Amazing Wine despite it being a 2006. Tasted blind with 7 other grenache based wines from Australia, Spain, & California. The laurel rated number one among the group. None guessed it at even close to that old. Simply is not showing much age, and still had substantial structure. Savory, yet fruit driven......black cherry with some forest floor. highly recommend!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
So intense, like liquid energy. High alcohol, slightly confected sweetness like these tend to have, but good structure and freshness despite all that. Why aren't high end CdPs this tasty?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still young, the 2006 Laurel at first offered a totally unintegrated impression with wood and acidity wandering away in totally different directions. After about an hour in the glass, the wine came together and actually provided pleasurable drinking. The palate is dominated by ample dark mature fruit and rather harsh and sandy tannins which are adjoined by an ok length on the finish. If drinking anytime soon, be sure to decant at least a couple of hours! (score is 92+)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big, and alcoholic. This is the kind of wine that is right up Big Jay Miller's alley. The ripe fruit here is good with a licorice note, more Rhone like than like Priorat to me. The Carineno and garnacha seem to dominate. Has acids and tannins to provide some balance, but the heat from the alcohol is still pretty noticeable. Any oak here is well integrated.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Down to just five from my original case. I wish I had the self control to lay off, but this seriously one of th most enjoyable wines I have ever had. It is balancing out perfectly in the bottle, trading some of the edge for A little fnesse on the finish. This maybe the single best "second label" I have ever had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had this wine about 5 times since its release, and it has been impressive every single time. Very tart and austere up front, and needs at least an hour decant to begin to bloom ... but when it does, it's astounding. Black cherries, peppery finish, and a whole lot of weight. Went fantastic alongside a spicy Moroccan tagine. I have nothing bad to say about it, other than I'm disappointed I didn't buy more than a case.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Whaouwww.... Explosive nose of black ripe fruit, massepain, nice volatile acidity, touch of vanilla, nice minerality... in the mouth, ripe red fruit, bonbon acidulé, very nice refreshing acidity... great great wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Absolutely fabulous and very volatile nose of ripe cherries, colle pritt, smoked ham... in the month, very concentrated ripe cherries, ripe tannins, very long aftertaste... amazing for a second wine!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is a lively ruby color in the glass. Heavy cranberry and sour cherry on the nose (the cranberries are fresh and the sour cherries are slightly candied). The fruit would be slightly creamy if not for the sourness (imagine Greek yogurt instead). I also catch wisps of vanilla and some dustiness behind all the sharpness. The palate is suffused with tart and racy acidity. The attack and the mid-palate are completely dominated by ripe red cherries, and the long finish is loaded with chalk dust and other zingy minerals. This wine is well structured with powerful, focused fruit and a serious shot of minerals, but it lacks the complexity I need to get excited. For me, putting so many high toned elements together seems not vibrant, but out of balance. I have another bottle so I'm not giving up on this wine just yet. I really have no idea whether it will balance itself out in a good way or add the complexities I'd welcome in place of the aggressive, one-dimensional sourness shooting through a cloud of chalk dust. I'm curious what the future will bring to this wine. As it drinks now, I'm underwhelmed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Black and blue fruits on the nose, with a hint of anise and a spicy touch of cedar. Grippy, but a great structure. Spicy blueberries and black cherries. Big, but so well balanced. Long, peppery finish. So big, and so drinkable. This vintage seems so much more balanced than previous vintages I've tried, where I get more liqueur/fortified notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Worked especially well with the Chinese food. Actually lead me to think that the important part of pairing with Chinese food is the oak treatment. In essance, the more prominant the oak treatment the better. Or the more you taste the oak the better it pairs with Chinese food. And this doesn't seem to matter if its really dried out Brunello or super-oaked Spanish wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wowww nose of very ripe red fruit, licorice, bacon fat and volatile ripe acidity... in the mounth, very concentrated with ripe red fruit and VERY high refreshing acidity with loads of ripe tannins and veeeeeeeery long after taste... a wine to die for!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2/12/2024 - robmatic wrote: 93 Points
Superb juice. Mature, yet weighty and substantial. Great acidity and just simply delicious. Sad to see this last bottle disappear.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/20/2021 - snaff wrote: 94 Points
Brilliant red fruit and floral notes blended with a touch of minerality. Great acidity and drinking perfectly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2018 - papabluez wrote: 94 Points
Amazing Wine despite it being a 2006. Tasted blind with 7 other grenache based wines from Australia, Spain, & California. The laurel rated number one among the group. None guessed it at even close to that old. Simply is not showing much age, and still had substantial structure. Savory, yet fruit driven......black cherry with some forest floor. highly recommend!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2017 - andtheodor wrote:
So intense, like liquid energy. High alcohol, slightly confected sweetness like these tend to have, but good structure and freshness despite all that. Why aren't high end CdPs this tasty?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2013 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still young, the 2006 Laurel at first offered a totally unintegrated impression with wood and acidity wandering away in totally different directions. After about an hour in the glass, the wine came together and actually provided pleasurable drinking. The palate is dominated by ample dark mature fruit and rather harsh and sandy tannins which are adjoined by an ok length on the finish. If drinking anytime soon, be sure to decant at least a couple of hours! (score is 92+)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2012 - Kingvino wrote: 96 Points
Amazing red fruit, great structure and a very good nose. In a wonderful place right now
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2012 - winemaker wrote: 92 Points
Big, and alcoholic. This is the kind of wine that is right up Big Jay Miller's alley. The ripe fruit here is good with a licorice note, more Rhone like than like Priorat to me. The Carineno and garnacha seem to dominate. Has acids and tannins to provide some balance, but the heat from the alcohol is still pretty noticeable. Any oak here is well integrated.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2011 - jcvalenti wrote: 95 Points
Down to just five from my original case. I wish I had the self control to lay off, but this seriously one of th most enjoyable wines I have ever had. It is balancing out perfectly in the bottle, trading some of the edge for A little fnesse on the finish. This maybe the single best "second label" I have ever had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2011 - samwe wrote: 92 Points
enjoyed by all, but a year or three more will round it out a little more
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2011 - jcvalenti wrote: 94 Points
Had this wine about 5 times since its release, and it has been impressive every single time. Very tart and austere up front, and needs at least an hour decant to begin to bloom ... but when it does, it's astounding. Black cherries, peppery finish, and a whole lot of weight. Went fantastic alongside a spicy Moroccan tagine. I have nothing bad to say about it, other than I'm disappointed I didn't buy more than a case.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2010 - Bytoft wrote: 86 Points
Vanila, black ripe fruit, creamy = good glass of wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2010 - Mimesis wrote: 94 Points
Crowd-pleasing delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2010 - Philippe_C wrote: 98 Points
Whaouwww.... Explosive nose of black ripe fruit, massepain, nice volatile acidity, touch of vanilla, nice minerality... in the mouth, ripe red fruit, bonbon acidulé, very nice refreshing acidity... great great wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2010 - Philippe_C wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely fabulous and very volatile nose of ripe cherries, colle pritt, smoked ham... in the month, very concentrated ripe cherries, ripe tannins, very long aftertaste... amazing for a second wine!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2010 - Spruce Goose wrote: 88 Points
This wine is a lively ruby color in the glass. Heavy cranberry and sour cherry on the nose (the cranberries are fresh and the sour cherries are slightly candied). The fruit would be slightly creamy if not for the sourness (imagine Greek yogurt instead). I also catch wisps of vanilla and some dustiness behind all the sharpness. The palate is suffused with tart and racy acidity. The attack and the mid-palate are completely dominated by ripe red cherries, and the long finish is loaded with chalk dust and other zingy minerals. This wine is well structured with powerful, focused fruit and a serious shot of minerals, but it lacks the complexity I need to get excited. For me, putting so many high toned elements together seems not vibrant, but out of balance. I have another bottle so I'm not giving up on this wine just yet. I really have no idea whether it will balance itself out in a good way or add the complexities I'd welcome in place of the aggressive, one-dimensional sourness shooting through a cloud of chalk dust. I'm curious what the future will bring to this wine. As it drinks now, I'm underwhelmed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2010 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Could a wine be more big, hedonistic, and fun to drink?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2010 - Beavis77 wrote:
Black and blue fruits on the nose, with a hint of anise and a spicy touch of cedar.
Grippy, but a great structure. Spicy blueberries and black cherries. Big, but so well balanced. Long, peppery finish.
So big, and so drinkable. This vintage seems so much more balanced than previous vintages I've tried, where I get more liqueur/fortified notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2010 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Worked especially well with the Chinese food. Actually lead me to think that the important part of pairing with Chinese food is the oak treatment. In essance, the more prominant the oak treatment the better. Or the more you taste the oak the better it pairs with Chinese food. And this doesn't seem to matter if its really dried out Brunello or super-oaked Spanish wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2009 - Philippe_C wrote: 95 Points
Wowww nose of very ripe red fruit, licorice, bacon fat and volatile ripe acidity... in the mounth, very concentrated with ripe red fruit and VERY high refreshing acidity with loads of ripe tannins and veeeeeeeery long after taste... a wine to die for!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2009 - dcclimb wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic: thick & tasty. As good as the 2005 vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment