly over the next ten years. It si great to drink already today though so we will see if I can keep the bottles left until its prime.
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Massively overrated by Jay Miller. Super exstracted and port like, the 15% coupon makes it too hot for me. Sure there is a lot of fruit here, but it's not coming together very well, tannic and dry to the extreme. Will try again in a few years hopefully it has improved by then.
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Dark dark dark like a glass of blood. Good nose, lots of black fruits. Very powerful and still very tannic and chewy. Needs a lot of air time, over 2hours still overwhelming. With more age this would be a very good bottle
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Opened this for Halloween because I thought this might be a horror show, but I couldn't have been farther from the truth. A shockingly well-made wine that is neither spoofed, over-extracted, nor sweet or candied. On the contrary, this is fully dry, with great balance and very good purity of blackberry fruit and precise freshness. It has an earthiness that I associate with many Spanish wines, and a little dried herbs. Clearly a very good wine that would probably at least merit a score in the low 90s from most wine critics other than Mr. Big Jay. I am duly impressed.
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This was wonderful -- open, plush, and light on its feet. A slight tad bit of bitterness crept in, which lowered the score, but the wine is extremely feminine and plush.
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This is a powerhouse that needs more time. It opens up somewhat if left decanted for a couple of hours but it still rather rough on the palate. It has big potential when the tannins become a bit more integrated with the fruit.
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Dark fruits on the nose, choclate notes with loads of spice and some oak. Taste was a little tannic but very full and elegant. Long finish and only got better as it sat in the glass.
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Brutal. Decanted for 3 hours and Lynn served it blind to me. We loved this at a tasting last year and bought 6 bottles. This was initially almost undrinkable - sour, tannic and a very hot, alcoholic finish. After we drank another wine for a few hours and had some braised rabbit with it it opened up some and at some times was even very good, more balanced and with very good aromatics. I gave it 85 points only for the few glasses we had with food and after 5 hours of decanting - before that it was barely a 75.
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Spain and Portugal Tasting (Casa Roberts): Ridiculously young and a clear contrast with the Unico that preceded it in the blind flight. Huge, soft tannins. Vanilla, sweet plum, cherry syrup. Long long finish is what really makes this wine.
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Spain and Portugal (2033 Brandywine): Very good. Deep dense. Cherry coke, chocolate, herbs and dark fruit. A bit tannic and tough to get a handle on, but that is to be expected. Should soften over time. Patience will be rewarded. Solid finish.
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Full bodied, a lot of sweetness and also a lot of good fruits; cherries and black fruits. Soft bitterness and a very long finish. A great blockbuster with good complexity. Give it another 3+ years of cellaring.
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Dense and sealed like a fortress. What this shows is wonderful, but you just sense there's a sorceress, witch, or maybe dragon in there. A six-hour decant loosened and disclosed--not its treasures--but the fact of their existence.
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NSMFOW December '08--BYO Yankee Swap (The Grapevine, Salem, MA): Purple opaque. Nose of dark fruits: blackberry, blueberry, plum with spice, tar. Similar palate with dark chocolate. Massive mouthcoating tannins. This is a monster of a wine. Fabulous density. My contribution #2.
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Pepper and strawberry syrup over blackberry after one hour of decanting, but it was so tight and so fiercely tannic I thought it was unlikely to come out of it. But at three hours, some sweet caramel notes show up, the fruit gets round with cherries, juicy and huge. This is the best bottle I've had yet. It's drinking great now, but only with a long decant. 95-96.
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Numanthia at the Masters (Ken's): Hugely effusive nose is floral with rich, toasty black cherries. Palate is ripe, rich and laser focused with big sweet tannins counter punching fruits. Big black fruits, toasty vanilla and barrel spices dominate. Tasty - but soooo young. This will certainly age well with huge amounts of everything.
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Masters and Numanthias (Northbrook, IL): Incredibly powerful, concentrated flavours of chocolate, blueberries, cherries, vanilla, oak and brown sugar dominate the nose and palate here. Plush, mouthcoating texture with firm, chewy tannins that are slightly obscured by the immense fruit concentration. Very long finish.
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Still very tannic, but less so than 6 month ago. Some baby fat remains. Very nice even after only a couple of hours in the decanter. I suspect it will be even better tomorrow. Smoke and vanilla, lot of fruit, some almond paste on the finish. Went very well with rare tenderloins which hid some of the tannins. I liked it a lot and I'm sure it will improve with age. The complexity is there and will deepen with age.
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Pop and pour. C- Mulberry stain purple, no rim. N- Chocolate covered raspberry dessert. T- Mammoth. A wine on steroids. Fruit-driven, pure attack. Long, dry mid-palate. Chocolate, dark berries, vanillin, teeth coating tannins, low acidity. Just huge.
24 hours later. Amazingly, with all this fruit and size, it's a well balanced, dare I say classy, even elegant wine. I was reluctant to believe, but I do agree this has the balance and material for a long, healthy evolution. We'll see, because wines like this arouse enough curiosity in me to want to stay healthy and coherent well into my 80s. Anything that inspires me to exercise and eat right is a good thing!
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Nothing that amazing - maybe b/c I drank sauternes w/ the fois gras pate right b4, but was way better the next day. From mem. Lots of acidity, tannins, fruit and oak. Probably need to age this baby.
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Dark purple. To my nose and palate, a ringer for a northern rhone syrah-based red from a good vintage. The nose is high-toned, with crunchy red fruits; spice, hints of something musky. I can understand where Tanzer finds the "sangria" aromas, although to me that description is a bit more exotic than the actual wine. Sweet bite with firm acidity and tannic structure in a style I could easily mistake for a high-end cote rotie. Quite a success -- visit this baby at age 10 or 12...
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Spectacular. Huge wine. Deep, deep purple. Chocolate and blueberry on the nose. Clash of the Titans on the palate, with fruits and tannins battling for supremacy but yet somehow it knits together well. This is drinking great right now...has the backbone for 15 years of aging at least and once some of the tannins have been shed, this score may seem conservative.
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This wine is absolutely monstrous. Right now it is a huge tannic beast with big ripe dark fruit and hints of earth coming through on the nose and palate. My score right now is a 93-94 because it is nowhere near hitting its stride and will truly be something special once the tannins subside after a few more years in the bottle. It is going to be very hard to be patient with this monster but I feel the pay off will be well worth it.
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I can not describe the experience better than JM in the WA profile. This is spectacular. Argueably the best I've ever enjoyed. Will it still be good in 2032? I will not know, because I will have enjoyed the 28 btls I have long before I'm senile.
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One bastard of a wine. It rips your gums and your teeth out, and leaves you with a "wow. Can a wine be this tannic, and a still have fruit". The answer is...yes it can. The potential is huge here. After a day or two in the fridge it became friendly, and showed what is to come in 5 or 10 years.
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Ok, now it's time to stop. This bottle was tannic tannic tannic, so tannic that not only my tongue but my teeth and lips felt coated and dried out. But even all those tannins can't contain the huge fruit. I'm still getting plum, blueberry, chocolate, and dense black fruit, with a bit of tobacco, leather, and spicebox. It changes every time you come back to it. Difficult to score this tonight, because it wasn't as indulgent as previous bottles, but I think I'm going to add a point to to my previous scores because it's showing stunning potential.
Day two: brings blackberry and licorice, black pepper, and the tannins have melted considerably. Tonight it's a brawny, meaty, savory wine. Confirms in my mind that it is worthy of a classic score. But I've really got to let 'em lie for a few years.
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Not that impressed. I did find it less balanced that the New Rioja wines. Big in every dimension but seems to close with harsh tannins and alcohol. May neeed yeras to come around
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WineX Opaque scarlet; intense earth, dirt, stems, low grade spice--earthiness w/DRIED Cherry; HUGE rich mth, tons of high soaring a’s in mid p!, rich, soft t’s; EXPLOSIVE flavor, of blkberry/earth; but do youwant that much?Med fin., *Body builder but w/definit.
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Wow, there's a lot here. No score as I'm disappointed with myself that I gave into temptation and popped this. Massively rich fruit after opening that within about half an hour closed into a tannic beast. Tons of bluberry and chocolate; finish is very long but drying. Nose was restrained, didn't get the flamboyance that others have reported. For me, needs further cellaring, at least a couple years.
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I was amazed how much flavor it was bringing considering how young it is. But after 5-6 hours of breathing in a giant decanter, the tannins had softened enough to reveal concentrated red and dark berry flavors as well as graphite and mocha. The nose seemed closed but I had a bit of a cold. Honestly I couldn't think of a better wine at $45. Actually for me I don't think i've ever had anything better in any price range.
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Nose: very delightful nose with rasberry, black currant, and blackberries. The nose really integrates well between a new world and old world nose with the fruit being there, but not in your face and having a nice subtle harmony working together
Taste: A very dry finish that seems to last forever on the palatte. Much of the fruit that was on the nose is present too in the taste but I'm also getting some vanilla a little bit too. The tannins are kicking big time due to this being a very young wine
Overall: an excellent wine. This is just a really splendid effort here and is actually a big time QPR at the $55 range that I got it at. It can be drunk young if decanted for a decent amount of time, but this one is also great for aging and may be out of this world in a few years. A really wonderful wine
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Decanted for 4 hours. Absolutely loved it. A little bit too much alcohol on the nose but otherwise very well balanced with a long and very pleasant finish...
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Needs a LOT of air at this point (more than it needed back in February, which seems odd to me). A tannic monster - something else I don't remember. Has plenty of stuffing for the long term, gobs of blue and black fruits, good balance outside of the intensity of the tannins, and a long finish. I think this will be better tomorrow, and am reserving a score for now.
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Drank this bottle with a cold. Overall, richly extracted, dense wine. A bit flabby. None of the minerality that seems to characterize many Spanish wines. Not a great QPR, but enjoyable while being a bit flabby.
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So much for my "won't try it again for awhile": the opportunity presented itself via the best value on a restaurant wine list. This bottle seemed to be showing more of itself, more "there" in comparison to the previous one. A generous nose of black cherry fruit and smoky spices. Powerful and rich fruit in the mouth, and the tannins were a little more restrained this time, but certainly there. This scoring reflects this tasting, but I'm thinking this has still more to give.
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Initially stunning aromas as it was decanted, it immediately turned shy on the nose. I thought it might be completely closed, but the palate was absolutely huge and dense with black fruits. After a couple hours decant, the nose starts to make a showing, and so do some fierce tannins. Lots of enjoyment now, but this definitely needs some time to come together. I'm not going to open another for a year or two (my score here reflects some confidence that this is really going to be mindblowing with a little more time).
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Spain TNs; 6/30/2007-7/9/2007: No detailed TN taken, but this came across to me as way too young, with oak that remains unintegrated. Very extracted. Should wait several years on my bottles.
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Extreme ink, with a very fruity nose, almost like a California Cabernet. The taste mixed berries with the tanins; it's delicious now, but hints of complexity to come. Very balance mouthfeel, but you need to invest in tooth-whitener.
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The biggest wine I've ever tasted. The sheer weight and intensity of this wine, for me, puts it in the mid 90s. This is a wine to break out with those who like the big Shiraz's and other massive wines.
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tasted to me somewhere between a super high quality cali cab and a top notch aussie shiraz. highly concentrated without being jammy. fiercely tannic but they are fine and ripe. complex. somewhat closed right now but in 10 years this should be a screamer. hold.
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Tasting Group Dinner - Spain (Solera, Minneapolis): Definitely the best of the lineup. The nose is actually quite restrained, offering up interesting hints of iron, smoke, and gunpowder. No VA going on here. Sappy cherries on the palate. Fiercely tannic; much more so than the 2000 or 2003. Very promising.
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Minneapolis Tastes Spain (Unico, Mauro, Janus, Closa Batllet, Clio, Numanthia): The nose is similar to the 2000 Numanthia, but is more controlled despite its youth. Still offering big fruit, smoke, and oak, but an attractive earthiness is lurking underneath. Soft unstructured fruit is still dominate on the palate, but there is a healthy does of mineral, earth, oak, and vanilla to add some interest. If I were buying Numanthia I would go with the 2004 and hope that extended cellaring would allow this to develop into something interesting.
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Mid Apr 2007: deep purple ink; started with slightly restrained red and dark fruit aromas and with bitter notes on the palate; very tannic; long finish; after approx. 24 hours much more open and balanced; strong muleberry aromas/flavors in nose and mouth. 93++/100
Opened too young. Eventually this could develop into an extraordinary (>94 points) wine. Luckily I still have several bottles in the cellar.
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Dark purple. Sweet and overwhelming nose of dark berries and oak. This is a very young monster-wine: loads of tannins and structure, but all matched by excellent fruit and good integrated. It has "the full package": sweet and fat fruit, huge structure, minerals and peppery spices. While this is not close to being a "perfect wine" it is truly a "big wine". Opened 4 hours in advance and decanted for 2 hours.
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I'm sure this has tons of potential, but right now it is far from enjoyable... I decanted it 6 hours and to be honest I think it was too long. I experienced this effect before: wines shut down after being open for some time. Other tasting notes make clear that there has to be a slot in which it is enjoyable already. The nose was the best about the wine... but on the palate this was a tannin monster with smoked bacon like aromas... not on the fruity side at all and "off balance" is a compliment. The finish was really long of course and let's hope this wine comes together over the next 10+ years. My 90+ points that the wine has enormous power and potential. I don't think it will eventually get more than 95-96 points.
