For 8 bucks this is a pretty good deal. Only has hints of being a cabernet, but is still enjoyable. The nose has kind of a burned charcoal thing with some oak and a little dark fruit. Some basic cherry on the palate that has some nice acidity. Short finish. ($15)
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Opened this and the first glass was an overwhelming black cherry that seemed to burn my tongue with a smoky taste. It shared this taste on the nose. I decanted it for a few hours and gave it another go. It never tasted any different glass to glass, and after 2 days I gave up.
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Very, very, very decent cab at $14. Fruity, a little pleasant acid, but not especially complex. I would never bother decanting because by hour 3 most of the interesting flavors have evaporated, but for a $14 cab you want a pop and drop - at least I do. This is one of those wines that occupies an excellent niche in your collection: a tasty cab that doesn't require any forethought, it seems to give its best at cellar temp. a few minutes after you uncork it.
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We have had this bottle for almost 2 years, and the wine most decidedly did not age well. It has turned from a fruit forward decent-QPR wine into something that is more akin to a mouth full of burnt sticks (after you've poured the water on the campfire to put it out). For those familiar with tea, this is like a poorly done lapsang souchong. We couldn't do more than take a couple of sips, wonder about how we could ever have liked this in the past, and then be amazed at how the whole room was beginning to smell of old charcoal.
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This wine was opened to replace a poorly-performing Virginia Meritage (see CT wine #457182). Color (5/5): Dark purple-ruby with color lasting almost to the edge. Lovely to look at. Nose (10/15): Very light upon opening, but after about 1/2 hour in decanter it opened up to a vanilla-berry bloom. Palate/Finish (13/20): Typical Cabernet flavors with good full mouthfeel. Slightly bitter mid-palate with very soft tannins. Finish is medium long with some dark chocolate and coffee. Potential/Quality (5/10): Might be able to hold this for another year and see some small improvement with the flavors better integrated. This wine was made to drink now however. For eight bucks it has a way above average QPR. Something you won't mind drinking while you wait for your Caymus to mature.
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Tastes bitter and young, we should have decanted, tasted cherry Finish is rather short, slightly improved as it aerated probably would not buy again even though it only costs $13
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This wine stats out with the aroma of the air just before a rain storm, Subtle cherry and plum notes also appear.Tannins are smooth and this cab is pretty well balanced.
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Heard about this wine from both customers in the store and online and print reviews... Dark core almost black in colour of high intensity - almost opaque but there's a bit of dullness in the colour like a high pH wine. Very intense nose of blueberry, blackberry, vanilla and sweet oak. Interesting nose but very young (as expected). The big disappointment is on the palate - big oak and jammy fruit and that's all - very simple wine that could be confused with the plethora of inexpensive Australians out there. Moderate tannin, mod+ body and alcohol but very low in acid. The wine just lay there on the tongue - very flabby... The finish was short to medium with the fruit and oak continuing. Not well balanced and very much a drink now wine. Eventually had some black olives and feta cheese with it - gave it life and turned it into a pretty good drink.
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THis was extremely tight at first, but after about 2 hours in the decanter, this started to show. (Yes, even for a 12 dollar bottle.) A TON of oak, Vanilla and blackberry on the nose. On the palate it felt a little sweet, almost like a Yellow tail in it's sweetness, a little fake, but not overwhelmingly. Medium length finish with very soft tannins. I don't think I would buy again, the nose was much better than the wine actually turned out to be.
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A different flavored cab. Very noticable smokiness that softened somewhat after 3 hours, but still present. Went very well with a meatloaf dish, seemed to compliment each other. Impressive bottle with deep punt. Having said all this I will probably pass on re-purchase.
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First thing I noticed was the extra short cork wish is funny because of the extra marketing that goes into the bottle of this wine. It was a dissapointment. The nose is not impressive and no real flavor profile jumps out of the glass. The palate is one dimensional of sorts. It has a few different flavors but their all very fake. It is the overwhelming characterisitc to this wine which is why I call it one dimensional. The color is insane, but that's not saying much these days. A tiny bit of vegital comes through on the finish (celery) which is short.
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Excellent color and light flavor of oak and vanilla. Took to a holiday wine tasting party and it was the hit of the party. On a bang for the buck scale the wine is a 100.
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Good clor; nose is woodsy; smells like an old suitcse from the atic. A bit like yellowed newspaper. The flavor is fake. Lots of cherry juice and wood. Tastes like they soaked the wine with wood chips rather than using oak barrels. Tastes like it was made as it was a widget rather than a product of the vineyard and the land. Too bad as it has a nice price point.
