ABV: 13.0%. Syrah & Cabernet Sauvignon. Upon opening, the nose is showing a lot of earthy notes of hay and barnyard (possibly brett?), but as it blows off over the next hour, a gorgeous bouquet of roasted Herbes de Provence appears in the foreground with hints of red and black fruits in the background. There's ample acidity on the mid-palate, keeping everything intact, and the tannin level could use some more years in the cellar. This wine is still very tight so I'm hoping that it'll open up and get better tomorrow.
9/2/2023 - Raised the score by three points. The earthy and herby notes have blown off on the nose, revealing dark red fruits and some cassis from the Cab. Lots of raspberry and cherry tones on the mid-palate, supported by good acidity that pushes the profiles to the finish. There's a lot of potential in this wine and I think it can easily cellar for another 5-10 years. If you're planning to open your bottle, decant it for at least an hour.
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This bottle is really good... the best I've had. It starts out a bit awkward but then gets quite good after just 15 minutes in the glass. The aromas show some wood spice, pepper, lovely spiced bramble berries. Absolutely lovely and luscious notes. Palate texture is quite soft, but tannins do immediately attack on the palate and build as its held in the mouth. Flavors are dark fruited and mellow, not too strong or deep. Finish has lovely acid, then 2 seconds later tons of tannins. These subside after 10 seconds to reveal mid toned dark red fruit and lots of herbal components that are lovely. Honestly this wine could continue to go on another 5+ years, based on this showing. If I knew this would have wound up here I wouldn't have stopped buying the new vintages years ago, when those early bottles weren't all that impressive.
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Retains plenty of density and power. On the nose, black currant, black cherry, damson plum, hints of fennel and a iron edge with suggestions of white pepper. Nice mouthfeel with velvety tannins and good balance. Rich flavors of dark berries, black plum, licorice, roasted clove, bay leaf, herbs de Provence, touches of black olive and ending on nice mouth-watering acidity and a lengthy finish. Would be a lovely wine with a meal.
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A much better bottle than the last two opened within the last couple months. More color, more body, more flavor, with good balance between the cab and syrah. So happy at last, but disturbing bottle variation.
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Needed an hour to fully wake up, but the cabernet component was out in front with bright cherry fruit along with some actual tannins--soft, but they were there unlike last month's dullard bottle.
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Soft and devoid of tannins. Maturing but not old flavors, pleasantly drinkable but not especially interesting with little typicity from it's two components, cabernet sauv and syrah. In fact, could be any old nero d'avola.
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when opening was greeted with nice fragrance; upon pouring, it was smooth with nice finish. This continued on through the night. a great wine was the hit of the party.
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This one is quite a bit better than the bottle I had last year, and similar to the bottle 2 years ago. Aromas are very seamless and complete, offering cherry compote, graphite, and a sexy, soft, subdued elegance to it while still offering some nice juice. Palate is soft and medium bodied, offering smooth fruit, nice tannins, and a grittiness that deepens as it's held. Finish is gritty and tannic still, with nice dark cherry flavors and a bit more graphite. This is definitely killing it on the nose today, but I suspect it could continue to unfold a little more. I'll try to hold my last bottle for 2 more years. Again, what a different experience from my previous bottle. Amazing how these have changed, and not in a linear direction.
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herbaceous and deep. drank another bottle on 11/14/13 (still drinking). Very well integrated. Mid weight, hints of tobacco but not strong. Some fruit upon first entering the mid-palate. Delicious!
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deep brooding dark profile, not giving up much. Shows some wood, and lots of herbs de provence, but either the fruit is fading, or the 30 minutes of air was not enough. Will revisit tomorrow
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Very dark aromas, and this is beginning to smell a little mature. Smells like mashed dark berries mixed with wet fall leaves that have begun to ferment. There's also a dark plum skin component that's very rich and thick. The palate is fairly large in size offering some pretty heavy notes of wood that I never got in previous bottles when younger. This is also coupled with the plum flavors. The finish hits with some bitter tannins and acid, and this old dark berry/plum thing continues on a while. In reading my previous notes this wine has jumped all over the place... stylistically it reminds me most of my note from 2008, as this does remind me of a warm climate new world wine, but this time with some age on it. Still enjoyable, but not sure where this is going, but I'm tending towards drink up? Similar after 24 hours.
