Still tasting good !! Truly a great CA expression of Châteauneuf-du-Pape !! Screw top, easily removed. Dark burgundy color with modest oxidation, clarity medium. Consumed this mature wine over two days, lively fruit and acid on day one, softened, more brooding, and deep on day two. Aromas of blackberry, cherry, and Garrique. Flavors of rhubarb, black cherry, and rose hips with a hint of licorice with a long finish. A very balanced flavorful blend of 38% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 12% Mourvèdre, 8% Carignane, and 7% Cinsault. This is an age worthy wine is at or just past peak, unfortunately this was my last bottle of this vintage in my cellar. Great fruit and a excellent winemaking effort by Randell Graham.
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Aged surprisingly well, but 2016 is definitely the limit for this 2004 bottle. Big red fruit, big tannins, stood up very well to BBQ rib steak. Need to stock up!
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On opening the bottle, the aroma has dark fruit, and a good, kind of funky note. The flavor starts off a little sharp, with a bright spot of berry fruit. The berries come out in the aroma as it opens up, and start to find a place alongside some darker red fruit in the flavor.
By the second day, the fruit in the flavor seems a little sweeter, a little redder. Oak seems to have come out more. Good, but at this point the 2003 is significantly better.
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Cigar notes, ripe cherries, and some earth. This is followed by a delicious mouthful of ripe dark fruit, minerals, tobacco, and fine tannins with a long finish. Excellent with grilled grass-fed steaks. This was better than the bottle we drank last year, much to our surprise!
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The wine is dark red with brick colored edges. It has a complex bouquet of Cherry, Black currant (cassis), Cinnamon, and Minerals. It is a smooth mouthful of Mineral, Black Pepper, Tobacco, and summer fruit. Overall, this is a medium bodied wine with fine tannins and a smooth texture that has a pleasing medium finish. It definitely should be drunk over the next few months.
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Cinnamon and cigar on the generous nose (subliminal suggestion?), medium body, medium length, some pepper, some tannin persists. Good fruit, but maybe slightly past it's prime.
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Fantastic open bouquet, intense ripe summer fruits, underlying almost cassis, hinting at mineral freshness, smooth full flavoured mid palate, perfect ripe tannin and dry on the finish. Really excellent.
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I liked the structure and spice on this. There's some fruit but not enough to make a strong impression. Tannins were fine and nice. The wine is good but is not distinctive nor special enough to be outstanding. 6.5/10
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A good, medium (not to say average!) wine. Medium fruit on the nose, medium body, medium finish. Surprisingly no pepper. Nice balance and acidity. Doesn't wow with any particular feature. Half way between lively as opposed to powerful. Not the heaviest or spiciest Bonny Doon wine (try the Pousser Syrah). Definitely food friendly.
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Drink from a half bottle. Blend of 38% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 12% Mourvèdre, 8% carignane & 7% Cinsault. Dark garnet with crimson hue, it has aromas of dark cherry, raspberry, mocha and hints of smokey oak. Medium bodied, smoky fruits, dark cherry, raspberry and some earthy note. Soft drying tannins and a bit of bitterness on a fairy decent Finish. Tasted quite close to a Rhone wine but not impressive overall.
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View my video review here: http://waywardwine.wordpress.com/2011/03/21/grenache-blend-bonny-doon-vineyard-le-cigare-volant-santa-cruz-ca-usa-earth-2004/
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Opened a bottle tonight for dinner, decanted about an hour before tasting.
Pleasant nose of cranberry, dried cherry, and earth. The fruit carries through into the body, adding dried orange and baking spice, with dry tannins and cocoa powder in the finish. Refined and well knit.
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Such a lovely wine, offering a open funky, forest floor nose with fruit peeking out/ velvet mouthfeel, again red fruits, nice acidity, pure concentrated and with good length/ 13.5% genuine, well made interesting and very much a personal favourite.
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Drunk last night with friends... Wish had taken detailed notes but we were too in love with this wine to stop oooing over it. Great nose, amazing fruit in harmony. 38% Grenache, 35 Syrah, 12 Mourvedre, 8 carigagne, 7 Cinsault.. Showing once again the best of Rhones are a blend. Will hoard my other bottle !
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Red colour with slight tawniness on edge. Gamey, spicy, concentrated fruit on nose with cracked black pepper. A bit of earth and mushroom along with sweet spice. Similar flavours on palette with vanilla from the oak. Opened more after an hour with more raspberry coming through. Good body and length - nice balance.
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This is drinking really well right now: bright cherry grenache, gamey syrah, and a meaty mataro undertow backed by OMG serious tannin. Lots of fun, even if there seem to be some weird MOx shenanigans going on here too.
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Dark garnet, looks good in the glass. Immediate upon opening noticed small red fruits, berries,cocoa. After about 60-90 minutes a bit of a barnyard odour developed and the fruit notes was gone. Somewhat sweet fruit-driven attack, strawberries, blackberries, medium-bodied, nice crunchy feel and well structured; old world style. Remarkably the finish had a slightly acid twist combined with the spicy tannins making this a food wine par excellence. A bit rustic, pleasant but not great. Drink NOW. Price/value = 8 (in Dubai)
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Decent GSM blend but not as good (for my palate) as similarly priced CNdP. Smooth, fairly light, very drinkable but no extra edge of earth or meat and lacked the richness of the best GSM blends. Still a nice drop though!
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Pretty good stuff and ready to drink right now. Hints of bright cherries and strawberries on the nose and then also present on the palate. Secondary flavors include a little smoked meat, tobacco and tar and towards the finish even a little licorice. Medium bodied, well balanced, and very food friendly.
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Very nice effort from Bonny Doon, shining now with some bottle age. Along with the red and black fruit there are lovely secondary notes of tobacco leaf, fig, and soy along with cigar box and toast. Complex, this is a convincing California version of the Rhone wines that it emulates. Screwtop closure.
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Ultimate Parker in Singapore Mega-Tasting (The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore): Pretty nice wine with a little bit of age on it. Very open nose. Meaty, dried earth and herb notes, along with a savoury umami undertone gave a nod towards the Rhone valley, while sweet crushed cherries and raspberry smells were clearly Californian. Palate was rather rich, with some lush, sweet, juicy cherry fruit, but pretty well balanced by fresh acidity and held up by a layer of firm tannins. Not the most complex of wines, with just a toss of earthy soil keeping the fruit company. Quite yummy though. Finish was alright too Decent length, some herbs and a satisfyingly savoury meatiness. A liked this.
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From half bottle. Opaque blackish-red color. Intriguing nose of black fruit, mineral and earth. Extremely tannic on the palate which deadens the intensity of the otherwise very nice, old-world red fruit flavor with lots of minerality. A nice kick of acidity builds from mid-palate to the finish, delivering a finish that is the best attribute of this wine, as the lingering flavors are sweet and satisfying. Not quite coming together for me tonight, but I think the aggressive tannin is making the whole experience disjoint. I may pick up a few more half-bottles (not much risk at $7.50 per) and sit on them for awhile to see if this comes together better as the tannin resolves.
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Needs at least an hour of air before it really starts coming together. Great value at $25-$30 per bottle. Red fruit, some leather and pepper. Has an old world style that I dig.
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This is my favorite blend of grenache and syrah ever. It is such a solid wine for the price point.. spicy, complex, flavorful, packed with a big punch but still smooth. Absolutely love it.
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Medium-bodied, with delightful aromas of violets, cracked black pepper and raspberry jam that lead to bright, integrated flavors reminiscent of a basket of fresh-picked berries, mineral, and garrigue, with a bit of toasty oak on the finish and nicely balanced acidity. Well-rounded and elegant, but it needs an hour of decanting to reach its full potential. A blend of 38% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 12% Mourvedre, 8% Carignane, and 7% Cinsault.
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Floral and elegant nose. Kirsch, red currant, lots of ripe raspberry and cherry aromas butressed by a slight worn leather/tar component. Medium bodied on the palate with good delineation and a long, rustic, very tannic finish. A slight peppery spice. More old world than the 05' with a gamey element and very bright acidity. Needs decanting or more time in bottle to bring it's structural components together.
