Tasting, brief note. Maturing black fruit, drinking very nicely today with some baking spice and a bit of smoked meat. Moderate density, well balanced.
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Opened about 3 hrs ago, didn't decant. This has really held together nicely, showing good fruit presence, a glassy texture and snappy acidity remaining. Cherry and strawberry, some lingering pepper and leather. Spicy finish, showing herb and licorice and structure. No fade on the wine here at all, going strong and lively and while this is my last bottle, for those who have the wine around it's going to be fine to keep aging.
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Blackberry, licorice and leather on the nose. Soft and round palate that matches the nose but also offers a touch of strawberry and ample acidity. Finishes up with grippy tannins framing the red and black fruit. Real tasty but can still go strong for a few more years easy.
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Jemrose Dinner @ Marche Moderne in the OC (Marche Moderne, Costa Mesa CA): Tasted alongside the 2008. The 2007 is blended with 10% syrah and 10% new oak. A coffee-like aroma is present in the 2007, absent in the 2008. Dark fruited palate, mainly red fruits with a hint of black. Finishes with leather, raspberry and a riper tone than the 2008.
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This grenache shows great balance and restraint while still having some nice ripe grenache qualities. Strawberry, white pepper, red licorice, spice...just a blast to drink. The palate has great texture and weight and keeps you wanting more.
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Floral nose, with what Jim called framboise...I can get to that. Straw and raspberry fruit, with a darker edge, with a hint of leather on the finish, still young. Let it rest and enjoy in 2011.
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Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Very nice Grenache. Perfect for those who love rich full bodied Pinots. Lies perfectly between a full Pinot and a light Merlot stylistically. Some nice grip on the palate but not overwhelmingly dark fruit driven. Robust red berries accompanied by a bit of barnyard trail dust. Solid but not outstanding. I enjoy a little more umph in my Grenaches...especially those from the New World - or at least made in that style. Still very nice.
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This note is from a bottle open just over 48 hours. Fully fleshed out and the wine is quite plush at this point now, with lots of black cherry, chocolate, some leather, and like with my initial impression on Saturday night when first opened, a juiciness. No heat, some residual structure and lots of juicy, plush dark fruit.
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Similar to what I tasted in June. Hint of pepper, herb on the nose. Raspberry, cherry, strawberry and a coating of leathery light to medium tannin on the finish. Give the wine more time.....summer 2010.
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Grenache Smackdown (Wally's, Arlington Heights): nose: very red fruit based nose with excellent tones of red fruits, red licorice, bits of herbs, and loads of red cherries. Has a real tartness to the nose with good purity at the same time and good depth
taste: nice and silky medium/full feel with rich tannins and well defined tones of red fruits, red licorice, and a good helping of red cherries. Well balanced tones, but lacking a bit on the mid-palate with the tannins getting in the way a bit
overall: this was a gratis wine from smackdown Vet Jim Mack. I've enjoyed this much more on two other occasions and one of those times was blind. It will probably take another 2 years to really take form as there are excellent materials here
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Produced with 20% new wood. Fresh, roasted with an irony quality, along with a floral aromatic and a trace of pepper. Balanced and elegant in tone but as it airs, picks up more dark notes with a chocolate cherry and peppery, spiciy finish.
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An evening with Michael Browne and Jim Mack (La Madia, Chicago IL): nose: slightly different then the what Jim Mack had provided two weeks earlier. The great red fruits, red licorice, red cherries, and red currants were still very much there, but were now accompanied by real tasty tones of spices that added to the complexity and enjoyment on the nose
taste: real good red fruit driven flavors with red currants, red licorice, red berries, red cherries, and some real zesty spice tones. Good tannins with a real nice medium feel and good tannins
overall: has evolved a bit and is great, but in a slightly different way. This is absolutely delicious right now, but certainly comes across as having the stuffing to age decently. A nice pure expression of domestic grenache as there is real nice balance overall to the wine with excellent aromatics and tones on the palate
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syrah smackdown (Barrington IL, Wally's house): nose: wonderfully balanced nose with pure tones of red fruits, red cherries, red currants, dark berry tones, with some black and red licorice tones. Great depth and polish on the nose with really good purity
taste: great medium feel with polished tones of dark spices, red fruits, red cherries, red and black licorice and some bits of dark berry tones. Nice tannins support this well
overall: this was blind, and a excellent grenache that really made me take notice. Nowhere close to over extracted while possesing really good fruit and great aromatics. this was served right next to an 04 into the dark, and this held up very well
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5/6/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Tasting, brief note. Maturing black fruit, drinking very nicely today with some baking spice and a bit of smoked meat. Moderate density, well balanced.
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11/29/2014 - WDK Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still going strong. A nicely structured, well extracted Grenache with a new world style that I appreciate. Nice finish with no sense of heat.