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Once Upon a Vine XIII - New Orleans, LA by Martin Wine Cellar (Pavillion of Two Sisters): Now this is spectacular. My notes say "Maybe not 98 points, but this is really GREAT!!" Big, rich, nose full of cherry and cassis liquor with an herbal, menthol streak underneath. Palate is very full bodied and expands exponentially in the mouth.. Tannins are giant behemoths, but are held nicely in check by fresh acidity and gobs and gobs of juicy flavorful fruit. Blackberry and raspberry jam, boysenberry, toast and vanilla with undercurrents of cedar, earth, and toasty oak. Plenty of Mocha Chocolatte on the finish for the Starbucks fans. For $39.99, this is a no brainer. A great wine that will be outstanding in a few years. 93-94 points
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I can definitely see the attraction to this wine. Flashy, open and drinks well. Not decanted. Dark fruit melange with blueberry at the forefront. Oak tones as well. Seamless, smooth sexy mouthfeel. Some tannic backbone is there, not flabby, but buried under fruit. Significantly less tannic than the Termes. Well made, competent and I'll follow it for a while. It just did not grab me emotionally.
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Wineflock - 2004 Spanish survey, judging the hype (My House): Group #2 in flight - Full opaque purple color. Rich aroma of acidic black fruit with hints of smoke. Tight black fruit with hints of coffee. Long tannic finish. A sleeping young monster...
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Bought today and promptly opened to determine if I needed to buy more for the cellar. I often approach RP scores with some caution because he prefers the overextracted fruit bombs which are good every now and then, but I don't want a cellar full of them. Since Jay Miller rated this one, I wanted to see how his palate alligned to mine.
I decanted the wine for 3 hours, and drank 1/2 the bottle on the first day. The second half was drank the following day. I don't have a lot of experience with Spanish wines, but this one definately tasted like a New World wine. In a blind cabernet tasting, it would be easy to confuse this as a qulaity California cab, and indeed, it reminded me of a great 02' Etude Napa Valley Cab bottle I had last year. The nose is a moster - deep rasberry, black cherries and vanilla. The tannins on this puppy are huge, so cellaring it for 5+ years before opening a bottle is recommended. The finish was well over a minute, and that is no lie. I have never had a wine with such a soaring finish. This wine was an emotional experience for me, and I can only see it getting better. I'm picking up another 3 tomorrow and will let sit until 2012 before popping the next one. I need to find more wine like this at $50.
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Opaque dark purple with dark cherry colored rim. Rich toasted caramel nose with dark chocolate black cherry scent. While oak is first aroma to be detected, big sweet concentrated fruit is not far behind. Primary fruit, but clearly of high quality. Upon entry, the wine stains the palate with massively rich dark chewy fruit that is ripe and highly structured by intense acid and tannin backbone. A combo of new world oak and polish with black mineral quality only found in the old world. The finish follows almost seamlessly into an aftertaste of dark cherry essence that seems to go on forever. The mouth puckering tannins stay on even longer. A fat, dense masucline wine with rich black fruit flavors. Somewhat primary currently and in need of integration, but all the raw materials are here. Not a wine giving much pleasure now, but good bet this comes together with a few years of time and mellows out. Bottom line: big wine with loads of stuffing, but needs time. Wine must be judged on potential, not for current drinking IMHO.
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Has great potential. Agree with the other evaluations on this site. Chalky tannins, too young, oak, power. Needs to settle down. Set down for at least two more years, probably more. Had the bottle with my wife over dinner which included rib-eye and spicy polenta cakes, the wine totally overpowered the food.
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Yowza. Too young! Too young! Why didn't I read other notes before opening this? Chalky tannins dominate. I'm hoping it will be a kinder wine on day two. 2nd day: quite a bit more accessible (more fruit, better balance) but still a monster.
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Way too young, but I had to try one. Significant heat, and the fruit is somewhat muddled, but all of the pieces are there, and will probably come together in 3-5 years. I won't open another until 2010.
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We popped and poured this one. Deep ruby to violet color. Intense nose of coffee, cocoa, deep blackberry and sweet plum, licorice, oak and heat. On the palate this is thick, savage and rough, with very grippy tannins, lots of flavor and definite alcohol profile. It's clearly way too young at this point, but with promise; it will be worth seeing if the elements can knit together.
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4/14/2024 - PourSomeRed wrote: 94 Points
Really good. Might be at its peak. Lot of sediment. 1 hour decant.
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4/12/2024 - nickuk Likes this wine: 94 Points
2004 Numanthia. Finally! Bottle 9 of 12 and it is in the zone……integrated and no longer too big and almost port like. The fruit is still there after 20 years, but now as part of a harmonious mouthful. One hour in decanter and away we go in Zalto Bordeaux. Now I need to try the last three a couple of years apart to see how it progresses but mmmmmm not sure I can wait too long.
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3/2/2024 - mjf@ulkner wrote: flawed
badly corked
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3/2/2024 - Simba-wine Likes this wine: 97 Points
What a blockbuster!
Trying to decant this was hard work!
The sediment was more than any 1960/70/80 Bordeaux blockbuster I ever had!!!
But once you are thru this the wine is superb and on apex!
The wine is full body with dark fruit, some minimal oak, dark crushed rocks, and a silky smooth nearly Napa Cab like texture!
This all from Toro for a dollop of the price of many others. You just need to be able to be patient. Drank way too many young and due to that my last bottle!
On apex - 2034
97p
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2/9/2024 - AP MD Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank this at a restaurant in the Caymans with a fantastic wine list - The Grand Ole House. Lisa - the Sommelier was awesome!!
Decanted the wine for about 30 minutes and then 30 more in the glass. Nose was full of dark berries, cigar and leather. Very full of red fruit and coffee. Long finish. Great balance and structure.
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7/15/2023 - neilsforest Likes this wine:
Decanted for c2 hours. Good nose , big full bodied wine. Presents well with good length. Seems to have plenty of life length. A lovely wine Many will like this with a main course meat dish. Interesting and good value for a 2004 vintage
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4/14/2023 - nickuk Likes this wine: 90 Points
Smooth, full if still a bit tannic. Great wine with tapas meatballs in garlic/tomato sauce - best yet of my case with five to go. Let’s see again in 2025 ..... it feels like it will see 30 easy
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3/9/2023 - Ricky99 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank in FL with some great ribeye steak. Everyone loved it. Its a beautiful mature wine at this point.
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2/27/2023 - forceberry wrote: 92 Points
100% Tinta de Toro from over 100 ungrafted, non-irrigated parcels aged between 70 and 100 yo located in the villages of Valdefinjas, Toro and El Pego. The fully destemmed fruit is cold-soaked with the skins for more than a week followed by fermentation and maceration over a period of 21 days. Aged in new French oak barrels for 19 months. 14,5% alcohol.
Dark, very slightly translucent and subtly evolved black cherry color with a faint brick-red hue towards the rim. The nose feels powerful, quite ripe and nuanced with concentrated aromas of wizened dark plums and ripe figs, some toasty notes of mocha oak, a little bit of blackberry jam, light volatile undertones of balsamico and medicinal ether, dried-fruit hints of raisins and dried dates and a touch of antique furniture. The wine feels dense, chewy and quite sinewy with a full body and rather robust flavors of wizened black cherries and ripe blackberries , some woody notes of oak, a little bit of extracted bitter tones, sweet hints of prunes or even plum liqueur and a touch of peppery spice. The high alcohol lends some obvious heat to the palate and the combination of rather high acidity and quite assertive, moderately drying tannins make the wine feel firm balanced and pretty structure-driven. The finish is long, robust and quite warm with rather grippy tannins and a bold aftertaste of prunes and cherry marmalade, some extracted woody bitterness, a little bit of roasted game, light chocolatey notes of toasty mocha oak, a hint of wizened dark plums and a touch of balsamic VA.
For such a big, ripe and muscular wine, this turned out to be a surprisingly balanced and enjoyable effort. Normally these Numanthia wines are just way too big, ripe and overdone wines for my palate, but here one can find enough acidity and firmness to keep the sense of structure in the focus, and the fruit department doesn't feel too ripe, sweet and pruney in character. The alcohol feels a bit too high, lending a rather hot and boozy feel to the wine - but I guess that is something you can't avoid with the wines of Toro. Can't say I loved the wine, but this was still one of the best vintages of Numanthia we tasted in our 2011-1998 vertical and quite an impressive wine in its own right. I feel the wine might not just keep, but even continue to evolve for a number of years more, but I really don't feel like the wine is going to improve much from here - I'd say the wine has reached its apogee now, at approx. 20 years of age. Probably better to drink up sooner rather than later.
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1/1/2023 - Kriz wrote: 90 Points
Big wine. Don't serve it too warm because the present alcohol on the nose. Big palate, needs food to show. There's ripe black fruit on the palate but overall it's all too much. Not for me..
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12/16/2022 - Winefeld wrote: 94 Points
45 min decant. Tobacco, cedar, violet, moss, rooibos, cherry, vanilla. Well balanced with good harmony between oak, Earth and fruit. Gained steam throughout course of the bottle. Drinking beautifully with 5-7 year window. Very nice.
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11/9/2022 - cdunn Does not like this wine:
Corked. Highly disappointing.
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10/16/2022 - spendergast Likes this wine: 96 Points
This wine continues to drink very well - my last tasting was about a year ago and this wine is better than ever. Decanted 1.5 hrs. Dense purple color with dense core of dark fruit - black raspberry, tart black cherry, cassis with notes of graphite and cedar. Very long finish with well integrated tannins. This wine has a really nice mouthfeel and long finish. Long way to go.
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6/4/2022 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Powerful deep and intense earthy blackberry fruit. Beyond an earthiness that was also there when it was young and perhaps a touch of leather this is still a primary wine. powerful structure is well integrated. Medium to full bodied. Lovely mouthfeel. Long finish with good complexity. Drink now but will last another 5 to 10 years.
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5/3/2022 - maxima wrote: 92 Points
Bien en forme, il ira loin celui-là.
Belle matière, bien nourri et assez corsé.
Fruits noirs, épices et herbes avec une belle
finale bien longue sur des relents de tabac.
Savoureux et complexe.
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4/8/2022 - ThijsV Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep garnet red, with medium+ intensity aroma's of blackberry, black currant, black plum, stewed black fruit, kirsch, cranberry, vanilla. Dry, with medium+ acidity with medium finely engrained tannins.
High alcohol, full bodied, medium+ intensity and long finish. Still at a great place and probably for at least 5-7 more years
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3/6/2022 - JamF Likes this wine: 96 Points
Deep red with powerful nose of berries and dark fruits. The entry is smooth with silky tannings, voluptuous body with explosions of dark fruits, vibrant youth, strong acid backing, long finish. Could be left in the cellar for another decade or so.
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2/12/2022 - spendergast Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted 2 hrs. Dense purple color with dense core of dark fruit - black raspberry, cherry, cassis with notes of graphite and cedar. Very long finish with well integrated tannins.
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12/12/2021 - pablor Likes this wine: 95 Points
After three years went back to this wine, This time from a Magnum. Not too much to add to previous note here, just that I reaffirm this wine needs at least 4 hours of breathing . This time I gave it just 2 hours in decanter thinking that the three extra years should have dented the robust tannins/acidity but no (I didn’t factored in adequately the magnum effect which slows the aging process), and the last glasses after 1 hour more of air were the ones with a 95 score. Not showing signs of aging; at least from this magnum, so I guess still at least 10 more years of drinking window
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11/28/2021 - honest bob wrote: 94 Points
From 75cl, perfect cork, decanted 90 minutes off big, slimy deposit. Still dark, just a hint of bricking at the rim; immense concentration evident at the first sniff; not particularly unctuous, but packed full of extract which makes for a dense texture on the entry; massive dark spice, blueberry, darkest purple-red X-berry fruit, lively but not overwhelming acidity; finish packed full of ripe tannins. This was absolutely delicious with beef stew, and showed no sign of overt sweetness (unlike many a "premium" Australian Shiraz lately tasted, so that comparison falls flat), nor overripeness (so more obese C9dPape and lookalikes also don't fit). How about just welcoming this for what it is, a stunning Toro from a great year and a highly accomplished producer, just edging into maturity? I loved it, anyway, and look forward to working my way though my remaining 5 bottles over the next decade+. 94+P
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11/5/2021 - MRichman wrote:
Silky, suave wine. Lots of plum, tobacco, blueberry fruit. Big fruit with good resolved tannins, gritty grip, earth. This is a big wine, tons of fruit. Really nice, modern huge wine that's not too sweet. Fully mature and in a great place, peak drinking. I don't think it'll get any better, but should hold here for a few years, I'd say drink by 2025.
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9/25/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 93 Points
From magnum. Cherry fruit, red berry compote, herbal notes along with concentrated, sweet notes that are finely built into the bouquet. Also a bit meaty and aging notes of leather and earth. Pretty well balanced. This probably at its peak currently and drinks really nicely.
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8/26/2021 - Stefan75 wrote: 91 Points
From Mag, holding strong, a bit rustic (which I did not expect) or maybe drying out a little? In any case goes very well with BBQ.
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7/25/2021 - rgawlowski Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good food wine, especially with red meat; expressive; good fruit, but not too forward; great nose and balance.
