Garnet to black. Tar and ripe black fruit nose, berries, cherries, plums. The palate is powerful and concentrated, best either as an aperitif or perhaps with heavily spiced food. The finish displays the expected drying tannins, as well as significant acridity. Slightly toned down on day two, this is an accomplished wine but too much for my personal taste.
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Dark red-purple color. Enormous nose of roasted fruits: plum, cherry, berries. On arrival, medium tannin and medium-high acidity; rather stiff. Gamy fruit and nothing else in the mouth, pegging the needle of my fruit-bomb tolerance scale too close to its maximum. It's not bad wine per se, but it's sure not a style I like. Perhaps if one likes hot climate wines (Minervois reds, Barossa valley shiraz, Amador county zinfandel, etc.), this may be one for you. Bottle #1 of one.
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Glass-clinging dark purple red in the glass. Purple black in a full drinking pour. Black fruit cobbler and a bit of tar on the nose and palate. Velvety tannins on the long finish. At a real sweet spot now.
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Dark glass-clinging reddish purple; drinking pour is near black. Very closed on opening (surprise, surprise), yielding a little dark fruit under vanilla. Palate is likewise with dark berries and tar (but not in a scary way). Tannins are nice and velvety. After time in the air (as expected), it opens up nicely, yielding black fruit cobbler on the nose and yielding mounds of blackberry licorice creme surrounded by crushed velvet tannins on the palate. Not as rough and rustic as its Southwest France brethren, but a commanding presence in the glass nonetheless. Think Mike Tyson (ca. 1995) in a tux. Wonderful now with a decant. Should bring pleasure for another five to seven years or more.
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Dark purple. Brambly, purply nose with smoke and tobacco. Mouthfilling flavor of ripe berries, raspberry and spice. Still pretty fruit forward. Tannins give plenty of grip to an otherwise thin finish. Nice with a big bolognese sauce.
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Very nice spicy leathery flavors and purple fruits dominate. A definite dry tannin feel but overall a voluptuous quality. Goes really good with food. I think it's at it's peak NOW before fruit fades and dryness dominates but I am wholly unfamiliar with Tannat except for the few vintages Tablas has put out.
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As promised. Popped and poured ... but allowed to sit in glass for 30 minutes. Dark garnet color with a cherry rim. Great nose. Spicy, dusty nose with pronounced leather note. Would have guessed it was a syrah if served blind. Palate gives tart cherries and cassis. A sweet note and chewy. THIS IS GOOD!! Great finish ... goes on for 45 seconds+. The fruit and tannins are almost evenly balanced with just a bit more tannin.
Really like this wine. Tablas continues to make excellent wines that please ... year after year. Surprise your wine drinking friends and serve this blind. They'll never guess.
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Popped and poured and ready to go! Dark garnet, medium bodied wine; a nosefull of dark fruits; fruit forward palate - berries, and a little spice; fine slightly drying tannins, medium finish. Overall a very pleasant bottle.
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While this has some similarities with tannat from the southwest of France, it is not as "hard" or "rough" as most. Color is very dark, and it almost comes across as a cross between syrah and petite sirah. Fun wine, but the price is a bit steep.
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Very grapey with touches of earth. Focused and linear with black fruit preserves in your face. Concentrated but short. 87pts. lacking the expected tannin.
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10/7/2020 - SteveG wrote: 88 Points
Certainly more friendly than 4+ years ago, nicely matched our lamb chops, probably even more time would have been welcomed.
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3/27/2016 - SteveG wrote: 87 Points
Garnet to black. Tar and ripe black fruit nose, berries, cherries, plums. The palate is powerful and concentrated, best either as an aperitif or perhaps with heavily spiced food. The finish displays the expected drying tannins, as well as significant acridity. Slightly toned down on day two, this is an accomplished wine but too much for my personal taste.
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11/2/2015 - Hodby wrote: 83 Points
Dark red-purple color. Enormous nose of roasted fruits: plum, cherry, berries. On arrival, medium tannin and medium-high acidity; rather stiff. Gamy fruit and nothing else in the mouth, pegging the needle of my fruit-bomb tolerance scale too close to its maximum. It's not bad wine per se, but it's sure not a style I like. Perhaps if one likes hot climate wines (Minervois reds, Barossa valley shiraz, Amador county zinfandel, etc.), this may be one for you. Bottle #1 of one.
