Solid St Estephe and enjoyable. I wouldn’t necessarily rush to buy the same vintage of this producer again and wouldn’t rush to the producer more generally either. Drinking well, no rush if you have bottles in your cellar, but I don’t know how much further upside there is to be had in waiting. Worth its current 88.9 rating. I agree the current drinking window specified to 2020 doesn’t seem long enough.
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Still deep ruby purple with just a hint of garnet at the rim Still fresh ripe dark currant and blackberry flavors This is in fabulous shape and in no sign of decline despite the advertised drinking window, rather perfect drinking.
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Though not corked , taste seems to have fallen off with regard to fruit and body. Nose has an interesting sweetness but nothing of importance Decanted for a few hours and no real change.
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My last bottle from a half-case purchased back in 2009. Like all previous ones, this really benefited from an hour or more of air. Medium-bodied, now drinking like a very elegant, fully mature St. Estephe. Only a trace of its plum and dark currant fruit remains, with secondary flavors of earth, coffee and spice more prominent now. There's a lively acidity and an intense minerality on the long, slightly chewy finish. A wonderful Left Bank Bordeaux, made in the traditional style. 50+5+12+17+7=91
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Not my fav, heavy, nice bouquet , good flavor, grows boring after a glass, lacks oomph, balanced but dull, consistent with previous bottles, drank with rib steak, will not drink again.
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Last tasted almost four years ago. This time, all of the astringency on the tongue is gone. The nose and flavors are about the same when last tasted: "earthiness, blackberry, blueberry, minerals, some chocolate and oak." Good structure and balance. Probably should be consumed in 2-3 years. A good pairing with Icelandic lamb.
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Last time I drank this it was hard as a rock. This time, it is coming around a little. Still nothing to write home about (I had a cheap Buzet 2010 yesterday that was better), but it is fairly drinkeable.
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Robe rubis foncé. Nez de cassis et cèdre brûlé. La bouche est encore austère, mais une bonne heure en carafe ressortira encore plus ses notes de petits fruits des champs. Bel équilibre entre le fruit, les tanins et son élevage. Beaucoup de tenue pour ce Cru bourgeois.
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We had no trouble giving this a 90. Let it breathe for about 30-40 minutes and it opened up nicely--many Bordeaux even of this vintage and age take a lot longer to open up. Seemed to be more of a California-style Cab blend - spicy/brambly. Medium-bodied but had a good deal of depth to it - got something different out of it with every taste. Lengthy finish. The Cab predominates, but this is not as robust as some St Estephe's. Drink now.
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A dull wine. Some bouquet, medium weight, short finish and just blah. A WS favorite, I have never liked it; fruit tastes old; drank with steaks; unfortunately I have 1 more bottle.
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Positively surprised vis-à-vis my own and other people's rather pedestrian valuations. No, this will never be a great or even a good cru bourgeois. But, frankly, in my mind this wine was already well underway toward the cooking pot. Well, that can wait for a while. Tha tannins have softened a bit, there is some nose; this performs on generic Bordeaux level but it is rather drinkable.
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OK but disappointing. Low alcohol which seems like a negative in this wine. Heavy with too thick mouth feel. Almost Ripasso like. OK bouquet. Have had this wine before and am not impressed. A WS fav. Many much better Bordeauxs at this price point.
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This wine really came around after posting initial tasting note. On its 2nd day after preserving with Preservino (Christmas gift - this is a great system which uses Argon gas) and after 3 hours open this wine showed great balance, mellow tannins, and qualities one would expect from a Cru Bourgeois Superior. Bump up rating to 90.
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The wine looks Ruby colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Stoniness, Cinnamon, Blackberry, Strawberry, Mineral, and Bark. It tastes like Blackberry, Red Currant, Mineral, Dust, Bark, and Stoniness. The body is Light/Medium. The wine has Leathery texture. The wine finishes Short. Will hold remaining 2 bottles for 3 years to see what evolves.
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Great bordeaux nose of fruit and funk. Softer on the palate than I expected with smooth tannins. Not overly complex on the finish but still a great food wine.