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I'm not sure if I should be nodding my head in approval, or disappointed. Very drinkable, light body, light tannins for a "drink now" cab, but otherwise not much there. Maybe my taste buds just aren't in gear today. Nose and finish are both very oaky, but simply so. On the tongue, there's the cab and then....well, it leaves you waiting for other flavors, but doesn't deliver. Had it with a home-ground deluxe hamburger, so it fit the meal. In summary, drinkable and easily-pairable, but may fall short of expectations.
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This may be the 'Three Thieves' but it ain't three thieves in the bottle...and that's a good thing. The color is deep dark crimson with purple tinges. The nose is subdued muted red fruits. The palate reveals some soft tannins, quiet red cherry, some camphor and cassis after about 30 minutes. A nice agreeable finish. Overall a little one dimensional, but nothing negative that keeps it from becoming an everyday drinker. Great QPR.
2nd Day; This wine hs opened up to be a lush, mildly more interesting decent drinker, with better defined reds fruit, and overall just better all around. . Enough to gain a point or 2. A definate QPR alert here folks, just open 1 day early. Drinks like some $40 jobbies from recent memory.
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Not bad for ~$12, but not much personality. Initially a bit hot and disjointed, this wine benefited from short aeration (~30 min.), but as this sat the vanilla became way too intense for my taste.
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this wine is exceptionally good. it's not very complex but there are nice vanilla oak black currant flavors and it's a pretty syrupy and big new world style. would buy again.
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We were really very happy with this, particularly at the $15 price point. Tried it at a tasting, enjoyed it, brought a bottle home and loved it. After breathing for an hour or two, you can still really detect the cab. franc, but given 3-4 hours, it integrates well and gives a really intriguing flavor with a lot of vanilla and a bit of tobacco. A definite 3 out of 4.
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We very much enjoyed this. A bit monolithic, but a fantastic drink-now california cab. Soft tannins suggest that aging won't do much for this, but I think it's quite obvious that this wine isn't one to hold. We'll definitely grab a few more of this. A solid B/B+
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Tasted double blind. A very faint grapefruit aroma that blew off leaving cassis and blackberry notes. Juicy red fruit flavros on the palate, bolstered by spicy oak.
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Decent wine that seems to be the "hot new thing" in all the wine shops around here. 92-94 pts RP? I don't agree and wonder what I'm missing. Light-bodied, smooth tannins, juicy-fruit, quick finish. Seems more like a Trader Joe's special than a reserve that you have with steak. Better with sausage or hamburger.
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10/1/2013 - redbrix wrote: 82 Points
Cheesy label, decent cab. Best if let breath. Berry and tart, not 100% Cab.
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2/5/2011 - ecola wrote: 85 Points
For 8 bucks this is a pretty good deal. Only has hints of being a cabernet, but is still enjoyable. The nose has kind of a burned charcoal thing with some oak and a little dark fruit. Some basic cherry on the palate that has some nice acidity. Short finish. ($15)
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4/14/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote: 86 Points
some of the best labels in the business (three different labels for the same wine), but not as good as i remember.
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5/5/2009 - nekaik wrote:
Opened this and the first glass was an overwhelming black cherry that seemed to burn my tongue with a smoky taste. It shared this taste on the nose. I decanted it for a few hours and gave it another go. It never tasted any different glass to glass, and after 2 days I gave up.
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4/9/2009 - j3w wrote:
Very, very, very decent cab at $14. Fruity, a little pleasant acid, but not especially complex. I would never bother decanting because by hour 3 most of the interesting flavors have evaporated, but for a $14 cab you want a pop and drop - at least I do. This is one of those wines that occupies an excellent niche in your collection: a tasty cab that doesn't require any forethought, it seems to give its best at cellar temp. a few minutes after you uncork it.
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1/16/2009 - JeffnCin wrote:
We have had this bottle for almost 2 years, and the wine most decidedly did not age well. It has turned from a fruit forward decent-QPR wine into something that is more akin to a mouth full of burnt sticks (after you've poured the water on the campfire to put it out). For those familiar with tea, this is like a poorly done lapsang souchong. We couldn't do more than take a couple of sips, wonder about how we could ever have liked this in the past, and then be amazed at how the whole room was beginning to smell of old charcoal.
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12/8/2008 - plasiter67 wrote: 79 Points
One word: Ugh. Terrible nose, terrible taste, good color. Major Pass. Save your $10.00 and get something - anything else.
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11/1/2008 - VinoTx wrote: flawed
Great label, terrible wine, but I'll give benefit of the doubt that it had some corkage issue.
