Cellared at optimal conditions since release, I think this vintage is at the end of its best window. Inky purple black color, very sweet, the tannins have faded away so nothing to offset the port like richness. Probably never intended to be a long term cellar candidate, drink now. 15.9 abv.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking so nicely now. Lovely integration of the tannins and cab, carries the alcohol effortlessly. Amazingly elegant for such a big wine. Very good indeed. Will easily go 3-5 more years, but delicious right now with an hour and a half of air.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Super rich and delicious, this is a crowd pleaser. Can feel the alch in the body not in the palate. Drinking perfectly adn yet, loads time ahead. Well made.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Initial taste was sharp and spicy, but the wine opened up completely after being decanted 20 minutes and is incredibly smooth and drinkable - tobacco, blackberry, cherry, some spice in the finish with a hint of bear paw. Rich dark cherry color. Amazing legs.
This was smooth and more balanced since the last time I had it. The oak has integrated, tannins settled down, and the alcohol that was noticeable last time was gone. Blue fruits, baking spices, mocha.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Flew with this wine on a plane, then opened at final destination in FL. Deep and dark purple in color, with a slight browning at the rim, showing 9 yrs of age. Blueberries, licorice, mocha and some nice herbaceousness on the nose. Full bodied on the palate, with tight tannins and moderate acidity, ushering in blueberry compote, wet rocks, peppery spice, bittersweet chocolate, and espresso grounds. This wine is too inky and dense for my ideal flavor profile, but a well-made wine nonetheless. No hurry on drinking it, it has structure in spades and is built to last another 5 years or more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cork all but disintegrated, but the wine was not compromised. Pomegranate, plum, blackberry, concentrated / viscous, firm backbone, nice complement to ribeye. very well made wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very rich and ripe dark fruit. Full bodied with a bit of acidity holding the balance. Long finish with soft tannins. I would drink this now, with a but of oxygen there is a bit of pruning.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My prior tasting note stands because this bottle failed after being Coravin'd twice over the past year. The wine today was barely drinkable, having become incredibly "porty" (like the 2009 Schrader Old Sparky disaster even though this was on its side the entire time).
Lessons learned: 1) Do not overpressure the bottle. Short, sharp bursts from Coravin are essential. Allow the bottle to relieve itself of the increased pressure before pressing that trigger again. If you do a full drag on the trigger it can cause a serious rupture in the cork's adhesion to the sides of the bottle. This then allows oxygen to seep in at a rapid rate. You may not notice it if you finish the bottle within a few weeks, but over several months it will destroy your wine. This is what happened with this bottle. It was one of my early experiments.
2) Do not Coravin more than half the bottle. You always want to keep the cork fully submerged in the wine. This bottle was fine until I dropped the level to about 50% and the cork was partially exposed inside the bottle. I believe this allowed rapid oxidization. This of course means that you should NEVER store a Coravin'd bottle upright. It must ALWAYS be laid on its side.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big, blue fruit. Maybe a hint of cinnamon. Dark, inky,toothstaining red on the eye. Almost overwhelmingly extracted, it screams for red meat. Strongly flavored charbroiled steak would be a good pairing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark and inky on the eye. A bit of graphite but mostly fully extracted blue fruit on the nose and palate. Strongly tannic and tooth coating. Pair this with a beefy steak for an old world, gout inducing extravaganza. It could be interesting to wait and see if it calms down some if you have the bottles, appropriate storage, and time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 60 min. This wine started strong and then just got better.
The wine looks inky colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), prune, prune and meaty. It tastes like meaty. The body is full. The wine finishes long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Absolutely delicious. This wine is huge, savory and chock full of black fruit and plums, tremendously rich and seamless with a medium finish, no edges and low tannins. A bit lacking in complexity but what's there is wonderful. Not hot despite the relatively high alcohol.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark and brooding, rich, smooth, with a bit of heat. Perfect by itself while sitting next to first fire pit of the fall. 90+ if the alcohol integrates.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Same as previous notes. I wouldn't say the wine is fading, but it is not as good as when I first tried it 2 years ago. Still a nice wine, but at $70 retail it is a bit pricey vs. quality. Drink up.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not much to add to prior reviews except to say that I doubt this is going to get better or more interesting going forward. Heavy handed with high notes, dark, inky, Syrah seems to dominate. Poor QPR for my preference. Drink with grilled meats or even with hard cheeses as this approaches a dessert wine profile in its sweetness (sweet oak / nose, not RS), roundness, and alcohol content (label: 15.9% abv).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Whoa. My first from this winery and it was huge in every way. Decanted for 3 hours before tasting. Just massive fruit and oak with a really long finish. There was no doubt this was a syrah driven wine.
You could sense this wine was high alcohol and it borders 16% but it wasn't punching you in the face either. Really a smooth wine and quite frankly the best wine I've had from Paso Robles. A treat for a father's day dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rich big fruit with gritty wood tannins to the fore, and a hot searing finish. I found this to be a rather charmless clunky modern wine with all the trappings to get high ratings from the critics. However, I sure there's some perfectly good fruit that's getting ruined with Parker pleasing spoofulation.
