This is crazy good wine. Full stop. Christmas eve with grilled carne asada and shrimp tacos, this was just amazingly apropos. The wine has aged seamlessly. Beautiful red and dark fruits, leather, underbrush, and garrigue. There is clearly the mark of new wood but it works and despite the international flair there is no denying this is exceptionally nice juice. The finish, long and multilayered, is ridiculous. What must the CE taste like?! It is cold, Christmas music is playing, and, Omicron or not, I am happy
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Plush, spherical, and balanced, this Laurel became increasingly complex as it opened over 45 minutes in the decanter. Exotic and fresh for its age with all sorts of earthy, savory underlayers. Truly gorgeous, appealing and ready to drink. Now-2024.
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Opened and consumed during a week. Still very powerful. Full display of Priorat-like aromas & flavor: black fruit, black licorice, ink and some spices. Quite tannic at the moment, it softened after a few days in the fridge with half bottle consumed. Much better experience at the end of the week, with more freshness and silky palate (that's if a Priorat can be any silky). Give it plenty of air or just let it rest several more years in cellar, seems worth the wait.
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Opened for couple of hours. Very Priorat-like nose with black fruit, black ink, spices and tapenade. Powerful yet elegant, mouth coating and what stands out the most for me, the freshness. 91-92
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This is really great wine… Dark and shining garnet color, medium body, after 30 minutes in the glass opened with dark fruits, spices, chocolate, flowers and some cedar. On the palate – balanced, fresh and tasty, with many layers and super smooth; hard to believe this one has 15 percent alcohol. Mostly Grenache, 20% Syrah and 5% Cabernet. Reminds some of the best young CdP, like Pegau “Cuvee Reserve” Drink this one now, can’t be better…
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Wonderful fruit on the nose. Really fantastic. Lots of black current, liqurice. Nice rounded tannins. Great noe, but will surely develop further. Wonderful wine!
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Jumps out of the glass with layers of dark fruit, cherries, some red fruits, minerals, spices and some dark chocolate. Pretty full body and very dense, but with some acidity and tannins adding structure. It's an "in-your-face" kind of wine, but really well made. It's fun to drink a glass or two... but it should develop some more complexity to get a higher rating.
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Opened for 1 hour and drank over two days. Very dark purple color. This 2008 offers a bouquet made of barnishes, red ripe fruit, laurel and more balsamic aromas along with a medicine note and mocha. On palate it's a bit dry, still with present tannins. It's powerful, meaty and medium to full bodied, with kirsh liquor. It finishes with a long red liquor fruit flavour. I feel it just a bit monolithic on mid palate and probably it has a bit too much "fat". It showed better on day to. 91+
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black, the nose has that stewed prune smell, with spice and herb, this wine is big, really big, and hot, there is a gutsy berry-laden palate, which is deep in dark fruit and smoky, very big and modern Priorat-like, probably needs more time, I feel there is a lack of balance with this wine as it lacks elegance, nice with a beefy tomato soup though, much better with food
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Popped and used a Vinturi; at Fat Greek. Purple and garnet. Charcoal, blackberry, potato skin, red licorice and loam. Plush and magnetic, this shows a lot of finesse. Balance is soooo tiring to say, however, this is. Not too over-the-top and has the stuffing to age. Drink now - 2018.
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Opened for two hours. Nice dark ruby color. On nose shows intense fresh red fruit aromas, balsamic, wet forrest floor, eucalyptus. In palate has a soft entry that becomes a bit astringent, noticiable tannins, good acidity, very fruity and medium bodied. Very long finish, mainly of red fruit. This was my first Laurel and despite the hard edges on palate, showed beautifully, specially on nose and finish.
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I really liked this bottle. Lots of red fruit - some sweet red fruit, but also some cranberry. Deep, dark, teeth-staining wine. Some smoke and spice. I liked it well enough to go back to Binny's and buy another bottle.
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Pitch black with a purple rim. Modern nose with a blast of black fruit and oaky notes. Concentrated and viscuous. One dimensional, black and blue fruit. One dimensional, but clean with a long finish.
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My first go at the '08. Off the cork pull seems more restrained than previous vintages, without the five spice powder thing that I associate with massive amounts of new French oak. I kinda miss it. But again, the cork was just pulled. We shall see.
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Good, but very oaky. Dark purple color. Seems like it may have enough concentration of fruit to allow some oak to absorb with age, but the tannins, while present, are not overly aggressive. Gut impression: 88-89.
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11/9/2022 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 94 Points
We enjoyed this on day one, and got back to it on day three... when my wife raved on just how incredible it had become!
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12/24/2021 - Neurowine1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is crazy good wine. Full stop. Christmas eve with grilled carne asada and shrimp tacos, this was just amazingly apropos. The wine has aged seamlessly. Beautiful red and dark fruits, leather, underbrush, and garrigue. There is clearly the mark of new wood but it works and despite the international flair there is no denying this is exceptionally nice juice. The finish, long and multilayered, is ridiculous. What must the CE taste like?! It is cold, Christmas music is playing, and, Omicron or not, I am happy
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1/22/2019 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
Plush, spherical, and balanced, this Laurel became increasingly complex as it opened over 45 minutes in the decanter. Exotic and fresh for its age with all sorts of earthy, savory underlayers. Truly gorgeous, appealing and ready to drink. Now-2024.
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12/31/2018 - Periko Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened and consumed during a week. Still very powerful. Full display of Priorat-like aromas & flavor: black fruit, black licorice, ink and some spices. Quite tannic at the moment, it softened after a few days in the fridge with half bottle consumed. Much better experience at the end of the week, with more freshness and silky palate (that's if a Priorat can be any silky). Give it plenty of air or just let it rest several more years in cellar, seems worth the wait.
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9/16/2018 - Rollerball wrote:
Plush and dense but with restraint and some interesting dimensions. At least five good years ahead. -2023.
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1/22/2017 - Neras Likes this wine: 94 Points
This has developed wonderfully. Fruit has become a little more restrained, but replaced by lots of earthy nuances. A wonderful wine.
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7/24/2016 - Rollerball wrote: 92 Points
Lovely and food-friendly.
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5/6/2016 - Periko Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened for couple of hours. Very Priorat-like nose with black fruit, black ink, spices and tapenade. Powerful yet elegant, mouth coating and what stands out the most for me, the freshness. 91-92
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9/9/2015 - greidy Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is really great wine… Dark and shining garnet color, medium body, after 30 minutes in the glass opened with dark fruits, spices, chocolate, flowers and some cedar. On the palate – balanced, fresh and tasty, with many layers and super smooth; hard to believe this one has 15 percent alcohol. Mostly Grenache, 20% Syrah and 5% Cabernet. Reminds some of the best young CdP, like Pegau “Cuvee Reserve”
Drink this one now, can’t be better…
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7/18/2015 - CO CHRIS wrote:
Still delicious. Often enjoy more than Erasmus. Grazie Daphne.
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5/11/2015 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Big and ripe. Not as hot as I remember but hey, I just did 18 samples. Vodka probably would go down smooth right now. You do feel it though.
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11/27/2013 - carstenf wrote: 88 Points
I like it , but the pricetag says d.kr. 240 and it is too much ( about 40 usd )
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10/20/2013 - Neras Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful fruit on the nose. Really fantastic. Lots of black current, liqurice. Nice rounded tannins. Great noe, but will surely develop further. Wonderful wine!
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5/11/2013 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
Russk 91
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4/30/2013 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 92 Points
Jumps out of the glass with layers of dark fruit, cherries, some red fruits, minerals, spices and some dark chocolate. Pretty full body and very dense, but with some acidity and tannins adding structure. It's an "in-your-face" kind of wine, but really well made. It's fun to drink a glass or two... but it should develop some more complexity to get a higher rating.
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9/12/2012 - Periko wrote: 91 Points
Opened for 1 hour and drank over two days. Very dark purple color. This 2008 offers a bouquet made of barnishes, red ripe fruit, laurel and more balsamic aromas along with a medicine note and mocha. On palate it's a bit dry, still with present tannins. It's powerful, meaty and medium to full bodied, with kirsh liquor. It finishes with a long red liquor fruit flavour. I feel it just a bit monolithic on mid palate and probably it has a bit too much "fat". It showed better on day to. 91+
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6/30/2012 - carmanyd wrote: 91 Points
Really opened in the glass. Had a very "Spanish" profile. A little berry on the nose with an earthy finish. Very food friendly.
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3/30/2012 - Matt Scott wrote: 93 Points
See previous notes. Even more open. Must decant, or there will be heat and abbundent oak.
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1/7/2012 - whits wrote: 88 Points
black, the nose has that stewed prune smell, with spice and herb, this wine is big, really big, and hot, there is a gutsy berry-laden palate, which is deep in dark fruit and smoky, very big and modern Priorat-like, probably needs more time, I feel there is a lack of balance with this wine as it lacks elegance, nice with a beefy tomato soup though, much better with food
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12/24/2011 - jerryorlandoWW wrote: 93 Points
Nice wine perfect
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11/27/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Big and busty as always.
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10/20/2011 - Matt Scott wrote: 93 Points
Popped and used a Vinturi; at Fat Greek. Purple and garnet. Charcoal, blackberry, potato skin, red licorice and loam. Plush and magnetic, this shows a lot of finesse. Balance is soooo tiring to say, however, this is. Not too over-the-top and has the stuffing to age. Drink now - 2018.
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8/16/2011 - Periko wrote: 92 Points
Opened for two hours. Nice dark ruby color. On nose shows intense fresh red fruit aromas, balsamic, wet forrest floor, eucalyptus. In palate has a soft entry that becomes a bit astringent, noticiable tannins, good acidity, very fruity and medium bodied. Very long finish, mainly of red fruit. This was my first Laurel and despite the hard edges on palate, showed beautifully, specially on nose and finish.
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6/27/2011 - MillerRoad wrote: 93 Points
I really liked this bottle. Lots of red fruit - some sweet red fruit, but also some cranberry. Deep, dark, teeth-staining wine. Some smoke and spice. I liked it well enough to go back to Binny's and buy another bottle.
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5/27/2011 - Anthony Lombardi wrote:
Pitch black with a purple rim. Modern nose with a blast of black fruit and oaky notes. Concentrated and viscuous. One dimensional, black and blue fruit. One dimensional, but clean with a long finish.
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3/2/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
My first go at the '08. Off the cork pull seems more restrained than previous vintages, without the five spice powder thing that I associate with massive amounts of new French oak. I kinda miss it. But again, the cork was just pulled. We shall see.
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11/4/2010 - grafstrb wrote:
Good, but very oaky. Dark purple color. Seems like it may have enough concentration of fruit to allow some oak to absorb with age, but the tannins, while present, are not overly aggressive. Gut impression: 88-89.
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