Flower Day - decanted off a small amount of sediment. When decanting the room was filled with dark fruit and garrigue aromas. Can’t wait to taste it. Pours light garnet with a mahogany edge into the glass.
Hmmmm….. Nose shows a lovely funk, shoe polish, leather and dark dried fruit but also a fair bit of Volatile Acidity - unfortunate. Palate is good with the fruit overcoming the VA with other flavours of new leather and dried savoury herbs. There’s a fair bit of unresolved but ripe tannins still. Going to let it have more air and see where it goes.
So - as it got some air, the VA diminished in the nose due to the rise of other aromatics (saddle leather, dried red and dark fruit, dried red flowers) but remained on the palate. I’m quite sensitive to VA so don’t take points away because of that. The amount in this wine is right at my level between complexity and fault - complexity in this case wins out.
i am really enjoying the long finish on this wine and it really worked with a mushroom/umami dish I had with it so I might be rating it a little higher than I normally would. I would get to this one sooner rather than later though. It’s fully mature and the VA isn’t going to diminish while the other elements will.
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Quite surprised about this wine. Had it with a pasta dish that had spice and putanesca flavors and it was a perfect match. It is drinking beutifully now. I paid $18 for this wine!!! WoW!!!
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Purchased on release and cellared properly. Cork in good shape, color dark red. Decanted. Small amount of fine sediment. Little meaty/muskiness on the nose initially. Became more plum-like with time. Palate is smooth with tail end acidity. Get the Syrah. Still enjoyable at 10 years. Worth drinking now.
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On first opening, there beautiful dark cherries right up front, but it was thin and sour on the finish. I gave it an 84 at that point.
An hour later, it's starting to fill out in the middle, not at all complex, but some nice glycerin in the body, and smooth on the finish. Upping my score a bit.
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A promising nose of garrigue and liquorice and initially smooth in the mouth with a balanced first attack and mid-palate, but harsh on the finish as a bitterness dominates at the end. Steak calmed this down a touch, but still disappointing. 83-84pts.
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Yum. Nice balance, fruit is deep and rich but not bomb-ish. Nice earthy notes underneath. Just a bit light in the body, but not enough to distract from the pleasant taste and finish. Still have 2/3s of the bottle left, will be interesting to try again tomorrow to see if it holds up ...
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PnP. Clear, red/purple color. Nose typical of an older Rhone. Very Rhone taste, mid/full bodied, rich, earthy wine with good balance. Better as it aired out. Nothing off, drink now.
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I get earthy peppery fruit as well - especially on the finish which seems to last forever and get better as it goes. Initial ripe blackberry flavors with a tannic middle. I would guess that this initial fruit will soften over the next couple of years.
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Earthy Peppery fruit. Didn't get raisins at all. THere must be bottle variation, but am happy about mine. This was excellent, intersting and well made.
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Very earthy. Maybe this was down to bottle variation mentioned in other notes, but I did not get any of the "light" fruits and finish that some tasters have mentioned. This was a rough ride-but I mean this in a good way, in that it didn't have the softness that so many new world wines can have. Big roasted red fruits, with coffee, tobacco and almost a raisiny note. Decently long finish with some coarse tannins. Very nice with lamb chops.
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I had high hopes for this as a good QPR, at least. This bottle failed for me. The first whiff of brett after I poured ended the try. I re-corked the bottle, and will give it to a friend that likes the "leather" notes. I hope there is bottle variation.
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My last tasting note 15 months ago said this showed promise and just needed time. Was that ever right - this is a real beauty now. Superb balance in flavor and structure, lovely notes of caramel and creme brulee to accompany the typical Rhone notes of earth, dark fruit, smoke and garrigue. 45 minutes in a decanter did it justice. Finish is a bit shorter than I'd like but I love this wine. drink over the next couple years.
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Very good for the money. The nose just screamed of dark berries, leather, black olives, and a little bit of kirsch. The tannins are still quite gripping; I think you could hold on to this for a few years
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Nice blend of Syrah and Grenache and a great QPR. Juicy berry flavors right out of the bottle. The wine does settle after a while to give some pepper and wood flavors to the intense berry flavors.
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Nose of high toned raspberry, cranberry, nutmeg and manure. Palate shows pommegranate, tart cranberries, red licorise, moss, leather and spice with a touch of heat. Medium tannin and acid. Finish is medium length with bright red fruit and white pepper.
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tannins now mellowing and this wine is developing nicely. Perfect to drink now, or hold for a a few more years. Great blend of syrah and grenache with leather a lot of fruit, especially cherry, nose. Tobacco and blackberry flavors.
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Short impressions: Dark fruits, leather, wood, considerable weight, long finish, showing first signs of development but still young. Excellent. Drink or hold.
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Meilleur encore que dans mon souvenir, c'est toute une syrah ce vin. Fougueux, animal (mais pas de brett), puissant, me fait penser à un Cornas. Excellent RQP.
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Nice blackberry nose. Greatest right out of the bottle. Nice medium weight wine. A little of everything: oak, smoke, blackberries, fine tannins, and cherry leather.
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nose - muted. hint of raisins. Mouth - juicy berry with a touch of chocolate. Acidic but somewhat thin midpalate. Mild tannins and good dry, almost puckering finish.
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I continue to be a fan of this wine. I consider it a great QPR from Rhone. The dark berries, coffee, black pepper and barnyard give it a complexity that lost of wines at this price fail to deliver. However I have noticed some bottle variation and the finish can be a bit rough. IMO it is time to enjoy this wine because I feel that this wine is drinking at is close to its peak.
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Foncé, puissant, très typé syrah sudiste: poivre, olives violette. Équilibre fragile, amertume bien présente, mais alcool disjoint en final. Un peu de brett? À consommer 2008-2009.
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Wonderful experience of Rhone Shiraz Blend. Pretty nose of cherries. Great mouthfeel of black forest fruits, cassis, blackberry. Beautiful complexity onto a long finish, very much provided by the grenache. Almost perfect roundness of blend.
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Dark ruby red color. Fruity nose. LEATHER face!! This wine is leather and dark fruits with tannins. Decent finish and definitely very enjoyable. Great QPR.
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Really tremendous wine. The nose is pretty typical Rhone, nothing too special. The taste is fabulous. I've never experienced so much leather on the palate before. Some pepper and dirtyness too. Fabulous mouthfeel, beautiful tannins. This is a home run.
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Can't quite decide about this. It opened nicely and then seems to fade out. Thin pink red color. Nice beginning mix of red fruit and acid. Not too sweet or deep. then a little too much oak and tannin.
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Cherries, sweat, strawberries, and some pepper with a medium body. Significant tannic grip, with leather and tobacco showing through on the finish. Overall a nice wine that really changed over time and opened up after a couple hours in the decanter, I am hoping it will evolve nicely with some more bottle age.
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Once this opened a bit, I really enjoyed the nose on this... full of blackberries, minerals, leather, and some floral notes. Perhaps a bit lighter in body than I expected, but full of more blackberry and some strawberry flavors, a bit of pepper and earth... definitely reminscent of a more modern CdP. Some dusty, slightly drying tannins on the finish, along with more leather and just the tiniest bit of horse sweat. Personally, I found this quite enjoyable for the low price.
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Ann liked this more than I did. A tad sweet and vanillaish with a finish that has become more bitter over time. Better when first opened -- mild leather and cinnamon. Personally don't need to try to grab a lot more.
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Red almost brown color. Not the inky or dark purple of some of the other wine I have been drinking lately. Fairly mild aroma and not a lot of fruit. Lots of tannins in the finish. Rich and deep going down. Complex and more interesting as it went along.
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Some scorched dirt and leather on the nose (no licorice), lots of fruit on the palate. Northern Rhone characteristics at Southern Rhone prices! Will buy more.
