Super interesting wine. Color is dark ruby. The nose is ripe, new worldish Cabernet with blue fruits and finely integrated oak. Yet the palate is medium bodied, bright and decidedly old-world in weight and acid. I quite like this - should stay strong for a while. Nice. (92)
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Dark coloured but not overly densely so - no age tarnish whatsoever. Blackberry and mulberry, chocolate and iron filings. Still very fresh - years in it.
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Ruby-red color. Remarkably short legs. Blueberry and boysenberry nose with pencil shavings, spice box and tobacco. Blackberry and blueberry with chocolate, fennel, cedar, and resolved tannins. Nice acidity and simply singing when taken alone yet great with london broil. A joy, and astounding QPR.
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Drinks well right out of the bottle. Decanted anyway for an hour and a half. Plum, cassis, cranberries, and bell peppers. Great balance of fruit, fresh acidity, and tannins. Love this wine. Only 3 bottles remain from a case.
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Still drinking like a champ, even with minimal decant time. Only 4 bottles remaining, and I will miss these when they are gone. Hard to beat this Cab for the price.
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Better than the last bottle. Not quite as sour or acidic. A better bottle than the last one or maybe 9 more months helped. Medium body, and noted some complexity as the wine is more balanced. Not bad but price point a bit high compared to other cabs.
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This was ok. After popping the screw-top, it was really oaky and unbalanced for a couple hours. After a few hours (and then days), it came into balance, but ended up fairly non-assuming. Pretty run of the mill cab. Nothing special.
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Wonderful Cabernet aromas and flavors. Cassis, blackberries, green pepper, eucalyptus, licorice, and some blood/iron flavors. I still have a half case, but plan to finish these in the next two years.
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Medium bodied, not much fruit left, some sour cherry, mushroom, tobacco notes and lots of acidity. Too acidic at this time, off balance. Not much tannins left. It is heavily skewed towards a dry, acidic sour entry, mid palate and finish. There are folks who like this style, but not my cup of tea. a bit less acidity and some more fruit could have made a lot of difference. Almost tastes as if it was made with immature fruit. Past year it went from being balanced to this. Last year felt it had improved per my last note, but now it no longer suits my palate.
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Drank at Tishas in Cape May with friends. The favorite of the group on the night. Typical cabernet flavors but not overdone. Nice balance and very smooth.
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Beautiful Margaret River Cabernet. In terrific shape under Stelvin. Tannins have remaining strength, ie it has years of life left. Fragrant Mulberries and Eucalyptus and earth.
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Purple tending to ruby. Initially it's bit of an oak bomb - all vanilla and cream - but with time and agitation it starts giving off bramble, blackcurrant, biscuit and toast underpinned by a slight eucalyptus and mint note. In the mouth brambles and leather are to the fore over vanilla and cream. the eucalyptus is less prevalent and warm alcohol and spice take over on the long finish.
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Opened for 1 hour and drank over 2 hours. No change...maybe a bit of nose showed up. The palate is the strong point and I think it is time to drink. Doubt if it will get better with time?
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Very dark red color. Pop and pour with bottle aeration. Drank 3 glasses over 3 hours. Nose is lovely, with creme de cassis, dry earth initially becoming moist with time, blueberry, prominent cigar box and cedar box, espresso, crushed flowers, light mint. The palate is fullbodied and soft, round well integrated tannis, consistent with the nose and adding some spice and oak on the long finish. Last bottle and still singing 92+pts.
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Nose: Cedar and cigar box with red fruits (cherries and some raspberry), mint, and later cassis aromas. The mint was subtle and kept going in and out, which was interesting. Palate: Soft styled and plush with red and blue fruits, hints of mint, cassis and a medium length finish. At 8 years of age this is showing very well. First Leeuwin I have had and it is very solid. Although new world reminds me of a Pauillac with the cedar and cigar box aspects. Good stuff. 92+ points.
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A well balanced cab. A mix of black and red fruits, with some sour cherry and some mild vegetal characteristics on the finish. Has fairly smooth tannins, some acidity as well. Not a big cab though it gets better with decanting and age. A lot better than the bottle I had a couple of years ago where I didn't see what the hype was all about as it was quite ordinary- maybe an 86 - 87 rating then. Not overly complex. At $30 in 2008 for what I paid - there are more interesting cabs for the money. For those who like a classic - medium to full bodies Australian cab, this is a good bet. It was overhyped by WL and GV but a solid cab overall - just pricy for what you get.
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Lush raspberry and red berry aromas with some soft mint and mineral undertones. Silky smooth on the palate with juicy raspberry and cherry tones with subtle vanilla notes. Soft silky tannins and very modest alcohol accompanied by some decent but perhaps waining acidity. This wine was deceptively elegant and very easy drinking.
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This wine is still really good. A little green pepper at first, but after a while it gives way to dense, red fruit, black current, cedar box, and a nice, subtle perfume. Significant tannins, but fairly soft.
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A totally different experience from a year ago. This bottle had beautiful fruit, complexity with tobacco, oak and hint of chocolate. Nice mouth feel and finish.
