Last bottle of a long-ago purchase! Didn't know what I was saving it for but am glad I did. Was initially a bit dumb and fruitalicious out of the bottle, but decanted and observed it as it settled into itself 30 minutes in, with lots of mellow life to it. Dark black and bright red fruits, well-integrated tannins, satiny palate. Not a shy wine, ABV-wise, but didn't present as hot or blowsy, and has aged nicely. Went great with brisket and ribs.
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Dark Cherry red color. Lots of dark plum but also a fresh hint of apple on the nose. Creamy and concentrated in the mouth. Dark plum and pomegranate with cloves and woody notes. Harmonic and elegant long finish. Lovely wine and i am happy I kept my last bottle lying a few years.
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Fantastic wine. Fully mature. Savory, complex and long. I paid $32 for this back on release and it has always been a pleasure, but this bottle was complete. This wine really shows you what old vine Carignan can do!
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Really nice example of a more elegant priorat. Full of bright red fruit, with some slate and baking spice. Lighter body than expected with fine tannins. Nice level of acidity. Will be interesting to see in 4-5 years.
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PnP. 100% old vine carignane. First aromas are wood and muted red fruits. With air the wood notes dissipate. Looks extracted, modern and plush. The taste however is not overly extracted. This is quite harmonious. No noticeable wood in the mouth. This is in its peak drinking window. Subtle red fruit and some savory notes. Easy to drink.
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Decanted for 4 hours before consumption. Some oak influence is still present, but this was just delicious with grilled lamb. Rich and layered. This is a beautiful Carignane. Pretty darn complex. Stunningly beautiful!
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Beyond its prime and with mild signs of getting old, but still a nice nose and pleasant taste. Went well with the mature beef we had as main dish. I hesitated between low excellent and high very good, finally went for the former.
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90/91. What a difference a year or two has made here. No longer tastes as modern, seems more about the purity of the fruit now. Still took an hour or so, minimum, for it to settle down, blow off, compose itself, etc. Married itself well to our steaks.
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Early Dec 2014: not decanted; black violet ink; no nose!; flavors in the mouth: next to nothing; full body; smooth texture.
What was going on? My mother-in-law agreed to my findings (this doesn't happen very often). My father-in-law said the wine was ok for him (he bought the bottle). Which opinion do you choose?
Maybe just some decanting would have helped. My father-in-law isn't a fan of this procedure.
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day 1 :angry out of the bottle;not well integrated day 2:more settled with dark fruit shining through day3: plums sour cherries and earthy richness will hold on the next bottle for a year or so
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decanted one hour. purple-red; anise & warm black stones on nose w/cedar closet & wood fire; med/++ bodied; black licorice, dense dark plummy fruit under more dominant black minerals, still noticeable tannins & substantial acids. having bought this wine in several vintages ('04 - '07), yet to see it reach a completely resolved mature state, so can't predict the time line on this particular bottle. seems to be well-balanced, structure is there, so will give remainders several more years to develop. showed a particularly savory component complementary to dinner.
An excellent wine. Full nose of red fruit and cedar. Peppery explosion on the palate with a long full finish of red berries and balanced acidity. It has the character of a very good Sangiovese. This could be enjoyed now but i am eager to see if it gets even better in the next couple of years.
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This is an exceedingly pleasant 87, and one that seems bound for 90-92 in 3-10 years' time. The alcohol has just begun to blow off, 3 hours open. Dark fruit, some black pepper. Great tannins that will silken with time. Rimmerman went out of his way to emphasize Palacios' decision to eschew new oak- could have fooled me, at this point, as the oak comes through in spades for me (not in a bad way, but I would throw it into a decidedly New World camp). Nice medium to heavy body; not much in the way of finish.
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First of 6 bottles. Dark red. When first opened it smells of oak. With some air one can coax some berry notes and alcohol from the glass. Big wine that at least initally seems a bit clumsy. After a couple of hours the wine does integrate a bit and seems more balanced. Definitely better with food. This wine needs more time for the fruit, alcohol, acids and tannins to achieve a better balance. There is a lot here. It will be interesting to see if it all comes together in the next few years.
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Dark purple in color; aromas of spice, raspberry and fruit. Medium to full body; spice and berries on palate; nicely balanced with soft tannins. Medium to long finish.
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Priorat and Ribera del Duero (Willamette Wine Storage, Portland, OR): Very large, rich, and modern aromas. Lots of alcohol and spice. Too much so. The palate is softer, but still plenty of alcohol masquerading as spice. More alcoholic spice on the finish, which shows some tartness, but it's the grippy tannins that are most present.
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(3/5) Very enjoyable. Nicely balanced with just the right amount of oak anda hint of brett that I enjoy. Nose was pretty tight and I suspect this wine will improve a bit with some more time in bottle. I didn't think this would show so well this young but this is a winner. Slow-ox for about an hour, then ran through Vinturi.
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Nez sur les fruits noirs et la banane !?! Intensité moyenne, mais intrigant. En bouche: Assez équilibré, tannins présent mais pas dérangeant, boisé en retrait, fruits bien présent, longueur acceptable.
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Taste at Elysian. Spice on the nose with some nice dark robust dusty fruit. Palate shows nice length and great acidity. Definitely young. Should improve a bit with a year or two on its side.
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At Arcs Restaurant in Tarragona, Spain. Opened and drank with dinner. There is something special about drinking a wine in the area where it is made with food that is indigenous to the area. Great dark fruit, leather, nice tannins. Paired great with the ox tail dish made with a sauce of local herbs, wine and the juices of the meat. Perfect wine with a perfect meal on a perfect night in old Tarragona.
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8/28/2022 - winemaker Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last bottle. Delicious and complete. Enjoyed with rack of lamb.
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6/21/2021 - wormfarmer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Last bottle of a long-ago purchase! Didn't know what I was saving it for but am glad I did. Was initially a bit dumb and fruitalicious out of the bottle, but decanted and observed it as it settled into itself 30 minutes in, with lots of mellow life to it. Dark black and bright red fruits, well-integrated tannins, satiny palate. Not a shy wine, ABV-wise, but didn't present as hot or blowsy, and has aged nicely. Went great with brisket and ribs.
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5/14/2021 - pilatus88 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark Cherry red color. Lots of dark plum but also a fresh hint of apple on the nose. Creamy and concentrated in the mouth. Dark plum and pomegranate with cloves and woody notes. Harmonic and elegant long finish. Lovely wine and i am happy I kept my last bottle lying a few years.
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2/8/2021 - winemaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic wine. Fully mature. Savory, complex and long. I paid $32 for this back on release and it has always been a pleasure, but this bottle was complete. This wine really shows you what old vine Carignan can do!
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7/1/2020 - johnnyo wrote: 93 Points
Delicious!
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9/22/2018 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 90 Points
a good young wine hitting it's stride
very different from my last taste in 2014
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9/8/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind Spanish Wine (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind in Spanish tasting. Ripe black cherry comes across as slightly jammy with burly tannins. Still a bit oaky for now. Most likely upside from here.
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4/8/2018 - hebill Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really nice example of a more elegant priorat. Full of bright red fruit, with some slate and baking spice. Lighter body than expected with fine tannins. Nice level of acidity. Will be interesting to see in 4-5 years.
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3/12/2018 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. 100% old vine carignane. First aromas are wood and muted red fruits. With air the wood notes dissipate. Looks extracted, modern and plush. The taste however is not overly extracted. This is quite harmonious. No noticeable wood in the mouth. This is in its peak drinking window. Subtle red fruit and some savory notes. Easy to drink.
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5/18/2017 - winemaker Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 4 hours before consumption. Some oak influence is still present, but this was just delicious with grilled lamb. Rich and layered. This is a beautiful Carignane. Pretty darn complex. Stunningly beautiful!
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4/28/2017 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Soft. Sweet ripe fruit still tasty. Pretty good value.
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4/22/2017 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Dark red. Rich and well-rounded. Drinking well now.
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11/23/2016 - PeterMadrid Likes this wine: 90 Points
Beyond its prime and with mild signs of getting old, but still a nice nose and pleasant taste. Went well with the mature beef we had as main dish. I hesitated between low excellent and high very good, finally went for the former.
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1/31/2016 - wormfarmer Likes this wine: 91 Points
90/91. What a difference a year or two has made here. No longer tastes as modern, seems more about the purity of the fruit now. Still took an hour or so, minimum, for it to settle down, blow off, compose itself, etc. Married itself well to our steaks.
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6/12/2015 - David J Cooper wrote: 91 Points
Medium dark red. Nice dark fruit and some tar. Earthy flavours and a dry finish.
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5/19/2015 - Sijan Likes this wine:
A bit past its prime, but still good - lots of tertiary notes. Mild & subtle, very old world. Would be good w/ fall food.
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3/31/2015 - jonathanwilliam Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fine, yet rich. Smoky, leathery vanilla flavours, with lovely dark fruit. Lively and with wonderful mineral notes without being over the top.
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12/4/2014 - Fatty Cat wrote: 85 Points
Early Dec 2014: not decanted; black violet ink; no nose!; flavors in the mouth: next to nothing; full body; smooth texture.
What was going on? My mother-in-law agreed to my findings (this doesn't happen very often). My father-in-law said the wine was ok for him (he bought the bottle). Which opinion do you choose?
Maybe just some decanting would have helped. My father-in-law isn't a fan of this procedure.
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6/28/2014 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 90 Points
day 1 :angry out of the bottle;not well integrated
day 2:more settled with dark fruit shining through
day3: plums sour cherries and earthy richness
will hold on the next bottle for a year or so
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5/2/2014 - pipedream wrote: 88 Points
A little dissapointing given prestige of the winemaker...