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@ Santa Cruz Tasting Room. N- strawberry pop-tart and touch of anise and herbs. T- very fruity and sweet, creamy honey-butter; nice balance; of all the wines tasted, this reminded me most of a true Rhone blend. A better version of the Le Pousseur Syrah (more structure, though still light, and improved focus) . One of the two wines I purchased, and as I'm told this one is a mainstay at BDV (21st vintage). Many would find this completely quaffable and great with BBQ. With an entry fare of 30-USD it's a bit steep for BBQ and other fare of that nature, but perhaps this bridges the price-gap between the $12 CdR's out of France and their typical $50+ CdP's. 88-89 pts.
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Very nice, but not as intense as it pretends to be, quite tasty but considering the price we've had much better - Dark red, well concentrated with notes of cherry, plum, spice, pepper and vanilla on the nose, nicely balanced, moderate to light tannic structure, smooth on the finish with medium length, nice (87 Points).
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Dense purple in the glass. The nose starts with intense blackcurrant and toasty oak, then ends more savoury with green bell pepper characters. The palate shows smooth berry fruit and white pepper.
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Enjoyed the darker-than-usual berry flavors on this solid Cigare. Opened almost fully after about 4 hours in decanter, but it would probably develop further over a day or two.
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This was very tasty. Not quite as "smoky" on the nose or "meaty" on the palate as the Chateauneuf du Papes that this is a rough emulation of, but a good full-bodied red that paired well with my strip sirloin. The tannins aren't harsh, but are just enough to clean up after the fatty residue that makes the sirloin so juicy. After a good decanting, it went down smoothly and dried the mouth just enough. No formal notes, a gut rating. I'm a wine club member, so I'll be getting this regularly. Screw cap makes it great for travel, too.
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Bright cherry and plum fruits, with notes of herb and spice, medium weight, with a slightly sharp finish. Nice wine, like a decent Cote du Rhone, but doesn't really make sense from a QPR standpoint.
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3/24/2023 - bdhanna Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still tasting good !! Truly a great CA expression of Châteauneuf-du-Pape !!
Screw top, easily removed. Dark burgundy color with modest oxidation, clarity medium. Consumed this mature wine over two days, lively fruit and acid on day one, softened, more brooding, and deep on day two. Aromas of blackberry, cherry, and Garrique. Flavors of rhubarb, black cherry, and rose hips with a hint of licorice with a long finish. A very balanced flavorful blend of 38% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 12% Mourvèdre, 8% Carignane, and 7% Cinsault. This is an age worthy wine is at or just past peak, unfortunately this was my last bottle of this vintage in my cellar. Great fruit and a excellent winemaking effort by Randell Graham.
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10/18/2020 - Trekntravel wrote:
Definitely past its prime but still drinkable. Needs to be decanted. Still some fruit. Starting to mellow as it opens.
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8/13/2016 - 27greywolf Likes this wine: 90 Points
Aged surprisingly well, but 2016 is definitely the limit for this 2004 bottle. Big red fruit, big tannins, stood up very well to BBQ rib steak. Need to stock up!
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11/25/2015 - worbx Likes this wine:
On opening the bottle, the aroma has dark fruit, and a good, kind of funky note. The flavor starts off a little sharp, with a bright spot of berry fruit. The berries come out in the aroma as it opens up, and start to find a place alongside some darker red fruit in the flavor.
By the second day, the fruit in the flavor seems a little sweeter, a little redder. Oak seems to have come out more. Good, but at this point the 2003 is significantly better.
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12/7/2014 - tomlbs Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cigar notes, ripe cherries, and some earth. This is followed by a delicious mouthful of ripe dark fruit, minerals, tobacco, and fine tannins with a long finish. Excellent with grilled grass-fed steaks. This was better than the bottle we drank last year, much to our surprise!
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11/23/2013 - tomlbs Likes this wine: 90 Points
The wine is dark red with brick colored edges. It has a complex bouquet of Cherry, Black currant (cassis), Cinnamon, and Minerals. It is a smooth mouthful of Mineral, Black Pepper, Tobacco, and summer fruit. Overall, this is a medium bodied wine with fine tannins and a smooth texture that has a pleasing medium finish. It definitely should be drunk over the next few months.
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9/14/2013 - Zoomin Z Likes this wine: 88 Points
Cinnamon and cigar on the generous nose (subliminal suggestion?), medium body, medium length, some pepper, some tannin persists. Good fruit, but maybe slightly past it's prime.
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9/1/2013 - petec-s wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic open bouquet, intense ripe summer fruits, underlying almost cassis, hinting at mineral freshness, smooth full flavoured mid palate, perfect ripe tannin and dry on the finish. Really excellent.
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7/12/2013 - looiwt wrote:
I liked the structure and spice on this. There's some fruit but not enough to make a strong impression. Tannins were fine and nice. The wine is good but is not distinctive nor special enough to be outstanding. 6.5/10
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3/31/2013 - Zoomin Z Likes this wine: 90 Points
A good, medium (not to say average!) wine. Medium fruit on the nose, medium body, medium finish. Surprisingly no pepper. Nice balance and acidity. Doesn't wow with any particular feature. Half way between lively as opposed to powerful. Not the heaviest or spiciest Bonny Doon wine (try the Pousser Syrah). Definitely food friendly.
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10/23/2012 - hkm520240 wrote: 86 Points
Drink from a half bottle. Blend of 38% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 12% Mourvèdre, 8% carignane & 7% Cinsault.
Dark garnet with crimson hue, it has aromas of dark cherry, raspberry, mocha and hints of smokey oak. Medium bodied, smoky fruits, dark cherry, raspberry and some earthy note. Soft drying tannins and a bit of bitterness on a fairy decent Finish. Tasted quite close to a Rhone wine but not impressive overall.
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7/10/2012 - mplsbruin wrote: 87 Points
Well short of 2005 St Joseph that we had with Steve and Ann in Evanston
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7/4/2012 - jblack323 wrote: 91 Points
Pepper, tobacco, cherry, and strawberry nose. Blood orange, meat, dark fruits, pepper mouth. Very dynamic - evolves rapidly. 1 hr decant minimum. Nice game pairing.
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11/15/2011 - waywardwine wrote: 95 Points
View my video review here:
http://waywardwine.wordpress.com/2011/03/21/grenache-blend-bonny-doon-vineyard-le-cigare-volant-santa-cruz-ca-usa-earth-2004/
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7/15/2011 - gdykema wrote: 91 Points
Opened a bottle tonight for dinner, decanted about an hour before tasting.
Pleasant nose of cranberry, dried cherry, and earth. The fruit carries through into the body, adding dried orange and baking spice, with dry tannins and cocoa powder in the finish. Refined and well knit.
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6/24/2011 - petec-s wrote: 91 Points
Such a lovely wine, offering a open funky, forest floor nose with fruit peeking out/ velvet mouthfeel, again red fruits, nice acidity, pure concentrated and with good length/ 13.5% genuine, well made interesting and very much a personal favourite.
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6/13/2011 - SonomaWilliam wrote: 93 Points
Drunk last night with friends... Wish had taken detailed notes but we were too in love with this wine to stop oooing over it. Great nose, amazing fruit in harmony. 38% Grenache, 35 Syrah, 12 Mourvedre, 8 carigagne, 7 Cinsault.. Showing once again the best of Rhones are a blend. Will hoard my other bottle !
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5/20/2011 - rjsmall Likes this wine:
Red colour with slight tawniness on edge. Gamey, spicy, concentrated fruit on nose with cracked black pepper. A bit of earth and mushroom along with sweet spice. Similar flavours on palette with vanilla from the oak. Opened more after an hour with more raspberry coming through. Good body and length - nice balance.
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5/19/2011 - fullpour wrote:
This is drinking really well right now: bright cherry grenache, gamey syrah, and a meaty mataro undertow backed by OMG serious tannin. Lots of fun, even if there seem to be some weird MOx shenanigans going on here too.
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2/17/2011 - chefpete wrote: 87 Points
nothing special
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2/8/2011 - mwkoehler wrote: 90 Points
I was tempted to say 89 point something but decided I was picking to picky, so 90 it is.