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5/15/2021 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big rich satisfying wine. Huge intensity and depth of dried black fruits. Huge tannin gives a dry finish, along with a healthy slug of acidity. Tertiary cedar and spice. Persistent and complex. Drink now as fruit balances the considerable structure. Once the fruit recedes this may fall out of balance.
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5/4/2021 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 92 Points
Kleur: Diep ondoordrinkbaar robijnrood. Aroma / bouquet: Minder expressief en in elk geval stukken minder 'explosief' dan in 2019. Het bouquet is vooral donker met tonen van bittere chocola en espresso. Smaak / Afdronk: Mondvullende, dik-sappige wijn, beperkte zuurgraad, boordvol droppige tannies maar vooral met een zeldzame concentratie en een dito lange finale. Geweldig verleidelijke Powerwijn. Algemeen / potentieel: Kleur? Zuurgraad? Numanthia wordt gemaakt van Tinta de Toro, een lokale, vroeger rijpende, variant van de Tempranillo met minder zuur en meer kleur. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 92/100
Color: Deep impenetrable ruby red. Aroma / bouquet: Less expressive and in any case much less 'explosive' than in 2019. The bouquet is mainly dark with notes of bitter chocolate and espresso. Taste / Finish: Mouth-filling, thick-juicy wine, limited acidity, brimming with droppy tannies but above all with a rare concentration and a ditto long finish. Incredibly seductive Power wine. General / potential: Color? Acidity? Numanthia is made from Tinta de Toro, a local, earlier ripening, variant of the Tempranillo with less acidity and more color. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Taste / Finish: 17 + Overall / potential: 8 = 92/100
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4/26/2021 - Ricky99 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Stunning fruit upfront with a sexy finish.. glad I have more
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3/19/2021 - vanderpee Likes this wine: 92 Points
A bit rustic but with lots of dark thick fruit and power. Drinking very nicely now, but no rush.
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3/9/2021 - Frank Schneider wrote: 93 Points
Still too young. Harsh tannin and no decanting helped really. So wait because its promising . Next in 2024 93 +?
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3/7/2021 - LARich Likes this wine: 94 Points
Seems to be mellowing out a bit and much more rewarding. At peak but no urgency
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2/13/2021 - gdbarton1@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
Very dark purple, opaque
Black fruit nd pepper nose
Big, rich semisweet black fruit long flavor. Took an hour to open up.
Big chewy wine but not well balanced
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2/6/2021 - NuTricks wrote: 96 Points
Opaque purple. Blueberry, blackberry, plum, cassis, and a bit of licorice on the nose. Beautifully balanced between the soft tannins and bright acidity. Full bodied. The fine sediment clogged the Nuance finer. Long finish. This still has miles to go, glad I have more to keep sampling.
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2/4/2021 - Mhbeaune Likes this wine: 92 Points
After a 4 hour decant amazing to say it gets better in glass and puts on weight in the middle the longer it’s in the glass. At the start of drinking the middle is just a little thin.
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1/30/2021 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 95 Points
If Thor was a btl of wine.
Improbably muscular with no excess fat. Crazily magically wonderful wine that touches all my G-spots.
Blackish red without the slightest hint of maturation tones.
On the nose, we find everything beautiful that mineralized concentration brings with it. Liquorice, jam, all kinds of berries and fruits, tar, freshly laid asphalt, freshly rained-upon paving stones, tobacco, straw, unwashed tiger...
In the mouth, it's a total slap in the face! So much concentration, tannins, rocket fuel, the ferret Göran and wonders that go all the way. Fills the whole mouth, ticks all our boxes and is still but a baby...
The fact that you can achieve such wonderful vibes of Penfold's Grange Hermitage with Tempranillo is amazing. Made us smile secretly - as this is still reasonably affordable. Looking forward to more encounters of this magical wine. For this is, in fact, the cellar master's own favourite vintage. Will develop much further. Next btl ~2030-ish.
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12/23/2020 - Mhbeaune Likes this wine: 92 Points
One hours decant at 19c gave a thin wine with an edge BUT after 4 hours at 22c it was wonderful . Full bodied dark fruits round with tar in the backgroud. Will remember for the last 5 bottles. Much more like the 2005 I had which was very impressive
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12/23/2020 - Mhbeaune wrote: 86 Points
Nose, upon opening as decanting, pleasant dark fruit not strong or powerful in anyway .
After one hour decant 19c no real body nothing really to say except correct with a sort of bitter cherry finish. No tannins anywhere integrated or otherwise.
Purchased 13 -14 years ago. Disappointing.
As it has warmed up an hour later much better and showing some fullness in the middle.
Next bottle will get a longer decant and be served at 21/22c which i would normally consider too warm BUT needs must
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11/17/2020 - robmatic wrote: 90 Points
Still super sweet, but also harboring a minor oxidative note. Abundant tannins make for structure, but the whole package is not very coherent. I'll give this one a good score for being an enjoyable bottle, but I don't think this is going anywhere great in the future. Drink up.
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9/11/2020 - shutto1992@gmail.com wrote: 80 Points
Dark fruit is nice, but strong sour taste which has not blown off even on second night. Maybe this needs more time to dissipate but for now this detracts from this wine.
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9/1/2020 - Winerut Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still going strong. Loved it.
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6/10/2020 - Stefan75 Likes this wine: 91 Points
From Mag, in a good spot right now, needs little air, modern style and good lenght
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5/16/2020 - nickuk wrote: 88 Points
This one confused me. Too big when last tasted a few years ago, I thought it was time to see at 16years old. Opened and decanted for 1.5 hours. The test sip when opened was almost sour with tannin, but kind of sparkly with fruit and promise, Strangely though, it seemed to close up in the decanter and later glasses were almost port like. Big and thick.....not great. Perhaps I should have left longer? Anyway....I loved the wine I tasted in the first sip......I will try again in five years. Appreciate thoughts on whether I am experiencing tiredness or it is still too early 😃
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5/10/2020 - LARich Likes this wine: 92 Points
Absolutely in its prime. Delicate and balanced but still enough power to show off. Opened for a. Hour before drinking and could have used more time. Drink now a bit will last a few more years with ease.
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3/23/2020 - Vinogan(s) Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Black fruit, alcohol and heat, really powerful and muscular, lots of wood. No freshness, no elegance, heavy and weighty. A wine that showcases everything that is wrong when aiming for an overblown "Parker-style".
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3/16/2020 - Kris G Does not like this wine: 86 Points
This is probably the worst example of a typical Parker wine (initially scoring RP98) with lots and lots of new wood overpowering everything else.
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2/4/2020 - brasstab wrote: 90 Points
A little oxidized, but still great with food. Opened it with the lifelong friend who gifted it to me in 2006
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12/26/2019 - bonedoc wrote:
Limited notes, Xmas dinner w roast tenderloin, somewhat unspectacular showing. 91
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10/20/2019 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 95 Points
Kleur: Helder robijnrood. Aroma / bouquet: BOOMMMM. Explosief bouquet met tonen van donker fruit, espresso en donkere chocola. Smaak / Afdronk: Ook in de mond maakt deze wijn een explosieve indruk, super geconcentreerd. Boordevol prachtig gerijpte tannines die de wijn structuur bieden, tegelijkertijd boterzacht. Zeldzame kracht met een zeldzaam lange finale. Algemeen / potentieel: Modern gemaakte powerwijn met een lange toekomst voor zich. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 95/100
Google Translate:
Color: Bright ruby red. Aroma / bouquet: BOOMMMM. Explosive bouquet with notes of dark fruit, espresso and dark chocolate. Taste / Aftertaste: This wine also makes an explosive impression in the mouth, super concentrated. Packed with beautifully ripened tannins that provide wine structure, but are at the same time butter soft. Rare power with a rare long final. General / potential: Modernly made power wine with a long future ahead. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Taste / Finish: 18 + General / potential: 9 = 95/100
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10/13/2019 - aquacongas wrote: 91 Points
blind
I had this wine a few times before and 3-4 years ago I enjoyed really very much but this time tired, blurred and fruit- and loveless. Too alcoholic, no elegance and power. one dimensional. Parker problem of too much extraction? 91
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10/4/2019 - Isobel goudi Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dunkke farbe, die 15 jahre sieht man überhaupt nicht. Dunkle Beeren, Oliven, holz, voller Körper, sehr gut strukturiert, Minze. Extrem langer Abgang. Wunderbar.
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8/4/2019 - benny wrote: 95 Points
Decanted and drank over two hours. More complexity and more subtle than other Numanthia vintages.
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6/26/2019 - cannym Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very dark, almost black. Smokey, big black fruits, spices. Still very solid tannins but not coarse. Less monolithic than I anticipated. Decent acidity. Never elegant but with some finesse. Long. It had been double decanted about six hours previously. Worked very well with mountains of excellent aged steaks. And black marks for the ludicrous heavy bottle.
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6/7/2019 - soyhead wrote:
lively and fresh with big tannins. made in a very international style.
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5/25/2019 - oldwines wrote: 90 Points
Decanted at 5:30 and tasted through the evening. Deep dark, almost opaque garnet with a crimson edge. Spicy, vanilla, oak, alcohol, non-descript dark fruit. Decidedly modern in style and like most wines dominated by Tempranillo (in my view) wholly one dimensional in that it lacks layers and depth. I keep giving them a try but am consistently disappointed. Clearly a big wine but rather “brutish” and lacking in nuance. Fine with a big grilled steak but overall un-interesting, though by no means “bad” and I guess stylistically consistent.
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5/8/2019 - budman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Spicy... in a good way!!!
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5/7/2019 - oakville72 Likes this wine: 92 Points
What can you say about Numanthia? Intense, dark chocolate, fruit, alcohol, mouthfilling, over-the-top. No subtlety here. A wine that seems still young. 15% alcohol, yet still quite balanced.
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4/2/2019 - NateR Likes this wine: 92 Points
A big wine. Tannic, with dry fruit and some minty, menthol notes. Shows its age, I wouldn't hold onto it too much longer.
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3/31/2019 - Piotr K Likes this wine: 91 Points
Powerful, concentrated, impressive. Maybe even a little overwhelming. interesting nose of dark fruit, leather and smoke. Balanced palate, alcohol well blended in. There is not much subtlety in this wine, that is for sure.
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2/24/2019 - Stirling Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still inky black in colour. Lovely aromas of black currant, vanilla and spice and just a touch of menthol. The black fruit carries on to the palate, but what you notice most is not the flavours but the body. This is a massive wine, still youthfully tannic, and very full bodied. The first few sips were almost over-powering but with air and some food things settled down and it became a delicious but very powerful wine. With the current trend towards more elegant wines, I doubt too many somms would have much good to say here, but we certainly enjoyed it. www.advinetures.ca
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12/23/2018 - Caruso Likes this wine: 96 Points
Ruby with purple tint without any signs of aging. First dominated by black currants and vanilla. After decant and three hours it adds on in terms of complexity. Currants, blackberries, cherries, herbs, vanilla, baconfat, licorice. On the palate concentrated but yet showing poise (in contrast to a bottle one year ago) with nice acidity and still large amounts of round tannin, which after all keep me from giving more than an outstanding score . All in all very young with two decades to go, I guess, if optimal stored since release. 5 hours after decant it got even more intense. Jay S Miller from the WA wasn't so wrong in scoring at least this wine as the last scores from Neal Martin and R. Parker (Termanthia) suggest. 5/13/18/10 -2030+
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12/10/2018 - robmatic wrote: 94 Points
Terrific drinking right now. The oak and tannins have softened considerably in recent years, and the fruit is thick and powerful.
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11/2/2018 - Mossrose wrote: 95 Points
One of the most impressive Numanthia wines. Pitch black, aromatic black cherry and black currant. Exudes richness and power in the mouth. Somehow manages to be grippy tannic and still lush and superbly integrated. Not the slightest hint of anything tired, old, or off flavored. Overall, endlessly enjoyable now and for years more.
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10/28/2018 - Enfantterrible wrote: 92 Points
Well well well. This is a completely different animal than the bottles I drank earlier. This bottle was singing. Very lively, full bodied, fine grained tannins. I’m glad I held on to this case :)
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10/26/2018 - patwjr wrote:
Pnp a glass, decanted & drank bottle over 2 hours. Tight & seemed flawed. Even in 2nd hour it opened up but tasted old, not corked but somehow off. Disappointed based on ratings/reviews. This bottle = 86.
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10/16/2018 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow" #032: Wines with 98+ points: In the bouquet a firm dose of toasted oak and coffee as well as black berries. On the palate a concentrated wine with beautifully fresh acidity and round tannin. Firm oak as well. Still another decade to go? 94+
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9/29/2018 - pablor Likes this wine: 96 Points
An exceptional wine at this moment. Licorice, leather, black fruits, flower scent, tar, spices. Give AT LEAST 4 HOURS in a decanter to allow it to blossom and show at its best. Tannins well integrated and a very good palate and finish. At current price (internet search) is a very good buy. I ll try to buy more, it reminds me of a 2000 st emilion grande cru
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9/21/2018 - LARich Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drink now. Grrest but going fast.
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8/24/2018 - maxima wrote: 93 Points
Superbe...il commence à entrer dans sa fenêtre de buvabilité.
Au nez, fruits noirs, un peu de tabac et de fumée avec des épices.
En bouche, velouté et charmeur.
Des mures et du cassis avec du poivre, du moka et des herbes.
Les tannins sont bien enrobés et veloutés.
La finale est très longue et suave.