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First bottle from a case. Decanted for about 2 hours. Like this as much as, or more than, the 2002 vintage. Almost blood like in apparent viscosity, but really nothing like that because of the great freshening acidity. I'm not a big oak fan, but the cedar notes on the nose and palate give this wine a delicious nuance. Very mellow tannins. No need to wait any longer, this is ready to drink now. The residual tannins and the good acidity should keep this in a good place for 5-7 more years.
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This is a great example of a wine improving with time. I had 3 in the cellar. I drank the first 2 years ago and found a rather ordinary, slightly tannic Aussie cab. Drank another tonite. I asked my wife to give me the varietal and country blind. She said it was a huge, exracted new world pinot. She was quite impressed to find this cherry pie beauty a CAB!....Very smooth, sweet tannins, with sweet cherry and mint on the mid palate. Structure was present but fruit predominated....a very good wine, drinking beautifully now.....I do think this wine will fade over the next 3 to 5 years...Drink and enjoy it now....Margaret River is nothing like Barossa!.....
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North Shore Getaway; 9/15/2011-9/17/2011 (North Shore, MN): Dark red color. Nose is sweetish with vanilla, blueberry pie, cassis, cedar and does show some eucalyptus on this bottle. The palate closely follows and adds anise notes, mineral , and spice to the firm but round tannins. 92+pts.
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Enjoyed over two days. Smooth cabernet with hints of greatness, but never sweeping away with dominance; so in the end a little reticent, but a decent drink. Probably not quite up to the price point. 50/5/11/15/7
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This wine seems to be showing more age than I would expect from 2004. Nose is very green with some pyrazines. The wine has some good fruit but with a definite aged quality. I like it a lot, it's not a big Aussie wine but it's rich in fruit with good acidic balance, a hint of spice, lots of red fruit, and a great mouthfeel.
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Probably a mistake that I didn't offer this first pour a chance to decant. Slight puffing of oak and red berries and mint -- swirl, swirl, swirl -- then it turns plummy, keeping the mint in the forefront (oak now in the background). Not so in the background on the palate, unfortunately. This drinks younger than I'd prefer to have it with an alcohol burn caressing my throat. Cassis and cedar dominate this mid-palate, henceforth it becomes dry with and shrill-oakiness on the medium length finish. This is reasonably well balanced holding kilter save for the oak and alcohol impression, both of which will probably improve with 3-5 years sideways.
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About an hour decant. Deep ruby color. Cranberry, black pepper, sweet oak and black licorice on the nose. Medium mouth feel. Light tannins. Light fruit and a medium finish. The nose is the best part about this for me and it goes down hill from there. I'm pretty disappointed.
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- Crimsom color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry with a light/medium body. Smooth texture with a medium finish - A nice wine. Nice, not great, not complex. Seems unlikely to get any better or develop more complexity. I think that is a function of the vintage rather than anything else. I hear their 05 is the best Cabernet they've ever made.
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Drank with dinner of filet mignon, potatoes and spinach. Nice smooth cabernet flavors. No hard edges but no real excitement either. Enjoyable but not memorable.
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Had two bottles on this: one a dud and one a star. This rating based on the star. Both were meaty as hell showing loads of beef blood and tobacco; however one was a dud on fruit, and one was a dude on fruit. I'm a sucker for ripe, sweet fruit balanced with beef blood, so I could see this approaching 94 points. Long, full, savory and broad in the mouth.
Continue enjoying this one over the next ten years. 92+ -JS
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Decanted for about 45 mins. Dark purple color. Very interesting nose of pine tar, green pepper and Christmas spices. Blackberry, cassis and a good deal of vanilla and toasted oak notes on the palate. Big, creamy mouthfeel but refined. Balanced tannin and acid. Long finish. Very nice wine.
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Nose: black currant, cream, eucalyptus, some rich fruit cake there as well. I'm also getting mint and some mild white pepper spice. also biscuit/toast Mouth: Blackcurrant again, medium acid and tannin straying towards medium to high in both cases. Spice again on the palate and, perhaps, chocolate. Long smooth, balanced finish. I did notice pronounced tears/legs on this one as well. Doesn't really taste 6 years old. I think it's got plenty of life left. Very nice indeed.
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A nose of currants and spice, dark purple in color. A smooth, full bodied Cab, black currants, blackberries, with herbs and pepper spice, a interesting good wine.
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California should take notice! This is how you produce a hugely delicious and well structured Cab for under $30. Beautiful fruit, never overbearing with very little oak presence really letting the luscious fruit shine. One of the best QPR Cabs I have ever come across and I wish I had more as it has a number of great years ahead of it. 92+
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Actually I found this quite disappointing. Thin mouth feel one dimensional. Though the fruit was nice, it drank like a 12 dollar cab. (84) Hopefully my other bottles will be better. Day 2 a little better with the fruit a little more subdued, slightly more complexity. 86 points day 2. Will split the difference.
