Normally like this wine but this time the previous comments like austere ring true. No obvious fault but not giving much away in any dimension. Lots of acidity though. Some dark fruits.
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Somehow less than the sum of its parts - rather imprecise in its flavor profile despite a complex nose. Dark fruit, good tannin support and acid is all there but... lacking that deliciousness factor.
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Рубиновый цвет средней плотности. В аромате джем из чёрных ягод, чернослив, сливки, кофе, есть скотик, бальзамик. Во вкусе плотное, кислотность выше среднего, умеренные танины. 89/100
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Solid dark ruby red, needed to breathe for herbal aromas to develop. Austere on the palate, with some savory qualities after a while, has a mineral finish in the tannins, medium bodied.
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Rich and broody. Dark red fruit with some leatheriness. My guests enjoyed it but I found it a bit over extracted and a tad on the heavy side. Obviously tasting is highly subjective and I much prefer these wines on the lighter and brighter side- see Raul Perez
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Perhaps improved a bit from the prior bottle, but overall this is a tannic, extracted vintage of this wine. Black fruited nose, perhaps a bit earthy, medium acidity, not flabby. Tannins are prominent on the finish, this does feel stoney/minerally at times.
Overall, I am skeptical this has the concentration to outlast the tannins as it ages. Rather foursquare, prefer more elegance in this cuvee.
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Ive always enjoyed and highly rated prior vintages but i found this (in comparison) lacking in elegance and with discernable heat on the finish. Not what I look for in Mencia
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40-90 year old local Mencia vines on schist soil at varying elevations. Biodynamic. Harvested by hand (en vaso). On skins for 30 days. Punch down method. Fermented in large oak vessels. 3 weeks on new oak and then 6-12 months on neutral oak. Deep purple in glass from extended maceration. Notes on dried cherry. Smokey and meaty indicating bottle age. Palate is dry, med acidity, med tannins.
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Last year this vintage showed promise, this year it delivered. Falsely assumed this grape to be an early drinker but now I know to give it 4 years. Reminiscent of Pinot noir. Balanced. Smooth finish.
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Nose over promised the taste underselivered. Almost no fruit. Hard to keep tasting notes in the restaurant atmosphere but this is the second time I’ve had it and didn’t really like it either time.
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Wine dinner at Estelle in St. Paul, with tapas and pasta. The wine was an excellent pairing with the food, a delicious, well-integrated red wine with a long finish. No specific notes, but I would definitely seek this wine out again.
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Crunchy red fruit, savory, with a lot structure. Very good acidity on the first bottle after a day. I loved the first bottle so much I opened another one in 3 months again (this month). I thought this one was relatively closed and not as cheerful right out of the gate. Both wines came into their own with food. Great value for money; can’t expect more for $20! I hope to forget my last bottle for a few years.
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Pretty deep ruby/purple color. Relatively open, with notes of black raspberries, darker cherries, some minerality, there is also some violet pastilles, but also some savory herbs and a touch of menthol with some more air. Medium-full bodied, with pretty good persistence, there is some medium tannin adding structure and medium- acidity. Pretty good length. Not the most complex wine, but for roughly $20, what‘s not to like here.
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Much better than I expected given the price and previous reviews. Tasted for a WSG science of wine tasting class. This wine was very raspberry fruity with smoky paprika, Clove and other spicy notes. Drinking really well as a young wine. We tried this with a number of foods (beet, roasted pepper, seaweed, mint, turnip) and in all cases the Mencia wine really improved the food, brought out the flavor very intensely and gave the food a long finish. However, unlike some of the other pairings that we tried, the food did not enhance the wine and in some cases made it more sour or muted. Very interesting exercise!
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Rich, thick, and full of extract. Not carbonic at all, but the opposite — just some cocoa and somewhat reserved on the palate. Too young to be at its best right now, it needs a few years.
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This is a very well put-together Bierzo, although the oak is a bit prominent now, and the wine feels tight. It barely budges over two days of being open. A little bitterness on the finish, which makes it a better food wine than a sipper. Good dark fruit with some spice. A wine to age for a few years before drinking if possible.
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Dark color. Black current on the nose. Palate full of tannin and acidity. Definitely old world: Evi said "it certainly has character." Good QPR, will order again. We had alone, but definitely a food wine.
Had PnP, unfortunately, as definitely could use a decant. After 30 minutes it was smoother.
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I do believe this is a well made wine, but perhaps it is too soon to be drinking this vintage. Why? Because I found the wine to have some sharp edges, not round and full. It does has nice red fruits, but there are some tannins to resolve.
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Très beau produit, sec corsé mais belle acidité, tannins ronds et doux , sur la cerise rouge, bel accord avec des pâtes arabiata ou viande relevé de sauce piquante..