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1/18/2011 - Barolo Raymond wrote: 88 Points
Dark garnet, looks good in the glass. Immediate upon opening noticed small red fruits, berries,cocoa. After about 60-90 minutes a bit of a barnyard odour developed and the fruit notes was gone. Somewhat sweet fruit-driven attack, strawberries, blackberries, medium-bodied, nice crunchy feel and well structured; old world style. Remarkably the finish had a slightly acid twist combined with the spicy tannins making this a food wine par excellence. A bit rustic, pleasant but not great. Drink NOW.
Price/value = 8 (in Dubai)
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1/7/2011 - Nohedes wrote: 87 Points
Decent GSM blend but not as good (for my palate) as similarly priced CNdP. Smooth, fairly light, very drinkable but no extra edge of earth or meat and lacked the richness of the best GSM blends. Still a nice drop though!
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12/25/2010 - tigerpaw75 wrote: 86 Points
Good, not great. Earthy, not a fruit bomb. Drink now, don't see these gettting any better
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12/9/2010 - chefpete wrote: 91 Points
Openned up nicely after an hour
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9/26/2010 - BSpdx wrote: 89 Points
Pretty good stuff and ready to drink right now. Hints of bright cherries and strawberries on the nose and then also present on the palate. Secondary flavors include a little smoked meat, tobacco and tar and towards the finish even a little licorice. Medium bodied, well balanced, and very food friendly.
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8/13/2010 - CJM wrote: 87 Points
delicious GSM blend - alittle more mellow than french rhones
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8/3/2010 - drdebs wrote: 90 Points
Very nice effort from Bonny Doon, shining now with some bottle age. Along with the red and black fruit there are lovely secondary notes of tobacco leaf, fig, and soy along with cigar box and toast. Complex, this is a convincing California version of the Rhone wines that it emulates. Screwtop closure.
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7/11/2010 - vespasian wrote: 86 Points
Super ripe coulis/liqueur-like nose with some herbaceous notes also; elegant palate with very little tannin but lacking depth and complexity. Fine.
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5/1/2010 - Paul S wrote: 90 Points
Ultimate Parker in Singapore Mega-Tasting (The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore): Pretty nice wine with a little bit of age on it. Very open nose. Meaty, dried earth and herb notes, along with a savoury umami undertone gave a nod towards the Rhone valley, while sweet crushed cherries and raspberry smells were clearly Californian. Palate was rather rich, with some lush, sweet, juicy cherry fruit, but pretty well balanced by fresh acidity and held up by a layer of firm tannins. Not the most complex of wines, with just a toss of earthy soil keeping the fruit company. Quite yummy though. Finish was alright too Decent length, some herbs and a satisfyingly savoury meatiness. A liked this.
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3/23/2010 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 89 Points
From half bottle. Opaque blackish-red color. Intriguing nose of black fruit, mineral and earth. Extremely tannic on the palate which deadens the intensity of the otherwise very nice, old-world red fruit flavor with lots of minerality. A nice kick of acidity builds from mid-palate to the finish, delivering a finish that is the best attribute of this wine, as the lingering flavors are sweet and satisfying. Not quite coming together for me tonight, but I think the aggressive tannin is making the whole experience disjoint. I may pick up a few more half-bottles (not much risk at $7.50 per) and sit on them for awhile to see if this comes together better as the tannin resolves.
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2/5/2010 - TheBusiness724 wrote: 90 Points
Needs at least an hour of air before it really starts coming together. Great value at $25-$30 per bottle. Red fruit, some leather and pepper. Has an old world style that I dig.
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10/17/2009 - rexmerlot wrote: 89 Points
No formal notes
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10/17/2009 - ggtirevite wrote: 91 Points
Great fruit, nice nose.
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9/26/2009 - Green wrote: 90 Points
This is my favorite blend of grenache and syrah ever. It is such a solid wine for the price point.. spicy, complex, flavorful, packed with a big punch but still smooth. Absolutely love it.
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8/27/2009 - bundydavis wrote: 88 Points
Solid wine.
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8/27/2009 - jonb72 wrote: 90 Points
Any easy drinking French style red with a strong ripe berry nose. Great value point.