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BBQ with Big Reds (Judith's House): Dark red purple. Nose is very nice with cassis, blackberry, light spice, cedar. There is no eucalyptus in this wine at all now, maybe there was before, but this is my second one and i don't see it. Palate is deep and well balanced with well rounded tannins, long finish. 92+pts.
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Not our night for this wine. Decanted and drank over three hours. Maybe too long. I agree with ST discription of this wine but the score of 94 escapes me. It is either too early or too late. I will try again in a few weeks. This is not what I expected from a cab.
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Popped, decanted, and poured. Very rough upon opening and still a little rough after 3 hours - definitely too young. Dark purple-red color. Jammy - tastes more like a Shiraz than a Cab. Medium body, but not a lot of complexity with a short finish.
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Blackberry lavender, and green pepper on the nose. On the palate there was blackberry, green pepper, earth, dusty cocoa. Good balance to this wine, not hot.
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Single-Blind Cabernet Tasting @ Urbana (Washington, D.C.): bright purple in the glass. the nose is bright and explosive, so much livelier than the other wines. pure, fresh berries, purple skittles, and vanilla coke from a 50s-style soda pop shop on the nose. massive on the palate, but not jammy or offensive. this cab is as explosive as it gets. what is amazing about this wine is its freshness and acidity. the balance is phenomenal. raisenets on the palate, cherry liquer, rasberries and dark chocolate. a very long finish. i popped this right before the tasting, and i now wish i would've opened it like six hours earlier. it's got a ton of potential.
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Blind Cabernet Tasting with the DC WLTV Forum crew (Urbana, Washington, DC): Cocoa Krispies nose - kind of like chocolate covered cherries plus pie crust. In the mouth, fresh and bright fruit but with a nice, full mouthfeel, a bit of meat and smoke right before a shortish finish. The finish was slightly disappointing as a longer, drier one could have added a lot of elegance to a playful wine and taken the score up a couple of notches.
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This is the most bombastic Cabernet Sauvignon I've ever had. EVER! Fruit flies out the bottle from the time you cork it. This wine smells like bubblegum dipped in jam. The mid pallet is fruity but not as fruity as the nose. As interesting notes of mint, prunes, and creme brulee . Finishes moderately long.
I think $30 is about the right price point for this wine. It's not your typical cab sauv but this is not my style of wine. For something this fruity I prefer a cheap Shiraz.
Remember you don't drink the label.
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Interesting to check out two bottle so close together. Day 1 had some of that awkwardness and real green bell pepper. Day 2 is smoother, strong lime acid and more intense.
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Violaceous color with almost full, deep density -say 92% full density in color, vivaceous. On the nose, black cherries and some very faint hints of cotton candy, and very faint scents of ricola. Good entrance on the palate, showing pomegranate, dark cherries, with appreciable intensity, then hints of coffee, and sensational astringency that hits the sides of the tongue in mid-palate to the end. This wine is so fruity that makes it a sensational wine but lacks the character of Cabernet. On a blind taste, this tells me Syrah. Medium to full body only. The finish is persistant and does leave you with tobacco notes and some tannins, but this is not Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Very tight nose. Reddish purple color. Austerity to it that makes it great for food pairing. Tart rose, olive, baby powder. Thin in the middle by itself. Slightly bitter taste of old gum, mace. Very well integrated tannin structure. Interesting to look at the notes below and see two different experiences emerging.
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Decanted ~45 minutes. Big up front fruit on the nose and palate, black cherry, some black currant, but accompanied by aggressive oak with lots of toast and vanilla. While there is enough fruit to handle it, at this point the oak was a little to dominant for me, particularly on the finish. Well made wine, but definitely doesn't merit the 94 rating.
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This is a dense wine with strong fruit that's offset by a strong bell pepper component. There's no doubt this is a good wine, but the flavor combination was somewhat awkward.
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Australia Wine Trip; 9/20/2009-9/21/2009 (Margaret River): Mushrooms and orange-flavoured chocolate with coffeeish, dark polished plums. A black and dark fruited wine with dark florals and a dash of minty eucalyptus spiciness. Dark and slightly mysterious. A good wine.
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Way too young, but shows very well right now. Huge sage character on the nose, with pepper, pomegranate, tea leaf, pine needle, and a good amount of spicy oak coming through on the back end of the nose. Styled like a Napa cab, dry raspberry and sweet cherry with good structure and acidity. This a solid wine that will keep improving for many years.
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This is serious wine at this price point. Bought two cases, and wish I had purchased more. Beautiful fruit, long finish. Develops for a long time in the bottle, days even. Not for steak...more for robust fish. Followed a 1986 Spottswoode, and although it was not quite as good it actually has better fruit, as you would expect. Very different wine, but not inferior. Highly recommend at this price.
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Big wine and full bodied. Loaded with blackberries, cherries, lots of fruit - new world. Great tannin structure and long finish. Very young wine that needs at least a couple of yrs to mature. This is a well made wine that will hold its own vs other high end Australian cabs.
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Drank at an offline tasting event. Nice aromatics. Dark jam fruits, eucalyptus, vanilla, sweet. Nice mouthfeel and length, but felt a bit disjointed. Not sure what more time will do, but hopeful it will come together better.
