I really liked this. Classic zin nose and palate, though on the older side - a bit more maturing fruit and some autumnal notes. But, clean, still good fruit, not over-extracted, good balance. This is very nice wine. As always, good QPR.
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Opened and let set for about an hour without decanting. Heady bouquet with mix of black raspberry, leather & licorice. Beautiful deep garnet color. Flavor was tart & refreshing with abundance of dark cherry overriding the long peppery finish. This was my last bottle & will be sorely missed.
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I am a little surprised at the low ratings this wine has gotten. I found it very pleasant on the nose, with spices and red plum notes. On the palate, I had a dose of cherry and some earthy undertones. Finish was a little short, but overall a nice wine with burgers, and bbq. The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Plum, and Black Pepper. It tastes like and Cherry. The body is Light/Medium. The wine is textured Juicy. The wine finishes Short.
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I was wondering why i was so underwhelmed by this wine until i consulted earlier entries in the spreadsheet and realized its the 2005 ancient vine that is so yummy. So either this is too young or 2006 was a crappy year compared to 05. Its drinkable, but not enough body or complexity. Really, its no better than the regular Cline 06 zin (which is $4 cheaper), so why buy?
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Dark purple with slight hint of brown. Detect fruit and a tiny bit of earth on the nose. Bit hot at first, sort of jammy. After decanting in glass for a while was reminiscint of juicy juice.
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Dark purple color. Non-expressive on the nose for the most part except for some dark fruit and a bit of burnt match. Dark fruit and oak on the palate. Low to medium acidity and moderate tannins make this a drink now zin if you have it. Ok wine but nothing special. Not worth a rebuy.
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The only word that came to both of us was, 'Eh...' Maybe we don't like Zin as much as we thought. It was OK, but there are much better bottles at this price point...IMO.
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I picked this up mainly because I saw it on sale for $9, far less than its normal price of about $16. Great deal, right? Well, that depends on how good the wine is. After drinking it, I probably wouldn't buy it again at either price. Not that it's bad -- just that there are better ones in the same price range. The fruit tastes dried rather than fresh, and the chocolate-y oak feels a little forced. For a more lively, structured zin, try the Ancient Peaks ($14), or for a better example of the big fat rustic style, go for Klinker Brick ($15).
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Just not to my taste, although others around the table enjoyed it. Unremarkable nose, and too much oak makes for a sour fruit instead of the usual zin berry.
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In the category of "cheap Zins" this is one of the better ones. Still pretty candied, with caramel, pecans, but enough dark fruit to hold it together as a fun, easy wine with a burger or pizza.
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Dale Cruse's Blind Tasting Party: Deep dark red. Carmelized nuts, maybe pecans, on the nose along with molasses, toast and pickle jiuce (huh?). The flavor is very disjointed, grapey and vegetal.
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Somewhat thin and light in the glass. Dominant aroma of overly sweet smelling chewing tobacco (not cigar tobacco) and barnyard on the nose and the palate was an almost sickeningly sweet of overripe plums with some oak/cedar notes...decent, but wouldn't buy again.
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Garnet color, dark berry on the nose. This wine was floral and elegant with a long finish, with hints of spice and strawberry, fairly complex. Perhaps some watermelon jolly rancher in the mid palette. This is not a slutty wine, perhaps the reason it is being rated so low.
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Light purple in colour, this wine shows red cherry, creamy vanilla and spice on the nose. The palate is medium bodied and shows sweet red fruit, liquorice and tobacco characters.
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Started better than it finished. Mellowed out and the finish shortened. A little initial cherry and nice spice, but after it sat, it lost the qualities we liked.