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I didn't take a good note on this wine. Three of us killed it off over a couple hours while working. From memory, initially lots of fruit with some background spice and a bit of earthiness. After some air, the upfront fruit settled down a bit and the wine showed a bit more restraint and subtlety. The fruit element was still there, just not as in your face. More new world styled than old world. Nice ripe fruit and the low, 13%, alcohol made it an easy drinker. I'm glad I still have a few bottles to enjoy over the next few years.
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Decanted about an hour. A nice garnet color. Cherries, garrigue, licorice, eucalyptus, smoke, meat juices, and cedar on the very nice nose. Medium body with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity. Some distinct minerality adds nice complexity to the fruit and herbs on the palate with meaty notes coming in underneath. Very nice length on the finish with the eucalyptus note and minerality coming in on top of the fruit. Very solid and in a nice drinking window. Should be prime for drinking over the next few years.
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Opened 4 hours ago, and this glass was poured two hours ago. The boquet is not quite as expressive as it was on initial pour, but it has softened a bit (less aggressive). Right now it's showing aromas of menthol cherry cough drops, charcoal, briar, and some yeast. Nice earthy feel here, with decent balance. A large size is felt, but extract is not detected on the nose. The palate is fairly large, with very quickly building tannins. Full bodied and drying, this shows rocky hints. Some pretty juicy dark fruit on the finish, but it's immediately annihilated by a wall of tannins that slap it down. This definitely seems to be mellowing on the nose, but the structure on the palate and finish are definitely keeping this from being fully open for business. Interestingly, after reading my note from 3/10/2010, this seems to be more closed down at present than it was a year and a half ago. I do prefer the aromas at present, though. 24 hours later with the bottle uncorked, this smoothed out dramatically. Almost all of the harsh tannins on the palate and finish were completely gone. Very surprising, but it was much more enjoyable, and quite smooth throughout, with the additional time.
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With a couple of hours of air, this really began coming together. Shows delicious aromas of a slightly burnt pepperoni pizza, charcoal, blackberry and perhaps some Douglass fir tree branches. Quite tasty on the palate, showing heavy flavors of dark licorice (the real stuff, from somewhere in Germany), more of the tree, some very slightly stewed, plummy fruits, some pepper, and raw beef flavors. Tannins slowly build. Finish shows some perfume flavors, a medium rare steak with plum sauce on top, and nice, large tannins build. Much more smooth and integrated than it was 17 months ago, and annihilating the 2006 I had a few weeks back.
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Perfect ruby in color. Sweet black cherry menthol nose. Tastes somewhat chalky and tart. Ali noted it was like blue cheese. I think it has a lot of sour cherry. Candy notes. Medium to heavy in weight. Def get the syrah. I think this wine has some potential over next few years.
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More complex nose this time showing some ripe tomato aroma but also some beef blood, bit of reduction and dark berries. Palate has the tartness that curls the sides of your tongue and after some blackberry. Lacks concentration towards the finish. Where did the Cab go?
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These Provence wines from Rimmerman are fantastic for the price. Fresh rasperries, chocolate and spice. Bright and balanced, with juicy acidity. Nothing sticks out. Yum.
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Decanted 2 hours, drank over the next 3. Incredibly fragrant, leaping from the glass. Medium red color. Very easy drinker, nice and smooth, not overly complex. Finishes a bit spicy. Good QPR.
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Medium red, the color of red delicous apples. Dumb the first day, but opened on subsequent days to show sweet sauteed meat and blackberry/plum notes. Flavorwise, there is sweetness allied to a light-to-medium body that recalls certain pinot-based wines. Rounded out by fine grained tannin. Progressively styled stuff but interesting enough, with promise for future development/improvement.
