My first MCK from Charles Smith, vintage 2019 has received nice scores. But I don't think the wine really lives up to this, due to this being an affordable wine around €35 - €40. Feels like it needs a bit more time in the cellar, the fruit is there, good structure but feels a bit unbalanced today, bottle variety? I will save my remaining bottles for at least 2 years.
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P&P; in a much better place than my last bottle. Big blackberry fruit, black pepper, kalamata olive, espresso coffee, and hints of bitter dark chocolate on the finish. Great stuff that was gone far too quickly! Drink now - 2029+.
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Slow ox'ed for over 30+ minutes. Dark purple-garnet in colour. With further coaxing, the nose shows blackberries with a touch of smoky blueberries, hint of chocolate and gaminess. On the palate, there are noted some peppery plums with blackberries with some ripe bell peppers and some chalky minerality running along its fine grained tannins. Medium bodied with a medium finish. May need a few more years or a long decant at least.
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Well... I had this last night without more than 20 minutes of air. Tonight, after 24 hours of exposure in a decanter, this was a totally different wine! It was so great! And will get better, without question.
The moral of the story... Decant early and often! It's been a theme I've mentioned about 30 times over the last 12 months... And it seems I can't freaking get it, myself!!!
Anyway, I thought no way above 90 because of my own self induced errors. I was wrong. 91 now. In a decade, could get mid 90's??
****
Yet again, I didn't decant this early enough. I can't believe it!! Popped the cork, slid into a large decanter, ran it through the spin-cycle for a minute, poured.
Presto... Not even close to enough!!! It definitely needs air, though there was zero sediment.
Without the air, this was closed and rigid and less elegant, than it could be, I suspect.
Decant several hours ahead!
The usual varietal characteristics... Deep Purplish Dark cherries, Dark plum, blueberries Black Green Peppercorn Earthiness Licorice. Chocolate. Tobacco?
Tannins resolving, but present Structured Going to be a decade to resolve completely? Check in 5 years
Medium Full High alcohol High acid Long 60 second finish
Aromas of tar, cold fireplace ash, very smokey leather and green pepper. High tannins and medium plus acidity. The tar and smoke overwhelms the dark plum and black cherry on the palate.
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Tasted PNP and aerated. Muted nose/taste compared to previous MCKs. Seems closed right now. Lacking the pow of previous vintages. Mostly black fruit. Medium tannins.
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Deep, dark reddish-purple garnet in color, almost opaque. Full, forward, & attractive nose of ripe dark fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with overtones of spices, pepper, cocoa, earthy/dusty, herbs, mint, minerals & a hint of oak/vanilla undertones. Full bodied with a very good concentration of balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, dark cocoa, herbs & minerals. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well with decanting & airing but has the potential for further development with additional aging at which time it may merit a higher score (93+).
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Decanted for four hours. Vibrant and apparently deep, in a less pretentious manner than how this humbly began…this is a Syrah of distinction and area. Blueberries, mulberries, sandalwood, crushed rock, white pepper and black truffles. There’s more red fruit on the sexy palate. Long and full with body, and layers of fruit. This stretches long and is coaxing. Grainy, yet fine tannins. Drink 2024 - 2039.
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VIP Grand Touring Club Virtual Tasting. Two hour decant. Nose of blackberry, applewood-smoked ham, dark chocolate, cafe-au-lair, and a note of the sulfur dioxide of a struck match. Dry black cherry palate with a medicinal streak and a strong iron ore flavor. Tight finish with black fruit, minerals, earth, and hints of fireplace ash. This could us a year or two in the bottle.
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Double decant. Red and black fruits. Vanilla. Floral. Meaty. Incredibly Rich and concentrated. Drying finish. Better on day two. Might this be the best MCK yet? Not sure, it’s always good. Please find me a wine under $30 as complex and delicious.
Decanted 1 hour on day 1. This was fairly primary the first day, showing big black fruit and oak flavors, and not really much else. Day 2, it was a bit more interesting, adding licorice, vanilla and hints of black pepper to the mix. Still extremely young, so I'd recommend sitting on this one for a couple of years for best results, but could be drunk now with ample air. Drink 2023-2034.
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5/4/2024 - Awesometown wrote:
Not as flavorful as I had hoped. Did not decant but even second glass which I swirled was somewhat bland.
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4/14/2024 - pgm wrote: flawed
Corked
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3/19/2024 - Sagan99 Likes this wine: 88 Points
TBD
One year later
Still too early.
Next bottle, 2030
Tannic
Shiraz 100%(?) - check this
PS- Drink The Rainbow!
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11/25/2023 - SirJ Likes this wine: 91 Points
My first MCK from Charles Smith, vintage 2019 has received nice scores. But I don't think the wine really lives up to this, due to this being an affordable wine around €35 - €40. Feels like it needs a bit more time in the cellar, the fruit is there, good structure but feels a bit unbalanced today, bottle variety? I will save my remaining bottles for at least 2 years.