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8/31/2014 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Opened about 3 hrs ago, didn't decant. This has really held together nicely, showing good fruit presence, a glassy texture and snappy acidity remaining. Cherry and strawberry, some lingering pepper and leather. Spicy finish, showing herb and licorice and structure. No fade on the wine here at all, going strong and lively and while this is my last bottle, for those who have the wine around it's going to be fine to keep aging.
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7/13/2012 - River Rat wrote:
Blackberry, licorice and leather on the nose. Soft and round palate that matches the nose but also offers a touch of strawberry and ample acidity. Finishes up with grippy tannins framing the red and black fruit. Real tasty but can still go strong for a few more years easy.
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10/14/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Jemrose Dinner @ Marche Moderne in the OC (Marche Moderne, Costa Mesa CA): Tasted alongside the 2008. The 2007 is blended with 10% syrah and 10% new oak. A coffee-like aroma is present in the 2007, absent in the 2008. Dark fruited palate, mainly red fruits with a hint of black. Finishes with leather, raspberry and a riper tone than the 2008.
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6/15/2010 - winelovr2001 wrote: 93 Points
This grenache shows great balance and restraint while still having some nice ripe grenache qualities. Strawberry, white pepper, red licorice, spice...just a blast to drink. The palate has great texture and weight and keeps you wanting more.
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4/22/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Floral nose, with what Jim called framboise...I can get to that. Straw and raspberry fruit, with a darker edge, with a hint of leather on the finish, still young. Let it rest and enjoy in 2011.
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2/6/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 90 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Very nice Grenache. Perfect for those who love rich full bodied Pinots. Lies perfectly between a full Pinot and a light Merlot stylistically.
Some nice grip on the palate but not overwhelmingly dark fruit driven. Robust red berries accompanied by a bit of barnyard trail dust.
Solid but not outstanding. I enjoy a little more umph in my Grenaches...especially those from the New World - or at least made in that style.
Still very nice.
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11/16/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
This note is from a bottle open just over 48 hours. Fully fleshed out and the wine is quite plush at this point now, with lots of black cherry, chocolate, some leather, and like with my initial impression on Saturday night when first opened, a juiciness. No heat, some residual structure and lots of juicy, plush dark fruit.
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11/14/2009 - blondon wrote:
Rhone Dinner at Frank Murray's with Jim & Gloria Mack: Rich, extremely peppery finish. 10% syrah. Dark red fruits dominate, thick mouthfeel.
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10/17/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Similar to what I tasted in June. Hint of pepper, herb on the nose. Raspberry, cherry, strawberry and a coating of leathery light to medium tannin on the finish. Give the wine more time.....summer 2010.
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8/28/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
Grenache Smackdown (Wally's, Arlington Heights): nose: very red fruit based nose with excellent tones of red fruits, red licorice, bits of herbs, and loads of red cherries. Has a real tartness to the nose with good purity at the same time and good depth
taste: nice and silky medium/full feel with rich tannins and well defined tones of red fruits, red licorice, and a good helping of red cherries. Well balanced tones, but lacking a bit on the mid-palate with the tannins getting in the way a bit
overall: this was a gratis wine from smackdown Vet Jim Mack. I've enjoyed this much more on two other occasions and one of those times was blind. It will probably take another 2 years to really take form as there are excellent materials here
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6/7/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Produced with 20% new wood. Fresh, roasted with an irony quality, along with a floral aromatic and a trace of pepper. Balanced and elegant in tone but as it airs, picks up more dark notes with a chocolate cherry and peppery, spiciy finish.
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5/12/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
An evening with Michael Browne and Jim Mack (La Madia, Chicago IL): nose: slightly different then the what Jim Mack had provided two weeks earlier. The great red fruits, red licorice, red cherries, and red currants were still very much there, but were now accompanied by real tasty tones of spices that added to the complexity and enjoyment on the nose
taste: real good red fruit driven flavors with red currants, red licorice, red berries, red cherries, and some real zesty spice tones. Good tannins with a real nice medium feel and good tannins
overall: has evolved a bit and is great, but in a slightly different way. This is absolutely delicious right now, but certainly comes across as having the stuffing to age decently. A nice pure expression of domestic grenache as there is real nice balance overall to the wine with excellent aromatics and tones on the palate
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4/24/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
syrah smackdown (Barrington IL, Wally's house): nose: wonderfully balanced nose with pure tones of red fruits, red cherries, red currants, dark berry tones, with some black and red licorice tones. Great depth and polish on the nose with really good purity
taste: great medium feel with polished tones of dark spices, red fruits, red cherries, red and black licorice and some bits of dark berry tones. Nice tannins support this well
overall: this was blind, and a excellent grenache that really made me take notice. Nowhere close to over extracted while possesing really good fruit and great aromatics. this was served right next to an 04 into the dark, and this held up very well
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