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Overall a disappointment, the nose had great dark fruit mixed with tobacco and a light cedar but was far from the slap in the face I expected from this 80% Syrah blend. On the palate much of the same, dark fruits came through with a nice mix of Cigar box. Two things might have hurt the wine and experience, one the two bottles just arrived at my door from a cross country trip (bottle shock? Not yet convinced) and two it was only decanted for 3 hrs by the time the last glass was consumed. I bought two and plan on opening the next one in a few months letting this one decant for 5+ hours.
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Really amazing for the appelation. Wonderful dark fruits both on the nose and mouth and then a long finish with some pepper and meat. Great balance, medium to full body. Tannins are smooth.
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CTS DMin Happy Hour; 6/18/2007-6/28/2007 (Atlanta, GA): Yummy! Benefitted from some breathing room. Big Rhone aromas and flavors. Layered scents of dried cherries, herbs, leather, and cigar box. Very round in the mouth with big fruit -- blackberries, plum with skins, and currants. A bit spicy in the middle, with mushrooms and soil flavors at the end. Very broad texture with a big, earthy finish. Tannins are firm and round. This is a keeper.
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Tightly wound core of dark fruit, tobacco and tar. Really opened up on day 2, becoming much more accessible and enjoyable, showing some minerality too. Needs time...
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This wine surpassed my expectations. Clearly from France, enticing nose of blackberry and flowers. Earth, smoke and black fruit on the palate and some grippy tannins on the backend as the wine opened over a few hours. Fantastic deal at $13.99. Will drink over the next four years.
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Opened the bottle for 2 hours before tasting. Lighter Raspberry color, not extremely dark, you can see through it. The color is much lighter than the South African Syrah I have been drinking lately. The nose is right up my alley. I can’t place why exactly, but it strikes a cord in my soul. Perhaps it is the Cigar box old world aspect. It has the nose similar to some SA Syrah but yet more refined. Could that be due to the 20% Grenache? The mid-pallet has what you would expect dark berries, pepper, spice, Cigar-box. Lighter than the nose would suggest in the mouth but extremely enjoyable. The finish is tobacco all the way, but fades fast. I really enjoyed this wine possibly due in part to the little voice in the back of my mind saying “It is only $18!” I continued to have it with food and it became even more enjoyable.
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Nose has some elements of meaty- blood like essence and some leather. Palate is tight at first, some blueberry and plum lurking, but man, this tight with rather large peppery tannins. After 30 minutes in the glass...yes! loads of blueberry, earth, and smoke. Finish has softened a tad, but still long and earthy with pepper notes. Still a baby, but getting better with air. This bottle, like the 2000, is a super value, and why I only bought two of these I'll never know.
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A thought provoking nose of tar, plum, herbs and leather. Blackberry on the palate with some nice mineral elements on the finish. I'd like to see this wine with some years on it as the structure here is quite impressive. Plenty of fresh berries sitting on a nice acidic spine and some grippy tannins makes me think this one could age quite nicely. Too bad this was my only bottle. Decanted for 5-6 hours and drank from the Reidel Vinum Syrah Glass.
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Delicious smooth and earthy Rhone wine. Mushrooms and a little leather beautifully blended. Kept improving over 4 hours. Nice complexity and good finish. Had with veal.
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Licorice, pepper, etc. Somewhat complex. Nice wine, but not my flavors. I had hoped that this would evolve over a day or two, but it didn't win me over.
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$24.99 retail, before discount. Dense nose of dark fruit, tar and light spice. On the palate, broad texture, good freshness and balance. Dark fruit. Some minerality at its core. Less earth and evolved at the moment than the regular Pesquie Cotes du Ventoux bottling "Les Terrasses" (see TNs).
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Bought this based on RMP's review. Purple colour. Rather subdued nose with a whiff of white pepper, brambles, licorice. On the palate medium bodied with red fruits, brambles, some aniseed. Felt completely closed, improved after 1-2 hours in the decanter and the last glass was the best. Not sure what to make of this, will leave remaining bottles at least a year.