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Probably one of my favorite reds to date. an hr after opening it was really tight on the nose, and on the palete is was kinda like a sour strawberry or rasberry. But 5-6 hrs after opening it had time to open up, and you could smell the strawberry, and it had a nice strawberry and leather taste on the tongue. Some of the flavors may come off a lil fake though, but i didnt just die on you either.. This will probably be something i buy again...solid wine if you can get it i the $10-$15 range
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Color: firm burgundy. Nose: weak but producing hints of mineral, vegetal and dark berries. Palate: exquisite and pleasant taste with a well balanced acidity, but a bit high on alcohol > 14% ( 13.5% on label). Finish: definitely short but elegant, producing the sensation of more, more and more. Note: an enjoyable non dry wine, GQP if found under $15 including tax. Had it with roasted chicken, but wonder with a steak/burger pairs better.
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Hints of blackberry, chocolate, and some spice, with soft tannins and a smooth finish. I was impressed with this wine-- it went well with a pasta and meat dish. Enjoyable and worth the price.
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Bottle was decanted for over an hour. COLOR: Pale red thinning at the edges. NOSE: First thing to hit me on this wine was black pepper, and a little hi-c, followed by subtle notes of blueberry, coffee, and tomato. Reasonably complex PALATE: Good structure, big tannins, good mouth feel, but this wine is lacking on the pal. Little definition of flavor and a hot finish. The only tastes that come through are a hint of sugary coffee and too much oak. At 15 bucks this wine is a definite pass, had similar wines in the 8 and under price point.
FOLLOW UP 2/8/2008: After a couple of days sealed with vaccuvin this wine opened up and definitely improved. Bit more defined tannins more fruit flavor and a longer finish. I'll upgrade wine to a 85 - 86 at this point.
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Restaurant pop and pour. Pleasant nose of oak and nice fruit. Initial acid hit gives way to really nice dark berry fruits, chocolate, wood. Nice structure and balance.
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intense purple color with raspberries, blackberries and pepper on the nose. full-bodied with ripe tannins, medium acidity. lots of raspberries, spice, chocolate-covered blueberries and red licorice on the palate with some vanilla and toast. 14.5% alcohol. i've heard mixed reviews about this wine, but i think it's a good qpr and a pleasant zin to have with foods like pizza.
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Let this bottle sit open for about 6 hours. Nice red fruit on the smell, some burnt tire smell. Also some cardboard smell, vegetable smell. Light fruit on the palate, mild finish with some medium tannins. Some cardboard taste as well as some black pepper components. Nice wine, went good with our dinner.
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Nice acidic lift to the light cherry and strawberry fruit, too bad it's very sweet tasting. Touch of briar which I enjoy - overall for $15, a lot of folks will enjoy this.
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Last time we tasted this, it appeared as if it would go well with turkey... tried that tonight, and it wasn't that great. Still not a bad zin altogether, but not as good of an experience as the first time. Tasted a bit more "harsh" than the first bottle.
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This has hints of raspberry, blackberry, white pepper and spice, with coffee and chocolate characters. It had soft tannins and was drank without food. Very tasty!
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Good young zin... tasted "jammy," with hints of cherry, chocolate. Went very well with chocolate, and we would guess it would go very well with turkey. Will have to try this at Thanksgiving & see if the guess is right! Bottle mentions good to drink now, or cellar for up to 5 years... a few more years may make this a great, less-expensive bottle.
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Damn, this is tasty. Simple, but pure yummy zin fruit, with maybe a touch a sweetness. But that briary yummy zin fruit, without being over the top, or hot, or any of the things that annoy me about zin. Simple? No. This is simply good.
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12/15/2016 - mdvino63 wrote: 88 Points
I really liked this. Classic zin nose and palate, though on the older side - a bit more maturing fruit and some autumnal notes. But, clean, still good fruit, not over-extracted, good balance. This is very nice wine. As always, good QPR.
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5/30/2016 - mark.gularte@gmail.com wrote: 85 Points
Light and fruity, but not much depth. Structure is weak.....quite one dimensional. Waited too long on this one.
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8/21/2014 - foxmuc Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice Zin, not much tanins, nice fruit and not too complicated, good for food, meat or by itself
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1/5/2012 - whofto wrote:
- Garnet color with a medium/full body.
