Great QPR. Bought on release and cellared. It has grown into a delicate, spice driven wine that was a pleasure to drink. Decanted for a couple hours at cellar temperature and then consumed over a few hours. Lighter blue fruit. Pepper spice, earth tones, moderate acidity and finish. Fine, well resolved tannins. I looked back at my 2017 note and called the tannins "chunky". Not so any more. It can go a few more years probably, but not likely to get better. Drink in the next 18 months?
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One of the advantages of drinking wine so long after I bought it, is that I cannot really remember why I bought it. Probably some over expressive prose or a high point rating. Normally, because it seemed decent "value" for the "quality".
Not sure exactly what I paid for this, but the quality seemed to be in line with the price, if the price was the $30 suggested by CT.
Lighter, more Grenache styled CndP (way lighter than a 2011 Crozes Hermitage the other night). Nose is raspberry and red cherry, some herbs. Palate is juicy and vibrant with red cherry and currant acidity, tannins are medium and the fruit persists pretty well on the palate.
Drinking younger than expected, this was one of my older CndP's and was worried after some of the 2007's that this might be getting on in age - not so. This drinks really well and is still not mature.
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Opened to enjoy on the porch while grilling as I recall this being somewhat of a tough bruiser with lots of alcohol. I was right, but the remains a day later were really lovely in a classically Chateauneuf way - so much raw rubbed sage/rosemary/yerba santa, sweetly fruited but not liqueur-like, actually fresh. If I had another I'd give it plenty of air if it seemed dense and clunky because it needn't be that way.
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I liked this much better this time around. Lots of garrigue, mineral, and lavender with a solid backbone of tannins behind it. It did not come across as particularly sweet or fruit driven, which increased the interest in it.
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This performed well. In balance and good structure. Not the knockout that was advertised, but you can do a lot worse for your 30 clams. No need to wait further. This was not decanted, and it didn't change much over the evening.
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I served this alongside a 2007 Garagiste CdP just to make it fair. Indeed, this outshone the 07 in the sense that it was only unbearably overdone. That's sad, because 06 was a great vintage, but why someone would single this out as a great wine from the vintage is beyond me. Silky palate, but with plenty of boozy red and black berry liquor. Rich and ripe.
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Rich, sweet, overripe; with time, you can coax a bit of the earthy character out of it, but mostly, it is a simple, big wine showing berry jam and kirsch, but with pretty good structure. Would have guessed a low-level 07 if tasted blind. Medium finish of sweet berries. It is merely good.
Two thoughts: 1. If this is what Avril did with '06, just how rich and flammable is their 07? 2. If this is "one of the top" 06 CdPs Rimmerman (Garagiste) tasted, just how little Rhone wine does he consume?
Have one more bottle which I will probably give a few more years in (silly) hope that it settles down some.
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Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined), note from day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, pine, pencil lead, blueberry, and black cherry. Palate: Medium bodied, sour cherry up front, good acidic back-bone, ripe red fruit and metal shaving flavors appear thru the back-end. Finish: Medium length sense of ripe red fruit and spearmint.
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I opened this hoping for a respite from the heat and ripeness of the '07, but what I got could have been mistaken for what I was trying to avoid. Plenty of fruit, verging on jammy, but not cooked. Strawberry and raspberry predominantly. Too sweet for the herbed kabobs I paired it with. It could have fit with other fare, but will never be special.
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Popped one hour before first pour, consumed over three hours. Nose: Light to medium expressiveness, pine needles, blueberry, and black cherry. Palate: Medium bodied, mint, nice acidic kick, and black cherry. Finish: Medium length dominated by tart red fruit. Simple, but interesting and tasty.
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I have to admit to very low expectations given my past bottle. Popped and poured to a wine that showed little on the nose or palate. Bit of kirsch, and alcohol you feel in your chest more than in the mouth. But this actually started to open up with time (of course, and my fault for not allowing more of it) and the kirsch note amped up to a nice red cherry fruit with some spice backing. This should actually show well for a few years, maybe start 2012 or so, or just give it a lot more air. Not bad at all with some patience.
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The 2006 is even a little better than the 2005. There is some pleasant barnyard and even more herbs and spices. Very juicy and very enjoyable. This will offer very pleasant drinking the next 10 - 15 years.
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5/23/2021 - Grenik Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great QPR. Bought on release and cellared. It has grown into a delicate, spice driven wine that was a pleasure to drink. Decanted for a couple hours at cellar temperature and then consumed over a few hours. Lighter blue fruit. Pepper spice, earth tones, moderate acidity and finish. Fine, well resolved tannins. I looked back at my 2017 note and called the tannins "chunky". Not so any more. It can go a few more years probably, but not likely to get better. Drink in the next 18 months?
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8/5/2018 - thebonnydooner wrote: 91 Points
One of the advantages of drinking wine so long after I bought it, is that I cannot really remember why I bought it. Probably some over expressive prose or a high point rating. Normally, because it seemed decent "value" for the "quality".
Not sure exactly what I paid for this, but the quality seemed to be in line with the price, if the price was the $30 suggested by CT.