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11/25/2023 - Brian Glas Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted after 1 hour of air. Savory tannic blackberry fruit. Tannins still pretty firm. Could use more time. Some black licorice here. Medium finish.
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8/25/2023 - RPerro Likes this wine: 91 Points
P&P; in a much better place than my last bottle. Big blackberry fruit, black pepper, kalamata olive, espresso coffee, and hints of bitter dark chocolate on the finish. Great stuff that was gone far too quickly! Drink now - 2029+.
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8/4/2023 - AMC Eagle wrote: 92 Points
Slow ox'ed for over 30+ minutes. Dark purple-garnet in colour. With further coaxing, the nose shows blackberries with a touch of smoky blueberries, hint of chocolate and gaminess. On the palate, there are noted some peppery plums with blackberries with some ripe bell peppers and some chalky minerality running along its fine grained tannins. Medium bodied with a medium finish. May need a few more years or a long decant at least.
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4/4/2023 - Sagan99 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Well...
I had this last night without more than 20 minutes of air.
Tonight, after 24 hours of exposure in a decanter, this was a totally different wine! It was so great! And will get better, without question.
The moral of the story... Decant early and often! It's been a theme I've mentioned about 30 times over the last 12 months... And it seems I can't freaking get it, myself!!!
Anyway, I thought no way above 90 because of my own self induced errors.
I was wrong. 91 now. In a decade, could get mid 90's??
****
Yet again, I didn't decant this early enough.
I can't believe it!!
Popped the cork, slid into a large decanter, ran it through the spin-cycle for a minute, poured.
Presto... Not even close to enough!!!
It definitely needs air, though there was zero sediment.
Without the air, this was closed and rigid and less elegant, than it could be, I suspect.
Decant several hours ahead!
The usual varietal characteristics...
Deep Purplish
Dark cherries, Dark plum, blueberries
Black Green Peppercorn
Earthiness
Licorice. Chocolate. Tobacco?
Tannins resolving, but present
Structured
Going to be a decade to resolve completely?
Check in 5 years
Medium Full
High alcohol
High acid
Long 60 second finish
Syrah Shiraz
14.5% abv
PS- Drink The Rainbow!
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1/16/2023 - Flgator1965 wrote: 88 Points
Aromas of tar, cold fireplace ash, very smokey leather and green pepper. High tannins and medium plus acidity. The tar and smoke overwhelms the dark plum and black cherry on the palate.
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12/30/2022 - jrglm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Agree with other notes. Delicious now (with a decant) and lots of potential.
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12/4/2022 - Appleonius wrote:
Tasted PNP and aerated. Muted nose/taste compared to previous MCKs. Seems closed right now. Lacking the pow of previous vintages. Mostly black fruit. Medium tannins.
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11/19/2022 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep, dark reddish-purple garnet in color, almost opaque. Full, forward, & attractive nose of ripe dark fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with overtones of spices, pepper, cocoa, earthy/dusty, herbs, mint, minerals & a hint of oak/vanilla undertones. Full bodied with a very good concentration of balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, dark cocoa, herbs & minerals. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well with decanting & airing but has the potential for further development with additional aging at which time it may merit a higher score (93+).
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8/12/2022 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for four hours. Vibrant and apparently deep, in a less pretentious manner than how this humbly began…this is a Syrah of distinction and area. Blueberries, mulberries, sandalwood, crushed rock, white pepper and black truffles. There’s more red fruit on the sexy palate. Long and full with body, and layers of fruit. This stretches long and is coaxing. Grainy, yet fine tannins. Drink 2024 - 2039.
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7/9/2022 - JustOneMoreGlass Likes this wine: 93 Points
fruit, pepper, earth. not as concentrated as other K's. tiny bit hot.
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7/2/2022 - VAGenius wrote: 91 Points
VIP Grand Touring Club Virtual Tasting. Two hour decant. Nose of blackberry, applewood-smoked ham, dark chocolate, cafe-au-lair, and a note of the sulfur dioxide of a struck match. Dry black cherry palate with a medicinal streak and a strong iron ore flavor. Tight finish with black fruit, minerals, earth, and hints of fireplace ash. This could us a year or two in the bottle.
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5/26/2022 - Clark W Griswold Likes this wine: 93 Points
Double decant. Red and black fruits. Vanilla. Floral. Meaty. Incredibly Rich and concentrated. Drying finish. Better on day two. Might this be the best MCK yet? Not sure, it’s always good. Please find me a wine under $30 as complex and delicious.
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4/23/2022 - RPerro Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hour on day 1. This was fairly primary the first day, showing big black fruit and oak flavors, and not really much else. Day 2, it was a bit more interesting, adding licorice, vanilla and hints of black pepper to the mix. Still extremely young, so I'd recommend sitting on this one for a couple of years for best results, but could be drunk now with ample air. Drink 2023-2034.
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