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had it over 2 days. 1st day, nose of pickle juice, dark berries, cigarette smoke, very tasty w/hints of vanilla. 2nd day the fruit was more pronounced.
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This wine is driven by big dark jammy fruits. It’s showing tons of of blackberry, dark cherry, plum and some spice characters. The flavors linger effortlessly on the velvety finish. (Best from 2009-2012) –JD90
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Oak, Eucalyptus and some candy on the nose all wrapped around the fruit. Decanted for one hour. Very, very smooth and well integrated. Absolutely delicious to drink and not your stereotypical Aussie wine. It will be interesting to see where the other 2 bottles are in a year, but perfect to drink them right now.
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{ST} Color deep dark red with purple hues, medium body - lighter than expected. Nose has very nice depth of black currant, some mint and pine, perhaps oak. Dark, layered fruit on the palate with sophisticated structure of fine grained tannins. Overall very good depth and clearly a step above other wines tasted in the 12 to 16 dollar range, but not fully convinced of the 94 score and 30 tag at this stage. Perhaps with time this will pick up steam and nuance.
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8/23/2020 - dbkitc wrote: 92 Points
Super interesting wine. Color is dark ruby. The nose is ripe, new worldish Cabernet with blue fruits and finely integrated oak. Yet the palate is medium bodied, bright and decidedly old-world in weight and acid. I quite like this - should stay strong for a while. Nice. (92)
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7/19/2020 - nwebstar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark coloured but not overly densely so - no age tarnish whatsoever. Blackberry and mulberry, chocolate and iron filings. Still very fresh - years in it.
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5/16/2020 - Canaduh Likes this wine: 85 Points
Once opened up it was smooth and delicious.
Worth the wait but could have kept a few more years
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10/29/2017 - roasted hill wrote:
Notes entirely consistent with June's bottle. This has years left. Years!
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6/30/2017 - roasted hill Likes this wine:
Ruby-red color. Remarkably short legs. Blueberry and boysenberry nose with pencil shavings, spice box and tobacco. Blackberry and blueberry with chocolate, fennel, cedar, and resolved tannins. Nice acidity and simply singing when taken alone yet great with london broil. A joy, and astounding QPR.
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12/6/2014 - pinoteer Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine continues to impress. Penultimate bottle from a case.
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11/5/2014 - pinoteer Likes this wine: 94 Points
We both agreed that this wine has no flaws. This is what I thought this wine could become when I first tasted it 6 years ago.
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7/4/2014 - pinoteer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinks well right out of the bottle. Decanted anyway for an hour and a half. Plum, cassis, cranberries, and bell peppers. Great balance of fruit, fresh acidity, and tannins. Love this wine. Only 3 bottles remain from a case.
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6/1/2014 - pinoteer Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still drinking like a champ, even with minimal decant time. Only 4 bottles remaining, and I will miss these when they are gone. Hard to beat this Cab for the price.
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5/24/2014 - Kentw wrote: 88 Points
Better than the last bottle. Not quite as sour or acidic. A better bottle than the last one or maybe 9 more months helped. Medium body, and noted some complexity as the wine is more balanced. Not bad but price point a bit high compared to other cabs.
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5/1/2014 - CamWheeler wrote: 91 Points
Australian Wine Unearthed Public Tasting (Sydney, Australia): Briar, earth, redcurrant and blackberry. Really good grip and the fruit purity is nice. Showing well but plenty of life left.
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3/5/2014 - vintage_whine wrote:
relatively mute and simple, balck currant, light oak, but no great power or complexity.
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3/5/2014 - jkwatson wrote: 85 Points
This was ok. After popping the screw-top, it was really oaky and unbalanced for a couple hours. After a few hours (and then days), it came into balance, but ended up fairly non-assuming. Pretty run of the mill cab. Nothing special.
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9/20/2013 - pinoteer Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful Cabernet aromas and flavors. Cassis, blackberries, green pepper, eucalyptus, licorice, and some blood/iron flavors. I still have a half case, but plan to finish these in the next two years.
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9/15/2013 - pinoteer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still delicious. Hard to find a better Cab for the price. A couple more years and this may start to decline, but it is prime right now.
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8/25/2013 - Kentw wrote: 82 Points
Medium bodied, not much fruit left, some sour cherry, mushroom, tobacco notes and lots of acidity. Too acidic at this time, off balance. Not much tannins left. It is heavily skewed towards a dry, acidic sour entry, mid palate and finish. There are folks who like this style, but not my cup of tea. a bit less acidity and some more fruit could have made a lot of difference. Almost tastes as if it was made with immature fruit. Past year it went from being balanced to this. Last year felt it had improved per my last note, but now it no longer suits my palate.
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7/1/2013 - nschmidt wrote: 91 Points
Drank at Tishas in Cape May with friends. The favorite of the group on the night. Typical cabernet flavors but not overdone. Nice balance and very smooth.
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6/11/2013 - mgl wrote: 90 Points
Very nice cab.