Lighter, more Grenache styled CndP (way lighter than a 2011 Crozes Hermitage the other night). Nose is raspberry and red cherry, some herbs. Palate is juicy and vibrant with red cherry and currant acidity, tannins are medium and the fruit persists pretty well on the palate.
Drinking younger than expected, this was one of my older CndP's and was worried after some of the 2007's that this might be getting on in age - not so. This drinks really well and is still not mature.
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3/30/2017 - andtheodor wrote:
Opened to enjoy on the porch while grilling as I recall this being somewhat of a tough bruiser with lots of alcohol. I was right, but the remains a day later were really lovely in a classically Chateauneuf way - so much raw rubbed sage/rosemary/yerba santa, sweetly fruited but not liqueur-like, actually fresh. If I had another I'd give it plenty of air if it seemed dense and clunky because it needn't be that way.
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1/17/2017 - skifree wrote: 91 Points
I liked this much better this time around. Lots of garrigue, mineral, and lavender with a solid backbone of tannins behind it. It did not come across as particularly sweet or fruit driven, which increased the interest in it.
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1/3/2017 - Grenik Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark red. Pepper and blueberry nose. Some sweet smoke and red fruit. Simple. Moderate finish. Chunky tannins. Good QPR.
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11/13/2016 - ctbob Likes this wine:
This performed well. In balance and good structure. Not the knockout that was advertised, but you can do a lot worse for your 30 clams. No need to wait further. This was not decanted, and it didn't change much over the evening.
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10/2/2016 - TwoSmoochies wrote: 86 Points
A bit lacking in fruit with a lot of acidity
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1/25/2016 - wine_will wrote: 89 Points
Bought near release and left for a sleep. Cherry, kirsch, not that long. Fine, but not worth the wait.
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11/27/2015 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
Another bottle given a lot of air, and that mellows it out ever so slightly, but still a big, silky, bruiser with a good deal of alcohol. Meh.
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11/26/2015 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 84 Points
I served this alongside a 2007 Garagiste CdP just to make it fair. Indeed, this outshone the 07 in the sense that it was only unbearably overdone. That's sad, because 06 was a great vintage, but why someone would single this out as a great wine from the vintage is beyond me. Silky palate, but with plenty of boozy red and black berry liquor. Rich and ripe.
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9/26/2015 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 83 Points
Rich, sweet, overripe; with time, you can coax a bit of the earthy character out of it, but mostly, it is a simple, big wine showing berry jam and kirsch, but with pretty good structure. Would have guessed a low-level 07 if tasted blind. Medium finish of sweet berries. It is merely good.
Two thoughts:
1. If this is what Avril did with '06, just how rich and flammable is their 07?
2. If this is "one of the top" 06 CdPs Rimmerman (Garagiste) tasted, just how little Rhone wine does he consume?
Have one more bottle which I will probably give a few more years in (silly) hope that it settles down some.
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10/14/2014 - prasm wrote: 89 Points
Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined), note from day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, pine, pencil lead, blueberry, and black cherry. Palate: Medium bodied, sour cherry up front, good acidic back-bone, ripe red fruit and metal shaving flavors appear thru the back-end. Finish: Medium length sense of ripe red fruit and spearmint.
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12/27/2013 - CO CHRIS wrote: 87 Points
Very simple.
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12/22/2013 - pape du neuf wrote: 89 Points
I opened this hoping for a respite from the heat and ripeness of the '07, but what I got could have been mistaken for what I was trying to avoid.
Plenty of fruit, verging on jammy, but not cooked. Strawberry and raspberry predominantly. Too sweet for the herbed kabobs I paired it with. It could have fit with other fare, but will never be special.
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6/17/2013 - lolo66 wrote:
agree with prasm. simple, but pleasant. a good quaffer but think it isn't a good qpr given the lack of complexity.
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12/14/2012 - prasm wrote: 89 Points
Popped one hour before first pour, consumed over three hours. Nose: Light to medium expressiveness, pine needles, blueberry, and black cherry. Palate: Medium bodied, mint, nice acidic kick, and black cherry. Finish: Medium length dominated by tart red fruit. Simple, but interesting and tasty.
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5/29/2012 - sleepyhaus wrote:
fine but not that exciting. hard to say if anything is going to improve either...
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2/26/2011 - skifree wrote:
Strong sense of fruit and spice, plus a unique flavor (tapenade did not come to mind) that I could not decide how much I liked. Opened on a whim.
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12/18/2010 - sleepyhaus wrote:
I have to admit to very low expectations given my past bottle. Popped and poured to a wine that showed little on the nose or palate. Bit of kirsch, and alcohol you feel in your chest more than in the mouth. But this actually started to open up with time (of course, and my fault for not allowing more of it) and the kirsch note amped up to a nice red cherry fruit with some spice backing. This should actually show well for a few years, maybe start 2012 or so, or just give it a lot more air. Not bad at all with some patience.
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9/3/2010 - CO CHRIS wrote:
15% alc...
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2/19/2010 - sleepyhaus wrote:
Tight as a drum. Big wine though, maybe a bit OTT for my taste. Give these time.
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1/2/2009 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
The 2006 is even a little better than the 2005. There is some pleasant barnyard and even more herbs and spices. Very juicy and very enjoyable. This will offer very pleasant drinking the next 10 - 15 years.
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