Beautiful and rustic bouquet with herbs and spices. On the palate juicy red berries, fresh acidity and some chocolate. Beautiful and mature wine wit still great freshness. Drink it over the next 2 – 3 years.
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Drank from Mag. Deep bright color. Yes, showed fizz for about the first hour. Blackberry, currants with some hints of mushroom and leather on the finish. Soft tannins still going. Balanced with moderate finish, Not Beaucastel but enjoyable. Happy to have one more Mag. Maybe in 3-4 years.
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Strange experience with this one. Consumed over several days. On day one, even after a few hours of decanting, this wine was rough around the edges. The fruit is there, but there is was certain roughness that was hard to get past. Much improved on day 3! The rough edges are gone and a very nice fruit presence comes through, mostly blackberries and cranberries. Some dried herbs and kahlua on the finish. Still not great. Maybe over the hill as others have noted.
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Still drinking beautifully, even if the cork broke. Decanting was important anyway. So much depth--blackberry, boysenberry, but no jamminess, with tannins holding tight and lots of grace notes on a long finish.
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At Mashomack with Jamie, Greg, Ken and Tom. Next to 03 Beaucastel from Greg. Whats with this stupid fizz. It went away but lingered on the brain. Very strange. Makes it less funthough. The fizz is special for this vintage. The 03 beaucastel was terrific, round fresh and lengthy.
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From magnum. Decanted into oversize decanter. First smell was a "sauvage" earthiness to the wine. Lovely. Poured dark to rim still no browning. 1st glass provided dark fruits and more funk than proceeding glasses. Syrah seemed to dominate later, served with grilled tri-tip roast and Tian Provencal. Excellent match. Still has some mileage ahead if stored in a magnum, a 750mL might want to think about trying any left in cellar. Bought upon release at Tablas Creek winery.
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The core ruby to garnet with a brickish rim. Moderate sediment fine sediment nothing that decanting didn't address. Could not get a primary fruit on the nose just secondary and tertiary tobacco, leather, tomato, and wood/smoke. The mouth was also secondary with spice, earth, and minerality. Medium + tannins and acidity and a medium-long finish. Overall the wine is showing it's age and it's time to drink it if you got it.
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Earthy, wild, subtley savage Mourvedre nose rounded out with more meaty Syrah & purple-blue floral notes. Well structured, modestly masculine, full bodied & dark fruited. Tannins are as expected for this much Mouvedre in cuvee, but not excessive. Likely has 6-8 more years development in good cellar - not yet at peak.
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This was very masculine, with reasonably approachable barnyard notes. Sadly, my last bottle from a case bought in 2010. I believe it peaked around 2019.
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From magnum and not consistently cellar stored. The sommelier groaned as the cork shattered, but after triage this offering emerged wonderfully. A heavy dose of horse blanket upon first opening. But this evened out to reveal a beautiful palate of lilac, cherries, cigar box and SoCal chaparral. Food-friendly finish. Wonderfully complete. This is why we age wines. Drink now to 2027. Outstanding.
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Decanted for a hour. Correct on the nose with leather and plum and spice from the Mourvèdre leading the procession, with some sweet red fruits from the grenache making up the rear. The palate is ripe and concentrated, but not—mind you—over-extracted, with leather, blackberry liqueur, game, and a suspicion of black peppercorn and mint flavors underlain by resolving tannins and decent acidity. There are vestiges of some wood lingering in the background, but hardly distracting and mostly knit at this point. There’s good Rhône-ish/Provençal charm here, even if I wouldn’t peg this a Bandol or a Mourvèdre-heavy southern blend. And while still leanin on the younger side of maturity this should really shine with more bottle aging. Very good and worth looking for more well-stored bottles.
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I bought a lot of this when it was released. I was always off put somewhat, because I felt they should have done a better job of degassing. I always shake it and vinovac to pull out some of the gas. Not a bad wine, but I think it is tasting past its prime.
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My last bottle of six-pack and possibly the best bottle. Drank with pizza. Elegant dark fruits, licorice, earth. Completely integrated tannin. I believe this is at peak.
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I wholeheartedly believe that Tablas Creek produces the best Rhone Rangers year after year, but there is something very special about the 2007 Esprit de Beaucastel. It was the perfect pairing last night with grilled rack of lamb. I must nurse my remaining 8 bottles. Still plenty of fruit in the bottle I had last night.
John ( Miami)
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Robe rouge carmin assez dense, disque tirant vers le orangé. Nez généreux et complexe. Fruits mûrs, mure, prune, réglisse noire. Des notes d'élevage subtils, noix grillées, tabac blond. Bouche ample, tanins arrondis, cerises, camphre, poivre noir, légère amertume qui maintient la structure. Longue persistance sur le noyau de prune et des notes boisées, cèdre.
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Soggy cork, but intact. A little sharpish on first taste. Decanted for two hours. Barnyard on the nose, which persisted throughout, but excellent flavor: rich and well-structured.
With apps and grilled burgers.
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Not as balanced as the 2010 I had recently. Some got band aid and meat flavors typical of the Mouvedre. I got the smoke and tar from the syrah. Great wine, but TCV wines just keep getting better so it does not surprise me that the newer Esprit may be better.
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Disappointing to be sure! Can somebody say Mr. Ed? The only notable quality in this particular bottle is brett. This is horsey as hell, with horse blanket, horse saddle, horse manure, and horses ass. I see many nice reviews, Ihope my last 4 bottles are not this affected.
Drinking great right now. I wish I had more than 1 left. Some aged, earthy notes, moderate acidity, soft tannin. I like that this is not a big fruit bomb.
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Short decant. Beautiful take on C9P, but with a bit of a pleasant twist. Huge fruit, some tannins, still medium acidity. Should go for 3-5 years more. 14,5 alcohol isn’t a big issue. Menthol note takes it to a bit of Nebbiolo direction. Steak and grilled long red paprika.
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PNP. Mature dark fruits with a bit of earth on the nose. Movedre shows through in the core of dark fruit with some garrigue and spice. Fully mature wine with soft tannins. Our 4th of 6. This wine is in a great place now, probably best in the next 3 years. 92 points.
Second virtual CdP wine tasting (blind). (Zoom): Wine 3 of 4. Good, ripe fruit, cherry, blueberry, herbal notes, intense chocolate, lovely, intense spice, with supporting acidity, well-integrated tannin and superb length. Good body and concentration. Dense, concentrated and long. Well-structured. I could drink a whole bottle. Great wine! In a good place.
Even more striking on day two. Except for the high-class chocolate note, this is the closest thing to top notch CdP I have had from outside the Southern Rhône!
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Inky dark red and huge intense nose of forest, sharp earth (almost tar or rubber.. but in a good way) and tasted the same until 2 aerations and 2 hours open, then finally dark blue fruits crept up but still the earth and wet forest dominated. At the end of the bottle was a nice mix of sweet black licorice, black berry and minerals with a long very smooth finish. No tannins, but brooding, huge, wound & intense. Please, open 24 hrs in advance and enjoy now. I've no idea if age will be good but it couldn't hurt right now.
Best wine I've had from Tablas Creek! A bit pruny when first opened, but expanded to a rich, dry, full-bodied wine. Complex aromas of blueberries, blackberries and herbs. Saturated, multi-dimensional palate with some minerals and black licorice. Long complex finish with a bit of remaining silky tannins. At peak now - may last a few more years, but why wait!! Sadly, my last bottle... 93+
Poor cork condition, soaked through despite cold cellar since release. Also, slightly frizzante when first opened and this resolved over time. On night 2, this is showing its best with sweet red fruit, earthy character, and a mineral component. A bit of a high maintenance wine but quite nice in the end
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P&P; followed over three evenings. This bottle had some VA and a little funk. The fizz was present throughout the glass, though the funk blew off. VVd overnight. Day two, decanted: no funk but still a slight fizz. VV'd overnight. Day three, the wine was as lovely as can be, and a solid 94. Recommended, but with a two hour decant.
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PnP. Plum to garnet in color with some lightening at the rim. Medium bodied. Medium viscosity. Expressive nose has meat and game of the Mourvèdre with some kir and spice notes poking underneath. Medium dark fruits with great acid and resolved tannins in balance and medium long finish. Beautiful wine in its mature phase but not fading at all. Would drink this blind with older CDP and bet no one could pick out the American cousin
Ugh. Opened a bottle with the off / fizzy taste. It’s only been open 30 min. I’ve put in the cold garage and I’ll report back tomorrow.... I had a bottle a few days ago and it was very enjoyable.
next day update: Bleh! still bad. Can't even describe it. So many of the 2007 bottles have issues, Jason and the Tablas team should make a statement....
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I approached this with some trepidation after a couple poor experiences with this vintage of the wine in the past. This bottle was everything one could have expected and more. No evidence of secondary fermentation. On opening, there was some hint of metallic brett, but it quickly blew off (or was simply the mourvedre showing itself) Expressive nose. Nice balance with enough acidity and tannin to provide some cut. 92-93 ish
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Dark fruit, caramel, some fresh and dried herbs, and some barnyard that blew off. Nice palate intensity and length but feels a bit muddled. Like others have mentioned, it is ever so slightly frizzante. This wine has lots of memories for me — so I enjoyed drinking it.
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my last great southern rhone profile on the nose color is great I got the frizzante or petillance others noted It was still nice and good with a roast chicken but hard not to call out the flaw which was not present in my other 5 bottles. The carbonation was not visible but just a tongue feel that reduced after an hour of air but never resolved fully.
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Opened and decanted for about 2 hours. Much better than my last bottle. Nice fruit and an interesting wine. I'm going to share my next bottle with friends. Still has plenty of life left and I have 9 bottles left. I'll update after the next bottle.
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Back in 2010 I acquired six bottles of this wine. Drinking them has been quite a rollercoaster - too often on the negative side. This was the last bottle and it turned out fair. Initially very inward with an agressive smell of lilies. This did however take of. What remained was a pleasant wine.
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Similar comments to previous notes of prior poster. I opened with high expectations that fizzled do to the frizzante experience of this wine. Off flavors and overall unpleasant. Obviously something wrong. I have had this bottle in temp controlled cellar since purchasing 6 years ago. I have 1 more bottle that I hope represents better.
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This was awful. Just a funk to it. It seemed slightly better once it opened up, but I really didn't enjoy it. Was looking forward to it, but totally disappointed My wife thought it had a frizzante to it.
Reunion C9duP 2017 trip (@ JdB): No formal notes. Beautiful and mature, firm wine. Good black and red berries as well as garrigue. The tannin is soft with a pleasant bite.
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Mature dark fruit, licorice, chocolate and earthy notes. Well integrated and well balanced acidity. This wine is in a perfect drinking window...I see no reason to wait.
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Very savory nose - meat, sweet tobacco, dried cherry, dried raspberry. On plate, similar flavor profile - medium body / acidity / tannins and very long finish.
I loved this, but my wife was not a fan. Would have guessed old world if tasted blind. Best of the 6 bottles. 93+/-
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Friday Tasting Group: Farewell to One of the Group's Stalwarts (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): 44% Mourvèdre 29% Grenache 21% Syrah, & 6% Counoise; "The grapes were fermented using native yeasts in open & closed s/s fermenters. After pressing, the wines were moved into barrel, blended, & aged in 1200-gal FR oak foudres before being bottled in July 2009. The wine is unfined & unfiltered." 4,000 cases produced.
N: Closed; RIPE berries with other unparsables; Intensity lurking?
P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by an astringent pucker which loses the bulk of its astringency by the LONG finish with a bitter/swtness to the dusty tannins. Needs/DESERVES through '21 (due to the mid-P), then making its 20th? 14.5% ABV; My EXC (which equates to 92,93/100 on that scale). 96 pts Jeb Dunnuck, 95 WA, 94 Vinous (Raynolds) & WS + #33/Top 100 for '10, and 18.5/20 Decanter!
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From memory, deep garnet, this was perfectly fine, tastes just like what it is, a California-ized CdP, 14.5% ABV seemed to be no problem. Enjoyed with rack of lamb.
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A hot vintage in an even hotter climate, but this wine actually passed for old world. Heavier than most, with fruit leaning more toward black than red, and we'd have wished for brighter acidity, but still we thought we were drinking real CdP and that says something.
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Aromatic leather, herbs and spice over scents of plums and raspberries. Some floral notes. Spicy, aromatic and savory on the palate with lots of herbs, lavender and hints of garrigue. Plum and cherry cola flavors. Good length and complexity. Tannic structure still intact. Very good with lots of life still remaining.
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Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of currant, licorice, plum and a hint of smoke. Flavors of plums, berries and currants. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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My 2nd bottle, had the last one 5 yrs ago. Paid $32 directly from the winery. This one unfortunately suffers the same "fizzy fate" on the palate as the last bottle. This thankfully blows off in a day or so after opening. 44% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 21% Syrah and 6% Counoise. The nose shows black cherry and blackberry fruits, alongside refreshing orange peel and moist earth and charcoal embers. The palate includes a panoply of flavors, like plum, black cherry, licorice, and kirsch, with earthy flavors like tobacco leaf, charcoal, and black pepper. The tannins are still quite fierce, even after 11 years of bottle age. There is balancing acidity that brings the big wine into a nice balance, leading into a long and lip-smacking finish. Drink now (after decanting) through 2025 or so.
Pleasant, opulent, a bit too much simple and overt sweetness for me. Missing some structure, was hoping for more. Not sure there is any benefit in more bottle age, drink now.
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Really nice at this point zu no rough edges aromatically complex some barnyard and herb cherry with hint of anise this was the best of a half case purchased on release
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The wine is not in a good place at this time. It has an effervescent quality and the fruit is funky. I'm hoping the wine is just too young at this point- I have 7 more of them. The Tablas Creek website says the wine is ready to go.... not for me.
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Disappointing. Nose is very strange and really not enjoyable. I had it decanted for 2 hours and did not change. Taste is a mix of repulsive and enjoyable. My wife hated it....
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This was a much better showing than an off bottle some months ago. Some funk on the nose, some minerality, muted fruit, adequate structure to give some cut and keep it from being flabby. a pretty ok wine, that never really seemed to open up. Nice, but not as sensational as a couple bottles of the 2003 were several years ago. This bottle, 89ish.
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Bu avec le filet de porc mariné au raifort, bière noire, jus d`orange et piri-piri, super accord! Nez sur les fruits et la garrigue. EN bouche, suave et fruité, un peu de poivre et d`herbes avec des mures et des cerises, tannins fondus sur une finale longue et persistante. Super bon!
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Pop and pour then drank with braised pork chops. Third of 6 and best bottle yet. Dark fruits, earth and some spice. tannin integrated. Nice balance. I would say this wine is in prime time. Drink now or in the next five years.
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Fantastic wine but disagree with Parker that it's better than the 2006. This is a bigger & more opulent. May need time to develop more secondary and tertiary favors. Nose of anise, licorice, blackberry, blueberry and wet earth. Fruit is soft, lush, well balanced with a long spicy & earthy finish. Interested to see what happens to this wine with more time and how it compares with the 2006 after a few more years.
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Poured in a comparative CdP lineup with no decanting and tasted over 2-3 hours, this Paso Rhone Ranger, from Beaucastel vines, had a rich dark fruited nose with evident muscle from the Mouvedre (44%). Abundant blue and black fruits lead the way in tasting, backed by well balanced acid and tannin. This is very enjoyable now, and could easily go another 4-6 years in a good cellar.
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This wine seems to present three iterations, fizzy, funky, or fine. Of the three bottle I've had so far, none have been fizzy but all have been funky, in a barnyard way I might reasonably expect from southern Rhone blends but an surprised to encounter in a California GSM. I'm guessing it's the Grenache component, which is often enticingly perfumed, but not discernible here. That said, under the funk, which dissipates after a couple of hours, the wine is indeed fine, showing smoke and bramble fruits.
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w grilled pork chop. The Fizz was there for the first two hours but THEN it disappeared and this wine was great. Very big actually - tanic but with good fruit and great length. This thus needs 5 more years! Can I wait?? I only openend this because I believe we should start getting rid of it. So some good advice: open it up 4 hours before drinking and you will be rewarded.
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Clear medium minus ruby with garnet rim; clean medium nose of cedar, earth, licorice, leather and baked plums; dry; medium plus body; pfn with pronounced licorice on the finish; medium plus acidity; medium tannins; medium plus finish; beautiful, elegant and interesting wine - especially for the price point; a fruitier Chateauneuf-du-Pape; Devon gives it a 92
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Wow. Powerful and still on its way up. A wide array of notes. Eucalyptus, hints of menthol and a little spice on the nose. A sturdy frame on the palate and a lot going on. Pepper, black fruits, and earth all up front in a Sauvage style. Cigar box and spice sneaking around in the background. Delicious! Excellent!
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PnP. Like the previous bottle I have had of this wine, there is a fair bit of spritz on opening. However, unlike my previous experience, this has none of the dirty, bretty, off-putting characteristics I experienced before, it is flaw-free and compelling. Looks the part with a rich, dark red robe of color. Leggy. Pure core of excellent fruit, with a lot of Mourvedre in evidence. Very harmonious and rich bouquet. Sweet tobacco. Very suave, rich, and luscious in the mouth. Impeccable balance and delineation of fruit. Now this is more like it, and tells me there is bottle variation going on. If you get a good one, it is outstanding like this, looking, smelling and tasting like it is in the prime of its drinking plateau; if you don't, this review will make no sense at all. Sure glad at least one of my bottles let me see what all the hoopla was about. Honestly, the best Tablas I have tasted, and certainly one of the best California Rhones I have ever drunk. 5-13-18-9: 95/100.
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Vauw. Suddenly a Great performance from This highly variable wine. Initially a little too animalistic on the nose, but after a short decant this moves to the background. Nose is then fruity with dark berries. On the palate fruit, meat, blood, forest underneath. Nice rounded tannins. Long taste. Great bottle!
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Hints of vanilla and cherry cola on the nose. Palate is silky and has a great balance of minerals and fruit. Tannins are still present and strengthen in the mouth. Finish is dry but very pretty.
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We took this one to Zest to share with great clients/friends. It was drinking well with about 30 minutes of air. Still could go for a while in the cellar but in a good spot now.
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This is a very enjoyable Rhone Blend from Tablas. The nose is full of ripe black and blue fruit and a hint of tar. On the tongue is a blast of ripe macerated black cherry, a bit of earthy funk, tar, well integrated tannins, medium plus acidity and a fairly long finish. The CFO was not as enamored, not a fan of the touch of horsey/brett factor.
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Flawed and undrinkable. Nose was initially promising, but off flavors, particularly a putrid note on the finish. I've drunk enough mouverdre based wines in the past to think this is NOT the funk that grape sometimes reveals.
The kind of wine you either love or hate. Dark red, well colored, not quite opaque. Nose shows lots of Brett, volatile acidity, and black tar aromas. Initial spritz calmed down after about half an hour, but the wine is still pretty funky, with lots of richness, Brett, and rustic, black fruit flavors. On balance, this one has not lived up to its initial promise. Just a bit too out there for my taste. 4-9-12-5: 80/100.
Decanted 90 minutes, drank over 3 hours. I think the decant eliminated the spritz others have noted. Appealing nose of pencil shavings, cassis, black fruits and some black cherry occasionally appearing. Mouth: medium+ body, medium acidity with similar flavors as the nose. 30 second finish. Not sure if it's because most of the bottle was finished, but the last glass was the best, so maybe you could decant 3 hours before drinking. I think it may last into 2023. Ok QPR @ $68.
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Really great ... has gotten to an excellent spot. The carbonated spritzer effect was highly present upon opening and mostly faded after 10 minutes or so. An enjoyable wine!
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Quite earthy, with a hint of bret. Dried cherries, spices, dried herbs all apparent. A tiny bit of the carbonated spritzer issue others mentioned but very faint. A good wine
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Ruby with garnet rim; nose of leather, cinnamon, cloves and plums; palate follows nose with addition of blackberry and cedar; long finish; well balanced with medium plus integrated tannins; medium plus mouthfeel; great value wine; had an unpleasant, tangy spritz right out of the bottle - disappeared after decanting
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W vealchop, frsh eggplant and kale from garden. Great color, nose and wine overall. Good length, yummy fruit. Not sure if fuzz was all gone but good diverse multi dimensional wine.
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Really like this wine and this vintage. Was also a crowd pleaser for a group of 10. Had almost a sparkling water sense to it. Nose of dark cherry. LOTS of cola on the palate and medium finish. A fun wime
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Wine of the tasting for me in a vertical of 2000, 03, 06, 07, 10, 14 & 15 vintages at the Santa Fe Wine and Chili festival. Darren Delmore their educational director explained the challenges of the 07 vintage with a high Parker rating, some brett and then after bottling some spritz and angry wine club members. Well this sampling had no issues with the spritz but had just enough brett funk to make it interesting for me. A dark beauty of a wine, especially lined up with the other vintages I kept coming back to this one. It's one of those wines that haunt me (in a good way) and it stuck out in the tasting with the 2000 (as the oldest one) also being memorable.
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I received this beauty from Tablas Creek’s (T.C.) wine club in October, 2009. The bouquet is very interesting, revealing herbaceous and earthy/soil elements of the wine. The wine pours VERY dark (about as dark/black as a Petite Sirah), not too surprising since this red blend consist of 44% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 21% Syrah, and 6% Counoise. This always fabulous red blend generally goes into its “closed” phase about five years after being bottled. This wine recently “exited” its closed phase and is drinking wonderfully/beautifully now. I’d imagine this wine was about a 96-point wine before it went into its closed phase around 2012. The flavor profile is about 90% dark/black-fruited, such as black berries and plums and black cherries, along with 10% red-fruited elements, such as red currants, sour cherries, and raspberries. There are also delicious herbaceous elements as well, consisting of a huge variety of dried herbs. This wine is also slightly rich and creamy, along with food-friendly structural elements (tannins and acidity). This wine is super food-friendly and palate cleansing, along with an elegant and lingering finish. I paired this beauty with filet mignon tenderloins from CostCo spiced with Kosher salt, black pepper, and ground cumin. This wine paired beautifully/wonderfully with those tenderloins and would also pair well with chops and racks of lamb, as well as Beef Wellington, prime rib, and any other high-quality steak. This wine is structurally elegant and deeply/complexly-flavored, and would pair well with just about any red meat protein dish, along with pot roast, stew, etc……… Tablas Creek’s wines are ALWAYS fabulous/fantastic/delicious (all of their single-varietal bottlings, as well as all of their blends). If I were to win one of those massive Powerball lotteries, I would hire a truck driver that has a refrigerated “big rig” and go to Tablas Creek and buy probably 50-to-100 cases of their always-fabulous/fantastic wines!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Since their Esprit De Beaucastel (now named Esprit De Tablas) always goes through a “closed” phase about five years after being bottled, I’ve started drinking those red blends before they go into that phase. I recently finished all of the 2012s and will soon begin drinking the 2013s. This particular vintage is drinking beautifully right now and will probably continue to age gracefully/elegantly for another five years or so.
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Delicious. Slight seepage but the cork smelled completely fine. Slow oxed for a couple hours before dinner and decanted to serve. Beautiful perfumed meaty notes. No spritz as others have reported. Went well with roast lamb. Glad to have one bottle left.
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Similar to notes nearly two years ago "... a touch of sharp acid / spritz on the tongue on PnP, but it unfolded nicely over hours. Even though this was stored in good, but not ideal conditions ~65F for 5 years, it still had energy, if not youth." I wonder if the appealing acid / spritz is technically a flaw(s) - some VA and/or some secondary bottle fermentation. It might be, but I loved it along with the darker, more brooding tones. This shows dried herbs, dusty earth and starts showing North African spices after a couple hours. I wish I had more of this as it is still hitting its stride. For those with perfect cellar conditions, I'd say 5-10 years left in it. Lucky you.
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Very nice wine that evolved greatly over the two days that I had it open. Mourvedre led off the charge with animal/meaty notes, hints of black tea leaf and red raspberry. With air, the Grenache perfume came forward and a slightly more lifted expression of fruit and florality came forward. Wonderfully pure palate, polished and refined. 92+
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Very enjoyable. Close your eyes, you think this is an old world GSM blend. Brambly fruit, cigar tobacco, smoked meat and black pepper. Lots of black pepper on a smooth finish, although the fruit support is a tad weak making for an the overall short lackluster ending that keeps us from going more than 90 points.
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Again another experience with this wine. This was not flawed. Great! Even at 10 years it is still quite fresh, but the earthy tones are starting to show. I still get to much barnyard for my liking, but it may be a feature. I have two bottles left - think I will hide them for 3-5 years maybe?
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There seems to be quite a bit of bottle variation with this bottling and this was the first bottle we have had that had a little trapped gas in it. With a little time and swirling, that blew off though. Shows classic meaty, Rhone flavors, in a nice, somewhat restrained package. Not too big or overblown. The wine has softened and gained some light earthy notes. Very enjoyable once the light spritz blew off.
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Opened last night-- had an enticing black pepper, cigar box and red fruit nose but found it significantly carbonated and almost bubbly in the glass. Used a Vacuvin to pull off most of the CO2, and it had settled down by tonight. Overall pleasant and now drinkable, but not the usual procedure to ready a wine for consumption.
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Decanted for 2 hours - can't find my notes. My 5th of 6 bottles. 2 have been off, 3 have been great (at least with air time). This really needed some time but the VA that some bottles had was problematic. Drank over 2 nights and very good on night 2 - meat, iodine, raspberry, black cherry flavor profile. Medium+ body, medium+ acidity & medium tannins with a long finish.
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Unfortunately, this second bottle was flawed as well - a little spritzy, some bitter fruit, just something off about it. Not totally undrinkable, but not at all enjoyable.
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Last tried 9/16 from a flawed bottle (NR). Time to try another and hope for better things . . . .
Color: medium ruby core -> light ruby rim; still lighter in appearance than expected. And once again, quite the savoury bouquet of forest floor, sage, thyme, plums and tobacco. No spritz evident on this bottle; showing much better than the last with roasted game meat, anisette, plums and a minerally edge. Tannins still showing their presence but that's to be expected with '07 Paso wines. Long, savoury finish showing a touch more heat(14.5% per label) than I would like. Ultimately, far superior to the last affected bottle; perhaps a little room for improvement but given the bottle variation I doubt I will search out any more than the 1-2 bottles I have left in the cellar. Here's hoping the remaining bottles are in the happy camp.
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2nd bottle of three. 1st opened a couple years ago with some bret and fizziness reported by others but still drinkable and interesting. This one was undrinkable. Cork seepage to the top. Bitter, and truely corked. Maybe the third will hold up but not expecting anything at this point. Should have finished them all when i had the chance.
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Some spritziness when first opened and poured. I was afraid this was going to suffer from secondary fermentation but with a few minutes of swirling (got my workout for the week) it opened up to a very brooding wine with a bitter finish that faded a bit with time. Not as remarkable or expressive as other vintages which I'm going to attribute to the spritziness. Of 3 bottles I've tried, all three have been affected.
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Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about two hours.
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of Kirsch, soapstone, pepper and berries. Flavors of Bing cherries, raspberries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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This was undrinkable - a brett bath I believe. The bottle variation for this wine is unbelievable. Sometimes you hit gold, sometimes it hardly resembles wine. Sad.
Popped and poured. Major barnyard funk, again. Medium body. Smooth and sweet, not particularly complex. Probably would benefit from more air than it received...
Dark red. Meaty, dark fruit, and cedar. The palate is dominated by red fruit, ripe cherries, strawberry, and pomegranate. This has soft tannins, is drinking well now, and to my taste has probably hit its peak. Finishes well.
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Very dark red color, earthy dark berry, meaty aroma which was very closed in but covered by some mustiness which seemed to grow with time. Wine certainly is not what we were expecting, perhaps this is just a flawed but drinkable bottle. Will try another bottle another day.
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Sadly this did not hold up as well as it should have (Drink until 2021). Consumed a bottle about a year and a half ago and it was delicious. Opened my remaining 3 bottles last night all were oxidized and CRAP.
If you have any of this I'd suggest not holding, drink now and hope it hasn't spoiled.
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Drinking great now, this is surprisingly soft and sweet. There's a lightness and ease to the wine. It is quite reminiscant of a cdp from France really though seems more simple. Very pleasant. I would recommend drinking now vs. waiting on this as it will likely just get softer still.
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Color: medium ruby core -> light ruby rim; lighter in appearance than expected. Savoury bouquet of sage, thyme, plums and tobacco. Seems to be some distinct bottle variation showing up in the CT notes; this bottle definitely affected by spritz/fizz. Waited 90 minutes and it still wasn't pleasant to drink. Vacu-vinned and waited till the next day. Spritz now gone but the palate seems subdued. Generally muddy with dark, bass notes here; some meat, black fruit, touch of minerality and a hot finish. Judgement reserved as I don't think this is a representative bottle. More in the cellar and I hope they show better than this. Disappointing.
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Bu lors de la soirée meurtre et mystère chez Carol et Sylvie le 6 aout 2016. Très beau et fruité avec beaucoup d'équilibre. Nez fragrant sur les herbes et les fruits noirs. En bouche, des meres, du thym et du poivre avec une pointe de menthe. Belle accidité et tannins assez fins. Long et délicieux.
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This wine is still youthful. Needs at least a 2 hour slow ox prior to drinking. otherwise the tannins are pretty dominate. Afterwards this is a delicious bottle with nice fruit and spice. I think I will wait a few years before opening my next bottle.
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A boatload of dark fruit, hints of earth, licorice, and herbs. Deep, dark, and meaty, with the mourvedre taking a stand. It's a bit heavy on the alcohol, but a good, vinous mouthfeel. Seems quite similar to Beaucastel. I would love to compare side by side. Excellent wine.
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I had my last bottle back in December 2012 - and it was quite disappointing. Since TC has had the wine in closed phase, and reviews here on CT has been very mediocre. Patiently I have been waiting for positive news, and lately they have been coming. I took my change tonight, and I was not disappointed. Popn'pour, and showing great right form the start. Expressive nose, and nearly seamless on the palate. Fruit is still fresh, but ingrated. Same goes with tannins, there are present, but keeping things in check. Great - and far from being old.
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Nice!!! Almost French without being from France. Movedre still dominates the backbone and the other Rhone varietals providing very nice berry and earthy flavors. Opened up well after a half hour so don't expect it to last many years more. Aged great and I think it's drinking perfectly right now. Will drink my last two this year.
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W flank steak from our own steer!! Yummy steak. I had opened this a few hours ahead, but it was very fizzyon the palate. We got something else, but after it seemed that the glass got rid of the fizz and this became quite lovely. Good body fruit and length. I have a few bottles moreso will see of the fi WAS JUST THIS BOTTLE. great color.
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Popped and poured; drank over a couple of hours with a meal. Barnyard nose; very off-putting for two of four diners. A bit of an oak bite; a tad too much. Otherwise fine, but I can't really recommend it based on this bottle. It will benefit from 90 to 120 minutes in a decanter.
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Mourvedre based Chateauneuf style wine, but from California. Drinking beautifully now, but lacking the elegance of the 2007 Domaine de Ferrand, Grenache based) that we compared it to. The latter having the structure I was looking for.
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this bottle was very good but variation noted by other tasters (and myself) would preclude me from buying this wine again.
Decanted for 1.5 hours and paired with grilled pork tenderloin. Beautiful nose from the get-go but tobacco / spritz was overpowering initially on the palate but did calm down after an hour or so (and this wine was better on night 2). Nice old world nose - tobacco, meat, black cherry & dirt (93+). On palate, tobacco (borderline overpowering), black cherry, cherry with medium body, medium+ acidity & very long finish. Rate 90+ day 1 given very nice on night but slightly dis-jointed palate.
On night 2, 92-93 range as palate was up to par with the nose. Purchase in 4/2010 and stored in a cool cellar. Cork was fine with no seepage. Will drink remaining bottles 2018+
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I bought 5 bottles of the 2007 Esprit de Beaucastel. Only 1 was good. The other 4 had bad corks that seeped and let in air; thus they were badly oxidized by the time I opened them. This was the last bottle. Horrible. I have had persistent problems with corks on Tablas Creek wines, so I have stopped buying their wines.
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Drank a split that was borderline bad. Something went really wrong in the bottling of the 2007, as more than half of the ones I have tried have been bad.
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New World. Red fruit. Some spice. Still somewhat tannic, med acid, palate coating strawberry and cassis. The funky earthy berry notes stay with you. Light licorice?
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Very dark red in color. Red raspberry , tart cherry, some strawberry with spiced apple and good length. Modest nose. Little bit of noticeable tannin but drinking very well now.
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I kinda dug it, but I wonder about bottle variation, as the half-case delivered to me hardly merits the wild scores from the pros.
Two things to be aware of: 1. The initial spritz (which has shown up in every bottle I've had of this) can be off-putting, though it does blow off after an hour. 2. This doesn't drink new-world at all. Our guests, expecting a Cali "Rhone Ranger," were pretty uniformly disappointed with the "barnyard," "horse hoofs," "dirty hay and mud" flavor profile.
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Consumed over a week ago with no notes, but I can report that it was drinking really well, though it did have a touch of sharp acid / spritz on the tongue on PnP, but it unfolded nicely over hours. Even though this was stored in good, but not ideal conditions ~65F for 5 years, it still had energy, if not youth.
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This is the first bottle of this wine that really impressed me. Floral and fruit on the nose. Nice balance of red fruit with sweet spice notes on the palate. Gaining some depth and secondary earth flavors. Great bottle.
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Decanted two hours, slight spritz at open that blew off with air. Drank very well with food, with dark fruit and leather notes and excellent balance. Not fruit forward, secondary notes are prominent, very interesting and pleasant. In the same flavor spectrum as top CdP, which I assume is the owner's goal, but does not have the same depth of flavors. Excellent, and could easily improve with time although the battle between the wine and tertiary flavors versus the spritz and diminishing fruit might go the wrong way.
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Decanted an hour. Detected the effervescence noted by others. The nose betrays the Mourvedre's presence; "garbage" my wife said. A touch of minerality and acid complement the red fruit profile on the palate. Day 2, the stuffing's fallen out and it's mostly hot, flabby, and bitter.
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Spritz even after an hour-plus open in the bottle. Almost thought it was a bad bottle on first sip. It eventually lost the effervescence in the glass and added some richness and complexity, but there was just too much funk on the nose, too much gritty tannin, to hold a candle to the real CdP it allegedly emulates. QPR knocks it down, too. Not entirely disappointing only because previous reviews presaged the troublesome qualities I experienced.
I agree with a previous writer that this wasn't as good as my last bottle (about a year ago). I would suggest drinking this up as I believe it is starting to lose its luster. Had a spiciness, but fruits were not as evident. Both bottles were stored in same temp/hum controlled cellar since purchase, so only other issue could be bottle variation.
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My first bottle of six. Pop and pour. This is a big wine right out of the shoot and at first a little disjointed. Much better after being opened about an hour. On the nose dark fruit, cherry, graphite, olive and a touch of vanilla. The palate is all about dark fruits and spice with smoke, earth and leather nuances. Nice balance and a long finish with a bit of alcohol coming through. This is very enjoyable now with about an hour to settle down but I am betting it will really hit stride in a couple more years.
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Small taste at a dinner. Nose of ripe fruit, little smoke, and spices. Palate of blackberries, charcoal, little olive and lots of acidity that was initially off putting and unbalanced. With time this became much nicer, but needed lots of air.
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Urban Butcher (Urban Butcher - Silver Spring, Maryland): Full, ripe and juicy aromas, along with cola, smoke, pepper and grilled meat. Strong tannic backbone but still a creamy mouthfeel. The Mourvedre jumps out, so earthy, with lots of mushroom, charcoal, bacon, black and green olives. The fruit is plush and ripe (black cherry and currants), but matched by the non-fruit elements. Complex, pure, savory, this bottle was singing and I think the wine has a long life ahead.
Finally had a bottle that's showing what this wine can be. Great flavor, dark fruit with a nice balance of something bitter, but not really. The Mourvedre really offers focus and comes right out in front.
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I, too, encountered cork seepage, thus did not open the bottle until just before dinner. Surprisingly the wine could not have been at a better drinking stage. Some wine remained for the next night, but by then it had spoiled. 93+
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decanted one hour (some sediment). fairly pronounced blue- & blackberry fruit, anise, smoke, farm environs underneath the fruit; med-full body; ripe blueberries & animal show the mourvedre's prominence in the blend, followed by dark cherry & white pepper, a bit shrill on the finish, tannins are muted & submerged under the still youthful fruit. aware of some unresolved co2 early in this bottle's life, not noticeable here, probably because of the decant. no evidence of heat damage that others have seen; would guess about one - two more years to optimal drinking, will deserve robust food accompaniment. 2/7 purchased on release.
shortribs in rosemary jus; roasted roots, romanesco & spring vidalia onions w/green lentils de puy in malt vinaigrette
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1/1/15 barnyard funk, sharp - waited 40 mins and tasted again with cheese and meat. Still has the funk but loosing the sharp edge. 60 mins and still funky but the Mourvèdre & Grenache are coming forward. Different for those expecting a fruitier Syrah driven wine.
On another note out of 6 bottles 1 had seepage through the cork and 2 look like the corks are pushing. This wine appears as though it has legs but the bottle conditions aren't looking good.
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As in the previous 2 bottles, once again i was greeted by the secondary fermentation spritz (CO2). Nothing that 10 minutes of decanting & swirling could not solve but this is obviously a marker of this vintage. Otherwise this was much more open for business than the bottle we consumed in 2011. Lots of dark, red & purple fruit with a full body yet there is a healthy dose of wet earth and animal notes. You could describe this as a dead ringer for a super ripe CNDP from a warm vintage a la 2003 or 2007. More power than refinement and enough here to warrant more cellar time.
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Decanted 2+ hours. Drank alongside an '07 Chateau de Beaucastel. This wine taste as if its made in the spirit of Beaucastel, just not as balanced and refined, lacking the full mid-palate of the Beaucastel. Still youthful with a few good drinking years ahead.
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I pulled a bottle this afternoon to drink this evening. Unfortunately, the cork had complete seepage to the top and the wine was ruined. I proceeded to open every bottle I own and all were in the same condition and undrinkable. All were stored in a temperature and humidity controlled cellar so I do not believe the problem is on my end but at the winery. I am saddened because I enjoyed the few I opened early after I purchased them. I may contact the winery and see if they have had any similar reports.
Brettanomyces infection? The wine had a slight effervescence to it that blew off after 10-20min in the glass. The wine was very earthy- lot's of eucalyptus, mint, and tar. Generally, I like this in a wine but that, along with the dry manure smell was... interesting (interesting isn't the right word; but it's the first word that comes to mind) to say the least. I struggled through one glass and decided to hold off until the next day to see if the funk would blow off. It didn't. Bummer.
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Paired with grilled strip steak. This is a complex wine, with a lingering finish. Mineral overtones, with substantial fruit. Save other bottle for a year or two to compare.
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Décanté et carafé à peine 15 minutes avant consommation. Apparence rouge grenat, disque brique. Nez moyennement ouvert, prune bleue, épicé, curcuma et noix de Grenoble, feuille de tabac. Après plus d'aération, des notes chocolatées (Michel). En bouche, les tanins sont fondus mais le vin garde sa structure avec un peu d'acidité et peu de sucre résiduel. La persistance est moyenne à longue sur des notes de noyau de prune et de noix. Je soupçonne que le vin est en déclin ou que cette bouteille a mal traversée les 4 ans en Cave. Pas à la hauteur de mes attentes, surtout après consultation des nombreux commentaires d'experts ou d'abonnés de CT et du prix. La prochaine et dernière bouteille sera carafé au moins une heure. À boire dans l'année
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Similar notes as last time. Classic meaty Rhone flavors, some chalky minerals, starting to soften up and improve. I'll try to wait a couple more years before trying another.
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A year ago this was very tight but after decanting for 1 hour the wine became very approachable The wine looks inky colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like mineral and blackberry. The body is medium. The wine has narrow texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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Dark garnet. Funky nose - leather, brett. Cola and fizz which blew off somewhat over an hour, but left behind a funky taste. Black fruit and leather still came through, but again not what I was hoping for and not the esprit de Beaucastel. Reminded more of a Pinot noir than a CdP. Will let it sit for a day and see how it goes.
Wine with Friends (Our house, Kennett square, PA): A nice CA Rhone blend. Good acidity and fine tannin. Classic Rhone flavors. A little heat in this one though. Should drink well for a few more years.
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This is still very nice & drinking very well. Nice nose on herbs and black currants with some nice spices. The palate is really well balanced, nice flavors of meat and spices with a nice crunchy fruit core. Extremely long & delish!
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Hot hot hot upon opening the bottle. Needs a good hour to open up. From there, well rewarded. Still young, this wine is tightly wound. Expect it to hold for at least 10 more years.
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Le nez est intense encore une fois! Des bleuets mais aussi des mures et des épices différentes. En bouche, c’est puissant, complexe mais bien maitrisé. Des mures et de la viande fumée et une touche minérale! Les tannins sont bien enrobés. La finale de belle longueur! Pour le prix, c'est un beau RQP.
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Nice wine....Drinking well right now. Not on a par with the best of CdP, but very balanced with a nice flavor profile. Glad I drank this as the cork wasn't seated perfectly and wine had ran all the way up the side, wouldn't have lasted for a time.
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Damn, this was good. Black raspberries predominated, but there was a full melange of spice and garrigue, just like a good CNdP. Full-bodied, still tannic, with a firm structure. Really outstanding and a favorite at dinner.
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Should always read first. Thought it was time. But mine is definitely flawed. Very Espritzy. Recorked and shook and it shot the cork to the ceiling. Even after it settled too much Brett for me and I love Southern Rhone. It happens. Gonna consult the notes to find another.
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Lots of structure to this wine. A touch of effervescence which was surprising. I detected a hint of oxidation. Wine had seeped almost to the top of the cork so there may have been an issue. 2 more bottles in cellar. Will have to see how they continue to age.
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I was surprised at the reviews about this wine being shut down. We decanted it for about 45 minutes and there was a ton of fruit and a fantastic nose. Smelled just like a CdP. Great wine now and should only get better.
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Opened and decanted a 375. Started closed and simple, rewarded for an hour of waiting. This is starting to get interesting: Gorgeous fruit, a bit dusty and dark yet fresh. First bottle I have enjoyed. Think since 375 starting to get interesting, bodes well for our 750's and magnums, which we have yet to touch. A serious wine from a region that is easy to write off.
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public service announcement. Tablas current vintage chart dated June 2013 lists the 07 Beaucastel as CLOSED. They are accurate, this wine always shuts down, and the recent notes would seem to corroborate. Do not open until Tablas reconfirms drinking chart. http://www.tablascreek.com/media/files/pdf/vintage_chart.pdf
just a happy TC drinker.
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Popped and poured. Disjointed wine. Clearly plenty of ripe, concentrated fruit, but disjointed with rubber, acid. Maybe a decant would have helped, but looking at the other notes it looks more like there is some bottle variation. I'll try again next day to see if it has come together. NR
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Much better than anticipated. A CdP but with loads of sweet fruit and little garrigue. A touch syrupy with a rich mouth feel.Delicious! I'll search for more.
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First sampled of six bottles. Dark garnet. The 44% Mourvedre shows on the nose, and more so on the palate: smokey, perfume-y. The fruit is somewhat backward, making for an interesting glass. Complexity for sure, and necessary to pair with food or the tartness really comes to the fore. Well-made, but not altogether successful at this stage. Another year or two before I'll open the next bottle.
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Savory, pepper, lots of dark red fruit. A little too much heat initially but blew off after an hour decant. Ever better second night. Nice wine, true to CdP style with less earth and funk.
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Three for three bad, flawed wine. The cork piulled super easy and the wine was horrid. Something is very wrong to have three bottles and have them all flawed. Very disappointed and do not know whether it is the winery or the retailer.
PnP. I enjoyed this bottle. Don't understand the detractors but to each his own. Nose was a touch muted upon opening. But I found this to be old world dusty and earthy with baking spice and bitter chocolate with adequate helping of new world fruit, both red and black. Chalky tannins still significant but not detracting. No heat which was nice to see.
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Wow! Totally different wine than the last bottle and way different than the 2009. Dark, but translucent purple. Funky nose - brett, cola. Spritzy on the palate. Cola, coffee, leather. Not what I expected and not 100% sure I like it. (It's not what I was after tonight.) It is interesting though.
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On the pop 'n pour and throughout the first evening, this was quite disjointed with some heat and a hint of brett. The palate showed some decent fruit but was rather clipped. Drank like a $8 CdR, to be honest. After stoppering and putting in the fridge overnight, this showed a bit better with nicer aromatics and a palate that fleshed out a bit. Still showing some alcohol and the brett note. Not sure if this was a bad bottle or just mediocre wine. In any case, I'll let my last bottle rest for a couple or three more years. Compared with a bottle of the 2003 that was absolutely gorgeous last year, this was a huge disappointment. I know this could use a couple more years at least, but I don't this will ever hit the heights of the 2003.
nose - cocoa, raisin, mouth - dark berry fruit, some herbality, and heat. still quite decent tannins. like the 2006 i find this lacking in freshness. some licorice notes also picked up though in general i'm not feeling the love.
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Drinking well after one hour decant. Nice fruit forward approach with a bit of a rustic edge. Improved steadily over the night. Would wait another year or two on the next bottle.
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This wine was PnP and consumed over a few hours. The wine has a clear appearance, with a color of med ruby/purple at the core, fading to a light ruby/purple rim. There is a bit of sediment thrown, and the legs drop quickly. The nose appears to be in good condition, showing off developing aromas of ripe plums, charcoal embers, moist soil, and black cherries, which are medium in intensity. On the palate, this is a dry wine, showing full body and med(+) alcohol (14.5% abv listed), med/med(+) intensity flavors of plums, sweet tobacco, wet earth/gravel notes, peppery spice, and dark red cherries. These flavors are supported by med acidity, keeping the wine lively, alongside well-integrated, med level tannins, leading into a med(+) length finish that is full of dark fruits and savory soil notes. **There was a slight spritziness on the palate at first, which had me initially worried, but this totally blew off over the course of an hour. This is a very good quality wine that is really drinking nicely right now (after an hour decant), and will likely continue to further integrate and become more complex over the next 2-3 years, and drink well through 2023 or so. Plenty of life left, and nicely balanced, still coming across as benefiting from a bit more cellar time at this point.
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Drank in magnum form and this wine had a great balance between old and new world. Great complexity and a wonderful delicateness to the grenache in the mix. Really enjoyable. Didn't go over as well as the cab for the non-wine drinkers at the dinner but I loved it.
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Saturday Afternoon at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): Nice and spicy with interesting texture and layers of flavor. Reminded me of a young and brash Chateauneuf de Pape...which I'm guessing is what Tablas Creek is going for. It'll be interesting to see how these age because it's a bit raw at this point.
Huge nose of funk, forest floor, dark fruits, earth. Needed one hour decant to settle down. Beautiful flavors of dark fruits and cherries, forest floor, mushroom, leather, smoke. A bit of sweetness. Full bodied with solid, mouth filling tannins, which are well integrated and balanced. My only issue was a bit of acidity and heat. Long finish. Sorry we only have one bottle left.
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Must have been a flawed bottle, maybe cooked. I still have 3 more so I'll give it another chance soon. It was awful. Drank a full glass first night and tried it again the next night - no improvement.
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The wine is a nice, ruby red color. The very inviting nose has blackberry, eucalyptus, kirsch, cherry, flower laden potpourri, minerals, licorice, Asian spices, and just a touch of underbrush. This is medium to full body, with solid tannins and very good acidity. Nice, bright, spicy fruit on the palate with minerals and a touch of mint. The finish is very long and satisfying. Not a big, in your face style of wine, this could very easily be slipped into a CdP tasting and not be out of place. This is still on the young side, but still very tasty.
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Decanted two hours, consumed over next three. Tobacco, stones, dark fruit on the nose. Cherry, plum, leather, herbs n a great and deep palate. Good acidity, smooth tannins. Red to rim, a lot of time left. Excellent, has potential to be outstanding if it adds complexity.
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Great wine. A very meaty and perfumed nose. More meaty, smoky flavors on the palate along with some leather, herbs and dark cherry. Very complex flavor profile. Full bodied, very well delineated wine with tannins that are currently nicely hidden and well integrated. Above average finish. This wine has secondary flavors showing well right now that might get slightly better over a couple years but is drinking really well right now. Very well done...Cheers!
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I have now sampled this a couple of times. The Esprit de Beaucastel does not have the complexity of its French cousin - but with the simplicity and reduction also comes not having to deal with waiting several hours for the aroma of horsecrap to depart, nor the need for decanting, decanting, and sometimes decanting again, that I enjoy when drinking the grand vin of Chateau de Beaucastel, from whose vineyards this Rhône Ranger from Pasô Rôbles is allegedly cloned. But it's very hard to differentiate, after an aperitif, from the second wine of Beaucastel, the Coudoulet, from the same vintage. All that being said, when judged on its own right and not by comparison to ancestors, this stands up as a flawelssly-conceived and flawlessly-executed wine. The plurality varietal - mourvedre lends a little smoke to the mid palate, and leather to the finish. Overall, the mouthfeel is rich, and the attack is not too harsh. The nose is not memorable - grenache always smells like spring apples to me. Overall, I think this wine is worthy of acquisition and consumption - highly worthy.
