Not decanted. Nice smell, a very little brown color, balance, mid-body, very low acidity, plum flavor. I believe that because of the 14* alcohol, still was very pleasant after 16 yr
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Dark ruby red color, earthy mixed berry nose, lucious mixed berry fruit, just a touch of acidity with smoother out tannins. The fruit laden finish was of medium length. We thought this was a very enjoyable complex wine and it worked well with grilled rib eye steaks. Another $40-ish value wine.
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From a magnum, purchased at a restaurant, though my notes echo those from a bottle I opened from my cellar some 14 months or so ago. Benefited from an hour+ decant. In short, time (and format) have enhanced what I observed then: rich plum notes along with a touch of fennel, soy and herbs. Plenty of structure. Such a great QPR, often drank too young, before the oak integrates.
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Finally ready, with all elements fully integrated. Sweet plum notes along with a touch of fennel, soy and herbs. Plenty of structure. Great QPR, if you have the cellar space to lay these down for a decade.
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Another wine that makes me want to drink more Carignan(o). Really well-aged bottle with just a bit of oxidation to a lovely sweet red fruit, it is ripe - very ripe actually, but still well-balanced with fresh (Italian) acidity and super silky tannins. Add some spicy funk of the Carignan grape and you have an interesting and complex wine. Lovely now, don't see it improving anymore, but should stay at this level for a couple of years. - 91 points
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Red fruit profile on the nose. Carries through to the palate with some earthiness mixed in as well. Medium to full bodied with nice length on the finish. Really a lovely wine. I like my wines more on the mature and hesitate often as to whether I am opening a bottle too soon. I am glad I opened this now. I do not think there is a rush to drink up but I cannot imagine this will get much better. Wish I had more,
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Dense ruby purple with moderate sediment. Very aromatic, Ripe, almost raisiny cherry fruit with a finish of sweet new oak. Comes together quite nicely.
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The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like raisin, raisin, raisin, raisin, raisin, forest floor, mushroom, clove, raspberry and cherry. It tastes like raspberry and cherry. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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Not as good a showing this time around. While still an excellent wine, it did not have the same brightness and lift. Recommend drinking sooner than later.
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Consumed over three days; the wine improved each day and showed best on the third. Deep purple in color with blue hues, giving no indication of its seven years of age.
Stunning, complex bouquet that features juniper, wintergreen, ginger, baking spices, cranberry, mint, bay leaf, rosemary, green and white teas, dark, tart berries, and violets. Hints of tar, charcuterie, and salinity also faded in and out. In a word, intoxicating!
The potent, floral, acidic attack transitions into a lush, juicy mid palate that shows many of the elements on the bouquet. The entire palate tends to sharp, high-pitched acidity, but this is compensated by a wonderful juiciness. In other words, the wine is balanced in its own unique way. Juniper, blackcurrant, and violets are ever present. The wine drops off a little at the back and finishes powerfully at the front to mid palate, and on the roof of the mouth.
It's difficult to know how rate an elixir like this. It is sleek and lean, not rounded, but the wine's unique composition works so well that tanninic structure is not really missed. In this way, the wine drinks a lot like high-quality, piercing, and whispy Sauvignon Blancs from the Loire. The acid shows no sign of fading and I suspect this will be wonderful in three to five years, possibly beyond. The bouquet alone invites long, pleasant ponderment of life's intrinsic wonders. I had a bottle of the 2004 vintage a few years back, and it was made in this same style but I don't recall it being this good. 92-93.
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Intense dark fruit, with soft tannins and plenty of acidity. Should be able to age for several more years and will probably develop more complex flavor notes over time.
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A really well made wine. On the nose, plum, dark ripe fruit. On the palate, this is full bodied, sweetish tannins and liquorice aftertaste. This got decent structure but seems to me that it must be quite hot in Sardinia ! Fruit bomb. It worked well with our Italian dinner, Cheese gnocci, seared beef.
