Lots of cherry and baking spice on the nose. Still drinking quite well. Started out very spicy but after a couple of hours it has softened well. Has some black pepper, leather, cherry, and plum. I can’t imagine it will get any better so drink up!
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Still very dark purple/ruby, holding colour to the rim, not really showing its age. Great legs. Fairly intense nose that is all about black fruits and spice. This is still really vigorous on the palate, lots of black fruit, inky, still moderate tannin and acidity. It shows substantial extraction (very Rolland). Perhaps a little monolithic but it's a pretty good wine for the money. I don't think it'll fall over anytime soon and might've been interesting to track its onward development but that was my last!
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Really appreciate PAULUSLOZEBRA's recent note on this! Opened to pair with thick, grilled petite tri-tip steaks. An opaque, glass-coating, beautiful ruby in the glass with strong edges. The somewhat reticent nose features black currant, blackberry, black plum and a slight whiff of oak spices. Excellent intensity and concentration, with very good push through the mid-palate and on into a 15+ second finish. Still pretty structured, with less fruit on the palate than was hinted at on the nose. Nice amount of nearly integrated tannins still present, which work to hold the whole package together. This is really nice, and I can't see this getting much better.
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I've had every vintage of this wine and the 2007 for me has gone from being the worst to drink young to being the best to drink old. That is not unusual, as some of the characteristics that made it less enjoyable than other Sietes when young are precisely those that pay off only after years in bottle, such as the relative austerity of the wine, its closed nature for years, and a lingering bitterness. All those have gone and the wine that emerges in its ninth year is a dark, deep and balanced wine. It is still showing lots of sweet black and blue fruits, nice acidity, and firm, integrated tannins. With many more years ahead of it, this has turned out, as I said when it was first released, the most Bordeaux-like of the Siete vintages. During the intervening years I lost patience with this wine but I was proven wrong, and my initial hopes were confirmed. Well done Michel Rolland !
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Paired with Beef Tenderloin. Decanted 40 minutes before first pour. Dark fruits come through, plum, blackberry, hints of black cherry. Wonderful color sitting in the glass. Quite delicious.
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Again, the colour is deep and youthful. Decanted and left for 5h after which time it was still a little closed. Mainly dark red fruits with plum/damson predominant with spice and hints of herbs (perhaps a little cardamom?) Better with/after food (beef stroganoff - maybe the creamy sauce was helpful?). Blackcurrant fruit then began to emerge but I didn't really get any blackberry or dark cherry. Tannins were still quite prominent - leather and damson skin, and the acidity seemed more noticeable than some earlier (and older) vintages. I think the 48% Malbec is evident. This is a wine that changes markedly after opening and in the glass. Perversely (and despite my comments above) dark cherry characteristics slowly emerged after 7+h; the nose became more fragrant and the fruit sweeter with time. I think it has plenty of life, yet. Don't rush to open this and give it lots of time in the glass.
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I have enjoyed Michel Rolland's Clos de los Siete since the first vintage and used to drink it 3 or 4 years after release. I have gradually come to realise how long the wine will develop and improve so I now tend to open each vintage after a decade plus or minus a year or two. I tried one bottle of the 2007 3-4 years ago and enjoyed it whilst finding it a bit tannic without food (although it was lovely after 24 hours) so I left the rest for a while. The wine has been stored in a proper wine store at 10 degrees C since purchase. This has the usual deep, highly extracted colour and it looks quite youthful. Restrained nose at first but opened in the glass - red berries and vanilla (ice cream). Given a couple of hours, it showed good balance and acidity with wholly integrated tannins. Smooth and with excellent rich fruit on the palate but more red fruits than from earlier vintages. Superb with a soft blue cheese. Doesn't seem to have quite the depth of dark, cherry and blackberry fruit of earlier vintages which makes it seem less substantial but the lighter subtlety is a nice change (and unexpected given the deep colour). I continue to be impressed by this wine. If it was tasted blind as an 'Old World' wine it would gain higher ratings from many tasters, I think.
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When this wine was released I liked it a lot. For an inexpensive wine from Argentina, it had this undercurrent of seriousness that was hard to define, but really caught my attention. I ended up buying a case and put a few of them in the cellar to see what would happen. I figured that as a Michel Rolland wine it was probably micro-oxygenated and wasn't likely to age well, even though it was far from an over-extracted "Drink Me Now!" wine that is often associated with his name. Long story short, I drank my last bottle of this Saturday night and while it wasn't great, it certainly wasn't bad, either. Age definitely has not improved this wine, but a few years in the cellar didn't kill it, either. It was very muted on opening, but after an hour of air it opened up nicely and I could still catch just the slightest whiff of that good stuff that got my attention in the first the place – that chalky Bordeaux tannin grip that you wouldn't expect from a wine from South America. Good stuff, and worth every penny I paid for the case six or seven years ago.
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Closed nose at first but once decanted for and hour soft notes of classic Bordeaux blend are obvious with cassis and dark berry fruits most evident. On the palate the fruit is muted, tannins are very soft and the blackberry, cassis fruit slowly peeks out. I'm thinking this wine is starting to fade but is certainly enjoyable just not memorable.
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I was almost dreading opening this bottle given all the negative reviews in the past and having had 2 bottles that I could hardly drink. With very low expectations I PnP this bottle, and voila patience has paid off! Suprisingly this wine has come around extremely nicely. This bottle was well stored and it probably helped, the wine was very drinkable, soft tannins, medium to ripe fruit beginning to fade but it still provdes balance. No need to wait on this one. Great quaffer!
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Well this was a treat once again and sadly the last tow of the case I bought. I am not a big fan of Malbec as I think it is thin but this blend well addressees my concern, the Merlot gives it body, the bouquet is light, the color is deep red and the flavor is consistent throughout with no lingering tartness, burn or lackluster. well done and I didn't think it had past its prime.
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nice wine, soft, integrated, a little acid to it, but not sure any more development from it. Short/medium finish, good malbec, certainly not great, but nice for thurs night football
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Diese Flasche kommt aus dem Hertie Regal ohne dass ich genaueres über die Lagerung in den letzten Jahren weiß. Der Wein ist deutlich reifer als meine Flaschen im Keller, positiv, dass er zugänglich ist nun und Frucht zeigt, wo bislang viel Holz drüber war. Dennoch immer noch tiefschwarze Tinte und nur am Rand aufhellend aber weiter eher rotblau als Backstein.
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Decanted wine for 3 hours before drinking. Deep dark red in color. On the palate mainly ripe blackberries and other black stewed fruit. Also mild acidity and tannins. Very dry and well balanced. Medium finish.
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Beau nez, quelque peu évolué. En bouche, c'est assez compact mais on dénote tout de même de beaux arômes de cuir et de tabac. On sent toutefois le haut taux d'alcool. Ce vin aurait pu patienter encore quelques années en cave.
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Decanted for 2 hrs, enjoyed with various salami and tapas , it is beautifully balanced, harmonious, very very dry in the mouth and on the finish - which I like very much, no way to enjoy it without food.
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A disappointing year for this wine. Faded traces of plum, light tannins and the bitterness other reviews remark on. Possibly past it´s drink by date...
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Decanted 1 hour prior to pairing with grilled marinated flank steak. A purple ruby in the glass, the reticent nose of black fruits and a hint of oak spice. Dry, medium-bodied on the palate, with more oak nuances than fruit, and dark black fruit at that. Just a wisp of spice, in keeping with the nose, this was decidedly linear and unexciting, if well-made. Is this on the downward trajectory already? Little fruit in this example.
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Similar experience as with the previous bottles and so I am dropping my ratings, I have lost patience with this vintage. This is just not a very good vintage for what is otherwise a great wine.
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I agree with the reviewer who noted a persistent bitterness in this wine. Of the 8 people at the tasting, no one liked this at all. I can find a certain amount of bitterness charming, but for me this wine lacked all charm. My friend said it tasted like "spicy earwax".
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I've drunk every vintage of Clos de los Siete and I find this one to be the least interesting so far, due to a persistent bitterness which only disappears 24-48 hours after opening. It was best at 48 hours but still good at 72 hours. Bitterness is something I rather like in some red wines, if it takes its place among the other flavors in the right proportions. This one I find unbalanced. When it was first released I applauded Michel Rolland for bringing the wine a bit closer to a restrained, structured Bordeaux style and away from the hedonsitic ultra-New World style of the early vintages. But now a few years later the wine can't kick its bitterness, and its other very nice characteristics can't overcome that. I would leave this for a few more years and see how it evolves. By the way, this odd need for several days of decanting is something I have found with traditional Cahors wines made of all or nearly all Malbec. This wine is only 48% Malbec, and it's got the Mendoza sun in it, so it shouldn't really resemble a Cahors. In any event the only Cahors I know of with this kind of extract is also one that Michel Rolland makes there, Lagrezette, which is delicious in the good years, but overpriced.
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Last bottle of this. Interesting journey and the wine has definitely calmed down from the high tannin/acid and "heat" from the first bottles. A very enjoyable drink with some BBQ burgers.
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Really thought this wine drank like a more expensive wine. I still feel like it has a new world Argentina style to it that tells you it is good, firm but not French.
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Weekly tasting group #029; A fully blind test. (@ RvD): Deep dark red with a purple hue. Concentrated bouquet; ripe cassis and cherries. Lush and well dosed oak. On the palate mainly ripe blackberries and other black berries. Also a lot of sweetness, some chocolate, mild acidity and round tannin. A mouth full of wine. Ready now and the next few years.
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Pleasantly surprised given the lackluster tasting notes. PnP through vinuturi, but this needed another 30 minutes in the glass before it started to show itself. Complex, with lots of structure. Wish I had a few more.
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Violet aromas, earth, tobacco and chocolate. Dark fruits, mulberries. Smooth velvety palate. Savoury plum fruit flavours. Some creamy vanilla undertones. Nicely balanced, drinking well now.
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- Brick color with medium forming legs and aromas of tobacco and cloves and has flavours of cherry with a medium/full body. Round texture with a medium finish - Poured thru a vinturi. Well incorporated and in balance. Starts off with aromas that can best described as fruit and spice. The blend grapes of merlot, cabernet and Syrah give this malbec blend great body and a longer than normal finish. I like it. Too bad this is my last bottle. Will wait for 2008s for a while.
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Poured through Vinturi and waited about an hour to start tasting. Cherry and wet stone on the nose, quite restrained. Blackberry, black currant, more wet stone on the palate; much drier than you might expect, with tannins that aren't as coarse as a pure Malbec often exhibits. I suspect with more open time and a good cut of steak this might present even better, but as it stands it's enjoyable if not a bit overrated.
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Ditto ... Idem à la première bouteille et j'ajouterai que ma fille Stéphanie, dont nous célébrions le 31ième anniversaire, a adoré ce vin ... Toujours 2 bouteilles magnum de ce millésime que je vais laisser vieillir 2 ans ...
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Quel vin intéressant ! Carafé pendant 30 minutes, du nez à plein, une couleur foncé et beaucoup de matière au goût ... Petits fruits foncés et café sont dominants avec un soupçon de vanille venant démontrer l'excellent contrôle de la barrique de bois ... La finale est intéressante pour un vin de cette catégorie ... Je crois que ce vin peut vieilllir encore facilement plus de 2 ans et peut-être nous en livrer davantage ... Avons dégusté ces deux bouteilles avec des pâtes nappées de sauce à la viande accompagnées de saucisses ...
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Very tight & closed on initial opening. Decanting and aeration didn't change much. Dark flavors of burnt coffee, cigar ash, and charred oak. Very little fruit. Underwhwleming
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This wine is starting to come around more. Blackberry, blueberry, anise, some woody notes on the nose and a touch hot. On the palate those same big dark fruits with an interesting texture, tobacco, woody notes. Turns a wee bit clove-ish on the transition to the finish. Resolves to dark fruit and ripe tannin. Solid if unspectacular. May rerate on night #2.
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Clear dark purple in colour. Clean nose of black fruit. Dry, med acidity, smooth tannins, med body, Plum, licorice, tar, and smoke on palate. Nice med finish. Nice wine, not a bad value. A good go to wine in a restaurant.
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Deep purple with black fruit, plums and a hint of vanilla on the nose. Spice, chocolate, dark fruit and plums on the palate with a medium finish. Very good.
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Nice fruit, good spice; good red fruits, lacks acid, a bit of an alcoholic kick on the palate; finish is also a bit alcoholic. Good overall but not exceptional.
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Reminds me of a high alcohol Raspberry chocolate cake. Well too overpowering for my taste. 14.5% of Alcohol is just too high for a non fortified wine. Don't find it very complex or refined. Just too thick ,heavy and sweet. Maybe on a cold winter night with some rum in it...
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Very dark garnet in color; bouquet is fruit dominant with hints of herbaceous, floral aromatics. Astringency is high but reduces after a few hours decanting; alcohol is very noticeable. There is sufficient acid to balance things out and create a nice, drinkable wine. I enjoyed the 2006 vintage much more but still can't complain at this price level.
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Red plum dust leather nose with a rich black fruit palate with some licorice into the finish. With air the cab character starts showing more in the nose and pallet with cranberry and slightly sour currant. Interestingly, more tannin seems to come out over time as more tart cedar is showing on the palate and finish after an hour or so.
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Very dark in color; reserved nose; dark berries and cocolate, slighly sweet new world fruit, prominent but smooth tannins, smooth texture, balanced, a bit simple and rather short on the finish. Ready to drink now. - 88 points
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Just keeps getting better. Has shed some tannins and gained some heft since my first bottle about a year and a half ago. Still fairly tannic, so it should at least hold on for a while. Not as spicy and complex as I recall, but just gushing with blueberries and blackberries. Rich, with a long, rich finish and has enough acids and tannins to cut through rich foods. A stunning value.
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Very good bottle of wine. Tannins are softer than when purchased several years ago. Deep ruby color with hints of blackberry and coffee. Great with spicy food. Good wine for the price.
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Drank over 2 days. 2 hour decant and venturi and cooled to 58 degrees per bottle. Nose is muted. Tastes of cocoa dust and dark fruit. On day 2 hint of cherry as well. Very smooth integrated tannins and although finish is slightly warm, the alcohol is well contained. 45-60 second finish.
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A bit young still. Decanted over 2+ hours. Nice black fruit with a nose that was slow to open up. Tight, but could improve over the next year or so. Not as good as the 05 version. Still think it's a pretty solid wine, especially at the price.
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Popped and poured. Have had this lying in wine fridge for 6 months and thought to try it. Tannin and acidity are much lower than a previous bottle (about 9 months before.) Going to try again in 6 months as this could evolve a little further. Great value for a daily drinker.
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Medium purple. Nose cherry, spice, floral, and coffee. On the palate it shows spice, earth, raspberries, cherry and floral notes. Good concentration and medium finish. Overall a nice drinking experience.
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Zunächst bitter, alkoholisch und scharf bei eingekochten heidelbeeren. Gekühlt und dann nochmal, Wein öffnet sich, wird zunehmend runder, trinkiger. Nen Rest ist noch da in der Mag. für Tag 2. Mal sehen
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Decanted for two hours. Was looking forward to this but was somewhat disappointed. Nice fruity bouquet. Medium weight and soft fruit on the palate with a bit of chocolate. Some oak and tannins. The finish was long and overall nice but had a bitter note that was somewhat annoying. Nevertheless the bottle was ok, but probably would not repeat.
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Really really good value wine for $24CAD! More complexity than the standard Mendoza Malbec -- a little spice to go with the bright fruit. Really impressive.
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Village Wine Tasting (Village Hall): Deep red with purple hues. Full open nose with primary fruit and some secondary cedar vanilla and spice. Easy to drink - ripe tannins giving structure and plenty of sweet fruit and balancing acidity. New world - but better than I feared! - not over the top at all and very enjoyable. Would be great with some food.
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P&P with dinner. Color very dark red with lots of purple tones, opaque, sediment in bottle. Aromas and flavors of nondescript black fruits, coffee, graphite and earth. Medium-low acid, medium level tannins that are still youthful. A nice amount of earth in the structured finish. Overall very good, but nothing notable to make it memorable. OK value at 13.
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Geur: Zwart fruit (pruim), toast, tabak, rokerig Smaak:Fruitig, rokerig, smeltende taninnes, lange nasmaak met ceder en kruiden. Lekker! Na een paar uur komt de wijn helemaal los. Ik ruik fruit wat het midden houd tussen perzik en ananas. heerlijk. Puntje erbij
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After sitting in my cellar in for a year, this was much better than previous bottle. Alcohol was more subdued, flavors came through. Since I've seen lower prices on this recently, it may be worth going back and getting some more now.
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Dark purple, fruit forward, not overly sweet, lots of plum and blackberry. Smooth tannins, medium finish. This is what it is, won't get any better, so enjoy now.
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Very fruit forward upon opening with very nice aromatics. As the bottle got more air, the fruit faded a bit and the heat from the alcohol persisted. Was a strange experience with the first glass a 91 the second a 88 and so on.
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Great bottle of wine! Fruit forward, inky dark, beautiful nose and long finish. Michel Rolland knows what he is doing with his micro-oxigenation program. Everything about this wine says expensive, but it is not.
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Allowed this wine to breathe for about 3 hours and it was a completely different experience. The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like and Oak. It tastes like and Black currant (cassis). The body is Full.
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Allowed bottle to sit open for 2 hours. Very smooth with nice berry flavors. It was pleasant. My folks are Merlot drinkers and liked it very much. I prefer a bit bolder blend but it provided a nice close to a wonderful Mother's Day.
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Stylistically I like this wine. It's balanced and nicely structured. The flavors are dominated by coffee, cedar and spice but there is plenty of black fruit and a little blueberry in there too. As much as I like this wine, it lacks some character and is not particularly interesting.
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Drank over 2 days. Nice nose and attack but the wine lacks midpalate. The finish is deceptive due to the hot nature of the wine. Overall just ok no real depth. It feels like a bulk wine proped up with oak. For the price I would go Italy.
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Donkerpaars, enigzins visceus. Toast, eikenhout en tabak in de neus, volle smaak van donker fruit, kruiden en eikenhout. Zijdezacht. Een Bordeaux uit Argentinië.
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Very drinkable but not as good as previous vintages I have had. Crafted more for the here-and-now crowd, its a bit one dimensional. Still, at $27, I'll keep a few bottles around.
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Young with light oak and vanilla flavor. While I enjoyed the scent and taste, there was a rather tannic, mouth drying taste. That said, would try again given the price point.
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Overall, another strong vintage for Clos de los Siete. 2007 is no hammer but a lot of great elements are here. You get some standout juiciness with good depth. Deep blood ruby with glistening edges. Dark fruit, dark currents, subtle earthy spices on the nose. Supple palate and some distinct but background tannins from the oak and grape. Has an earthy touch with deep dark fruit. Good acidity and mineral notes on the finish. Wine has pretty good structure and pretty sure this will evolve nicely over a year or 2. VG QPR.
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Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of smoke, roasted meat, blueberries and a hint of currants. Flavors of boyseberries, black berries and black cherries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium body. Drink over the short term. Slightly better than the previous bottle.
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South America (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had cherry and raspberry, a little leather and spice, and some floral notes at the end. The palate was fairly soft, with black currant and cherry, some mocha and leather, and a good amount of spice on the finish.
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Medium purple. Blackberries, floral, smoke and oak on the nose. Concentrated wine with blackberries, smoke, oak, vanilla and spices. Medium finish and very nice overall.
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Ah yes, well - pretty good. You MUST decant this for a minimum one hour in order to pick up what this wine is putting down. Nice dark ruby colour. Full body. I'm going with mainly black cherry on the nose. I'm finding that there is a really nice balance between the fruit, the earth, the acid, the oak and the astringency. It is a well made wine. I can't say that I'm picking up all the complexity that Parker lists: pencil lead, black olive, red peppercorns, blackberry, sweet roasted fennel, lavender, cassis, milk chocolate and blueberry and the savory notes of dill, warm clay, finely ground pepper and licorice. Maybe it helps if your buddies with Michel Rolland the Oenologist who consulted on this wine - I don't know. I get a lot of those notes but not all, that could just be my palate or the day. I would disagree on it being "lengthy". Not bad mind you but not long in my opinion. I guess my main criticism would be that I would like a little more distinctness, a little more personality - individuality. Having said all that. I recommend this wine as a good value and a really solid performer.
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Very handsome wine in bottle, glass and smell. Big and bold with very evident fruits. Hard to describe in some ways. Taste perhaps didn't quite live up to this but after a couple of mouthfuls it opened up into a very pleasing and interesting wine. Would certainly have again and may be worth keeping.
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Doit être carafé plusieurs heures. Notes de prune, de pruneaux et d'épices. Très viril. Matière noble en bouche, avec une structure puissante, mais bien enveloppée. Me laisse dans un dilemme quant à son potentiel de garde. Soit qu'il sera très long, ou très court!
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Big and slightly inky. Blue fruit and some dusty wood on the nose. Ripe blue and black fruits hit the palate with not much else. Slightly one dimensional. While this is fairly priced, I would say there are better values in Argentina at this price point.
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Opaque purple. Ripe darker fruit on the nose: blackberry, cassis, prune and black cherry. Some vegetal/floral and earthy notes as well as woody oak and some spiciness. Full-bodied and sweetishly (no jamminess) fruity, with a balancing acidity and decent semi-grippy tannins. Some herbaceousness, liquorice, mineral nuances and graphite. Dull slightly chocolaty oakiness on the backround. Quite lenghty aftertaste with some awkward metallic astringency dominating. The wine did breathe for a couple of hours without any major improvement - perhaps a long decant could have helped. Anyway a rather dull experience that I'm probably not going to renew.
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Pop/poured. Decent enough, new oak, ripe flavors, boring and lacking finesse. I couldn't find anything to like about this wine, but didn't hate it either.
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I enjoyed this bottle. Big almost overwhelming wine, but a nice balance of the rough flavors of the region. Interesting stuff, would definitely drink again. Would pair well with a steak.
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Big n bold, and makes very nice drinking. Lovely perfumed nose. Plenty of complex red fruit and creamy vanilla spice aromas. Nicely balanced palate. Plenty of depth to the fruit without being jammy. Fresh acidity and well integrated tannin. Very supple. Suspect it will develop over the next year or two. Certainly has enough backbone. Don't think it'll go long distance though, but why wait when its drinking well now anyway, particularly with a juicy rare sirloin?!
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Nice complex blend of malbec, merlot, cab, and syrah. Good fruit with cherries and raspberries, maybe a hint of strawberry. A touch of licorice, and nice oakiness. Good tannins, too. Nice on the finish. Enough depth to cellar for a few years. Will definitely buy more and wait to see...
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Dark, almost black. Tar, blackberries and spices. Huge wine, maybe just too young. Suffered badly by being paired witha lovely 2005 C-d-R Villages, Rastau which was much more elegant and better balanced (and on its own is quite a big wine).
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Started a bit too cool, fresh from cellar, but wow! I like the acid and tannins, great structure, but totally numbed fruit due to the cold. Will see how it warms. Nose remains subdued. It becomes a nice dry crunchy pucker-inducer, but the fruit is subdued, and the pallete is dominated by tannins and acid. Definately more to the austere side. It will likely soften nicely and be smooth and integrated in 3-5 yrs. I'll likely get more, good aging potential at a reasonable (for Canada) price. The next day it really rounded out nicely and developed a nice balance, still has a lot of tannins to shed, so I'm sticking with the initial notion of getting a few more and lying them down for a bit. Three days on and still drinking well, albeit smoother and more integrated. If it needs to be criticised I would say the fruit is a bit austere, and that it needs food to reach its full potential. This isn't a bad thing however.
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tres belle surprise, connaissant le travail de MR cela ne m'étonne pas. Ce vin est très bien fait, au gout, à la balance fort étudiés. Certes MR est responsable d'une uniformisation du gout des vins, il se rapproche plus d'un chimiste que d'un œnologue. Mais force est de constater qu'a ce prix la, je ne trouve pas de bordeaux aussi bien faits. Nez tres fruité, puissant, en bouche c'est lourd en restant tres agreable, souple, une finale un peu courte, qui donne envie de vite rependre une gorgée. Le fast food du vin, étudié pour qu'il plaise a un plus grand nombre tout en maximisant les profits. Bravo MR.
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Can anyone say bottle variation? I have had a few so far, and while this wasn't bad, it also isn'tthe wine you want to bring to a party. Not at all as good as my last bottles. Too much acid, much less integration.
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Argentina $20 to $40 (Ray's Home): This was good to try a recent vintage. 48% Malbec, 28& Merlot, 12% cab, 12% Syrah. The nose has cedar, black cherries, plums and dust. This is soft and easy to drink. Good black cherry fruit on the palate. Nice finish. I liked this more than the group, but found it lush and quenching. Compared to the 03, it seemed a dozen years younger.
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Tight and a bit green. Dense and needs time. Got better with air ... a wine for meaty bordeaux drinkers and I can see this being really enjoyable with age.
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First of all, this wine is an excellent value for anyone who enjoys left bank Bordeaux, Brunello di Montalcino or other tannic wines. This definitely needs time to open up and should ideally not be opened for at least 4 or 5 years. Unless you want that grip or are eating some braised fatty meat. This drinks like many left bank Bordeauxs and Brunellos three times its price. The overall flavor profile is focused on the green, brown, stone spectrum, with just a hint of fruit bring you back for another sip. This wine belongs with food, sipped between bites this will make every morsel of meat taste as good as the last.
I am saving a case to follow throughout for the next 10-15 years. I am a young wine collector and this a safe gamble to see if I want to invest any patience in somewhat austere wines.
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Dark violet. Opened about two hours before drinking but not decanted. Served at about 65 degrees. Impresive stucture, weight and balance. Hard to get a handle on the nose, but tending to current and boysenberry. Tobacco, tar, graphite, slate, all in the mid-palate. Good lenght and grip on the finish.
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Maybe its just young, but it is sure tannic and one dimensional right now. It may have ageing potential, but I don't have any left and dont plan to buy any more to test the theory.
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Dark inky reddish violet colour with some residues. On the note ripe blueberries with raspberries, a hint of balckcurrant leaves. In the mouth very fullbodied and round with rising acids and an adequate amount of tannins which are at this point not fully integrated. Oaky spice flavours, a round and big impression which is a bit hard to define precisely, ripe red fruit and blueberries mostly. A long aftertaste which however, is quite similar to the initial impression in teh mouth. Would probably benefit quite a lot from aging for 2-3 years at least. Not at all disagreeable, however not very defined, a bit sloppy even at this point. At this point, I'd venture to say a bit overpriced, but I might regret my words in a few years.
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Decanted for an hour. Not showing the heat for me as others have stated. I get a more earthy mineral taste going on than dark fuit. I took a few sips when I first opened the bottle and the tannins gave more of a mouth pucker than it is now after the hour decant . The finish is longer than I expected and is not short at all . I am no expert but if I tasted this blind I dont belive I would have guessed Argentina and agree with Ben that it has cote similarities. I like it I don't love it but considering I only paid 10 bucks a bottle for me the QPR is pretty damn good. I actually am going to save a bottle to see if it does get any better just to see if the tannins and structure will develope into anything more complex. Hey at ten bucks I have nothing to lose.
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Crisp Bordeaux blend on the nose. Beautiful blood-red color with high alcohol content. Reminds me a bit of an unusually good Georgian Saperavi. Pepper and dark fruits dominate. 60+ second finish. Very well done.
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double decant monster. even then was still very very tannic. at the end of the night it smoothed out. this is a baby and if consumed now, better the next day.
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Definitely reminded me of a Cotes Du Rhone. Pretty rustic, not at all fruity and very balanced. Dark fruit with slight earthy notes. I found it to be very simplistic, but also enjoyable. The tannins were pretty fine and will smooth out in a year or two, but I don't think it would gain any complexity. I didn't find it to be hot at all.
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Purple core with red edges. Spicey red and black fruit nose, with some earthy undertones. Sweet plummy fruit, firm woody tannins, good acid, nicely balanced, and a medium to long finish. Not catching the heat the others reviews mention. Unique and very nice.
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Dark red. At first the nose showed a lot of fruit and oak. Then it does indeed become very Rhone like, red fruit, earth and hints of darker fruit. Very dry furit falvours and lots of tannins to balance everything in the end. A very good wine. Nothing like previous vintages. Still was a bit too fruity to think Europe. Of course the 07s in the South of France share a lot with this wine. My wife guessed 07 Southern Rhone.
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Did not feel this wine at all. The nose was pleasant with dark fruit and smoke. But there was heat on the nose. Unfortunately, the heat continued on the palate. The very little fruit and oak I extracted was covered up with heat. The wine got very awkward and disjointed with food. I felt like I was taking a shot of booze with the heat on the back end. Even after several hours of being open and on the second day the wine did not improve.
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This is not a wine for beginners! It's big, bold and raw in every dimension: fruit, tannins, heat, spice. I was of two minds: it is a great wine and it is too harsh for me. My rating split the difference.
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Popped and poured at a dinner party. Some dark fruit on the nose and on the attack. Slight hint of sweetness.. However, I think that was the high point...I think it was a little thin in the mid palate, and to be honest not as much fruit as the nose promised. Low acidity, medium - body, pretty smooth with soft tannins...finish was also a little short. did not get the alcohol that others mentioned. Possible that this would fill out with a little more airtime...But as drunk I'd call it pretty good but certainly not something to go out of my way to buy again.
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Needed some time to open up, but still not smooth or integrated enough to make it a truely outstanding drink. Tended to be hot and almost harsh at odd times, particularly when eating.
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I opened it 2 hours before dinner and was still too hot when we drank it. The next night it was much mellower, but this didn't have the depths of flavor I was expecting given the hype. I'll keep my other bottle for a year and see what comes of it.
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Very nice qpr...the meal I had it with didn't complement to well though .. a little to much chili flavor but on it's own was well balanced and structured and I would think this will evolve to be even better with some time in the bottle. Double Decanted prior.
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Needs a little air time prior to drinking but then it really delivers. At first I noticed more up front fruit but after an hour everything came togeter.
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Michel Rolland rules! (Oxygenate, oxygenate!) Opened 30 to 45 minutes before drinking. Big nose of Moroccan spices. Same spices plus a lot of cassis on the palate. Very rich and very well-balanced, with a long, spicy finish. Don't know how long it will hold up, but don't care either. Under $17? Cowabunga!
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Initially I got not much more than the inky purple color out of my glass. It reminded me of many lower end malbecs I have had in that respect. Then it opened up and gave me lovely black currant and some blueberry. Some shaved pencil leftovers reminded me of a nice bdx, but the price of the bottle thankfully told me that it was from South America. I could drink this all night long. There's enough tannins to buy a case and not really worry about when during the next couple of years it will be had. THis wine is very fruit forward and the main knock will be that it is not overly complex. Oh well. Not every wine can be the best wine I have ever had. I'm satisfied to just have a little glass of liquid delight.
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RUSSK A bit of a letdown, given the hipe. Hot nose and taste at first. After a 6hr decant, it was less hot, but somewhat bitter (probably the Syrah) and dry. Would not buy again, even for 1/2 the price.
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Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of cocoa powder, black currants and blueberries. Flavors of currants, plums and black cherries. Light to medium acidity, firm tannins, maybe medium body. Seems a little light weight for a Rolland wine. Drink over the short to medium term is my guess.
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48% Malbec, with the rest Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah. Thick, dark and inky. The brambly Malbec fruit is smoothed out and restrained somewhat by the smoky, meaty and peppery flavors that I assume come from the Syrah component. Extremely broad and mouth-coating, with a soft, fine grained tannic structure and good length. Impressive for the price point. 89.
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Again this was super and an incredible bargain. It begs to be paired with a big steak or a juicy hamburger. Terrific concentration. Great texture. Lenghty finish.
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liked this much better than expected. And at $15.99 quite a bargain. With short ribs at home. Just a nice blend, nice flavors, not too much oak. Not one to think about forever but a good drink.
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Best of Rolland's CdlSietes to date. Amazing quality of both winemaking and fruit at this pricepoint, with Malbec's bramble, Merlot's and Syrah's sweetness in background, and Cab Sauv's structure all in perfect balance, and surrounded by amazingly soft tannins for this wine's youth. Loaded with blackberry, leather & cedar. I'm off to pick up a case to stash away for a couple of years.
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This wine was great. One of the best I've had from Argentina. You can't beat the value price on it either. Nice concentration with good fruit, controlled oak and a memorable finish. It can soften a bit with some time as Tanzer notes but why wait when it is so good and reasonable?
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Nice wine. Big and burly, a bit harsh when opened, but mellowed out nicely with an hour or two of air. A blend of several grape varieties, but all I could taste was Malbec. There's a lot of underlying structure in this wine, and I think it may show better in another two or three years. But you can drink it now if you decant it, and give it a bit of breathing room. Very good value at less than $10.
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Purchased retail and consumed same day. 14.5% ABV. Dark purple color. Fruity nose with hints of raisin. Well-rounded, but a bit strong with the alcohol taste. Short-medium length finish. Good QPR. Be careful, this one stains quite a bit!
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uncorked at the wine dispensers (Wine Exchange): 14.5% alcohol. dark cherry, pomegranate, blueberry, dusty earth, and coffee notes. bitter firm mouth puckering tannins. opened up more with some air time. better than the 06' i tasted.
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Brought by dinner guests last night. Popped and poured tonight. Dark purple with ruby rim. Nose of melted tar, blueberry and alcohol. Fruit forward palate with dark fruit and oak. Short finish. Mild tannins. Too little acidiy. Tastes too much of alcohol. Out of balance.
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Awesome, this is such a good wine, it's given us so much pleasure over the past few years that it's hard not to gush even if this vintage is a touch less than that of the previous years - Dark, well concentrated with notes of plum, cherry, chocolate and vanilla on the nose, very well structured and balanced, silky smooth on the finish with terrific length, a winner for sure (90 Points).
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Amazing value from Argentina by none other than Michel Rolland!! Beautiful dark purple color, Aromas of dark fruits, cocoa, cream de cassis, along with some mineral. The soft velvety tannins give this wine a finish leaving a great coat of dark fruit behind. 48% Malbec, 28% Merlot, 12% Syrah, and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. Far superior to the '06 vintage. - JD90+
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A young bruiser indeed! Dark robe, with a nose seemingly consistent for many of us - blueberries, blackberries, black currant, a hint of leather and spice. Bracing attack with initial drying tannins, that mellowed nicely after 30 minutes in the decanter. Good structure, very malbec-dominant, meaning less fruit than you'd expect, good extraction, a hint of spice. No red fruits to speak of here, nor typical anise or eucalyptus, like I generally prefer. This has signs of aging well, and we'll check again in a few years.
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Quiet disappointed, I expected more; WS 88 and WA 91+. What kind of palates do they have? Anyway, Color: atractive deep plum; Nose: decent but mostly oak/wood; Palate: overpowered by oak/alcohol, one dimensional and lacking character/structure; Finish: oak, and oak and more oak...Even though young, I don't see this improving much with time. In my opinion overpriced, I'd taste it again but won't buy it. Too high marks for an average wine!
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This is a wine typical of Mendoza. It has a lot of fruit and a tannic powdery finish. There is nothing not to like about the wine and at today's prices it is a great value.
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South American Blind Tasting (Simon's House): Disappointment of the night. Total oak bomb...overpowered the fruit. Loved the '06 which made it even more disappointing. The oak integrated slightly as the night went on but not what I was expecting.
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A bit tight with rigid tannins for the first half hour or so, but then it just sort of relaxed all at once to reveal some bold, but not overpowering fruit flavors. Nose never really became overly expressive, but did give up some anise, black currant and blueberry. Taste follows the nose with just a touch of acid and heat out of the finish. Based on this bottle alone, it is no doubt more approachable right now than the 06 was at this same point last year, but I am not going to say that this wine is better than the 06 because I experienced quite a bit of bottle variance in that vintage.
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Great wine for the money. Great bargain blend of malbec, merlot, syrah and cabernet sauvignon: 48/28/12/12% for this vintage. If you can get for under $15 its a great buy, however I have seen it for $20 and over. That is not exactly priced at fair market value. Load of earthy black currant and blackberry mingle with some leather and just enough oak to notice it in the wine and give it some additional structure and complexity.
Color: Dark purple black center, red edges
Nose: Leather, smoky black fruit some iron and loamy notes
Palate: Loads of earthy black currant and blackberry mingle with some leather and just enough oak to notice it in the wine and give it some additional structure and complexity.
www.tomswineblog.blogspot.com
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All that you would expect -- over-ripe, over-extracted, aggressive and powerful. It was even bigger than a Monterrey cabernet blend that I tasted after it, and that's not easy to do. There's a reason the man has his reputation. Plus, it's fair value for the price. People who like this style of wine will write poems about. The rest of us will drink something else.
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Caroline's bash (Windsor): A bruiser. very full-on ripe malbec fruit given a bit of complexity with the others grapes in the blend. Distinctively typical. Currently this is a chargrilled steak wine that appeals to some and not others. Not for me currently, but having drunk a bottle of the 2004 last weekend (well, we managed half of it anyway), this certainly has the ability to calm down and develop with age. Probably needs 5 years. **(*)
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Rich cherry and mud nose. Flavor: Nice red, blue and purple fruit with a tall, continuous flavor profile that never dips off and that has a different personality at each tongue position. Finishes long with a conservative vanilla and light oakiness that is for once very pleasant. This is a steal.
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Oddbins Fine Wine Tasting The Americas Nose: Blackcurrant, Raspberry, sulphur, cloves, fish (eh?), menthol and even a touch of eucalyptus Mouth: Tannin (soft and balanced), quite dry, blackcurrant, tobacco and a bitter finish Addtl Notes: 48% Malbec, 28% Merlot, 12% Cab, 12% Syrah. 14.5%. $15. 66% New Oak. It's okay but the finish really lets it down. Just a bit dull, for me.
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Nice bright ruby colour. The nose was really inexpressive virtually closed. When aromas did appear they were lovely with blackberry and coffee. Flavours were almost as difficult to get but there was surprising smoothness on the palate given the wine's youth with very fine tannins well integrated with the fruit and some lovely earthy and spicy back flavours. Perhaps I will need to keep the other bottle for a year or two in the hope that it will open up. There's clear;y something really good trying to come out.
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Creamy rasberies and vanilla on the nose and the pallate as well. Finish had a fruit flavored bitterness, suggesting the wine is still young. Quite deilcious.
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Upon opening the wine displayed aromas of freshly ground coffee and dark chocolate, smoke and spice. After two hours, showed some blackberry, vanilla and a little casis. Nice structure with good balance of tannin, acid and fruit. There is a nice black cherry component on the palate. Definitely needs a little time in the cellar, as it is pretty tight, although it is enjoyable now too.
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Deep purple with a great nose. More backward than previous vintages. Needs a few years to come around. This is great year after year with this being one of the best.
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Very tight, needed a lot of time to open fully; was noticeably better on the second day in terms of the nose and taste. Will be great QPR once it has some time to come together in the bottle.
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Good but very young. Needs a couple of hours inthe decanter to really open up. Like a lot of young Rolland wines, the fruit is good but the oak is a little heavy at this point. But I think it just needs some time in the cellar.
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Needs time to settle down, but it will be very good for the price when it does (next fall, I suspect). Plummy color. Plum, raisin, and fig flavors with licorice and plum aromas. Nicely made. Complex for the price. blend of Malbec, Merlot, Cab Sauvignon, and Syrah.
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1/15/2021 - Schönibert wrote: 89 Points
Immer noch voll da, wirklich schön, wie der Wein auf der längeren Strecke besteht. Extrem erfreulich!
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5/30/2020 - Schönibert wrote:
Drunk from magnum over two days, very kind and open from the beginning, even smoother on d+1. Really nice wine for the price back then.
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2/29/2020 - diggydan wrote: 89 Points
Very smooth feeling. Plum and greenery tastes. A little bit of oak char flavor detracts as well as mouth-drying tannin.
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8/23/2019 - ihavezinned wrote: 89 Points
Lots of cherry and baking spice on the nose. Still drinking quite well. Started out very spicy but after a couple of hours it has softened well. Has some black pepper, leather, cherry, and plum. I can’t imagine it will get any better so drink up!
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5/14/2019 - maxima wrote: 87 Points
Tanique et asséchant, long mais avec de la chauffe.
A laisser vieillir ou à carafer.
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2/25/2019 - maxima wrote: 87 Points
Tabac, fumée et boisé, gros jus qui tache!
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5/16/2018 - chrisdgsmith@hotmail.co.uk Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still very dark purple/ruby, holding colour to the rim, not really showing its age. Great legs.
Fairly intense nose that is all about black fruits and spice.
This is still really vigorous on the palate, lots of black fruit, inky, still moderate tannin and acidity. It shows substantial extraction (very Rolland). Perhaps a little monolithic but it's a pretty good wine for the money.
I don't think it'll fall over anytime soon and might've been interesting to track its onward development but that was my last!
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1/21/2018 - Schönibert wrote: 89 Points
Wird immer besser, herrlich dichtes, weiches, geradezu veloursartiges Tanin, süße Schwarzkirschmarmelade, Rauch, entwickelt wirklich Körper und Länge.
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10/14/2017 - VinVet wrote: 88 Points
Classic Bordeaux nose and palate with cassis, blackberry and tobacco. Dark fruits on the palate with ample acidity and tannins.
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12/4/2016 - Schönibert wrote: 88 Points
Heut in sehr guter Form! Richtig gut, tief, trinkig!
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12/3/2016 - olioli wrote: 88 Points
Magnum. Prêt à boire.
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11/30/2016 - wicozani Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really appreciate PAULUSLOZEBRA's recent note on this! Opened to pair with thick, grilled petite tri-tip steaks. An opaque, glass-coating, beautiful ruby in the glass with strong edges. The somewhat reticent nose features black currant, blackberry, black plum and a slight whiff of oak spices. Excellent intensity and concentration, with very good push through the mid-palate and on into a 15+ second finish. Still pretty structured, with less fruit on the palate than was hinted at on the nose. Nice amount of nearly integrated tannins still present, which work to hold the whole package together. This is really nice, and I can't see this getting much better.
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11/26/2016 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 92 Points
I've had every vintage of this wine and the 2007 for me has gone from being the worst to drink young to being the best to drink old. That is not unusual, as some of the characteristics that made it less enjoyable than other Sietes when young are precisely those that pay off only after years in bottle, such as the relative austerity of the wine, its closed nature for years, and a lingering bitterness. All those have gone and the wine that emerges in its ninth year is a dark, deep and balanced wine. It is still showing lots of sweet black and blue fruits, nice acidity, and firm, integrated tannins. With many more years ahead of it, this has turned out, as I said when it was first released, the most Bordeaux-like of the Siete vintages. During the intervening years I lost patience with this wine but I was proven wrong, and my initial hopes were confirmed. Well done Michel Rolland !
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10/10/2016 - MCrawford wrote: 89 Points
Paired with Beef Tenderloin. Decanted 40 minutes before first pour. Dark fruits come through, plum, blackberry, hints of black cherry. Wonderful color sitting in the glass. Quite delicious.
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11/15/2015 - johnrm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Again, the colour is deep and youthful. Decanted and left for 5h after which time it was still a little closed. Mainly dark red fruits with plum/damson predominant with spice and hints of herbs (perhaps a little cardamom?)
Better with/after food (beef stroganoff - maybe the creamy sauce was helpful?). Blackcurrant fruit then began to emerge but I didn't really get any blackberry or dark cherry. Tannins were still quite prominent - leather and damson skin, and the acidity seemed more noticeable than some earlier (and older) vintages. I think the 48% Malbec is evident.
This is a wine that changes markedly after opening and in the glass. Perversely (and despite my comments above) dark cherry characteristics slowly emerged after 7+h; the nose became more fragrant and the fruit sweeter with time. I think it has plenty of life, yet.
Don't rush to open this and give it lots of time in the glass.
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10/17/2015 - johnrm Likes this wine: 91 Points
I have enjoyed Michel Rolland's Clos de los Siete since the first vintage and used to drink it 3 or 4 years after release. I have gradually come to realise how long the wine will develop and improve so I now tend to open each vintage after a decade plus or minus a year or two.
I tried one bottle of the 2007 3-4 years ago and enjoyed it whilst finding it a bit tannic without food (although it was lovely after 24 hours) so I left the rest for a while. The wine has been stored in a proper wine store at 10 degrees C since purchase.
This has the usual deep, highly extracted colour and it looks quite youthful. Restrained nose at first but opened in the glass - red berries and vanilla (ice cream). Given a couple of hours, it showed good balance and acidity with wholly integrated tannins. Smooth and with excellent rich fruit on the palate but more red fruits than from earlier vintages. Superb with a soft blue cheese. Doesn't seem to have quite the depth of dark, cherry and blackberry fruit of earlier vintages which makes it seem less substantial but the lighter subtlety is a nice change (and unexpected given the deep colour).
I continue to be impressed by this wine. If it was tasted blind as an 'Old World' wine it would gain higher ratings from many tasters, I think.
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10/5/2015 - Schönibert wrote: 82 Points
Irgendwie lahm. Schade, hatte große Erwartungen.
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9/1/2015 - ckelman wrote: 80 Points
smooth but not distinct
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8/29/2015 - JRDillon wrote: 89 Points
When this wine was released I liked it a lot. For an inexpensive wine from Argentina, it had this undercurrent of seriousness that was hard to define, but really caught my attention. I ended up buying a case and put a few of them in the cellar to see what would happen. I figured that as a Michel Rolland wine it was probably micro-oxygenated and wasn't likely to age well, even though it was far from an over-extracted "Drink Me Now!" wine that is often associated with his name. Long story short, I drank my last bottle of this Saturday night and while it wasn't great, it certainly wasn't bad, either. Age definitely has not improved this wine, but a few years in the cellar didn't kill it, either. It was very muted on opening, but after an hour of air it opened up nicely and I could still catch just the slightest whiff of that good stuff that got my attention in the first the place – that chalky Bordeaux tannin grip that you wouldn't expect from a wine from South America. Good stuff, and worth every penny I paid for the case six or seven years ago.
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8/16/2015 - VinVet Likes this wine: 88 Points
Plum with chocolate on the nose. Dark fruit, mild acidity, and modest tannins.
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4/11/2015 - VinVet Likes this wine: 88 Points
Closed nose at first but once decanted for and hour soft notes of classic Bordeaux blend are obvious with cassis and dark berry fruits most evident. On the palate the fruit is muted, tannins are very soft and the blackberry, cassis fruit slowly peeks out. I'm thinking this wine is starting to fade but is certainly enjoyable just not memorable.
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4/5/2015 - jmoon Does not like this wine: 88 Points
boring and unspectacular with no distinctive notes
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2/20/2015 - Axelpeter wrote: 90 Points
18, m F‘zi+L‘ra, noch sehr gut, (alters?)weich, angenehm, schön, nicht so viel Druck wie Monteverro, weitere 2-3 Jahre;
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1/1/2015 - Schönibert wrote: 85 Points
Gefälliger denn je!
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12/4/2014 - Agent67 Likes this wine: 90 Points
not sure why the drink by date is set at 2013- this wine was great with enough tannin to feel like a much bigger wine.
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11/28/2014 - Bobc7had Likes this wine: 89 Points
very enjoyable. nice fruit.
Better with a short decant. Opened a little flat but came to life
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11/23/2014 - garvens Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bold, good fruit.
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10/24/2014 - iamandyc wrote: 88 Points
Much better than last time. Still dark, earthy and flinty but bitterness is gone. Ample backbone to this medium bodied wine.
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7/7/2014 - vinomex wrote: 90 Points
I was almost dreading opening this bottle given all the negative reviews in the past and having had 2 bottles that I could hardly drink. With very low expectations I PnP this bottle, and voila patience has paid off! Suprisingly this wine has come around extremely nicely. This bottle was well stored and it probably helped, the wine was very drinkable, soft tannins, medium to ripe fruit beginning to fade but it still provdes balance. No need to wait on this one. Great quaffer!
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3/30/2014 - Good Stuff Likes this wine: 89 Points
Well this was a treat once again and sadly the last tow of the case I bought. I am not a big fan of Malbec as I think it is thin but this blend well addressees my concern, the Merlot gives it body, the bouquet is light, the color is deep red and the flavor is consistent throughout with no lingering tartness, burn or lackluster. well done and I didn't think it had past its prime.
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3/27/2014 - MCrawford wrote: 88 Points
Very nice blend. Day one was muted, but things were very enjoyable on day two. Medium body and finish.
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12/27/2013 - spatialiser wrote: 87 Points
No hard edges
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12/2/2013 - Schönibert wrote: 84 Points
Gute, fruchtige und konzentrierte Aromen bei ordentlicher Länge.
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11/24/2013 - Shuls Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great balanced red blend. Got to wine for the price
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11/3/2013 - Bobc7had Likes this wine: 90 Points
beautifully balanced.
drink right now
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10/3/2013 - W2WineGuy Likes this wine: 87 Points
nice wine, soft, integrated, a little acid to it, but not sure any more development from it. Short/medium finish, good malbec, certainly not great, but nice for thurs night football
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8/26/2013 - Schönibert wrote: 84 Points
Gute Tanine, packendes Hallo und viel Frucht. Etwas sättigend.
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8/14/2013 - Dvogt wrote: 90 Points
Black fruit, nice balance. A slight edge on opening that dissipates with time. Very nice value and very typical stylistically of Michel Rolland.
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7/4/2013 - BRJS wrote: 90 Points
Excellent after decanting an hour
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6/2/2013 - Schönibert wrote: 84 Points
Man merkt genau was hier beabsichtigt war und es hat geklappt. Alles in allem ein guter Wein. Vielleicht etwas nichtssagend allenfalls.
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5/24/2013 - Schönibert wrote: 84 Points
Diese Flasche kommt aus dem Hertie Regal ohne dass ich genaueres über die Lagerung in den letzten Jahren weiß. Der Wein ist deutlich reifer als meine Flaschen im Keller, positiv, dass er zugänglich ist nun und Frucht zeigt, wo bislang viel Holz drüber war. Dennoch immer noch tiefschwarze Tinte und nur am Rand aufhellend aber weiter eher rotblau als Backstein.
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5/12/2013 - SeaSmoke wrote: 88 Points
Decanted wine for 3 hours before drinking. Deep dark red in color. On the palate mainly ripe blackberries and other black stewed fruit. Also mild acidity and tannins. Very dry and well balanced. Medium finish.
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4/20/2013 - GregGH wrote: 91 Points
PLEASE ...open and decanter for many hours --this wine is so much nicer once opened up ...wow .... all the sharp edges go away
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4/1/2013 - martcouz wrote: 86 Points
Beau nez, quelque peu évolué. En bouche, c'est assez compact mais on dénote tout de même de beaux arômes de cuir et de tabac. On sent toutefois le haut taux d'alcool. Ce vin aurait pu patienter encore quelques années en cave.
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3/30/2013 - bgriffi1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Was just fine, nothing exceptional. But a great value and a wine you can be happy opening middle of the week.
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3/24/2013 - Lyubomir Lefterov Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs, enjoyed with various salami and tapas , it is beautifully balanced, harmonious, very very dry in the mouth and on the finish - which I like very much, no way to enjoy it without food.
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3/12/2013 - gazinho wrote: 79 Points
A disappointing year for this wine.
Faded traces of plum, light tannins and the bitterness other reviews remark on.
Possibly past it´s drink by date...
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3/9/2013 - MurphyCellar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Beautifully balanced with a medium body.
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2/11/2013 - wicozani wrote: 86 Points
Decanted 1 hour prior to pairing with grilled marinated flank steak. A purple ruby in the glass, the reticent nose of black fruits and a hint of oak spice. Dry, medium-bodied on the palate, with more oak nuances than fruit, and dark black fruit at that. Just a wisp of spice, in keeping with the nose, this was decidedly linear and unexciting, if well-made. Is this on the downward trajectory already? Little fruit in this example.
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1/27/2013 - PaulusLoZebra wrote: 84 Points
Similar experience as with the previous bottles and so I am dropping my ratings, I have lost patience with this vintage. This is just not a very good vintage for what is otherwise a great wine.
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12/15/2012 - K is for Kate Does not like this wine:
I agree with the reviewer who noted a persistent bitterness in this wine. Of the 8 people at the tasting, no one liked this at all. I can find a certain amount of bitterness charming, but for me this wine lacked all charm. My friend said it tasted like "spicy earwax".
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11/25/2012 - Higgie wrote: 88 Points
Great wine, Earthy Taste, yet fruity and longlasting. For 25chf a Good bargain.
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11/19/2012 - PaulusLoZebra wrote: 88 Points
I've drunk every vintage of Clos de los Siete and I find this one to be the least interesting so far, due to a persistent bitterness which only disappears 24-48 hours after opening. It was best at 48 hours but still good at 72 hours. Bitterness is something I rather like in some red wines, if it takes its place among the other flavors in the right proportions. This one I find unbalanced. When it was first released I applauded Michel Rolland for bringing the wine a bit closer to a restrained, structured Bordeaux style and away from the hedonsitic ultra-New World style of the early vintages. But now a few years later the wine can't kick its bitterness, and its other very nice characteristics can't overcome that. I would leave this for a few more years and see how it evolves. By the way, this odd need for several days of decanting is something I have found with traditional Cahors wines made of all or nearly all Malbec. This wine is only 48% Malbec, and it's got the Mendoza sun in it, so it shouldn't really resemble a Cahors. In any event the only Cahors I know of with this kind of extract is also one that Michel Rolland makes there, Lagrezette, which is delicious in the good years, but overpriced.
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8/28/2012 - kwaky wrote: 88 Points
Last bottle of this. Interesting journey and the wine has definitely calmed down from the high tannin/acid and "heat" from the first bottles. A very enjoyable drink with some BBQ burgers.
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8/14/2012 - Jarturo wrote:
Great and amazing wine
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7/24/2012 - tonysmith72 wrote: 90 Points
Really thought this wine drank like a more expensive wine. I still feel like it has a new world Argentina style to it that tells you it is good, firm but not French.
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6/23/2012 - Colia wrote: 87 Points
Stewed black fruits, some decent spices, the tannins are dry.
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5/14/2012 - Zweder wrote: 88 Points
Weekly tasting group #029; A fully blind test. (@ RvD): Deep dark red with a purple hue. Concentrated bouquet; ripe cassis and cherries. Lush and well dosed oak. On the palate mainly ripe blackberries and other black berries. Also a lot of sweetness, some chocolate, mild acidity and round tannin. A mouth full of wine. Ready now and the next few years.
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4/5/2012 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pleasantly surprised given the lackluster tasting notes. PnP through vinuturi, but this needed another 30 minutes in the glass before it started to show itself. Complex, with lots of structure. Wish I had a few more.
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4/1/2012 - aagrawal wrote: 86 Points
Nice fruit, structured well. Very good.
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2/27/2012 - nytiger wrote: 89 Points
very good
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2/7/2012 - bobpsi wrote: 87 Points
Moderate nose of cassis, dark cherry, cocoa and earth. Medium body of chocolate covered cherries, espresso and licorice. Medium drying finish.
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1/18/2012 - YWG Wine Guy Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tasty stuff, good price, and agree with all previous notes!
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1/12/2012 - fatherdamo wrote: 84 Points
big and juicy but a little short. it's also a little boring.
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12/31/2011 - moods wrote: 89 Points
Violet aromas, earth, tobacco and chocolate. Dark fruits, mulberries. Smooth velvety palate. Savoury plum fruit flavours. Some creamy vanilla undertones. Nicely balanced, drinking well now.
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12/28/2011 - cheetadad wrote: 90 Points
- Brick color with medium forming legs and aromas of tobacco and cloves and has flavours of cherry with a medium/full body. Round texture with a medium finish - Poured thru a vinturi. Well incorporated and in balance. Starts off with aromas that can best described as fruit and spice. The blend grapes of merlot, cabernet and Syrah give this malbec blend great body and a longer than normal finish. I like it. Too bad this is my last bottle. Will wait for 2008s for a while.
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12/23/2011 - Paul from the Oblong Table wrote:
Just a good average bottle, an acceptable Mon-Thurs. bottle, except I drank it on Friday.
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12/21/2011 - vinodolphin wrote: 89 Points
Open for 4 hours. Very pleasant. Best bottle yet. Dark fruit, smooth.
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12/20/2011 - Patandal wrote: 96 Points
One of my favorites. Very smooth. Great with pasta or a good steak.
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12/19/2011 - Leomania Likes this wine: 88 Points
Poured through Vinturi and waited about an hour to start tasting. Cherry and wet stone on the nose, quite restrained. Blackberry, black currant, more wet stone on the palate; much drier than you might expect, with tannins that aren't as coarse as a pure Malbec often exhibits. I suspect with more open time and a good cut of steak this might present even better, but as it stands it's enjoyable if not a bit overrated.
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12/18/2011 - 1961Vintage wrote: 85 Points
Just another so so bottle over over hyped branded Rolland
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11/28/2011 - vinodolphin wrote: 88 Points
This has proven to be a decent stand alone wine. Fruit forward and smooth. My folks would have rated it higher.
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11/25/2011 - Bro wrote: 88 Points
Ditto ... Idem à la première bouteille et j'ajouterai que ma fille Stéphanie, dont nous célébrions le 31ième anniversaire, a adoré ce vin ... Toujours 2 bouteilles magnum de ce millésime que je vais laisser vieillir 2 ans ...
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11/25/2011 - Bro wrote: 88 Points
Quel vin intéressant ! Carafé pendant 30 minutes, du nez à plein, une couleur foncé et beaucoup de matière au goût ... Petits fruits foncés et café sont dominants avec un soupçon de vanille venant démontrer l'excellent contrôle de la barrique de bois ... La finale est intéressante pour un vin de cette catégorie ... Je crois que ce vin peut vieilllir encore facilement plus de 2 ans et peut-être nous en livrer davantage ... Avons dégusté ces deux bouteilles avec des pâtes nappées de sauce à la viande accompagnées de saucisses ...
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11/9/2011 - Sijan wrote: 79 Points
Very tight & closed on initial opening. Decanting and aeration didn't change much. Dark flavors of burnt coffee, cigar ash, and charred oak. Very little fruit. Underwhwleming
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10/23/2011 - wineywhites wrote: 88 Points
Nice structure, but still very fruit forward. Blackberry and ripe plum. Tasty, but not deeply memorable.
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10/13/2011 - DRod wrote: 88 Points
This wine is starting to come around more. Blackberry, blueberry, anise, some woody notes on the nose and a touch hot. On the palate those same big dark fruits with an interesting texture, tobacco, woody notes. Turns a wee bit clove-ish on the transition to the finish. Resolves to dark fruit and ripe tannin. Solid if unspectacular. May rerate on night #2.
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10/11/2011 - rexmerlot wrote: 89 Points
Clear dark purple in colour. Clean nose of black fruit. Dry, med acidity, smooth tannins, med body, Plum, licorice, tar, and smoke on palate. Nice med finish. Nice wine, not a bad value. A good go to wine in a restaurant.
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10/8/2011 - vinodolphin wrote: 88 Points
Opened for an hour. Enjoyed by all. I think this is improving. Subtle fruit and smooth.
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9/14/2011 - slmckenney wrote:
- Garnet color and aromas of blackberry and has flavours of raisin, licorice anise, cedar and almond with a medium/full body with a long finish.
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9/8/2011 - Gob wrote: 87 Points
Dark fruits, mocha, chocolate, spice.... slightly excessive heat... decant... not bad for the price
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9/6/2011 - IcemanUK wrote: 89 Points
Deep purple with black fruit, plums and a hint of vanilla on the nose. Spice, chocolate, dark fruit and plums on the palate with a medium finish. Very good.
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8/13/2011 - stefan.winiger wrote: 90 Points
Decant for 2 hours and enjoy!
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7/28/2011 - bons vinhos wrote: 88 Points
not bad.
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7/22/2011 - dchisholm wrote: 90 Points
Dark cherry, plum and mocha on the nose. Plum, spice and a hint of chocolate on a long finish. Decanted 1/2 hour. Served with BBQ ribs.
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7/16/2011 - Alexroy wrote: 85 Points
Dark, meaty casis chocolate, smooth, dense tasty. Lacking in subtlety needed for great.
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7/4/2011 - aagrawal wrote: 82 Points
Nice fruit, good spice; good red fruits, lacks acid, a bit of an alcoholic kick on the palate; finish is also a bit alcoholic. Good overall but not exceptional.
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6/25/2011 - lumpyelbow wrote:
No notes. PnP. I got bread dough on the nose again. It seemed a little out of balance this time around. Not as good as last time.
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6/21/2011 - Strikermax wrote: flawed
VA. Eén maal een fantastische fles, daarna helaas alleen nog maar troep.
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6/16/2011 - vinodolphin wrote: 86 Points
Open for an hour before drinking. Again, no superstar but pleasant.
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5/13/2011 - degrandcru wrote: 79 Points
Reminds me of a high alcohol Raspberry chocolate cake. Well too overpowering for my taste. 14.5% of Alcohol is just too high for a non fortified wine. Don't find it very complex or refined. Just too thick ,heavy and sweet. Maybe on a cold winter night with some rum in it...
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4/17/2011 - Rickmarcia wrote:
Very smooth - I would buy more.
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3/10/2011 - pc1981 wrote: 89 Points
Very dark garnet in color; bouquet is fruit dominant with hints of herbaceous, floral aromatics. Astringency is high but reduces after a few hours decanting; alcohol is very noticeable. There is sufficient acid to balance things out and create a nice, drinkable wine. I enjoyed the 2006 vintage much more but still can't complain at this price level.
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3/3/2011 - luchavino wrote: 85 Points
Red plum dust leather nose with a rich black fruit palate with some licorice into the finish. With air the cab character starts showing more in the nose and pallet with cranberry and slightly sour currant. Interestingly, more tannin seems to come out over time as more tart cedar is showing on the palate and finish after an hour or so.
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3/1/2011 - isbjoern wrote: 88 Points
Very dark in color; reserved nose; dark berries and cocolate, slighly sweet new world fruit, prominent but smooth tannins, smooth texture, balanced, a bit simple and rather short on the finish. Ready to drink now. - 88 points
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2/26/2011 - Night Train wrote: 91 Points
Just keeps getting better. Has shed some tannins and gained some heft since my first bottle about a year and a half ago. Still fairly tannic, so it should at least hold on for a while. Not as spicy and complex as I recall, but just gushing with blueberries and blackberries. Rich, with a long, rich finish and has enough acids and tannins to cut through rich foods. A stunning value.
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2/26/2011 - kwaky wrote: 88 Points
This is mellowing out, but still too alcoholic and a bit unbalanced.
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1/27/2011 - bmarshall wrote: 87 Points
Very solid, well made wine. Not overly complex.
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1/25/2011 - Double D wrote: 90 Points
Just a bit tannic but fruity enough to go well with fajitas.
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1/24/2011 - Gig Harbor Estate wrote: 85 Points
Cherry and raspberry. A little hot. Improved with some air.
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1/16/2011 - stefan.winiger wrote: 87 Points
Decant at least one hour.
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1/8/2011 - ArtVindelay wrote: 86 Points
Wanted to like this more than I did. Not bad per se, but closed and a bit hot on the finish. Would recommend hanging on to it for a while.
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12/18/2010 - miso02 wrote: 89 Points
Strawberries, raspberries, cherries. Peppery afterkick. Smooth and well balanced with soft tanins. Very enjoyable. Drink now and the next 5 years.
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12/17/2010 - andersb17 Likes this wine: 90 Points
delicious...not overpowering, but refined and complex with smooth finish.
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11/27/2010 - sraders wrote: 89 Points
Great wine quality value ratio. Nice blend and pleasant tannin balance with dark fruit aroma
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11/8/2010 - ksmith wrote: 84 Points
Dark purple. Nose of blueberries and vanilla. Palate has dark fruits, oak and a medium finish. OK wine but not very interesting.
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10/16/2010 - Lessthanzero wrote: 89 Points
could have been better with a decant.
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10/10/2010 - wineywhites wrote: 89 Points
Smooth, rich. Definitely a Roland wine. Not necessarily the best for food, but fabulous for a fall evening quaff.
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10/9/2010 - Bcw1989 wrote: 87 Points
Very good bottle of wine. Tannins are softer than when purchased several years ago. Deep ruby color with hints of blackberry and coffee. Great with spicy food. Good wine for the price.
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9/30/2010 - chefpete wrote:
I can not rate need YEARS to mellow out - the malbec is so sharp.
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9/26/2010 - DRod wrote:
Appearance: Opaque, red/purple rim.
Nose: Huge black/blueberries on nose w smoky/wood burning notes.
Palate: Big, astringent. Too young to rate.
This is not accessible right now, and I can't honestly recommend opening this anytime soon based on my experience. Not rating at this stage.
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9/18/2010 - CobraKahn wrote: 89 Points
Very good for the price; lots of fruit and good balance.
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8/30/2010 - brun98 wrote:
very good fruit characteristics. 1 more year in bottle might be better for balance
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8/30/2010 - Alexroy wrote: 87 Points
Dark black purple. Very harsh. Improved massively after a couple of days open and ends up very nice. Few more years in bottle needed.
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8/15/2010 - pagejshawjr wrote: 88 Points
Deep colors, intense body, concentrated, full with ripe fruit.
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8/7/2010 - jtt300 wrote: 88 Points
nice black fruit. opened up through the night
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8/5/2010 - ob2s wrote: 84 Points
maybe another 2 years it will settle down.
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7/21/2010 - gr8r84u wrote:
Unwind with Blind Wine - Networking Social: Bottle #2 was overall ranked #5 of the tasting. 40% had in top 3
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7/19/2010 - jupiter33 wrote: 90 Points
Drank over 2 days. 2 hour decant and venturi and cooled to 58 degrees per bottle. Nose is muted. Tastes of cocoa dust and dark fruit. On day 2 hint of cherry as well. Very smooth integrated tannins and although finish is slightly warm, the alcohol is well contained. 45-60 second finish.
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7/18/2010 - tarheel17 wrote:
good value for $16 blend. Crowd-pleasing.
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7/14/2010 - Redrunners wrote: 90 Points
Great wine with filet mignon. Smooth and flavorful
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7/12/2010 - MCrawford wrote: 88 Points
A bit young still. Decanted over 2+ hours. Nice black fruit with a nose that was slow to open up. Tight, but could improve over the next year or so. Not as good as the 05 version. Still think it's a pretty solid wine, especially at the price.
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6/20/2010 - kwaky Likes this wine: 85 Points
Popped and poured. Have had this lying in wine fridge for 6 months and thought to try it. Tannin and acidity are much lower than a previous bottle (about 9 months before.) Going to try again in 6 months as this could evolve a little further. Great value for a daily drinker.
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6/18/2010 - iamandyc wrote: 83 Points
Much better day 2. Coarse, huge and out of balance. Very big fruit, not much nose, black tea on the finish. SOmewhat bitter. Not a fan.
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6/5/2010 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 89 Points
Medium purple. Nose cherry, spice, floral, and coffee. On the palate it shows spice, earth, raspberries, cherry and floral notes. Good concentration and medium finish. Overall a nice drinking experience.
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6/4/2010 - Schönibert wrote: 84 Points
Zunächst bitter, alkoholisch und scharf bei eingekochten heidelbeeren. Gekühlt und dann nochmal, Wein öffnet sich, wird zunehmend runder, trinkiger. Nen Rest ist noch da in der Mag. für Tag 2. Mal sehen
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5/29/2010 - vinniemontoni wrote: 86 Points
Decanted for two hours. Was looking forward to this but was somewhat disappointed. Nice fruity bouquet. Medium weight and soft fruit on the palate with a bit of chocolate. Some oak and tannins. The finish was long and overall nice but had a bitter note that was somewhat annoying. Nevertheless the bottle was ok, but probably would not repeat.
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5/28/2010 - pvetsch wrote:
Really really good value wine for $24CAD! More complexity than the standard Mendoza Malbec -- a little spice to go with the bright fruit. Really impressive.
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5/22/2010 - stephen locke wrote: 90 Points
Village Wine Tasting (Village Hall): Deep red with purple hues. Full open nose with primary fruit and some secondary cedar vanilla and spice. Easy to drink - ripe tannins giving structure and plenty of sweet fruit and balancing acidity. New world - but better than I feared! - not over the top at all and very enjoyable. Would be great with some food.
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5/22/2010 - Vinacull wrote: 85 Points
P&P with dinner. Color very dark red with lots of purple tones, opaque, sediment in bottle. Aromas and flavors of nondescript black fruits, coffee, graphite and earth. Medium-low acid, medium level tannins that are still youthful. A nice amount of earth in the structured finish. Overall very good, but nothing notable to make it memorable. OK value at 13.
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5/21/2010 - theoakkermans wrote: 90 Points
Geur: Zwart fruit (pruim), toast, tabak, rokerig
Smaak:Fruitig, rokerig, smeltende taninnes, lange nasmaak met ceder en kruiden. Lekker!
Na een paar uur komt de wijn helemaal los. Ik ruik fruit wat het midden houd tussen perzik en ananas. heerlijk. Puntje erbij
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5/19/2010 - Quarked wrote: 88 Points
After sitting in my cellar in for a year, this was much better than previous bottle. Alcohol was more subdued, flavors came through. Since I've seen lower prices on this recently, it may be worth going back and getting some more now.
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5/18/2010 - ksmith wrote: 86 Points
Dark purple, fruit forward, not overly sweet, lots of plum and blackberry. Smooth tannins, medium finish. This is what it is, won't get any better, so enjoy now.
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5/15/2010 - Tuffdawg wrote: 83 Points
Very fruit forward upon opening with very nice aromatics. As the bottle got more air, the fruit faded a bit and the heat from the alcohol persisted. Was a strange experience with the first glass a 91 the second a 88 and so on.
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5/15/2010 - EJZ wrote: 92 Points
Great bottle of wine! Fruit forward, inky dark, beautiful nose and long finish. Michel Rolland knows what he is doing with his micro-oxigenation program. Everything about this wine says expensive, but it is not.
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5/12/2010 - redlovesred Likes this wine: 88 Points
Allowed this wine to breathe for about 3 hours and it was a completely different experience.
The wine looks Garnet colored.
The legs are Medium.
It smells like and Oak.
It tastes like and Black currant (cassis).
The body is Full.
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5/11/2010 - vinodolphin wrote: 85 Points
Allowed bottle to sit open for 2 hours. Very smooth with nice berry flavors. It was pleasant. My folks are Merlot drinkers and liked it very much. I prefer a bit bolder blend but it provided a nice close to a wonderful Mother's Day.
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4/22/2010 - bryanjmatthews Likes this wine: 89 Points
berry and vanilla on the nose, nice oak and fruit on the tongue. slightly hot and acidic, but VERY nice smooth wine. Would love to drink again.
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4/20/2010 - Patches wrote: 90 Points
Stylistically I like this wine. It's balanced and nicely structured. The flavors are dominated by coffee, cedar and spice but there is plenty of black fruit and a little blueberry in there too. As much as I like this wine, it lacks some character and is not particularly interesting.
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4/17/2010 - SoCal wrote: 84 Points
Drank over 2 days. Nice nose and attack but the wine lacks midpalate. The finish is deceptive due to the hot nature of the wine. Overall just ok no real depth. It feels like a bulk wine proped up with oak. For the price I would go Italy.
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4/17/2010 - dinokourafas wrote: 88 Points
Oak on the nose
Full flavor
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4/16/2010 - Strikermax wrote: 90 Points
Donkerpaars, enigzins visceus. Toast, eikenhout en tabak in de neus, volle smaak van donker fruit, kruiden en eikenhout. Zijdezacht. Een Bordeaux uit Argentinië.
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4/8/2010 - SkydiveMike wrote:
At Julie's Burthday dinner
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4/5/2010 - snaff wrote: 88 Points
A little tight and tannic right now, but shows promise with bright red cherry and raspberry, some bell pepper and spice.
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4/1/2010 - Plusvini wrote: 86 Points
Very drinkable but not as good as previous vintages I have had. Crafted more for the here-and-now crowd, its a bit one dimensional. Still, at $27, I'll keep a few bottles around.
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3/23/2010 - Nomadirish wrote: 87 Points
Young with light oak and vanilla flavor. While I enjoyed the scent and taste, there was a rather tannic, mouth drying taste. That said, would try again given the price point.
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3/21/2010 - D H Grant wrote: 89 Points
Overall, another strong vintage for Clos de los Siete. 2007 is no hammer but a lot of great elements are here. You get some standout juiciness with good depth. Deep blood ruby with glistening edges. Dark fruit, dark currents, subtle earthy spices on the nose. Supple palate and some distinct but background tannins from the oak and grape. Has an earthy touch with deep dark fruit. Good acidity and mineral notes on the finish. Wine has pretty good structure and pretty sure this will evolve nicely over a year or 2. VG QPR.
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3/20/2010 - RedLoverJim Likes this wine: 90 Points
Farpointe Saturday (Farpointe Cellar): Rich, some meaty tones. Smooth, full textured feel. Yummy!
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3/20/2010 - wineismylife wrote: 89 Points
Saturdays at One - Volume 13: WIML89-90
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of smoke, roasted meat, blueberries and a hint of currants. Flavors of boyseberries, black berries and black cherries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium body. Drink over the short term. Slightly better than the previous bottle.
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3/20/2010 - mmurry Likes this wine: 88 Points
South America (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had cherry and raspberry, a little leather and spice, and some floral notes at the end. The palate was fairly soft, with black currant and cherry, some mocha and leather, and a good amount of spice on the finish.
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3/4/2010 - Lessthanzero wrote: 90 Points
Actually performed well for a change. This has got to be a disaster wine, QC wise.
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3/3/2010 - cwm123 wrote: 79 Points
very little noteworthy in this wine.
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2/27/2010 - Arch57 wrote:
No score because I had a head cold and could not smell anything. My wife gave it a thumbs up though.
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2/26/2010 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
Medium purple. Blackberries, floral, smoke and oak on the nose. Concentrated wine with blackberries, smoke, oak, vanilla and spices. Medium finish and very nice overall.
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2/25/2010 - DoubleMagnum wrote: 89 Points
Quite extracted but not bad at all. Many people will dig this style.
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2/23/2010 - Gregcrick@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Ah yes, well - pretty good. You MUST decant this for a minimum one hour in order to pick up what this wine is putting down. Nice dark ruby colour. Full body. I'm going with mainly black cherry on the nose. I'm finding that there is a really nice balance between the fruit, the earth, the acid, the oak and the astringency. It is a well made wine. I can't say that I'm picking up all the complexity that Parker lists: pencil lead, black olive, red peppercorns, blackberry, sweet roasted fennel, lavender, cassis, milk chocolate and blueberry and the savory notes of dill, warm clay, finely ground pepper and licorice. Maybe it helps if your buddies with Michel Rolland the Oenologist who consulted on this wine - I don't know. I get a lot of those notes but not all, that could just be my palate or the day. I would disagree on it being "lengthy". Not bad mind you but not long in my opinion. I guess my main criticism would be that I would like a little more distinctness, a little more personality - individuality. Having said all that. I recommend this wine as a good value and a really solid performer.
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2/21/2010 - Lessthanzero wrote: 87 Points
Not all that. just never came together. 86-87
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2/17/2010 - eelgerg wrote: 86 Points
not so good. no depth of flavour at all. missing fruit on the palate.....not big and bold at all. won't buy again.
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2/14/2010 - JonathanFlavell wrote: 85 Points
Very handsome wine in bottle, glass and smell. Big and bold with very evident fruits. Hard to describe in some ways. Taste perhaps didn't quite live up to this but after a couple of mouthfuls it opened up into a very pleasing and interesting wine. Would certainly have again and may be worth keeping.
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2/14/2010 - dboatguy wrote: 88 Points
Nice wine - still like it - Nice 85-89 point wine.
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2/13/2010 - Partenaire wrote: 85 Points
Doit être carafé plusieurs heures. Notes de prune, de pruneaux et d'épices. Très viril. Matière noble en bouche, avec une structure puissante, mais bien enveloppée. Me laisse dans un dilemme quant à son potentiel de garde. Soit qu'il sera très long, ou très court!
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2/6/2010 - dwoody wrote: 87 Points
Big and slightly inky. Blue fruit and some dusty wood on the nose. Ripe blue and black fruits hit the palate with not much else. Slightly one dimensional. While this is fairly priced, I would say there are better values in Argentina at this price point.
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2/2/2010 - PDavisMarble wrote: 85 Points
Bought and poured same day. Nice, fairly simple wine. Enjoyable, drinkable, matches well with food. Fruity and fresh. Very good price value.
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2/2/2010 - stephenv wrote: 89 Points
Great qpr.
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1/31/2010 - avp wrote:
Opaque purple.
Ripe darker fruit on the nose: blackberry, cassis, prune and black cherry. Some vegetal/floral and earthy notes as well as woody oak and some spiciness.
Full-bodied and sweetishly (no jamminess) fruity, with a balancing acidity and decent semi-grippy tannins. Some herbaceousness, liquorice, mineral nuances and graphite. Dull slightly chocolaty oakiness on the backround. Quite lenghty aftertaste with some awkward metallic astringency dominating.
The wine did breathe for a couple of hours without any major improvement - perhaps a long decant could have helped. Anyway a rather dull experience that I'm probably not going to renew.
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1/30/2010 - dmalcolm wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured. Medium to full bodied, black fruits, licorice and chalk. Was a bit muted at first but opened up nicely in the glass.
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1/23/2010 - tward wrote: 84 Points
Pop/poured. Decent enough, new oak, ripe flavors, boring and lacking finesse. I couldn't find anything to like about this wine, but didn't hate it either.
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1/22/2010 - OTTnMIA wrote: 89 Points
I enjoyed this bottle. Big almost overwhelming wine, but a nice balance of the rough flavors of the region. Interesting stuff, would definitely drink again. Would pair well with a steak.
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1/17/2010 - moudy wrote: 85 Points
Rough, heavy wine with a lot of oak. I think we drank it too young,,,,
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1/16/2010 - chapel hill wino wrote:
significantly less oaky than previous bottles. much more enjoyable.
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1/9/2010 - moods wrote: 90 Points
Big n bold, and makes very nice drinking. Lovely perfumed nose. Plenty of complex red fruit and creamy vanilla spice aromas. Nicely balanced palate. Plenty of depth to the fruit without being jammy. Fresh acidity and well integrated tannin. Very supple. Suspect it will develop over the next year or two. Certainly has enough backbone. Don't think it'll go long distance though, but why wait when its drinking well now anyway, particularly with a juicy rare sirloin?!
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1/4/2010 - Lulu2 wrote: 89 Points
very complex good with heavy meats- oops already taken.. great with Argentinian sausage, after am afternoon of 91Fsightseeing!!:)
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1/2/2010 - cipscellar wrote: 84 Points
it had nice fruit taste like a light Zin
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12/31/2009 - Lessthanzero wrote: 90 Points
Good long decant is definitely the way to go here. THis bottle cmae together much better than previous ones, with better balanced acidity.
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12/31/2009 - benzittlau wrote: 87 Points
Lots of fruit, strong tanins.
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12/24/2009 - Lessthanzero wrote: 88 Points
I don't know why I just can't get back to the same nice territory where I started with this wine. Too acidic.
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12/23/2009 - jbrater wrote: 88 Points
Had another bottle with the same results--still yummy. Maybe better this time. Also supported my initial thought that this could age a year or three.
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12/22/2009 - Alemany wrote: 89 Points
Very complex. Good with heavy meats...
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12/20/2009 - jbrater wrote: 88 Points
Nice complex blend of malbec, merlot, cab, and syrah. Good fruit with cherries and raspberries, maybe a hint of strawberry. A touch of licorice, and nice oakiness. Good tannins, too. Nice on the finish. Enough depth to cellar for a few years. Will definitely buy more and wait to see...
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12/16/2009 - cannym wrote: 87 Points
Dark, almost black. Tar, blackberries and spices. Huge wine, maybe just too young. Suffered badly by being paired witha lovely 2005 C-d-R Villages, Rastau which was much more elegant and better balanced (and on its own is quite a big wine).
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12/13/2009 - Lessthanzero wrote: 89 Points
Nice dark fruits as always. acid levels and tannins speak of a wine with some longevity. past vintages do not...
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12/8/2009 - crowino wrote: 89 Points
Started a bit too cool, fresh from cellar, but wow! I like the acid and tannins, great structure, but totally numbed fruit due to the cold. Will see how it warms. Nose remains subdued. It becomes a nice dry crunchy pucker-inducer, but the fruit is subdued, and the pallete is dominated by tannins and acid. Definately more to the austere side. It will likely soften nicely and be smooth and integrated in 3-5 yrs. I'll likely get more, good aging potential at a reasonable (for Canada) price.
The next day it really rounded out nicely and developed a nice balance, still has a lot of tannins to shed, so I'm sticking with the initial notion of getting a few more and lying them down for a bit.
Three days on and still drinking well, albeit smoother and more integrated. If it needs to be criticised I would say the fruit is a bit austere, and that it needs food to reach its full potential. This isn't a bad thing however.
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12/6/2009 - michigan dogs wrote: 84 Points
good, smooth, not a great taste, little fruit
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11/30/2009 - tendring wrote: 81 Points
Wine Education Service - The Wines of Michel Rolland (LSE): Inky, intense blackcurrant, no age.
Quite dumb on the nose, eventually very sweet fruit.
Fruity, very tannic, black cherries, peppery spice, chocolate, good length.
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11/29/2009 - PJHaveron wrote: 88 Points
Good robust wine - excellent for a late summer BBQ - lots of spice and peppery notes
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11/28/2009 - nickfonk wrote: 90 Points
tres belle surprise, connaissant le travail de MR cela ne m'étonne pas. Ce vin est très bien fait, au gout, à la balance fort étudiés. Certes MR est responsable d'une uniformisation du gout des vins, il se rapproche plus d'un chimiste que d'un œnologue. Mais force est de constater qu'a ce prix la, je ne trouve pas de bordeaux aussi bien faits. Nez tres fruité, puissant, en bouche c'est lourd en restant tres agreable, souple, une finale un peu courte, qui donne envie de vite rependre une gorgée. Le fast food du vin, étudié pour qu'il plaise a un plus grand nombre tout en maximisant les profits. Bravo MR.
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11/27/2009 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 88 Points
Young and still a bit tight.
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11/26/2009 - Lessthanzero wrote: 88 Points
Can anyone say bottle variation? I have had a few so far, and while this wasn't bad, it also isn'tthe wine you want to bring to a party. Not at all as good as my last bottles. Too much acid, much less integration.
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11/24/2009 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 89 Points
Argentina $20 to $40 (Ray's Home): This was good to try a recent vintage. 48% Malbec, 28& Merlot, 12% cab, 12% Syrah. The nose has cedar, black cherries, plums and dust. This is soft and easy to drink. Good black cherry fruit on the palate. Nice finish. I liked this more than the group, but found it lush and quenching. Compared to the 03, it seemed a dozen years younger.
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11/23/2009 - lumpyelbow wrote: 90 Points
Full bodied, good weight. Bread dough on the nose, nettles. A little racy, sweet fruit balanced by good tannin.
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11/19/2009 - Lessthanzero wrote: 90 Points
Must. Decant.
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11/14/2009 - Lessthanzero wrote: 90 Points
as before
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11/14/2009 - toontune wrote: 87 Points
Day one medium fruity, day two matures with nice depth
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11/13/2009 - Hazeo wrote: 88 Points
Tight and a bit green. Dense and needs time. Got better with air ... a wine for meaty bordeaux drinkers and I can see this being really enjoyable with age.
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11/11/2009 - Purple Grillz wrote: 88 Points
First of all, this wine is an excellent value for anyone who enjoys left bank Bordeaux, Brunello di Montalcino or other tannic wines. This definitely needs time to open up and should ideally not be opened for at least 4 or 5 years. Unless you want that grip or are eating some braised fatty meat. This drinks like many left bank Bordeauxs and Brunellos three times its price. The overall flavor profile is focused on the green, brown, stone spectrum, with just a hint of fruit bring you back for another sip. This wine belongs with food, sipped between bites this will make every morsel of meat taste as good as the last.
I am saving a case to follow throughout for the next 10-15 years. I am a young wine collector and this a safe gamble to see if I want to invest any patience in somewhat austere wines.
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11/7/2009 - smphelps wrote: 90 Points
Dark violet. Opened about two hours before drinking but not decanted. Served at about 65 degrees. Impresive stucture, weight and balance. Hard to get a handle on the nose, but tending to current and boysenberry. Tobacco, tar, graphite, slate, all in the mid-palate. Good lenght and grip on the finish.
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10/14/2009 - Battleship wrote: 85 Points
Maybe its just young, but it is sure tannic and one dimensional right now. It may have ageing potential, but I don't have any left and dont plan to buy any more to test the theory.
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10/9/2009 - BonaFin wrote: 84 Points
Dark inky reddish violet colour with some residues. On the note ripe blueberries with raspberries, a hint of balckcurrant leaves. In the mouth very fullbodied and round with rising acids and an adequate amount of tannins which are at this point not fully integrated. Oaky spice flavours, a round and big impression which is a bit hard to define precisely, ripe red fruit and blueberries mostly. A long aftertaste which however, is quite similar to the initial impression in teh mouth. Would probably benefit quite a lot from aging for 2-3 years at least. Not at all disagreeable, however not very defined, a bit sloppy even at this point. At this point, I'd venture to say a bit overpriced, but I might regret my words in a few years.
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10/8/2009 - amateurwino wrote: 90 Points
Earthy, bit of funk on nose - rich, concentrated fruit. Good QPR. Previous vintages of this did nothing for me, but this was nice.
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10/4/2009 - cherog wrote: 75 Points
Did not like this wine.
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9/28/2009 - ksmith wrote: 86 Points
Fruit forward, blueberry, smoke nd spice, decent drink but not overwhelmed.
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9/28/2009 - Schönibert wrote: 85 Points
Unruhig, kantig, hart. Starkes Holz
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9/24/2009 - bfleischer wrote: 87 Points
Decanted for an hour. Not showing the heat for me as others have stated. I get a more earthy mineral taste going on than dark fuit. I took a few sips when I first opened the bottle and the tannins gave more of a mouth pucker than it is now after the hour decant . The finish is longer than I expected and is not short at all . I am no expert but if I tasted this blind I dont belive I would have guessed Argentina and agree with Ben that it has cote similarities. I like it I don't love it but considering I only paid 10 bucks a bottle for me the QPR is pretty damn good. I actually am going to save a bottle to see if it does get any better just to see if the tannins and structure will develope into anything more complex. Hey at ten bucks I have nothing to lose.
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9/22/2009 - TexasBob wrote: 88 Points
Crisp Bordeaux blend on the nose. Beautiful blood-red color with high alcohol content. Reminds me a bit of an unusually good Georgian Saperavi. Pepper and dark fruits dominate. 60+ second finish. Very well done.
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9/19/2009 - mbalk wrote: 86 Points
nice dark red opaque color. bouquet oak and black currant. Lots of nice red fruit and even tannins. For the price, a great bottle.
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9/16/2009 - bkarney wrote: 87 Points
double decant monster. even then was still very very tannic. at the end of the night it smoothed out. this is a baby and if consumed now, better the next day.
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9/11/2009 - Ben Frost wrote: 86 Points
Definitely reminded me of a Cotes Du Rhone. Pretty rustic, not at all fruity and very balanced. Dark fruit with slight earthy notes. I found it to be very simplistic, but also enjoyable. The tannins were pretty fine and will smooth out in a year or two, but I don't think it would gain any complexity. I didn't find it to be hot at all.
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9/5/2009 - merryberry wrote: 88 Points
Purple core with red edges. Spicey red and black fruit nose, with some earthy undertones. Sweet plummy fruit, firm woody tannins, good acid, nicely balanced, and a medium to long finish. Not catching the heat the others reviews mention. Unique and very nice.
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9/4/2009 - David J Cooper wrote:
Dark red. At first the nose showed a lot of fruit and oak. Then it does indeed become very Rhone like, red fruit, earth and hints of darker fruit. Very dry furit falvours and lots of tannins to balance everything in the end. A very good wine. Nothing like previous vintages. Still was a bit too fruity to think Europe. Of course the 07s in the South of France share a lot with this wine. My wife guessed 07 Southern Rhone.
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9/2/2009 - Paul_Stagg wrote: 84 Points
Nose of huge dark fruit, and some spice/heat.
The fruit disappears pretty quickly, leaving tannins, spice, and oak, and a lot of heat. Finish is OK, the fruit seems to reappear a bit at the end.
Not bad, not fantastic, worked with grilled burgers, but I could do better for $18 a bottle.
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9/2/2009 - Jorggarz wrote: 80 Points
Bueno badanas
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9/1/2009 - ocattorney wrote: 79 Points
Did not feel this wine at all. The nose was pleasant with dark fruit and smoke. But there was heat on the nose. Unfortunately, the heat continued on the palate. The very little fruit and oak I extracted was covered up with heat. The wine got very awkward and disjointed with food. I felt like I was taking a shot of booze with the heat on the back end. Even after several hours of being open and on the second day the wine did not improve.
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8/31/2009 - JoshA wrote: 86 Points
This is not a wine for beginners! It's big, bold and raw in every dimension: fruit, tannins, heat, spice. I was of two minds: it is a great wine and it is too harsh for me. My rating split the difference.
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8/29/2009 - Coupe 60 wrote: 87 Points
Popped and poured at a dinner party. Some dark fruit on the nose and on the attack. Slight hint of sweetness.. However, I think that was the high point...I think it was a little thin in the mid palate, and to be honest not as much fruit as the nose promised. Low acidity, medium - body, pretty smooth with soft tannins...finish was also a little short. did not get the alcohol that others mentioned. Possible that this would fill out with a little more airtime...But as drunk I'd call it pretty good but certainly not something to go out of my way to buy again.
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8/24/2009 - Hueg wrote: 88 Points
Needed some time to open up, but still not smooth or integrated enough to make it a truely outstanding drink. Tended to be hot and almost harsh at odd times, particularly when eating.
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8/24/2009 - Quarked wrote: 86 Points
I opened it 2 hours before dinner and was still too hot when we drank it. The next night it was much mellower, but this didn't have the depths of flavor I was expecting given the hype. I'll keep my other bottle for a year and see what comes of it.
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8/11/2009 - cmr wrote: 88 Points
Very nice qpr...the meal I had it with didn't complement to well though .. a little to much chili flavor but on it's own was well balanced and structured and I would think this will evolve to be even better with some time in the bottle. Double Decanted prior.
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8/10/2009 - wine4me2 wrote: 89 Points
Needs a little air time prior to drinking but then it really delivers. At first I noticed more up front fruit but after an hour everything came togeter.
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8/9/2009 - Night Train wrote: 91 Points
Michel Rolland rules! (Oxygenate, oxygenate!) Opened 30 to 45 minutes before drinking. Big nose of Moroccan spices. Same spices plus a lot of cassis on the palate. Very rich and very well-balanced, with a long, spicy finish. Don't know how long it will hold up, but don't care either. Under $17? Cowabunga!
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8/9/2009 - Lessthanzero wrote: 91 Points
Initially I got not much more than the inky purple color out of my glass. It reminded me of many lower end malbecs I have had in that respect. Then it opened up and gave me lovely black currant and some blueberry. Some shaved pencil leftovers reminded me of a nice bdx, but the price of the bottle thankfully told me that it was from South America. I could drink this all night long. There's enough tannins to buy a case and not really worry about when during the next couple of years it will be had. THis wine is very fruit forward and the main knock will be that it is not overly complex. Oh well. Not every wine can be the best wine I have ever had. I'm satisfied to just have a little glass of liquid delight.
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8/2/2009 - cummingstom1 wrote: 89 Points
dark fruit with some spice
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7/5/2009 - RussK wrote: 86 Points
RUSSK A bit of a letdown, given the hipe. Hot nose and taste at first. After a 6hr decant, it was less hot, but somewhat bitter (probably the Syrah) and dry. Would not buy again, even for 1/2 the price.
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6/27/2009 - wineismylife wrote: 88 Points
DAWGS June 2009 - South America (bigred_seeker's house in University Park, Dallas, TX): WIML88
Tasted June 27, 2009 at an offline.
Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of cocoa powder, black currants and blueberries. Flavors of currants, plums and black cherries. Light to medium acidity, firm tannins, maybe medium body. Seems a little light weight for a Rolland wine. Drink over the short to medium term is my guess.
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6/27/2009 - jmull wrote: 89 Points
48% Malbec, with the rest Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah. Thick, dark and inky. The brambly Malbec fruit is smoothed out and restrained somewhat by the smoky, meaty and peppery flavors that I assume come from the Syrah component. Extremely broad and mouth-coating, with a soft, fine grained tannic structure and good length. Impressive for the price point. 89.
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6/22/2009 - thatchie wrote: 90 Points
Such a good, solid drink. Ripe berry fruits, red cherry kick; embracing mouth-feel. Medium length finish with a dusting of powdered cocoa.
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6/19/2009 - JOsgood wrote: 89 Points
Again this was super and an incredible bargain. It begs to be paired with a big steak or a juicy hamburger. Terrific concentration. Great texture. Lenghty finish.
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6/18/2009 - AtoZ wrote: 91 Points
liked this much better than expected. And at $15.99 quite a bargain. With short ribs at home. Just a nice blend, nice flavors, not too much oak. Not one to think about forever but a good drink.
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6/14/2009 - Snoman wrote: 90 Points
Best of Rolland's CdlSietes to date. Amazing quality of both winemaking and fruit at this pricepoint, with Malbec's bramble, Merlot's and Syrah's sweetness in background, and Cab Sauv's structure all in perfect balance, and surrounded by amazingly soft tannins for this wine's youth. Loaded with blackberry, leather & cedar. I'm off to pick up a case to stash away for a couple of years.
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6/2/2009 - JOsgood wrote: 90 Points
This wine was great. One of the best I've had from Argentina. You can't beat the value price on it either. Nice concentration with good fruit, controlled oak and a memorable finish. It can soften a bit with some time as Tanzer notes but why wait when it is so good and reasonable?
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5/29/2009 - daver852 wrote: 88 Points
Nice wine. Big and burly, a bit harsh when opened, but mellowed out nicely with an hour or two of air. A blend of several grape varieties, but all I could taste was Malbec. There's a lot of underlying structure in this wine, and I think it may show better in another two or three years. But you can drink it now if you decant it, and give it a bit of breathing room. Very good value at less than $10.
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5/25/2009 - stratego wrote: 84 Points
Rethinking my last rating on this wine. It is good but I had it too high and that showed when it followed the big bordeaux we had.
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5/24/2009 - Edward A wrote: 89 Points
Purchased retail and consumed same day. 14.5% ABV. Dark purple color. Fruity nose with hints of raisin. Well-rounded, but a bit strong with the alcohol taste. Short-medium length finish. Good QPR. Be careful, this one stains quite a bit!
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5/22/2009 - wcacern wrote: 89 Points
uncorked at the wine dispensers (Wine Exchange): 14.5% alcohol. dark cherry, pomegranate, blueberry, dusty earth, and coffee notes. bitter firm mouth puckering tannins. opened up more with some air time. better than the 06' i tasted.
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5/20/2009 - DR65DODGE wrote: 90 Points
Great deal for the money Going to let this one age a little
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5/18/2009 - Wink wrote: 83 Points
Brought by dinner guests last night. Popped and poured tonight. Dark purple with ruby rim. Nose of melted tar, blueberry and alcohol. Fruit forward palate with dark fruit and oak. Short finish. Mild tannins. Too little acidiy. Tastes too much of alcohol. Out of balance.
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5/14/2009 - Tarrant wrote: 90 Points
Awesome, this is such a good wine, it's given us so much pleasure over the past few years that it's hard not to gush even if this vintage is a touch less than that of the previous years - Dark, well concentrated with notes of plum, cherry, chocolate and vanilla on the nose, very well structured and balanced, silky smooth on the finish with terrific length, a winner for sure (90 Points).
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5/11/2009 - chapel hill wino wrote:
ugh, an oak monster. Overpowering on the second night, almost undrinkable. I'm not usually so sensitive to oak, but how disappointing.
NOT SO GOOD.
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5/7/2009 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 90 Points
Amazing value from Argentina by none other than Michel Rolland!! Beautiful dark purple color, Aromas of dark fruits, cocoa, cream de cassis, along with some mineral. The soft velvety tannins give this wine a finish leaving a great coat of dark fruit behind. 48% Malbec, 28% Merlot, 12% Syrah, and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. Far superior to the '06 vintage. - JD90+
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5/3/2009 - wicozani wrote: 88 Points
A young bruiser indeed! Dark robe, with a nose seemingly consistent for many of us - blueberries, blackberries, black currant, a hint of leather and spice. Bracing attack with initial drying tannins, that mellowed nicely after 30 minutes in the decanter. Good structure, very malbec-dominant, meaning less fruit than you'd expect, good extraction, a hint of spice. No red fruits to speak of here, nor typical anise or eucalyptus, like I generally prefer. This has signs of aging well, and we'll check again in a few years.
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5/2/2009 - RATER wrote: 77 Points
Quiet disappointed, I expected more; WS 88 and WA 91+. What kind of palates do they have?
Anyway, Color: atractive deep plum; Nose: decent but mostly oak/wood; Palate: overpowered by oak/alcohol, one dimensional and lacking character/structure; Finish: oak, and oak and more oak...Even though young, I don't see this improving much with time.
In my opinion overpriced, I'd taste it again but won't buy it. Too high marks for an average wine!
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4/28/2009 - stratego wrote: 88 Points
This is a wine typical of Mendoza. It has a lot of fruit and a tannic powdery finish. There is nothing not to like about the wine and at today's prices it is a great value.
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4/25/2009 - pete s. wrote: 86 Points
South American Blind Tasting (Simon's House): Disappointment of the night. Total oak bomb...overpowered the fruit. Loved the '06 which made it even more disappointing. The oak integrated slightly as the night went on but not what I was expecting.
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4/20/2009 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Ohio v World; 4/20/2009-4/21/2009 (Columbus, Ohio): 3rd place. Not as bad as I thought it would be. Reasonable balance and charm here with a very nice harmonious fruit.
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4/19/2009 - mouton45 wrote: 91 Points
very good. get more
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4/15/2009 - nytiger wrote: 91 Points
very nice
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4/14/2009 - jhannah27 wrote: 87 Points
A bit tight with rigid tannins for the first half hour or so, but then it just sort of relaxed all at once to reveal some bold, but not overpowering fruit flavors. Nose never really became overly expressive, but did give up some anise, black currant and blueberry. Taste follows the nose with just a touch of acid and heat out of the finish. Based on this bottle alone, it is no doubt more approachable right now than the 06 was at this same point last year, but I am not going to say that this wine is better than the 06 because I experienced quite a bit of bottle variance in that vintage.
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4/4/2009 - tkoby11 wrote: 89 Points
Great wine for the money. Great bargain blend of malbec, merlot, syrah and cabernet sauvignon: 48/28/12/12% for this vintage. If you can get for under $15 its a great buy, however I have seen it for $20 and over. That is not exactly priced at fair market value. Load of earthy black currant and blackberry mingle with some leather and just enough oak to notice it in the wine and give it some additional structure and complexity.
Color: Dark purple black center, red edges
Nose: Leather, smoky black fruit some iron and loamy notes
Palate: Loads of earthy black currant and blackberry mingle with some leather and just enough oak to notice it in the wine and give it some additional structure and complexity.
www.tomswineblog.blogspot.com
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3/26/2009 - Wine Curmudgeon wrote:
All that you would expect -- over-ripe, over-extracted, aggressive and powerful. It was even bigger than a Monterrey cabernet blend that I tasted after it, and that's not easy to do. There's a reason the man has his reputation. Plus, it's fair value for the price. People who like this style of wine will write poems about. The rest of us will drink something else.
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3/12/2009 - SimonG wrote:
Caroline's bash (Windsor): A bruiser. very full-on ripe malbec fruit given a bit of complexity with the others grapes in the blend. Distinctively typical. Currently this is a chargrilled steak wine that appeals to some and not others. Not for me currently, but having drunk a bottle of the 2004 last weekend (well, we managed half of it anyway), this certainly has the ability to calm down and develop with age. Probably needs 5 years. **(*)
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3/4/2009 - jtabor wrote: 91 Points
Rich cherry and mud nose. Flavor: Nice red, blue and purple fruit with a tall, continuous flavor profile that never dips off and that has a different personality at each tongue position. Finishes long with a conservative vanilla and light oakiness that is for once very pleasant. This is a steal.
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3/3/2009 - chatters wrote: 84 Points
Oddbins Fine Wine Tasting The Americas
Nose: Blackcurrant, Raspberry, sulphur, cloves, fish (eh?), menthol and even a touch of eucalyptus
Mouth: Tannin (soft and balanced), quite dry, blackcurrant, tobacco and a bitter finish
Addtl Notes: 48% Malbec, 28% Merlot, 12% Cab, 12% Syrah. 14.5%. $15. 66% New Oak. It's okay but the finish really lets it down. Just a bit dull, for me.
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2/24/2009 - nytiger wrote: 88 Points
Seems to have a lot of power in reserve, a little unidimensional but enjoyable
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2/9/2009 - peetee wrote: 87 Points
Nice bright ruby colour. The nose was really inexpressive virtually closed. When aromas did appear they were lovely with blackberry and coffee. Flavours were almost as difficult to get but there was surprising smoothness on the palate given the wine's youth with very fine tannins well integrated with the fruit and some lovely earthy and spicy back flavours. Perhaps I will need to keep the other bottle for a year or two in the hope that it will open up. There's clear;y something really good trying to come out.
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1/30/2009 - pablopicasso wrote: 88 Points
Creamy rasberies and vanilla on the nose and the pallate as well. Finish had a fruit flavored bitterness, suggesting the wine is still young. Quite deilcious.
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1/27/2009 - Patches wrote: 89 Points
Upon opening the wine displayed aromas of freshly ground coffee and dark chocolate, smoke and spice. After two hours, showed some blackberry, vanilla and a little casis. Nice structure with good balance of tannin, acid and fruit. There is a nice black cherry component on the palate. Definitely needs a little time in the cellar, as it is pretty tight, although it is enjoyable now too.
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1/18/2009 - PatrickinKW wrote: 91 Points
Deep purple with a great nose. More backward than previous vintages. Needs a few years to come around. This is great year after year with this being one of the best.
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1/16/2009 - bkarney wrote: 88 Points
Very tight, needed a lot of time to open fully; was noticeably better on the second day in terms of the nose and taste. Will be great QPR once it has some time to come together in the bottle.
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1/10/2009 - meatman wrote: 89 Points
Good but very young. Needs a couple of hours inthe decanter to really open up. Like a lot of young Rolland wines, the fruit is good but the oak is a little heavy at this point. But I think it just needs some time in the cellar.
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12/16/2008 - drdebs wrote: 90 Points
Needs time to settle down, but it will be very good for the price when it does (next fall, I suspect). Plummy color. Plum, raisin, and fig flavors with licorice and plum aromas. Nicely made. Complex for the price. blend of Malbec, Merlot, Cab Sauvignon, and Syrah.
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