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Initially this wine was very very forward and reminded me of a (restrained) Australian Shiraz. After some time in the glass it really opened up quite a bit and became way more interesting, with much more complexity. Note was taken in glass four hours: Very dark color. Nose is massive, showing big dark fruits (blackberries, plums), but also some papaya, and a bit of licorice and graphite. Midpalate shows mostly dark fruits but also tobacco, fennel seed, menthol, and something a bit green that keep it interesting. The fruit is what carries heavily into the finish, accompanied by some moderately bitter tannins that will keep this together a while. I'm very surprised by this wine... still though, it both smells and tastes a bit like it's something from a warm climate, southern hemisphere winery. For that, it's disappointing (those wines aren't my style). The midpalate is the best part of this wine, but it's overall a bit too forward for my tastes. I'm sure others would like it better than myself. It's a fine wine; it's just not what I expected. Pouring a fresh glass from the bottle, it went straight back to its forward, new world style. So definitely give this one time to decant.
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Tart dark berry fruit. Reminiscent of what I think of in Aussie Shiraz. lacked some complexity and depth. Less enamored than I was with the first bottle.
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Outstanding value. Extroverted nose of violets, red fruits and herbs. Bright, crisp and well delineated on the palate. Nicely balanced and very velvety in the mouth. Does not seem to show as well on the second day
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Elegant, medium to light bodied. Dominated with red fruits, vanilla and herbs. Good structure, which today seemed a bit more prominent than my last bottle. Starting to close up?
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vanilla, oak, and dark red fruit. Smooth tannins. Big and full in the mouth. Fantastic QPR, particularly with the weak dollar. Should be fun watching it develop.
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Excellent wine! Powerful and complex aromas and flavors of red and black fruit and spice. Full-bodied and ripe, but has the backbone to handle it. Paired beautifully with duck breast.
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Very nice! Heavenly nose of raspberries and herbs de Provence. Silky entry and lovely complex palate. Medium bodied and delicious. The second day, this was losing some fruit and became a bit astringent.
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9/1/2023 - ChairmanKao Likes this wine: 93 Points
ABV: 13.0%. Syrah & Cabernet Sauvignon. Upon opening, the nose is showing a lot of earthy notes of hay and barnyard (possibly brett?), but as it blows off over the next hour, a gorgeous bouquet of roasted Herbes de Provence appears in the foreground with hints of red and black fruits in the background. There's ample acidity on the mid-palate, keeping everything intact, and the tannin level could use some more years in the cellar. This wine is still very tight so I'm hoping that it'll open up and get better tomorrow.
9/2/2023 - Raised the score by three points. The earthy and herby notes have blown off on the nose, revealing dark red fruits and some cassis from the Cab. Lots of raspberry and cherry tones on the mid-palate, supported by good acidity that pushes the profiles to the finish. There's a lot of potential in this wine and I think it can easily cellar for another 5-10 years. If you're planning to open your bottle, decant it for at least an hour.
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6/3/2016 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 90 Points
This bottle is really good... the best I've had. It starts out a bit awkward but then gets quite good after just 15 minutes in the glass. The aromas show some wood spice, pepper, lovely spiced bramble berries. Absolutely lovely and luscious notes. Palate texture is quite soft, but tannins do immediately attack on the palate and build as its held in the mouth. Flavors are dark fruited and mellow, not too strong or deep. Finish has lovely acid, then 2 seconds later tons of tannins. These subside after 10 seconds to reveal mid toned dark red fruit and lots of herbal components that are lovely. Honestly this wine could continue to go on another 5+ years, based on this showing. If I knew this would have wound up here I wouldn't have stopped buying the new vintages years ago, when those early bottles weren't all that impressive.
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2/8/2016 - vegasoenophile Likes this wine: 89 Points
Retains plenty of density and power. On the nose, black currant, black cherry, damson plum, hints of fennel and a iron edge with suggestions of white pepper. Nice mouthfeel with velvety tannins and good balance. Rich flavors of dark berries, black plum, licorice, roasted clove, bay leaf, herbs de Provence, touches of black olive and ending on nice mouth-watering acidity and a lengthy finish. Would be a lovely wine with a meal.
