This needs a one hour decant. A bit angular upon opening but smooths out over the hour and the darker, richer fruit rises to the surface. Good concentration and a medium finish.
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It’s getting better with a little more hammock time. The acid and tannin components are a bit more seamless. I still find the oak a tad over-handed, the vanillin is mid palate and pesky like a mozzie in an overnight tent. Went well with roast chicken.
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One of the more high end Canadian wines I have tasted. Decanted for 90 minutes prior to dinner.
On the nose, oak, dark fruit and ripe cherry. Initial sips yielded ripe blackberry, cassis, oak and tobacco. This opened up with smoke/cigar box, leather and earthy notes. More complex than expected, but we'll balanced flavors. Med and pleasant finish.
Med+/full bodied, nicely dry, good acidity and grippy tannin structure. This was extremely enjoyable and feels well crafted. I would seek this out again. Impressive.
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Bottle 1 of 2, belated (drank 7 May 2022). Decanted one hour. Dark ruby. Pronounced aromas of oak, spice. More oak on palate. M+ body, high acidity, XD, medium tannin, high alcohol (14.5%). Short finish. Pairing with stir-fry brought our some herbaceousness (asparagus). Day 3 had some smoke on the nose. Good quality (only) but upside potential. Can drink now but recommend further aging.
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Enjoyed this a little less than the last bottle. This had warm berry fruit, pastry notes, cassis, chocolate, bay leaf and cedar notes. The palate is rich , full bodied and warm, with polished tannins, I feel the ripeness and alcohol is on the edge though, side note for myself a few years down the line I just finished a man cold so maybe my taste is a little off. I feel this needs a few years to properly integrate. 92+
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Superbe mais jeune, de la fougue et beaucoup de matière. Sur les prunes et les cerises, du romarin et une pointe de cèdre qui lui donne une impression de fraicheur. Il y a aussi du chocolat et de la terre. Les tannins sont bien enrobés et la finale bien longue est puissante et langoureuse. Excellent avec un beau potentiel pour la cave.
Molto Bene Nota Bene! (Vino Loco & Lolo's Seaside Tasting Lodge): Part of an eight vertical tasting. Nice bouquet of mixed berries and dark plums. On the palate, the fruit is a little more restrained due to alcohol, acid and tannin masking the wine in a sour, harsh and hot tussle . This is an infant that's teething. You love it but you don't like it for what it is now. You assess it for its future potential (that's the "90"). Hopefully it matures and becomes a doctor or lawyer or professional athlete ...with a nice cellar that you can raid with parental privileges. Seriously, its got very good structure but it needs to settle down. Vino Loco's second night assessment was the infant has rapidly turned into your abrasive bully type "that punches you in the face and is unapologetic for it". Needs time... we think!
My first bottle of the 18 - and can save you wasting a bottle, it is not close to being ready yet.
The nose is fine, but still quite a bit of greenness, and tasted bitter to me on the finish. The fruits have not rounded out - not getting any of the luciousness or mouthfeel you’d expect from a wine at this price point.
This is certainly one of if not the best Canadian wine out there. Aromas of dark plum, cherry, bramble, sage, rosemary, dark chocolate and baking spices. The palate is medium to full bodied with dark spicy fruit, savoury spices, polished tannins with a rich finish. Yup this is a beauty and looking forward to seeing how this develops over the coming 10+ years
Yummy A complex and delicious nose of ripe black fruits, smoke, oak spice, and noticeable but pleasant green notes. Some graphite notes. Very correct for a Bordeaux blend The tannins were silky smooth with and the length excellent This is fine to drink young but will undoubtedly improve over the next 10 years at least
Wanted to see how their Carm was developing…opened this instead in error. First sip and I was…”this is Carmenere?” – oh well, this mistake I can live with. 😉
Nose: very youthful, big acid & fresh fruits – reminiscent of their ’14 vintage.
Loads of deep dark berries, oak, brown sugar with a herbaceous underbelly. Terrifically smooth mid palate.
Tannin structure & young fruit tells me it can easily go 5-7 years – likely more.
Excellent right off the hop. Deep n rich like we expect with Nota Bene. Paired with big braised beef short ribs over creamy polenta roasted veggies and a jus reduction. Incredible meal with an outstanding wine! Family was super impressed!
Tasted blind and brought by a friend. Too young obviously, but very glad I tried it:) Classic Nota Bene, extremely focused with red-blackberries and sage...with its unmatchable freshness. Highly polished tannins. Still needs a few years in the cellar to develop even more complexity. Wait until 2022 to open you first bottles, it should then last for 10+ years. It finished first in our blind tasting, tied with Laughing Stock Syrah 2014 and just ahead of the Oculus 2014...both killed Chateau Pedesclaux 2012 (which was excellent as well). Once again the Okanagan is showing what it can do at the very top level of quality.
4/7/2024 - Ravi Deshpande Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great balance and fruit, but has very thick tannins that betray its Canadian origins.
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10/21/2023 - Canoehead Likes this wine: 91 Points
This needs a one hour decant. A bit angular upon opening but smooths out over the hour and the darker, richer fruit rises to the surface. Good concentration and a medium finish.
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9/24/2023 - Charlie898 wrote:
Great year. So nice to drink
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8/30/2023 - Charlie898 wrote:
Gave to Elizabeth lyall
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4/22/2023 - KillerJones wrote: 90 Points
Well, it took two days to open proper...so young is an understatement.
Smooth & focused - but very chewy. I agree with Canoehead that something is off here - could be with wood, but it was a cooler vintage.
While disjointed now, I bet this wine becomes rampantly delicious. Only time will tell...