Une très belle bouteille.
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8/16/2018 - Margroot Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is great stuff! Popped and poured and it delivered from the start.
Tar, tobaco, dried figs, this is swirling nuances. It took us only two hours, a great steak with bearnaise and all of a sudden the bottle was empty.
Luckily I have three bottles left!
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7/28/2018 - grossie Likes this wine: 93 Points
My first thought was that this can go a lot longer. Very rich and round, complex, deep. Still a little tannic, but not pucker worthy. I think this might improve with a few more years, but it is mighty delicious right now, a good foil for grilled marinated skirt steak.
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3/31/2018 - Tannic Monster wrote: 87 Points
This is a disjointed wine. There is a dark roast coffee/pete moss element on the one side and a stewed prune/golden raisin element on the other. There are no dark berry elements or other fruit to be enjoyed. It is drinkable but utterly boring and leaving one simply unsatisfied. Life is short, poured the other half of the bottle down the sink.
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2/26/2018 - Enfantterrible wrote: 82 Points
Drinking my second bottle in a week. Now I’m convinced it tastes like bad southern Rhône. Professionally stored since release. I’m accepting any reasonable offers for my remaining 10 bottles
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2/3/2018 - MRichman wrote:
Dark, dense, inky black wine with deep, chewy, thick fruit. Prune, black coffee, a bit of nutmeg. Long long finish. A massive wine full of black fruit, slightly sweet, licorice. I think this is fully mature. No rush to drink, this has fruit to spare. Muscular, concentrated. A serious glass of wine.
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1/27/2018 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
Dense and delicious with resolved tones but no real tertiary flavors .. yet? ever?
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1/27/2018 - David J Cooper wrote: 91 Points
Medium dark red. Great nose of black cherry, dill, coffee and earth. Rich but dry earthy cherry flavours and a nice rich dry finish.
I liked the weight of this wine. It walked a thin line between ripe and rich.
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12/30/2017 - Fatty Cat wrote: 93 Points
Late Dec 2017: deep purple red color; cranberry, blueberry, blackberry, cherry, mulberry and pomegranate plus vanilla, melon and light toast; soft and lush on the palate; medium/full body; smooth texture; little tannins left; mellow, medium finish.
When I encountered the 2004 Numanthia in the year 2007 it was a young, tannic fruit concentrate. Today it was a fully mature wine. The bottle had been kept in my wine fridge at 50 F the last 5-6 years.
Based on this tasting experience I don’t think the wine will improve further. Moreover, first hints of aging (softness, very weak tannins) can be reported. You don’t need to be hasty but I recommend to drink your bottles in the next 4-7 years. My guess is after that time this wine will start to rapidly disintegrate.
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12/23/2017 - Caruso Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ruby with purple tints and a hint of orange lightening to the rim. Black currant and after decantation and half an hour in the decanter adding blueberry, flowers, coffee and lead pencil. With time it put on weight, but the high levels of adstringent tannin are still creating a wine that is a bit out of tune. Far to young to evaluate wether it will develope to a more poised example of wine. If it will even a extraordinary score is possible. Given the fruit concentration there is good reason for optimism. 94+
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12/18/2017 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Very dark - hardly any discolouration. On the nose concentrated fruit, spices, smoke, hints of cocoa, oak. At first not very expressive on the palate - rather tight and a little disjointed, heat, drying tannins, medium finish. Improved quite a bit with more time in the glass - powerful, concentrated, spicy with lots of fruit, decent acidity and drying tannins. This might improve. 91-93
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12/10/2017 - Bluethunder wrote: 93 Points
Excellent wine. Dark red fruit with nice texture and balance.
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11/24/2017 - Radboy wrote: 86 Points
Same.
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9/16/2017 - johnnyo wrote: 95 Points
Big, powerful and sublime. Absolutely delicious.
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9/13/2017 - DrZett wrote: 91 Points
Some nice ripening notes and a long finish. Interesting but I like the Numanthia more when it is younger.
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9/4/2017 - Jeffrey Silver wrote: 93 Points
This isn't my type of wine. That doesn't mean it not good but not to my liking. Decanted for 2hrs and it need allot of it. lots of fruit and tannins are just beginning to shed off.
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8/27/2017 - cos82 wrote: 88 Points
This wine shows no signs of age. A little too big and burly for my palate. Fruit hides behind an earthy and mineral character. I will wait a long while before trying the next one.
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8/26/2017 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine has only gotten better with age. Cork was solid and stained deep purple, very dark. Nice fruit and tennis still present but well integrated to give a fuller, silkier taste on the palate. I had this wine open for 4 days, taking a glass here and there, and it never faded, never developed off flavors. It just hung together. The first night opened it improved by having the tannins and fruit fall better into balance. The remaining nights it kept its place on the podium. This producer seems to make a very decent wine capable of aging. I know this was an exceptional vintage for Numanthia and i lived up to the critics appraisal. Recommended and I think it will got a little more in the bottle, say five years. The fruit hasn't really fallen off nor did any of the other components overpowered it.
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6/15/2017 - John McCabe wrote: 94 Points
I've had quite a few vintages of this wine, mainly the '05 though. This '04 is clearly a step above the rest, though more intellectual and cerebral vs. outright delicious. It has the expected massive concentration but there is some restraint and delicacy too. I could see this scoring higher still but there is just that bit of hardness and assertiveness that holds it back a bit, though that is more likely just the style and nothing for it to apologize for. Very impressive and cerebral and likely will improve by another step or two with time.
Held up perfectly on the 2nd day.
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5/29/2017 - Zweder wrote:
Weekly tasting group RWP #259: Spain (@ The factory by AH): In the bouquet very ripe fruits, some barnyard and a good dose of oak. On the palate a mouth full of supple wine with good fruits, acidity and tannin. Till so far my blind note. Overall the wine is much more mature than expected. I don’t know how this bottle has been kept over the years, but I hope this was a bad bottle. No score for today.
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4/29/2017 - keelegl Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Still very ripe and overly sweet fruit with drying tannins.
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4/21/2017 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Leftovers from a morning tasting so this had already been decanted for a good while and received plenty of air by the time this bottle arrived at dinner, courtesy of Joe. Needed every bit of air it got and it's still pretty big. Deeply colored and youthful in appearance. Aromas of chocolate, mocha, black cherry, plum and violets. Has some tannin yet, supporting an abundance of rich, deep fruit. Coffee and spice notes too. Lengthy finish.
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3/25/2017 - soyhead wrote:
Nose - cinnamon, clove, heat. Mulled.
Mouth - big wine, raisin-y, barrel spice. Tasted blind and I guessed valpolicella. Stand alone wine, not really jiving with the food
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3/4/2017 - wculpepper Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for four hours; considerable sediment. Deep clear ruby red color. Nose of dark fruit, tobacco and vanilla. Full-bodied, bold dark fruit on the palate with lively acids and prominent tannins. Lengthy finish. This powerful wine has probably not yet come into its own, and given my 75 years of age, it'll live on a lot longer than I will.
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12/10/2016 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
First of a six pack. Gave this three hours in the decanter and it just started to strut it's stuff. Big, bold black fruit with loads of tannic structure. Nice earth and asphalt tones. This is big but not overly ripe or modern in character. Will be interesting to see how these age and whether any layering/complexity emerges.
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11/24/2016 - Yagil wrote: 94 Points
Castilla y Leon tasting (at my home): P&P
dark opaque red-purple
reduced nose at first, then heavy dark fruits, roasted coffee, oak-vanilla on the nose
dark heavy fruity flavours, liquorice, firm tannins, rich earthy flavours, requires 2-3 hours of decanting, still very young and can further age 5-15 years.
after 20 hours: excellent hedonistic nose & palate
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11/13/2016 - MVO Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a dark bold wine and still surprisingly youthful after more than ten years in the bottle. Decanted for three hours to bring it all out - the nose has dark fruit, tobacco, chocolate, and a bit of tar. The flavors are super concentrated with strong tannins, high acidity, and a long, mouth coating finish.
I agree with other recent tasting notes that this wine needs more time to show its full potential - at least another five years and maybe ten. I'm quite happy to have a few more in my cellar.
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11/2/2016 - roel wrote: 92 Points
Huge wine, not ready to my taste. Retaste in 5 years
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10/7/2016 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 94 Points
Kleur: Diep ondoordringbaar donker rood Aroma / bouquet: Heftig en zwaar bouqet. In de eerste indrukken vooral tabak, espresso en bittere chocola. Een beetje stoffig. Rode biet. Donker fruit zoals zwarte bessen en bramen. Smaak / Afdronk: Zwaar en geconcentreerd. Zachte zuurgraad. Indrukwekkende concentratie. Boordevol krachtige tannines, perfect gerijpt. Zeer lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Extreem geconcentreerde wijn. In dit stadium niet optimaal. Het primaire fruit is verdwenen. De secundaire en tertiaire aroma's vragen nog steeds om meer tijd. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 94/100
Google Translate:
Color: Deep impenetrable dark red Aroma / bouquet: Intense and heavy bouquet. First impressions especially tobacco, espresso and bitter chocolate. A bit dusty. Beetroot. Dark fruits like black currant and blackberry. Taste / Finish: Heavy and concentrated. Soft acidity. Impressive concentration. Packed with powerful tannins, perfectly ripened. . Very long finish General / potential: Extremely concentrated wine. At this stage, not optimal. The primary fruit has disappeared. The secondary and tertiary aromas still asking for more time. 50+ Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Taste / Finish: 18 + General / potential: 8 = 94/100
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9/5/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark fruit, licorice, black currant and tar on the nose, palate is filled with cigar box, more currants, a mouthful of chewy gritty tannins, good acidity with some dark fruit finishing. It really does need another 5 years min but probably won't hit it's stride until another 10. Finish builds after tannins die down, really interesting flavors that change after every 10 seconds. This is very good, 93 now with a good decant, could easily be 96-97 later.
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8/22/2016 - Donjcorleone Likes this wine: 94 Points
An inky black offering with a purple rim giving off aromas of ripe plum, blackberry, forest floor and tobacco notes that echo on the balanced, full-bodied licorice driven palate that has shedded its primary fruit and is beginning to develop its secondary nuances. Drinking now but give it a couple of years to shine, 94+ for now
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6/24/2016 - johnnyo wrote: 95 Points
Always fantastic! Powerful yet elegant, so balance with a finish that just leaves you wanting more.
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6/14/2016 - bonedoc wrote: 96 Points
drank all wines without decant, popped cork a few hours before drinking over 4 hours. all wines were purchased at release, and stored properly. all wines were in prime drinking window, without any evidence of fading.
'04 numanthia numanthia 96: clear winner with that deft balance of sweet ripe fruit, concentration, and acidity - just gorgeous.
'05 numanthia numanthia 92: less fruit than the '04, which made it seem more tannic although still quite good. same fruit profile.
'04 pintia 91: slight brett on nose, good palate of sweet ripe fruit, I'm sensitive to brett so this was #3 in this tasting but the palate was quite delicious. hopefully other bottles will be clean.
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2/27/2016 - jackaroo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Robert Mondavi mused that customers who purchased a case of his wines (e.g. cabernet) should drink a bottle each year to form a full picture of the wine's potential and to get a clear picture of how aging plays a major part in it's evolution. I purchased six bottles of the Numanthia and have previously opened two bottles. Unfortunately this didn't reveal anything except that my decision was premature. However, tonight my third bottle reinforced all the pundit reviews claiming the Numanthia will evolve into a world class wine. I now see twenty years plus in the future, and definitely world class accolades. I'll wait another five years for my next bottle. It's a win-win bet.
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2/2/2016 - Squirreljam wrote:
Impression only, didn't take notes but this was excellent last night. While I agree with several below reviews that this has not yet developed many secondary (or beyond) characteristics, I would argue that this is in a good spot. The flavors are still those of a young wine but the edge is off the "tannic beast" from my bottle back in 07. It's delicious right now, and for my taste, not sure this rich a wine will make a good drink when it's totally evolved. Anyway, I should have another bottle and will see where a few years takes us.
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1/24/2016 - Frank Schneider wrote: 94 Points
Tooooo young !!!! After 4 hours of decanting there is a little bit of fun . A great wine but needs 5 more years minimum !!! Hold
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12/27/2015 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 94 Points
Kleur: Diep ondoordringbaar donker rood Aroma / bouquet: Ingehouden. Opvallend donker en opvallend zwaar. Donker fruit, zwarte bessen, bramen. Tabak, bosgrond, sigarenrook. Smaak / Afdronk: Wow. Intense wijn. Gematigde zuurgraad. Boordevol krachtige maar perfect rijpe tannines. Dit is ècht een mond vol wijn, sublieme concentratie. Afdronk: extreem lang. Algemeen / potentieel: Extreem geconcentreerde wijn. In dit stadium niet optimaal. Het primaire fruit is verdwenen. De secundaire en tertiaire aroma's vragen om meer tijd. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 94/100
Google Translate:
Look: Deep impenetrable dark red Aroma / bouquet: Retained. Striking deep and remarkably heavy. Dark fruit, black currants, blackberries. Tobacco, forest floor, cigar smoke. Taste / Finish: Wow. Intense wine. Moderate acidity. Packed with powerful but perfectly ripe tannins. This is truly a mouth full of wine, superb concentration. The finish is extremely long General / potential.: Extremely concentrated wine. At this stage, not optimal. The primary fruit has disappeared. The secondary and tertiary flavors need more time to develop. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Taste / Finish: 17 + General / potential: 9 = 94/100
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12/11/2015 - Rollerball wrote:
Still dense and a bit blocked off but it's like scuba diving through your favorite heavy down pillow. Spicy and beefy with some confection and burnt orange rind. There's enough fruit that I'm hoping another year will do this a lot of good. 2017-2022
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10/5/2015 - geppetto Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is drinking well now, but can go for years. Interesting spice to it, but I couldn't put my finger on it. The nose was subdued on opening, but came alive after an hour in the decanter. Paired with pork shank.