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Dark ruby with violet shade. A nose of clean red and blue fruits with some quality wood coming through. Very young and a bit disjointed with imposing acidity and structure laying the bed for the red fruits and an earthy note. The finish is medium with some imposing sour tannins waiting for better integration. Very young, fresh, with potential for improvement. Hold for 4/6 years
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Tasted blind. Med+ ruby with a hint of purple. Med to med+ aromas of ripe red cherry, blackberry, black plum, red flowers, botanical herbs, pepper & moderate oak spice. Dry, with med+ acidity, med+, youthful, green tannins and med+ alcohol (13.5%), with a slight note of stems and licorice. Med+ body, but only med flavor intensity, length and complexity. Barely in its drinking window, it should show well for the next several years.
Initial impression was youthful, with Old World, cool to moderate climate provenance. Potential varieties include Cabernet Franc, Gamay (usually lower tannin, often some carbonic maceration), Syrah (usually has more black pepper and animal notes) and Barbera (usually riper and less tannic).
Actually, a blend of 93% Mencia, 3% Uva tinta, and 4% white varieties, which spent 12 mos in oak.
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Nose of dark blue and red fruits with an overwhelming meaty/saline character. Floral hints. Very compelling nose. On entry, more structure than fruit. Gentle tannins coat the mouth, followed by dark berry flavors. Very nice.
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We've previously enjoyed the 2017 and 2018; this is our first bottle of 2019 and it seems to be rather different from the previous vintages.
We splash decanted from cellar temperature and began to drink straight away with pasta, tomato, a little lamb. On the nose there is strong dark red and black fruit, no hint of the sweetness of previous years. The palate is very dry on the first hit then those dark fruits and minerality on the mid palate and an austere, "jaw-clapping" finish which is rather green and vegetal. There is only a very little acidity.
This is absolutely a food wine - preferably rich food to counterbalance those tannins. And it's not one for fans of Parkerised wines. Perhaps it will evolve with time, but even now, although it is very different from previous vintages, I like it.
Decent QPR at the ~US$19 that I paid.
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Opens reductive, improves with air, remains slightly feral, with herb and berry. Dusty blackberries on the attack, rounded, stoney mid-palate, liquid rocks, great texture. Tannins on the finish are somewhat green, bitter and hard. Not a total 'cliff wine', but hard to see this improving as the fruit recedes.
Drink now for the primary character and mid-palate texture.
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TSA - Galicia (Zoom call): From Coravin. Coconut and vanilla so quite polished oak over pretty cherry & blackberry. The fruit, which proves marginally more sour, and the oak translate to the palate. It's a bit young and a bit over-produced compared to the other wines in this tasting which makes it a bit meh here. By itself I think I'd suggest that it just needs time.
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Needs an hour decant. Lighter body and medium finish. Has berries and rose petals on the nose. Strawberries, plum, and terroir on the palate. Has a delicious factor. Great QPR.
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4/13/2024 - cannym wrote: 86 Points
Normally like this wine but this time the previous comments like austere ring true. No obvious fault but not giving much away in any dimension. Lots of acidity though. Some dark fruits.
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3/2/2024 - Ekopa wrote: 91 Points
Приятное, но простоватое, фруктовое вино, прекрасно идет с ближневосточной кухней без заморочек
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1/29/2024 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fantastic pairing with baby back ribs. Just enough minerality to offset the richness of the ribs.
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12/3/2023 - mrbaby wrote: 88 Points
Somehow less than the sum of its parts - rather imprecise in its flavor profile despite a complex nose. Dark fruit, good tannin support and acid is all there but... lacking that deliciousness factor.
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11/7/2023 - Paschap Likes this wine: 89 Points
Рубиновый цвет средней плотности. В аромате джем из чёрных ягод, чернослив, сливки, кофе, есть скотик, бальзамик. Во вкусе плотное, кислотность выше среднего, умеренные танины. 89/100
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10/16/2023 - Kathleenbiffle wrote: 87 Points
Solid dark ruby red, needed to breathe for herbal aromas to develop. Austere on the palate, with some savory qualities after a while, has a mineral finish in the tannins, medium bodied.
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7/17/2023 - mark_k wrote: 85 Points
Rich and broody. Dark red fruit with some leatheriness. My guests enjoyed it but I found it a bit over extracted and a tad on the heavy side. Obviously tasting is highly subjective and I much prefer these wines on the lighter and brighter side- see Raul Perez
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6/24/2023 - Cabfrancophile wrote: 89 Points
Perhaps improved a bit from the prior bottle, but overall this is a tannic, extracted vintage of this wine. Black fruited nose, perhaps a bit earthy, medium acidity, not flabby. Tannins are prominent on the finish, this does feel stoney/minerally at times.
Overall, I am skeptical this has the concentration to outlast the tannins as it ages. Rather foursquare, prefer more elegance in this cuvee.
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5/25/2023 - Wadham Cellar wrote: 87 Points
Ive always enjoyed and highly rated prior vintages but i found this (in comparison) lacking in elegance and with discernable heat on the finish. Not what I look for in Mencia
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3/2/2023 - El_Dougo wrote:
40-90 year old local Mencia vines on schist soil at varying elevations. Biodynamic. Harvested by hand (en vaso). On skins for 30 days. Punch down method. Fermented in large oak vessels. 3 weeks on new oak and then 6-12 months on neutral oak.
Deep purple in glass from extended maceration. Notes on dried cherry. Smokey and meaty indicating bottle age.
Palate is dry, med acidity, med tannins.
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2/27/2023 - DDicaprio Likes this wine: 90 Points
Last year this vintage showed promise, this year it delivered. Falsely assumed this grape to be an early drinker but now I know to give it 4 years. Reminiscent of Pinot noir. Balanced. Smooth finish.
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2/10/2023 - ancherrera Does not like this wine:
Nose over promised the taste underselivered. Almost no fruit. Hard to keep tasting notes in the restaurant atmosphere but this is the second time I’ve had it and didn’t really like it either time.
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1/11/2023 - DianeR Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wine dinner at Estelle in St. Paul, with tapas and pasta. The wine was an excellent pairing with the food, a delicious, well-integrated red wine with a long finish. No specific notes, but I would definitely seek this wine out again.
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12/26/2022 - df1962 Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnD. Let air for 2hrs.
Consistent with previous note. Great match with Xmas turkey dinner.
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12/22/2022 - maxima wrote: 85 Points
Pas terrible, aussi pire que mes
autres selon mes souvenirs.
A ce prix, il y a tellement mieux!
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11/23/2022 - df1962 wrote: flawed
Corked
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11/5/2022 - MLipton wrote:
Tart dark cherry fruit, medium bodied with good acidity. A good wine for the money.
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9/16/2022 - Camvin Likes this wine:
85/100
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8/21/2022 - Kangos Does not like this wine: 79 Points
Acidity too high and not well balanced
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8/20/2022 - kaush Likes this wine:
Crunchy red fruit, savory, with a lot structure. Very good acidity on the first bottle after a day. I loved the first bottle so much I opened another one in 3 months again (this month). I thought this one was relatively closed and not as cheerful right out of the gate. Both wines came into their own with food. Great value for money; can’t expect more for $20! I hope to forget my last bottle for a few years.
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7/30/2022 - df1962 Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP.
Earthy crunchy great red fruits. Spain meets Burgundy. Delicious.
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7/2/2022 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pretty deep ruby/purple color. Relatively open, with notes of black raspberries, darker cherries, some minerality, there is also some violet pastilles, but also some savory herbs and a touch of menthol with some more air. Medium-full bodied, with pretty good persistence, there is some medium tannin adding structure and medium- acidity. Pretty good length. Not the most complex wine, but for roughly $20, what‘s not to like here.
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6/17/2022 - djscipio wrote: 84 Points
Enjoyable daily red.
Red berries, medium body and acidity plus earthiness.
But if price is same, good Chianti is better.
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5/15/2022 - Twowinechicks Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark red, pleasingly spicy nose, with chewy fruit and cinnamon notes, a bit chunky and altogether enjoyable.
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4/9/2022 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine: 89 Points
Much better than I expected given the price and previous reviews. Tasted for a WSG science of wine tasting class. This wine was very raspberry fruity with smoky paprika, Clove and other spicy notes. Drinking really well as a young wine. We tried this with a number of foods (beet, roasted pepper, seaweed, mint, turnip) and in all cases the Mencia wine really improved the food, brought out the flavor very intensely and gave the food a long finish. However, unlike some of the other pairings that we tried, the food did not enhance the wine and in some cases made it more sour or muted. Very interesting exercise!
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2/8/2022 - Madera16 Likes this wine:
Rich, thick, and full of extract. Not carbonic at all, but the opposite — just some cocoa and somewhat reserved on the palate. Too young to be at its best right now, it needs a few years.
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2/5/2022 - DDicaprio Likes this wine: 88 Points
Too young today.
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2/2/2022 - Everything Ahead wrote: 89 Points
This is a very well put-together Bierzo, although the oak is a bit prominent now, and the wine feels tight. It barely budges over two days of being open. A little bitterness on the finish, which makes it a better food wine than a sipper. Good dark fruit with some spice. A wine to age for a few years before drinking if possible.
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1/26/2022 - Sean McGrath wrote: 89 Points
Dark color. Black current on the nose. Palate full of tannin and acidity. Definitely old world: Evi said "it certainly has character." Good QPR, will order again. We had alone, but definitely a food wine.
Had PnP, unfortunately, as definitely could use a decant. After 30 minutes it was smoother.
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1/22/2022 - JM_MadTown wrote:
I do believe this is a well made wine, but perhaps it is too soon to be drinking this vintage. Why? Because I found the wine to have some sharp edges, not round and full. It does has nice red fruits, but there are some tannins to resolve.
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1/4/2022 - MatVino2014 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Très beau produit, sec corsé mais belle acidité, tannins ronds et doux , sur la cerise rouge, bel accord avec des pâtes arabiata ou viande relevé de sauce piquante..
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12/28/2021 - Ellon wrote:
Dark ruby with violet shade. A nose of clean red and blue fruits with some quality wood coming through. Very young and a bit disjointed with imposing acidity and structure laying the bed for the red fruits and an earthy note. The finish is medium with some imposing sour tannins waiting for better integration. Very young, fresh, with potential for improvement. Hold for 4/6 years
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12/15/2021 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tasted blind. Med+ ruby with a hint of purple. Med to med+ aromas of ripe red cherry, blackberry, black plum, red flowers, botanical herbs, pepper & moderate oak spice. Dry, with med+ acidity, med+, youthful, green tannins and med+ alcohol (13.5%), with a slight note of stems and licorice. Med+ body, but only med flavor intensity, length and complexity. Barely in its drinking window, it should show well for the next several years.
Initial impression was youthful, with Old World, cool to moderate climate provenance. Potential varieties include Cabernet Franc, Gamay (usually lower tannin, often some carbonic maceration), Syrah (usually has more black pepper and animal notes) and Barbera (usually riper and less tannic).
Actually, a blend of 93% Mencia, 3% Uva tinta, and 4% white varieties, which spent 12 mos in oak.
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12/14/2021 - jshearer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose of dark blue and red fruits with an overwhelming meaty/saline character. Floral hints. Very compelling nose. On entry, more structure than fruit. Gentle tannins coat the mouth, followed by dark berry flavors. Very nice.
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10/4/2021 - Paul852 Likes this wine: 89 Points
We've previously enjoyed the 2017 and 2018; this is our first bottle of 2019 and it seems to be rather different from the previous vintages.
We splash decanted from cellar temperature and began to drink straight away with pasta, tomato, a little lamb. On the nose there is strong dark red and black fruit, no hint of the sweetness of previous years. The palate is very dry on the first hit then those dark fruits and minerality on the mid palate and an austere, "jaw-clapping" finish which is rather green and vegetal. There is only a very little acidity.
This is absolutely a food wine - preferably rich food to counterbalance those tannins. And it's not one for fans of Parkerised wines. Perhaps it will evolve with time, but even now, although it is very different from previous vintages, I like it.
Decent QPR at the ~US$19 that I paid.
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9/20/2021 - JEverson Likes this wine: 91 Points
Blackberry, tart cherry, cinnamon, wet stone, significant improvement with 1.5-2hr decant
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9/17/2021 - Cabfrancophile Likes this wine: 88 Points
Opens reductive, improves with air, remains slightly feral, with herb and berry. Dusty blackberries on the attack, rounded, stoney mid-palate, liquid rocks, great texture. Tannins on the finish are somewhat green, bitter and hard. Not a total 'cliff wine', but hard to see this improving as the fruit recedes.
Drink now for the primary character and mid-palate texture.
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9/11/2021 - chatters wrote:
TSA - Galicia (Zoom call): From Coravin. Coconut and vanilla so quite polished oak over pretty cherry & blackberry. The fruit, which proves marginally more sour, and the oak translate to the palate. It's a bit young and a bit over-produced compared to the other wines in this tasting which makes it a bit meh here. By itself I think I'd suggest that it just needs time.
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8/27/2021 - SixHedgehogs wrote: 90 Points
Dark purple / ruby red. Aroma of cherries and strawberry. Oaky berry flavour. Bright, balancing acidity. Lovely
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7/27/2021 - PimpDaddy2Kool Likes this wine: 90 Points
Needs an hour decant. Lighter body and medium finish. Has berries and rose petals on the nose. Strawberries, plum, and terroir on the palate. Has a delicious factor. Great QPR.
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7/9/2021 - Bottle1967 Likes this wine:
Très bon avec cote de porc salsa de mais recette Louis François Marcotte
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6/19/2021 - vintage_whine wrote:
oak and modern style show through.
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1/29/2021 - mdyoon wrote:
가죽향과 함께 미디엄이상의 바디감과 과실향, 살짝 단맛이 있는 데일리와인으로 좋음
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