My first experience with this wine so I can't address what has happened to it since release but can report we enjoyed it with a rotisserie chicken, oven roasted potatoes and vegetables. Its nose arrived after about 15 minutes of air. Black plum and fig on the nose; dark fruit, peppery spice on the palate and a lengthy, mildly tannic finish. Some alcohol was noticeable but it did not detract from the enjoyable finish.
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For $12, a nice wine with some character. Drank over 3 days under argon. Day 1, after 15 minutes in glass, a bit lean with some herbacousness, strong tannin, black pepper and spicy oak. Day 2 I can't remember. Day 3, this is drinking very well. It has softened significantly, although the tannins are still there lending support. This paired well with a berkshire pork chop. Very middle-red, not too full-bodied, not too lean. Enough acidity to be a good food wine. The spicy oak is still present on the finish although it has calmed down. Best on day 3 (under argon).
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Grabbed this on impulse and glad I did. Blend of Cab, Grenache, and Mouvedre. Rich dark fruit nose with toasty oak but also get a whiff of the alc at 15%. Full bodied, rich dark fruit, cedar, black currant, with some licorice on ths finish. Good acidity medium tannin. Needs at least an hour to start opening up but then good to drink now. Good buy for $20
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Dark garnet, big bouquet of boysenberry, cassis, mocha with hints of cherry vanilla, sweet and peppery on the attack with layers of red and black fruits underscored by mineral streaks, finish and a little drying with black figs and chalk
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This wine had a very floral nose when I first pulled the cork. We were having pork ribs and corn. The ribs were rubbed with a cayenne brown sugar rub, oven cooked and BBQ glazed at the end. A strong meal with some kick. The glaze is my own special recipe and it has some heat. We knew this wine would stand up to the food and it did not let us down. The fruit was dense and which neutralized the heat of the meal. The wine had some peppery taste that went well and lingered on the tongue. I am getting more of this wine the next time I am at the store.
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Initial nose was a little off-putting -- reminding me of rotted fruit -- but after an hour or so, that dissipated. Flavors of dark berries with herbatous undertones. Tannins well-integrated. For price at around $14, a good everyday drinker.
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Dark fruit, crushed rock, and pepper. The combination of coarse tannins and high alcohol make the wine disharmonious and difficult to enjoy. The character of the wine doesn't justify being this overdone. Looking at previous notes, I can imagine that this may have been better when it was fruitier and more flamboyant.
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Very dark, with concentrated plum flavors. A touch of brett adds barnyard/leather flavors for those who don't find brett a fault. Unfortunately, I do, so this isn't my favorite.
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Earthy aroma. Leather and soil. Very dark berries. Taste very balanced, not overwhelming. Been stable over several days of drinking. In fact, the alcohol burn diminished over time. Definitely would consider buying again.
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P&P'd. Fruit forward, but not a bomb. Dark berries and a bit of spice. A pleasant wine, but has room for improvement. I sampled the remainder of the bottle the next day and didn't see much change. I'll enjoy my other two bottles, but likely won't search this out again.
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Lots and lots of ripe fruit. Unfortunately, the 2006 does not have the balance and (relative) elegance of the 2004. Still good, but somewhat disappointing.
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This was consumed too quickly for a proper review. Nice nose of dark fruits, on the palate, medium body very high-toned (even after poured through vacu-vin) with some leather, fruits, a little hot. Quite tasty but it likely requires several hours in the decanter to be toned down. Within the first hour the score was 87-88.
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Big, hot and skunky -- it mellows after some time in the air, but this is not a subtle or graceful wine. Once aired, the tannins are chewable and the experience is pleasant, but I don't see this as a sipper.
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Cieliste i krwisty kolor. W nosie malina i skóra. Wyjątkowo aksamitne usta, mocne ciało z fajnie zbalansowanym alkoholem. Trochę za delikatne, do picia raczej bez jedzenia. Moim zdaniem jednak mało wyraziste, takie lekko nowoświatowe.
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I really like this wine. Red fruit but also smoke and leather on the nose. Excellent mouthfeel, nice structure. Great mouthfeel. Excellent QPR. My kind of wine!
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45% Cabernet Sauvignon 45% Garnacha Tintorera / Alicante Bouschet 10% Monastrell / Mourvedre / Mataro (From what I've found online, it seems the blend for this vintage is a bit of an outlier, with more Cabernet and less Monastrell than usual.)
First Impression: Blood red, thanks to the Alicante. Enjoyable fruit on the nose. Huge red ripe fruit dominates the taste. Out of the bottle, not showing much acidity and I ranked it pretty low (86/87). After an hour or so in the glass, the fruit darkened a bit and some acidity showed up, raising my score to 88.
Overall Impression: Huge fruit. A soft Rhone-style mouthfeel, with some tannins on the back end. A lot of things I like about the wine, but can't get past the ultra-ripe fruit. It's just too much. 87.
Enthusiasm: Very much not my style of wine. Couldn't really handle the richness of the fruit. No desire to seek it out again or to look at any similar wines. 80.
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OC Poker VII; 7/31/2010-8/1/2010 (WCC - Irvine CA): Super dark with violet edges, very pretty that stands out. Nose is slightly muted with touch of heat. Tannis are bountiful and wrapped with coffee and chocolate. Finish is medium.
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Medium red color. Aromas of red fruits, violets and cedar. Ripe, medium-bodied lively fruit in the mouth with soft, integrated tannins and good depth and structure. Still young but delicious now and a great value.
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2/16/2019 - McMalbec Likes this wine: 87 Points
My first experience with this wine so I can't address what has happened to it since release but can report we enjoyed it with a rotisserie chicken, oven roasted potatoes and vegetables. Its nose arrived after about 15 minutes of air. Black plum and fig on the nose; dark fruit, peppery spice on the palate and a lengthy, mildly tannic finish. Some alcohol was noticeable but it did not detract from the enjoyable finish.
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11/3/2018 - wagging_tail wrote: 80 Points
Waited too long. At the end, but passable - fig, blueberry, cherry - dried fruit on the nose- med tart finish
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6/21/2014 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
For $12, a nice wine with some character. Drank over 3 days under argon. Day 1, after 15 minutes in glass, a bit lean with some herbacousness, strong tannin, black pepper and spicy oak. Day 2 I can't remember. Day 3, this is drinking very well. It has softened significantly, although the tannins are still there lending support. This paired well with a berkshire pork chop. Very middle-red, not too full-bodied, not too lean. Enough acidity to be a good food wine. The spicy oak is still present on the finish although it has calmed down. Best on day 3 (under argon).
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4/25/2014 - Tyler C Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice wine, moderate complexity. Ready to drink.
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1/27/2013 - J2K wrote:
Grabbed this on impulse and glad I did. Blend of Cab, Grenache, and Mouvedre. Rich dark fruit nose with toasty oak but also get a whiff of the alc at 15%. Full bodied, rich dark fruit, cedar, black currant, with some licorice on ths finish. Good acidity medium tannin. Needs at least an hour to start opening up but then good to drink now. Good buy for $20
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9/6/2012 - duchamp wrote: 89 Points
Dark garnet, big bouquet of boysenberry, cassis, mocha with hints of cherry vanilla, sweet and peppery on the attack with layers of red and black fruits underscored by mineral streaks, finish and a little drying with black figs and chalk
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7/4/2012 - RBOND wrote: 89 Points
This wine had a very floral nose when I first pulled the cork. We were having pork ribs and corn. The ribs were rubbed with a cayenne brown sugar rub, oven cooked and BBQ glazed at the end. A strong meal with some kick. The glaze is my own special recipe and it has some heat. We knew this wine would stand up to the food and it did not let us down. The fruit was dense and which neutralized the heat of the meal. The wine had some peppery taste that went well and lingered on the tongue. I am getting more of this wine the next time I am at the store.
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6/2/2012 - ruffem wrote: 88 Points
Initial nose was a little off-putting -- reminding me of rotted fruit -- but after an hour or so, that dissipated. Flavors of dark berries with herbatous undertones. Tannins well-integrated. For price at around $14, a good everyday drinker.
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5/14/2012 - hsacks wrote: 91 Points
Same as the 3/29/10 bottle but a touch more complex and more developed.
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2/23/2012 - DollarMenunaire wrote: 84 Points
Dark fruit, crushed rock, and pepper. The combination of coarse tannins and high alcohol make the wine disharmonious and difficult to enjoy. The character of the wine doesn't justify being this overdone. Looking at previous notes, I can imagine that this may have been better when it was fruitier and more flamboyant.
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12/26/2011 - flwinos wrote: 88 Points
Ok blend of fruit, minerality, and decent structure. For the price, point not bad.
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11/7/2011 - Itriolo wrote:
Very dark, with concentrated plum flavors. A touch of brett adds barnyard/leather flavors for those who don't find brett a fault. Unfortunately, I do, so this isn't my favorite.
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7/5/2011 - BSZach1 wrote: 87 Points
Earthy aroma. Leather and soil. Very dark berries. Taste very balanced, not overwhelming. Been stable over several days of drinking. In fact, the alcohol burn diminished over time. Definitely would consider buying again.
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6/10/2011 - JoeFriday wrote: 89 Points
P&P'd. Fruit forward, but not a bomb. Dark berries and a bit of spice. A pleasant wine, but has room for improvement. I sampled the remainder of the bottle the next day and didn't see much change. I'll enjoy my other two bottles, but likely won't search this out again.
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5/4/2011 - peblin wrote: 88 Points
Lots and lots of ripe fruit. Unfortunately, the 2006 does not have the balance and (relative) elegance of the 2004. Still good, but somewhat disappointing.
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5/1/2011 - dke wrote:
This was consumed too quickly for a proper review. Nice nose of dark fruits, on the palate, medium body very high-toned (even after poured through vacu-vin) with some leather, fruits, a little hot. Quite tasty but it likely requires several hours in the decanter to be toned down.
Within the first hour the score was 87-88.
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4/8/2011 - Stosh wrote: 90 Points
Big, hot and skunky -- it mellows after some time in the air, but this is not a subtle or graceful wine. Once aired, the tannins are chewable and the experience is pleasant, but I don't see this as a sipper.
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3/8/2011 - mikacz wrote: 88 Points
Cieliste i krwisty kolor. W nosie malina i skóra. Wyjątkowo aksamitne usta, mocne ciało z fajnie zbalansowanym alkoholem. Trochę za delikatne, do picia raczej bez jedzenia. Moim zdaniem jednak mało wyraziste, takie lekko nowoświatowe.
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2/28/2011 - hsacks wrote: 90 Points
Same as the 3/29/10 bottle.
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2/15/2011 - leighhunt wrote: 89 Points
I really like this wine. Red fruit but also smoke and leather on the nose. Excellent mouthfeel, nice structure. Great mouthfeel. Excellent QPR. My kind of wine!
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2/6/2011 - flwinos wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured. First day, this had some rough edges. Vacu-vin'ed it and on day two this became much better.
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12/24/2010 - missionpk wrote: 85 Points
45% Cabernet Sauvignon 45% Garnacha Tintorera / Alicante Bouschet 10% Monastrell / Mourvedre / Mataro (From what I've found online, it seems the blend for this vintage is a bit of an outlier, with more Cabernet and less Monastrell than usual.)
First Impression: Blood red, thanks to the Alicante. Enjoyable fruit on the nose. Huge red ripe fruit dominates the taste. Out of the bottle, not showing much acidity and I ranked it pretty low (86/87). After an hour or so in the glass, the fruit darkened a bit and some acidity showed up, raising my score to 88.
Overall Impression: Huge fruit. A soft Rhone-style mouthfeel, with some tannins on the back end. A lot of things I like about the wine, but can't get past the ultra-ripe fruit. It's just too much. 87.
Enthusiasm: Very much not my style of wine. Couldn't really handle the richness of the fruit. No desire to seek it out again or to look at any similar wines. 80.
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11/1/2010 - flwinos wrote: 90 Points
Good fresh red fruit on this wine, and drinking very well right now. For $17 I will try to find a few more of this.
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8/1/2010 - brigcampbell Likes this wine: 91 Points
OC Poker VII; 7/31/2010-8/1/2010 (WCC - Irvine CA): Super dark with violet edges, very pretty that stands out. Nose is slightly muted with touch of heat. Tannis are bountiful and wrapped with coffee and chocolate. Finish is medium.
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3/29/2010 - hsacks wrote: 90 Points
Medium red color. Aromas of red fruits, violets and cedar. Ripe, medium-bodied lively fruit in the mouth with soft, integrated tannins and good depth and structure. Still young but delicious now and a great value.
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8/2/2009 - WineGrotto wrote: 94 Points
Really excellent. Big fruit. Nice balance. Really quaffable. Hope I can track down some more of this.
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