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8/22/2015 - ParkHill wrote: 95 Points
Intense, black with inky (Blackberry & licorice) flavors. I patiently waited, and was rewarded by a great wine that is drinking very well at 10 years of age. Maybe some alcohol and primary notes, but that is balanced by the tannins and fruit. I'm very willing t put a 95 on this.
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6/8/2015 - jerhardt wrote:
Initially thought this was mildly corked, but blew off with some time in the decanter. With that said, this ended up being pretty good. Rich and meaty, but not tiring like the last bottle I drank. I suspect this will do better with some more age and will bury the other bottles to try the next one in three years.
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4/13/2015 - Kriz wrote: 91 Points
98 Parker... This is too much of everything which makes it a boring glass of wine. It's well made, it's tasty, it's good but boring. I have two bottles left and will wait 5 and 10 years and see...
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3/15/2015 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 97 Points
Again a great wine, mighty, fruity phase, very complex more like a Bx than a Toro wine, but his powerful body shows his provenance, no oxidative signs, nearly black colour, ripe tannins, developed and profited by hours of decantation, at this stage "much" better than his big brother termanthia 2004. very long fruity finish with some cedar and cigarbox, licorice in essence, I guess this wine will age over the next 20 years
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2/19/2015 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 89 Points
Black with a deep ruby rim. Heavy blackberry and spice notes on the nose. Full bodied on the palate with lots of fine tannin. Comes across as a rustic wine with character.
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2/18/2015 - maaike2 Likes this wine: 90 Points
I gave no air, I probably should have. Lovely wine. Dark red color, mint on the nose, teasing in the mouse with dark fruit, moderate structure with roundness in the mouth, and beautiful adolescent finish, no "wisdom", but nice tannins.
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2/13/2015 - vanderpee Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 5 hours before drinking. Good choice. Dark, extracted and still a nice amount of tannins left which adds a lot of bite to the wine. Dark red fruit, marinade, meat. Medium long finish.
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1/24/2015 - geppetto wrote: 95 Points
Drank the balance of a previously Coravined bottle. This is such an amazing wine. Dense and dark. Still a lot of dark fruit and a nose to die for. Amazing stuff.
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12/24/2014 - Sir-Harrie wrote: 93 Points
Der Wein wurde ca. 3 h vorher geöffnet. Tiefes Rot, fast Schwarz. In der Nase zunächst etwas verschlossen, dann der Duft von Gewürtzen, etwas Pfeffer, Im Mund ein harmonisches Zusammenspiel von Aromen, mit den Gewürzen (u.a. Pfeffer), bereits gut trinkbar, kann aber auch weiter gelagert werden.
Zur Hasenkeule kamen die Fruchtaromen in Verbindung mit Pfeffer, Leder und Kaffe sehr gut hervor. Toller Wein.
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12/19/2014 - Papies wrote: 89 Points
Decanted and served. Much like a year ago a consistent 89. Modern, forward, ripe and at this stage at least a solid core of fruit devout of complexity and charm. Not bad but really a heavy handed wine , 89 and we would suggest cellaring and prayer so that it might evolve.
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11/23/2014 - Rollerball wrote: 89 Points
This may be going through a phase. The fruit--if you can access it below the density and tannins--now has some age and nuance on it, possibly at the expense of some freshness. Improved over a few hours in the decanter. Still, Nanette, who doesn't want a wine that's "too big" these days called it "lovely," so there's something elegant about it despite how stuffed it is. I'll be waiting a year if not two for the next bottle and probably giving it plenty of air.
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11/20/2014 - Zweder Likes this wine: 93 Points
UWS (@ JB): Served completely blind and although this wine came to mind, I did not say it out loud, so that doesn’t count ;-). In the bouquet dark forest fruits and a firm dose of luxurious oak. Same on the palate. Some sweetness, good acidity and tannin. The oak is starting to integrate and this is a great and still powerful wine.
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11/20/2014 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
Tasting of the Utrecht Wine Society (Utrecht, NL): Has grip and weight, ripe fruit, deep and alcoholic, very concentrated, clean style, lovely flavours and length, fresh and lively for age.
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11/14/2014 - Ron Slye wrote: 92 Points
As skifree noted this was part of an odd bottle blind tasting in Seattle. This wine was impenetrably dark in the glass. The nose was of intense anise. The tannins were almost mouthstripping -- literally removing any moisture. Over the evening a bit more was revealed. Very dark and brooding. The finish was a bit sweet, but turns a bit bitter by the end. I was very intrigued with this wine -- it was my third, compared to the group's seven. I would love to try this in ten years or more.
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11/11/2014 - skifree wrote: 90 Points
Brought to CT SEA double-blind tasting with the theme of "odd wines". Very dark in the glass, long legs after swirling. Lots of anise on the nose, sweet deep fruit in the mouth. Long finish, with more anise and noticeable tannins. Double decanted 2.5 hours before tasting, and it was noticeably smoother than when I tasted just after opening. This was 6th out of 10 in the group, and was tasted just after an older Sangiovese (yin and yang!). Most people thought this was a young wine.
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11/7/2014 - Radboy wrote: 88 Points
I am just not feeling the love for this wine. The nose is somewhat subdued and tightly defined black licorice. The fruit is more plum and purple grape flavored but entirely too dense for my taste and lacking in any nuances or sophistication. The finish is mouth wateringly short and truncated. After ten years, it still sticks to your teeth. You shouldn't need a water back after your vino...time to go brush my teeth.
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10/28/2014 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 94 Points
An evening for two very lucky gentlemen (Restaurant Tani in Gaienmae (Tokyo)): Just had to have this irresistable wine again. 94 for now, but may very well hit 100 later on in life. My last btl, but will buy as many as I can lay my hairy hands on.
This wine smashes in to your taste buds, like hitting a thick and utterly impenetrable mud-wall. This is condensed like no other Tempranillo. This is unimaginably rich. This is beautiful insanity in a bottle, especially as the immense concentration is natural.
Will evolve for many years to come, as this is not yet showing any signs of maturation.
So, pay no attention to the fruit-musterbeiterz who don't find (or like?) any mature aromas, but still think that a wine from 2004 ought to be mature ;-)
This wine has a very long life ahead, and I'd be darned if it's mature before 2020.
Still have not enjoyed a Thermantia, but becoming rather curious... A step up from this wine means only one thing: utter perfection!
At fabulous Restaurant Tani, outdoing themselves as always, including Japanese bear meat for the main dish tonight. Yowza!
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10/27/2014 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Weekly tasting group #140; A fully blind test. (@ AH): Luxurious bouquet with cassis, smoke and beautiful oak. On the palate rich and concentrated, dark forest fruits, a lot of sweetness, good acidity, chocolate and beautiful oak again. Soft but still powerful tannin. Early maturity now and can last probably another decade.
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10/24/2014 - WDK wrote: 95 Points
Killer wine at its peak. Intensely fruity but dry with firm tannins. Lots of everything I love about wine.
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10/23/2014 - geppetto wrote: 96 Points
BUY THIS WINE! Good Lord, if I were a religious man I would say the wine was touched by God, himself. The perfume on the nose was so divine. Deep dark fruit with smooth tannins and a twist a tartness of the finish. This stuff is almost black.
Coravined a good sized class. What a special treat. If you have a Coravin or a bunch of bottles, it would be a great time to try it.
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10/18/2014 - 1961Vintage Likes this wine: 93 Points
Killer bottle. Drinking superbly
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9/28/2014 - Mr T wrote:
Last bottle
Wine seems to be fading but still a bit tannic
Not really my style
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9/14/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
Some Spanish Wines on a Saturday afternoon (Some very old ones) (CB): Great wine, but also a wine that seems to ageing quite slowly. Lots of fruit and lots of oak and not integrating yet. My first sip was quite hot despite a 2 hour decant before serving. With air and time in the glass, the heat disappears. This has jammy black cherries, cedar, vanilla, slight floral notes on the nose. On the palate, jammy black cherry fruit, and oak notes. It would be a love or hate wine right now I think, but check back in 5 or ten years.
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9/1/2014 - Wizaard1 wrote: 92 Points
good fruit and tannin. Well balanced and ready to cellar a few more years
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8/6/2014 - pgm Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine is a rock. It's hasn't really progressed in seven years. Aromatic, with baking spice, pepper, and tobacco on the blackberry-scented nose. Very rich in the mouth, with ripe black berry fruit and a caramel, asian-spice character. Ends with a spicy, foresty finish that lasts a good while.
The tannins are still pretty huge. They don't bite, but this still seems like a quite young wine with development to come.
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7/26/2014 - jerhardt wrote:
Fine for its style. Big and meaty. Not offensive in any way, but tiring to drink towards the end of the bottle.
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7/21/2014 - Jeffrey Silver Likes this wine: 94 Points
Openedthis wine from my Cellar and decanted it for 2hrs prior to taken it to a marvellous Spanish tapas restaurant. In total it was decanted for 3hrs. The nose was full of wonderful spice route of tabbaco and saddle leather. The overall sense of fruit of red current is very evident. The taste is suburb. Layers of ripe plum along with a butterscotch. The Finnish was strong for a full minute. This wine as a winner and I highly recommend you give it time to breath. The 3hrs highly benifited it cause it as much tighter early on.
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6/20/2014 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 94 Points
Midsummer Night's Celebration (Pagan Way) (1 star L'Effervescence (Tokyo)): TN's here represent quite an amusing read.
Every 5th or so are not impressed and some seem convinced that this represents some kind of modern over-extracted and over-oaked plonk. Of course, tastes differ.
It has very little sediment because the grapes are tiny and come from a truly arid climate, which means natural concentration. Made in quite a different style from Rioja, and (arguably) with less oak.
Nose of warm, sunny notes of very mature grapes.
On the palate we all found a rich, GRANDE wine that I'd happily enjoy every day. Perfectly balanced: the acids keep this wine fresh, despite its magnificent concentration and warm, rich fruit on the palate.
Still almost untouched by age, and should (according to my palate) not be drunk on this side of 2020. Will mature very well! One btl to go for ~2023.
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6/12/2014 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
Castilla y Leon tasting (Osteria da Fiorella, Tel Aviv): Uncorked 2 hours in advance.
Dark opaque colour.
Rustic & noble tertiary aromas, spicy, cedary nose, heavily-oaked profile, with the anticipated power.
Full bodied, firm tannins, good acidity level, powerful, lots of good dark fruit edged with black licorice and smoke, long quality finish. Can age 5-10 years more.
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6/1/2014 - grossie wrote: 91 Points
Delicious right now. Dark, almost completely opaque. Brambly nose, some dark forest smells, some spicy oak quality. Full-bodied, ripe, rich, dense. Finishes nicely, but I do find it a little boozy. Labeled as 14.5%, I'm guessing it's a little more. It'll last a few years longer for sure, although it's starting to show some secondaries.
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6/1/2014 - bonedoc wrote:
Ditto last note, dark brooding, tannic wine, delicious.
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5/23/2014 - Zweder wrote: flawed
Rioja, Ribeira en Toro (@ Dordrecht): Corked
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5/23/2014 - Strikermax wrote: flawed
Kurk.
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4/27/2014 - rocknroller wrote:
Monthly Tasting Group: Spain (Solera, Mpls, MN): Very dark purple color. Unknown if decanted - I think not. Drank 2oz pour over 1 hour. Some brown sugar on the nose, black fruit, oak. The palate has firm, grippy tannins, lots of oak and alcohol currently, very spicy, black fruits, big wine. Very young; needs time to hopefully settle down. 88-92pts depending on where this goes.
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4/27/2014 - Miceri Likes this wine: 87 Points
Medium dark red; pleasant slightly lean nose; nice tobacco and caramel spices blending well together, however followed by being quite sharp with dry very pronounced tannins plucking your mouth and teeth; some nice characters but the very dry tannins detract the experience
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4/23/2014 - PourSomeRed wrote:
This wine needs a 2 hour decant. I won't give it a rating because I popped and poured. That being said, it got better after bring opened for an hour or so. I do feel that it was probably better 2 years ago, but it is still a good wine. Giving it a 76 is a bit silly.
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3/28/2014 - Rezy13 wrote: 84 Points
Bring your best you paid under $100- double blind (Norcross, GA): Opaque core with thin red rim; mint, paint thinner, tar, menthol; fat, no to low acid, red fruit, menthol, leather, older, hard as nails; this shows how blockbuster New World wines age...not well.
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3/28/2014 - King of the Blind Does not like this wine: 76 Points
A complete and utter abomination to the world of wine. I purchased two six packs of this wine upon its release from the glowing review from RP's Jay Miller (Before I realized he had the palate of a Ruby Tuesday's waiter) and opened my first bottle to see where the wine was at.