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10/26/2015 - Neecies Likes this wine: 88 Points
A much better bottle than the last two opened within the last couple months. More color, more body, more flavor, with good balance between the cab and syrah. So happy at last, but disturbing bottle variation.
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9/22/2015 - Neecies Likes this wine: 85 Points
Needed an hour to fully wake up, but the cabernet component was out in front with bright cherry fruit along with some actual tannins--soft, but they were there unlike last month's dullard bottle.
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9/15/2015 - Neecies wrote: 83 Points
Soft and devoid of tannins. Maturing but not old flavors, pleasantly drinkable but not especially interesting with little typicity from it's two components, cabernet sauv and syrah. In fact, could be any old nero d'avola.
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9/4/2014 - gzim Does not like this wine:
flabby, unremarkable
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4/20/2014 - jacktball Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very cherry tasting. Could be a good sipping wine. Probably not big enough for red meat.
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12/8/2013 - pnwsun Likes this wine:
when opening was greeted with nice fragrance; upon pouring, it was smooth with nice finish. This continued on through the night. a great wine was the hit of the party.
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10/20/2013 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 90 Points
This one is quite a bit better than the bottle I had last year, and similar to the bottle 2 years ago. Aromas are very seamless and complete, offering cherry compote, graphite, and a sexy, soft, subdued elegance to it while still offering some nice juice. Palate is soft and medium bodied, offering smooth fruit, nice tannins, and a grittiness that deepens as it's held. Finish is gritty and tannic still, with nice dark cherry flavors and a bit more graphite. This is definitely killing it on the nose today, but I suspect it could continue to unfold a little more. I'll try to hold my last bottle for 2 more years. Again, what a different experience from my previous bottle. Amazing how these have changed, and not in a linear direction.
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9/30/2013 - SadofskyDS wrote:
herbaceous and deep. drank another bottle on 11/14/13 (still drinking). Very well integrated. Mid weight, hints of tobacco but not strong. Some fruit upon first entering the mid-palate. Delicious!
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6/26/2013 - gzim wrote: 85 Points
deep brooding dark profile, not giving up much. Shows some wood, and lots of herbs de provence, but either the fruit is fading, or the 30 minutes of air was not enough.
Will revisit tomorrow
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4/18/2013 - gzim Likes this wine: 87 Points
A bit over ripe, more cali then french, but ok for an everyday wine.
The round cab fruit dominates.
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7/8/2012 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 87 Points
Very dark aromas, and this is beginning to smell a little mature. Smells like mashed dark berries mixed with wet fall leaves that have begun to ferment. There's also a dark plum skin component that's very rich and thick. The palate is fairly large in size offering some pretty heavy notes of wood that I never got in previous bottles when younger. This is also coupled with the plum flavors. The finish hits with some bitter tannins and acid, and this old dark berry/plum thing continues on a while. In reading my previous notes this wine has jumped all over the place... stylistically it reminds me most of my note from 2008, as this does remind me of a warm climate new world wine, but this time with some age on it. Still enjoyable, but not sure where this is going, but I'm tending towards drink up? Similar after 24 hours.
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6/2/2012 - zzj wrote:
Brilliant!
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5/28/2012 - ctbob wrote:
last of the bunch; solid mid-weight red
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2/11/2012 - cbbrown3 wrote: 91 Points
I didn't take a good note on this wine. Three of us killed it off over a couple hours while working. From memory, initially lots of fruit with some background spice and a bit of earthiness. After some air, the upfront fruit settled down a bit and the wine showed a bit more restraint and subtlety. The fruit element was still there, just not as in your face. More new world styled than old world. Nice ripe fruit and the low, 13%, alcohol made it an easy drinker. I'm glad I still have a few bottles to enjoy over the next few years.
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10/23/2011 - ctbob wrote:
Not quite tasty... ready
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10/22/2011 - cbbrown3 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted about an hour. A nice garnet color. Cherries, garrigue, licorice, eucalyptus, smoke, meat juices, and cedar on the very nice nose. Medium body with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity. Some distinct minerality adds nice complexity to the fruit and herbs on the palate with meaty notes coming in underneath. Very nice length on the finish with the eucalyptus note and minerality coming in on top of the fruit. Very solid and in a nice drinking window. Should be prime for drinking over the next few years.