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Dark ruby color with a full nose of red berries. Well balanced acidity and well integrated tannins. Decanted the wine and let it breath for about an hour before drinking it. A good and well made wine but not a fantastic wine in my opinion.
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Funky wine. Elegant! Beautiful nose with blackberries and mint. Medium weight soft tannins with dark fruits, berries, and flowers. Good and tasty finish. Very good in pairing with Saint Agur blue & Switzerland dry cheese. What a relaxing holiday
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The Wines of Kobrand (Horizon Conference Room): Pretty nose, with blackberry fruit and mint. Soft and velvety. The palate has a lot of fruit, a little funk. A really fun, funky wine. I wish the price was a little less, but it doesn't seem like there's a difficulty for the winery to sell this at this price. 92+
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A really pleasant, fruit-forward wine. Dusty cherry and blackberry fruit notes jump out of the glass, coupled with a touch of saddle leather and minerals. In the mouth, succulent and fleshy, with red-black fruits, minerals, and a bit of spice. Slightly rustic finish. A-
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Just stunning!!....beautiful nose from the off which just got better after a good 2-hour decant. Lovely deep blackcurrant with hedge-row and wild herbs...also some flowers (violets) on the nose. The palate is really tightly wound around a deep intense and sweetish red fruit core and tannins are to the fore but not brutish. Its lush but supremely well balanced and has a lingering almost seductive finish...this is top quality Minervois meets classed growth Bordeaux. I expect this to get even better with 5 years in the bottle
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Very interesting bottle of wine - mostly Carignan which is pretty uncommon as a primary wine, usually smaller percentages as a blending grape. It was a deep, dark purple, had dried fruit, figs, plum and more on the nose, cooking herbs, nicely balanced, lots of dark fruit. It was medium weight, and went well with charcuterie. About $50.
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A deep ruby black. Rustic aromas of licorice, black cherry, and savory earth. Pleasantly perplexing as it greets the palate, with open notes of anise, mineral, violet, and a barrage of black fruit. A beautifully round mouthfeel that combines the elegant with the primal. Layers of flavors that develop through the palate and with time in the glass. Compact in the mid-palate, before ending with firm, ripe tannins and very long savory fruit notes. A pleasure.
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Very dark and concentrated blend of 90% Carignane, 5% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, from very old vines. Aged in 100% new oak. It has an appealing nose, with lots of vanilla, cedar and mediterranean herbs. Fruit forward, but very nicely balanced by acidity and tannins. A juicy, chewy wine with significant body and a long, tasty finish. This property is owned in part by the Marchesi Incisa della Rocchetta, who also make famous Super Tuscans like Sassicaia and Guidalberto. This is their most modern-style blend, but it is still very elegantly made. It is drinking well now, but will probably be even better from 2012 to 2014.
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This was a delicious wine!...lovely deep fruit flavours with a dense herbal character to it. Full flavoured wine with deep and lightly spiced damsons and plums. Good structre and would never have thought it was 14.5% abv as well balanced.
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4/15/2022 - AlfrdGrz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not decanted.
Nice smell, a very little brown color, balance, mid-body, very low acidity, plum flavor. I believe that because of the 14* alcohol, still was very pleasant after 16 yr
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4/18/2019 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 91 Points
Definitely modern in style, but still with a decent acid backbone..
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7/8/2018 - Schwarzer Hund Likes this wine:
Dark ruby red color, earthy mixed berry nose, lucious mixed berry fruit, just a touch of acidity with smoother out tannins. The fruit laden finish was of medium length. We thought this was a very enjoyable complex wine and it worked well with grilled rib eye steaks. Another $40-ish value wine.
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12/19/2017 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 92 Points
From a magnum, purchased at a restaurant, though my notes echo those from a bottle I opened from my cellar some 14 months or so ago. Benefited from an hour+ decant. In short, time (and format) have enhanced what I observed then: rich plum notes along with a touch of fennel, soy and herbs. Plenty of structure. Such a great QPR, often drank too young, before the oak integrates.