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2/13/2014 - iByron Likes this wine: 90 Points
Glass-clinging dark purple red in the glass. Purple black in a full drinking pour. Black fruit cobbler and a bit of tar on the nose and palate. Velvety tannins on the long finish. At a real sweet spot now.
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4/26/2013 - tward wrote:
Grapey and kind of "burnt" tasting. This may have been due to less than ideal cellaring conditions for a couple of years.
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2/25/2013 - iByron Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark glass-clinging reddish purple; drinking pour is near black. Very closed on opening (surprise, surprise), yielding a little dark fruit under vanilla. Palate is likewise with dark berries and tar (but not in a scary way). Tannins are nice and velvety. After time in the air (as expected), it opens up nicely, yielding black fruit cobbler on the nose and yielding mounds of blackberry licorice creme surrounded by crushed velvet tannins on the palate. Not as rough and rustic as its Southwest France brethren, but a commanding presence in the glass nonetheless. Think Mike Tyson (ca. 1995) in a tux. Wonderful now with a decant. Should bring pleasure for another five to seven years or more.
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3/23/2012 - subir wrote: 92 Points
Deep purple color, lovely, clear nose of dark fruit and leather. Medium body with a 45 second finish.
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7/15/2011 - vino_per_tutti wrote: 88 Points
Dark purple. Brambly, purply nose with smoke and tobacco. Mouthfilling flavor of ripe berries, raspberry and spice. Still pretty fruit forward. Tannins give plenty of grip to an otherwise thin finish. Nice with a big bolognese sauce.
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2/18/2010 - dino_mike wrote: 88 Points
Very nice spicy leathery flavors and purple fruits dominate. A definite dry tannin feel but overall a voluptuous quality. Goes really good with food. I think it's at it's peak NOW before fruit fades and dryness dominates but I am wholly unfamiliar with Tannat except for the few vintages Tablas has put out.
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1/7/2010 - wequedad wrote: 91 Points
As promised. Popped and poured ... but allowed to sit in glass for 30 minutes. Dark garnet color with a cherry rim. Great nose. Spicy, dusty nose with pronounced leather note. Would have guessed it was a syrah if served blind. Palate gives tart cherries and cassis. A sweet note and chewy. THIS IS GOOD!! Great finish ... goes on for 45 seconds+. The fruit and tannins are almost evenly balanced with just a bit more tannin.
Really like this wine. Tablas continues to make excellent wines that please ... year after year. Surprise your wine drinking friends and serve this blind. They'll never guess.
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1/3/2010 - green-steve wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured and ready to go! Dark garnet, medium bodied wine; a nosefull of dark fruits; fruit forward palate - berries, and a little spice; fine slightly drying tannins, medium finish. Overall a very pleasant bottle.
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10/18/2008 - MBrown wrote: 91 Points
Really enjoyed this.
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9/2/2008 - CADomer wrote: 90 Points
Very nice. Uncomplicated and tasty. Kind of like a Merlot goes Syrah. Deep dark color with the fruit to match.
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8/31/2008 - xwine wrote:
While this has some similarities with tannat from the southwest of France, it is not as "hard" or "rough" as most. Color is very dark, and it almost comes across as a cross between syrah and petite sirah. Fun wine, but the price is a bit steep.
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8/4/2008 - MBrown wrote: 90 Points
Wonderful wine. Deep dark color...great flavors of fruit and smoke.
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6/3/2008 - LPskeleton wrote: 87 Points
Very grapey with touches of earth. Focused and linear with black fruit preserves in your face. Concentrated but short. 87pts. lacking the expected tannin.
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5/5/2008 - dino_mike wrote: 88 Points
Pleasant and different. Red fruits and minerals but a nice dry mouthfeel that when they diminish with age may make the wine spectacular.
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4/27/2008 - Kate363 wrote: 92 Points
this wine is great - it is like a gamey Syrah. we drank it with short ribs - incredible pairing! I will be searching for more!
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4/15/2008 - DenisLee wrote:
Very dark. Tasted like a Pinot on steroids. Tannic, but not overly so.
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