This wine is so awash in oak I don't think the fruit will last long enough to shed it. Drying out and utterly tannic this wine is disjointed and imbalanced. Several hours in the decanter did little to help this wine come together. This wine accounted for 90% of the dump bucket for that evening's dinner party. For the masochists here that are into this kind of thing, you can soon find the remaining case for auction at WC.
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2/24/2014 - Mtaylor305 wrote: 95 Points
Phenomenal wine deep rich, complex. Decanted for an hour before drinking. Notes of cassis, blackberry and fruit with some earthiness and licorice. Deep and rich with plenty of tannins
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2/17/2014 - Kriz wrote: 90 Points
Blackberry tart. Tannic. Oak and alcohol on the nose with some leather and bay leaf. Too much of it all. Will this ever come together?
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2/4/2014 - Rayburn wrote: 92 Points
This is a brooding beast. It needs time, time. I'm giving this on a lot of prediction. This is tobacco, black fruit and black olive. It's still primary 10 years out and has another 10. Interesting...
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2/2/2014 - schway wrote: 90 Points
Decent fruit. Lots of oak that is fairly well-integrated. Quite acidic, which gives it good lift but also too much bite. Some earth character as well. Fairly tannic. This was better than I expected based on some reviews, but still not really my thing. Seems like it could use some more time, but not sure it has the material (especially not fruit) to make it.
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1/20/2014 - Rollerball wrote: 95 Points
Hours in the decanter. Deep, dense, and powerful, with a sour flirtatiousness that incorporates levitating minerality, grounded spice, and solid structure.
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12/27/2013 - maxima Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pas aussi complexe et étoffé que le 2005 mais très bon.
Nez sur les fruits noirs et les herbes.
Bouche puissante et ample, tannins serrés et finale assez longue.
...à attendre 5-7 années!
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12/18/2013 - ob2s wrote: 92 Points
Not sure how RP could give this 98 points in 2006. Did he have an Ouija board ? It is quite drinkable now with hours of O2. It has the legs to go probably longer than I will be around. I should have waited on this one, but it was opened for an opening of a new spanish restaurant in Portland and shared it with the chef who liked it.
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12/12/2013 - benny wrote: 94 Points
Did not decanted long enough. This could use more time in the cellar. It is an outstanding wine but has time to go yet to reach it's potential.
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11/1/2013 - Giggs wrote: 91 Points
Breeders' Cup XXX; 11/1/2013-11/2/2013: Decanted 4 hours. Spicy, cedary nose, the expected heavily-oaked profile, but it doesn't bring the anticipated power. Same on the palate: lacks the power you'd associate with this label. Up front there's good dark fruit edged with black licorice and smoke, but the fruit concentration falls off considerably in late palate and finish. While I don't think this is in a dumb phase, I do think a few more years will improve it by letting some of the oak integrate.
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9/10/2013 - gdbarton1@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Very dark purple, opaque. Dark black fruit cedar nose. Full bodied, dark red fruit, full flavored, sturdy, good mix of acid and richness, long finish. Great flavor, long finsh, great wine
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7/1/2013 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ditto of "WINK"s review in April 2013. Seems like it still needs a few more years as the tannins were visceral. Good stuff though, could go up a couple of points in the future.
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7/1/2013 - Papies wrote: 89 Points
Modern Spain to the maximum. Colour is purple/red. The nose is of a sweet oak forest with an interlace of ripe fruit. Good extraction. On the palate the tannins are now mellow, no sharp wall here but a silky round crowd pleasing wine. Somewhere along the line though, the complexity checked out, the typicity went on holiday and the 70+ yr old vines were buried under pile of oak. Wont disappoint but not a wine of excitement. 89-90 and drinks just fine now.
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6/18/2013 - Stefan75 wrote: 91 Points
Mag decanted for 3h, no signs of aging, good nose but still a bit inaccessible compared to 2001 I had recently....needs probably 2-3 more years
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5/28/2013 - benny wrote: 96 Points
This is all the superlatives. Will only get better.
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5/8/2013 - 83AJ wrote: 82 Points
Good red wine, just very intense and strong wood overtone. Needs a mood, some iberico and loud music. Open at least 2 hours prior. Drink or stay, its just ok wine
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4/4/2013 - Wink Likes this wine: 93 Points
After Jay Miller gave this wine a score of 98 in the Wine Advocate, I went out hunting for bottles. I could only locate one, as the others had been scarfed up. It has been in my cellar ever since. I could keep my hands off this bottle no longer, so I opened it tonight. And it is really, really good. 98 points? I don't think so. But I wouldn't fault Jay's enthusiasm. Dark, nearly opaque garnet. Nose of dust, licorice, cedar, and dark fruits. Full palate of ripe dark fruit (blackberry, currant, plum), spice, and licorice. Excellent length. Vibrant, focused, mouthwatering acidity. Youthful tannins. Integrated oak. High alcohol barely noticeable. I really wish I had more bottles.
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1/12/2013 - Vintomas wrote: 91 Points
Dark red, compact colour. Nose with ripe dark berries, blackberries and some dark cherries, molten tar and sweet liquorice, some violets and hints of vanilla. A slightly sweet impression on the nose but the "dark" notes dominate. More than medium bodied, ripe dark fruit mixed with some sour berries, blackberries, tar aromas, good acidity, some spice, medium+ tannins, just a hint of alcohol, rather tannic aftertaste. The palate is powerful, but actually less sweet than the nose. The acidity provides good balance and some freshness and lift. Currently, the wine is in an in-between phase; it does not have the explosive primary aromas that I remember when it was released, but doesn't really show any developed notes. While definitely enjoyable, I expect this to show better in another 2-5 years. Score 91+.
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1/8/2013 - yui wrote: 92 Points
try another one in 2-3 years
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11/9/2012 - bonedoc wrote: 94 Points
At first tannic, then softened up to reveal sweet dark purple/black fruits, full bodied, slightly viscous and a great finish. A very nice wine that will go another 10, you'd never guess it was 8 old.
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11/3/2012 - KPB wrote: 93 Points
A very "masculine" wine. Still nearly black, with a vivid violet rim. Our first bottle was badly corked, but the nose on the second one was clean: a spicy aroma of musky leather, sweat, licorice, ripe plums, beeswax. Back in 2007 I commented that this could be a high-end Cote Rotie and I agree with myself; the wine is definitely in a style I associate with northern Syrah in a year with good ripeness. Powerful and concentrated; the fruit here is ripe but framed by intense tannins and serious acidity. Finish is long and mineral driven. Nowhere near maturity; I would say that if this is how it tastes at age 8, it won't be really mature at least until age 15!
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10/1/2012 - Zweder Likes this wine: 93 Points
Weekly tasting group #045; A mixed set of red wines. (@ DJ): Still an almost black color. Very concentrated bouquet with ripe dark fruits like blackberries, beautiful oak and some eucalyptus. On the palate juicy dark fruits; ripe blackberries and dark cherries. A lot of sweetness balanced by good acidity and tannin with a good bite. Luxurious oak as well. This wine is still so youthful! Probably wise to wait until 2020, although it is pleasure already.
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8/19/2012 - Ricky99 wrote: 91 Points
very tight at open. less than the 2002 we drank but still tight - opened nicely and was second best of the night behind the 2003
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8/17/2012 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 91 Points
A bit tight after pop and pour. Opened up over next couple of hours of drinking. Black tarry fruit. Ripe, but not opulent or overly extracted. Searing tannins on finish. Needs time or a long decant.
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8/10/2012 - robertek wrote: 92 Points
Hmm - I would have thought this was more complex and better by now. Good but not great. I am looking for more complexity and now after 8 years I am not sure it will ever show.
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5/15/2012 - WDK wrote: 91 Points
Big and rich, but harsh and acidic. Needs time.
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4/25/2012 - rnyrny79 wrote: 92 Points
A very good wine that does not offer much complexity in either nose or palate but is very pleasent to drink and to enjoy over a nice meal or conversation. Black fruits, vanilla and spice is what it offers in a full-bodied harmony that probably not will evolve to become much better than today.
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4/13/2012 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Haggis returns to town! (Cafe Orchid, Chicago): Inky purple color. Aromas of flroals, blue fruit and mint. Black fruit and vanilla. Very modern in style.
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4/13/2012 - Vino Me wrote: 88 Points
Opened by Anwar at the Haggis offline. Black purple color. Hugely concentrated. Chewy tannins. Black currant, grape skin and blackberry notes. Full bodied. Too over the top and lacking balance for me. I'm sure others at the offline liked it better. I liked the 2000, 2001 and 2003 better than this bottle. Perhaps it will smooth out with time. 88 points.
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4/11/2012 - jfkwines wrote: 93 Points
Drank extremely well, so smooth and open. Double decanted with aeration. Really wowed the table
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1/5/2012 - phansen wrote: 80 Points
This is really to much... WAY to much.. An explosion in the mouth, but not a pleasant one.. If this wine is getting good, it will take atleast 20 years.. But frankly I doubt it.. It is to much of every two things...
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12/18/2011 - Radboy wrote: 93 Points
This is a big ass wine. And not so in an overly tannic way but very dense in its flavor profile. A bit subdued in its aromatics, this is rich in a black inky sort of way. The fruit will probably unfold and become more complex as time goes on adding to its flavors of black berry and black licorice...yeah thats it, fruity black licorice. Wow.
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12/4/2011 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is still a beast that needs more cellar time. Inky purple. Black cherry nose. Huge palate still dominated by dusty tannin. Brooding background flavors promise a payoff for those who are a little more patient. This youngster has lots of dark fruit, especially cherry. I will wait at least two years before I open another. Lots of upside potential here.
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11/30/2011 - Ive Marx wrote: 95 Points
Coming together nicely. Good but not spectacular nose. In the mouth the wine is far more integrated than on earlier occassions with spectacularly pure fruit (and lots of it, be it short of jammy and overdone) and big, velvety tannins.
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9/27/2011 - Counselor Chris wrote: 92 Points
Slow ox for 4 hours, then consumed over 2 hours or so. Reticent at first, but then quite good. Although not a traditional Spanish red, it was not sweet, ripe or heavy at this age either, but rather fairly precise, complex and balanced. Lots of graphite, mineral, dark fruit and spice. I think this will still improve in the coming years.
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9/17/2011 - winelovr2001 wrote: 93 Points
A potentially great wine. Still extremely tannic and needs years before it is ready.
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9/17/2011 - MikeC362 wrote: flawed
Corked
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9/11/2011 - PourSomeRed wrote: 91 Points
Talk about dimensional. This wine has a lot going on. It is probably at least 3 to five years until it reaches it's peak. Everything is there, it just needs to balance out. There is a little too much heat at the end, but the fruit, oak, and earth are great. Hold at least for 2 years.
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7/24/2011 - cubswinws wrote: 93 Points
Really nice. Tannins have mellowed and it has a great exotic spice and slight earth and herbs. Really nice.
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7/10/2011 - Rollerball wrote: 96 Points
A veritable black hole (EWS). The bouquet is an impatient young athlete wearing an exotic, cherry tuxedo of campfire, iron violets, and mulling spices. Tongue-staining flavors of cherry’d peppercorns, saddle leather, serious intoxication, ink, earth, citrus oil, and purple grape. Koolaid, cold coffee, sticks, and briar. Dense structure and a long, streamlined finish.
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7/10/2011 - Rollerball wrote: flawed
Corked. Really disappointing.
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7/9/2011 - g-man wrote: 92 Points
Still some heat but settles out over a couple of hours. Somewhat disjointed. There'a a lot goimg on here but it never seemas to come together. I have a couple left and will let them sit another couple of years
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6/13/2011 - MRichman wrote:
Thick, dark, inky. Some nice delicate floral notes with muscular but somewhat closed fruit and tightly wound acidic tannins. Hold.
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3/9/2011 - VindependenceDay wrote: 91 Points
Tannins definitely have smoothed out since last tasting in 2008. Still dense and chocolatey. Fruit is coming out now finally. Black cherry. Graphite.
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1/23/2011 - Cellar Fiend wrote: 90 Points
Audouzed in the cellar for 8 hours. Decanted (in my glass) for 2 hours before consuming. The nose on this wine vanilla, black fruits, and almost a fresh burnt (brulee style) sugar. The nose is very delicious. The palate does not live up to the nose. It is a BANG! In your mouth (no not like that), that immediately makes you take notice. The palate states: Hey! I'm here, taste my delicious explosive black current jam, coffee, and vanilla! This wine is definitely new world, nothing old world about it at this point. The finish is has substantial tannins despite the prolonged decanting. It ends with more delicious over-the top fruit and vanilla which lasts for 10 seconds in the mouth. I bought three of these, and I am not sure this wine will improve anymore. I guess I will wait and see. Delicious now with a decant; especially if you enjoy the style.
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1/19/2011 - Strikermax wrote: 95 Points
Donkerpaars van kleur, volle geur van zwart fruit, leer, chocolade en espresso. Wat port-achtige smaak, met flink wat alcohol, cassis en kruiden. Mega-lange afdronk, er lijkt echt geen einde aan te komen (3 minuten is niet overdreven). De tannines zijn duidelijk aanwezig, maar prachtig geïntegreerd.
Op dit moment al fantastisch om te drinken, een belofte voor de toekomst!