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Haven't opened a Bordeaux in quite a while and needed to make some room for new arrivals so I decided to try one of these. This bottle required a 2-hour decanting before it opened up. Shows a dark, opaque purple color - lightening just slightly around the edges. The nose is extremely powerful and can be detected clear across the room. Beautiful aromas of leather, flowers, spice and earth explode from the glass. Medium-to-full bodied, but very long and chewy. Lots of tart fruit and dry, dusty tannins that saturate the palate. The long, complex finish contains lingering notes of chocolate, coffee and licorice. Hard to believe this is only 12.5% ABV. Drinks much bigger than that. Really outstanding and a very pleasant surprise for an under $20 St. Estephe. 91+ 50+5+13+15+8=91
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Dark Ruby colored. Sweet nose of bright red fruit. On the palette not much oak. Sweet Blackberries and Cherries. Good balance between the acidity and the long drying Tannin's. Decent finish. Wish I had a few more of these.
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Just about identical to the nose and flavors in my notes of 12/16/11: earthiness, blackberry, blueberry, minerals, some chocolate and oak. Some astringency on the tongue due to the tannins though. Gets a lot better with food; this time a very nice lamb with everything dish. Paired best of all here.
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Very similar to my notes last August, except there seemed to be a better fruit concentration. Aromas and flavors of earthiness, blackberry, blueberry, minerals, some chocolate and oak. This bottle seemed to conform more to what I remember a couple years ago. Paired nicely with N.Y. steak.
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A slight bit of browning, but still mainly purple on the rim. A dark garnet body. Blackberry, blueberry, a hint of chocolate and some oak. Medium fruit concentration. A medium finish with a little heat in the gullet. Food seemed to abate the heat on the finish. To me this wine had a better delivery when younger.
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Robe légèrement évoluée. Ouvert 4 heures à l'avance. Nez de sous-bois, feuilles mortes avec une touche de balsamique. En bouche, une bonne acidité, fruités pur et minéral de petits fruits rouges. Légèrement court mais tout à fait point.
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Decanted 2hrs. Big nose of cassis, dark fruit, cocoa and earth. Nice balance on the palate with a long finish. Very impressed with this. Will buy more for the price.
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Ink colored wine. Berry fruit, paprika, and almond in the nose. After breathing for a day, corked, the wine really opened up, balanced, with soft tannins. It misses some body and complexity for a higher score. I would let it age for a couple of years.
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(2+) Still quite tight as would be expected but I did detect some nice fruit. Tannins were very silky and the wine was well-balanced. No heat with just a faint trace of oak. Excellent QPR.
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I second the rec. to air this out - it got better every hour. I thought this wine was quite restrained on the nose - notes of red fruit. Lots of mineral and cassis notes on the taste, elements of plum, cherries were muted but there. Good robust tannins, but not harsh. This wine will improve with time, but I doubt it will turn into a door-buster. Perhaps something to accompany a nice meal. I bought a case of this at Costco. Will drink one every six months or so to see how it evolves.
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Gorgeous floral nose, full bodied, very tannic, impressive length. An undercoat of grass, mineral and copper gives way to blueberry, blackberry and fig. I plan to buy a few bottles to cellar, as this one is very young, so if you don’t have storage facilities, or you cannot wait, I’d decant the crap out of it. I’d say it took about three hours to open up
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uncorked at the wine dispensers (Wine Exchange): 12.5% alcohol. WS91. nice plum, cherry, hints of earth, cocoa, vanilla, and subtle note of chalk and spice. ripe yet bone dry with firm tannins that seemed well rounded and well structured. very nice.
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Purple with a ruby rim. Strong nose of cassis and plum. Bountiful flavors of cherry, cassis, plum, smoky cedar and earth, delicious. Well-balanced, with a long finish.
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10/2/2023 - burgund Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice wine, mellow, sweet and plum like. Missing more tanins and backbone. Pleasing instead of an interesting character.
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7/16/2021 - Macdog Likes this wine:
Solid St Estephe and enjoyable. I wouldn’t necessarily rush to buy the same vintage of this producer again and wouldn’t rush to the producer more generally either. Drinking well, no rush if you have bottles in your cellar, but I don’t know how much further upside there is to be had in waiting. Worth its current 88.9 rating. I agree the current drinking window specified to 2020 doesn’t seem long enough.