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9/10/2021 - Myownscale wrote: 75 Points
Nose:
Palate:
alright
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8/23/2021 - biggie wrote: 89 Points
Flower Day - decanted off a small amount of sediment. When decanting the room was filled with dark fruit and garrigue aromas. Can’t wait to taste it. Pours light garnet with a mahogany edge into the glass.
Hmmmm….. Nose shows a lovely funk, shoe polish, leather and dark dried fruit but also a fair bit of Volatile Acidity - unfortunate. Palate is good with the fruit overcoming the VA with other flavours of new leather and dried savoury herbs. There’s a fair bit of unresolved but ripe tannins still. Going to let it have more air and see where it goes.
So - as it got some air, the VA diminished in the nose due to the rise of other aromatics (saddle leather, dried red and dark fruit, dried red flowers) but remained on the palate. I’m quite sensitive to VA so don’t take points away because of that. The amount in this wine is right at my level between complexity and fault - complexity in this case wins out.
i am really enjoying the long finish on this wine and it really worked with a mushroom/umami dish I had with it so I might be rating it a little higher than I normally would. I would get to this one sooner rather than later though. It’s fully mature and the VA isn’t going to diminish while the other elements will.
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8/22/2021 - Docemann5 wrote: flawed
Was like vinegar. Looks like I waited too long…
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7/5/2020 - shutto1992@gmail.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quite surprised about this wine. Had it with a pasta dish that had spice and putanesca flavors and it was a perfect match. It is drinking beutifully now. I paid $18 for this wine!!! WoW!!!
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4/5/2015 - jimkay21 wrote: 89 Points
very enjoyable, silky texture with some meatiness in the palate
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7/21/2013 - jimkay21 wrote: 88 Points
Purchased on release and cellared properly. Cork in good shape, color dark red. Decanted. Small amount of fine sediment. Little meaty/muskiness on the nose initially. Became more plum-like with time. Palate is smooth with tail end acidity. Get the Syrah.
Still enjoyable at 10 years. Worth drinking now.
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5/26/2013 - Adventr.us wrote: 88 Points
On first opening, there beautiful dark cherries right up front, but it was thin and sour on the finish. I gave it an 84 at that point.
An hour later, it's starting to fill out in the middle, not at all complex, but some nice glycerin in the body, and smooth on the finish. Upping my score a bit.
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11/27/2011 - skoppel wrote: 92 Points
Rock solid Rhone. Black cherries and currants come through nicely with a long finish. Drinking very well.
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3/23/2011 - Greybeard Does not like this wine: 83 Points
A promising nose of garrigue and liquorice and initially smooth in the mouth with a balanced first attack and mid-palate, but harsh on the finish as a bitterness dominates at the end. Steak calmed this down a touch, but still disappointing. 83-84pts.
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9/23/2010 - Adventr.us Likes this wine: 90 Points
Yum. Nice balance, fruit is deep and rich but not bomb-ish. Nice earthy notes underneath. Just a bit light in the body, but not enough to distract from the pleasant taste and finish. Still have 2/3s of the bottle left, will be interesting to try again tomorrow to see if it holds up ...
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9/20/2010 - Barry Notes wrote: 86 Points
PnP. Clear, red/purple color. Nose typical of an older Rhone. Very Rhone taste, mid/full bodied, rich, earthy wine with good balance. Better as it aired out. Nothing off, drink now.
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7/13/2010 - rharlow wrote: 85 Points
meh
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7/4/2010 - mdodd wrote: 86 Points
too hot
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5/1/2010 - paulst wrote: 90 Points
Soft round smooth blackberry and cherry with creamy texture and sweet tanins.
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3/28/2010 - paulst wrote: 89 Points
Nice texture with blackberry and earth.
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2/2/2010 - paulst wrote: 91 Points
Rich; tar; smooth well balanced blackberry and raisen.