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4/13/2023 - Khowell90 Likes this wine:
-
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2/23/2023 - Canoehead Likes this wine: 91 Points
It’s getting better with a little more hammock time. The acid and tannin components are a bit more seamless. I still find the oak a tad over-handed, the vanillin is mid palate and pesky like a mozzie in an overnight tent. Went well with roast chicken.
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1/7/2023 - Srabkin90 Likes this wine: 92 Points
One of the more high end Canadian wines I have tasted. Decanted for 90 minutes prior to dinner.
On the nose, oak, dark fruit and ripe cherry. Initial sips yielded ripe blackberry, cassis, oak and tobacco. This opened up with smoke/cigar box, leather and earthy notes. More complex than expected, but we'll balanced flavors. Med and pleasant finish.
Med+/full bodied, nicely dry, good acidity and grippy tannin structure. This was extremely enjoyable and feels well crafted. I would seek this out again. Impressive.
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1/2/2023 - Dave Dewar wrote:
Bottle 1 of 2, belated (drank 7 May 2022). Decanted one hour. Dark ruby. Pronounced aromas of oak, spice. More oak on palate. M+ body, high acidity, XD, medium tannin, high alcohol (14.5%). Short finish. Pairing with stir-fry brought our some herbaceousness (asparagus). Day 3 had some smoke on the nose. Good quality (only) but upside potential. Can drink now but recommend further aging.
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11/25/2022 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine:
Enjoyed this a little less than the last bottle. This had warm berry fruit, pastry notes, cassis, chocolate, bay leaf and cedar notes. The palate is rich , full bodied and warm, with polished tannins, I feel the ripeness and alcohol is on the edge though, side note for myself a few years down the line I just finished a man cold so maybe my taste is a little off. I feel this needs a few years to properly integrate. 92+
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7/19/2022 - maxima wrote: 91 Points
Superbe mais jeune, de la fougue et
beaucoup de matière.
Sur les prunes et les cerises, du romarin et
une pointe de cèdre qui lui donne une impression de fraicheur.
Il y a aussi du chocolat et de la terre.
Les tannins sont bien enrobés et la finale
bien longue est puissante et langoureuse.
Excellent avec un beau potentiel pour la cave.
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5/21/2022 - Vino Loco Likes this wine: 90 Points
The BC $10 - $20 - $30 - $40 Challenge (T&F's on Blueback): Had blind - first flight - wine "D" of A to D.
Darkest in colour. Nose of cherry and earth. Had the best mouthfeel of the flight. This was easily my favourite wine of the flight.
This wine was the clear #2 to the La Frenz Grand Total for all of the wines.
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4/26/2022 - Canoehead Likes this wine: 90 Points
Molto Bene Nota Bene! (Vino Loco & Lolo's Seaside Tasting Lodge): Part of an eight vertical tasting. Nice bouquet of mixed berries and dark plums. On the palate, the fruit is a little more restrained due to alcohol, acid and tannin masking the wine in a sour, harsh and hot tussle . This is an infant that's teething. You love it but you don't like it for what it is now. You assess it for its future potential (that's the "90"). Hopefully it matures and becomes a doctor or lawyer or professional athlete ...with a nice cellar that you can raid with parental privileges. Seriously, its got very good structure but it needs to settle down. Vino Loco's second night assessment was the infant has rapidly turned into your abrasive bully type "that punches you in the face and is unapologetic for it". Needs time... we think!
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11/29/2021 - Rcmchow wrote:
49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% of Petit Verdot
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8/24/2021 - Vino Loco wrote: 89 Points
My first bottle of the 18 - and can save you wasting a bottle, it is not close to being ready yet.
The nose is fine, but still quite a bit of greenness, and tasted bitter to me on the finish. The fruits have not rounded out - not getting any of the luciousness or mouthfeel you’d expect from a wine at this price point.
In short, be patient!
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8/14/2021 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is certainly one of if not the best Canadian wine out there. Aromas of dark plum, cherry, bramble, sage, rosemary, dark chocolate and baking spices. The palate is medium to full bodied with dark spicy fruit, savoury spices, polished tannins with a rich finish. Yup this is a beauty and looking forward to seeing how this develops over the coming 10+ years
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3/30/2021 - Alykhan V Likes this wine: 92 Points
Yummy
A complex and delicious nose of ripe black fruits, smoke, oak spice, and noticeable but pleasant green notes. Some graphite notes. Very correct for a Bordeaux blend
The tannins were silky smooth with and the length excellent
This is fine to drink young but will undoubtedly improve over the next 10 years at least
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2/19/2021 - KillerJones Likes this wine:
Wanted to see how their Carm was developing…opened this instead in error. First sip and I was…”this is Carmenere?” – oh well, this mistake I can live with. 😉
Nose: very youthful, big acid & fresh fruits – reminiscent of their ’14 vintage.
Loads of deep dark berries, oak, brown sugar with a herbaceous underbelly. Terrifically smooth mid palate.
Tannin structure & young fruit tells me it can easily go 5-7 years – likely more.
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1/24/2021 - uzzi Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent right off the hop. Deep n rich like we expect with Nota Bene. Paired with big braised beef short ribs over creamy polenta roasted veggies and a jus reduction. Incredible meal with an outstanding wine! Family was super impressed!
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8/30/2020 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted blind and brought by a friend. Too young obviously, but very glad I tried it:) Classic Nota Bene, extremely focused with red-blackberries and sage...with its unmatchable freshness. Highly polished tannins. Still needs a few years in the cellar to develop even more complexity. Wait until 2022 to open you first bottles, it should then last for 10+ years. It finished first in our blind tasting, tied with Laughing Stock Syrah 2014 and just ahead of the Oculus 2014...both killed Chateau Pedesclaux 2012 (which was excellent as well). Once again the Okanagan is showing what it can do at the very top level of quality.
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