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11/23/2020 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Still deep ruby purple with just a hint of garnet at the rim
Still fresh ripe dark currant and blackberry flavors
This is in fabulous shape and in no sign of decline despite the advertised drinking window, rather perfect drinking.
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8/30/2019 - Cholera wrote: 88 Points
Though not corked , taste seems to have fallen off with regard to fruit and body. Nose has an interesting sweetness but nothing of importance Decanted for a few hours and no real change.
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7/14/2018 - Thad Does not like this wine: 81 Points
Past its prime.
Best description in muddy fruit. Not a pretty drink
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8/29/2017 - CabIsKing wrote: 90 Points
Notes are about the same as last bottle. Only difference now is I would start drinking these if you have them.
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7/17/2017 - Bam_Man Likes this wine: 91 Points
My last bottle from a half-case purchased back in 2009. Like all previous ones, this really benefited from an hour or more of air. Medium-bodied, now drinking like a very elegant, fully mature St. Estephe. Only a trace of its plum and dark currant fruit remains, with secondary flavors of earth, coffee and spice more prominent now. There's a lively acidity and an intense minerality on the long, slightly chewy finish. A wonderful Left Bank Bordeaux, made in the traditional style.
50+5+12+17+7=91
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3/19/2017 - paul canet wrote: 88 Points
Bon petit Bodeaux classique dans un excellent miilésisme, il commence à s'ouvrir tranquillement.
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9/6/2016 - Villon wrote: 88 Points
Fondu, élégant, jolie matière appuyée par une bonne acidité.
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6/12/2016 - FransS wrote: 85 Points
A bit flat, and compared to the La Bridane '05, this wine misses the vivacity the La Bridane shows.
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1/29/2016 - mwneil Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Not my fav, heavy, nice bouquet , good flavor, grows boring after a glass, lacks oomph, balanced but dull, consistent with previous bottles, drank with rib steak, will not drink again.
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1/22/2016 - Chainthroer wrote: 90 Points
Last tasted almost four years ago. This time, all of the astringency on the tongue is gone. The nose and flavors are about the same when last tasted: "earthiness, blackberry, blueberry, minerals, some chocolate and oak." Good structure and balance. Probably should be consumed in 2-3 years. A good pairing with Icelandic lamb.
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12/3/2015 - Uncle John wrote: 89 Points
Good but lacked depth and finish to give it 90 points.
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6/18/2015 - roelof.ligtmans@gmail.com wrote: 85 Points
Last time I drank this it was hard as a rock. This time, it is coming around a little. Still nothing to write home about (I had a cheap Buzet 2010 yesterday that was better), but it is fairly drinkeable.
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4/18/2015 - epiphany Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Did not show well at all compared to prior bottles.
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2/11/2015 - traderspartan wrote: 94 Points
Drank with a bottle of 2005 Château Branaire-Ducru and it was just as good for 1/3 rd the price.
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12/11/2014 - epiphany Likes this wine: 88 Points
fully mature and drinking to its level.
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11/5/2014 - FMRsommelier wrote: 88 Points
Robe rubis foncé. Nez de cassis et cèdre brûlé. La bouche est encore austère, mais une bonne heure en carafe ressortira encore plus ses notes de petits fruits des champs. Bel équilibre entre le fruit, les tanins et son élevage. Beaucoup de tenue pour ce Cru bourgeois.
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7/20/2014 - Z1nnfull Likes this wine: 90 Points
We had no trouble giving this a 90. Let it breathe for about 30-40 minutes and it opened up nicely--many Bordeaux even of this vintage and age take a lot longer to open up. Seemed to be more of a California-style Cab blend - spicy/brambly. Medium-bodied but had a good deal of depth to it - got something different out of it with every taste. Lengthy finish. The Cab predominates, but this is not as robust as some St Estephe's. Drink now.
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4/1/2014 - mwneil Does not like this wine: 85 Points
A dull wine. Some bouquet, medium weight, short finish and just blah. A WS favorite, I have never liked it; fruit tastes old; drank with steaks; unfortunately I have 1 more bottle.
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3/29/2014 - MindMuse wrote: 85 Points
Certainly better on day 3 than it was on day 1 when it was pretty insipid. But still a disappointment.
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2/8/2014 - CabIsKing wrote: 90 Points
Nose is still the same but lacked the depth it had last lasting. A bit thin on the tongue but to me a good showing for its price point.