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Meat / iron / black raspberries & cherry on nose - very nice. I bought this close to release, it has been sitting in a cool cellar and the cork was fine but the acidity was out of balance relative to the fruit on the palate - I'd guess this suffered from VA so I won't rate. Beautiful nose so this was dissapointing to me. I had a little left and had on night 2- much better - maybe its in a closed phase today. Will drink remaining bottles 2014+
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Didn't get as much complexity from this one as the previous bottle, but still drinking well. Plenty of fruit left and still has enough tannins to suggest that it will soften up an integrate further.
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Herbal, tar-like aromatics. Very CdP from a ripe year. Classic garrigue flavors, some soy, and savory spice notes. Some medium tannins on long finish. Drinking well now, but plenty of structure to age.
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Initial 45 minute decant. Great nose of dark fruit and stems. In the mouth, the dark fruits were prominent over tanins that were strong but quite pleasant. Had the nose and mouthfeel to suggest still on the young side. Two hour later the nose was similar, with less stems and picked up some candied spice. In the mouth, great plum and blackberry. Tannins still prominent on mid-palate and on, but did not interfere with the fruit. The herbiness that others comment on adds a nice dimension to the wine. Overall, pleasant and complex. I think this will improve for some years still.
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In the somewhat closed bouquet dark fruits, graphite and a bit dust. On the palate cherries, dark chocolate, some green herbs and sweetness, good acidity and bitterness. The tannin is round. First signs of development are there. Early maturity now and I expect it will show more 5 years from now.
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Opened one to see what this wine is about. Well, it is about depth, richness, and somewhat surprisingly, elegance. Deep deep red, extremely rich and quite concentrated. Showing its youth with high pitched fruit and kirsch notes. The nose was deep and complex on opening with plums soy sauce and some animale. It became more subdued over time. This wine is very good today and with excellent potential for years ahead.
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Wine seems to be going through a tough period. Quite a nose tonight, but not easily described. Flavors that I associate with grenache being dominant. Nice tannins, but alcohol is too much right now.
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Decanted for two, drank over the next three hours. Much of the floral aspects has blown off and has let the alcohol protrude. I don't have the same enthusiasm for this wine as others. It's well made, but ultimately lacks the depth of flavor to match the hot finish. Day two: better nose, fuller flavor on the palate, but heat still on the finish.
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Drank once again vs the 2006...this is head & shoulders above the 2006! Decanted 2 hours also! Nose is once again beautiful, lots of red fruits with some spices & herbs with a touch of violets. The palate has lots going on! Cherries & raspberries but also a bit of cranberries and herbs, quite tasty and complex, showing lots of depth also. Nice smooth tannins with a nice mineral backbone and acidity, extremely long & savoury...this will age beautifully!!! Excellent again!
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Very extracted and tannic. Needs a good long decant, but once integrated this is very tasty with ripe plum and dark cherry fruit, some grilled herbs and garlic, and finally touches of anise and cedar. Long, satisfying finish. Would recommend.
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Spectacular, at at a great place now. I expected the tannins to be harsher, but they're resolved. I don't know if this gets better, but it's drinking beautifully now. Snobbery aside, is the U.S. making better rhone blends than CDP? Comparable: Carlos Gonzalez.
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Still tight - needs time. A bit alcoholic, but as it opens up, some nice floral notes and expressive fruit. Good stuff, but suggest another 3 years if you can keep your paws off of it.
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No notes taken, showing a slight bit of secondary fermentation on the palate. The nose was very nice, with the Mourvedre seemingly taking center stage.
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We opened this tonight to have with my wife's (nearly) world famous beer can chicken which is both sweet and spicy. The wine was incredibly full bodied and able to hold up to the Cayenne and other spices in the chicken while offering a lingering finish that matched the sweetness of the brown sugar also in the chicken. An perfect wine that we are sure will go well with most any dish.
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Tasted blind against 3 other $35-50 GSM, this was the best. Decanted 2-3 hours. Beautifully complex nose of fruit, dark berries, cherry, cassis, and a little smoke. Smells almost like a california cab. Not a whole lot of interest in the mouth though... These tannins are plentiful, somewhat harsh, and need time. I would definitely hold for at least a few years.
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- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of blackberry and has flavours of blackberry with a medium/full body. Juicy texture with a medium finish - My wife and I had this last night, really a beauty!
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Definitely too young. Took a full day opened to develop. Initially spritzy and acidic with muted fruit. Next day very smooth, integrated tannins, dark fruit and color, balanced but needs several more years to develop.
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L’œil : La robe est rouge grenat avec de reflet violets. Le nez : Le nez est intense et parfumé, c’est assez complexe. On sent un plusieurs couches différentes! Encore des bleuets mais aussi des mures, beaucoup d’épices différentes (anis, cumin et poivre) et d’herbes (garrigue). La bouche : En bouche, c’est puissant mais il y a une belle maitrise et quel complexité. On goûte les fruits noirs, de la viande fumée et une touche florale et minérale! Les tannins sont soyeux et bien recouverts de fruit. La finale est immense, quelle longueur! Pour le prix, c'est un beau RQP. Un superbe vin qui allie richesse, puissance et complexité en ce moment, il se raffinera encore plus avec les années!!!
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Dark purple in color. Red and blue berries with wet earth on the nose. The palate shows blueberry, dark red cherry, graphite, and mineral notes. Delicious yet young and spritzy. Cellar. 44% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 21% Syrah, and 5% Counoise.
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Another bottle from 375 and the secondary CO2 is still here. (see previous note) This bottle was shut down hard and even an extended decant did not do much to it. I would hold off from opening more for at least a few years.
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Once again superb! Decanted a good 3 hours before it started to open up! Loads of Garrigue and fruit on the nose, quite complex also! The mouthfeel is silky smooth with nice well defined tannins, nice fruit purity also and gobs of spices...extremely long finish. Still quite juvenile presently eventhough it drinks superbly...this will be amazing in 5-7 years!!!
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Double decanted 3 hours, one trip through vinturi, brought to dinner at Brussels Bistro for my birthday. Absurdly good. Better than the last bottle. Nose of cedar that takes off into all kinds of exotic notions with potpourri, leather, the list just goes on but I wasn't into the notes I just wanted to soak in the sensations. At first the massive fruit smacks you but once the minerality kicks in the journey begins. There are earth tones, rocks, herbs,floral tones. Very silky mouthfeel with flavor canvassing the palate. The tannins grip on the finish but they are sweet and chewy, and wow this one is loooong. The flavor stays in front of the tannins with herbs and very late berry. The finish is so long in fact, you don't actually finish, the taste just stays in your mouth. I can't even venture how great this will be some years down the road but it is really approachable now. WOTY so far and bonified face-melter. 95+
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decanted. super wine. drunk next to an 08 saxum...and no comparison. people should be beating down the door of this producer, especially this wine in any vintage. nice composition and lush fruit. affordable, accessible, go get it. the crowd sucked this down like crack.
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This again is a really good vintage far better than the 2006 opened at the same time to compare. This is really good stuff. Decanted for two hours andprobably should of doubled this. The nose has lots of earth and flowers, some blackberries, cassis and spices. The mouthfeel is quite big but has structure, very savoury flavours of Cherry, black currants, pepper and some leather. Extremely long and quite tasty. Presently quite young and bousterous but will age superbly...EXCELLENT!
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Charlie's Retirement Party: the final wine after the Beaucastel CdPs. Opened as everyone finished their dinner (seared Ahi tuna, sauteed shitake mushrooms, wholegrain rice and portabella pilaf, asparagus). Licorice on the nose. A little hot with alcohol. Nearly full bodied. Showed the traditional chateauneuf flavor profile of earth and leather more than the CdPs did.
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PnP - served while outside playing bocce ball. Too busy guzzling to take any notes. I remember thinking it was still somewhat primary though more open than it was last summer. A touch of spritz was evident early on but this faded after being open awhile. Completely seamless and flat out delicious. This disappeared much too quickly. Such balance and poise. While ripe and rich this seemed like a marriage between Cali sun and French nuance - definately not OTT. Fantastic!
I'd say 93 today with room for growth. Best Esprit I've had. Look forward to tracking it's evolution over the next 5-10 years!
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The most amazing Rhone style US wine ever. Decanted for two hours and could go longer. Espresso, wet earth, and cherry on the nose with loads of black fruit, spice (black pepper), and leather on the palette. All elements balanced-such an expression of terroir. This is my first of 6 in my cellar-can’t wait for evolution.
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Mourvedre 44%, Grenache 29%, Syrah 21%, Counoise 6%, alcohol 14.5%. This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by Don Shapiro. Opaque black/purple in color, it shows an intense nose of ripe black fruit, black pepper, vanilla and animal fur. Full-bodied on the palate, with big ripe tannins and a slight spritz. The alcohol is not subtle. The flavors are black fruit-dominated and very ripe. The middle palate is solid and the finish is long, albeit hot. This is, to my palate, a decent "Rhone Ranger" which would in no way be confused with anything from the Southern Rhone. It is over-extracted and (given the spritz) this particular bottle has probably had a secondary bacterial fermentation from unfermented residual sugar. Perhaps a bad bottle, but I suspect that it is simply just another over-extracted Paso Robles Rhone-style blend which may appeal to the masses but holds little for me. My score is generous. Drink now-12/13.
POP, 30 min decant, had with cheese and crackers. Big nose of sour cherry with a bit of coffee/choc/oak. Less fruit on the palate than expected. Wonderful tannic structure which gives wine a sense that it is a lot bigger than it is if that makes sense. Definitely a very red meat/BBQ friendly wine. Very excited to see where this goes with another 2-3 years.
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POP, had with cheese and crackers after a 30 min decant. Crazy big nose once poured in the decanter. Lots of sour cherry and a bit of coffee. Not as much fruit on the palate as I expected. Very good tannin structure and a wonderful finish. Definitely a red meat/BBQ friendly wine. I expect this to soften and show a touch more fruit with another year or two.
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Ordered off the wine list at at Craig and Sally's on St. Thomas. From memory: Dense purple. Nose of cherry, smoked meat, and leather. Full, ripe palate of delicious red and dark fruit with a juicy, peppery mid-palate and lingering finish. Pleasant acidity and supple tannins. Excellent, balanced wine.
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Decanted one hour; great nose, spicy palate with pepper and dark fruits that (as others have noted) tastes more French and CA. Medium plus finish. Consumed over 5 hours, started to get slightly flabby at the end of the evening, although still enjoyable. Hope this does not mean it will not make old bones. Drink very well now.
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This had a much better showing on this tasting compared to July 2010. Very dark crimson color with an earthy nose of herbs and spice. Flavors have opened up since, and much, much fuller and complex than the 2006 vintage. Flavors of dark cherry, raspberry, blueberry pie, and licorice. Finishes long with a hint of spice. Balanced and bright acidity. This is clearly the best they've produced in a long while. Drink from 2011 to 2016.
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Candied red berry fruit, blue flower - violet, and nutmeg on the nose. Medium-plus bodied with chewy tannins and medium acidity, with concentrated ripe black and red fruit on the palate. Not really my style, but one can see the quality of the winemaking.
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Sunday, January 16, 2011 - this has a classic CdP feel - great ruby color, lots of mineral and spice, hints of stone much like a French hillside wine, peppery and tons of fruit. Finish reveals tannins but only add to the wonderful experience. My wife, who loves CdP, said I thought we were drinking a Cali tonight. We are and really appreciating the skills of the TCV makers. Thanks to my secret Santa!
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this has a classic CdP feel - great ruby color, lots of mineral and spice, hints of stone much like a French hillside wine, peppery and tons of fruit. Finish reveals tannins but only add to the wonderful experience. My wife, who loves CdP, said I thought we were drinking a Cali tonight. We are and really appreciating the skills of the TCV makers.
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No real notes given neighborhood dinner - tasted wine after 2 hours in decanter - much better than when I had this at a business dinner (pop & pour). Very smooth - blackberry / meat / black olives on nose & palate with smooth tannins. Medium finish - If you can decant for a few hours drink now - otherwise hold - I doubted the ratings given my last tasting but with time this is easily 92 to 94.
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This is a very good wine -- not yet worth 95-97, but who knows with some more age. Until then, very nice spicy dark cherry and earth flavors, coming in layers, long finish and nice balance and structure. Drinking in .375, so I can understand why some reviewers drinking .750 might not yet appreciate what this wine's potential might be. Thoroughly enjoyable tonight.
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This Cali rhone wanna-b did not live up to all of the hype. The nose had a manure and janitorial urine cake smell. The mouthfeel and mid palate fruit were fair and the finish simple. How this got a WS 94 is beyond my American palate.
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Decanted through a vinturi and let it sit for an hour and half. nose was tight. Dark berry with some light cherry flavors. Became a little thin at the end. Excellent, but not outstanding....
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Spice filled nose. Layered flavors or wild berry and toasted jam but somewhat astringent. Much better the second night especially as accompaniment to peppered London broil. Will wait 1-2 years for others.
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beautiful young color, nose of reddish berries and lovely fruit and tannins on the palate. this is a very good wine but I cannot feel a liitle bit that it is disjointed at this time. there is a lot going on in flavors and they jump. this will be good for many years so let the other bottles rest for now.
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Similar flavor profile to previous bottle, but I think I under estimated its potential. Great fine tannic structure and acidity underlying good acidity and ripe berry flavors. Great complexity. Distinct rhone style with cali flair. Drink now or hold.
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Beautiul floral nose, smooth entry. Weight of wine was more Euro than Paso. Best Espirit vintage I have had yet. Cherries, light chocolate nuances and some vanilla on nose and on finish. This wine is rocking right now.
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I loved this wine while watching the sunset and listening to live jazz. Dark purple color. Complex nose of earth and a hint of berries but without any sweetness. Complex wonderful feel in the mouth. Lots of earthiness, mushrooms, truffles and spice. Wonderful density and layers of flavors kept evolving which each sip. Incredible balance. The complexity of the wine and the jazz really complimented each other.
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14.5% alcohol. 44% mourvedre, 29% grenache, 21% syrah, 6% counoise. not decanted, but you probably should. i said in my last note that i'd hold for a year. well, close; sort of. actually, just opened on a whim. this is a big wine, but i have to give it props for not going haywire, OTT. it's quite delicious, actually. chewy tannins. i like the heavily spiced/black pepper nose, and it's a great blend of varietals. i'd like to drink this with some spare ribs at twin anchors in chicago. i try to age this wine, but i never seem to be able to resist it's black hole gravitational pull to open young, especially when a vintage like this one comes along. it's not an overtly complex wine, nor is it one dimensional, but, dang... it's tasty!
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Tablas Creek Winery Tasting (Tablas Creek Winery): Tasted non blind at the winery. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose is a little tight right now showing notes of some melted black licorice, raspberries and a hint of smoke. Flavors of black berries, a bit of currants, a bit of cherry and raspberries on the finish. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium body. Hold a bit before trying again. 92.
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Somehow I really want to like this wine since I have a few bottles in my cellar and I see all these nice reviews, but I just can't see how/why most people are rating this wine 90+ right now based on what I'm tasting today... maybe time will help?
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Light lively and bright when first poured out -there is a touch of CO2 from a slight amount of secondary fermentation which blew away in 10 minutes. This wine keeps putting on color and weight the longer it sits in the decanter. After 2 hrs in the decanter it is now round dark & lush: red and black fruit, plums, Garrigue, beef blood and asian spices all come to mind. Well balanced, flavorful and featuring a long finish with mineral flavors. Excellent.
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RUSSK BBQ at Mikes. This was the WOTN, by far. Very nice surprise. Very compelling. Fresh clean nose (Priorat-like), big fruit. Effervescent at fiirst (not a plus), then fading after 15min. Silky tannins. Want some.
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Best California rhone yet. Almost similar to lots of 2007 rhones. Very dark and intense both on the nose and palate. Big wine but balanced. Lots of ripe tannins. Long finish. I think this will is classic and will age well. Bought some to see how it ages. Great wine.
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Very close to being extraordinary, it just needed a little more intensity/purity and it was there. Everything else was sensational. A nose to die for so rich with briar(from the bottle but true!), red/blue fruit, garrigue, spice, and the most elegant leather I have ever smelled from Paso. Absolutely seamless on the palate. It is full bodied but carries itself in a light and lithe manner that is far more old world than new. Delicious red fruits impeccably layered with multiple spice notes and an undercurrent of leather/cedar goodness. Structure is well intact and the finish lingers of black cherry, asian spice, a teriyaki note, and beautiful underbrush. Perfect balance and drinking better than any Cali rhone blend I have ever tasted. Pair with any gourmet french goodness you are in for a treat. This is throwing a good sediment, be sure to stand up or filter. 93-94.
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92-93. Really needs a decant at this point. The last glass was best. This S. rhone look a like really holds its own against most high end CdR or mid end CdP. Nice dark red fruits balanced by lots of floral notes and earthy spice. Very well made stuff and should last quite a while. Not the 95+ point wine that some critic suggests, but darn good and a decent QPR even at a price point where plenty of nice 2007 CdPs are available. 91 upon open, 92-93 at finish. I don't see more than that or a truly memorable wine, but upside to 93. Maybe it would have been there now with a longer decant? Puts most CA rhone rangers to shame.
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Clean, bright red fruit with a hint of tar. The tannins are well managed creating the impression of structure without sacrificing the balance needed to highlight the lovely fruit. This is a flashier wine than the 2006 which is earthier and darker-fruited. I believe the 06 will be longer lived, but the 07 will be an immediate crowd pleaser with 10 -15 years of aging potential.
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Rich, spicy, red-fruited nose. Medium-full to full bodied. On the palate: nice leather; ripe red fruits; not overblown; some good S. Rhone leather and a hint of garrigue. Very nice; better than the ‘06.
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decanted for 3 hrs and should have let it air for another 3. only slightly open on the nose w/hints of violets & thyme. palate is tight but full of blackberries, game & herbs. big mineral finish. wonderful balance & mouthfeel. think this will improve greatly with some time in the cellar.tremendous.
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44% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 21% Syrah, and 5% Counoise. Deep ruby color. Earthy red berry nose. Tastes of blackberry, raspberry, violet, and earth. Completely shut down and not giving up much at this point. Well balanced. A beautiful layered core of fruit. Needs time but the upside potential is huge. This wine showed much better last year. Hold.
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Tasted at winery. A very big youngster. Huge aromas of vanilla laced ripe red fruits and spices are evident from 3 feet away. Delicious mouthfull of red & black fruits, spices, and vanilla on both the opening & midpalate which are quite voluminous. Long, spicy, and creamy fruit finishes on a wave of sweet, quite pronounced tannins. This is still tight and needs time but is a beautiful rendition.
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Dark purple, with complex layers of fruit. The Mourvedre really stands out, giving it a different character than more typical Syrah and Grenache blends. Drinking very well now, but probably has several years to go.
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Starts out as a sort of thin fruit forward wine but has been filling out into a nice light-yet-Jammy sort of experience. Lots of dark berries with some stone fruit thrown in.
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Dark brilliant purple, extremely perfumed nose of black fig, cassis, cherry, red currants, baking spice and alcohol, big spicy palate loaded with complex black and red fruits, followed by tangy tannis giving lift to the fruit, finish is dark and forever
Note: Less CdP than other vintages but in the best possible way. This wine has flavors I have never tasted in wines from either clay or sand soils. It's darker and maybe even deeper than CdP with courageous levels of acidity. I think Paso is starting to develop its own terroir that might rival the old guard. Outstanding effort.
PS: Next two bottles horribly flawed with brett
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Notes from day 2. Dark red to light purple in color. Nose of blueberry, licorice, herb. Palate of lush blueberry, a little licorice, herbs, mineral, and a little heat or white pepper on the tail end. The finish is average in length, but there was a little heat on the wine that I haven't had from Tablas before. Overall a good wine, but I tend to think most 07s are a little overrated IMO. Hold. 50+5+11+17+7
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Tasted over 4 days. Kind of sneaks up on you. The nose is unassuming and the flavor doesn't immediately grab you by the throat, but by the time you're at the end of your first glass, you begin to take note of how the wine coats your entire palate with rich fruit and you begin to respect the nuances of this handsomely-crafted wine. I can only fault it for lacking that WOW factor and for a slight bitterness on the finish. I rank it slightly below the Domaine Les Grands Bois Cuvee Marc and Cuvee Maximallian and a solid notch below the 2006 Clos Del Rey (95-96 pts) as recent Rhone-style blends.
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Good fruit, great balance, reserved but not without stuffing, long drying chalky, piney, like chewing on the grapevine itself finish. I think this will improve with time.
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Disappointed with this wine based on other tasting notes. Very smooth, fruit forward, subtle tannins, but lacking a strong finish. Pleasant tasting, but lacks depth. A good table type wine. Drank over a period of 6 hours the first day of opening, and no discernible difference. Drank the second day, and the quality declined somewhat. Very overpriced.....paid $40, but worth only $20.
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Purchased this bottle at retail and consumed that evening. This bottle had some wine climbing up the cork a few millimeters, so it might have not been stored well at some point. Also tasted it in a bad hotel stem. 14.5% ABV. Dark garnet somewhat translucent. My first impression was that the Mourvedre and Counoise components seemed to be dominating the aromatics. Wax, animal fur, stems and perhaps some cocoa powder. Medium bodied with spicy, somewhat savory red berry fruit. This is still pretty ripe, but it would be fun to slip this into a CdP tasting. Not as good as the previous bottle from my cellar a couple months ago, but pretty good. Neutral on this bottle given the $41 price tag.
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Mmmmm...... Dark, deep purple color, so dark I expected it to really be "in my face" and was pleasantly surprised at how balanced & smooth it is. Fruit forward without being overpowering, somewhat complex, not a particularly long finish. Wonderful to drink now! My husband is convinced it will age well...I'm not so sure because it's on the lighter side right now. We'll see, we'll see. That's the fun part of sipping wine - seeing how it tastes differently in the future. Stems up!
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This is fantastic stuff, improved over three days! Offers beautiful notes of dark cherry, licorice candy and spice, medium finish. Not sure merits beyond 93 points but will give more time.
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Brian and Karen III (Our House, Avondale, PA): This was a little simpler than I remember from last time. Ripe dark cherries that turned more to blackberries after it was open a while. Lots of fine tannins, a little spicy and medium bodied. Good but not as complex as I remember and a little hot.
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Great Dark Red to black fruit, strong color. Rich and coating on the palate. This has the fragrant floral character that I really enjoy of so many calif rhone rangers. Along with Cherry Cola, there are hints of exotic spice, in a dusty way. The fruit on the palate mixes with a meaty character. This finish lasts well over a minute. Amazing how well it paired with so many dishes at the table. Carlton Restaurant in Pittsburgh. This was a real treat!!!
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Huge aromas of ripe red cherries and vanilla on nose. A little tight but delivers those same flavors of red cherries with a touch of chocolate, nice minerality, wonderful acidity, all wrapped in sweet tannins. Finish lasted 20-30 seconds (though not as long as their 07 Panoplie). Lacks a little complexity right now but what is there is delicious.
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Overripe bramble fruit, meat, cola, pepper. Thin bodied to a fault. A burst of simple flavors followed by a hollow sensation. Tasted like a soda, not a serious wine.
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Deep red garnet. Chocolate, plums and crushed rock on the nose. Rich and very layered flavors. Purple fruit, cedar and spices with supple tannins. Nice long finish.
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Popped and poured. Great fruit on the nose...blackberry, cherry and vanilla. Tannins are smooth and the finish is esquisite! For a 2007 this wine is drinking quite well right now!
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Nice nose of brambly dark fruits, black pepper, spicy oak and tobacco. Palate has constrained alcohol, a ripe red fruited touch with some cocoa on the back end. Tannins are rather polished and integrated. Very primary and simple but very glossy and delicious. Served from .375 as a pop and pour, started to tighten up with air.
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Amazing aromas of Cinnamon and spice cake jump out of the glass on first impression slowly giving way to chocolate and ripe berries. Mocha and ripe berries on the palate. Long finish goes away and comes back several times bringing chocolate and berry flavors. Full bodied and with some structure but won't hold up as nearly as well over time as the Chte. Beaucastel cdp, drink now through 2017
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Popped poured and drank over 2 hours. Bright red fruit on the nose, but not much else. Fruit comes through upon tasting, but not much else. Fairly simple feel and finish (although no rough edges and obviouslly a well made wine). A good wine, but at this point nothing special.
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Wonderful inky like blood red color with a nice tinge of purple. On the nose is tons of cracked pepper, sweet red fruits, perfume like herbaceous scents and cedar box. Palate is very polished with alcohol in check. Loads of glycerin blue and red fruits, crushed rocks, hints of minerality and allspice.Wonderful structure and acidity that hints that this wine will last for some time. Started to clamp down after an hour of air, seemed to show best as a pop and pour.
From .375
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First Offline of the Decade (Boca Raton, FL): The wine has an Old World frame with ample levels of earth and acidity, but its origin kicks in with rich and ripe blackberry fruit that even has a hint of sweetness on the finish.
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Side by side tasting: 2007 Coudoulet Beaucastel and Tablas Creek Esprit: Tasted side by side with the 07 Beaucastel Coudoulet: This is quite nice, a bit riper than the Coudoulet, but the comparison is definitely there in flavor profile. The Tablas is somehow more focused and forward, while the Coudoulet is broader and deeper; Tablas is more tannic, a little more straight cherry to the Coudoulet raspberry/strawberry; Doesn't quite reach the level of complexity of the Coudoulet, but overall a nice bottle. I see a lot of higher scores for this, but I think they're not leaving enough room for other wines with much more complexity and depth. The Coudoulet has a definite edge for my tastes, not to mention the big brother Beaucastel CdP, one of the top wines of the vintage.
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Oh my god this is good!!! Poured through my Vinturi (only wine gadget I've ever owned that works), this was spectacular from the first taste and only got better. Huge crushed blackberries and pomegranate fruit, massive weight on the palate but not overpowering at all. Rich and thick, oozing with fruit and melted dark chocolate, hints of vanilla bean, coffee, cinnamon stick and licorice. A delight through and through.
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Had this among others at the company holiday party and it was a standout along with the Justin Savant and Cakebread chard. Ann and I liked this. Rich fruit balanced with nice acidity and tannins. Similar to the riper 07 southern Rhones which I am guessing is their intention. I am looking foward to trying another to spend some time with it.
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I posted a note earlier but must not have hit the consume this bottle command, and threw my paper notes away. I remember this being a little better than a slightly closed bottle of 2007 Giraud Grenaches de Pierre(94). This is darn good juice and has tremendous upside. 94+
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A blend of 44% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 21% Syrah, and 6% Counoise. Ruby color. Crushed red berry nose. Raspberry, black cherry, and leather. Impressive complexity in the expansive mid palate. Beautifully balanced. Mouthwatering acidity. Firm chewy tannins. Long elegant finish.
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Smoky nose of boysenberry, currants, iron and slate. Palate is very round and ripe, but with a surprising amount of acidity to balance a dense core of dark fruit. Lengthy finish with dark fruits and wet stone. Very well made wine with obvious ripe fruit from Cali, but a distinct mineral/terrior note that I rarely find in Cali made Rhone varietals. Should improve in the medium term.
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Blackish garnet. Big nose on opening showing licorice and fried blood sausage with some heat. Meaty body with dried berries, pepper and black plums. A touch of jam but not over the top. Extended finish. Wait a year or two to revisit.
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not decanted, but we made a half assed attempt to aerate with a vinturi. i wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and i feel most of the hype is warranted. gobs of fruit, a little heat on the finish that runs alongside the alcohol. it's a large, expansive wine with moderate depth of character. i'm not one to be too apologetic for opening young wines, but this one, in this vintage, should be stashed away for at least a year. superb value. i paid $33. 92+
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Decanted for one hour. Deep and dark red with some purple. Aroma's of licorice, wet stones, dark soil, mixed berries and a touch of lavender. The palate really hi-lights the licorice, berries and earthy qualities. Quite layered and concentrated, yet not too dense. There is still a touch of elegance to this "Californian Rhone". The finish lasts for a while. The tannins are rather fine, showing how this is the best Tablas yet. It could stand tall next to it's Rhone older brothers. I notice that this is still holding back a little and would benefit from another year in the bottle. If you admire great Chateauneuf's at all, you would love this. There is a true sense of terroir from this Paso Robles Rhone blend. What an achievement! Try some, buy some. Drink 2011 - 2020.
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Nice nose of dark fruits, but not overly-pronounced. Full bodied and earthy on pallate. This bottle not a 95-97 blockbuster, in my opinion, but still an excellent wine. May benefit from some aging. Most 2007 CdPs drinking better at this stage.
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Drank it with pan fried steak and caprezzi salad, with a bit left over to pair with some sufganiot. A rich mouthful of berries with enough earthiness and acidity to balance it out. Delicious.
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Flavors of blackberry, sage, and rose rounded out on the medium finish by a hint of earthiness and leather. Soft tannins with a lighter body than I expected. Nice, floral flavor that is certainly more Rhone in style than many other wines from this region.
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93+. Excellent wine. For a medium bodied wine with a ruby color, it was tight upon open and not showing a ton. With air, becomes very compelling. Great deep red fruit, with twizzlers/red licorice, and beautiful spice. Deepens and lengthens with air. Tannins are very fine, but very present. Great. 92-94. Give this time.
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96 pts, cooking spice, smokey, tobacco, cedar, Deep cherry-berries, hint of oregano, long finish, took 2 hours for it to open up; but left half of the bottle for next day; finish it the next day nose of bacon fat, nice cedar back-end, lite spice, smooth on the mouth and taste lingered I am so glad I picked up enough for years to come.
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Smoky at first with red locorise nose that fades with time. Floral nose persists. Big fruity palate of cherry and blueberry with a clean mineral finish. Beautifully balanced.
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Very dark red, dark fruits, compote, earth on the nose, very full palate, good length. Very youthful, needs several years to round into form, but a lot of really good parts that should integrate well when this sheds its youth.
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strikingly beautiful aromas of lavender, violets, flowers, red licorice, concentrated raspberry and dusty pepper - acidity, body, length all defined by harmonious precision, vibrancy, focus, and elegance for the price, the best wine I have had this year (by no comparison) - and this is way better than any 2007 CDR I have tasted and competes with any CDP
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Nose of herbs and spices with notes of earth. On the palate there is raspberries and cherries that ends with notes of beef and spices. This pepery finish last for more than 30 seconds with mouth coating tannins.
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14.5% ABV. Briefly decanted. Dark garnet, slightly translucent in the glass. Sexy incense and garrigue nose. Medium-full bodied and rich with a fairly prominent streak of waxy animal fur/Mourvedre on the attack. Chateauneuf-like. Concentrated with a somewhat closed spicy mineral finish with some late tannin. This wine is more savory than a lot of Paso Rhone blends. Very good.
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Green herbs, thyme, fennel and oregano on nose. Palate starts sweet with raspberry, candy cane, cherry and maple syrup. Then you get a shot of white pepper spice, followed by a good dose of acidity, but not much in the way of tannins, so its feels thin. Finish is long with an almost butterscotch flavor and some oak. I felt like I was drinking a decent Cotes du Rhone, not a CDP, and clearly not the '07 Beaucastel. It was decent, but maybe they should rename it Esprit de Cotes du Rhone.
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The evolution of the winery -- Tablas Creek -- and the wine Espirit de Beaucastel has really accelerated with the 2007. Lush without being heavy. A finish that lingers long after the glass is given its rest. This is an outstanding wine. My reorder has been placed!
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This wine was still very young. I'm no Rhone expert, but I enjoyed the evolution of the wine in the glass. Popped and poured a glass and drank slowly over a few hours. Tannins mellowed and smoke left toward the end. Finished the bottle on the next day. It was much calmer with the aeration and easy to drink. I look forward to opening the big bottles in about 10 years!
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This wine was purchased at Vintage Wines, Ltd. after our usual double-blind tasting. We all split the tasting on this one, which had arrived at the wine shop four days prior and was being placed on the shelves at the completion of our tasting. Our tasting of this wine, accordingly, was unblinded. Opaque purple with violet rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of assorted black fruits, fennel, minerals and ample vanilla. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, liberal oak, big ripe tannins and primary flavors mirroring the nose. Medium, smooth finish. This is a nice wine which quite possibly would have shown better with more aeration. Not sure if it is worth the price vs. a nice 2007 Cotes du Rhone. Drink now-12/16.
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This wine was decanted prior to my arrival, when Lance asked me to try it and see where it fit, I just loved it, but thought more decanting would help. Once we got to it, it was lovely. The wine screamed Rhone, I actually threw out a guess of Hermitage. This is a big wine, but impecably balanced, stuffed with notes of black olives, plums, coriander and grilled sausage. A real treat and the wine of the night I would drink on a daily basis as it was big, but not over the top. Delicious!
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Anniversary Weekend - 2009; 10/2/2009-10/4/2009 (Minnesota): Treated this bottle very poorly; said goodbye to the UPS guy, opened the box, popped the cork. Very generous upon opening, closes down a bit with time in the glass. On the nose, cherry and blue fruits. The palate strikes me as medium to med-heavy, quite precise but at the same time quite lush with a resinous component that I like. A long finish that develops some tannins as it sees air. The grenache seems to play a bigger role than I would have thought given the blend (44% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 21% Syrah and 6% Counoise). Opened this early to see if I wanted to reorder. I will, as I think this will only get better with time.
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4/19/2024 - Zweder Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful and rustic bouquet with herbs and spices. On the palate juicy red berries, fresh acidity and some chocolate. Beautiful and mature wine wit still great freshness. Drink it over the next 2 – 3 years.
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12/31/2023 - grub94 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank from Mag. Deep bright color. Yes, showed fizz for about the first hour. Blackberry, currants with some hints of mushroom and leather on the finish. Soft tannins still going. Balanced with moderate finish, Not Beaucastel but enjoyable. Happy to have one more Mag. Maybe in 3-4 years.
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12/11/2023 - Aris1a wrote: 89 Points
Strange experience with this one. Consumed over several days. On day one, even after a few hours of decanting, this wine was rough around the edges. The fruit is there, but there is was certain roughness that was hard to get past. Much improved on day 3! The rough edges are gone and a very nice fruit presence comes through, mostly blackberries and cranberries. Some dried herbs and kahlua on the finish. Still not great. Maybe over the hill as others have noted.
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11/28/2023 - janettf Does not like this wine:
Color looked okay. Seemed tart, and a couple of people thought(not I) maybe slightly effervescent. Over the hill.
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8/8/2023 - sastewart wrote: 92 Points
Great bottle, opened 1 hour ahead. See my notes of 5/21. Solid 92 points.
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6/29/2023 - yatchisin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still drinking beautifully, even if the cork broke. Decanting was important anyway. So much depth--blackberry, boysenberry, but no jamminess, with tannins holding tight and lots of grace notes on a long finish.
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6/9/2023 - MichielV wrote: 90 Points
At Mashomack with Jamie, Greg, Ken and Tom. Next to 03 Beaucastel from Greg. Whats with this stupid fizz. It went away but lingered on the brain. Very strange. Makes it less funthough. The fizz is special for this vintage. The 03 beaucastel was terrific, round fresh and lengthy.
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3/6/2023 - Marc Pascal wrote: 92 Points
Marnie’s birthday
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3/6/2023 - Marc Pascal wrote: 92 Points
With Delancies and Roy and mary
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1/1/2023 - oldcorke Likes this wine: 95 Points
Holding well, per prior note.
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12/23/2022 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cork was leaking, still tasting well, nice fruit, grilled herbs, soft tannin, balanced
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12/17/2022 - rsbeck wrote:
Gave away for Christmas present.
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9/19/2022 - SKite wrote: flawed
Turned - probably poor storage
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8/13/2022 - SCM Fan Likes this wine: 94 Points
From magnum. Decanted into oversize decanter. First smell was a "sauvage" earthiness to the wine. Lovely. Poured dark to rim still no browning. 1st glass provided dark fruits and more funk than proceeding glasses. Syrah seemed to dominate later, served with grilled tri-tip roast and Tian Provencal. Excellent match. Still has some mileage ahead if stored in a magnum, a 750mL might want to think about trying any left in cellar. Bought upon release at Tablas Creek winery.
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4/22/2022 - alitman Likes this wine: 90 Points
The core ruby to garnet with a brickish rim. Moderate sediment fine sediment nothing that decanting didn't address. Could not get a primary fruit on the nose just secondary and tertiary tobacco, leather, tomato, and wood/smoke. The mouth was also secondary with spice, earth, and minerality. Medium + tannins and acidity and a medium-long finish. Overall the wine is showing it's age and it's time to drink it if you got it.
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4/2/2022 - oldcorke Likes this wine: 95 Points
Earthy, wild, subtley savage Mourvedre nose rounded out with more meaty Syrah & purple-blue floral notes. Well structured, modestly masculine, full bodied & dark fruited. Tannins are as expected for this much Mouvedre in cuvee, but not excessive. Likely has 6-8 more years development in good cellar - not yet at peak.
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3/20/2022 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
This was very masculine, with reasonably approachable barnyard notes. Sadly, my last bottle from a case bought in 2010. I believe it peaked around 2019.
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2/12/2022 - jonahfactor Likes this wine:
From magnum and not consistently cellar stored. The sommelier groaned as the cork shattered, but after triage this offering emerged wonderfully. A heavy dose of horse blanket upon first opening. But this evened out to reveal a beautiful palate of lilac, cherries, cigar box and SoCal chaparral. Food-friendly finish. Wonderfully complete. This is why we age wines. Drink now to 2027. Outstanding.
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1/2/2022 - JohnMcIlwain Likes this wine:
Decanted for a hour. Correct on the nose with leather and plum and spice from the Mourvèdre leading the procession, with some sweet red fruits from the grenache making up the rear. The palate is ripe and concentrated, but not—mind you—over-extracted, with leather, blackberry liqueur, game, and a suspicion of black peppercorn and mint flavors underlain by resolving tannins and decent acidity. There are vestiges of some wood lingering in the background, but hardly distracting and mostly knit at this point. There’s good Rhône-ish/Provençal charm here, even if I wouldn’t peg this a Bandol or a Mourvèdre-heavy southern blend. And while still leanin on the younger side of maturity this should really shine with more bottle aging. Very good and worth looking for more well-stored bottles.
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12/26/2021 - dino_mike wrote: 90 Points
Wonderful old wine!
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11/16/2021 - barrytaylor Likes this wine: 90 Points
deep color, typical for this wine, nice
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11/16/2021 - DenisLee wrote:
I bought a lot of this when it was released. I was always off put somewhat, because I felt they should have done a better job of degassing. I always shake it and vinovac to pull out some of the gas. Not a bad wine, but I think it is tasting past its prime.
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9/25/2021 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 95 Points
My last bottle of six-pack and possibly the best bottle. Drank with pizza. Elegant dark fruits, licorice, earth. Completely integrated tannin. I believe this is at peak.
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8/7/2021 - SLOFred wrote: flawed
2/3 bottles were flawed.
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7/21/2021 - jk@kttlaw.com Likes this wine: 95 Points
I wholeheartedly believe that Tablas Creek produces the best Rhone Rangers year after year, but there is something very special about the 2007 Esprit de Beaucastel. It was the perfect pairing last night with grilled rack of lamb. I must nurse my remaining 8 bottles. Still plenty of fruit in the bottle I had last night.
John ( Miami)
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7/14/2021 - YoRi Likes this wine: 92 Points
Robe rouge carmin assez dense, disque tirant vers le orangé.
Nez généreux et complexe. Fruits mûrs, mure, prune, réglisse noire. Des notes d'élevage subtils, noix grillées, tabac blond.
Bouche ample, tanins arrondis, cerises, camphre, poivre noir, légère amertume qui maintient la structure. Longue persistance sur le noyau de prune et des notes boisées, cèdre.
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7/12/2021 - prism wrote: 94 Points
Soggy cork, but intact. A little sharpish on first taste. Decanted for two hours. Barnyard on the nose, which persisted throughout, but excellent flavor: rich and well-structured.
With apps and grilled burgers.
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6/13/2021 - europat55 wrote: 93 Points
This is in a good place right now!
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5/28/2021 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not as balanced as the 2010 I had recently. Some got band aid and meat flavors typical of the Mouvedre. I got the smoke and tar from the syrah. Great wine, but TCV wines just keep getting better so it does not surprise me that the newer Esprit may be better.
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5/16/2021 - Charlie Carnes Does not like this wine:
Disappointing to be sure! Can somebody say Mr. Ed? The only notable quality in this particular bottle is brett. This is horsey as hell, with horse blanket, horse saddle, horse manure, and horses ass. I see many nice reviews, Ihope my last 4 bottles are not this affected.
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5/9/2021 - Outplaying Likes this wine:
Drinking great right now. I wish I had more than 1 left. Some aged, earthy notes, moderate acidity, soft tannin. I like that this is not a big fruit bomb.
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5/5/2021 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 92 Points
Short decant. Beautiful take on C9P, but with a bit of a pleasant twist. Huge fruit, some tannins, still medium acidity. Should go for 3-5 years more. 14,5 alcohol isn’t a big issue. Menthol note takes it to a bit of Nebbiolo direction. Steak and grilled long red paprika.
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5/1/2021 - sastewart wrote: 92 Points
PNP. Mature dark fruits with a bit of earth on the nose. Movedre shows through in the core of dark fruit with some garrigue and spice. Fully mature wine with soft tannins. Our 4th of 6. This wine is in a great place now, probably best in the next 3 years. 92 points.
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3/28/2021 - europat55 wrote: 89 Points
Lots of heat on the nose: 88
Very good palate, but not as good as my previous bottles: 89
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1/30/2021 - Tudz Drkl wrote:
blind: opaque, deep red, fresh strawberry, red fruit, raspberry, funky jazz bar with vinyl, bacon, roasted pork, oaky, minty, floral
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12/13/2020 - PSPatrick wrote: 93 Points
Second virtual CdP wine tasting (blind). (Zoom): Wine 3 of 4. Good, ripe fruit, cherry, blueberry, herbal notes, intense chocolate, lovely, intense spice, with supporting acidity, well-integrated tannin and superb length. Good body and concentration. Dense, concentrated and long. Well-structured. I could drink a whole bottle. Great wine! In a good place.
Even more striking on day two. Except for the high-class chocolate note, this is the closest thing to top notch CdP I have had from outside the Southern Rhône!
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11/27/2020 - dino_mike Likes this wine: 93 Points
Inky dark red and huge intense nose of forest, sharp earth (almost tar or rubber.. but in a good way) and tasted the same until 2 aerations and 2 hours open, then finally dark blue fruits crept up but still the earth and wet forest dominated. At the end of the bottle was a nice mix of sweet black licorice, black berry and minerals with a long very smooth finish. No tannins, but brooding, huge, wound & intense. Please, open 24 hrs in advance and enjoy now. I've no idea if age will be good but it couldn't hurt right now.
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11/18/2020 - DaninClearwater wrote:
corked
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11/7/2020 - BHRH Likes this wine: 93 Points
Best wine I've had from Tablas Creek! A bit pruny when first opened, but expanded to a rich, dry, full-bodied wine. Complex aromas of blueberries, blackberries and herbs. Saturated, multi-dimensional palate with some minerals and black licorice. Long complex finish with a bit of remaining silky tannins. At peak now - may last a few more years, but why wait!! Sadly, my last bottle... 93+
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11/6/2020 - davidrh1 wrote: 94 Points
Very rich, dark cherries and stone fruit, like velvet in the mouth. Nice finish.
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10/23/2020 - Pjzlotnik Likes this wine: 92 Points
wonderful wiht abundant fruit and smooth
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10/7/2020 - signotim wrote: 92 Points
Poor cork condition, soaked through despite cold cellar since release. Also, slightly frizzante when first opened and this resolved over time. On night 2, this is showing its best with sweet red fruit, earthy character, and a mineral component. A bit of a high maintenance wine but quite nice in the end
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10/3/2020 - prism wrote: 94 Points
P&P; followed over three evenings. This bottle had some VA and a little funk. The fizz was present throughout the glass, though the funk blew off. VVd overnight. Day two, decanted: no funk but still a slight fizz. VV'd overnight. Day three, the wine was as lovely as can be, and a solid 94. Recommended, but with a two hour decant.
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8/21/2020 - gbauer wrote: flawed
Fizzy. Secondary fermentation. Cork failed.
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8/16/2020 - SLOFred wrote:
Must be bad. I have never had an aged TCV I have not liked, but this smelled like an old, sweaty, stinky leather soccer boot! Likely flawed.
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8/11/2020 - maxima wrote: flawed
Réduite/déviante!
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8/10/2020 - europat55 wrote: 94 Points
Nose: A-/A Palate: A-/A Tasted blind.
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7/11/2020 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice rhone blend drank with braised pork shoulder. Still plenty of fruit albeit less intense than earlier bottles. drink or hold.
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5/3/2020 - jaumealaska Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP. Plum to garnet in color with some lightening at the rim. Medium bodied. Medium viscosity. Expressive nose has meat and game of the Mourvèdre with some kir and spice notes poking underneath. Medium dark fruits with great acid and resolved tannins in balance and medium long finish. Beautiful wine in its mature phase but not fading at all. Would drink this blind with older CDP and bet no one could pick out the American cousin
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4/25/2020 - Seneg wrote: 89 Points
Better than last bottle. Requires quite some decanting..
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4/20/2020 - no leashes wrote: 91 Points
Delicious rhone blend indeed -- drinking beautifully. Only reason score not higher is that for this kind of money one can buy the real thing.
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3/15/2020 - sfbikeguy wrote: flawed
Ugh. Opened a bottle with the off / fizzy taste. It’s only been open 30 min. I’ve put in the cold garage and I’ll report back tomorrow....
I had a bottle a few days ago and it was very enjoyable.
next day update: Bleh! still bad. Can't even describe it. So many of the 2007 bottles have issues, Jason and the Tablas team should make a statement....
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3/11/2020 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious Rhone blend. Drink or hold.
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3/5/2020 - Kshabani wrote: flawed
Bottle opened on 3/5/20 was ruined.
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3/4/2020 - thalver wrote:
I approached this with some trepidation after a couple poor experiences with this vintage of the wine in the past. This bottle was everything one could have expected and more. No evidence of secondary fermentation. On opening, there was some hint of metallic brett, but it quickly blew off (or was simply the mourvedre showing itself) Expressive nose. Nice balance with enough acidity and tannin to provide some cut. 92-93 ish
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2/27/2020 - jc510 wrote:
Still drinking well, not my cup of tea, but the Somm at the Paso Robles tasting went bonkers over it.
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2/23/2020 - royalscam Likes this wine: 92 Points
With respect to previous notes, this wine is very nice, and at peak maturity; gives off old world notes though balanced; great nose and good finish
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2/22/2020 - jimineff Does not like this wine: 70 Points
Far over the hill. Undrinkable.
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2/21/2020 - OaktownRush Likes this wine:
Dark fruit, caramel, some fresh and dried herbs, and some barnyard that blew off. Nice palate intensity and length but feels a bit muddled. Like others have mentioned, it is ever so slightly frizzante. This wine has lots of memories for me — so I enjoyed drinking it.
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1/30/2020 - jimineff wrote: flawed
Cork taint & secondary fermentation
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1/20/2020 - VoteferPedro wrote: flawed
my last
great southern rhone profile on the nose
color is great
I got the frizzante or petillance others noted
It was still nice and good with a roast chicken but hard not to call out the flaw which was not present in my other 5 bottles. The carbonation was not visible but just a tongue feel that reduced after an hour of air but never resolved fully.
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1/12/2020 - sfbikeguy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened and decanted for about 2 hours. Much better than my last bottle. Nice fruit and an interesting wine. I'm going to share my next bottle with friends. Still has plenty of life left and I have 9 bottles left. I'll update after the next bottle.
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11/10/2019 - Neras wrote: 92 Points
Back in 2010 I acquired six bottles of this wine. Drinking them has been quite a rollercoaster - too often on the negative side. This was the last bottle and it turned out fair. Initially very inward with an agressive smell of lilies. This did however take of. What remained was a pleasant wine.
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11/1/2019 - Dkyle2020 wrote: flawed
Similar comments to previous notes of prior poster. I opened with high expectations that fizzled do to the frizzante experience of this wine. Off flavors and overall unpleasant. Obviously something wrong. I have had this bottle in temp controlled cellar since purchasing 6 years ago. I have 1 more bottle that I hope represents better.
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10/17/2019 - Backdoctor wrote: 80 Points
This was awful. Just a funk to it. It seemed slightly better once it opened up, but I really didn't enjoy it. Was looking forward to it, but totally disappointed My wife thought it had a frizzante to it.
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9/6/2019 - dafmd wrote: 89 Points
PnP, 375ml: ruby, slightly medicinal nose at first, medium bodied, smooth, dark berry, garrigue
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6/8/2019 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Reunion C9duP 2017 trip (@ JdB): No formal notes. Beautiful and mature, firm wine. Good black and red berries as well as garrigue. The tannin is soft with a pleasant bite.
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5/28/2019 - europat55 wrote: 92 Points
This is is a great place right now!!
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5/28/2019 - maxima wrote: 86 Points
En perte de vitesse, il s'essoufle.
Bouteille apportée par un ami, assez souple et
léger, court en finale.