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5/15/2011 - rlleigh wrote: 89 Points
Surprisingly good
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5/13/2011 - Rustyboy wrote: 86 Points
Opened and let set for about an hour without decanting. Heady bouquet with mix of black raspberry, leather & licorice. Beautiful deep garnet color. Flavor was tart & refreshing with abundance of dark cherry overriding the long peppery finish. This was my last bottle & will be sorely missed.
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1/17/2011 - danscellar wrote: 87 Points
Kind of a fruit bomb, mellow with not much complexity but a good drinker
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12/16/2010 - danscellar wrote: 87 Points
A very easy drinking Zin, big on fruit and short on structure.
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10/18/2010 - JdeM wrote: 89 Points
I too a little surprised at poor ratings. Great nose and ruch mouth feel.
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9/18/2010 - gnr wrote: 77 Points
Good w burgers. Going flat.
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7/20/2010 - WAWINEFAN wrote: 86 Points
Ok and actually better than expected after reading the reviews below.
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2/28/2010 - ruffem Likes this wine: 87 Points
I am a little surprised at the low ratings this wine has gotten. I found it very pleasant on the nose, with spices and red plum notes. On the palate, I had a dose of cherry and some earthy undertones. Finish was a little short, but overall a nice wine with burgers, and bbq.
The wine looks Garnet colored.
The legs are Medium.
It smells like Plum, and Black Pepper.
It tastes like and Cherry.
The body is Light/Medium.
The wine is textured Juicy.
The wine finishes Short.
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11/20/2009 - arass wrote: 83 Points
I was wondering why i was so underwhelmed by this wine until i consulted earlier entries in the spreadsheet and realized its the 2005 ancient vine that is so yummy. So either this is too young or 2006 was a crappy year compared to 05. Its drinkable, but not enough body or complexity. Really, its no better than the regular Cline 06 zin (which is $4 cheaper), so why buy?
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5/26/2009 - mellie wrote: 80 Points
Dark purple with slight hint of brown. Detect fruit and a tiny bit of earth on the nose. Bit hot at first, sort of jammy. After decanting in glass for a while was reminiscint of juicy juice.
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5/17/2009 - Rich S wrote: 87 Points
Dark purple color. Non-expressive on the nose for the most part except for some dark fruit and a bit of burnt match. Dark fruit and oak on the palate. Low to medium acidity and moderate tannins make this a drink now zin if you have it. Ok wine but nothing special. Not worth a rebuy.
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4/12/2009 - dcdad wrote: 78 Points
Ok for the price. Nothing special. Improved dramatically 2nd day.
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3/22/2009 - rrtims wrote: 85 Points
Aroma harsh at first. Better after it sat.
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3/14/2009 - DandL wrote: 79 Points
The only word that came to both of us was, 'Eh...' Maybe we don't like Zin as much as we thought. It was OK, but there are much better bottles at this price point...IMO.
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1/16/2009 - rglover wrote: 84 Points
I liked the taste very much. I would drink again
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1/6/2009 - will2wine wrote: 84 Points
I picked this up mainly because I saw it on sale for $9, far less than its normal price of about $16. Great deal, right? Well, that depends on how good the wine is. After drinking it, I probably wouldn't buy it again at either price. Not that it's bad -- just that there are better ones in the same price range. The fruit tastes dried rather than fresh, and the chocolate-y oak feels a little forced. For a more lively, structured zin, try the Ancient Peaks ($14), or for a better example of the big fat rustic style, go for Klinker Brick ($15).
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1/4/2009 - JMPVermont wrote: 80 Points
Just not to my taste, although others around the table enjoyed it. Unremarkable nose, and too much oak makes for a sour fruit instead of the usual zin berry.
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12/8/2008 - tanninbomb wrote: 85 Points
In the category of "cheap Zins" this is one of the better ones. Still pretty candied, with caramel, pecans, but enough dark fruit to hold it together as a fun, easy wine with a burger or pizza.