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5/29/2013 - Softie Likes this wine:
Beautiful Margaret River Cabernet. In terrific shape under Stelvin. Tannins have remaining strength, ie it has years of life left. Fragrant Mulberries and Eucalyptus and earth.
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1/13/2013 - chatters wrote:
Purple tending to ruby. Initially it's bit of an oak bomb - all vanilla and cream - but with time and agitation it starts giving off bramble, blackcurrant, biscuit and toast underpinned by a slight eucalyptus and mint note. In the mouth brambles and leather are to the fore over vanilla and cream. the eucalyptus is less prevalent and warm alcohol and spice take over on the long finish.
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9/16/2012 - benny wrote: 92 Points
Opened for 1 hour and drank over 2 hours. No change...maybe a bit of nose showed up. The palate is the strong point and I think it is time to drink. Doubt if it will get better with time?
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8/26/2012 - Bdbrutus wrote: 92 Points
Last bottle, drinking very well right now. Great balance of fruit and secondary flavors.
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7/25/2012 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Very dark red color. Pop and pour with bottle aeration. Drank 3 glasses over 3 hours. Nose is lovely, with creme de cassis, dry earth initially becoming moist with time, blueberry, prominent cigar box and cedar box, espresso, crushed flowers, light mint. The palate is fullbodied and soft, round well integrated tannis, consistent with the nose and adding some spice and oak on the long finish. Last bottle and still singing 92+pts.
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7/25/2012 - Mattshank wrote: 92 Points
Nose: Cedar and cigar box with red fruits (cherries and some raspberry), mint, and later cassis aromas. The mint was subtle and kept going in and out, which was interesting. Palate: Soft styled and plush with red and blue fruits, hints of mint, cassis and a medium length finish. At 8 years of age this is showing very well. First Leeuwin I have had and it is very solid. Although new world reminds me of a Pauillac with the cedar and cigar box aspects. Good stuff. 92+ points.
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4/8/2012 - Kentw wrote: 89 Points
A well balanced cab. A mix of black and red fruits, with some sour cherry and some mild vegetal characteristics on the finish. Has fairly smooth tannins, some acidity as well. Not a big cab though it gets better with decanting and age. A lot better than the bottle I had a couple of years ago where I didn't see what the hype was all about as it was quite ordinary- maybe an 86 - 87 rating then. Not overly complex. At $30 in 2008 for what I paid - there are more interesting cabs for the money. For those who like a classic - medium to full bodies Australian cab, this is a good bet. It was overhyped by WL and GV but a solid cab overall - just pricy for what you get.
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4/7/2012 - jeffsstuff wrote: 91 Points
Still a little tight. Could use a bit more time...
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2/27/2012 - VinoLife wrote: 90 Points
Lush raspberry and red berry aromas with some soft mint and mineral undertones. Silky smooth on the palate with juicy raspberry and cherry tones with subtle vanilla notes. Soft silky tannins and very modest alcohol accompanied by some decent but perhaps waining acidity. This wine was deceptively elegant and very easy drinking.
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2/5/2012 - PSUSteve Likes this wine: 92 Points
Unscrew and pour. Wonderful layers dominated by cherry and more cherry with a long full finish.
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2/4/2012 - jeremy_ross Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine is still really good. A little green pepper at first, but after a while it gives way to dense, red fruit, black current, cedar box, and a nice, subtle perfume. Significant tannins, but fairly soft.
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12/18/2011 - gwkozar wrote: 90 Points
open for party by default (bad planning). great read fruit, depth, cream.
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12/6/2011 - AlanM68 wrote: 91 Points
Slightly better than the last time I had this 6 or 7 months ago. Very rich and fruity. This was the last bottle of the half case.
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11/19/2011 - winopops3 wrote: 91 Points
A totally different experience from a year ago. This bottle had beautiful fruit, complexity with tobacco, oak and hint of chocolate. Nice mouth feel and finish.
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11/16/2011 - pinoteer wrote: 92 Points
First bottle from a case. Decanted for about 2 hours. Like this as much as, or more than, the 2002 vintage. Almost blood like in apparent viscosity, but really nothing like that because of the great freshening acidity. I'm not a big oak fan, but the cedar notes on the nose and palate give this wine a delicious nuance. Very mellow tannins. No need to wait any longer, this is ready to drink now. The residual tannins and the good acidity should keep this in a good place for 5-7 more years.
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10/25/2011 - CdP in NYC wrote: flawed
The rest of these were duds...Wine Library...i can never trust the bargains there.
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10/25/2011 - benny wrote: 93 Points
Great drinking now. Evolved in the glass. An outstanding and unique cab.
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10/10/2011 - Bacchusboy wrote: 92 Points
This is a great example of a wine improving with time. I had 3 in the cellar. I drank the first 2 years ago and found a rather ordinary, slightly tannic Aussie cab. Drank another tonite. I asked my wife to give me the varietal and country blind. She said it was a huge, exracted new world pinot. She was quite impressed to find this cherry pie beauty a CAB!....Very smooth, sweet tannins, with sweet cherry and mint on the mid palate. Structure was present but fruit predominated....a very good wine, drinking beautifully now.....I do think this wine will fade over the next 3 to 5 years...Drink and enjoy it now....Margaret River is nothing like Barossa!.....