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1/7/2010 - davidspieker wrote: 89 Points
I get earthy peppery fruit as well - especially on the finish which seems to last forever and get better as it goes. Initial ripe blackberry flavors with a tannic middle. I would guess that this initial fruit will soften over the next couple of years.
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12/21/2009 - lolo66 wrote: 91 Points
Earthy Peppery fruit. Didn't get raisins at all. THere must be bottle variation, but am happy about mine. This was excellent, intersting and well made.
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12/13/2009 - rharlow wrote: 85 Points
A sweet plumb bouquet, the taste was too raisin'ish for my liking. 2 more bottles in the cellar that may end up being gifts.
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9/27/2009 - paulst wrote: 90 Points
Earthy blackberry with nice balance.
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8/18/2009 - paulst wrote: 90 Points
Deep rich cherry blackberry.
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7/24/2009 - moben wrote: 87 Points
Dark, smoky cherries with tobacco and cola. Short finish.
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7/17/2009 - paulst wrote: 88 Points
Deep fruit with acidity.
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7/3/2009 - Brownvino wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for one hour. The grenache is prevalent.
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6/18/2009 - smorris291 wrote: 89 Points
Very earthy. Maybe this was down to bottle variation mentioned in other notes, but I did not get any of the "light" fruits and finish that some tasters have mentioned. This was a rough ride-but I mean this in a good way, in that it didn't have the softness that so many new world wines can have. Big roasted red fruits, with coffee, tobacco and almost a raisiny note. Decently long finish with some coarse tannins. Very nice with lamb chops.
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5/12/2009 - paulst wrote: 88 Points
Earthy blackberry and some notes of mocha.
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4/14/2009 - pape du neuf wrote:
I had high hopes for this as a good QPR, at least.
This bottle failed for me. The first whiff of brett after I poured ended the try.
I re-corked the bottle, and will give it to a friend that likes the "leather" notes.
I hope there is bottle variation.
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4/4/2009 - jbeauprez wrote: 91 Points
My last tasting note 15 months ago said this showed promise and just needed time. Was that ever right - this is a real beauty now. Superb balance in flavor and structure, lovely notes of caramel and creme brulee to accompany the typical Rhone notes of earth, dark fruit, smoke and garrigue. 45 minutes in a decanter did it justice. Finish is a bit shorter than I'd like but I love this wine. drink over the next couple years.
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3/28/2009 - Villon wrote: 89 Points
Très bien, mais il faut il fait aimer les syrah très animales (bretts?)...
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3/3/2009 - paulst wrote: 89 Points
Earthy light blackberry.
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2/16/2009 - paulst wrote: 87 Points
Moderate fruit with light finish.
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1/19/2009 - paulst wrote: 90 Points
Light soft earthy leather blackberry and hint of chocolate.
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1/6/2009 - bobfrank wrote: 90 Points
Spanish noodles were a good fit.
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12/28/2008 - cma82 wrote: 91 Points
Very good for the money. The nose just screamed of dark berries, leather, black olives, and a little bit of kirsch. The tannins are still quite gripping; I think you could hold on to this for a few years
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12/14/2008 - paulst wrote: 88 Points
Lean blackberry; some raisen; moderate finish.
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12/4/2008 - RogerO wrote: 90 Points
Great nose.
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11/30/2008 - rfras wrote: 89 Points
Nice blend of Syrah and Grenache and a great QPR. Juicy berry flavors right out of the bottle. The wine does settle after a while to give some pepper and wood flavors to the intense berry flavors.
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11/28/2008 - Greg_O wrote: 91 Points
Consistent notes with previous and Dave’s. What an amazing wine and QPR. If I could go back and purchase a case I would.
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11/28/2008 - Dave Canada wrote: 91 Points
Nose of high toned raspberry, cranberry, nutmeg and manure.
Palate shows pommegranate, tart cranberries, red licorise, moss, leather and spice with a touch of heat. Medium tannin and acid.
Finish is medium length with bright red fruit and white pepper.