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5/28/2019 - SICILIAN-SOLE Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mature dark fruit, licorice, chocolate and earthy notes. Well integrated and well balanced acidity. This wine is in a perfect drinking window...I see no reason to wait.
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5/27/2019 - CWilliam wrote: 93 Points
Last of 6 bottles purchased in 4/2010.
Very savory nose - meat, sweet tobacco, dried cherry, dried raspberry. On plate, similar flavor profile - medium body / acidity / tannins and very long finish.
I loved this, but my wife was not a fan. Would have guessed old world if tasted blind. Best of the 6 bottles. 93+/-
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4/26/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Friday Tasting Group: Farewell to One of the Group's Stalwarts (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): 44% Mourvèdre 29% Grenache 21% Syrah, & 6% Counoise; "The grapes were fermented using native yeasts in open & closed s/s fermenters. After pressing, the wines were moved into barrel, blended, & aged in 1200-gal FR oak foudres before being bottled in July 2009. The wine is unfined & unfiltered." 4,000 cases produced.
N: Closed; RIPE berries with other unparsables; Intensity lurking?
P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by an astringent pucker which loses the bulk of its astringency by the LONG finish with a bitter/swtness to the dusty tannins. Needs/DESERVES through '21 (due to the mid-P), then making its 20th? 14.5% ABV; My EXC (which equates to 92,93/100 on that scale). 96 pts Jeb Dunnuck, 95 WA, 94 Vinous (Raynolds) & WS + #33/Top 100 for '10, and 18.5/20 Decanter!
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4/7/2019 - BGK810 wrote: 93 Points
Delicious. Earth, dark fruits, licorice. Beautifully integrated. Went very well with beef/lamb kabob. 30 second finish.
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3/31/2019 - spv Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is wonderful - have had these bottles for exactly 9 years (to the day) and it could easily pass for an old world CdP. In a very good spot!
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3/29/2019 - SteveG wrote: 89 Points
From memory, deep garnet, this was perfectly fine, tastes just like what it is, a California-ized CdP, 14.5% ABV seemed to be no problem. Enjoyed with rack of lamb.
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3/18/2019 - Neecies Likes this wine:
A hot vintage in an even hotter climate, but this wine actually passed for old world. Heavier than most, with fruit leaning more toward black than red, and we'd have wished for brighter acidity, but still we thought we were drinking real CdP and that says something.
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3/9/2019 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 93 Points
Spoiler alert. Great. Disguised as old world. Beautiful and full of life.
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3/5/2019 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice. Gentle, mentholy - reminds me of a good barolo. On the palate caramel notes and very faint garrigue. Plenty of life...
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2/19/2019 - maxima wrote: 89 Points
La moins convainquante du lot bu à ce jour.
Un brin capiteux et sucré, long mais un
peu saturant.
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2/10/2019 - kosinski Likes this wine:
Aromatic leather, herbs and spice over scents of plums and raspberries. Some floral notes. Spicy, aromatic and savory on the palate with lots of herbs, lavender and hints of garrigue. Plum and cherry cola flavors. Good length and complexity. Tannic structure still intact. Very good with lots of life still remaining.
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1/5/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind Rhone Varietals (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind. Very enjoyable with lots of black fruit maturing gracefully and a faint hint of brett. Modest complexity. Good now.
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11/26/2018 - TwoDogs wrote:
Drinking perfectly now.
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11/23/2018 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of currant, licorice, plum and a hint of smoke. Flavors of plums, berries and currants. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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11/22/2018 - starlightestel Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Too much brett
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10/30/2018 - drrobvino wrote: 92 Points
My 2nd bottle, had the last one 5 yrs ago. Paid $32 directly from the winery.
This one unfortunately suffers the same "fizzy fate" on the palate as the last bottle. This thankfully blows off in a day or so after opening.
44% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 21% Syrah and 6% Counoise.
The nose shows black cherry and blackberry fruits, alongside refreshing orange peel and moist earth and charcoal embers.
The palate includes a panoply of flavors, like plum, black cherry, licorice, and kirsch, with earthy flavors like tobacco leaf, charcoal, and black pepper.
The tannins are still quite fierce, even after 11 years of bottle age. There is balancing acidity that brings the big wine into a nice balance, leading into a long and lip-smacking finish.
Drink now (after decanting) through 2025 or so.
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10/29/2018 - napasoutherner wrote: 90 Points
A great bottle and outstanding value.
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10/13/2018 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cola notes and in a good place. Didn't get much time with this wine.
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9/16/2018 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
Pleasant, opulent, a bit too much simple and overt sweetness for me. Missing some structure, was hoping for more. Not sure there is any benefit in more bottle age, drink now.
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9/10/2018 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brief decant, needed an hour. Developed well over time in the glass. Good upfront tannin, good dark fruit, likeable and aging well.
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9/8/2018 - VoteferPedro Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really nice at this point zu
no rough edges
aromatically complex some barnyard and herb
cherry with hint of anise
this was the best of a half case purchased on release
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8/29/2018 - PSirah Tampa wrote:
The wine is not in a good place at this time. It has an effervescent quality and the fruit is funky. I'm hoping the wine is just too young at this point- I have 7 more of them. The Tablas Creek website says the wine is ready to go.... not for me.
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8/27/2018 - Seneg wrote: 87 Points
Disappointing. Nose is very strange and really not enjoyable. I had it decanted for 2 hours and did not change. Taste is a mix of repulsive and enjoyable. My wife hated it....
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7/11/2018 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Very funky nose. Funky palate as well. Quite nice, if you're not offended by the funk... ;)
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6/28/2018 - krl wrote: flawed
4 of 4 of these I have opened have been corked and fizzy.
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6/16/2018 - thalver wrote:
This was a much better showing than an off bottle some months ago. Some funk on the nose, some minerality, muted fruit, adequate structure to give some cut and keep it from being flabby. a pretty ok wine, that never really seemed to open up. Nice, but not as sensational as a couple bottles of the 2003 were several years ago. This bottle, 89ish.
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5/19/2018 - maxima wrote: 91 Points
Bu avec le filet de porc mariné au raifort, bière noire, jus d`orange et piri-piri, super accord!
Nez sur les fruits et la garrigue.
EN bouche, suave et fruité, un peu de poivre et d`herbes avec des mures et des cerises, tannins fondus sur une finale longue et persistante.
Super bon!
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5/19/2018 - BGK810 wrote: 93 Points
Earth, licorice, black fruits. Delicious. Much better than the magnum I had a few years ago.
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5/1/2018 - Hamersly wrote: 93 Points
Needs several hours of air. Opulent and complex, drinking beautifully. Should hold at this level for a few more years but no reason to wait.
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4/28/2018 - colima wrote: flawed
fizzy - probably corked. off flavors. I have one more - hope its as good as the other reviewers say.
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4/21/2018 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pop and pour then drank with braised pork chops. Third of 6 and best bottle yet. Dark fruits, earth and some spice. tannin integrated. Nice balance. I would say this wine is in prime time. Drink now or in the next five years.
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4/19/2018 - eags25fla wrote: 91 Points
Fantastic wine but disagree with Parker that it's better than the 2006. This is a bigger & more opulent. May need time to develop more secondary and tertiary favors. Nose of anise, licorice, blackberry, blueberry and wet earth. Fruit is soft, lush, well balanced with a long spicy & earthy finish. Interested to see what happens to this wine with more time and how it compares with the 2006 after a few more years.
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4/10/2018 - oldcorke Likes this wine: 94 Points
Poured in a comparative CdP lineup with no decanting and tasted over 2-3 hours, this Paso Rhone Ranger, from Beaucastel vines, had a rich dark fruited nose with evident muscle from the Mouvedre (44%). Abundant blue and black fruits lead the way in tasting, backed by well balanced acid and tannin. This is very enjoyable now, and could easily go another 4-6 years in a good cellar.
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4/7/2018 - prism wrote: 92 Points
This wine seems to present three iterations, fizzy, funky, or fine. Of the three bottle I've had so far, none have been fizzy but all have been funky, in a barnyard way I might reasonably expect from southern Rhone blends but an surprised to encounter in a California GSM. I'm guessing it's the Grenache component, which is often enticingly perfumed, but not discernible here. That said, under the funk, which dissipates after a couple of hours, the wine is indeed fine, showing smoke and bramble fruits.
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4/7/2018 - MichielV wrote: 91 Points
w grilled pork chop. The Fizz was there for the first two hours but THEN it disappeared and this wine was great. Very big actually - tanic but with good fruit and great length. This thus needs 5 more years! Can I wait?? I only openend this because I believe we should start getting rid of it. So some good advice: open it up 4 hours before drinking and you will be rewarded.
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3/31/2018 - Brent25 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Clear medium minus ruby with garnet rim; clean medium nose of cedar, earth, licorice, leather and baked plums; dry; medium plus body; pfn with pronounced licorice on the finish; medium plus acidity; medium tannins; medium plus finish; beautiful, elegant and interesting wine - especially for the price point; a fruitier Chateauneuf-du-Pape; Devon gives it a 92
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3/24/2018 - dankrems wrote: 93 Points
Wow. Powerful and still on its way up. A wide array of notes. Eucalyptus, hints of menthol and a little spice on the nose. A sturdy frame on the palate and a lot going on. Pepper, black fruits, and earth all up front in a Sauvage style. Cigar box and spice sneaking around in the background. Delicious! Excellent!
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3/9/2018 - maxima wrote: flawed
Déviante!
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3/3/2018 - Soxwin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Feels like a lot more left.
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3/2/2018 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 95 Points
PnP. Like the previous bottle I have had of this wine, there is a fair bit of spritz on opening. However, unlike my previous experience, this has none of the dirty, bretty, off-putting characteristics I experienced before, it is flaw-free and compelling. Looks the part with a rich, dark red robe of color. Leggy. Pure core of excellent fruit, with a lot of Mourvedre in evidence. Very harmonious and rich bouquet. Sweet tobacco. Very suave, rich, and luscious in the mouth. Impeccable balance and delineation of fruit. Now this is more like it, and tells me there is bottle variation going on. If you get a good one, it is outstanding like this, looking, smelling and tasting like it is in the prime of its drinking plateau; if you don't, this review will make no sense at all. Sure glad at least one of my bottles let me see what all the hoopla was about. Honestly, the best Tablas I have tasted, and certainly one of the best California Rhones I have ever drunk. 5-13-18-9: 95/100.
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2/3/2018 - mattdathan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Awesome wine - smooth elegant and still very vibrant
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1/22/2018 - cweiss wrote:
From 375. Good wine but not up to expectations. Perhaps too old for 1/2 bottle.
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1/20/2018 - Neras Likes this wine: 94 Points
Vauw. Suddenly a Great performance from This highly variable wine. Initially a little too animalistic on the nose, but after a short decant this moves to the background. Nose is then fruity with dark berries. On the palate fruit, meat, blood, forest underneath. Nice rounded tannins. Long taste. Great bottle!
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1/16/2018 - jlgnml wrote: 93 Points
Drank over a 2 week period with a coravin. Once in the glass the blend of Rhone grapes were sweet and savory. Buy.
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12/29/2017 - JMFWC Likes this wine: 94 Points
Hints of vanilla and cherry cola on the nose. Palate is silky and has a great balance of minerals and fruit. Tannins are still present and strengthen in the mouth. Finish is dry but very pretty.
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12/10/2017 - Djfermentation Likes this wine: 93 Points
We took this one to Zest to share with great clients/friends. It was drinking well with about 30 minutes of air. Still could go for a while in the cellar but in a good spot now.
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12/10/2017 - CieloVista wrote: 90 Points
...extremely smooth
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12/4/2017 - vin0vin0 Likes this wine: 89 Points
This is a very enjoyable Rhone Blend from Tablas. The nose is full of ripe black and blue fruit and a hint of tar. On the tongue is a blast of ripe macerated black cherry, a bit of earthy funk, tar, well integrated tannins, medium plus acidity and a fairly long finish. The CFO was not as enamored, not a fan of the touch of horsey/brett factor.
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12/4/2017 - thalver wrote: flawed
Flawed and undrinkable. Nose was initially promising, but off flavors, particularly a putrid note on the finish. I've drunk enough mouverdre based wines in the past to think this is NOT the funk that grape sometimes reveals.
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12/2/2017 - MicklethePickle wrote: 80 Points
The kind of wine you either love or hate. Dark red, well colored, not quite opaque. Nose shows lots of Brett, volatile acidity, and black tar aromas. Initial spritz calmed down after about half an hour, but the wine is still pretty funky, with lots of richness, Brett, and rustic, black fruit flavors. On balance, this one has not lived up to its initial promise. Just a bit too out there for my taste. 4-9-12-5: 80/100.
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11/18/2017 - wine247365 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 90 minutes, drank over 3 hours. I think the decant eliminated the spritz others have noted. Appealing nose of pencil shavings, cassis, black fruits and some black cherry occasionally appearing. Mouth: medium+ body, medium acidity with similar flavors as the nose. 30 second finish. Not sure if it's because most of the bottle was finished, but the last glass was the best, so maybe you could decant 3 hours before drinking. I think it may last into 2023. Ok QPR @ $68.
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10/31/2017 - spv Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really great ... has gotten to an excellent spot. The carbonated spritzer effect was highly present upon opening and mostly faded after 10 minutes or so. An enjoyable wine!
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10/29/2017 - dankrems wrote: 92 Points
Quite earthy, with a hint of bret. Dried cherries, spices, dried herbs all apparent. A tiny bit of the carbonated spritzer issue others mentioned but very faint. A good wine
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10/28/2017 - Brent25 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ruby with garnet rim; nose of leather, cinnamon, cloves and plums; palate follows nose with addition of blackberry and cedar; long finish; well balanced with medium plus integrated tannins; medium plus mouthfeel; great value wine; had an unpleasant, tangy spritz right out of the bottle - disappeared after decanting
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10/21/2017 - MichielV wrote: 90 Points
W vealchop, frsh eggplant and kale from garden. Great color, nose and wine overall. Good length, yummy fruit. Not sure if fuzz was all gone but good diverse multi dimensional wine.
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10/16/2017 - CADomer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very similar experience as my last bottle. In a very good place right now.
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9/28/2017 - napasoutherner wrote: 93 Points
Really like this wine and this vintage. Was also a crowd pleaser for a group of 10. Had almost a sparkling water sense to it. Nose of dark cherry. LOTS of cola on the palate and medium finish. A fun wime
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9/28/2017 - Arch57 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wine of the tasting for me in a vertical of 2000, 03, 06, 07, 10, 14 & 15 vintages at the Santa Fe Wine and Chili festival. Darren Delmore their educational director explained the challenges of the 07 vintage with a high Parker rating, some brett and then after bottling some spritz and angry wine club members.
Well this sampling had no issues with the spritz but had just enough brett funk to make it interesting for me. A dark beauty of a wine, especially lined up with the other vintages I kept coming back to this one. It's one of those wines that haunt me (in a good way) and it stuck out in the tasting with the 2000 (as the oldest one) also being memorable.
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9/27/2017 - DaveZack Likes this wine: 94 Points
I received this beauty from Tablas Creek’s (T.C.) wine club in October, 2009. The bouquet is very interesting, revealing herbaceous and earthy/soil elements of the wine. The wine pours VERY dark (about as dark/black as a Petite Sirah), not too surprising since this red blend consist of 44% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 21% Syrah, and 6% Counoise. This always fabulous red blend generally goes into its “closed” phase about five years after being bottled. This wine recently “exited” its closed phase and is drinking wonderfully/beautifully now. I’d imagine this wine was about a 96-point wine before it went into its closed phase around 2012.
The flavor profile is about 90% dark/black-fruited, such as black berries and plums and black cherries, along with 10% red-fruited elements, such as red currants, sour cherries, and raspberries. There are also delicious herbaceous elements as well, consisting of a huge variety of dried herbs. This wine is also slightly rich and creamy, along with food-friendly structural elements (tannins and acidity). This wine is super food-friendly and palate cleansing, along with an elegant and lingering finish. I paired this beauty with filet mignon tenderloins from CostCo spiced with Kosher salt, black pepper, and ground cumin. This wine paired beautifully/wonderfully with those tenderloins and would also pair well with chops and racks of lamb, as well as Beef Wellington, prime rib, and any other high-quality steak. This wine is structurally elegant and deeply/complexly-flavored, and would pair well with just about any red meat protein dish, along with pot roast, stew, etc……… Tablas Creek’s wines are ALWAYS fabulous/fantastic/delicious (all of their single-varietal bottlings, as well as all of their blends). If I were to win one of those massive Powerball lotteries, I would hire a truck driver that has a refrigerated “big rig” and go to Tablas Creek and buy probably 50-to-100 cases of their always-fabulous/fantastic wines!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Since their Esprit De Beaucastel (now named Esprit De Tablas) always goes through a “closed” phase about five years after being bottled, I’ve started drinking those red blends before they go into that phase. I recently finished all of the 2012s and will soon begin drinking the 2013s. This particular vintage is drinking beautifully right now and will probably continue to age gracefully/elegantly for another five years or so.
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8/6/2017 - michal Likes this wine:
Delicious. Slight seepage but the cork smelled completely fine. Slow oxed for a couple hours before dinner and decanted to serve. Beautiful perfumed meaty notes. No spritz as others have reported. Went well with roast lamb. Glad to have one bottle left.
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8/5/2017 - tward Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar to notes nearly two years ago "... a touch of sharp acid / spritz on the tongue on PnP, but it unfolded nicely over hours. Even though this was stored in good, but not ideal conditions ~65F for 5 years, it still had energy, if not youth." I wonder if the appealing acid / spritz is technically a flaw(s) - some VA and/or some secondary bottle fermentation. It might be, but I loved it along with the darker, more brooding tones. This shows dried herbs, dusty earth and starts showing North African spices after a couple hours. I wish I had more of this as it is still hitting its stride. For those with perfect cellar conditions, I'd say 5-10 years left in it. Lucky you.
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7/22/2017 - CADomer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice wine that evolved greatly over the two days that I had it open. Mourvedre led off the charge with animal/meaty notes, hints of black tea leaf and red raspberry. With air, the Grenache perfume came forward and a slightly more lifted expression of fruit and florality came forward. Wonderfully pure palate, polished and refined. 92+
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7/16/2017 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very enjoyable. Close your eyes, you think this is an old world GSM blend. Brambly fruit, cigar tobacco, smoked meat and black pepper. Lots of black pepper on a smooth finish, although the fruit support is a tad weak making for an the overall short lackluster ending that keeps us from going more than 90 points.
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7/13/2017 - Neras wrote: 91 Points
Again another experience with this wine. This was not flawed. Great! Even at 10 years it is still quite fresh, but the earthy tones are starting to show. I still get to much barnyard for my liking, but it may be a feature. I have two bottles left - think I will hide them for 3-5 years maybe?
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5/13/2017 - Outplaying wrote:
There seems to be quite a bit of bottle variation with this bottling and this was the first bottle we have had that had a little trapped gas in it. With a little time and swirling, that blew off though. Shows classic meaty, Rhone flavors, in a nice, somewhat restrained package. Not too big or overblown. The wine has softened and gained some light earthy notes. Very enjoyable once the light spritz blew off.
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5/8/2017 - smcg wrote: 88 Points
Opened last night-- had an enticing black pepper, cigar box and red fruit nose but found it significantly carbonated and almost bubbly in the glass. Used a Vacuvin to pull off most of the CO2, and it had settled down by tonight. Overall pleasant and now drinkable, but not the usual procedure to ready a wine for consumption.
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4/25/2017 - ours de vin wrote: flawed
flawed; the third flawed bottle from three bottle purchase
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4/24/2017 - CWilliam wrote: 93 Points
93+
Decanted for 2 hours - can't find my notes. My 5th of 6 bottles. 2 have been off, 3 have been great (at least with air time). This really needed some time but the VA that some bottles had was problematic. Drank over 2 nights and very good on night 2 - meat, iodine, raspberry, black cherry flavor profile. Medium+ body, medium+ acidity & medium tannins with a long finish.
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4/23/2017 - PIntag wrote: flawed
Unfortunately, this second bottle was flawed as well - a little spritzy, some bitter fruit, just something off about it. Not totally undrinkable, but not at all enjoyable.
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4/14/2017 - BVal wrote: 91 Points
Last tried 9/16 from a flawed bottle (NR). Time to try another and hope for better things . . . .
Color: medium ruby core -> light ruby rim; still lighter in appearance than expected. And once again, quite the savoury bouquet of forest floor, sage, thyme, plums and tobacco. No spritz evident on this bottle; showing much better than the last with roasted game meat, anisette, plums and a minerally edge. Tannins still showing their presence but that's to be expected with '07 Paso wines. Long, savoury finish showing a touch more heat(14.5% per label) than I would like. Ultimately, far superior to the last affected bottle; perhaps a little room for improvement but given the bottle variation I doubt I will search out any more than the 1-2 bottles I have left in the cellar. Here's hoping the remaining bottles are in the happy camp.
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4/12/2017 - jroszkowski wrote: flawed
2nd bottle of three. 1st opened a couple years ago with some bret and fizziness reported by others but still drinkable and interesting. This one was undrinkable. Cork seepage to the top. Bitter, and truely corked. Maybe the third will hold up but not expecting anything at this point. Should have finished them all when i had the chance.
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3/27/2017 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 94 Points
Amazing wine. Pulled the cork and an immediate explosion of violets and black fruit filled the room. Drinking was just as good. Sadly my last bottle.
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3/22/2017 - MC wrote:
Big wine, needing an hour to let the spritz blow off. Something for after dinner or big stakes, but decant first. B+/A-
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3/20/2017 - jrkennedy37 wrote:
Some spritziness when first opened and poured. I was afraid this was going to suffer from secondary fermentation but with a few minutes of swirling (got my workout for the week) it opened up to a very brooding wine with a bitter finish that faded a bit with time. Not as remarkable or expressive as other vintages which I'm going to attribute to the spritziness. Of 3 bottles I've tried, all three have been affected.
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3/20/2017 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about two hours.
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of Kirsch, soapstone, pepper and berries. Flavors of Bing cherries, raspberries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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3/11/2017 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great color, subtle nose, pepper, deep dark berry taste. Very good.
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3/4/2017 - Neras wrote: flawed
This was undrinkable - a brett bath I believe. The bottle variation for this wine is unbelievable. Sometimes you hit gold, sometimes it hardly resembles wine. Sad.
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2/14/2017 - GARDEN Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was our third bottle at a Valentine's Day group dinner.
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2/7/2017 - sfbikeguy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Needed over two hours to lose its harshness. Drinking well after 3 hours.
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1/15/2017 - GARDEN Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine has entered its prime drinking window. It was served at my wife's birthday dinner.
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12/17/2016 - prism wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Major barnyard funk, again. Medium body. Smooth and sweet, not particularly complex. Probably would benefit from more air than it received...
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12/17/2016 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark red. Meaty, dark fruit, and cedar. The palate is dominated by red fruit, ripe cherries, strawberry, and pomegranate. This has soft tannins, is drinking well now, and to my taste has probably hit its peak. Finishes well.
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11/8/2016 - Schwarzer Hund wrote:
Very dark red color, earthy dark berry, meaty aroma which was very closed in but covered by some mustiness which seemed to grow with time. Wine certainly is not what we were expecting, perhaps this is just a flawed but drinkable bottle. Will try another bottle another day.
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11/6/2016 - Mustgofast wrote: flawed
Sadly this did not hold up as well as it should have (Drink until 2021). Consumed a bottle about a year and a half ago and it was delicious. Opened my remaining 3 bottles last night all were oxidized and CRAP.
If you have any of this I'd suggest not holding, drink now and hope it hasn't spoiled.
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10/23/2016 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Drinking great now, this is surprisingly soft and sweet. There's a lightness and ease to the wine. It is quite reminiscant of a cdp from France really though seems more simple. Very pleasant. I would recommend drinking now vs. waiting on this as it will likely just get softer still.
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9/7/2016 - BVal wrote:
Color: medium ruby core -> light ruby rim; lighter in appearance than expected. Savoury bouquet of sage, thyme, plums and tobacco. Seems to be some distinct bottle variation showing up in the CT notes; this bottle definitely affected by spritz/fizz. Waited 90 minutes and it still wasn't pleasant to drink. Vacu-vinned and waited till the next day. Spritz now gone but the palate seems subdued. Generally muddy with dark, bass notes here; some meat, black fruit, touch of minerality and a hot finish. Judgement reserved as I don't think this is a representative bottle. More in the cellar and I hope they show better than this. Disappointing.
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8/8/2016 - maxima wrote: 92 Points
Bu lors de la soirée meurtre et mystère chez Carol et Sylvie le 6 aout 2016.
Très beau et fruité avec beaucoup d'équilibre.
Nez fragrant sur les herbes et les fruits noirs.