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9/5/2011 - ctbob wrote:
Full, complete red, took about a half hour to open into a v. nice bottle; solid QPR at $15
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8/17/2011 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 89 Points
Opened 4 hours ago, and this glass was poured two hours ago. The boquet is not quite as expressive as it was on initial pour, but it has softened a bit (less aggressive). Right now it's showing aromas of menthol cherry cough drops, charcoal, briar, and some yeast. Nice earthy feel here, with decent balance. A large size is felt, but extract is not detected on the nose. The palate is fairly large, with very quickly building tannins. Full bodied and drying, this shows rocky hints. Some pretty juicy dark fruit on the finish, but it's immediately annihilated by a wall of tannins that slap it down. This definitely seems to be mellowing on the nose, but the structure on the palate and finish are definitely keeping this from being fully open for business. Interestingly, after reading my note from 3/10/2010, this seems to be more closed down at present than it was a year and a half ago. I do prefer the aromas at present, though. 24 hours later with the bottle uncorked, this smoothed out dramatically. Almost all of the harsh tannins on the palate and finish were completely gone. Very surprising, but it was much more enjoyable, and quite smooth throughout, with the additional time.
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6/18/2011 - sadofsky wrote: flawed
Corked.
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12/1/2010 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
Semmed tasty, tar, funk, earth
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7/1/2010 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
Intense mineral, road tar, black fruit, smoke, spice, intriguing, tasty
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3/15/2010 - jacktball wrote:
Good wine
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3/11/2010 - David Paris (dbp) Likes this wine: 89 Points
With a couple of hours of air, this really began coming together. Shows delicious aromas of a slightly burnt pepperoni pizza, charcoal, blackberry and perhaps some Douglass fir tree branches. Quite tasty on the palate, showing heavy flavors of dark licorice (the real stuff, from somewhere in Germany), more of the tree, some very slightly stewed, plummy fruits, some pepper, and raw beef flavors. Tannins slowly build. Finish shows some perfume flavors, a medium rare steak with plum sauce on top, and nice, large tannins build. Much more smooth and integrated than it was 17 months ago, and annihilating the 2006 I had a few weeks back.
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2/1/2010 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
Some tar, but intriguing fruit, spice
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11/15/2009 - curtispomeroy wrote: 89 Points
We enjoyed this wine very much in and with a beef stew. The syrah and cab are well-integrated and is both earthy and juicy. Very nice.
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9/21/2009 - cobystilp wrote: 87 Points
Perfect ruby in color. Sweet black cherry menthol nose. Tastes somewhat chalky and tart. Ali noted it was like blue cheese. I think it has a lot of sour cherry. Candy notes. Medium to heavy in weight. Def get the syrah. I think this wine has some potential over next few years.
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8/1/2009 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 88 Points
Sweet, jammy, delicious w/tar, tobacco, sweet fruit
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6/14/2009 - JBVino wrote:
no formal notes taken but enjoyable wine...hopefully gains a bit of size but enjoyed complexity and balanced, food friendly style
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6/4/2009 - oski wrote:
Much better the second night, I will let the others rest a year before cracking.
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6/3/2009 - PathDoc wrote:
average, somewhat nondescript
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4/14/2009 - WetRock wrote:
More complex nose this time showing some ripe tomato aroma but also some beef blood, bit of reduction and dark berries. Palate has the tartness that curls the sides of your tongue and after some blackberry. Lacks concentration towards the finish. Where did the Cab go?
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3/3/2009 - queneau wrote: 87 Points
Lead pencil; densely closed black fruit...barnyard straw...some manure. Blood; earthy cooked beets. Decant this wine.
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2/8/2009 - jwebtx wrote: 90 Points
Very enjoyable. The cab seems to dominate.
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2/6/2009 - Minnie Mouse wrote:
still young, but fabulous for this price point. earthy, juicy, good mouthfeel.