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11/22/2008 - ScottGoodwin wrote: 83 Points
Dale Cruse's Blind Tasting Party: Deep dark red. Carmelized nuts, maybe pecans, on the nose along with molasses, toast and pickle jiuce (huh?). The flavor is very disjointed, grapey and vegetal.
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10/24/2008 - jvanasco wrote: 85 Points
nice zin ; nothing fancy, but just right.
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10/13/2008 - tayto wrote: 83 Points
Decent, though not a traditional Zin. Potential for pasty aftertaste.
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9/12/2008 - Dark Helmet wrote: 86 Points
Pleasant and enjoyable, but without an exceptionally distinct nose or finish. Passable wine I would drink again, but likely not buy again.
For the same money, the Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zin is MUCH better IMO.
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9/8/2008 - tigerpaw75 wrote: 84 Points
Somewhat thin and light in the glass. Dominant aroma of overly sweet smelling chewing tobacco (not cigar tobacco) and barnyard on the nose and the palate was an almost sickeningly sweet of overripe plums with some oak/cedar notes...decent, but wouldn't buy again.
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8/15/2008 - vardaman wrote: 94 Points
Garnet color, dark berry on the nose. This wine was floral and elegant with a long finish, with hints of spice and strawberry, fairly complex. Perhaps some watermelon jolly rancher in the mid palette. This is not a slutty wine, perhaps the reason it is being rated so low.
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7/29/2008 - jamieirving wrote: 88 Points
Light purple in colour, this wine shows red cherry, creamy vanilla and spice on the nose. The palate is medium bodied and shows sweet red fruit, liquorice and tobacco characters.
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6/30/2008 - smallhart wrote: 82 Points
Started better than it finished. Mellowed out and the finish shortened. A little initial cherry and nice spice, but after it sat, it lost the qualities we liked.
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6/21/2008 - GA wrote: 85 Points
6/08 Light to medium bodied - fruit forward - rasberry - short finish - very simple and approachable. 85 pts.
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6/10/2008 - Kreepy13 wrote:
Probably one of my favorite reds to date. an hr after opening it was really tight on the nose, and on the palete is was kinda like a sour strawberry or rasberry. But 5-6 hrs after opening it had time to open up, and you could smell the strawberry, and it had a nice strawberry and leather taste on the tongue. Some of the flavors may come off a lil fake though, but i didnt just die on you either.. This will probably be something i buy again...solid wine if you can get it i the $10-$15 range
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6/3/2008 - n8540 wrote: 82 Points
ok but nothing spectacular. weird finish.
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5/24/2008 - Spartan213 wrote: 88 Points
Very good. Not much on the nose.
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4/25/2008 - RATER wrote: 88 Points
Color: firm burgundy.
Nose: weak but producing hints of mineral, vegetal and dark berries.
Palate: exquisite and pleasant taste with a well balanced acidity, but a bit high on alcohol > 14% ( 13.5% on label).
Finish: definitely short but elegant, producing the sensation of more, more and more.
Note: an enjoyable non dry wine, GQP if found under $15 including tax.
Had it with roasted chicken, but wonder with a steak/burger pairs better.
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4/24/2008 - SacramentoCharlie wrote: 78 Points
unbalanced and awkward
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4/2/2008 - Coach wrote: 86 Points
Hints of blackberry, chocolate, and some spice, with soft tannins and a smooth finish. I was impressed with this wine-- it went well with a pasta and meat dish. Enjoyable and worth the price.
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3/9/2008 - vinoceros wrote: 84 Points
Like liquid dark-berry jam. A little too sweet and syrupy for me. A good bottle for a mroe casual wine drinker.
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3/9/2008 - shelbri wrote:
Very fruit forward and sweet zin
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2/25/2008 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 91 Points
More precise and more elegant than the straight zinfandel. Lovely rich palate. Very nice concentration, but without being overblown.