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2/8/2014 - pigdaddy wrote: 89 Points
decanted one hour. purple-red; anise & warm black stones on nose w/cedar closet & wood fire; med/++ bodied; black licorice, dense dark plummy fruit under more dominant black minerals, still noticeable tannins & substantial acids. having bought this wine in several vintages ('04 - '07), yet to see it reach a completely resolved mature state, so can't predict the time line on this particular bottle. seems to be well-balanced, structure is there, so will give remainders several more years to develop. showed a particularly savory component complementary to dinner.
harissa & buttermilk-marinated roasted chicken thighs; red onion, pumpkin, sweet potato & brussel sprouts roasted with spanish chorizo & sherry vinegar
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2/7/2014 - alfagirl Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tried this for the first time when I lived in Madrid. Continues to be one of my favourites. Dark berries. Smooth and full bodied. Lovely.
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2/2/2014 - pilatus88 Likes this wine: 91 Points
An excellent wine. Full nose of red fruit and cedar. Peppery explosion on the palate with a long full finish of red berries and balanced acidity. It has the character of a very good Sangiovese. This could be enjoyed now but i am eager to see if it gets even better in the next couple of years.
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3/24/2013 - wormfarmer Likes this wine: 87 Points
This is an exceedingly pleasant 87, and one that seems bound for 90-92 in 3-10 years' time. The alcohol has just begun to blow off, 3 hours open. Dark fruit, some black pepper. Great tannins that will silken with time. Rimmerman went out of his way to emphasize Palacios' decision to eschew new oak- could have fooled me, at this point, as the oak comes through in spades for me (not in a bad way, but I would throw it into a decidedly New World camp). Nice medium to heavy body; not much in the way of finish.
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1/26/2013 - Fatty Cat wrote: 90 Points
Late Jan 2013: dark purple color; blackberry, cherry, vanilla; plenty of alcohol; full body; smooth texture.
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11/20/2012 - winemaker wrote: 89 Points
First of 6 bottles. Dark red. When first opened it smells of oak. With some air one can coax some berry notes and alcohol from the glass. Big wine that at least initally seems a bit clumsy. After a couple of hours the wine does integrate a bit and seems more balanced. Definitely better with food. This wine needs more time for the fruit, alcohol, acids and tannins to achieve a better balance. There is a lot here. It will be interesting to see if it all comes together in the next few years.
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10/4/2012 - Herve Likes this wine: 91 Points
Full bodied, rich as Priorat are but still fresh and well balanced. A very classy bottle for those who are not used to strong spanish wines.
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8/18/2012 - Tony Molester wrote:
Pretty boring. My taste is changing.
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12/18/2011 - Vinyljunkee wrote: 90 Points
Dark purple in color; aromas of spice, raspberry and fruit. Medium to full body; spice and berries on palate; nicely balanced with soft tannins. Medium to long finish.
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9/11/2011 - AZ Cat wrote:
(3/5) Similar notes to last time, although I didn't decant this time. Nicely balanced but a bit of heat on the finish. Still, quite good.
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6/30/2011 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 86 Points
Priorat and Ribera del Duero (Willamette Wine Storage, Portland, OR): Very large, rich, and modern aromas. Lots of alcohol and spice. Too much so. The palate is softer, but still plenty of alcohol masquerading as spice. More alcoholic spice on the finish, which shows some tartness, but it's the grippy tannins that are most present.
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6/16/2011 - willthethrill wrote: 91 Points
Drank at dinner for SBH...a crowd pleaser. Nice tannins... a little spice...young but great with our lamb...
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6/5/2011 - AZ Cat wrote:
(3/5) Very enjoyable. Nicely balanced with just the right amount of oak anda hint of brett that I enjoy. Nose was pretty tight and I suspect this wine will improve a bit with some more time in bottle. I didn't think this would show so well this young but this is a winner. Slow-ox for about an hour, then ran through Vinturi.
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2/11/2011 - CU wrote: 88 Points
Decanted, but still not yet ready for consumption. Expect 90 in 5 yrs.
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1/31/2011 - MillerRoad wrote: 91 Points
Started tight. Meat flavors. After opening, lots of fruit.
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1/20/2011 - jarjarbinx99 wrote: 88 Points
Nez sur les fruits noirs et la banane !?! Intensité moyenne, mais intrigant. En bouche: Assez équilibré, tannins présent mais pas dérangeant, boisé en retrait, fruits bien présent, longueur acceptable.
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1/15/2011 - paul canet wrote: 88 Points
J'ai trouvé le vin un peu mince avec une finale un peu sèche et très courte. Est-ce une mauvaise bouteille!
N'empêche qu'il s'agissait un bon vin qui a bien accompagné un plat de viande rouge
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12/22/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 88 Points
Taste at Elysian.
Spice on the nose with some nice dark robust dusty fruit.
Palate shows nice length and great acidity. Definitely young. Should improve a bit with a year or two on its side.
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4/23/2010 - bdublu wrote: 90 Points
At Arcs Restaurant in Tarragona, Spain. Opened and drank with dinner. There is something special about drinking a wine in the area where it is made with food that is indigenous to the area. Great dark fruit, leather, nice tannins. Paired great with the ox tail dish made with a sauce of local herbs, wine and the juices of the meat. Perfect wine with a perfect meal on a perfect night in old Tarragona.
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