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11/15/2008 - JerzeyJohn wrote: 92 Points
tannins now mellowing and this wine is developing nicely. Perfect to drink now, or hold for a a few more years. Great blend of syrah and grenache with leather a lot of fruit, especially cherry, nose. Tobacco and blackberry flavors.
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11/10/2008 - robs_r wrote:
Short impressions: Dark fruits, leather, wood, considerable weight, long finish, showing first signs of development but still young. Excellent. Drink or hold.
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8/7/2008 - Villon wrote: 91 Points
Meilleur encore que dans mon souvenir, c'est toute une syrah ce vin. Fougueux, animal (mais pas de brett), puissant, me fait penser à un Cornas. Excellent RQP.
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7/31/2008 - ljl203 wrote: 89 Points
Nice blackberry nose. Greatest right out of the bottle. Nice medium weight wine. A little of everything: oak, smoke, blackberries, fine tannins, and cherry leather.
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7/19/2008 - Greg_O wrote: 91 Points
Drinking really nicely right now. Tannic grip has mellowed.
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7/16/2008 - soyhead wrote: 88 Points
nose - muted. hint of raisins. Mouth - juicy berry with a touch of chocolate. Acidic but somewhat thin midpalate. Mild tannins and good dry, almost puckering finish.
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7/11/2008 - davergny wrote: 91 Points
I also think this wine is at it's peak--an early drinker from Pesquie. Soft, rich, but in no way overipe or hot, lots of fruit--a great drink.
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6/23/2008 - davidspieker wrote: 89 Points
Consistent notes from last tasting.
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6/23/2008 - SoCal wrote:
I continue to be a fan of this wine. I consider it a great QPR from Rhone. The dark berries, coffee, black pepper and barnyard give it a complexity that lost of wines at this price fail to deliver. However I have noticed some bottle variation and the finish can be a bit rough. IMO it is time to enjoy this wine because I feel that this wine is drinking at is close to its peak.
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5/21/2008 - Villon wrote: 89 Points
Foncé, puissant, très typé syrah sudiste: poivre, olives violette. Équilibre fragile, amertume bien présente, mais alcool disjoint en final. Un peu de brett? À consommer 2008-2009.
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3/23/2008 - Capt M wrote: 90 Points
Wonderful experience of Rhone Shiraz Blend. Pretty nose of cherries. Great mouthfeel of black forest fruits, cassis, blackberry. Beautiful complexity onto a long finish, very much provided by the grenache. Almost perfect roundness of blend.
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3/10/2008 - MattyMatt wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby red color. Fruity nose. LEATHER face!! This wine is leather and dark fruits with tannins. Decent finish and definitely very enjoyable. Great QPR.
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3/10/2008 - davidspieker wrote: 89 Points
Dark red color. Nice blackberry fruit that gives way to coffee and licorice on a long finish.
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3/9/2008 - MarcInDSM wrote: 91 Points
Really tremendous wine. The nose is pretty typical Rhone, nothing too special. The taste is fabulous. I've never experienced so much leather on the palate before. Some pepper and dirtyness too. Fabulous mouthfeel, beautiful tannins. This is a home run.
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2/5/2008 - robs_r wrote:
Medium bodied wine with plush fruit and traces of leather and herbs, carrying the alcohol quite well. Very good plus. Drink or hold.
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1/19/2008 - paulst wrote: 87 Points
Earthy rich blackberry fruit with some unbalanced extra heat and short finish.
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1/14/2008 - ljl203 wrote: 88 Points
Can't quite decide about this. It opened nicely and then seems to fade out. Thin pink red color. Nice beginning mix of red fruit and acid. Not too sweet or deep. then a little too much oak and tannin.
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1/10/2008 - rothdog wrote: 88 Points
Not bad, but uninspiring. Good value, however.
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12/31/2007 - jbeauprez wrote: 90 Points
seems lovely and pure but not giving much up right now. Nice structure and fruit. Needs just a bit more time IMO.