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9/17/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
North Shore Getaway; 9/15/2011-9/17/2011 (North Shore, MN): Dark red color. Nose is sweetish with vanilla, blueberry pie, cassis, cedar and does show some eucalyptus on this bottle. The palate closely follows and adds anise notes, mineral , and spice to the firm but round tannins. 92+pts.
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8/1/2011 - Johnny C NYC wrote: 88 Points
Enjoyed over two days. Smooth cabernet with hints of greatness, but never sweeping away with dominance; so in the end a little reticent, but a decent drink. Probably not quite up to the price point. 50/5/11/15/7
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6/18/2011 - wirelesswine wrote: 91 Points
This wine seems to be showing more age than I would expect from 2004. Nose is very green with some pyrazines. The wine has some good fruit but with a definite aged quality. I like it a lot, it's not a big Aussie wine but it's rich in fruit with good acidic balance, a hint of spice, lots of red fruit, and a great mouthfeel.
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5/27/2011 - z_willus_d wrote: 87 Points
Probably a mistake that I didn't offer this first pour a chance to decant. Slight puffing of oak and red berries and mint -- swirl, swirl, swirl -- then it turns plummy, keeping the mint in the forefront (oak now in the background). Not so in the background on the palate, unfortunately. This drinks younger than I'd prefer to have it with an alcohol burn caressing my throat. Cassis and cedar dominate this mid-palate, henceforth it becomes dry with and shrill-oakiness on the medium length finish. This is reasonably well balanced holding kilter save for the oak and alcohol impression, both of which will probably improve with 3-5 years sideways.
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4/30/2011 - joefel Likes this wine: 89 Points
9 additional months has helped the wine, but it is still too young, and nothing has changed to increase my earlier score.
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4/23/2011 - SS Chris wrote: 91 Points
very nice cab, nice dark fruit, good acidity and quite silky
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4/3/2011 - awinejourney wrote: 87 Points
About an hour decant. Deep ruby color. Cranberry, black pepper, sweet oak and black licorice on the nose. Medium mouth feel. Light tannins. Light fruit and a medium finish. The nose is the best part about this for me and it goes down hill from there. I'm pretty disappointed.
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3/29/2011 - AlanM68 wrote: 89 Points
- Crimsom color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry with a light/medium body. Smooth texture with a medium finish - A nice wine. Nice, not great, not complex. Seems unlikely to get any better or develop more complexity. I think that is a function of the vintage rather than anything else. I hear their 05 is the best Cabernet they've ever made.
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3/15/2011 - nschmidt wrote: 89 Points
Drank with dinner of filet mignon, potatoes and spinach. Nice smooth cabernet flavors. No hard edges but no real excitement either. Enjoyable but not memorable.
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2/20/2011 - chatters wrote:
Bramble and blackberry, cream, vanilla, touches of eucalypt and mint. v.pleasant.
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2/14/2011 - cjsavino wrote: 88 Points
Seems to be a run of the mill cabernet, flavors are muted with more of an alcohol taste.
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1/31/2011 - CdP in NYC wrote: 87 Points
Compared to my last bottle, this was another dud. Still great, but I wouldn't advise buying these based on the inconsistencies from bottle to bottle.
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1/5/2011 - CdP in NYC wrote: 92 Points
Had two bottles on this: one a dud and one a star. This rating based on the star. Both were meaty as hell showing loads of beef blood and tobacco; however one was a dud on fruit, and one was a dude on fruit. I'm a sucker for ripe, sweet fruit balanced with beef blood, so I could see this approaching 94 points.
Long, full, savory and broad in the mouth.
Continue enjoying this one over the next ten years. 92+ -JS
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12/23/2010 - Rich S wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for about 45 mins. Dark purple color. Very interesting nose of pine tar, green pepper and Christmas spices. Blackberry, cassis and a good deal of vanilla and toasted oak notes on the palate. Big, creamy mouthfeel but refined. Balanced tannin and acid. Long finish. Very nice wine.
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12/18/2010 - chatters wrote:
Nose: black currant, cream, eucalyptus, some rich fruit cake there as well. I'm also getting mint and some mild white pepper spice. also biscuit/toast
Mouth: Blackcurrant again, medium acid and tannin straying towards medium to high in both cases. Spice again on the palate and, perhaps, chocolate. Long smooth, balanced finish.
I did notice pronounced tears/legs on this one as well. Doesn't really taste 6 years old. I think it's got plenty of life left. Very nice indeed.
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12/18/2010 - corkscrews wrote: 90 Points
A nose of currants and spice, dark purple in color. A smooth, full bodied Cab, black currants, blackberries, with herbs and pepper spice, a interesting good wine.
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12/6/2010 - btanz57 wrote: 92 Points
Solid effort!
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11/25/2010 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
Nice wine with cherry, floral, spice and earth. Medium finish and drink me now.
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11/25/2010 - fjd1960 wrote: 92 Points
Had this wine with a nice filet. Excellent as always.
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11/14/2010 - junglejuice wrote: 92 Points
California should take notice! This is how you produce a hugely delicious and well structured Cab for under $30. Beautiful fruit, never overbearing with very little oak presence really letting the luscious fruit shine. One of the best QPR Cabs I have ever come across and I wish I had more as it has a number of great years ahead of it. 92+
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11/1/2010 - gwkozar wrote: 87 Points
good color, but lightweight and thin, one dimensional, good berry notes, overpriced at $20
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10/23/2010 - winopops3 wrote: 85 Points
Actually I found this quite disappointing. Thin mouth feel one dimensional. Though the fruit was nice, it drank like a 12 dollar cab. (84) Hopefully my other bottles will be better. Day 2 a little better with the fruit a little more subdued, slightly more complexity. 86 points day 2. Will split the difference.
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9/13/2010 - finewein wrote: 90 Points
Delicious wine, but more like a Shiraz, than a Cabernet. Somewhat one dimensional, lacked structure. Delicious fruit though.
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8/22/2010 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
BBQ with Big Reds (Judith's House): Dark red purple. Nose is very nice with cassis, blackberry, light spice, cedar. There is no eucalyptus in this wine at all now, maybe there was before, but this is my second one and i don't see it. Palate is deep and well balanced with well rounded tannins, long finish. 92+pts.
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8/21/2010 - benny wrote: 90 Points
Not our night for this wine. Decanted and drank over three hours. Maybe too long. I agree with ST discription of this wine but the score of 94 escapes me. It is either too early or too late.
I will try again in a few weeks. This is not what I expected from a cab.
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8/8/2010 - joefel wrote: 89 Points
Popped, decanted, and poured. Very rough upon opening and still a little rough after 3 hours - definitely too young. Dark purple-red color. Jammy - tastes more like a Shiraz than a Cab. Medium body, but not a lot of complexity with a short finish.
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5/25/2010 - manonthemoon wrote: 92 Points
Blackberry lavender, and green pepper on the nose. On the palate there was blackberry, green pepper, earth, dusty cocoa. Good balance to this wine, not hot.
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5/24/2010 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 94 Points
Single-Blind Cabernet Tasting @ Urbana (Washington, D.C.): bright purple in the glass. the nose is bright and explosive, so much livelier than the other wines. pure, fresh berries, purple skittles, and vanilla coke from a 50s-style soda pop shop on the nose. massive on the palate, but not jammy or offensive. this cab is as explosive as it gets. what is amazing about this wine is its freshness and acidity. the balance is phenomenal. raisenets on the palate, cherry liquer, rasberries and dark chocolate. a very long finish. i popped this right before the tasting, and i now wish i would've opened it like six hours earlier. it's got a ton of potential.
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5/24/2010 - ianinvirginia wrote: 90 Points
Blind Cabernet Tasting with the DC WLTV Forum crew (Urbana, Washington, DC): Cocoa Krispies nose - kind of like chocolate covered cherries plus pie crust. In the mouth, fresh and bright fruit but with a nice, full mouthfeel, a bit of meat and smoke right before a shortish finish. The finish was slightly disappointing as a longer, drier one could have added a lot of elegance to a playful wine and taken the score up a couple of notches.
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5/24/2010 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
Single-Blind Cabernet Dinner (Urbana, Washington, DC): Meaty, smokey, with strawberry reduction sauce. Sweet, dusty cocoa with a nice creaminess. Very nice acidity on the back. Great wine.
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5/16/2010 - jonphillips wrote: 90 Points
A bit awkward stage ... Too sweet
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4/4/2010 - Lanny21 wrote: 90 Points
Big in your face fruit, which I personally love. Really rich blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream. Awesome qpr at $33
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12/23/2009 - kietkopelli wrote: 88 Points
This is the most bombastic Cabernet Sauvignon I've ever had. EVER! Fruit flies out the bottle from the time you cork it. This wine smells like bubblegum dipped in jam. The mid pallet is fruity but not as fruity as the nose. As interesting notes of mint, prunes, and creme brulee . Finishes moderately long.
I think $30 is about the right price point for this wine. It's not your typical cab sauv but this is not my style of wine. For something this fruity I prefer a cheap Shiraz.
Remember you don't drink the label.
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12/17/2009 - pmarsland wrote: 90 Points
Perth and Margaret River Dec 2009; 11/12/2009-2/1/2010: Very enjoyable wine - very fruity, good length.
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11/22/2009 - ljl203 wrote: 90 Points
Interesting to check out two bottle so close together. Day 1 had some of that awkwardness and real green bell pepper. Day 2 is smoother, strong lime acid and more intense.
