This has aged beautifully, still plenty of life left with additional complexity and balance since last time. Definitely a big wine with ripe fruit and elevated alcohol but also great structural balance and brambly nuances. The kind of wine that makes me want to avoid the big blockbuster hot vintages in the south of France and focus on the less heralded mild ones.
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Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined), note from day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, shoe leather, black raspberry, black cherry, blueberry, and tobacco. Palate: Medium bodied, lively red fruit attack, decent acidic back-bone, back-end shows spicy red fruit and earthiness. Finish: Medium length dominated by spicy red fruit. My last of 3 bottles and, by looking at my previous notes, the best - drinking very nicely right now.
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Pop/pour. Overtly sour. Needs time / air to open up and let the fruits provide a balance to the opening acidity. This does gain some fruit depth with time, but there is an abundant brightness that remains as a foil to some pretty nice fruit.
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This wine must not have impressed when consumed two years ago, as there is no note from that bottle, but this bottle is worth the time to type one. Very dark but not opaque, jewel-like red. Distinctive aromas. Lighter bodied and more graceful tasting than the color suggests. A bit rustic, with sweet fruit, good acidity, and approachable tannins. A touch of unctuousness in the texture. Finishes a little hot. A nicely developed bottle and a fine value.
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Very dark in character for a Grenache blend though I do not know the percentages versus the Carignan and Syrah. Fleshy and almost chewy with a good dose of soft tannin late. There is plenty of sediment telling me the filtering is minimal. Generous fruit and decent complexity. Very nice if you like darker, robust styled Rhone blends. There is certainly no rush to drink this as it seems very young and has the fruit concentration to go long but there is variation in the TN's here so that may give one pause for further aging. And it's open enough to drink anytime. Good stuff.
A little flat on opening, but with slow-o for 2 hours this really started to sing. I'm not sure I could ask more from a $20 bottle...bright deep fruit, nice balance, long mouth-watering finish. Great drink but I'm not leaving any for tomorrow night as others have done.
In a great drinking window now, give it some air and enjoy!
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Not as exciting for me as it was for others. I am writing this from memory so I cannot provide anything other than an overall impression. Put simply, the wine was not memorable -- no pun intended.
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This wine makes me think new world. Very rich nose of herbs, chocolate and some fruit peeking out. I also get a hint of alcohol/richness that reflects the 15%. The mouthfeel is rich and the fruit flavors carry enough acidity to lighten what might otherwise be a heavyweight. A nice effort.
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Sensational blend of Grenache, Carignane, and Syrah. Boldly spicy, with loads of pepper, cinnamon, and spicebox in the aromas and flavors. Cool blueberry and blackberry fruit behind it in the midpalate, with more spice on the finish. Fruit-forward but complex. Great for $20.
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This bottle was in a modern style ith juicy blackberry, pepper and tobacco flavors framed by a cigar box nose. Probably the best of my bottles so far. A fair amount of tannin and acidity to boot.
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Exceptional Syrah blend that seems to strike a balance between N. Rhone & S. Rhone styling. Supple and round with plenty of acidity & deep fruit. Paired perfectly with lamb chops. Nice job on this one, Jon R.!
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Score one for Rimmerman, at least based on this bottle. Very nice syrah-dominated blend. Enjoyed the whole way through over two nights. Glad we have one more bottle.
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Subtle complex nose, surprisingly pretty actually. Somewhat rich South Rhoney palate with some subtle spice. A tinge of heat way back in the throat. Drinks like a well made wine from the Southern Rhone. Theres enough acid and tannin still to let this go a while. Very nice. Seems to be some variation among the notes and bottles.
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Grapey, sweet nose, flavors are good but lean, not deep. Blueberry, hints of wood, tight with ample acidity. Okay, probably could be a bit better for $20 in today's market.
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Consumed over 2 days - consistent flavor profile. Nose: Needs a good swirl to reveal pomegranate, plum with some hints of smoke and burnt rubber. Palate: Medium bodied, high tannins, pomegranate up front with some spice at the back-end. Finish: Fairly lengthy, dominated by tart red fruit and pepper sensations.