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12/16/2007 - Greg_O wrote: 91 Points
Cherries, sweat, strawberries, and some pepper with a medium body. Significant tannic grip, with leather and tobacco showing through on the finish. Overall a nice wine that really changed over time and opened up after a couple hours in the decanter, I am hoping it will evolve nicely with some more bottle age.
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12/6/2007 - Old_Winyards wrote: 89 Points
Once this opened a bit, I really enjoyed the nose on this... full of blackberries, minerals, leather, and some floral notes. Perhaps a bit lighter in body than I expected, but full of more blackberry and some strawberry flavors, a bit of pepper and earth... definitely reminscent of a more modern CdP. Some dusty, slightly drying tannins on the finish, along with more leather and just the tiniest bit of horse sweat. Personally, I found this quite enjoyable for the low price.
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11/1/2007 - cab wrote:
Ann liked this more than I did. A tad sweet and vanillaish with a finish that has become more bitter over time. Better when first opened -- mild leather and cinnamon. Personally don't need to try to grab a lot more.
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10/22/2007 - AustinDRC wrote:
Red almost brown color. Not the inky or dark purple of some of the other wine I have been drinking lately. Fairly mild aroma and not a lot of fruit. Lots of tannins in the finish. Rich and deep going down. Complex and more interesting as it went along.
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10/6/2007 - drphil wrote:
Nicely balanced, a bit lighter than expected, improved greatly at the table.
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8/25/2007 - docjavadude wrote: 92 Points
Same as 06.26.2007 review.
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8/23/2007 - jasonrsa wrote: 91 Points
Very good: dark fruits, leather, and cigar box and an earthy finish. Would buy again. Good complexity for the price.
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8/17/2007 - win wrote: 89 Points
Not bad....worth buying more.
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8/16/2007 - jim dixon wrote: 91 Points
Some scorched dirt and leather on the nose (no licorice), lots of fruit on the palate. Northern Rhone characteristics at Southern Rhone prices! Will buy more.
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8/16/2007 - kwalitsch wrote: 88 Points
Overall a disappointment, the nose had great dark fruit mixed with tobacco and a light cedar but was far from the slap in the face I expected from this 80% Syrah blend. On the palate much of the same, dark fruits came through with a nice mix of Cigar box. Two things might have hurt the wine and experience, one the two bottles just arrived at my door from a cross country trip (bottle shock? Not yet convinced) and two it was only decanted for 3 hrs by the time the last glass was consumed. I bought two and plan on opening the next one in a few months letting this one decant for 5+ hours.
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7/29/2007 - nschmidt wrote: 88 Points
Solid bottle. Drank with Adrianne, Jeff and Aggie at Blu. Smooth and enjoyable. Not too fruity. Jeff and I liked it.Good QPR.
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7/15/2007 - out-and-about wrote: 90 Points
needs to breath--very good
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6/29/2007 - french16 wrote: 91 Points
Really amazing for the appelation.
Wonderful dark fruits both on the nose and mouth and then a long finish with some pepper and meat. Great balance, medium to full body. Tannins are smooth.
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6/26/2007 - docjavadude wrote: 92 Points
CTS DMin Happy Hour; 6/18/2007-6/28/2007 (Atlanta, GA): Yummy! Benefitted from some breathing room. Big Rhone aromas and flavors. Layered scents of dried cherries, herbs, leather, and cigar box. Very round in the mouth with big fruit -- blackberries, plum with skins, and currants. A bit spicy in the middle, with mushrooms and soil flavors at the end. Very broad texture with a big, earthy finish. Tannins are firm and round. This is a keeper.
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6/13/2007 - cellarbrator wrote: 92 Points
Surprisingly complex. Leather, flowers, black fruit, licorice and spice. All around an outstanding wine.
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4/24/2007 - KevinS wrote: 90 Points
Tightly wound core of dark fruit, tobacco and tar. Really opened up on day 2, becoming much more accessible and enjoyable, showing some minerality too. Needs time...
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4/11/2007 - MikeCW wrote: 90 Points
This wine surpassed my expectations. Clearly from France, enticing nose of blackberry and flowers. Earth, smoke and black fruit on the palate and some grippy tannins on the backend as the wine opened over a few hours. Fantastic deal at $13.99. Will drink over the next four years.
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4/8/2007 - yasgurdj wrote:
great black-purple color, nose of dirty pee diaper, taste of blackberry & blackraspberry fruit, structured tannins, long finish, 90pts
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3/29/2007 - SoCal wrote: 91 Points
Opened the bottle for 2 hours before tasting.
Lighter Raspberry color, not extremely dark, you can see through it.
The color is much lighter than the South African Syrah I have been drinking lately.
The nose is right up my alley.
I can’t place why exactly, but it strikes a cord in my soul.
Perhaps it is the Cigar box old world aspect.
It has the nose similar to some SA Syrah but yet more refined.
Could that be due to the 20% Grenache?
The mid-pallet has what you would expect dark berries, pepper, spice, Cigar-box.
Lighter than the nose would suggest in the mouth but extremely enjoyable.
The finish is tobacco all the way, but fades fast.
I really enjoyed this wine possibly due in part to the little voice in the back of my mind saying “It is only $18!”
I continued to have it with food and it became even more enjoyable.
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3/7/2007 - decaturwinedude wrote:
Nose has some elements of meaty- blood like essence and some leather. Palate is tight at first, some blueberry and plum lurking, but man, this tight with rather large peppery tannins. After 30 minutes in the glass...yes! loads of blueberry, earth, and smoke. Finish has softened a tad, but still long and earthy with pepper notes. Still a baby, but getting better with air. This bottle, like the 2000, is a super value, and why I only bought two of these I'll never know.
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2/25/2007 - thijsseg wrote: 92 Points
beste wijn van de avond; klopt vlot de villages van Caillou 2003
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2/24/2007 - Michael Davis wrote:
A thought provoking nose of tar, plum, herbs and leather. Blackberry on the palate with some nice mineral elements on the finish. I'd like to see this wine with some years on it as the structure here is quite impressive. Plenty of fresh berries sitting on a nice acidic spine and some grippy tannins makes me think this one could age quite nicely. Too bad this was my only bottle. Decanted for 5-6 hours and drank from the Reidel Vinum Syrah Glass.
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2/22/2007 - paulst wrote: 97 Points
Excellent and outstanding presentation of opulent blackberry, strawberry, jam, earth and soil with an oily smooth finish.
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2/10/2007 - ljl203 wrote: 90 Points
Delicious smooth and earthy Rhone wine. Mushrooms and a little leather beautifully blended. Kept improving over 4 hours. Nice complexity and good finish. Had with veal.
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12/11/2006 - mbieweng wrote: 87 Points
Licorice, pepper, etc. Somewhat complex. Nice wine, but not my flavors. I had hoped that this would evolve over a day or two, but it didn't win me over.
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10/25/2006 - Ben Andersen wrote:
$24.99 retail, before discount. Dense nose of dark fruit, tar and light spice. On the palate, broad texture, good freshness and balance. Dark fruit. Some minerality at its core. Less earth and evolved at the moment than the regular Pesquie Cotes du Ventoux bottling "Les Terrasses" (see TNs).
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9/29/2006 - SadEdjo wrote:
rich kirsh & blackberry with dried herbs. little/no oak. v. nice
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7/30/2006 - billyb wrote: 93 Points
glad I have another onr
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7/30/2006 - billyb wrote: 93 Points
excellent as an apertiff, white flowers/perfume, saddle leather and blackberry jam
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6/1/2006 - Northern wrote: 88 Points
Bought this based on RMP's review. Purple colour. Rather subdued nose with a whiff of white pepper, brambles, licorice. On the palate medium bodied with red fruits, brambles, some aniseed. Felt completely closed, improved after 1-2 hours in the decanter and the last glass was the best. Not sure what to make of this, will leave remaining bottles at least a year.
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