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7/29/2016 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 92 Points
Finally ready, with all elements fully integrated. Sweet plum notes along with a touch of fennel, soy and herbs. Plenty of structure. Great QPR, if you have the cellar space to lay these down for a decade.
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3/23/2016 - isbjoern Likes this wine: 91 Points
Another wine that makes me want to drink more Carignan(o). Really well-aged bottle with just a bit of oxidation to a lovely sweet red fruit, it is ripe - very ripe actually, but still well-balanced with fresh (Italian) acidity and super silky tannins. Add some spicy funk of the Carignan grape and you have an interesting and complex wine. Lovely now, don't see it improving anymore, but should stay at this level for a couple of years. - 91 points
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8/22/2015 - cob Likes this wine: 92 Points
Red fruit profile on the nose. Carries through to the palate with some earthiness mixed in as well. Medium to full bodied with nice length on the finish. Really a lovely wine. I like my wines more on the mature and hesitate often as to whether I am opening a bottle too soon. I am glad I opened this now. I do not think there is a rush to drink up but I cannot imagine this will get much better. Wish I had more,
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2/14/2015 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Dense ruby purple with moderate sediment. Very aromatic, Ripe, almost raisiny cherry fruit with a finish of sweet new oak. Comes together quite nicely.
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11/6/2014 - megavalanche Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like raisin, raisin, raisin, raisin, raisin, forest floor, mushroom, clove, raspberry and cherry. It tastes like raspberry and cherry. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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10/25/2014 - Motz wrote: 91 Points
Not as good a showing this time around. While still an excellent wine, it did not have the same brightness and lift. Recommend drinking sooner than later.
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11/5/2013 - Motz wrote: 93 Points
Consumed over three days; the wine improved each day and showed best on the third. Deep purple in color with blue hues, giving no indication of its seven years of age.
Stunning, complex bouquet that features juniper, wintergreen, ginger, baking spices, cranberry, mint, bay leaf, rosemary, green and white teas, dark, tart berries, and violets. Hints of tar, charcuterie, and salinity also faded in and out. In a word, intoxicating!
The potent, floral, acidic attack transitions into a lush, juicy mid palate that shows many of the elements on the bouquet. The entire palate tends to sharp, high-pitched acidity, but this is compensated by a wonderful juiciness. In other words, the wine is balanced in its own unique way. Juniper, blackcurrant, and violets are ever present. The wine drops off a little at the back and finishes powerfully at the front to mid palate, and on the roof of the mouth.
It's difficult to know how rate an elixir like this. It is sleek and lean, not rounded, but the wine's unique composition works so well that tanninic structure is not really missed. In this way, the wine drinks a lot like high-quality, piercing, and whispy Sauvignon Blancs from the Loire. The acid shows no sign of fading and I suspect this will be wonderful in three to five years, possibly beyond. The bouquet alone invites long, pleasant ponderment of life's intrinsic wonders. I had a bottle of the 2004 vintage a few years back, and it was made in this same style but I don't recall it being this good. 92-93.
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10/27/2013 - rsternth wrote: 89 Points
Vegetal, was not my best bottle of Barrua
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9/5/2013 - karl.1480 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tasted at Le Cantine di Greve in Chianti
Warm, ripe, dark fruit. Spices, earth and oak. Somewhere between Chianti Classico and Languedoc-Roussillon. Well integrated alcohol.
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11/2/2012 - LFCHALA Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pleasant aromas. Very pleased.
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9/5/2012 - sharonandroland wrote: 88 Points
A bit unround and disjointed - maybe would have needed decanting. Tannins already soft and integrated.
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8/3/2012 - LFCHALA wrote: 85 Points
Interesting wine. The food (grilled cod) did not help. It deserves a second chance.
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4/29/2012 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 91 Points
Intense dark fruit, with soft tannins and plenty of acidity. Should be able to age for several more years and will probably develop more complex flavor notes over time.