En bouche, des meres, du thym et du poivre avec une pointe de menthe. Belle accidité et tannins assez fins.
Long et délicieux.
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8/7/2016 - jdinkin1 wrote: 88 Points
Seemed past its prime. Lacking acid. Pruney
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7/9/2016 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is still youthful. Needs at least a 2 hour slow ox prior to drinking. otherwise the tannins are pretty dominate. Afterwards this is a delicious bottle with nice fruit and spice. I think I will wait a few years before opening my next bottle.
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7/4/2016 - bonedoc wrote: 91 Points
Better than previous bottles. No fizz (previous btls had), candied fruit, minerality, sweet and ripe.
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5/24/2016 - MichielV wrote: flawed
Fizzy, not super irritating but it clearly affecting the wine. Too bad - third bottle in a row of this.
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5/15/2016 - davergny Likes this wine: 93 Points
A boatload of dark fruit, hints of earth, licorice, and herbs. Deep, dark, and meaty, with the mourvedre taking a stand. It's a bit heavy on the alcohol, but a good, vinous mouthfeel. Seems quite similar to Beaucastel. I would love to compare side by side. Excellent wine.
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5/3/2016 - Neras Likes this wine: 94 Points
I had my last bottle back in December 2012 - and it was quite disappointing. Since TC has had the wine in closed phase, and reviews here on CT has been very mediocre. Patiently I have been waiting for positive news, and lately they have been coming. I took my change tonight, and I was not disappointed. Popn'pour, and showing great right form the start. Expressive nose, and nearly seamless on the palate. Fruit is still fresh, but ingrated. Same goes with tannins, there are present, but keeping things in check. Great - and far from being old.
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5/2/2016 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice!!! Almost French without being from France. Movedre still dominates the backbone and the other Rhone varietals providing very nice berry and earthy flavors. Opened up well after a half hour so don't expect it to last many years more. Aged great and I think it's drinking perfectly right now. Will drink my last two this year.
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4/17/2016 - MichielV wrote: 89 Points
W flank steak from our own steer!! Yummy steak. I had opened this a few hours ahead, but it was very fizzyon the palate. We got something else, but after it seemed that the glass got rid of the fizz and this became quite lovely. Good body fruit and length. I have a few bottles moreso will see of the fi WAS JUST THIS BOTTLE. great color.
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4/2/2016 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lov ely wine with good dark fruits and spicy notes. Good length and solid tasting for the money.
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3/13/2016 - WinoRick wrote: 90 Points
From a .375 bottle, PnP, the wine had a hard edge that took a lot of swirling to soften. OK but certainly not up to a Beaucastel.
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3/11/2016 - prism wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured; drank over a couple of hours with a meal. Barnyard nose; very off-putting for two of four diners. A bit of an oak bite; a tad too much. Otherwise fine, but I can't really recommend it based on this bottle. It will benefit from 90 to 120 minutes in a decanter.
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2/28/2016 - wetlandwino wrote: 92 Points
Mourvedre based Chateauneuf style wine, but from California. Drinking beautifully now, but lacking the elegance of the 2007 Domaine de Ferrand, Grenache based) that we compared it to. The latter having the structure I was looking for.
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2/27/2016 - CWilliam wrote: 90 Points
this bottle was very good but variation noted by other tasters (and myself) would preclude me from buying this wine again.
Decanted for 1.5 hours and paired with grilled pork tenderloin. Beautiful nose from the get-go but tobacco / spritz was overpowering initially on the palate but did calm down after an hour or so (and this wine was better on night 2). Nice old world nose - tobacco, meat, black cherry & dirt (93+). On palate, tobacco (borderline overpowering), black cherry, cherry with medium body, medium+ acidity & very long finish. Rate 90+ day 1 given very nice on night but slightly dis-jointed palate.
On night 2, 92-93 range as palate was up to par with the nose. Purchase in 4/2010 and stored in a cool cellar. Cork was fine with no seepage. Will drink remaining bottles 2018+
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2/20/2016 - ShirazGuy Does not like this wine: 50 Points
I bought 5 bottles of the 2007 Esprit de Beaucastel. Only 1 was good. The other 4 had bad corks that seeped and let in air; thus they were badly oxidized by the time I opened them. This was the last bottle. Horrible. I have had persistent problems with corks on Tablas Creek wines, so I have stopped buying their wines.
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2/8/2016 - sophiesmom Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent
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1/22/2016 - treesritter wrote: 79 Points
Drank a split that was borderline bad. Something went really wrong in the bottling of the 2007, as more than half of the ones I have tried have been bad.
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1/1/2016 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 94 Points
New World. Red fruit. Some spice. Still somewhat tannic, med acid, palate coating strawberry and cassis. The funky earthy berry notes stay with you. Light licorice?
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1/1/2016 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very dark red in color. Red raspberry , tart cherry, some strawberry with spiced apple and good length. Modest nose. Little bit of noticeable tannin but drinking very well now.
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12/25/2015 - rockguit wrote: 87 Points
I kinda dug it, but I wonder about bottle variation, as the half-case delivered to me hardly merits the wild scores from the pros.
Two things to be aware of: 1. The initial spritz (which has shown up in every bottle I've had of this) can be off-putting, though it does blow off after an hour. 2. This doesn't drink new-world at all. Our guests, expecting a Cali "Rhone Ranger," were pretty uniformly disappointed with the "barnyard," "horse hoofs," "dirty hay and mud" flavor profile.
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12/10/2015 - zin1guy wrote: 92 Points
#34 of 2010Wine Spectator Top 100
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12/9/2015 - BklynNeophyte wrote:
One of several Thanksgiving rhone blends that did not wow. Disappointed, and cork soaked through, a little fizz
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11/6/2015 - tward Likes this wine: 90 Points
Consumed over a week ago with no notes, but I can report that it was drinking really well, though it did have a touch of sharp acid / spritz on the tongue on PnP, but it unfolded nicely over hours. Even though this was stored in good, but not ideal conditions ~65F for 5 years, it still had energy, if not youth.
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10/1/2015 - Grenik Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is the first bottle of this wine that really impressed me. Floral and fruit on the nose. Nice balance of red fruit with sweet spice notes on the palate. Gaining some depth and secondary earth flavors. Great bottle.
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9/12/2015 - 818wines wrote: flawed
This is the third or fourth bottle I've had, and all have been corked or cooked. Sad.
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9/8/2015 - Rechrom wrote: 92 Points
Decanted two hours, slight spritz at open that blew off with air. Drank very well with food, with dark fruit and leather notes and excellent balance. Not fruit forward, secondary notes are prominent, very interesting and pleasant. In the same flavor spectrum as top CdP, which I assume is the owner's goal, but does not have the same depth of flavors. Excellent, and could easily improve with time although the battle between the wine and tertiary flavors versus the spritz and diminishing fruit might go the wrong way.
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9/3/2015 - hawk30 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted an hour. Detected the effervescence noted by others. The nose betrays the Mourvedre's presence; "garbage" my wife said. A touch of minerality and acid complement the red fruit profile on the palate. Day 2, the stuffing's fallen out and it's mostly hot, flabby, and bitter.
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8/14/2015 - Bluffan wrote: 87 Points
Spritz even after an hour-plus open in the bottle. Almost thought it was a bad bottle on first sip. It eventually lost the effervescence in the glass and added some richness and complexity, but there was just too much funk on the nose, too much gritty tannin, to hold a candle to the real CdP it allegedly emulates. QPR knocks it down, too. Not entirely disappointing only because previous reviews presaged the troublesome qualities I experienced.
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7/11/2015 - gew71walsh wrote: 87 Points
I agree with a previous writer that this wasn't as good as my last bottle (about a year ago). I would suggest drinking this up as I believe it is starting to lose its luster. Had a spiciness, but fruits were not as evident. Both bottles were stored in same temp/hum controlled cellar since purchase, so only other issue could be bottle variation.
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5/16/2015 - ScottS wrote: 93 Points
Unfortunately my last bottle:(
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5/14/2015 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 92 Points
My first bottle of six. Pop and pour. This is a big wine right out of the shoot and at first a little disjointed. Much better after being opened about an hour. On the nose dark fruit, cherry, graphite, olive and a touch of vanilla. The palate is all about dark fruits and spice with smoke, earth and leather nuances. Nice balance and a long finish with a bit of alcohol coming through. This is very enjoyable now with about an hour to settle down but I am betting it will really hit stride in a couple more years.
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4/2/2015 - manonthemoon wrote: 92 Points
Small taste at a dinner.
Nose of ripe fruit, little smoke, and spices.
Palate of blackberries, charcoal, little olive and lots of acidity that was initially off putting and unbalanced.
With time this became much nicer, but needed lots of air.
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4/2/2015 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 93 Points
Urban Butcher (Urban Butcher - Silver Spring, Maryland): Full, ripe and juicy aromas, along with cola, smoke, pepper and grilled meat. Strong tannic backbone but still a creamy mouthfeel. The Mourvedre jumps out, so earthy, with lots of mushroom, charcoal, bacon, black and green olives. The fruit is plush and ripe (black cherry and currants), but matched by the non-fruit elements. Complex, pure, savory, this bottle was singing and I think the wine has a long life ahead.
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3/28/2015 - dars_blog wrote: 90 Points
Not as good as I remember this wine 3 years ago. Time to drink up if you still have some of this remaining.
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3/2/2015 - Brownvino wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for two hours. Very floral. Pleasant and long lasting taste,
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2/7/2015 - kmcminn7 wrote: 94 Points
Nice!!!
Finally had a bottle that's showing what this wine can be.
Great flavor, dark fruit with a nice balance of something bitter, but not really. The Mourvedre really offers focus and comes right out in front.
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2/4/2015 - jackaroo Likes this wine: 93 Points
I, too, encountered cork seepage, thus did not open the bottle until just before dinner. Surprisingly the wine could not have been at a better drinking stage. Some wine remained for the next night, but by then it had spoiled. 93+
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1/20/2015 - pigdaddy wrote: 90 Points
decanted one hour (some sediment). fairly pronounced blue- & blackberry fruit, anise, smoke, farm environs underneath the fruit; med-full body; ripe blueberries & animal show the mourvedre's prominence in the blend, followed by dark cherry & white pepper, a bit shrill on the finish, tannins are muted & submerged under the still youthful fruit. aware of some unresolved co2 early in this bottle's life, not noticeable here, probably because of the decant. no evidence of heat damage that others have seen; would guess about one - two more years to optimal drinking, will deserve robust food accompaniment. 2/7 purchased on release.
shortribs in rosemary jus; roasted roots, romanesco & spring vidalia onions w/green lentils de puy in malt vinaigrette
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1/1/2015 - kmcminn7 Likes this wine: 91 Points
1/1/15 barnyard funk, sharp - waited 40 mins and tasted again with cheese and meat. Still has the funk but loosing the sharp edge. 60 mins and still funky but the Mourvèdre & Grenache are coming forward. Different for those expecting a fruitier Syrah driven wine.
On another note out of 6 bottles 1 had seepage through the cork and 2 look like the corks are pushing. This wine appears as though it has legs but the bottle conditions aren't looking good.
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12/29/2014 - bon vivant wrote:
As in the previous 2 bottles, once again i was greeted by the secondary fermentation spritz (CO2). Nothing that 10 minutes of decanting & swirling could not solve but this is obviously a marker of this vintage. Otherwise this was much more open for business than the bottle we consumed in 2011. Lots of dark, red & purple fruit with a full body yet there is a healthy dose of wet earth and animal notes. You could describe this as a dead ringer for a super ripe CNDP from a warm vintage a la 2003 or 2007. More power than refinement and enough here to warrant more cellar time.
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12/22/2014 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted 2+ hours. Drank alongside an '07 Chateau de Beaucastel. This wine taste as if its made in the spirit of Beaucastel, just not as balanced and refined, lacking the full mid-palate of the Beaucastel. Still youthful with a few good drinking years ahead.
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11/30/2014 - cabellis Does not like this wine:
I pulled a bottle this afternoon to drink this evening. Unfortunately, the cork had complete seepage to the top and the wine was ruined. I proceeded to open every bottle I own and all were in the same condition and undrinkable. All were stored in a temperature and humidity controlled cellar so I do not believe the problem is on my end but at the winery. I am saddened because I enjoyed the few I opened early after I purchased them. I may contact the winery and see if they have had any similar reports.
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11/15/2014 - Chriskrueger wrote: flawed
Corked
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11/5/2014 - europat55 wrote: 89 Points
Much better than the bottle I tasted 4 years ago! Appears to be open for business, but could certainly benefit from a couple more years in the cellar.
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9/23/2014 - HandmadeHomemade wrote: flawed
Brettanomyces infection? The wine had a slight effervescence to it that blew off after 10-20min in the glass. The wine was very earthy- lot's of eucalyptus, mint, and tar. Generally, I like this in a wine but that, along with the dry manure smell was... interesting (interesting isn't the right word; but it's the first word that comes to mind) to say the least. I struggled through one glass and decided to hold off until the next day to see if the funk would blow off. It didn't. Bummer.
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9/3/2014 - gew71walsh wrote: 93 Points
Paired with grilled strip steak. This is a complex wine, with a lingering finish. Mineral overtones, with substantial fruit. Save other bottle for a year or two to compare.
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8/31/2014 - rwpalmer wrote: 90 Points
I found this imposing but lacking the depth or interest I would expect from a similarly priced Southern Rhone. Not bad though.
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8/29/2014 - YoRi Likes this wine: 89 Points
Décanté et carafé à peine 15 minutes avant consommation.
Apparence rouge grenat, disque brique.
Nez moyennement ouvert, prune bleue, épicé, curcuma et noix de Grenoble, feuille de tabac. Après plus d'aération, des notes chocolatées (Michel).
En bouche, les tanins sont fondus mais le vin garde sa structure avec un peu d'acidité et peu de sucre résiduel. La persistance est moyenne à longue sur des notes de noyau de prune et de noix.
Je soupçonne que le vin est en déclin ou que cette bouteille a mal traversée les 4 ans en Cave.
Pas à la hauteur de mes attentes, surtout après consultation des nombreux commentaires d'experts ou d'abonnés de CT et du prix.
La prochaine et dernière bouteille sera carafé au moins une heure.
À boire dans l'année
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8/8/2014 - mhudes Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Very tasty and ready to go . Brambly blackberry with a lively mouth feel. A little less so after an hour when it was finished.
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8/7/2014 - Tjmayne wrote: 94 Points
Vanilla on the nose. Chocolate on the palate. A very soft effervescence. Tannins soft and integrated. This is a delicious wine.
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8/3/2014 - Outplaying wrote:
Similar notes as last time. Classic meaty Rhone flavors, some chalky minerals, starting to soften up and improve. I'll try to wait a couple more years before trying another.
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6/30/2014 - Steve C Cooper wrote: 90 Points
A year ago this was very tight but after decanting for 1 hour the wine became very approachable
The wine looks inky colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like mineral and blackberry. The body is medium. The wine has narrow texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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5/14/2014 - Cphofmann wrote:
It's closed right now and barely palatable. Wait 6 months, check the website. I wasted this bottle!
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4/12/2014 - JDRFoster wrote: 94 Points
From Magnum, showing beautiful fruit, appealing spice, with tremendous balance. Food friendly with grilled vegetables and bison.
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4/9/2014 - Venturifan wrote: flawed
Corked!!!
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3/22/2014 - ozstef wrote: 92 Points
BB B04 - March Dinner Party (via Cor.kz)
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3/22/2014 - ozstef wrote: 92 Points
BB B03 - March Dinner Party (via Cor.kz)
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3/13/2014 - gbm wrote:
Dark garnet. Funky nose - leather, brett. Cola and fizz which blew off somewhat over an hour, but left behind a funky taste. Black fruit and leather still came through, but again not what I was hoping for and not the esprit de Beaucastel. Reminded more of a Pinot noir than a CdP. Will let it sit for a day and see how it goes.
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2/17/2014 - CarpeVinum wrote:
delish but got effervescent
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2/2/2014 - Outplaying wrote:
Wine with Friends (Our house, Kennett square, PA): A nice CA Rhone blend. Good acidity and fine tannin. Classic Rhone flavors. A little heat in this one though. Should drink well for a few more years.
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1/25/2014 - SeagreenWench Likes this wine: 91 Points
Garnet in color, on the nose black fruits, light oak, subtle meat, good acid, more balance as the wine opens up with bacon and spice on finish.
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1/16/2014 - slippytoad wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding if a little sweet.
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12/27/2013 - jcomm Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is still very nice & drinking very well.
Nice nose on herbs and black currants with some nice spices.
The palate is really well balanced, nice flavors of meat and spices with a nice crunchy fruit core. Extremely long & delish!
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12/27/2013 - maxima wrote: 92 Points
Très beau et savoureux, belle matière.
Nez sur la garrigue et les fruits noirs.
En bouche, rond et suave. Très long et équilibré.
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12/8/2013 - xwine wrote: flawed
Total brett-bomb. Just awful.
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12/1/2013 - fdaner wrote: flawed
2nd one that was full of spritz and VA. Undrinkable and down the drain. NR
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12/1/2013 - Kraigers1 wrote: 92 Points
Hot hot hot upon opening the bottle. Needs a good hour to open up. From there, well rewarded. Still young, this wine is tightly wound. Expect it to hold for at least 10 more years.
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11/30/2013 - maxima wrote: 92 Points
Le nez est intense encore une fois! Des bleuets mais aussi des mures et des épices différentes.
En bouche, c’est puissant, complexe mais bien maitrisé.
Des mures et de la viande fumée et une touche minérale!
Les tannins sont bien enrobés. La finale de belle longueur!
Pour le prix, c'est un beau RQP.
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11/30/2013 - SkeBum Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice wine....Drinking well right now. Not on a par with the best of CdP, but very balanced with a nice flavor profile. Glad I drank this as the cork wasn't seated perfectly and wine had ran all the way up the side, wouldn't have lasted for a time.
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11/28/2013 - ChrisR Likes this wine: 93 Points
Damn, this was good. Black raspberries predominated, but there was a full melange of spice and garrigue, just like a good CNdP. Full-bodied, still tannic, with a firm structure. Really outstanding and a favorite at dinner.
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11/21/2013 - Beachgrub wrote:
Should always read first. Thought it was time. But mine is definitely flawed. Very Espritzy. Recorked and shook and it shot the cork to the ceiling. Even after it settled too much Brett for me and I love Southern Rhone. It happens. Gonna consult the notes to find another.
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11/9/2013 - jroszkowski Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lots of structure to this wine. A touch of effervescence which was surprising. I detected a hint of oxidation. Wine had seeped almost to the top of the cork so there may have been an issue. 2 more bottles in cellar. Will have to see how they continue to age.
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11/1/2013 - JLucas wrote: 94 Points
I was surprised at the reviews about this wine being shut down. We decanted it for about 45 minutes and there was a ton of fruit and a fantastic nose. Smelled just like a CdP. Great wine now and should only get better.
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10/25/2013 - bonedoc wrote: 92 Points
Clearly southern rhone style, garrique, minerality, funk. A slight effervescence.
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10/15/2013 - mjf@ulkner wrote: flawed
Spritzy, with strange aromatics. Much different than previous bottle. Clearly flawed
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10/12/2013 - srositano Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened and decanted a 375. Started closed and simple, rewarded for an hour of waiting. This is starting to get interesting: Gorgeous fruit, a bit dusty and dark yet fresh. First bottle I have enjoyed. Think since 375 starting to get interesting, bodes well for our 750's and magnums, which we have yet to touch. A serious wine from a region that is easy to write off.
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9/12/2013 - kenhoeve wrote:
public service announcement. Tablas current vintage chart dated June 2013 lists the 07 Beaucastel as CLOSED. They are accurate, this wine always shuts down, and the recent notes would seem to corroborate. Do not open until Tablas reconfirms drinking chart. http://www.tablascreek.com/media/files/pdf/vintage_chart.pdf
just a happy TC drinker.
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9/12/2013 - texaswinelover wrote:
Wasn't impressed by this bottle. Label stained. Seemed closed, lacking aromatics. Mouthfeel unimpressive.
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9/8/2013 - MC wrote:
Popped and poured. Disjointed wine. Clearly plenty of ripe, concentrated fruit, but disjointed with rubber, acid. Maybe a decant would have helped, but looking at the other notes it looks more like there is some bottle variation. I'll try again next day to see if it has come together. NR
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9/6/2013 - kmerriman wrote: 92 Points
Much better than anticipated. A CdP but with loads of sweet fruit and little garrigue. A touch syrupy with a rich mouth feel.Delicious! I'll search for more.
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8/8/2013 - prism wrote: 91 Points
First sampled of six bottles. Dark garnet. The 44% Mourvedre shows on the nose, and more so on the palate: smokey, perfume-y. The fruit is somewhat backward, making for an interesting glass. Complexity for sure, and necessary to pair with food or the tartness really comes to the fore. Well-made, but not altogether successful at this stage. Another year or two before I'll open the next bottle.
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8/7/2013 - bundydavis Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sad to see the last bottle go. Wine is in great place.
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7/30/2013 - BillyRayValentine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Savory, pepper, lots of dark red fruit. A little too much heat initially but blew off after an hour decant. Ever better second night. Nice wine, true to CdP style with less earth and funk.
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7/29/2013 - randyjc wrote: flawed
Three for three bad, flawed wine. The cork piulled super easy and the wine was horrid. Something is very wrong to have three bottles and have them all flawed. Very disappointed and do not know whether it is the winery or the retailer.
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7/18/2013 - texaswinelover wrote: 92 Points
PnP. I enjoyed this bottle. Don't understand the detractors but to each his own. Nose was a touch muted upon opening. But I found this to be old world dusty and earthy with baking spice and bitter chocolate with adequate helping of new world fruit, both red and black. Chalky tannins still significant but not detracting. No heat which was nice to see.
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7/1/2013 - ataraxy Likes this wine: 90 Points
could be smoother...
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6/10/2013 - gbm wrote:
Wow! Totally different wine than the last bottle and way different than the 2009. Dark, but translucent purple. Funky nose - brett, cola. Spritzy on the palate. Cola, coffee, leather. Not what I expected and not 100% sure I like it. (It's not what I was after tonight.) It is interesting though.
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5/25/2013 - PIntag wrote: 84 Points
On the pop 'n pour and throughout the first evening, this was quite disjointed with some heat and a hint of brett. The palate showed some decent fruit but was rather clipped. Drank like a $8 CdR, to be honest. After stoppering and putting in the fridge overnight, this showed a bit better with nicer aromatics and a palate that fleshed out a bit. Still showing some alcohol and the brett note. Not sure if this was a bad bottle or just mediocre wine. In any case, I'll let my last bottle rest for a couple or three more years. Compared with a bottle of the 2003 that was absolutely gorgeous last year, this was a huge disappointment. I know this could use a couple more years at least, but I don't this will ever hit the heights of the 2003.
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5/18/2013 - soyhead wrote: 84 Points
nose - cocoa, raisin,
mouth - dark berry fruit, some herbality, and heat. still quite decent tannins. like the 2006 i find this lacking in freshness. some licorice notes also picked up though in general i'm not feeling the love.
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4/23/2013 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking well after one hour decant. Nice fruit forward approach with a bit of a rustic edge. Improved steadily over the night. Would wait another year or two on the next bottle.
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4/15/2013 - drrobvino wrote: 92 Points
This wine was PnP and consumed over a few hours.
The wine has a clear appearance, with a color of med ruby/purple at the core, fading to a light ruby/purple rim. There is a bit of sediment thrown, and the legs drop quickly.
The nose appears to be in good condition, showing off developing aromas of ripe plums, charcoal embers, moist soil, and black cherries, which are medium in intensity.
On the palate, this is a dry wine, showing full body and med(+) alcohol (14.5% abv listed), med/med(+) intensity flavors of plums, sweet tobacco, wet earth/gravel notes, peppery spice, and dark red cherries. These flavors are supported by med acidity, keeping the wine lively, alongside well-integrated, med level tannins, leading into a med(+) length finish that is full of dark fruits and savory soil notes. **There was a slight spritziness on the palate at first, which had me initially worried, but this totally blew off over the course of an hour.
This is a very good quality wine that is really drinking nicely right now (after an hour decant), and will likely continue to further integrate and become more complex over the next 2-3 years, and drink well through 2023 or so. Plenty of life left, and nicely balanced, still coming across as benefiting from a bit more cellar time at this point.
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4/11/2013 - rdsboca Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank in magnum form and this wine had a great balance between old and new world. Great complexity and a wonderful delicateness to the grenache in the mix. Really enjoyable. Didn't go over as well as the cab for the non-wine drinkers at the dinner but I loved it.