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11/19/2009 - Capt M wrote: 87 Points
Violaceous color with almost full, deep density -say 92% full density in color, vivaceous. On the nose, black cherries and some very faint hints of cotton candy, and very faint scents of ricola. Good entrance on the palate, showing pomegranate, dark cherries, with appreciable intensity, then hints of coffee, and sensational astringency that hits the sides of the tongue in mid-palate to the end. This wine is so fruity that makes it a sensational wine but lacks the character of Cabernet. On a blind taste, this tells me Syrah. Medium to full body only. The finish is persistant and does leave you with tobacco notes and some tannins, but this is not Cabernet Sauvignon.
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10/18/2009 - ljl203 wrote: 90 Points
Very tight nose. Reddish purple color. Austerity to it that makes it great for food pairing. Tart rose, olive, baby powder. Thin in the middle by itself. Slightly bitter taste of old gum, mace. Very well integrated tannin structure. Interesting to look at the notes below and see two different experiences emerging.
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9/28/2009 - Grape_ape wrote: 88 Points
Decanted ~45 minutes. Big up front fruit on the nose and palate, black cherry, some black currant, but accompanied by aggressive oak with lots of toast and vanilla. While there is enough fruit to handle it, at this point the oak was a little to dominant for me, particularly on the finish. Well made wine, but definitely doesn't merit the 94 rating.
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9/21/2009 - jeremy_ross wrote: 89 Points
This is a dense wine with strong fruit that's offset by a strong bell pepper component. There's no doubt this is a good wine, but the flavor combination was somewhat awkward.
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9/21/2009 - Alex H wrote: 84 Points
Australia Wine Trip; 9/20/2009-9/21/2009 (Margaret River): Mushrooms and orange-flavoured chocolate with coffeeish, dark polished plums. A black and dark fruited wine with dark florals and a dash of minty eucalyptus spiciness. Dark and slightly mysterious. A good wine.
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8/28/2009 - Giggs wrote: 92 Points
Way too young, but shows very well right now. Huge sage character on the nose, with pepper, pomegranate, tea leaf, pine needle, and a good amount of spicy oak coming through on the back end of the nose. Styled like a Napa cab, dry raspberry and sweet cherry with good structure and acidity. This a solid wine that will keep improving for many years.
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7/16/2009 - JimN wrote: 93 Points
This is serious wine at this price point. Bought two cases, and wish I had purchased more. Beautiful fruit, long finish. Develops for a long time in the bottle, days even. Not for steak...more for robust fish. Followed a 1986 Spottswoode, and although it was not quite as good it actually has better fruit, as you would expect. Very different wine, but not inferior. Highly recommend at this price.
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7/2/2009 - pkbackman wrote: 89 Points
Big wine with sweet oak and a ton of fruit. Borderline fruit bomb/oak monster but it reeled in after about an hour
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6/6/2009 - Pierre Lim wrote: 93 Points
Big wine and full bodied. Loaded with blackberries, cherries, lots of fruit - new world. Great tannin structure and long finish. Very young wine that needs at least a couple of yrs to mature. This is a well made wine that will hold its own vs other high end Australian cabs.
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4/23/2009 - gajalaa wrote: 91 Points
very good, i am happy that i have another bottle nice medium body with a nose of black currant, and berry. nice silky tannins with a long finish
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3/19/2009 - jhemming wrote: 89 Points
Drank at an offline tasting event. Nice aromatics. Dark jam fruits, eucalyptus, vanilla, sweet. Nice mouthfeel and length, but felt a bit disjointed. Not sure what more time will do, but hopeful it will come together better.
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3/9/2009 - yui wrote: 91 Points
had it over 2 days. 1st day, nose of pickle juice, dark berries, cigarette smoke, very tasty w/hints of vanilla. 2nd day the fruit was more pronounced.
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3/7/2009 - mgl wrote: 92 Points
Great
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3/5/2009 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 90 Points
This wine is driven by big dark jammy fruits. It’s showing tons of of blackberry, dark cherry, plum and some spice characters. The flavors linger effortlessly on the velvety finish. (Best from 2009-2012) –JD90
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2/28/2009 - Bdbrutus wrote: 93 Points
Oak, Eucalyptus and some candy on the nose all wrapped around the fruit. Decanted for one hour. Very, very smooth and well integrated. Absolutely delicious to drink and not your stereotypical Aussie wine. It will be interesting to see where the other 2 bottles are in a year, but perfect to drink them right now.
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2/14/2009 - Vinacull wrote: 90 Points
{ST} Color deep dark red with purple hues, medium body - lighter than expected. Nose has very nice depth of black currant, some mint and pine, perhaps oak. Dark, layered fruit on the palate with sophisticated structure of fine grained tannins. Overall very good depth and clearly a step above other wines tasted in the 12 to 16 dollar range, but not fully convinced of the 94 score and 30 tag at this stage. Perhaps with time this will pick up steam and nuance.
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2/7/2009 - jdoakpark wrote: 93 Points
really nice....nice nose of berry and flowers...great silky tannins to start leading to a long silky finish..loved it.
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5/2/2008 - albeytw wrote: 92 Points
More minty than prelude C.M, menthol, more structured and fimer tannin. Oak is balanced. High acidity and M-L finish.
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