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3/31/2012 - Chrisw97 wrote: 90 Points
A really well made wine. On the nose, plum, dark ripe fruit. On the palate, this is full bodied, sweetish tannins and liquorice aftertaste. This got decent structure but seems to me that it must be quite hot in Sardinia ! Fruit bomb. It worked well with our Italian dinner, Cheese gnocci, seared beef.
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2/3/2012 - Pling wrote: 86 Points
Dark ruby color with a full nose of red berries. Well balanced acidity and well integrated tannins. Decanted the wine and let it breath for about an hour before drinking it. A good and well made wine but not a fantastic wine in my opinion.
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12/25/2011 - Stanislj wrote: 91 Points
Dusty cherry and cedar. Well integrated soft tannins. Subtle treatment of the wood. Really a lovely wine.
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10/17/2011 - Ivan Ma wrote: 90 Points
Funky wine. Elegant! Beautiful nose with blackberries and mint. Medium weight soft tannins with dark fruits, berries, and flowers. Good and tasty finish. Very good in pairing with Saint Agur blue & Switzerland dry cheese. What a relaxing holiday
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8/12/2011 - sharonandroland wrote: 93 Points
Soft tannins, black fruit, spices, tobacco. Lots of potential for ageing.
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2/17/2011 - hutch wrote: 92 Points
The Wines of Kobrand (Horizon Conference Room): Pretty nose, with blackberry fruit and mint. Soft and velvety. The palate has a lot of fruit, a little funk. A really fun, funky wine. I wish the price was a little less, but it doesn't seem like there's a difficulty for the winery to sell this at this price. 92+
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12/1/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
A really pleasant, fruit-forward wine. Dusty cherry and blackberry fruit notes jump out of the glass, coupled with a touch of saddle leather and minerals. In the mouth, succulent and fleshy, with red-black fruits, minerals, and a bit of spice. Slightly rustic finish. A-
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11/13/2010 - darrenhe wrote: 92 Points
Just stunning!!....beautiful nose from the off which just got better after a good 2-hour decant. Lovely deep blackcurrant with hedge-row and wild herbs...also some flowers (violets) on the nose. The palate is really tightly wound around a deep intense and sweetish red fruit core and tannins are to the fore but not brutish. Its lush but supremely well balanced and has a lingering almost seductive finish...this is top quality Minervois meets classed growth Bordeaux. I expect this to get even better with 5 years in the bottle
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11/11/2010 - jschmeling wrote: 91 Points
Very interesting bottle of wine - mostly Carignan which is pretty uncommon as a primary wine, usually smaller percentages as a blending grape. It was a deep, dark purple, had dried fruit, figs, plum and more on the nose, cooking herbs, nicely balanced, lots of dark fruit. It was medium weight, and went well with charcuterie. About $50.
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10/28/2010 - MattMauldin wrote: 94 Points
A deep ruby black. Rustic aromas of licorice, black cherry, and savory earth. Pleasantly perplexing as it greets the palate, with open notes of anise, mineral, violet, and a barrage of black fruit. A beautifully round mouthfeel that combines the elegant with the primal. Layers of flavors that develop through the palate and with time in the glass. Compact in the mid-palate, before ending with firm, ripe tannins and very long savory fruit notes. A pleasure.
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10/9/2010 - TannicBeast wrote: 91 Points
Very dark and concentrated blend of 90% Carignane, 5% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, from very old vines. Aged in 100% new oak. It has an appealing nose, with lots of vanilla, cedar and mediterranean herbs. Fruit forward, but very nicely balanced by acidity and tannins. A juicy, chewy wine with significant body and a long, tasty finish. This property is owned in part by the Marchesi Incisa della Rocchetta, who also make famous Super Tuscans like Sassicaia and Guidalberto. This is their most modern-style blend, but it is still very elegantly made. It is drinking well now, but will probably be even better from 2012 to 2014.
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3/18/2010 - darrenhe wrote: 88 Points
This was a delicious wine!...lovely deep fruit flavours with a dense herbal character to it. Full flavoured wine with deep and lightly spiced damsons and plums. Good structre and would never have thought it was 14.5% abv as well balanced.
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