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11/22/2010 - Miceri wrote: 94 Points
Very dark (black) red; soft, round, dense, deep nose, ripe blackberry, vague hint of port; powerful almost overwhelming, deep, lots of ripe red/black fruit, tannic (quite a lot), slightly prickly (not much), not jammy acidity holding it up; very long aftertaste; lots of power, not fine or with finesse; quite enjoyable
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11/12/2010 - S. Lorin wrote: 90 Points
still young; thick and concentrated, yet so tannic and rough, fruit is hidden by a wall of chocolate and oak; better on night 2 - relented but not enough. on a holding pattern.
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11/10/2010 - jaylew1 wrote: 93 Points
Consumed at Quimet and Quimet in Barcelona. First taste of this wine in several years. FINALLY, starting to soften up. This was an absolute monster that is just starting to enter drinkability. I'd still suggest waiting a year or two, but if you must...go ahead and give one a try.
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9/5/2010 - Kirk Grant wrote: 92 Points
Tasted 7 hours later and the tannin has finally found the balance needed to enjoy this wine. While it is very "new world" in style I can still enjoy what little I am tasting of this. It will be interesting to see what happens to this wine given more time sideways...
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9/5/2010 - Kirk Grant wrote: 89 Points
Color: Violet opaque
Smell: dark fruits, earth and mineral notes. There is a slight burn on the nose...that I hope will fade away with some time in the decanter.
Taste: Dark fruits are eclipsed by firm tannins and the alcohol has quite a bit of a drying effect on the mouth.
Overall: Med + fruit, High tannin, and med+ acidity. We shall see how this is in a few hours as I am opening this for a friend who is joining me for dinner. My hope is that with 5-6 hours in a decanter that the tannin will step out of the spotlight and this wine might start to shine. An excellent wine...but I have high hopes that it will become something outstanding given some air and room to breathe. The alcohol and tannin are too dominant for me to really fall for this wine.
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6/25/2010 - MarkC Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow--a tannic monster. I had this for the first time about three years ago and I don't remember it being this tannic. Perhaps the fruit is receding yet the tannin integration hasn't caught up yet? Plenty of dark fruit, brooding structure, and I'd guess this will get better as the tannins meld with the rest of the wine, but right now it needs a LOT of air to make it drinkable. (PE: 90)
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5/25/2010 - ed-d wrote: 90 Points
Black color. A bit closed on the nose with some spicy black fruit peeking through. Big, massive black currant & black licorice flavors on the palate. The alcohol just takes over the palate. Not a bad effort & clearly well made except that the alcohol needs to be tamed. Tasted double blind.
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5/22/2010 - phenricsson wrote: 89 Points
Blind. Big looking but monolithic and not enough sweet fruit. Left some for next day and maybe somewhat better but not much. Had this at a tasting in 2008, loved it and bought 6 bottles and tried 2 that both have been disappointing.
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5/10/2010 - ob2s wrote:
still way too young
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5/2/2010 - rhalbert wrote: 91 Points
Drank at Sahalee with the prime rib. Decanted for 2 hours and that was nowwhere near enough. Still extremely power juice and a bit too tanic at this stage for me to truly enjoy how good this wine can be.
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4/11/2010 - dky wrote: 93 Points
huge nose of dark fruit, oak, coffee, and pepper. flavor profile was again dark fruits, pepper, some earth and oak. decanted for about an hour and consumed one glass and finished the bottle the following day. the second day was better the oak blew off and was able to enjoy this wine much more.
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4/2/2010 - robertgoulet wrote: 91 Points
some nice gamey notes
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3/29/2010 - Rick-again wrote: 95 Points
openned at 2 , decanted at 530 drank at 7.......a huge wine that is developing well, tannins , chocolate, dark fruit, smoke, cherries....long finish and well integarted Alcohol
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3/15/2010 - Siggy wrote: 85 Points
Chocolate-covered cherries, copious smoky dark fruit, vanilla, coffee, and gobs of toasty new oak. A large-scaled, highly extracted, ultra-modern wine that could have come from anywhere. Anonymous though it may be, it's quite drinkable and the alcohol is under control.
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2/19/2010 - robertek wrote: 93 Points
This is a great wine that I think will grow significantly over the next ten years. It si great to drink already today though so we will see if I can keep the bottles left until its prime.
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2/3/2010 - PatrikO wrote: 87 Points
Massively overrated by Jay Miller. Super exstracted and port like, the 15% coupon makes it too hot for me. Sure there is a lot of fruit here, but it's not coming together very well, tannic and dry to the extreme. Will try again in a few years hopefully it has improved by then.
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2/2/2010 - pinotwinelover wrote: 94 Points
very good wine with rich tannins and structured for food
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12/28/2009 - Rick-again wrote: 92 Points
big powerful wine requires lot of air
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11/15/2009 - sonakul_t wrote: 92 Points
Dark dark dark like a glass of blood. Good nose, lots of black fruits. Very powerful and still very tannic and chewy. Needs a lot of air time, over 2hours still overwhelming. With more age this would be a very good bottle
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10/31/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
Opened this for Halloween because I thought this might be a horror show, but I couldn't have been farther from the truth. A shockingly well-made wine that is neither spoofed, over-extracted, nor sweet or candied. On the contrary, this is fully dry, with great balance and very good purity of blackberry fruit and precise freshness. It has an earthiness that I associate with many Spanish wines, and a little dried herbs. Clearly a very good wine that would probably at least merit a score in the low 90s from most wine critics other than Mr. Big Jay. I am duly impressed.
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10/16/2009 - A&C wrote: 91 Points
This was wonderful -- open, plush, and light on its feet. A slight tad bit of bitterness crept in, which lowered the score, but the wine is extremely feminine and plush.
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8/30/2009 - robertek wrote: 92 Points
This is a powerhouse that needs more time. It opens up somewhat if left decanted for a couple of hours but it still rather rough on the palate. It has big potential when the tannins become a bit more integrated with the fruit.
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8/29/2009 - bmmcneill wrote: 94 Points
Dark fruits on the nose, choclate notes with loads of spice and some oak. Taste was a little tannic but very full and elegant. Long finish and only got better as it sat in the glass.
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8/22/2009 - phenricsson wrote: 85 Points
Brutal. Decanted for 3 hours and Lynn served it blind to me. We loved this at a tasting last year and bought 6 bottles. This was initially almost undrinkable - sour, tannic and a very hot, alcoholic finish. After we drank another wine for a few hours and had some braised rabbit with it it opened up some and at some times was even very good, more balanced and with very good aromatics. I gave it 85 points only for the few glasses we had with food and after 5 hours of decanting - before that it was barely a 75.
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8/1/2009 - ews3 wrote: 94 Points
Spain and Portugal Tasting (Casa Roberts): Ridiculously young and a clear contrast with the Unico that preceded it in the blind flight. Huge, soft tannins. Vanilla, sweet plum, cherry syrup. Long long finish is what really makes this wine.
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8/1/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote: 92 Points
Spain and Portugal (2033 Brandywine): Very good. Deep dense. Cherry coke, chocolate, herbs and dark fruit. A bit tannic and tough to get a handle on, but that is to be expected. Should soften over time. Patience will be rewarded. Solid finish.
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7/10/2009 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Full bodied, a lot of sweetness and also a lot of good fruits; cherries and black fruits. Soft bitterness and a very long finish. A great blockbuster with good complexity. Give it another 3+ years of cellaring.
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3/25/2009 - winestem wrote: 95 Points
Exquisite wine. Full bodied, lush, oaky intertwined with berry. Two thumbs way up.
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1/24/2009 - Rollerball wrote: 94 Points
Dense and sealed like a fortress. What this shows is wonderful, but you just sense there's a sorceress, witch, or maybe dragon in there. A six-hour decant loosened and disclosed--not its treasures--but the fact of their existence.
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1/2/2009 - Rollerball wrote:
4-hr decant. Exciting; dark; hard to penetrate. Its stunning strtucture and feel are more prevelant than its smokey, spicy fruit.
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12/11/2008 - cgrimes wrote: 95 Points
NSMFOW December '08--BYO Yankee Swap (The Grapevine, Salem, MA): Purple opaque. Nose of dark fruits: blackberry, blueberry, plum with spice, tar. Similar palate with dark chocolate. Massive mouthcoating tannins. This is a monster of a wine. Fabulous density. My contribution #2.
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10/27/2008 - pgm wrote: 95 Points
Pepper and strawberry syrup over blackberry after one hour of decanting, but it was so tight and so fiercely tannic I thought it was unlikely to come out of it. But at three hours, some sweet caramel notes show up, the fruit gets round with cherries, juicy and huge.
This is the best bottle I've had yet. It's drinking great now, but only with a long decant. 95-96.
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9/12/2008 - ews3 wrote: 94 Points
powerful dark fruit flavors with a finish that lasted for 30 seconds. the concentration on this was incredible.
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8/29/2008 - gr8r84u wrote:
Last bottle was much better. Not showing much (maybe closing down a bit). I'm going to let the others rest for a few years.
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8/21/2008 - Thralow wrote: 94 Points
Decant
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7/9/2008 - E wrote: 93 Points
One word....potential....huge wine still with mouth drying tannin...stood out in a tasting of spanish wines as something completely different.
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6/8/2008 - idrinkvino wrote: 93 Points
Pure and elegant, with strong chocolate and rasberry flavours. Very young and should age effortlessly for at least another five years.
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4/13/2008 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
Numanthia at the Masters (Ken's): Hugely effusive nose is floral with rich, toasty black cherries. Palate is ripe, rich and laser focused with big sweet tannins counter punching fruits. Big black fruits, toasty vanilla and barrel spices dominate. Tasty - but soooo young. This will certainly age well with huge amounts of everything.
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4/13/2008 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Masters and Numanthias (Northbrook, IL): Incredibly powerful, concentrated flavours of chocolate, blueberries, cherries, vanilla, oak and brown sugar dominate the nose and palate here. Plush, mouthcoating texture with firm, chewy tannins that are slightly obscured by the immense fruit concentration. Very long finish.
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4/5/2008 - johbev wrote: 98 Points
Still very tannic, but less so than 6 month ago. Some baby fat remains. Very nice even after only
a couple of hours in the decanter. I suspect it will be even better tomorrow. Smoke and vanilla, lot of fruit,
some almond paste on the finish. Went very well with rare tenderloins which hid some of the tannins. I liked it a lot and I'm sure it will improve with age. The complexity is there and will deepen with age.
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3/20/2008 - buckeye76 wrote: 96 Points
RICH DEEP BLACK FRUITS IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH HINTS OF CHOCOLATE AND COFFEE. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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3/20/2008 - sawira wrote: 96 Points
Pop and pour. C- Mulberry stain purple, no rim. N- Chocolate covered raspberry dessert. T- Mammoth. A wine on steroids. Fruit-driven, pure attack. Long, dry mid-palate. Chocolate, dark berries, vanillin, teeth coating tannins, low acidity. Just huge.
24 hours later. Amazingly, with all this fruit and size, it's a well balanced, dare I say classy, even elegant wine. I was reluctant to believe, but I do agree this has the balance and material for a long, healthy evolution. We'll see, because wines like this arouse enough curiosity in me to want to stay healthy and coherent well into my 80s. Anything that inspires me to exercise and eat right is a good thing!
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2/16/2008 - yui wrote: 91 Points
Nothing that amazing - maybe b/c I drank sauternes w/ the fois gras pate right b4, but was way better the next day. From mem. Lots of acidity, tannins, fruit and oak. Probably need to age this baby.
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12/15/2007 - KPB wrote: 94 Points
Dark purple. To my nose and palate, a ringer for a northern rhone syrah-based red from a good vintage. The nose is high-toned, with crunchy red fruits; spice, hints of something musky. I can understand where Tanzer finds the "sangria" aromas, although to me that description is a bit more exotic than the actual wine. Sweet bite with firm acidity and tannic structure in a style I could easily mistake for a high-end cote rotie. Quite a success -- visit this baby at age 10 or 12...
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12/15/2007 - nvandyk wrote: 96 Points
Spectacular. Huge wine. Deep, deep purple. Chocolate and blueberry on the nose. Clash of the Titans on the palate, with fruits and tannins battling for supremacy but yet somehow it knits together well. This is drinking great right now...has the backbone for 15 years of aging at least and once some of the tannins have been shed, this score may seem conservative.
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12/14/2007 - junglejuice wrote: 93 Points
This wine is absolutely monstrous. Right now it is a huge tannic beast with big ripe dark fruit and hints of earth coming through on the nose and palate. My score right now is a 93-94 because it is nowhere near hitting its stride and will truly be something special once the tannins subside after a few more years in the bottle. It is going to be very hard to be patient with this monster but I feel the pay off will be well worth it.
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10/9/2007 - benny wrote: 98 Points
I can not describe the experience better than JM in the WA profile. This is spectacular. Argueably the best I've ever enjoyed.
Will it still be good in 2032? I will not know, because I will have enjoyed the 28 btls I have long before I'm senile.
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9/27/2007 - mortenef wrote: 94 Points
One bastard of a wine. It rips your gums and your teeth out, and leaves you with a "wow. Can a wine be this tannic, and a still have fruit". The answer is...yes it can. The potential is huge here. After a day or two in the fridge it became friendly, and showed what is to come in 5 or 10 years.
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9/26/2007 - pgm wrote: 95 Points
Ok, now it's time to stop. This bottle was tannic tannic tannic, so tannic that not only my tongue but my teeth and lips felt coated and dried out. But even all those tannins can't contain the huge fruit. I'm still getting plum, blueberry, chocolate, and dense black fruit, with a bit of tobacco, leather, and spicebox. It changes every time you come back to it. Difficult to score this tonight, because it wasn't as indulgent as previous bottles, but I think I'm going to add a point to to my previous scores because it's showing stunning potential.