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2/6/2014 - roelof.ligtmans@gmail.com wrote: 85 Points
Positively surprised vis-à-vis my own and other people's rather pedestrian valuations. No, this will never be a great or even a good cru bourgeois. But, frankly, in my mind this wine was already well underway toward the cooking pot. Well, that can wait for a while. Tha tannins have softened a bit, there is some nose; this performs on generic Bordeaux level but it is rather drinkable.
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2/5/2014 - Scottlmatthews wrote: 87 Points
Starting to fade
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12/16/2013 - maxima wrote: 87 Points
Un peu déçu vu le millésime.
Nez animal et boisé.
En bouche, simple et boisé. Court en finale.
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10/5/2013 - Kaerhoeg wrote: 89 Points
Good Bordeaux, classic taste, a bit to the lighter side. Blackcurrant in nose and mouth.
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2/17/2013 - mechoui wrote: 89 Points
Very good value for the price. Ready to drink.
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2/8/2013 - mwneil wrote: 86 Points
OK but disappointing. Low alcohol which seems like a negative in this wine. Heavy with too thick mouth feel. Almost Ripasso like. OK bouquet. Have had this wine before and am not impressed. A WS fav. Many much better Bordeauxs at this price point.
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12/27/2012 - epiphany wrote: 90 Points
This wine really came around after posting initial tasting note. On its 2nd day after preserving with Preservino (Christmas gift - this is a great system which uses Argon gas) and after 3 hours open this wine showed great balance, mellow tannins, and qualities one would expect from a Cru Bourgeois Superior. Bump up rating to 90.
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12/26/2012 - epiphany Likes this wine: 88 Points
The wine looks Ruby colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Stoniness, Cinnamon, Blackberry, Strawberry, Mineral, and Bark. It tastes like Blackberry, Red Currant, Mineral, Dust, Bark, and Stoniness. The body is Light/Medium. The wine has Leathery texture. The wine finishes Short. Will hold remaining 2 bottles for 3 years to see what evolves.
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9/14/2012 - Esteban wrote: 89 Points
Beau Bordeaux bien équilibré. M'a paru plus boisé que la dernière fois. Très bon rapport qualité-prix.
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8/7/2012 - chanote44 wrote: 89 Points
Great bordeaux nose of fruit and funk. Softer on the palate than I expected with smooth tannins. Not overly complex on the finish but still a great food wine.
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7/26/2012 - Bam_Man wrote: 91 Points
Haven't opened a Bordeaux in quite a while and needed to make some room for new arrivals so I decided to try one of these. This bottle required a 2-hour decanting before it opened up. Shows a dark, opaque purple color - lightening just slightly around the edges. The nose is extremely powerful and can be detected clear across the room. Beautiful aromas of leather, flowers, spice and earth explode from the glass. Medium-to-full bodied, but very long and chewy. Lots of tart fruit and dry, dusty tannins that saturate the palate. The long, complex finish contains lingering notes of chocolate, coffee and licorice. Hard to believe this is only 12.5% ABV. Drinks much bigger than that. Really outstanding and a very pleasant surprise for an under $20 St. Estephe. 91+
50+5+13+15+8=91
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4/29/2012 - Mythlogic Likes this wine: 88 Points
Dark Ruby colored. Sweet nose of bright red fruit. On the palette not much oak. Sweet Blackberries and Cherries. Good balance between the acidity and the long drying Tannin's. Decent finish. Wish I had a few more of these.
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3/7/2012 - Chainthroer wrote: 89 Points
Just about identical to the nose and flavors in my notes of 12/16/11: earthiness, blackberry, blueberry, minerals, some chocolate and oak. Some astringency on the tongue due to the tannins though. Gets a lot better with food; this time a very nice lamb with everything dish. Paired best of all here.
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12/6/2011 - Chainthroer wrote: 90 Points
Very similar to my notes last August, except there seemed to be a better fruit concentration. Aromas and flavors of earthiness, blackberry, blueberry, minerals, some chocolate and oak. This bottle seemed to conform more to what I remember a couple years ago. Paired nicely with N.Y. steak.
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11/19/2011 - Chatsphotog wrote: 93 Points
Full bodied. Amazing with lamb.
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10/22/2011 - kopke Likes this wine: 90 Points
belle évolution du nez, du fruit/cassis, vers le bois et maintenant une touche animale (écurie). Mon coeur est à Bordeaux
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8/26/2011 - Chainthroer wrote: 88 Points
A slight bit of browning, but still mainly purple on the rim. A dark garnet body. Blackberry, blueberry, a hint of chocolate and some oak. Medium fruit concentration. A medium finish with a little heat in the gullet. Food seemed to abate the heat on the finish. To me this wine had a better delivery when younger.
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2/26/2011 - Esteban wrote: 92 Points
Robe légèrement évoluée. Ouvert 4 heures à l'avance. Nez de sous-bois, feuilles mortes avec une touche de balsamique. En bouche, une bonne acidité, fruités pur et minéral de petits fruits rouges. Légèrement court mais tout à fait point.
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1/11/2011 - ArtVindelay wrote: 87 Points
Improved after it sat for a while. Blackberry and earth flavors. I enjoyed it.
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12/30/2010 - Villon wrote: 89 Points
Un vin impressionnant, massif (effet millésime), classique dans le style, encore trop jeune. Attendre encore 4 ans avant d'ouvrir les prochaines.
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10/17/2010 - CabIsKing wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2hrs. Big nose of cassis, dark fruit, cocoa and earth. Nice balance on the palate with a long finish. Very impressed with this. Will buy more for the price.
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10/4/2010 - vvanderh wrote: 89 Points
Ink colored wine. Berry fruit, paprika, and almond in the nose. After breathing for a day, corked, the wine really opened up, balanced, with soft tannins. It misses some body and complexity for a higher score. I would let it age for a couple of years.
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9/12/2010 - jreserve wrote: 85 Points
Simple earthy flavors. Probably will improve with age.
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6/28/2010 - Mythlogic wrote:
No air time.Tried a little to cold. First taste very acidic. Tasted a lot better when warmed down. First Bordeaux. Nothing to compare too.
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6/2/2010 - SMG wrote: 88 Points
Needs time - another year or two. Improved a little in the glass but just was not showing much.
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12/3/2009 - roelof.ligtmans@gmail.com wrote: 85 Points
Unimpressive; will it improve significantly??? Tight, inky, not giving much on nose or palate. Restrained tannins. Let's give it another 2 years.
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10/7/2009 - Pinot Evil wrote: 88 Points
needs time
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9/13/2009 - SAjulio wrote: 88 Points
Will improve with age.
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8/28/2009 - AZ Cat wrote:
(2+) Still quite tight as would be expected but I did detect some nice fruit. Tannins were very silky and the wine was well-balanced. No heat with just a faint trace of oak. Excellent QPR.
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8/6/2009 - pgsanth wrote: 88 Points
I second the rec. to air this out - it got better every hour. I thought this wine was quite restrained on the nose - notes of red fruit. Lots of mineral and cassis notes on the taste, elements of plum, cherries were muted but there. Good robust tannins, but not harsh. This wine will improve with time, but I doubt it will turn into a door-buster. Perhaps something to accompany a nice meal. I bought a case of this at Costco. Will drink one every six months or so to see how it evolves.
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7/24/2009 - Davidliss wrote: 91 Points
Gorgeous floral nose, full bodied, very tannic, impressive length. An undercoat of grass, mineral and copper gives way to blueberry, blackberry and fig. I plan to buy a few bottles to cellar, as this one is very young, so if you don’t have storage facilities, or you cannot wait, I’d decant the crap out of it. I’d say it took about three hours to open up
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7/6/2009 - bin905 wrote: 89 Points
Eggplant color. Well-balanced, dry, cranberry, earth, and limestone flavors with ample tannins.
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5/22/2009 - wcacern wrote: 90 Points
uncorked at the wine dispensers (Wine Exchange): 12.5% alcohol. WS91. nice plum, cherry, hints of earth, cocoa, vanilla, and subtle note of chalk and spice. ripe yet bone dry with firm tannins that seemed well rounded and well structured. very nice.
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10/23/2008 - THaas wrote: 88 Points
Purple with a ruby rim. Strong nose of cassis and plum. Bountiful flavors of cherry, cassis, plum, smoky cedar and earth, delicious. Well-balanced, with a long finish.
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