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1/17/2009 - danibus wrote: 90 Points
These Provence wines from Rimmerman are fantastic for the price. Fresh rasperries, chocolate and spice. Bright and balanced, with juicy acidity. Nothing sticks out. Yum.
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1/2/2009 - blondon wrote:
Decanted 2 hours, drank over the next 3. Incredibly fragrant, leaping from the glass. Medium red color. Very easy drinker, nice and smooth, not overly complex. Finishes a bit spicy. Good QPR.
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12/3/2008 - pinotwinelover wrote: 91 Points
I very much enjoyed this, with cedar a bit of funk and great balance, Fairly complex for this price point a nice flavor profile for my palate.
Would buy again.
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11/13/2008 - Spencer wrote: 88 Points
Balanced, enjoyable, not much complexity. This is nice, but nondescript.
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11/13/2008 - tcfishler wrote:
Medium red, the color of red delicous apples. Dumb the first day, but opened on subsequent days to show sweet sauteed meat and blackberry/plum notes. Flavorwise, there is sweetness allied to a light-to-medium body that recalls certain pinot-based wines. Rounded out by fine grained tannin. Progressively styled stuff but interesting enough, with promise for future development/improvement.
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10/18/2008 - sadofsky wrote:
Good fruit without being a fruit bomb. Some cigar box. Nice acidity.
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10/15/2008 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 88 Points
Initially this wine was very very forward and reminded me of a (restrained) Australian Shiraz. After some time in the glass it really opened up quite a bit and became way more interesting, with much more complexity. Note was taken in glass four hours: Very dark color. Nose is massive, showing big dark fruits (blackberries, plums), but also some papaya, and a bit of licorice and graphite. Midpalate shows mostly dark fruits but also tobacco, fennel seed, menthol, and something a bit green that keep it interesting. The fruit is what carries heavily into the finish, accompanied by some moderately bitter tannins that will keep this together a while. I'm very surprised by this wine... still though, it both smells and tastes a bit like it's something from a warm climate, southern hemisphere winery. For that, it's disappointing (those wines aren't my style). The midpalate is the best part of this wine, but it's overall a bit too forward for my tastes. I'm sure others would like it better than myself. It's a fine wine; it's just not what I expected. Pouring a fresh glass from the bottle, it went straight back to its forward, new world style. So definitely give this one time to decant.
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10/12/2008 - WetRock wrote:
Tart dark berry fruit. Reminiscent of what I think of in Aussie Shiraz. lacked some complexity and depth. Less enamored than I was with the first bottle.
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8/6/2008 - Tintin wrote: 92 Points
Smooth with dark fruit, cedar, and tobacco notes. Outstanding.
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7/28/2008 - BBBH wrote:
Good powerful body, don't remember too much of the specifics
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7/5/2008 - WetRock wrote:
Big bright fruit with a tart finish. More new worldy and made me think of an Aussie wine. Very nice though and good for the price.
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7/1/2008 - mdefreitas wrote: 90 Points
Outstanding value. Extroverted nose of violets, red fruits and herbs. Bright, crisp and well delineated on the palate. Nicely balanced and very velvety in the mouth. Does not seem to show as well on the second day
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6/26/2008 - mdefreitas wrote: 89 Points
Elegant, medium to light bodied. Dominated with red fruits, vanilla and herbs. Good structure, which today seemed a bit more prominent than my last bottle. Starting to close up?
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5/29/2008 - Lukeout wrote:
vanilla, oak, and dark red fruit. Smooth tannins. Big and full in the mouth. Fantastic QPR, particularly with the weak dollar. Should be fun watching it develop.
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5/27/2008 - NickG wrote:
Excellent wine! Powerful and complex aromas and flavors of red and black fruit and spice. Full-bodied and ripe, but has the backbone to handle it. Paired beautifully with duck breast.
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5/22/2008 - jim dixon wrote: 89 Points
Improved on day two.
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5/14/2008 - mdefreitas wrote: 90 Points
Very nice! Heavenly nose of raspberries and herbs de Provence. Silky entry and lovely complex palate. Medium bodied and delicious. The second day, this was losing some fruit and became a bit astringent.
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