Day two: brings blackberry and licorice, black pepper, and the tannins have melted considerably. Tonight it's a brawny, meaty, savory wine. Confirms in my mind that it is worthy of a classic score. But I've really got to let 'em lie for a few years.
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9/22/2007 - Ernie F wrote: 94 Points
Decant an hour or two before drinking.
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9/22/2007 - blue wrote:
Not that impressed. I did find it less balanced that the New Rioja wines. Big in every dimension but seems to close with harsh tannins and alcohol. May neeed yeras to come around
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9/15/2007 - peternelson wrote:
WineX Opaque scarlet; intense earth, dirt, stems, low grade spice--earthiness w/DRIED Cherry; HUGE rich mth, tons of high soaring a’s in mid p!, rich, soft t’s; EXPLOSIVE flavor, of blkberry/earth; but do youwant that much?Med fin., *Body builder but w/definit.
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9/5/2007 - Squirreljam wrote:
Wow, there's a lot here. No score as I'm disappointed with myself that I gave into temptation and popped this. Massively rich fruit after opening that within about half an hour closed into a tannic beast. Tons of bluberry and chocolate; finish is very long but drying. Nose was restrained, didn't get the flamboyance that others have reported. For me, needs further cellaring, at least a couple years.
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9/2/2007 - kehoutek wrote: 96 Points
i just love this wine. so well balanced and the finish goes on for minutes. I needed to whiten my teeth after this bottle
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8/14/2007 - vivaitalia wrote: 98 Points
I was amazed how much flavor it was bringing considering how young it is. But after 5-6 hours of breathing in a giant decanter, the tannins had softened enough to reveal concentrated red and dark berry flavors as well as graphite and mocha. The nose seemed closed but I had a bit of a cold. Honestly I couldn't think of a better wine at $45. Actually for me I don't think i've ever had anything better in any price range.
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8/13/2007 - KeithAkers wrote: 95 Points
Nose: very delightful nose with rasberry, black currant, and blackberries. The nose really integrates well between a new world and old world nose with the fruit being there, but not in your face and having a nice subtle harmony working together
Taste: A very dry finish that seems to last forever on the palatte. Much of the fruit that was on the nose is present too in the taste but I'm also getting some vanilla a little bit too. The tannins are kicking big time due to this being a very young wine
Overall: an excellent wine. This is just a really splendid effort here and is actually a big time QPR at the $55 range that I got it at. It can be drunk young if decanted for a decent amount of time, but this one is also great for aging and may be out of this world in a few years. A really wonderful wine
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8/11/2007 - kehoutek wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 4 hours. Absolutely loved it. A little bit too much alcohol on the nose but otherwise very well balanced with a long and very pleasant finish...
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8/8/2007 - Thralow wrote: 94 Points
Way too young to be near its prime.
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8/5/2007 - MarkC wrote:
Needs a LOT of air at this point (more than it needed back in February, which seems odd to me). A tannic monster - something else I don't remember. Has plenty of stuffing for the long term, gobs of blue and black fruits, good balance outside of the intensity of the tannins, and a long finish. I think this will be better tomorrow, and am reserving a score for now.
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8/4/2007 - Combee1 wrote: 86 Points
Drank this bottle with a cold. Overall, richly extracted, dense wine. A bit flabby. None of the minerality that seems to characterize many Spanish wines. Not a great QPR, but enjoyable while being a bit flabby.
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7/25/2007 - pgm wrote: 94 Points
So much for my "won't try it again for awhile": the opportunity presented itself via the best value on a restaurant wine list. This bottle seemed to be showing more of itself, more "there" in comparison to the previous one. A generous nose of black cherry fruit and smoky spices. Powerful and rich fruit in the mouth, and the tannins were a little more restrained this time, but certainly there. This scoring reflects this tasting, but I'm thinking this has still more to give.
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7/7/2007 - pgm wrote: 94 Points
Initially stunning aromas as it was decanted, it immediately turned shy on the nose. I thought it might be completely closed, but the palate was absolutely huge and dense with black fruits. After a couple hours decant, the nose starts to make a showing, and so do some fierce tannins. Lots of enjoyment now, but this definitely needs some time to come together. I'm not going to open another for a year or two (my score here reflects some confidence that this is really going to be mindblowing with a little more time).
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7/5/2007 - dougsmith wrote:
Spain TNs; 6/30/2007-7/9/2007: No detailed TN taken, but this came across to me as way too young, with oak that remains unintegrated. Very extracted. Should wait several years on my bottles.
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6/14/2007 - gr8r84u wrote: 97 Points
Didn't get the nose at all but truly amazing fruit, great balance and acidity. Loved this wine. Hard to believe it will develop over time.
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6/11/2007 - MD2020 wrote: 96 Points
Extreme ink, with a very fruity nose, almost like a California Cabernet. The taste mixed berries with the tanins; it's delicious now, but hints of complexity to come. Very balance mouthfeel, but you need to invest in tooth-whitener.
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5/17/2007 - cellarbrator wrote: 98 Points
The biggest wine I've ever tasted. The sheer weight and intensity of this wine, for me, puts it in the mid 90s. This is a wine to break out with those who like the big Shiraz's and other massive wines.
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5/10/2007 - PathDoc wrote:
Did not enjoy this. Closed and wickedly tannic.
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5/5/2007 - cormyr wrote: 95 Points
tasted to me somewhere between a super high quality cali cab and a top notch aussie shiraz. highly concentrated without being jammy. fiercely tannic but they are fine and ripe. complex. somewhat closed right now but in 10 years this should be a screamer. hold.
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5/3/2007 - ptheimer wrote: 93 Points
Drank too early, needs time, clearly potential to be explosive
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4/20/2007 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Occasional tasting group: A mixed set of great Italian, French and some other wines. (@ PVa): A mouth full of wine. Spicy, mostly black and some red fruits, pepper, chocolate, good oak and good tannin. A blockbuster. A lot of acidity. Much too young. Will probably add some points in the future.
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4/18/2007 - Siggy wrote: 93 Points
Tasting Group Dinner - Spain (Solera, Minneapolis): Definitely the best of the lineup. The nose is actually quite restrained, offering up interesting hints of iron, smoke, and gunpowder. No VA going on here. Sappy cherries on the palate. Fiercely tannic; much more so than the 2000 or 2003. Very promising.
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4/18/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 92 Points
Minneapolis Tastes Spain (Unico, Mauro, Janus, Closa Batllet, Clio, Numanthia): The nose is similar to the 2000 Numanthia, but is more controlled despite its youth. Still offering big fruit, smoke, and oak, but an attractive earthiness is lurking underneath. Soft unstructured fruit is still dominate on the palate, but there is a healthy does of mineral, earth, oak, and vanilla to add some interest. If I were buying Numanthia I would go with the 2004 and hope that extended cellaring would allow this to develop into something interesting.
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4/14/2007 - Fatty Cat wrote: 93 Points
Mid Apr 2007: deep purple ink; started with slightly restrained red and dark fruit aromas and with bitter notes on the palate; very tannic; long finish; after approx. 24 hours much more open and balanced; strong muleberry aromas/flavors in nose and mouth. 93++/100
Opened too young. Eventually this could develop into an extraordinary (>94 points) wine. Luckily I still have several bottles in the cellar.
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4/14/2007 - gorm wrote: 96 Points
Dark purple. Sweet and overwhelming nose of dark berries and oak. This is a very young monster-wine: loads of tannins and structure, but all matched by excellent fruit and good integrated. It has "the full package": sweet and fat fruit, huge structure, minerals and peppery spices. While this is not close to being a "perfect wine" it is truly a "big wine". Opened 4 hours in advance and decanted for 2 hours.
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4/1/2007 - Weinlakai wrote: 90 Points
I'm sure this has tons of potential, but right now it is far from enjoyable... I decanted it 6 hours and to be honest I think it was too long. I experienced this effect before: wines shut down after being open for some time. Other tasting notes make clear that there has to be a slot in which it is enjoyable already. The nose was the best about the wine... but on the palate this was a tannin monster with smoked bacon like aromas... not on the fruity side at all and "off balance" is a compliment. The finish was really long of course and let's hope this wine comes together over the next 10+ years. My 90+ points that the wine has enormous power and potential. I don't think it will eventually get more than 95-96 points.
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4/1/2007 - torourke wrote: 92 Points
very young, full bodied and will cellar for a long time
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3/22/2007 - Jester wrote: 94 Points
Once Upon a Vine XIII - New Orleans, LA by Martin Wine Cellar (Pavillion of Two Sisters): Now this is spectacular. My notes say "Maybe not 98 points, but this is really GREAT!!" Big, rich, nose full of cherry and cassis liquor with an herbal, menthol streak underneath. Palate is very full bodied and expands exponentially in the mouth.. Tannins are giant behemoths, but are held nicely in check by fresh acidity and gobs and gobs of juicy flavorful fruit. Blackberry and raspberry jam, boysenberry, toast and vanilla with undercurrents of cedar, earth, and toasty oak. Plenty of Mocha Chocolatte on the finish for the Starbucks fans. For $39.99, this is a no brainer. A great wine that will be outstanding in a few years. 93-94 points
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3/20/2007 - trankin wrote:
SOBER Spanish tasting (Drew's): A bit of cocoa, with nice dark fruits and blackberries. My notes are vague here.
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3/18/2007 - Hillbilly wrote: 93 Points
I can definitely see the attraction to this wine. Flashy, open and drinks well. Not decanted. Dark fruit melange with blueberry at the forefront. Oak tones as well. Seamless, smooth sexy mouthfeel. Some tannic backbone is there, not flabby, but buried under fruit. Significantly less tannic than the Termes. Well made, competent and I'll follow it for a while. It just did not grab me emotionally.
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3/15/2007 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
Wineflock - 2004 Spanish survey, judging the hype (My House): Group #2 in flight - Full opaque purple color. Rich aroma of acidic black fruit with hints of smoke. Tight black fruit with hints of coffee. Long tannic finish. A sleeping young monster...
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3/7/2007 - Red Mountain Man wrote: 96 Points
Bought today and promptly opened to determine if I needed to buy more for the cellar. I often approach RP scores with some caution because he prefers the overextracted fruit bombs which are good every now and then, but I don't want a cellar full of them. Since Jay Miller rated this one, I wanted to see how his palate alligned to mine.
I decanted the wine for 3 hours, and drank 1/2 the bottle on the first day. The second half was drank the following day. I don't have a lot of experience with Spanish wines, but this one definately tasted like a New World wine. In a blind cabernet tasting, it would be easy to confuse this as a qulaity California cab, and indeed, it reminded me of a great 02' Etude Napa Valley Cab bottle I had last year. The nose is a moster - deep rasberry, black cherries and vanilla. The tannins on this puppy are huge, so cellaring it for 5+ years before opening a bottle is recommended. The finish was well over a minute, and that is no lie. I have never had a wine with such a soaring finish. This wine was an emotional experience for me, and I can only see it getting better. I'm picking up another 3 tomorrow and will let sit until 2012 before popping the next one. I need to find more wine like this at $50.
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3/3/2007 - KenK wrote: 96 Points
Opaque dark purple with dark cherry colored rim.
Rich toasted caramel nose with dark chocolate black cherry scent. While oak is first aroma to be detected, big sweet concentrated fruit is not far behind. Primary fruit, but clearly of high quality.
Upon entry, the wine stains the palate with massively rich dark chewy fruit that is ripe and highly structured by intense acid and tannin backbone. A combo of new world oak and polish with black mineral quality only found in the old world. The finish follows almost seamlessly into an aftertaste of dark cherry essence that seems to go on forever. The mouth puckering tannins stay on even longer. A fat, dense masucline wine with rich black fruit flavors. Somewhat primary currently and in need of integration, but all the raw materials are here. Not a wine giving much pleasure now, but good bet this comes together with a few years of time and mellows out. Bottom line: big wine with loads of stuffing, but needs time. Wine must be judged on potential, not for current drinking IMHO.
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2/14/2007 - drock25 wrote: 90 Points
Has great potential. Agree with the other evaluations on this site. Chalky tannins, too young, oak, power. Needs to settle down. Set down for at least two more years, probably more. Had the bottle with my wife over dinner which included rib-eye and spicy polenta cakes, the wine totally overpowered the food.
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2/1/2007 - jim dixon wrote: 92 Points
Yowza. Too young! Too young! Why didn't I read other notes before opening this? Chalky tannins dominate. I'm hoping it will be a kinder wine on day two.
2nd day: quite a bit more accessible (more fruit, better balance) but still a monster.
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12/17/2006 - budman wrote: 91 Points
Way too young, but I had to try one. Significant heat, and the fruit is somewhat muddled, but all of the pieces are there, and will probably come together in 3-5 years. I won't open another until 2010.
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12/6/2006 - dougsmith wrote: 90 Points
We popped and poured this one. Deep ruby to violet color. Intense nose of coffee, cocoa, deep blackberry and sweet plum, licorice, oak and heat. On the palate this is thick, savage and rough, with very grippy tannins, lots of flavor and definite alcohol profile. It's clearly way too young at this point, but with promise; it will be worth seeing if the elements can knit together.
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