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A blend of Grenache Noir, Carignan and Syrah. Opened and decanted for an hour 2 days ago. I lost my tasting notes from days 1 & 2, so these notes from day 3: Still showing quite well, with just a touch of pruney fruit starting to emerge on the nose. Quite sweet and fruity, which is expected, but still has some decent tannins on day 3. Surprising. A good amount of acidity as well. I'm finding this much more enjoyable (without food) tonight, although it is starting to come apart towards the end of the bottle.
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Popped and poured, consumed over 4 hours. Nose: Not giving much, with a good swirl hints of dark red and blue fruits emerge along with with a lavender floral scent - interesting but very subdued. Palate: Nice balance, medium bodied, red fruits - raspberry and black cherry with a hint of white pepper. Finish: Rather lengthy 20+ second sensation of ripe red fruit.
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Dark pink purple fading slightly at the rim. Full expressive aromas of cherry, licorice, herbs, and praline with distinct ripeness but nothing over the top. In the mouth this has firm grip but also remarkable suppleness to the dark fruit and tannins. The flavors are dark but tend toward leather and herb in character, especially on the finish. The acidity, structure, and density are solid and well balanced throughout. With air this picks up a slight praline tone to the fruit. Could use some complexity but great fruit and balance nonetheless.
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Better than the first bottle, not giving much in nose but steely with blue fruits in the palate. Seems a little simple, especially at $20. I think JR miscalled this a bit, it would have been a better value in the $12-15 price range. Unless it wakes up, I sense a mediocre value at $20. Will retaste after 24 hours as this made a huge difference last time. Big difference after 24 hours, nice blue fruits emerge to challenge the streak of iron running through the wine. More complex but still maybe a 90, not much more. Still, I hate doing it because I never plan ahead, but this wine needs 8 or more hours open before drinking.
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I wasn't able to give this as much attention as I had hoped to or hold it for a second day, but I'm generally in agreement with guitarguy (below) and he's probably right about the outlook: a little time would help. Right now, it seems very fruit forward in a New World way, but with the potential to gain more interest over time. Deeply fruited on the nose and palate, pretty rich--even slightly jammy and hot at first (but I was opening this without chilling it and I think a bit of chill would be a good idea). Not as fresh as I usually like. This wine sees about a year in oak, though I don't know how much of it is new.
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Nice nose of raspberry with a touch of cedar. Sweetness coats the mouth, nice raspberry fruit, but with a touch of heat on the finish. A little bitterness also. Nice wine, easy to drink.
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Ripe, but balanced. Bright red fruit, even a hint of cranberry very reminiscent of a Carlise syrah. Very enjoyable. I have no idea how this will age, but I would tend to err on the safe side and drink this over the next two to three years.
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Garagiste Test Drive; 4/3/2009-4/5/2009 (Minnesota): An odd sourness on the nose keeps the score down for me. In contrast, the palate is quite rich and well balanced, with a hint of pepper on the midpalate. Some acidity. Little in the way of tannins. Near to midterm drinker. Update: the tannins come out to play after the bottle has been open (but sealed) for 4 hours. At this point, this is a pretty mediocre wine. Much better Day 2, hinting at what could be come complexity later in a year or 2. Gains depth and stacks up relatively well against some of the other bargain syrahs opened. Guitar Guy's review is spot on.
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It has the fruit-forwardness of a new world wine, although the palate seems to be even more exotic with a touch of spice and pepper. Delicious. Was as good on Day 2 as on Day 1.
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Clear, medium ruby. Clean medium aromas of blackberry, grape, licorice. Medium acid, light-medium tannin, medium body. Flavors match aromas with some earthiness, herbs, more black fruits on the finish. Hold 1-2 years.
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First night, on opening, a pretty simple wine with upfront grapey fruit that I associate with young wines, Central Valley wines and $2 Chuck. A night in the refeer made a world of difference. The wine expanded and opened up considerably. The nose was still quite grenachish, that is, sort of grapey red fruits, but there was and underlying hint of minerals and sous bois. The flavors went from downright cheap grape juice to much more complex, showing a few layers including that red grenache fruit, some cigar box and leather shoelace. Will it ever hit 90 pts? I don't know but I hope so. I would wait until 2010 to give the fruit a chance to integrate and become less primary because in this case, it is the undertones that make this wine attractive rather than the upfront "cheap" fruit pop hit. Not an Aussie fruit pop, mind you, more cheap California juice. So wait, I think you will be better served.
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1/28/2017 - Badfish Likes this wine: 91 Points
This has aged beautifully, still plenty of life left with additional complexity and balance since last time. Definitely a big wine with ripe fruit and elevated alcohol but also great structural balance and brambly nuances. The kind of wine that makes me want to avoid the big blockbuster hot vintages in the south of France and focus on the less heralded mild ones.
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1/6/2015 - guitarguy wrote: 88 Points
I liked this bottle more as it had bottle age but I will say it's time has come. Starting to dry out and fade.
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11/30/2014 - prasm Likes this wine: 90 Points
Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined), note from day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, shoe leather, black raspberry, black cherry, blueberry, and tobacco. Palate: Medium bodied, lively red fruit attack, decent acidic back-bone, back-end shows spicy red fruit and earthiness. Finish: Medium length dominated by spicy red fruit. My last of 3 bottles and, by looking at my previous notes, the best - drinking very nicely right now.
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11/10/2013 - vanpe003 wrote:
Pop/pour. Overtly sour. Needs time / air to open up and let the fruits provide a balance to the opening acidity. This does gain some fruit depth with time, but there is an abundant brightness that remains as a foil to some pretty nice fruit.
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3/14/2013 - Italiana wrote: 88 Points
This wine must not have impressed when consumed two years ago, as there is no note from that bottle, but this bottle is worth the time to type one. Very dark but not opaque, jewel-like red. Distinctive aromas. Lighter bodied and more graceful tasting than the color suggests. A bit rustic, with sweet fruit, good acidity, and approachable tannins. A touch of unctuousness in the texture. Finishes a little hot. A nicely developed bottle and a fine value.
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3/10/2013 - WetRock wrote:
Very dark in character for a Grenache blend though I do not know the percentages versus the Carignan and Syrah. Fleshy and almost chewy with a good dose of soft tannin late. There is plenty of sediment telling me the filtering is minimal. Generous fruit and decent complexity. Very nice if you like darker, robust styled Rhone blends. There is certainly no rush to drink this as it seems very young and has the fruit concentration to go long but there is variation in the TN's here so that may give one pause for further aging. And it's open enough to drink anytime. Good stuff.
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1/18/2013 - Hollowine wrote: 91 Points
A little flat on opening, but with slow-o for 2 hours this really started to sing. I'm not sure I could ask more from a $20 bottle...bright deep fruit, nice balance, long mouth-watering finish. Great drink but I'm not leaving any for tomorrow night as others have done.
In a great drinking window now, give it some air and enjoy!
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12/7/2012 - rogerr wrote: 88 Points
Poor value. Oxidized the second day.
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11/15/2012 - John Nezlek wrote: 86 Points
Not as exciting for me as it was for others. I am writing this from memory so I cannot provide anything other than an overall impression. Put simply, the wine was not memorable -- no pun intended.
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2/9/2012 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
Really sulfury on opening, this evaporated to reveal atypical dark colors with nice raspberry fruit. This bottle fulfilled Rimmer's promise.
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12/14/2011 - dfeiner wrote: 90 Points
This wine makes me think new world. Very rich nose of herbs, chocolate and some fruit peeking out. I also get a hint of alcohol/richness that reflects the 15%. The mouthfeel is rich and the fruit flavors carry enough acidity to lighten what might otherwise be a heavyweight. A nice effort.
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10/27/2011 - curtispomeroy wrote: 90 Points
Similar to notes as before. One of the better grenache-syrah blends we've had lately that comes from the Languedoc Roussillon.
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10/6/2011 - drdebs wrote: 91 Points
Sensational blend of Grenache, Carignane, and Syrah. Boldly spicy, with loads of pepper, cinnamon, and spicebox in the aromas and flavors. Cool blueberry and blackberry fruit behind it in the midpalate, with more spice on the finish. Fruit-forward but complex. Great for $20.
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10/1/2011 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 90 Points
superb
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9/10/2011 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
This bottle was in a modern style ith juicy blackberry, pepper and tobacco flavors framed by a cigar box nose. Probably the best of my bottles so far. A fair amount of tannin and acidity to boot.
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4/29/2011 - Magnolian wrote: 90 Points
Big bold laser bean of dark fruit; velvety texture and medium-long finish.
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4/24/2011 - goobz wrote: 91 Points
Exceptional Syrah blend that seems to strike a balance between N. Rhone & S. Rhone styling. Supple and round with plenty of acidity & deep fruit. Paired perfectly with lamb chops. Nice job on this one, Jon R.!
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3/30/2011 - curtispomeroy wrote: 89 Points
Score one for Rimmerman, at least based on this bottle. Very nice syrah-dominated blend. Enjoyed the whole way through over two nights. Glad we have one more bottle.
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12/1/2010 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
Peppery firm tannic dark decent
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10/29/2010 - WetRock wrote:
Subtle complex nose, surprisingly pretty actually. Somewhat rich South Rhoney palate with some subtle spice. A tinge of heat way back in the throat. Drinks like a well made wine from the Southern Rhone. Theres enough acid and tannin still to let this go a while. Very nice. Seems to be some variation among the notes and bottles.
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10/25/2010 - sithinfiltrator wrote: flawed
Corked.
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10/15/2010 - jimmymac wrote: 90 Points
Getting even better with time. Loads of fruit, beautiful ripe, dark cherries, cranberry and pomegranate. Nice body with wonderful balance.
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8/5/2010 - guitarguy wrote: 88 Points
Grapey, sweet nose, flavors are good but lean, not deep. Blueberry, hints of wood, tight with ample acidity. Okay, probably could be a bit better for $20 in today's market.
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7/1/2010 - prasm wrote: 87 Points
Consumed over 2 days - consistent flavor profile. Nose: Needs a good swirl to reveal pomegranate, plum with some hints of smoke and burnt rubber. Palate: Medium bodied, high tannins, pomegranate up front with some spice at the back-end. Finish: Fairly lengthy, dominated by tart red fruit and pepper sensations.
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6/13/2010 - danibus wrote: 87 Points
Good Rhone style house pour but somewhat overripe for my tastes. Prefer the higher toned fruit of the '07.
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4/27/2010 - RPerro wrote:
A blend of Grenache Noir, Carignan and Syrah. Opened and decanted for an hour 2 days ago. I lost my tasting notes from days 1 & 2, so these notes from day 3: Still showing quite well, with just a touch of pruney fruit starting to emerge on the nose. Quite sweet and fruity, which is expected, but still has some decent tannins on day 3. Surprising. A good amount of acidity as well. I'm finding this much more enjoyable (without food) tonight, although it is starting to come apart towards the end of the bottle.
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4/17/2010 - prasm wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured, consumed over 4 hours. Nose: Not giving much, with a good swirl hints of dark red and blue fruits emerge along with with a lavender floral scent - interesting but very subdued. Palate: Nice balance, medium bodied, red fruits - raspberry and black cherry with a hint of white pepper. Finish: Rather lengthy 20+ second sensation of ripe red fruit.
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3/28/2010 - jacktball wrote:
Very jammy. Good.
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3/14/2010 - Badfish wrote: 88 Points
Dark pink purple fading slightly at the rim. Full expressive aromas of cherry, licorice, herbs, and praline with distinct ripeness but nothing over the top. In the mouth this has firm grip but also remarkable suppleness to the dark fruit and tannins. The flavors are dark but tend toward leather and herb in character, especially on the finish. The acidity, structure, and density are solid and well balanced throughout. With air this picks up a slight praline tone to the fruit. Could use some complexity but great fruit and balance nonetheless.
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2/6/2010 - BBBH wrote: 89 Points
Rich, silky, concentrated, but not that complex when initially opened, will see how it does tomorrow
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1/1/2010 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 87 Points
Nice sweet fruit, med-full body, bit sharp on back end else quite tasty
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10/27/2009 - guitarguy wrote: 87 Points
Better than the first bottle, not giving much in nose but steely with blue fruits in the palate. Seems a little simple, especially at $20. I think JR miscalled this a bit, it would have been a better value in the $12-15 price range. Unless it wakes up, I sense a mediocre value at $20. Will retaste after 24 hours as this made a huge difference last time. Big difference after 24 hours, nice blue fruits emerge to challenge the streak of iron running through the wine. More complex but still maybe a 90, not much more. Still, I hate doing it because I never plan ahead, but this wine needs 8 or more hours open before drinking.
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10/9/2009 - AZVinoVeritas wrote:
Much more overripe and flabby than the others I have drunk.
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8/29/2009 - pbjosh wrote: 70 Points
Wildly overripe. Smells like raisins, brown sugar and alcohol. Stewed, porty, jammy fruit. Hot, no acidity, undrinkable for me.
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5/24/2009 - Junior wrote:
I wasn't able to give this as much attention as I had hoped to or hold it for a second day, but I'm generally in agreement with guitarguy (below) and he's probably right about the outlook: a little time would help. Right now, it seems very fruit forward in a New World way, but with the potential to gain more interest over time. Deeply fruited on the nose and palate, pretty rich--even slightly jammy and hot at first (but I was opening this without chilling it and I think a bit of chill would be a good idea). Not as fresh as I usually like. This wine sees about a year in oak, though I don't know how much of it is new.
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4/27/2009 - RPerro wrote: 88 Points
Nice nose of raspberry with a touch of cedar. Sweetness coats the mouth, nice raspberry fruit, but with a touch of heat on the finish. A little bitterness also. Nice wine, easy to drink.
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4/11/2009 - rogerr wrote: 87 Points
a bit acidic. maybe it was off.
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4/7/2009 - Spencer wrote: 90 Points
Ripe, but balanced. Bright red fruit, even a hint of cranberry very reminiscent of a Carlise syrah. Very enjoyable. I have no idea how this will age, but I would tend to err on the safe side and drink this over the next two to three years.
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4/4/2009 - vanpe003 wrote: 88 Points
Garagiste Test Drive; 4/3/2009-4/5/2009 (Minnesota): An odd sourness on the nose keeps the score down for me. In contrast, the palate is quite rich and well balanced, with a hint of pepper on the midpalate. Some acidity. Little in the way of tannins. Near to midterm drinker. Update: the tannins come out to play after the bottle has been open (but sealed) for 4 hours. At this point, this is a pretty mediocre wine. Much better Day 2, hinting at what could be come complexity later in a year or 2. Gains depth and stacks up relatively well against some of the other bargain syrahs opened. Guitar Guy's review is spot on.
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2/2/2009 - Tintin wrote: 92 Points
It has the fruit-forwardness of a new world wine, although the palate seems to be even more exotic with a touch of spice and pepper. Delicious. Was as good on Day 2 as on Day 1.
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1/20/2009 - Santiago wrote: 90 Points
Attractive, oaky aroma with dusty berries. Rich and concentrated, nice oaky entry with ripe fruit then toffee and caramel.
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1/10/2009 - WST wrote: 89 Points
Really enjoyed this bottle. Impresses with its clean, fresh and pure fruit more so than its complexity.
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12/19/2008 - incident wrote: 89 Points
Clear, medium ruby. Clean medium aromas of blackberry, grape, licorice. Medium acid, light-medium tannin, medium body. Flavors match aromas with some earthiness, herbs, more black fruits on the finish. Hold 1-2 years.
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12/13/2008 - guitarguy wrote: 87 Points
First night, on opening, a pretty simple wine with upfront grapey fruit that I associate with young wines, Central Valley wines and $2 Chuck. A night in the refeer made a world of difference. The wine expanded and opened up considerably. The nose was still quite grenachish, that is, sort of grapey red fruits, but there was and underlying hint of minerals and sous bois. The flavors went from downright cheap grape juice to much more complex, showing a few layers including that red grenache fruit, some cigar box and leather shoelace. Will it ever hit 90 pts? I don't know but I hope so. I would wait until 2010 to give the fruit a chance to integrate and become less primary because in this case, it is the undertones that make this wine attractive rather than the upfront "cheap" fruit pop hit. Not an Aussie fruit pop, mind you, more cheap California juice. So wait, I think you will be better served.
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