Upfront I just don’t like heavy, highly extracted, over ripe big wines. I poured half the bottle down the drain unable to stomach this wine. Give me some refinement, something more than thick, fermented grape juice. I know many like this type of wine - good for you!
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Zinfandel obviously dominates this blend with rustic berry notes and chocolate. Still young tasting, aging well. 14.5% ABV, so fairly late harvest. Slight harshness on the palate but a nice effort overall.
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Nice red blend. Fairly versatile wine which paired nicely with Italian food tonight. My wife enjoyed this wine and she normally drinks only Chardonnay. Good QPR at $13.
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Nice red blend. Had the 2013 a while back and we liked very much. Was happy to find the 2015 locally. PNP'd and sipped w/o food. Good easy weeknight drinker.
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Always a great QPC on this wine. We drank half the bottle with homemade pizza and the other half with brisket. It’s versatile, incredibly food-friendly, and dependable.
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I agree with Inocencio: this wine needs air! The first taste after opening was very acidic: I was afraid that the bottle had already gone bad. After an hour or two, that was gone, but the wine felt a bit out of balance: fine to drink, but not impressive. I drank the rest the next day: now, it all came together, with various notes of spices and dark fruits, indeed a bit like a Prisoner wine ( not as good, but still, I agree with rsmithjr222@hotmail.com ), very enjoyable! At that point I savoured every sip. Thus my score. Day three? Wouldn’t know: I finished the bottle on day two. ... Had one of my remaining two bottles now in January 2021. So tasty now! We poured through an aerator. Probably good to drink up soon, and to enjoy! I upgraded to 91 from 90.
Although the boquet is only so so, the flavor profile is nice. At 16 a bottle its juicy, has cabernet in the profile an kind of fun. Its a poor mans Prisoner. Lol
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It’s fine, but not great. Plenty of others out there I prefer.
Pleasant enough on the nose, but not a lot there. On the palette, it is jammy but the flavors don’t pop. There is a taste profile that I can’t quite ID that doesn’t fit my taste.
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Dark purple, almost all the way to the rim. Nose is spice, savory spice, some oak and cedar. Nice! Initial sip is surprisingly slippery and smooth. I was expecting more tannin or acidity, given the nose. Feels like two layers of flavors that don't quite blend. Needs more time?
After a few hours, the acidity picks up, adding some much needed texture. Now getting very nice flashbacks of the cedar, almost leather, even after many hours. Looking forward to day 2.
Day 2: nose still strong cedar/leather. A little more grip and body -- stronger acidity -- but overall effect is still smooth and round. I want even more texture. Maybe tomorrow?
Ok! Day 3 there is finally a good balance between the nose and the body. I guess this one needs a lot of oxygen to get going.
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Sadly unimpressed. Use to be a favorite. A bit vegetal on the noise. Didn’t open at all. This was so off that I doubt I’ll try it again. It use to be a favorite Zin. Again, unfortunately not anymore.
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Tasty wine. A core of cool dark fruit is animated by savory tones of pencil lead, briars, and bright spices. There is dark chocolate, cola, and black tea tannin too. It has a brooding feel to it but in the most restrained of ways. Finishes smooth, full bodied, and confident. 89-90
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Had this bottle with a burger from a local Novato Burger joint called “JJ’s Burger Joint” (appropriate, huh?). Great pairing as the black & blue fruit of the Phantom paired well with the grilled meat of the burger and their savory (and delicious!) tater tots.
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Had with gumbo. Moderate fruit with a full lactic body. Moderate to high fruit aroma. Moves across the whole palate, fades quickly. As stated by a beer brewer; so rates as a 2.5-3/5.
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Very similar to last nights bottle, just slightly less fruity though. Had this with a hearty (rotisserie) chicken noodle soup and cheese quesadilla. Great meal on a chilly night with a fire on and Phantom in the belly!
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OK, let’s get this other way at the very beginning. So far, this is not my favorite vintage of The Phantom and I’ve had the last 5-6. So far, after an aggressive decant, this is too jammy and too (red) fruity and cherry for my taste buds.
The blend is 44% Petite Sirah, 44% Zinfandel, 10% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, so I’m surprised by the level of jaminess and fruit. I suspect the Zinfandel is really showing itself.
Having it with some grilled dry-rubbed chicken (finished with Baby Ray’s sauce). Interested to see how it goes with that. Suspect this might just me more food-dependent.
Still for $25, it’s a solid 88 Pointer and a Very Good QPR.
5/20/2023 - frasoo Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Upfront I just don’t like heavy, highly extracted, over ripe big wines. I poured half the bottle down the drain unable to stomach this wine. Give me some refinement, something more than thick, fermented grape juice. I know many like this type of wine - good for you!
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11/22/2022 - vesuvius wrote: 91 Points
hanging on this long, this became well integrated and softened the tannins some. Rock star.
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1/17/2022 - flarino Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very oaky, smooth to the palate. soft tannins
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1/4/2022 - kmicho Likes this wine: 89 Points
Superb for the price. Vanilla, leather, cedar, oak. Dry, but fruit forward. Some black pepper, particularly on the nose.
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11/25/2021 - SailorChris Likes this wine: 86 Points
I've had the Phantom before and this did not quite live up to my expectations.
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6/10/2021 - whudock Likes this wine: 89 Points
reliable, pleasant, drinking well - excellent QPR in this vintage.
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4/19/2021 - Achromat Likes this wine: 88 Points
Zinfandel obviously dominates this blend with rustic berry notes and chocolate. Still young tasting, aging well. 14.5% ABV, so fairly late harvest. Slight harshness on the palate but a nice effort overall.
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2/7/2021 - Tiderunner22 wrote: 88 Points
Nice red blend. Fairly versatile wine which paired nicely with Italian food tonight. My wife enjoyed this wine and she normally drinks only Chardonnay. Good QPR at $13.
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1/7/2021 - Giller63 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice red blend. Had the 2013 a while back and we liked very much. Was happy to find the 2015 locally. PNP'd and sipped w/o food. Good easy weeknight drinker.
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10/29/2020 - Stolts Likes this wine: 90 Points
Let it air before drinking
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10/20/2020 - JEverson wrote: 86 Points
Not bad but not great, lacking complexity
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10/7/2020 - swimmininwine Likes this wine:
Rich. Smokey
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9/18/2020 - gabrowns wrote: 88 Points
Always a great QPC on this wine. We drank half the bottle with homemade pizza and the other half with brisket. It’s versatile, incredibly food-friendly, and dependable.
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5/10/2020 - Chuck835 wrote: flawed
Corked
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5/8/2020 - Crazygolf17 Likes this wine: 87 Points
Mellow, not to acidic
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4/20/2020 - Prosapio wrote:
A Zinfandel. Susy likes
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4/18/2020 - tylersdean Likes this wine: 89 Points
Good dry red
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3/20/2020 - tabrand Likes this wine: 87 Points
Great the first night but diminished significant the second night. Drink no later than 2020.
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2/16/2020 - Plato2876 wrote:
Was tasty. Not a wow, but perfectly fine.
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2/3/2020 - HU Likes this wine: 91 Points
I agree with Inocencio: this wine needs air! The first taste after opening was very acidic: I was afraid that the bottle had already gone bad. After an hour or two, that was gone, but the wine felt a bit out of balance: fine to drink, but not impressive. I drank the rest the next day: now, it all came together, with various notes of spices and dark fruits, indeed a bit like a Prisoner wine ( not as good, but still, I agree with rsmithjr222@hotmail.com ), very enjoyable! At that point I savoured every sip. Thus my score. Day three? Wouldn’t know: I finished the bottle on day two. ... Had one of my remaining two bottles now in January 2021. So tasty now! We poured through an aerator. Probably good to drink up soon, and to enjoy! I upgraded to 91 from 90.
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2/2/2020 - wine-enthusiast Likes this wine: 87 Points
Although the boquet is only so so, the flavor profile is nice. At 16 a bottle its juicy, has cabernet in the profile an kind of fun. Its a poor mans Prisoner. Lol
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1/13/2020 - tabrand Likes this wine: 89 Points
This one is smooth with vanilla undertones and very drinkable, would buy again
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12/26/2019 - Stampeder wrote: 87 Points
It’s fine, but not great. Plenty of others out there I prefer.
Pleasant enough on the nose, but not a lot there. On the palette, it is jammy but the flavors don’t pop. There is a taste profile that I can’t quite ID that doesn’t fit my taste.
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12/2/2019 - inocencio Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark purple, almost all the way to the rim. Nose is spice, savory spice, some oak and cedar. Nice! Initial sip is surprisingly slippery and smooth. I was expecting more tannin or acidity, given the nose. Feels like two layers of flavors that don't quite blend. Needs more time?
After a few hours, the acidity picks up, adding some much needed texture. Now getting very nice flashbacks of the cedar, almost leather, even after many hours. Looking forward to day 2.
Day 2: nose still strong cedar/leather. A little more grip and body -- stronger acidity -- but overall effect is still smooth and round. I want even more texture. Maybe tomorrow?
Ok! Day 3 there is finally a good balance between the nose and the body. I guess this one needs a lot of oxygen to get going.
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10/29/2019 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
T-shirts and cases! Swedish dark
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9/29/2019 - gjkrmk Does not like this wine: 79 Points
Sadly unimpressed. Use to be a favorite. A bit vegetal on the noise. Didn’t open at all. This was so off that I doubt I’ll try it again. It use to be a favorite Zin. Again, unfortunately not anymore.
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9/8/2019 - Williamsdavej Likes this wine: 90 Points
Rich, dark fruits. Very smooth. Loved it.
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9/3/2019 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Sweet oak that isn't quite integrated yet.
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6/17/2019 - Baron Slick wrote: 90 Points
Tasty wine. A core of cool dark fruit is animated by savory tones of pencil lead, briars, and bright spices. There is dark chocolate, cola, and black tea tannin too. It has a brooding feel to it but in the most restrained of ways. Finishes smooth, full bodied, and confident. 89-90
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6/9/2019 - A L P Likes this wine: 89 Points
Cedary like the old CA cabs — but no depth. Tasty, but not complex. Wish it were deeper.
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5/31/2019 - Kbentley007 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Seems to be some bottle variation. This one had more earthy and grassy notes and not as jammy.
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5/30/2019 - kevrob822 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Had this bottle with a burger from a local Novato Burger joint called “JJ’s Burger Joint” (appropriate, huh?). Great pairing as the black & blue fruit of the Phantom paired well with the grilled meat of the burger and their savory (and delicious!) tater tots.
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5/18/2019 - DrPeppersEgo wrote:
Had with gumbo. Moderate fruit with a full lactic body. Moderate to high fruit aroma. Moves across the whole palate, fades quickly. As stated by a beer brewer; so rates as a 2.5-3/5.
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5/13/2019 - Mta5007 Likes this wine:
Buy again
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4/16/2019 - JaredDetroit Likes this wine:
Great every day drinking wine. Not too jammy and easy drinking.
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4/13/2019 - winebytoth wrote: 87 Points
No tannins. Bold and fruity. Nothing special
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3/1/2019 - ijah18 Likes this wine: 89 Points
2016 is supposed to be a lot better. Felt the balance was off on this 2015 bottle...hot.
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2/23/2019 - KJSZ Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great blend. Nice body.
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2/18/2019 - Neecies wrote: 85 Points
Plush, simplistic fruit, no tannins; a crowd pleaser.
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1/27/2019 - estjules Likes this wine: 86 Points
Good everyday wine
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1/21/2019 - phils_hobby wrote: 89 Points
Good wine, good price. Get more
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1/10/2019 - kevrob822 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very similar to last nights bottle, just slightly less fruity though. Had this with a hearty (rotisserie) chicken noodle soup and cheese quesadilla. Great meal on a chilly night with a fire on and Phantom in the belly!
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1/9/2019 - kevrob822 Likes this wine: 88 Points
OK, let’s get this other way at the very beginning. So far, this is not my favorite vintage of The Phantom and I’ve had the last 5-6. So far, after an aggressive decant, this is too jammy and too (red) fruity and cherry for my taste buds.
The blend is 44% Petite Sirah, 44% Zinfandel, 10% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, so I’m surprised by the level of jaminess and fruit. I suspect the Zinfandel is really showing itself.
Having it with some grilled dry-rubbed chicken (finished with Baby Ray’s sauce). Interested to see how it goes with that. Suspect this might just me more food-dependent.
Still for $25, it’s a solid 88 Pointer and a Very Good QPR.
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1/1/2019 - bobthebuilder wrote: 89 Points
Nice zin. Nothing special. Probably needs time to breathe and perhaps time in bottle.
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12/24/2018 - snarfglk Likes this wine: 90 Points
nice bottle
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12/9/2018 - Martnmac wrote: 90 Points
Always a crowd pleaser
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12/2/2018 - Mahaneys Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was a great recommendation from Bin 66
Higher price than we are used to but a wonderful red blend
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10/30/2018 - Brhouts Likes this wine: 89 Points
Good daily drinker
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1/8/2018 - Virescit Vulnere Virtus Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark, bold
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