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2/6/2008 - small_cellar wrote: 83 Points
Bottle was decanted for over an hour. COLOR: Pale red thinning at the edges. NOSE: First thing to hit me on this wine was black pepper, and a little hi-c, followed by subtle notes of blueberry, coffee, and tomato. Reasonably complex PALATE: Good structure, big tannins, good mouth feel, but this wine is lacking on the pal. Little definition of flavor and a hot finish. The only tastes that come through are a hint of sugary coffee and too much oak. At 15 bucks this wine is a definite pass, had similar wines in the 8 and under price point.
FOLLOW UP 2/8/2008:
After a couple of days sealed with vaccuvin this wine opened up and definitely improved. Bit more defined tannins more fruit flavor and a longer finish. I'll upgrade wine to a 85 - 86 at this point.
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2/3/2008 - swimnfit wrote: 90 Points
Excellent, great bargain from Costco
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1/26/2008 - mreinitz wrote: 84 Points
A little sweet and thin. Not one of my favorites.
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1/12/2008 - J_Hayden wrote: 85 Points
Restaurant pop and pour. Pleasant nose of oak and nice fruit. Initial acid hit gives way to really nice dark berry fruits, chocolate, wood. Nice structure and balance.
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1/6/2008 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 85 Points
intense purple color with raspberries, blackberries and pepper on the nose. full-bodied with ripe tannins, medium acidity. lots of raspberries, spice, chocolate-covered blueberries and red licorice on the palate with some vanilla and toast. 14.5% alcohol. i've heard mixed reviews about this wine, but i think it's a good qpr and a pleasant zin to have with foods like pizza.
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1/6/2008 - pickhardt wrote: 83 Points
Simple, slightly sweet, disappointing.
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12/24/2007 - millwood wrote: 85 Points
Let this bottle sit open for about 6 hours. Nice red fruit on the smell, some burnt tire smell. Also some cardboard smell, vegetable smell. Light fruit on the palate, mild finish with some medium tannins. Some cardboard taste as well as some black pepper components. Nice wine, went good with our dinner.
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12/3/2007 - JonGray wrote: 66 Points
I loved this zin - bold, but not overbearing - good now!
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12/3/2007 - spacewrangler wrote: 84 Points
Nice acidic lift to the light cherry and strawberry fruit, too bad it's very sweet tasting. Touch of briar which I enjoy - overall for $15, a lot of folks will enjoy this.
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11/17/2007 - Pat & Jen B wrote: 83 Points
Last time we tasted this, it appeared as if it would go well with turkey... tried that tonight, and it wasn't that great. Still not a bad zin altogether, but not as good of an experience as the first time. Tasted a bit more "harsh" than the first bottle.
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11/11/2007 - florida wine guy wrote: 95 Points
This has hints of raspberry, blackberry, white pepper and spice, with coffee and chocolate characters. It had soft tannins and was drank without food. Very tasty!
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11/1/2007 - MountainMak wrote: 88 Points
very nice, nice fruit, but not that jammy ... will likely pick up a few more bottles to cellar for a year or two. good value
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10/19/2007 - JonGray wrote: 66 Points
May Have Drank a bit too early. Good solid quality - not as explosive fruit as used to on Zins..
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10/19/2007 - ETrain wrote: 87 Points
Very nice bottle for the price. Ligthly fuity with a nice acidity to it. Not as good as the Bogle old vines, but a good daily drinker none the less
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10/3/2007 - Pat & Jen B wrote: 85 Points
Good young zin... tasted "jammy," with hints of cherry, chocolate. Went very well with chocolate, and we would guess it would go very well with turkey. Will have to try this at Thanksgiving & see if the guess is right! Bottle mentions good to drink now, or cellar for up to 5 years... a few more years may make this a great, less-expensive bottle.
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9/15/2007 - hutch wrote: 88 Points
Damn, this is tasty. Simple, but pure yummy zin fruit, with maybe a touch a sweetness. But that briary yummy zin fruit, without being over the top, or hot, or any of the things that annoy me about zin. Simple? No. This is simply good.
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