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6/5/2009 - WineontheBarrelhead wrote: 88 Points
Medium-bodied, with delightful aromas of violets, cracked black pepper and raspberry jam that lead to bright, integrated flavors reminiscent of a basket of fresh-picked berries, mineral, and garrigue, with a bit of toasty oak on the finish and nicely balanced acidity. Well-rounded and elegant, but it needs an hour of decanting to reach its full potential. A blend of 38% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 12% Mourvedre, 8% Carignane, and 7% Cinsault.
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5/30/2009 - Sweet_Berry_Wine!! wrote: 90 Points
Floral and elegant nose. Kirsch, red currant, lots of ripe raspberry and cherry aromas butressed by a slight worn leather/tar component. Medium bodied on the palate with good delineation and a long, rustic, very tannic finish. A slight peppery spice. More old world than the 05' with a gamey element and very bright acidity. Needs decanting or more time in bottle to bring it's structural components together.
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5/25/2009 - z_willus_d wrote: 88 Points
@ Santa Cruz Tasting Room. N- strawberry pop-tart and touch of anise and herbs. T- very fruity and sweet, creamy honey-butter; nice balance; of all the wines tasted, this reminded me most of a true Rhone blend. A better version of the Le Pousseur Syrah (more structure, though still light, and improved focus) . One of the two wines I purchased, and as I'm told this one is a mainstay at BDV (21st vintage). Many would find this completely quaffable and great with BBQ. With an entry fare of 30-USD it's a bit steep for BBQ and other fare of that nature, but perhaps this bridges the price-gap between the $12 CdR's out of France and their typical $50+ CdP's. 88-89 pts.
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5/3/2009 - lasting red wrote: 89 Points
Nice fruit and finish but paired poorly with duck. Ok with lamb and better with tomatoe
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4/11/2009 - Tarrant wrote: 87 Points
Very nice, but not as intense as it pretends to be, quite tasty but considering the price we've had much better - Dark red, well concentrated with notes of cherry, plum, spice, pepper and vanilla on the nose, nicely balanced, moderate to light tannic structure, smooth on the finish with medium length, nice (87 Points).
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4/5/2009 - jamieirving wrote: 90 Points
Dense purple in the glass. The nose starts with intense blackcurrant and toasty oak, then ends more savoury with green bell pepper characters. The palate shows smooth berry fruit and white pepper.
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1/22/2009 - hutch wrote:
Bonny Doon and Yorkville Cellars with Organic Friends (Chex Pascel): Ripe. Ok, but not very interesting to me. The price is also prohibitive.
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12/23/2008 - ggtirevite wrote: 92 Points
Still as good as previous vintages. Lynn's favorite wine
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11/29/2008 - jblack323 wrote: 91 Points
Enjoyed the darker-than-usual berry flavors on this solid Cigare. Opened almost fully after about 4 hours in decanter, but it would probably develop further over a day or two.
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11/23/2008 - gdykema wrote: 86 Points
GSM + cinsault, carigniane.
Mouthfilling, earthy, complex but somewhat confused. Fruit and dirt, pleasantly dry. Bit of a sleeper.
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1/31/2008 - iByron wrote: 89 Points
This was very tasty. Not quite as "smoky" on the nose or "meaty" on the palate as the Chateauneuf du Papes that this is a rough emulation of, but a good full-bodied red that paired well with my strip sirloin. The tannins aren't harsh, but are just enough to clean up after the fatty residue that makes the sirloin so juicy. After a good decanting, it went down smoothly and dried the mouth just enough. No formal notes, a gut rating. I'm a wine club member, so I'll be getting this regularly. Screw cap makes it great for travel, too.
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12/25/2007 - joes8888 wrote:
good
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12/23/2007 - Green wrote: 91 Points
I love this wine! So much spicy, lovely flavor! A perfect, hearty winter wine to pair with a good steak or beef stew. LOVE it!
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12/20/2007 - Green wrote: 89 Points
Tons of spicy flavor. Very interesting and enjoyable wine.
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12/11/2007 - Frodnesor wrote: 87 Points
Bright cherry and plum fruits, with notes of herb and spice, medium weight, with a slightly sharp finish. Nice wine, like a decent Cote du Rhone, but doesn't really make sense from a QPR standpoint.
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11/25/2007 - joes8888 wrote:
Awesome as usual.
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