Easy like sunday morning. Very easy drinking. If you have some left, try it on your friends that say they don't like red wine because it is too harsh. Smooth as silk. All fruit melange. Still boozy though. Had with a firm/hard cheese course. Winner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Definitely suave this go around. No real tannin left. Quite fruity and easy going. Know this going in, and you'll enjoy the bottle just fine. Vin de plaisir.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bought this bottle from a different auction and it was in pristine condition. The previous bottle was obviously damaged. This one was much more black fruit spectrum and had all the wonderful glycerin you could want without any wilted notes. Great juice. Just amazing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A nose of dark fruit, currants, dark in color. A very good, smooth wine with flavors of currants, cherry, plum, nice length in mouth. Perfect now, decant for an hour for it to be at it’s best. I have met John Caldwell on several occasions, he is a character and makes great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but i really enjoyed this just sippin' it before dinner. the backbone wasn't flabby or too tannic, but just a nice rich mouthfeel. Big time fruit, with multiple layers and a tasty finish that makes me want to go back for more. It borderlines on the fake fruit/Australian bomb but it stays on the good side of the force as it wasn't quite candi-esque. Everyone at my house thought this was a winner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I'm not sure what everyone else is getting with this wine, but I'm missing it. To me it is overly sweet and syrupy. It tastes like it was made in a lab and you can find something exactly like this from Australia for $10. Major pass for $40.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice and fragrant, sweet oak on the nose; tannic but well done without being dominated by the oak. A close runner-up in this tasting to the Rubicon - and because it's less sweet, this would beat Rubicon on some days for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Delicious three hours after popping with no decant. Everything the '05 vintage is cracked up to be. Chocolate covered cherries, dusty tannins, complemented by a long finish. I'm underrating this fine blend, next time I'll pay closer attention.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Early Mar 2008 at “Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse”, New Orleans: purple red color; intense vanilla and some red fruit in the nose; quite tannic in the mouth; medium/full body.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Extremely deep color, creamy bouquet with big-time vanilla, very fruity with luscious mouth-feel. there was definitely some "bite" to this wine, but there was plenty of fruit to deal with the heavy tannins. It is lacking some depth and balance that could make this a 93-94 point wine in my book, but I would drink it again.
Day 2 - I left a decent size glass worth of wine in the decanter overnight. The enjoyable nose had greatly diminished, but the bite was all but gone. The fruit was wonderful and the finish was long, rasberry and cherry like, and fantastically sweet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Friendly for a young one. After decanting for three hours, it opened up nicely. Vanilla & cherry on the nose. It developed spicy fruit & a subtle tobacco nuance in the mouth. Well balanced, med. to full bodied, with a slight acidity. Long finish that mirrored the aforementioned flavors. This has the stuff to evolve a bit further & warrant a higher score. I'll have a case of this by X-mas.(90-94)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
11/28/2020 - TXRhoneRanger wrote: 92 Points
Easy like sunday morning. Very easy drinking. If you have some left, try it on your friends that say they don't like red wine because it is too harsh. Smooth as silk. All fruit melange. Still boozy though. Had with a firm/hard cheese course. Winner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2018 - TXRhoneRanger wrote: 91 Points
Definitely suave this go around. No real tannin left. Quite fruity and easy going. Know this going in, and you'll enjoy the bottle just fine. Vin de plaisir.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2018 - barrytaylor Likes this wine: 88 Points
needs 1 hr air. dark coilor. at first seems ackward but comes arouynd with air. fruit is not forward
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2017 - barrytaylor Likes this wine: 91 Points
deep color. ready, big style
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2016 - barrytaylor Likes this wine: 90 Points
deep color. cherry on nose & pallet. long finish. great value for price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2015 - TXRhoneRanger wrote: 91 Points
drinking fine these days, but will last another 4-5 years but not improve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2013 - mgl wrote: 92 Points
smooth and long on finish. Wonderful.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2013 - Don and Pam wrote: 91 Points
- A Medium finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2013 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bought this bottle from a different auction and it was in pristine condition. The previous bottle was obviously damaged. This one was much more black fruit spectrum and had all the wonderful glycerin you could want without any wilted notes. Great juice. Just amazing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2012 - mgl wrote: 92 Points
Wow! Incredible flavor. Made the dinner perfect.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2010 - corkscrews wrote: 90 Points
A nose of dark fruit, currants, dark in color. A very good, smooth wine with flavors of currants, cherry, plum, nice length in mouth. Perfect now, decant for an hour for it to be at it’s best. I have met John Caldwell on several occasions, he is a character and makes great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2009 - Hollowleg wrote:
Great, great bottle. Hedonistic, but not over the top. Great balance & concentration of fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/12/2009 - jwsobeck wrote: 92 Points
maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but i really enjoyed this just sippin' it before dinner. the backbone wasn't flabby or too tannic, but just a nice rich mouthfeel. Big time fruit, with multiple layers and a tasty finish that makes me want to go back for more. It borderlines on the fake fruit/Australian bomb but it stays on the good side of the force as it wasn't quite candi-esque. Everyone at my house thought this was a winner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/12/2009 - danseng wrote: 82 Points
I'm not sure what everyone else is getting with this wine, but I'm missing it. To me it is overly sweet and syrupy. It tastes like it was made in a lab and you can find something exactly like this from Australia for $10. Major pass for $40.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2009 - mclancy10006 wrote: 90 Points
Lots of fruit with heavy cherry on the palate. Need to go buy more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2009 - amateurwino wrote: 92 Points
Nice and fragrant, sweet oak on the nose; tannic but well done without being dominated by the oak. A close runner-up in this tasting to the Rubicon - and because it's less sweet, this would beat Rubicon on some days for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2008 - Hollowleg wrote: 92 Points
Delicious three hours after popping with no decant. Everything the '05 vintage is cracked up to be. Chocolate covered cherries, dusty tannins, complemented by a long finish. I'm underrating this fine blend, next time I'll pay closer attention.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2008 - jehirsch wrote: 90 Points
decanted first- very nice
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2008 - Fatty Cat wrote: 89 Points
Early Mar 2008 at “Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse”, New Orleans: purple red color; intense vanilla and some red fruit in the nose; quite tannic in the mouth; medium/full body.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2008 - jwsobeck wrote: 91 Points
Extremely deep color, creamy bouquet with big-time vanilla, very fruity with luscious mouth-feel. there was definitely some "bite" to this wine, but there was plenty of fruit to deal with the heavy tannins. It is lacking some depth and balance that could make this a 93-94 point wine in my book, but I would drink it again.
Day 2 - I left a decent size glass worth of wine in the decanter overnight. The enjoyable nose had greatly diminished, but the bite was all but gone. The fruit was wonderful and the finish was long, rasberry and cherry like, and fantastically sweet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/5/2008 - esim wrote: 93 Points
one of our favorite blends
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2007 - Hollowleg wrote: 91 Points
Friendly for a young one. After decanting for three hours, it opened up nicely.
Vanilla & cherry on the nose. It developed spicy fruit & a subtle tobacco nuance in the mouth. Well balanced, med. to full bodied, with a slight acidity. Long finish that mirrored the aforementioned flavors.
This has the stuff to evolve a bit further & warrant a higher score. I'll have a case of this by X-mas.(90-94)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2007 - mgl wrote: 91 Points
Elegant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2007 - mgl wrote: 92 Points
Incredible flavor, intense, finish seems to go on forever. Wish this could be my every day wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment