Tannins have softened some with age and the cherry fruit is more stewy these days than bright or candied like I remember from years past. Still drinking nicely but maybe 2-3 years past the prime window.
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Two good bottles in a row now with 2 remaining. This bottle tasted much more balanced with the fresh concord grape flavor coming back to save the day. The tannins are still strong but the acidity keeps it fresh. It never has quite reached the potential that I expected but for a $16/bottle outlay I think I can live with that.
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After some real bottle variation I've finally had one that reminds me of what was so good about this wine on release. Really pure dark fruit with meaty notes and an almost smoky character finishing off dry. It may go further but I won't like this if the fruit fades any more than it already has.
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Decanted for two hours before consuming. Real interesting blend. Nice aroma of dark fruits, plum, and violet. The same characteristics carry though to the palate with additional minerality and a bit of spice. Great balance but finishes with sligthly gripping tannins. Needs fatty foods to tone down some of the tannins. Incredible value for what I paid. I'd get a case of this stuff if I had the room for it.
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Initial taste after popping was a disjointed mess with the alcohol prominent. Decanted for about 2 hours and drank over the next 1.5 hours, and this was a whole different wine. Smoked meat and blueberry on the nose, with raspberry prominent on the palate with a decent finish with some coffee notes. This wine is still rather big even after the 2 hour decant, but it pairs quite well with a filet mignon. For $20, this way over delivers.
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Hmmm. Drank over 3 days. Not sure I know enough about wine to properly gauge this one. Do I think there is an elegant wine under all those tannins? Yes. When will this be able to be enjoyed 'pop and pour' style? I have no idea. I won't touch the rest of mine for another 2 years or so. It has the potential to be a seamless and delicious powerhouse of a wine. 90-94+ (?)
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Colour: Dark purple. Nose: Muted at first (the wine was quite cold from the cellar), opened up a great deal to reveal sour cherries and cranberries. Palate: Super tannins. The wine had a very firm grip and was stellar from the initial attack to the finish, which was about 25 seconds later. Very, very good wine. Having paid $35 CAD, I can't say that it was great value, but it didn't disappoint. Really enjoyable, and given the tannins here, would match well with food and will probably last a number of years.
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nose -raspberry and cherry mixed with heavy oak mouth - full bodied and heavily extracted. quite tannic with prominent red fruit intermixed with oak. Seems heavy handed and lacking elegance at this stage, but has potential
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Failed to understand this wine's appeal. Perhaps it's just REALLY young. Upon opening, the nose was non-existent--perhaps a bit of pepper and some faint cherry. Decanted for two hours. Rustic, highly tannic structure. Kept over night. Still no fruit. Hmmm??? NR
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Sadly i couldnt pay a lot of attention to this, but it was very good, and very clean especially when contrasted with the Sicilian dirty fruit bomb that we had just been served. Looking forward to the next bottle.
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Still a baby, needs lots of cellaring. Needs a pretty good decant to shine at this point. Lots of bright red fruit on the nose and palate. Some craisiny/artificial grape flavors on the finish. Big tannins that really only opened up after a 2 hour decant.
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Medium ruby, clear throughout. Nose of floral, candied red fruits. Flavours of red fruits, slightly artificial. Medium body, medium tannins, medium to high acidity, medium finish. Drink or hold. Good.
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7/12/2018 - judgepalmer Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tannins have softened some with age and the cherry fruit is more stewy these days than bright or candied like I remember from years past. Still drinking nicely but maybe 2-3 years past the prime window.
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8/4/2017 - TheBosWineGuy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Two good bottles in a row now with 2 remaining. This bottle tasted much more balanced with the fresh concord grape flavor coming back to save the day. The tannins are still strong but the acidity keeps it fresh. It never has quite reached the potential that I expected but for a $16/bottle outlay I think I can live with that.
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10/17/2016 - TheBosWineGuy Likes this wine: 89 Points
After some real bottle variation I've finally had one that reminds me of what was so good about this wine on release. Really pure dark fruit with meaty notes and an almost smoky character finishing off dry. It may go further but I won't like this if the fruit fades any more than it already has.
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6/16/2016 - europat55 wrote: 89 Points
Very good for the price. Probably at close to peak now.
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4/29/2016 - TheBosWineGuy wrote: 85 Points
This wine has fallen off a cliff - really disjointed with everything out of balance. My last 3 have been really odd bottles.
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4/6/2014 - RBOND wrote: 85 Points
Just not to my liking
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3/9/2013 - towinelover wrote:
Smooth yet structured; blueberries and chocolate; perfect with rich braised lamb shoulder.
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2/26/2013 - Jchi.ny Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for two hours before consuming. Real interesting blend. Nice aroma of dark fruits, plum, and violet. The same characteristics carry though to the palate with additional minerality and a bit of spice. Great balance but finishes with sligthly gripping tannins. Needs fatty foods to tone down some of the tannins. Incredible value for what I paid. I'd get a case of this stuff if I had the room for it.
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2/17/2013 - TheBosWineGuy Likes this wine: 90 Points
FLWINOS has this wine pegged perfectly. My first bottle in a couple of years and this wine is moving towards a really nice place.
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2/16/2013 - flwinos Likes this wine: 90 Points
Initial taste after popping was a disjointed mess with the alcohol prominent. Decanted for about 2 hours and drank over the next 1.5 hours, and this was a whole different wine. Smoked meat and blueberry on the nose, with raspberry prominent on the palate with a decent finish with some coffee notes. This wine is still rather big even after the 2 hour decant, but it pairs quite well with a filet mignon. For $20, this way over delivers.
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7/3/2012 - Wali183 wrote: 95 Points
Fast schwarz. Dunkle Beeren, Kräuter, geniale Salmiak/Lakritz Note, mineralisch. Nicht zu schwer, reife Tannine. Großer Wein.
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3/14/2012 - omnisphere wrote:
Must have been corked. Helped make yummy shortribs.
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9/23/2011 - TheBosWineGuy wrote: 90 Points
Hmmm. Drank over 3 days. Not sure I know enough about wine to properly gauge this one. Do I think there is an elegant wine under all those tannins? Yes. When will this be able to be enjoyed 'pop and pour' style? I have no idea. I won't touch the rest of mine for another 2 years or so. It has the potential to be a seamless and delicious powerhouse of a wine. 90-94+ (?)
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12/9/2009 - KevinMc wrote: 92 Points
Colour: Dark purple. Nose: Muted at first (the wine was quite cold from the cellar), opened up a great deal to reveal sour cherries and cranberries. Palate: Super tannins. The wine had a very firm grip and was stellar from the initial attack to the finish, which was about 25 seconds later. Very, very good wine. Having paid $35 CAD, I can't say that it was great value, but it didn't disappoint. Really enjoyable, and given the tannins here, would match well with food and will probably last a number of years.
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11/4/2009 - soyhead wrote: 89 Points
nose -raspberry and cherry mixed with heavy oak
mouth - full bodied and heavily extracted. quite tannic with prominent red fruit intermixed with oak. Seems heavy handed and lacking elegance at this stage, but has potential
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8/16/2009 - Bradford wrote:
Failed to understand this wine's appeal. Perhaps it's just REALLY young. Upon opening, the nose was non-existent--perhaps a bit of pepper and some faint cherry. Decanted for two hours. Rustic, highly tannic structure. Kept over night. Still no fruit. Hmmm??? NR
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7/4/2009 - soyhead wrote: 90 Points
Sadly i couldnt pay a lot of attention to this, but it was very good, and very clean especially when contrasted with the Sicilian dirty fruit bomb that we had just been served. Looking forward to the next bottle.
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4/26/2009 - branman1986 wrote: 90 Points
Still a baby, needs lots of cellaring. Needs a pretty good decant to shine at this point. Lots of bright red fruit on the nose and palate. Some craisiny/artificial grape flavors on the finish. Big tannins that really only opened up after a 2 hour decant.
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3/9/2009 - godx wrote: 86 Points
Medium ruby, clear throughout. Nose of floral, candied red fruits. Flavours of red fruits, slightly artificial. Medium body, medium tannins, medium to high acidity, medium finish. Drink or hold. Good.
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2/1/2009 - signotim wrote: 90 Points
MUCH better on day 2. Still somewhat shy on the nose. But plenty of blackberry fruit and spice on the palate. Nice length in the finish.
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