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9/22/2008 - CTAnderson wrote: 89 Points
Really enjoyable cab for under $10!
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9/12/2008 - iByron wrote: 83 Points
This wine was opened to replace a poorly-performing Virginia Meritage (see CT wine #457182).
Color (5/5): Dark purple-ruby with color lasting almost to the edge. Lovely to look at. Nose (10/15): Very light upon opening, but after about 1/2 hour in decanter it opened up to a vanilla-berry bloom. Palate/Finish (13/20): Typical Cabernet flavors with good full mouthfeel. Slightly bitter mid-palate with very soft tannins. Finish is medium long with some dark chocolate and coffee. Potential/Quality (5/10): Might be able to hold this for another year and see some small improvement with the flavors better integrated. This wine was made to drink now however. For eight bucks it has a way above average QPR. Something you won't mind drinking while you wait for your Caymus to mature.
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8/6/2008 - beezer6 wrote: 84 Points
Nothing special. Never understood what the 'hype' over this bottle was all about. Pass.
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7/25/2008 - joshwoodward wrote: 83 Points
Funky, very barnyard-y. Dirt. Bubblegum. Very interesting, but odd.
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5/17/2008 - gajalaa wrote: 84 Points
Tastes bitter and young, we should have decanted, tasted cherry
Finish is rather short, slightly improved as it aerated probably would not buy again even though it only costs $13
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5/9/2008 - Wolfgang wrote: 88 Points
This wine stats out with the aroma of the air just before a rain storm, Subtle cherry and plum notes also appear.Tannins are smooth and this cab is pretty well balanced.
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3/29/2008 - biggie wrote: 84 Points
Heard about this wine from both customers in the store and online and print reviews... Dark core almost black in colour of high intensity - almost opaque but there's a bit of dullness in the colour like a high pH wine. Very intense nose of blueberry, blackberry, vanilla and sweet oak. Interesting nose but very young (as expected). The big disappointment is on the palate - big oak and jammy fruit and that's all - very simple wine that could be confused with the plethora of inexpensive Australians out there. Moderate tannin, mod+ body and alcohol but very low in acid. The wine just lay there on the tongue - very flabby... The finish was short to medium with the fruit and oak continuing. Not well balanced and very much a drink now wine. Eventually had some black olives and feta cheese with it - gave it life and turned it into a pretty good drink.
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3/28/2008 - esbryant wrote: 89 Points
great cab, very smooth
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3/19/2008 - yonster24 wrote: 83 Points
THis was extremely tight at first, but after about 2 hours in the decanter, this started to show. (Yes, even for a 12 dollar bottle.) A TON of oak, Vanilla and blackberry on the nose. On the palate it felt a little sweet, almost like a Yellow tail in it's sweetness, a little fake, but not overwhelmingly. Medium length finish with very soft tannins. I don't think I would buy again, the nose was much better than the wine actually turned out to be.
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2/29/2008 - cdhedrick wrote: 88 Points
very enjoyable wine, big fruit taste, strawberry and cherry, very thick and jammy. Great value and would buy again.
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1/26/2008 - wbaccus wrote: 90 Points
Definitely new world fruitiness, but a great value for a solid cabernet.
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1/24/2008 - jjlobi wrote: 86 Points
A different flavored cab. Very noticable smokiness that softened somewhat after 3 hours, but still present. Went very well with a meatloaf dish, seemed to compliment each other. Impressive bottle with deep punt. Having said all this I will probably pass on re-purchase.
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1/13/2008 - jc510 wrote: 86 Points
Not a bad wine for the Money. Good fruit forward, nice nose. a bit thin.
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1/10/2008 - Evil Homer wrote: 86 Points
Good QPR. Green Pepper on the nose to start then after awhile a little mocha came on board. Simple fruit on the palate...good everyday sipper.
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1/9/2008 - chateaumiller wrote: 79 Points
AVERAGE
First thing I noticed was the extra short cork wish is funny because of the extra marketing that goes into the bottle of this wine. It was a dissapointment.
The nose is not impressive and no real flavor profile jumps out of the glass. The palate is one dimensional of sorts. It has a few different flavors but their all very fake. It is the overwhelming characterisitc to this wine which is why I call it one dimensional. The color is insane, but that's not saying much these days. A tiny bit of vegital comes through on the finish (celery) which is short.
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12/20/2007 - acctgdweeb001 wrote: 87 Points
Excellent color and light flavor of oak and vanilla. Took to a holiday wine tasting party and it was the hit of the party. On a bang for the buck scale the wine is a 100.
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12/10/2007 - brentandalex wrote: 89 Points
Great value for the money...maybe worth buying by the case.
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12/10/2007 - joec58 wrote: 75 Points
This tasted like very cheap bad wine. Poured half the bottle down the drain. I am so glad i only bought 1 bottle.
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11/19/2007 - conmike wrote: 80 Points
Described by most at party as having a BBQ flavor. Simple, fruity wine. Most at party did not like the wine.
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11/8/2007 - t_moderne wrote: 80 Points
Good clor; nose is woodsy; smells like an old suitcse from the atic. A bit like yellowed newspaper. The flavor is fake. Lots of cherry juice and wood. Tastes like they soaked the wine with wood chips rather than using oak barrels. Tastes like it was made as it was a widget rather than a product of the vineyard and the land. Too bad as it has a nice price point.
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9/28/2007 - ajfranke wrote: 80 Points
I'm not sure if I should be nodding my head in approval, or disappointed. Very drinkable, light body, light tannins for a "drink now" cab, but otherwise not much there. Maybe my taste buds just aren't in gear today. Nose and finish are both very oaky, but simply so. On the tongue, there's the cab and then....well, it leaves you waiting for other flavors, but doesn't deliver. Had it with a home-ground deluxe hamburger, so it fit the meal. In summary, drinkable and easily-pairable, but may fall short of expectations.
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8/26/2007 - corkman wrote: 80 Points
Deep color. Hot, oaky nose. Promising tannins resolve into extremely oaky, suck on a woodpile aftertaste. If you like oak. . .
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7/18/2007 - WagesOfZin wrote:
Less impressed with this bottle than the previous one. The monolithic flavor profile is most likely the culprit. B/B-
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6/11/2007 - King Cab wrote: 87 Points
This may be the 'Three Thieves' but it ain't three thieves in the bottle...and that's a good thing.
The color is deep dark crimson with purple tinges. The nose is subdued muted red fruits. The palate reveals some soft tannins, quiet red cherry, some camphor and cassis after about 30 minutes. A nice agreeable finish. Overall a little one dimensional, but nothing negative that keeps it from becoming an everyday drinker. Great QPR.
2nd Day; This wine hs opened up to be a lush, mildly more interesting decent drinker, with better defined reds fruit, and overall just better all around. . Enough to gain a point or 2. A definate QPR alert here folks, just open 1 day early. Drinks like some $40 jobbies from recent memory.
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6/9/2007 - mstrickland wrote: 86 Points
Spicy and vegetal. Combine with a good food pairing and the fruit begins to pop. Tart, dried fruit, herby.
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6/7/2007 - Foster wrote:
Not bad for ~$12, but not much personality. Initially a bit hot and disjointed, this wine benefited from short aeration (~30 min.), but as this sat the vanilla became way too intense for my taste.
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5/28/2007 - mike l. wrote: 89 Points
this wine is exceptionally good. it's not very complex but there are nice vanilla oak black currant flavors and it's a pretty syrupy and big new world style. would buy again.
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5/19/2007 - Grace 77 wrote: 85 Points
Decent and decently priced. A good value and a fun bottle.
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4/26/2007 - JeffnCin wrote:
We were really very happy with this, particularly at the $15 price point. Tried it at a tasting, enjoyed it, brought a bottle home and loved it. After breathing for an hour or two, you can still really detect the cab. franc, but given 3-4 hours, it integrates well and gives a really intriguing flavor with a lot of vanilla and a bit of tobacco. A definite 3 out of 4.
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4/5/2007 - WagesOfZin wrote:
We very much enjoyed this. A bit monolithic, but a fantastic drink-now california cab. Soft tannins suggest that aging won't do much for this, but I think it's quite obvious that this wine isn't one to hold. We'll definitely grab a few more of this. A solid B/B+
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3/11/2007 - AllRed wrote: 85 Points
Tasted double blind. A very faint grapefruit aroma that blew off leaving cassis and blackberry notes. Juicy red fruit flavros on the palate, bolstered by spicy oak.
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3/10/2007 - fingers wrote: 82 Points
Decent wine that seems to be the "hot new thing" in all the wine shops around here. 92-94 pts RP? I don't agree and wonder what I'm missing. Light-bodied, smooth tannins, juicy-fruit, quick finish. Seems more like a Trader Joe's special than a reserve that you have with steak. Better with sausage or hamburger.
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2/26/2007 - bberg wrote: 86 Points
Good Napa fruit for the money. Soft tannins- drink now.
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