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3/26/2013 - winelover3 wrote: 91 Points
Drank with Meera
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3/2/2013 - beezer6 wrote: 91 Points
Domaine Wine Storage Saturday BYOB (Domaine Wine Storage (Chicago)): Ripe purple plums and some forest floor. Spice driven with a big full throttle finish. A little molasses. Candied qualities.
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3/2/2013 - tooch wrote: 86 Points
Saturday Afternoon at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): Nice and spicy with interesting texture and layers of flavor. Reminded me of a young and brash Chateauneuf de Pape...which I'm guessing is what Tablas Creek is going for. It'll be interesting to see how these age because it's a bit raw at this point.
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2/24/2013 - cliffkol wrote: 92 Points
Huge nose of funk, forest floor, dark fruits, earth. Needed one hour decant to settle down. Beautiful flavors of dark fruits and cherries, forest floor, mushroom, leather, smoke. A bit of sweetness. Full bodied with solid, mouth filling tannins, which are well integrated and balanced. My only issue was a bit of acidity and heat. Long finish. Sorry we only have one bottle left.
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2/3/2013 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good, not as good as on release, on night 2 Mouvedre took an interesting spicy note.
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1/27/2013 - slippytoad wrote: 96 Points
At its peak now. Wonderful vanilla nose with some smoke and sweet berry. One bottle left :-/
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1/26/2013 - bundydavis wrote: 93 Points
Opened up nicely and drinking beautifully. Great balance.
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1/25/2013 - Jack667 wrote: flawed
Must have been a flawed bottle, maybe cooked. I still have 3 more so I'll give it another chance soon. It was awful. Drank a full glass first night and tried it again the next night - no improvement.
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1/12/2013 - cbbrown3 wrote: 95 Points
The wine is a nice, ruby red color. The very inviting nose has blackberry, eucalyptus, kirsch, cherry, flower laden potpourri, minerals, licorice, Asian spices, and just a touch of underbrush. This is medium to full body, with solid tannins and very good acidity. Nice, bright, spicy fruit on the palate with minerals and a touch of mint. The finish is very long and satisfying. Not a big, in your face style of wine, this could very easily be slipped into a CdP tasting and not be out of place. This is still on the young side, but still very tasty.
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1/6/2013 - Rechrom wrote: 93 Points
Decanted two hours, consumed over next three. Tobacco, stones, dark fruit on the nose. Cherry, plum, leather, herbs n a great and deep palate. Good acidity, smooth tannins. Red to rim, a lot of time left. Excellent, has potential to be outstanding if it adds complexity.
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12/25/2012 - jdinkin1 wrote: 92 Points
Dark cherry on nose. Nice balance with noticeable tannins. Dried cherries, dusty, earthy with medium finish. Excellent with the Christmas goose.
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12/24/2012 - Neras wrote: 91 Points
Complex well made wine, but the aroma and taste of barnyard is too heavy at this time. Hope it will take of a bit. Slight trace of fizzle.
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12/8/2012 - toddmk wrote: 92 Points
Great wine. A very meaty and perfumed nose. More meaty, smoky flavors on the palate along with some leather, herbs and dark cherry. Very complex flavor profile. Full bodied, very well delineated wine with tannins that are currently nicely hidden and well integrated. Above average finish. This wine has secondary flavors showing well right now that might get slightly better over a couple years but is drinking really well right now. Very well done...Cheers!
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11/3/2012 - NonCuratLex wrote: 94 Points
I have now sampled this a couple of times. The Esprit de Beaucastel does not have the complexity of its French cousin - but with the simplicity and reduction also comes not having to deal with waiting several hours for the aroma of horsecrap to depart, nor the need for decanting, decanting, and sometimes decanting again, that I enjoy when drinking the grand vin of Chateau de Beaucastel, from whose vineyards this Rhône Ranger from Pasô Rôbles is allegedly cloned. But it's very hard to differentiate, after an aperitif, from the second wine of Beaucastel, the Coudoulet, from the same vintage. All that being said, when judged on its own right and not by comparison to ancestors, this stands up as a flawelssly-conceived and flawlessly-executed wine. The plurality varietal - mourvedre lends a little smoke to the mid palate, and leather to the finish. Overall, the mouthfeel is rich, and the attack is not too harsh. The nose is not memorable - grenache always smells like spring apples to me. Overall, I think this wine is worthy of acquisition and consumption - highly worthy.
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10/14/2012 - signotim wrote: 92 Points
Needs time. best on night 3. fair bit of sediment. try again in 2 - 3 yrs.
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10/13/2012 - CWilliam wrote: flawed
Meat / iron / black raspberries & cherry on nose - very nice. I bought this close to release, it has been sitting in a cool cellar and the cork was fine but the acidity was out of balance relative to the fruit on the palate - I'd guess this suffered from VA so I won't rate. Beautiful nose so this was dissapointing to me. I had a little left and had on night 2- much better - maybe its in a closed phase today. Will drink remaining bottles 2014+
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10/6/2012 - Brook23 wrote: 93 Points
My favourite of a tasting of 7 US wines. Herby, smoky aroma. Blackberry/blackcurrant palate with savoury, leather and chocolate elements. Nice tannins
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9/29/2012 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 92 Points
Didn't get as much complexity from this one as the previous bottle, but still drinking well. Plenty of fruit left and still has enough tannins to suggest that it will soften up an integrate further.
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8/17/2012 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 93 Points
Herbal, tar-like aromatics. Very CdP from a ripe year. Classic garrigue flavors, some soy, and savory spice notes. Some medium tannins on long finish. Drinking well now, but plenty of structure to age.
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8/13/2012 - cliffkol wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 30 mins. Nice fruity, woodsy nose. Dark fruits, mineral, earth, bramble, slight spices. Medium tannins well integrated. Rich, deep, sexy. Will buy again.
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8/4/2012 - Bluethunder wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Dark red fruit, cherry, plum, sweet, with pepper and mild tannins. Very nice depth, rich and robust with a silky smooth finish.
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6/24/2012 - Outplaying wrote:
A little over two years since last bottle. No notes but drinking very well. The acidity is what stands out in my mind balancing the rich fruit.
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5/28/2012 - tairanosaurus wrote: 93 Points
Initial 45 minute decant. Great nose of dark fruit and stems. In the mouth, the dark fruits were prominent over tanins that were strong but quite pleasant. Had the nose and mouthfeel to suggest still on the young side. Two hour later the nose was similar, with less stems and picked up some candied spice. In the mouth, great plum and blackberry. Tannins still prominent on mid-palate and on, but did not interfere with the fruit. The herbiness that others comment on adds a nice dimension to the wine. Overall, pleasant and complex. I think this will improve for some years still.
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5/18/2012 - tward wrote:
Needs some more bottle age or a good decant. We drank fairly soon after opening and only began glimpsing the nuances towards the end of the bottle.
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5/13/2012 - SkiJunkie wrote: 88 Points
Needs more time.
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4/20/2012 - SkeBum wrote: 92 Points
Outstanding wine. Very nice blend, nice nose and well balanced fruit. Will be buying some more at some point.
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3/18/2012 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
In the somewhat closed bouquet dark fruits, graphite and a bit dust. On the palate cherries, dark chocolate, some green herbs and sweetness, good acidity and bitterness. The tannin is round. First signs of development are there. Early maturity now and I expect it will show more 5 years from now.
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1/24/2012 - ron m wrote:
Opened one to see what this wine is about. Well, it is about depth, richness, and somewhat surprisingly, elegance. Deep deep red, extremely rich and quite concentrated. Showing its youth with high pitched fruit and kirsch notes. The nose was deep and complex on opening with plums soy sauce and some animale. It became more subdued over time. This wine is very good today and with excellent potential for years ahead.
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1/22/2012 - 2Travel wrote: 89 Points
Wine seems to be going through a tough period. Quite a nose tonight, but not easily described. Flavors that I associate with grenache being dominant. Nice tannins, but alcohol is too much right now.
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1/7/2012 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted for two, drank over the next three hours. Much of the floral aspects has blown off and has let the alcohol protrude. I don't have the same enthusiasm for this wine as others. It's well made, but ultimately lacks the depth of flavor to match the hot finish. Day two: better nose, fuller flavor on the palate, but heat still on the finish.
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1/7/2012 - Al-Vino wrote: 90 Points
Solid bottle that needs alot of air or more time in the cellar to come together. Will wait a couple of years before opening next bottle.
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12/30/2011 - jcomm wrote: 95 Points
Drank once again vs the 2006...this is head & shoulders above the 2006!
Decanted 2 hours also!
Nose is once again beautiful, lots of red fruits with some spices & herbs with a touch of violets.
The palate has lots going on! Cherries & raspberries but also a bit of cranberries and herbs, quite tasty and complex, showing lots of depth also.
Nice smooth tannins with a nice mineral backbone and acidity, extremely long & savoury...this will age beautifully!!!
Excellent again!
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12/25/2011 - BSpdx wrote: 93 Points
Very extracted and tannic. Needs a good long decant, but once integrated this is very tasty with ripe plum and dark cherry fruit, some grilled herbs and garlic, and finally touches of anise and cedar. Long, satisfying finish. Would recommend.
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12/24/2011 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 94 Points
Spectacular, at at a great place now. I expected the tannins to be harsher, but they're resolved. I don't know if this gets better, but it's drinking beautifully now. Snobbery aside, is the U.S. making better rhone blends than CDP? Comparable: Carlos Gonzalez.
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12/21/2011 - ScottS wrote:
Another terrific showing. Note to self - buy more Tablas Creek
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11/27/2011 - alamoave wrote:
Not close to ready. Showed nothing on Day 1 but promising on Day 2.
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11/23/2011 - smokie wrote: 88 Points
too sweet right now. let it sit.
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11/20/2011 - Scottlmatthews wrote: 93 Points
This Bottle had a bit of 'Frezante'-slight fizzy at opening-but 2hrs later was fine. Not as good as first one-wait another year for next.
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10/22/2011 - Kraigers1 wrote: 91 Points
Still tight - needs time. A bit alcoholic, but as it opens up, some nice floral notes and expressive fruit. Good stuff, but suggest another 3 years if you can keep your paws off of it.
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9/4/2011 - xwine wrote:
No notes taken, showing a slight bit of secondary fermentation on the palate. The nose was very nice, with the Mourvedre seemingly taking center stage.
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9/1/2011 - winopops3 wrote: 89 Points
Fairly oaky with nice fruit, tannins still can soften a little, but overall complex with tobacco notes, decent finish.
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8/19/2011 - dclaunch wrote:
We opened this tonight to have with my wife's (nearly) world famous beer can chicken which is both sweet and spicy. The wine was incredibly full bodied and able to hold up to the Cayenne and other spices in the chicken while offering a lingering finish that matched the sweetness of the brown sugar also in the chicken. An perfect wine that we are sure will go well with most any dish.
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8/17/2011 - jinks wrote: 90 Points
Tasted blind against 3 other $35-50 GSM, this was the best. Decanted 2-3 hours.
Beautifully complex nose of fruit, dark berries, cherry, cassis, and a little smoke. Smells almost like a california cab. Not a whole lot of interest in the mouth though... These tannins are plentiful, somewhat harsh, and need time. I would definitely hold for at least a few years.
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7/23/2011 - 11mcraig wrote: 95 Points
- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of blackberry and has flavours of blackberry with a medium/full body. Juicy texture with a medium finish - My wife and I had this last night, really a beauty!
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7/18/2011 - BillyT wrote: 91 Points
Definitely too young. Took a full day opened to develop. Initially spritzy and acidic with muted fruit. Next day very smooth, integrated tannins, dark fruit and color, balanced but needs several more years to develop.
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7/15/2011 - rhit wrote:
Polished and balanced, but a bit too much wood and lacking in personality.
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6/29/2011 - John McCabe wrote: 94 Points
Definitely a very promising red. Needs more time to really show its stuff though.
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6/26/2011 - maxima wrote: 91 Points
L’œil : La robe est rouge grenat avec de reflet violets.
Le nez : Le nez est intense et parfumé, c’est assez complexe. On sent un plusieurs couches différentes! Encore des bleuets mais aussi des mures, beaucoup d’épices différentes (anis, cumin et poivre) et d’herbes (garrigue).
La bouche : En bouche, c’est puissant mais il y a une belle maitrise et quel complexité. On goûte les fruits noirs, de la viande fumée et une touche florale et minérale! Les tannins sont soyeux et bien recouverts de fruit. La finale est immense, quelle longueur! Pour le prix, c'est un beau RQP.
Un superbe vin qui allie richesse, puissance et complexité en ce moment, il se raffinera encore plus avec les années!!!
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6/14/2011 - scott davis wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple in color. Red and blue berries with wet earth on the nose. The palate shows blueberry, dark red cherry, graphite, and mineral notes. Delicious yet young and spritzy. Cellar. 44% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 21% Syrah, and 5% Counoise.
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6/10/2011 - bon vivant wrote:
Another bottle from 375 and the secondary CO2 is still here. (see previous note) This bottle was shut down hard and even an extended decant did not do much to it. I would hold off from opening more for at least a few years.
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6/10/2011 - jcomm wrote: 94 Points
Once again superb! Decanted a good 3 hours before it started to open up!
Loads of Garrigue and fruit on the nose, quite complex also!
The mouthfeel is silky smooth with nice well defined tannins, nice fruit purity also and gobs of spices...extremely long finish.
Still quite juvenile presently eventhough it drinks superbly...this will be amazing in 5-7 years!!!
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5/31/2011 - kenhoeve wrote: 95 Points
Double decanted 3 hours, one trip through vinturi, brought to dinner at Brussels Bistro for my birthday. Absurdly good. Better than the last bottle. Nose of cedar that takes off into all kinds of exotic notions with potpourri, leather, the list just goes on but I wasn't into the notes I just wanted to soak in the sensations. At first the massive fruit smacks you but once the minerality kicks in the journey begins. There are earth tones, rocks, herbs,floral tones. Very silky mouthfeel with flavor canvassing the palate. The tannins grip on the finish but they are sweet and chewy, and wow this one is loooong. The flavor stays in front of the tannins with herbs and very late berry. The finish is so long in fact, you don't actually finish, the taste just stays in your mouth. I can't even venture how great this will be some years down the road but it is really approachable now. WOTY so far and bonified face-melter. 95+
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5/29/2011 - jeff nowak wrote: 92 Points
decanted. super wine. drunk next to an 08 saxum...and no comparison. people should be beating down the door of this producer, especially this wine in any vintage. nice composition and lush fruit. affordable, accessible, go get it. the crowd sucked this down like crack.
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5/26/2011 - jcomm wrote: 95 Points
This again is a really good vintage far better than the 2006 opened at the same time to compare.
This is really good stuff. Decanted for two hours andprobably should of doubled this.
The nose has lots of earth and flowers, some blackberries, cassis and spices.
The mouthfeel is quite big but has structure, very savoury flavours of Cherry, black currants, pepper and some leather.
Extremely long and quite tasty.
Presently quite young and bousterous but will age superbly...EXCELLENT!
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5/14/2011 - 2Travel wrote: 91 Points
Charlie's Retirement Party: the final wine after the Beaucastel CdPs. Opened as everyone finished their dinner (seared Ahi tuna, sauteed shitake mushrooms, wholegrain rice and portabella pilaf, asparagus). Licorice on the nose. A little hot with alcohol. Nearly full bodied. Showed the traditional chateauneuf flavor profile of earth and leather more than the CdPs did.
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5/8/2011 - crimedawgg wrote: 88 Points
Secondary fermentation from 375ml bottle. Dark red fruit, sweet on the nose. Probably would have been smoother if not flawed.
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4/15/2011 - Sacadat wrote: 93 Points
still too young
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3/28/2011 - Redguy wrote: 93 Points
PnP - served while outside playing bocce ball. Too busy guzzling to take any notes. I remember thinking it was still somewhat primary though more open than it was last summer. A touch of spritz was evident early on but this faded after being open awhile. Completely seamless and flat out delicious. This disappeared much too quickly. Such balance and poise. While ripe and rich this seemed like a marriage between Cali sun and French nuance - definately not OTT. Fantastic!
I'd say 93 today with room for growth. Best Esprit I've had. Look forward to tracking it's evolution over the next 5-10 years!
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3/27/2011 - Drankthewholebottle wrote: 92 Points
Love it!
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3/5/2011 - Scottlmatthews wrote: 95 Points
The most amazing Rhone style US wine ever. Decanted for two hours and could go longer. Espresso, wet earth, and cherry on the nose with loads of black fruit, spice (black pepper), and leather on the palette. All elements balanced-such an expression of terroir. This is my first of 6 in my cellar-can’t wait for evolution.
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3/5/2011 - dmattson wrote: 96 Points
beautiful wine. decanted 3 hours.
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3/4/2011 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 85 Points
Mourvedre 44%, Grenache 29%, Syrah 21%, Counoise 6%, alcohol 14.5%. This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by Don Shapiro. Opaque black/purple in color, it shows an intense nose of ripe black fruit, black pepper, vanilla and animal fur. Full-bodied on the palate, with big ripe tannins and a slight spritz. The alcohol is not subtle. The flavors are black fruit-dominated and very ripe. The middle palate is solid and the finish is long, albeit hot. This is, to my palate, a decent "Rhone Ranger" which would in no way be confused with anything from the Southern Rhone. It is over-extracted and (given the spritz) this particular bottle has probably had a secondary bacterial fermentation from unfermented residual sugar. Perhaps a bad bottle, but I suspect that it is simply just another over-extracted Paso Robles Rhone-style blend which may appeal to the masses but holds little for me. My score is generous. Drink now-12/13.
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3/1/2011 - JDW36pu wrote: 89 Points
POP, 30 min decant, had with cheese and crackers. Big nose of sour cherry with a bit of coffee/choc/oak. Less fruit on the palate than expected. Wonderful tannic structure which gives wine a sense that it is a lot bigger than it is if that makes sense. Definitely a very red meat/BBQ friendly wine. Very excited to see where this goes with another 2-3 years.
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3/1/2011 - JDW36pu wrote: 88 Points
POP, had with cheese and crackers after a 30 min decant. Crazy big nose once poured in the decanter. Lots of sour cherry and a bit of coffee. Not as much fruit on the palate as I expected. Very good tannin structure and a wonderful finish. Definitely a red meat/BBQ friendly wine. I expect this to soften and show a touch more fruit with another year or two.
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2/25/2011 - Wink wrote: 92 Points
Ordered off the wine list at at Craig and Sally's on St. Thomas. From memory: Dense purple. Nose of cherry, smoked meat, and leather. Full, ripe palate of delicious red and dark fruit with a juicy, peppery mid-palate and lingering finish. Pleasant acidity and supple tannins. Excellent, balanced wine.
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2/7/2011 - Rechrom wrote: 92 Points
Decanted one hour; great nose, spicy palate with pepper and dark fruits that (as others have noted) tastes more French and CA. Medium plus finish. Consumed over 5 hours, started to get slightly flabby at the end of the evening, although still enjoyable. Hope this does not mean it will not make old bones. Drink very well now.
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2/6/2011 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 94 Points
This had a much better showing on this tasting compared to July 2010. Very dark crimson color with an earthy nose of herbs and spice. Flavors have opened up since, and much, much fuller and complex than the 2006 vintage. Flavors of dark cherry, raspberry, blueberry pie, and licorice. Finishes long with a hint of spice. Balanced and bright acidity. This is clearly the best they've produced in a long while. Drink from 2011 to 2016.
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1/27/2011 - wickedwax wrote:
Candied red berry fruit, blue flower - violet, and nutmeg on the nose. Medium-plus bodied with chewy tannins and medium acidity, with concentrated ripe black and red fruit on the palate. Not really my style, but one can see the quality of the winemaking.
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1/17/2011 - Venturifan wrote: 93 Points
Delicious. All our guests could not believe this was a wine grown in CA.
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1/16/2011 - Musedir Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sunday, January 16, 2011 - this has a classic CdP feel - great ruby color, lots of mineral and spice, hints of stone much like a French hillside wine, peppery and tons of fruit. Finish reveals tannins but only add to the wonderful experience. My wife, who loves CdP, said I thought we were drinking a Cali tonight. We are and really appreciating the skills of the TCV makers. Thanks to my secret Santa!
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1/16/2011 - Musedir Likes this wine: 92 Points
this has a classic CdP feel - great ruby color, lots of mineral and spice, hints of stone much like a French hillside wine, peppery and tons of fruit. Finish reveals tannins but only add to the wonderful experience. My wife, who loves CdP, said I thought we were drinking a Cali tonight. We are and really appreciating the skills of the TCV makers.
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12/31/2010 - Rcorrao wrote: 90 Points
Fantastic wine. Heavy tannins. Fruit forward
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12/25/2010 - Matt Scott wrote: 94 Points
Used Vinturi. See Previous Notes. licorice, raw meat, lavender, hoison sauce, wet stones and dirt. Drink now - 2018.
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12/24/2010 - dmalcolm wrote: flawed
An abundance of spritz (and shoe polish) that did not blow off. :(
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12/3/2010 - CWilliam wrote:
No real notes given neighborhood dinner - tasted wine after 2 hours in decanter - much better than when I had this at a business dinner (pop & pour). Very smooth - blackberry / meat / black olives on nose & palate with smooth tannins. Medium finish - If you can decant for a few hours drink now - otherwise hold - I doubted the ratings given my last tasting but with time this is easily 92 to 94.
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11/30/2010 - no leashes wrote: 91 Points
This is a very good wine -- not yet worth 95-97, but who knows with some more age. Until then, very nice spicy dark cherry and earth flavors, coming in layers, long finish and nice balance and structure. Drinking in .375, so I can understand why some reviewers drinking .750 might not yet appreciate what this wine's potential might be. Thoroughly enjoyable tonight.
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11/23/2010 - chanote44 wrote: 88 Points
This Cali rhone wanna-b did not live up to all of the hype. The nose had a manure and janitorial urine cake smell. The mouthfeel and mid palate fruit were fair and the finish simple. How this got a WS 94 is beyond my American palate.
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11/20/2010 - thirstyman wrote:
Decanted through a vinturi and let it sit for an hour and half. nose was tight. Dark berry with some light cherry flavors. Became a little thin at the end. Excellent, but not outstanding....
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11/5/2010 - RebeccAndy wrote: 95 Points
Dark fruit, spice and a little brambly note. Lovely steak pairing.
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11/1/2010 - moben wrote: 91 Points
Spice filled nose. Layered flavors or wild berry and toasted jam but somewhat astringent. Much better the second night especially as accompaniment to peppered London broil. Will wait 1-2 years for others.
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11/1/2010 - MichielV wrote: 90 Points
beautiful young color, nose of reddish berries and lovely fruit and tannins on the palate. this is a very good wine but I cannot feel a liitle bit that it is disjointed at this time. there is a lot going on in flavors and they jump. this will be good for many years so let the other bottles rest for now.
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10/29/2010 - cubswinws wrote: 93 Points
Just excellent. Deep rich nose and tannins expressive. Very nice now but will likely get better. Try again in 1-2 years.
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9/30/2010 - ecnemergut wrote:
No formal notes taken, but quite plump and lush. A modern, New World wine.
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9/24/2010 - Nutty08 wrote: 93 Points
Similar flavor profile to previous bottle, but I think I under estimated its potential. Great fine tannic structure and acidity underlying good acidity and ripe berry flavors. Great complexity. Distinct rhone style with cali flair. Drink now or hold.
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9/17/2010 - rdsboca wrote: 93 Points
Beautiul floral nose, smooth entry. Weight of wine was more Euro than Paso. Best Espirit vintage I have had yet. Cherries, light chocolate nuances and some vanilla on nose and on finish. This wine is rocking right now.
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9/11/2010 - shine wrote: 94 Points
I loved this wine while watching the sunset and listening to live jazz. Dark purple color. Complex nose of earth and a hint of berries but without any sweetness. Complex wonderful feel in the mouth. Lots of earthiness, mushrooms, truffles and spice. Wonderful density and layers of flavors kept evolving which each sip. Incredible balance. The complexity of the wine and the jazz really complimented each other.
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9/10/2010 - jeff nowak wrote: 92 Points
14.5% alcohol. 44% mourvedre, 29% grenache, 21% syrah, 6% counoise. not decanted, but you probably should. i said in my last note that i'd hold for a year. well, close; sort of. actually, just opened on a whim. this is a big wine, but i have to give it props for not going haywire, OTT. it's quite delicious, actually. chewy tannins. i like the heavily spiced/black pepper nose, and it's a great blend of varietals. i'd like to drink this with some spare ribs at twin anchors in chicago. i try to age this wine, but i never seem to be able to resist it's black hole gravitational pull to open young, especially when a vintage like this one comes along. it's not an overtly complex wine, nor is it one dimensional, but, dang... it's tasty!
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9/9/2010 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
RUSSK Had with M&T and P&C at KoreanRest't. The WOTN, but less amazing than last time I had it.
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9/5/2010 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
Tablas Creek Winery Tasting (Tablas Creek Winery): Tasted non blind at the winery. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose is a little tight right now showing notes of some melted black licorice, raspberries and a hint of smoke. Flavors of black berries, a bit of currants, a bit of cherry and raspberries on the finish. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium body. Hold a bit before trying again. 92.
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9/2/2010 - europat55 wrote: 87 Points
Somehow I really want to like this wine since I have a few bottles in my cellar and I see all these nice reviews, but I just can't see how/why most people are rating this wine 90+ right now based on what I'm tasting today... maybe time will help?
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8/31/2010 - bon vivant wrote:
Light lively and bright when first poured out -there is a touch of CO2 from a slight amount of secondary fermentation which blew away in 10 minutes. This wine keeps putting on color and weight the longer it sits in the decanter. After 2 hrs in the decanter it is now round dark & lush: red and black fruit, plums, Garrigue, beef blood and asian spices all come to mind. Well balanced, flavorful and featuring a long finish with mineral flavors. Excellent.
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8/29/2010 - RussK wrote: 93 Points
RUSSK BBQ at Mikes. This was the WOTN, by far. Very nice surprise. Very compelling. Fresh clean nose (Priorat-like), big fruit. Effervescent at fiirst (not a plus), then fading after 15min. Silky tannins. Want some.
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8/21/2010 - pawine wrote: 95 Points
Best California rhone yet. Almost similar to lots of 2007 rhones. Very dark and intense both on the nose and palate. Big wine but balanced. Lots of ripe tannins. Long finish. I think this will is classic and will age well. Bought some to see how it ages. Great wine.
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8/13/2010 - kenhoeve wrote: 93 Points
Very close to being extraordinary, it just needed a little more intensity/purity and it was there. Everything else was sensational. A nose to die for so rich with briar(from the bottle but true!), red/blue fruit, garrigue, spice, and the most elegant leather I have ever smelled from Paso. Absolutely seamless on the palate. It is full bodied but carries itself in a light and lithe manner that is far more old world than new. Delicious red fruits impeccably layered with multiple spice notes and an undercurrent of leather/cedar goodness. Structure is well intact and the finish lingers of black cherry, asian spice, a teriyaki note, and beautiful underbrush. Perfect balance and drinking better than any Cali rhone blend I have ever tasted. Pair with any gourmet french goodness you are in for a treat. This is throwing a good sediment, be sure to stand up or filter. 93-94.
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8/8/2010 - winegr wrote: 92 Points
92-93. Really needs a decant at this point. The last glass was best. This S. rhone look a like really holds its own against most high end CdR or mid end CdP. Nice dark red fruits balanced by lots of floral notes and earthy spice. Very well made stuff and should last quite a while. Not the 95+ point wine that some critic suggests, but darn good and a decent QPR even at a price point where plenty of nice 2007 CdPs are available. 91 upon open, 92-93 at finish. I don't see more than that or a truly memorable wine, but upside to 93. Maybe it would have been there now with a longer decant? Puts most CA rhone rangers to shame.
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8/7/2010 - Meerlust wrote: 92 Points
Clean, bright red fruit with a hint of tar. The tannins are well managed creating the impression of structure without sacrificing the balance needed to highlight the lovely fruit. This is a flashier wine than the 2006 which is earthier and darker-fruited. I believe the 06 will be longer lived, but the 07 will be an immediate crowd pleaser with 10 -15 years of aging potential.
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8/2/2010 - grafstrb wrote:
A day in Paso (Denner, Tablas Creek, Graves ...): -- tasted a single glass, non-blind in tasting room ––
– 44% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 21% Syrah, 6% Counoise –
Rich, spicy, red-fruited nose. Medium-full to full bodied. On the palate: nice leather; ripe red fruits; not overblown; some good S. Rhone leather and a hint of garrigue. Very nice; better than the ‘06.
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7/22/2010 - celtic67 wrote:
decanted for 3 hrs and should have let it air for another 3. only slightly open on the nose w/hints of violets & thyme. palate is tight but full of blackberries, game & herbs. big mineral finish. wonderful balance & mouthfeel. think this will improve greatly with some time in the cellar.tremendous.
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7/20/2010 - kstoddard Likes this wine: 91 Points
44% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 21% Syrah, and 5% Counoise. Deep ruby color. Earthy red berry nose. Tastes of blackberry, raspberry, violet, and earth. Completely shut down and not giving up much at this point. Well balanced. A beautiful layered core of fruit. Needs time but the upside potential is huge. This wine showed much better last year. Hold.
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7/18/2010 - Redguy wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at winery. A very big youngster. Huge aromas of vanilla laced ripe red fruits and spices are evident from 3 feet away. Delicious mouthfull of red & black fruits, spices, and vanilla on both the opening & midpalate which are quite voluminous. Long, spicy, and creamy fruit finishes on a wave of sweet, quite pronounced tannins. This is still tight and needs time but is a beautiful rendition.
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7/18/2010 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark purple, with complex layers of fruit. The Mourvedre really stands out, giving it a different character than more typical Syrah and Grenache blends. Drinking very well now, but probably has several years to go.
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6/17/2010 - the godfather wrote:
one of the best they've
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6/6/2010 - wyliehart wrote: 89 Points
Starts out as a sort of thin fruit forward wine but has been filling out into a nice light-yet-Jammy sort of experience. Lots of dark berries with some stone fruit thrown in.
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5/31/2010 - duchamp wrote: 94 Points
Dark brilliant purple, extremely perfumed nose of black fig, cassis, cherry, red currants, baking spice and alcohol, big spicy palate loaded with complex black and red fruits, followed by tangy tannis giving lift to the fruit, finish is dark and forever
Note: Less CdP than other vintages but in the best possible way. This wine has flavors I have never tasted in wines from either clay or sand soils. It's darker and maybe even deeper than CdP with courageous levels of acidity. I think Paso is starting to develop its own terroir that might rival the old guard. Outstanding effort.
PS: Next two bottles horribly flawed with brett
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5/22/2010 - manonthemoon wrote: 90 Points
Notes from day 2. Dark red to light purple in color. Nose of blueberry, licorice, herb. Palate of lush blueberry, a little licorice, herbs, mineral, and a little heat or white pepper on the tail end. The finish is average in length, but there was a little heat on the wine that I haven't had from Tablas before. Overall a good wine, but I tend to think most 07s are a little overrated IMO. Hold. 50+5+11+17+7
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5/4/2010 - Pointchaser wrote: 92 Points
Tasted over 4 days. Kind of sneaks up on you. The nose is unassuming and the flavor doesn't immediately grab you by the throat, but by the time you're at the end of your first glass, you begin to take note of how the wine coats your entire palate with rich fruit and you begin to respect the nuances of this handsomely-crafted wine. I can only fault it for lacking that WOW factor and for a slight bitterness on the finish. I rank it slightly below the Domaine Les Grands Bois Cuvee Marc and Cuvee Maximallian and a solid notch below the 2006 Clos Del Rey (95-96 pts) as recent Rhone-style blends.
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5/3/2010 - UROMD wrote: 89 Points
Opened after 4 hours. At this point, the Coudelet is much better imo.
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4/28/2010 - Joelene wrote: 91 Points
Good fruit, great balance, reserved but not without stuffing, long drying chalky, piney, like chewing on the grapevine itself finish. I think this will improve with time.
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4/16/2010 - wcf1946 wrote: 88 Points
Disappointed with this wine based on other tasting notes. Very smooth, fruit forward, subtle tannins, but lacking a strong finish. Pleasant tasting, but lacks depth. A good table type wine.
Drank over a period of 6 hours the first day of opening, and no discernible difference. Drank the second day, and the quality declined somewhat. Very overpriced.....paid $40, but worth only $20.
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4/14/2010 - OneLastSyrah wrote: 90 Points
Purchased this bottle at retail and consumed that evening. This bottle had some wine climbing up the cork a few millimeters, so it might have not been stored well at some point. Also tasted it in a bad hotel stem. 14.5% ABV. Dark garnet somewhat translucent. My first impression was that the Mourvedre and Counoise components seemed to be dominating the aromatics. Wax, animal fur, stems and perhaps some cocoa powder. Medium bodied with spicy, somewhat savory red berry fruit. This is still pretty ripe, but it would be fun to slip this into a CdP tasting. Not as good as the previous bottle from my cellar a couple months ago, but pretty good. Neutral on this bottle given the $41 price tag.
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4/7/2010 - pocchia Likes this wine: 90 Points
Mmmmm...... Dark, deep purple color, so dark I expected it to really be "in my face" and was pleasantly surprised at how balanced & smooth it is. Fruit forward without being overpowering, somewhat complex, not a particularly long finish. Wonderful to drink now! My husband is convinced it will age well...I'm not so sure because it's on the lighter side right now. We'll see, we'll see. That's the fun part of sipping wine - seeing how it tastes differently in the future. Stems up!
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4/1/2010 - royalscam wrote: 93 Points
This is fantastic stuff, improved over three days! Offers beautiful notes of dark cherry, licorice candy and spice, medium finish. Not sure merits beyond 93 points but will give more time.
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3/28/2010 - soyhead wrote: 88 Points
Rhone Rangers SF Grand tasting
rich red, richer than the 08 cotes de tablas, well balanced with some herbal essence
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3/28/2010 - JCarella wrote: 92 Points
A very good wine, had it with meat and risotto. Good amount of fruit and a good dry but clean finish.
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3/24/2010 - no leashes wrote: 91 Points
Opulent dark cherry, soy and some meat flavors, multi-layered and rich. Needs lots of time. In .375
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3/17/2010 - cartime wrote: 90 Points
I liked this. Will get better with age. Not sure about the QPR.
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3/14/2010 - the godfather wrote:
good stuff, needs some time
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3/13/2010 - Outplaying wrote:
Brian and Karen III (Our House, Avondale, PA): This was a little simpler than I remember from last time. Ripe dark cherries that turned more to blackberries after it was open a while. Lots of fine tannins, a little spicy and medium bodied. Good but not as complex as I remember and a little hot.
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3/12/2010 - mpricher wrote: 92 Points
Great Dark Red to black fruit, strong color. Rich and coating on the palate. This has the fragrant floral character that I really enjoy of so many calif rhone rangers. Along with Cherry Cola, there are hints of exotic spice, in a dusty way. The fruit on the palate mixes with a meaty character. This finish lasts well over a minute. Amazing how well it paired with so many dishes at the table. Carlton Restaurant in Pittsburgh. This was a real treat!!!
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3/7/2010 - Redguy wrote: 92 Points
Huge aromas of ripe red cherries and vanilla on nose. A little tight but delivers those same flavors of red cherries with a touch of chocolate, nice minerality, wonderful acidity, all wrapped in sweet tannins. Finish lasted 20-30 seconds (though not as long as their 07 Panoplie). Lacks a little complexity right now but what is there is delicious.
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3/2/2010 - rmalloy wrote: 85 Points
Overripe bramble fruit, meat, cola, pepper. Thin bodied to a fault. A burst of simple flavors followed by a hollow sensation. Tasted like a soda, not a serious wine.
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3/1/2010 - air guitar & pinot noir wrote: 92 Points
Deep red garnet. Chocolate, plums and crushed rock on the nose. Rich and very layered flavors. Purple fruit, cedar and spices with supple tannins. Nice long finish.
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2/27/2010 - 11mcraig wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Great fruit on the nose...blackberry, cherry and vanilla. Tannins are smooth and the finish is esquisite! For a 2007 this wine is drinking quite well right now!
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2/21/2010 - tyvoodoo wrote: 91 Points
Nice nose of brambly dark fruits, black pepper, spicy oak and tobacco. Palate has constrained alcohol, a ripe red fruited touch with some cocoa on the back end. Tannins are rather polished and integrated. Very primary and simple but very glossy and delicious. Served from .375 as a pop and pour, started to tighten up with air.
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1/31/2010 - earitt wrote:
Good juice
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1/24/2010 - the godfather wrote:
suprisingly open for business
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1/24/2010 - Pour House wrote: 93 Points
Amazing aromas of Cinnamon and spice cake jump out of the glass on first impression slowly giving way to chocolate and ripe berries. Mocha and ripe berries on the palate. Long finish goes away and comes back several times bringing chocolate and berry flavors. Full bodied and with some structure but won't hold up as nearly as well over time as the Chte. Beaucastel cdp, drink now through 2017
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1/22/2010 - ChillyWino wrote: 84 Points
Popped poured and drank over 2 hours. Bright red fruit on the nose, but not much else. Fruit comes through upon tasting, but not much else. Fairly simple feel and finish (although no rough edges and obviouslly a well made wine). A good wine, but at this point nothing special.
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1/18/2010 - tyvoodoo wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful inky like blood red color with a nice tinge of purple. On the nose is tons of cracked pepper, sweet red fruits, perfume like herbaceous scents and cedar box. Palate is very polished with alcohol in check. Loads of glycerin blue and red fruits, crushed rocks, hints of minerality and allspice.Wonderful structure and acidity that hints that this wine will last for some time. Started to clamp down after an hour of air, seemed to show best as a pop and pour.
From .375
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1/16/2010 - vinole wrote: 92 Points
First Offline of the Decade (Boca Raton, FL): The wine has an Old World frame with ample levels of earth and acidity, but its origin kicks in with rich and ripe blackberry fruit that even has a hint of sweetness on the finish.
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1/16/2010 - dannykoz wrote: 92 Points
Great bottle. Drinks fresh and full fruit with mineral and a hint of spice and touch of eucalyptus. Buy more.
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1/12/2010 - alanr wrote: 88 Points
Side by side tasting: 2007 Coudoulet Beaucastel and Tablas Creek Esprit: Tasted side by side with the 07 Beaucastel Coudoulet: This is quite nice, a bit riper than the Coudoulet, but the comparison is definitely there in flavor profile. The Tablas is somehow more focused and forward, while the Coudoulet is broader and deeper; Tablas is more tannic, a little more straight cherry to the Coudoulet raspberry/strawberry; Doesn't quite reach the level of complexity of the Coudoulet, but overall a nice bottle. I see a lot of higher scores for this, but I think they're not leaving enough room for other wines with much more complexity and depth. The Coudoulet has a definite edge for my tastes, not to mention the big brother Beaucastel CdP, one of the top wines of the vintage.
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1/10/2010 - Vinomarcus wrote: 95 Points
Oh my god this is good!!! Poured through my Vinturi (only wine gadget I've ever owned that works), this was spectacular from the first taste and only got better. Huge crushed blackberries and pomegranate fruit, massive weight on the palate but not overpowering at all. Rich and thick, oozing with fruit and melted dark chocolate, hints of vanilla bean, coffee, cinnamon stick and licorice. A delight through and through.
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1/10/2010 - Outplaying wrote:
Had this among others at the company holiday party and it was a standout along with the Justin Savant and Cakebread chard. Ann and I liked this. Rich fruit balanced with nice acidity and tannins. Similar to the riper 07 southern Rhones which I am guessing is their intention. I am looking foward to trying another to spend some time with it.
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1/9/2010 - jwalker1140 wrote: 91 Points
Well made but I think my palette is too 'new world' to fully appreciate.
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1/2/2010 - RMundell wrote: 84 Points
Didn't like too much about this wine. Maybe it was just a bad bottle.
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12/31/2009 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 94 Points
I posted a note earlier but must not have hit the consume this bottle command, and threw my paper notes away. I remember this being a little better than a slightly closed bottle of 2007 Giraud Grenaches de Pierre(94). This is darn good juice and has tremendous upside. 94+
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12/31/2009 - kstoddard wrote: 94 Points
A blend of 44% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 21% Syrah, and 6% Counoise. Ruby color. Crushed red berry nose. Raspberry, black cherry, and leather. Impressive complexity in the expansive mid palate. Beautifully balanced. Mouthwatering acidity. Firm chewy tannins. Long elegant finish.
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12/27/2009 - Nutty08 wrote: 92 Points
Smoky nose of boysenberry, currants, iron and slate. Palate is very round and ripe, but with a surprising amount of acidity to balance a dense core of dark fruit. Lengthy finish with dark fruits and wet stone. Very well made wine with obvious ripe fruit from Cali, but a distinct mineral/terrior note that I rarely find in Cali made Rhone varietals. Should improve in the medium term.
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12/25/2009 - markandsusanw Likes this wine: 95 Points
Utterly perfect. Rich, clean, complex and delectable. Amazing special occasion wine at a price that doesn't make you blanch.
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12/23/2009 - incident wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with prior bottles. Considerable upside. Hold remaining bottles for 2 years. From 375ml bottle.
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12/20/2009 - elbosco wrote: 93 Points
Blackish garnet. Big nose on opening showing licorice and fried blood sausage with some heat. Meaty body with dried berries, pepper and black plums. A touch of jam but not over the top. Extended finish. Wait a year or two to revisit.
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12/19/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 92 Points
not decanted, but we made a half assed attempt to aerate with a vinturi. i wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and i feel most of the hype is warranted. gobs of fruit, a little heat on the finish that runs alongside the alcohol. it's a large, expansive wine with moderate depth of character. i'm not one to be too apologetic for opening young wines, but this one, in this vintage, should be stashed away for at least a year. superb value. i paid $33. 92+
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12/19/2009 - Matt Scott wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for one hour. Deep and dark red with some purple. Aroma's of licorice, wet stones, dark soil, mixed berries and a touch of lavender. The palate really hi-lights the licorice, berries and earthy qualities. Quite layered and concentrated, yet not too dense. There is still a touch of elegance to this "Californian Rhone". The finish lasts for a while. The tannins are rather fine, showing how this is the best Tablas yet. It could stand tall next to it's Rhone older brothers. I notice that this is still holding back a little and would benefit from another year in the bottle. If you admire great Chateauneuf's at all, you would love this. There is a true sense of terroir from this Paso Robles Rhone blend. What an achievement! Try some, buy some. Drink 2011 - 2020.
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12/15/2009 - jmcnewjersey wrote: 93 Points
Nice nose of dark fruits, but not overly-pronounced. Full bodied and earthy on pallate. This bottle not a 95-97 blockbuster, in my opinion, but still an excellent wine. May benefit from some aging. Most 2007 CdPs drinking better at this stage.
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12/15/2009 - tadhg555 wrote: 95 Points
Drank it with pan fried steak and caprezzi salad, with a bit left over to pair with some sufganiot. A rich mouthful of berries with enough earthiness and acidity to balance it out. Delicious.
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12/14/2009 - Surfdoc wrote: 91 Points
Flavors of blackberry, sage, and rose rounded out on the medium finish by a hint of earthiness and leather. Soft tannins with a lighter body than I expected. Nice, floral flavor that is certainly more Rhone in style than many other wines from this region.
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11/28/2009 - winegr wrote: 93 Points
93+. Excellent wine. For a medium bodied wine with a ruby color, it was tight upon open and not showing a ton. With air, becomes very compelling. Great deep red fruit, with twizzlers/red licorice, and beautiful spice. Deepens and lengthens with air. Tannins are very fine, but very present. Great. 92-94. Give this time.
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11/23/2009 - snwcln wrote: 96 Points
96 pts, cooking spice, smokey, tobacco, cedar, Deep cherry-berries, hint of oregano, long finish, took 2 hours for it to open up; but left half of the bottle for next day; finish it the next day nose of bacon fat, nice cedar back-end, lite spice, smooth on the mouth and taste lingered I am so glad I picked up enough for years to come.
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11/23/2009 - Jim.Hoover wrote: 92 Points
Smoky at first with red locorise nose that fades with time. Floral nose persists. Big fruity palate of cherry and blueberry with a clean mineral finish. Beautifully balanced.
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11/22/2009 - Rechrom wrote: 93 Points
Very dark red, dark fruits, compote, earth on the nose, very full palate, good length. Very youthful, needs several years to round into form, but a lot of really good parts that should integrate well when this sheds its youth.
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11/21/2009 - signotim wrote: 92 Points
from 375ml. pretty wine. cherry candy and nutmeg on the nose. sour red fruit on the palate. nice, lingering finish.
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11/21/2009 - WineScoundrel wrote: 91 Points
Don't know if it lives up to the hype, but good stuff. There are better 07 CDP's out there in that price point, though.
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11/20/2009 - dmalcolm wrote: 93 Points
Tasty, full bodied, raspberries and blackberries. Tastes like a CdR.
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11/10/2009 - hello555 wrote: 89 Points
dark color, taste yummy
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11/9/2009 - xboomer wrote: 94 Points
Really good! Lots of flavor. Buy more. An excellent full body red blend.
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11/9/2009 - Hazeo wrote: flawed
Corked! And I was looking forward to this one too...
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11/8/2009 - S. Lorin wrote: 94 Points
strikingly beautiful aromas of lavender, violets, flowers, red licorice, concentrated raspberry and dusty pepper - acidity, body, length all defined by harmonious precision, vibrancy, focus, and elegance
for the price, the best wine I have had this year (by no comparison) - and this is way better than any 2007 CDR I have tasted and competes with any CDP
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11/6/2009 - MCUBEB wrote: 92 Points
Nose of herbs and spices with notes of earth. On the palate there is raspberries and cherries that ends with notes of beef and spices. This pepery finish last for more than 30 seconds with mouth coating tannins.
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11/2/2009 - OneLastSyrah wrote: 92 Points
14.5% ABV. Briefly decanted. Dark garnet, slightly translucent in the glass. Sexy incense and garrigue nose. Medium-full bodied and rich with a fairly prominent streak of waxy animal fur/Mourvedre on the attack. Chateauneuf-like. Concentrated with a somewhat closed spicy mineral finish with some late tannin. This wine is more savory than a lot of Paso Rhone blends. Very good.
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11/1/2009 - wine57 wrote: 92 Points
very smooth
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10/31/2009 - JJL wrote: 87 Points
Green herbs, thyme, fennel and oregano on nose. Palate starts sweet with raspberry, candy cane, cherry and maple syrup. Then you get a shot of white pepper spice, followed by a good dose of acidity, but not much in the way of tannins, so its feels thin. Finish is long with an almost butterscotch flavor and some oak. I felt like I was drinking a decent Cotes du Rhone, not a CDP, and clearly not the '07 Beaucastel. It was decent, but maybe they should rename it Esprit de Cotes du Rhone.
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10/28/2009 - Lu wrote: 94 Points
The evolution of the winery -- Tablas Creek -- and the wine Espirit de Beaucastel has really accelerated with the 2007. Lush without being heavy. A finish that lingers long after the glass is given its rest. This is an outstanding wine. My reorder has been placed!
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10/23/2009 - elefkowitz wrote:
This wine was still very young. I'm no Rhone expert, but I enjoyed the evolution of the wine in the glass. Popped and poured a glass and drank slowly over a few hours. Tannins mellowed and smoke left toward the end. Finished the bottle on the next day. It was much calmer with the aeration and easy to drink. I look forward to opening the big bottles in about 10 years!
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10/23/2009 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 88 Points
This wine was purchased at Vintage Wines, Ltd. after our usual double-blind tasting. We all split the tasting on this one, which had arrived at the wine shop four days prior and was being placed on the shelves at the completion of our tasting. Our tasting of this wine, accordingly, was unblinded. Opaque purple with violet rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of assorted black fruits, fennel, minerals and ample vanilla. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, liberal oak, big ripe tannins and primary flavors mirroring the nose. Medium, smooth finish. This is a nice wine which quite possibly would have shown better with more aeration. Not sure if it is worth the price vs. a nice 2007 Cotes du Rhone. Drink now-12/16.
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10/8/2009 - Vinomarcus wrote: 94 Points
This wine was decanted prior to my arrival, when Lance asked me to try it and see where it fit, I just loved it, but thought more decanting would help. Once we got to it, it was lovely. The wine screamed Rhone, I actually threw out a guess of Hermitage. This is a big wine, but impecably balanced, stuffed with notes of black olives, plums, coriander and grilled sausage. A real treat and the wine of the night I would drink on a daily basis as it was big, but not over the top. Delicious!
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10/2/2009 - vanpe003 wrote: 94 Points
Anniversary Weekend - 2009; 10/2/2009-10/4/2009 (Minnesota): Treated this bottle very poorly; said goodbye to the UPS guy, opened the box, popped the cork. Very generous upon opening, closes down a bit with time in the glass. On the nose, cherry and blue fruits. The palate strikes me as medium to med-heavy, quite precise but at the same time quite lush with a resinous component that I like. A long finish that develops some tannins as it sees air. The grenache seems to play a bigger role than I would have thought given the blend (44% Mourvedre, 29% Grenache, 21% Syrah and 6% Counoise). Opened this early to see if I wanted to reorder. I will, as I think this will only get better with time.
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3/21/2009 - pizzler wrote: 91 Points
2009 California Barrel Tasting (Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Washington DC): This was a blended wine that was delicate with good balance and sweet fruit; drinkable now or later
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