Another huge wine that was less balanced than the Jacob Franklin. It had a lot of fruit, alcohol, and noticable oak. Very delicious, but you have to be prepared for it. I get blueberry, cassis, and fruit pie flavors along with some chocolate notes. Part of my 30th birthday celebration.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 1.5 hours. The wine is big. Syrah and wood dominate the nose. Tannins are prominent on the finish. Fruit is fading a bit. Not sure what is going on, but I recall there to be more ripe fruit in this wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
--- COLOR: opaque purple with garnet-purple rim NOTE: Nose is overripe, like some French plum liqueur I once had. Mouth is nice and rich, the fruit is still plum/prune driven but has nice acidity. Finish is ripe blackberry, cinnamon and vanilla. Still a bit too ripe for me. One glass is enough. Drink it up now.
DECANT: 1hr GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 9.2 COST: 55 VALUE: 6.0 TRY AGAIN: now - 2016 CORAVIN'D: Yes PRE-POUR LEVEL: 100 PAIRING: n/a Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I have never had an average bottle of this fine Paso Robles Wine. Combination of red and dark fruit and very smooth and velvety. Always a great wine. Drink ord Hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My first try of the Estate Cuvee. This is opulence with little sophistication. I've had a few vintages of the Optimus label and preferred those for the price. This wine is Syrah dominated with blue/black fruit and is the type of wine I would prefer to sip without food (not that it would necessarily be bad with food). Low acid, big bold fruit, mild tannin, and probably not a bottle I would lay down for the long haul. Tasty now, even if lacking in complexity. 91+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Day 3 review with underbrush, charcoal, blueberries, boysenberries and spices. A big style that will not please the Old World drinker. Should continue to improve with some bottle aging.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pretty darn dark. Very fruit forward and jammy. Nose is literally of grape jelly. You can taste the alcohol, it makes me want to say: Blame it on the goose Got you feeling loose Blame it on Patron Got you in the zone Blame it on the a a a a a alcohol Blame it on the a a a a a a alcohol
It is good overall but reminds me of why we do not drink as much Paso wine anymore.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for a couple of hours, rebottled, and brought out to dinner.
Incredibly dense, inky black, very concentrated. Sweet tannins and dark fruits with a touch of earth. Fairly monolithic. A bit hot due to very high abv. This would probably be best with hard cheese though it went well with grilled beef. IMO quite poor QPR. This wine is built for people who like the richest, most dense, fruit-dominant style.
I'll lay down the couple other ones I have for a few years, though there was little here to suggest further refinement and development.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another outstanding purple teeth wine from L'Adventure. They are all big, highly extracted, super ripe, 15+% alcohol, with all the supporting depth and character to balance things out. This one is getting close to ready. The oak seems to have settled in, letting all kinds of other things exert themselves. Needless to say, this wine is inky purple opaque. Layers of the kind of fruit profile you would expect from 50% Syrah, 36% Cabernet, and 14% Petit Verdot with a beefy, gamey start to blackberries and black cherries. Secondary flavors like licorice, graphite, mocha, cola and brown spice. Nicely integrated oak. The tannins could use some more seasoning. Tight finish with fruit, tea and graphite plus plenty of heat that is mostly tamed by the balance and structure, and must be considerably more satisfying today a few years after release.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 1 hour and then brought to the Schoolhouse in Cannondale. Consumed over the next 2 hours. Smell of fruit, sugar and raisin bran on the nose. Some tannins on the finish. Wine is in a good place and I like the idea of drinking it over the next 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pas au niveau de 2009 mais bien. Beau nez sur le cassis, le chocolat avec une présence appuyé de bois et de vanille. En bouche, c'etait puissant, du cedre avec des mures. Finale moyenne sur la chauffe, un peu disjoint en ce moment!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent wine with Bing cherries, plums, crushed rock, violets and spices. Medium to long finish and powerful. Should be able to cellar this wine for a decade plus.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Smooth, rich, delicious, full-bodied blackberry/dark cherry/blueberry fruit, excellent structure, softened tannins, less chewy and rough than the 2007, spicy, tea leaf flavors, long finish
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
très bien, très costaud mais avec de beaux arômes et saveurs de tarte aux bleuets. c'est super bon. mais il faut laisser respirer lentement quelques heures avant
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blast of espresso, green bean, dark berry on the nose. Flavors of blueberry, blackberry, cranberry, bbq sauce roll around your mouth, finishing with very fine tannins. Persistent and deep.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
15.9% ABV. Pretty much opaque dark garnet in the glass with some magenta at the rim. Ripe blackberry liqueur nose with a touch of toasty oak. Full bodied with ripe, lush black fruit on the palate. This really struck a chord with me.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A very deep dark color. This wine may be cellared but excellent right now. This syrah/cab blend is a superb Paso wine with very jammy fruit. Silky smooth.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Secret Santa Gift 2012: Extremely dark and viscous...flavor profile mirrored color with heavy fruit and a chewy structure. A plummy licorice on the font palate and a fairly long finish...finish was much more balanced on day #2. I'm a big fan of Central Coast Syrah's and this one did not disappoint. The cabernet blend added a dimension that perhaps would suggest another couple of years and/or a longer decant for many but I'm actually a big fan of that upfront power.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Election night 2012 wine dinner at Bonda: Last wine of the night and a little bit of a blur. Was nice and enjoyable, but drank without a decant. I think that would have helped. A lot of sugar on the nose and relatively smooth on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened a bottle from wine.com. The bottle had an oddly depressed cork, which seemed to have little to no impact on the wine. Color was a very dark purple. Strong nose of dark fruit, with a hint of oak and burnt rocks. The wine is sweet and velvety in the mouth, with no noticeable tannin. The finish lingers on the back of the tongue, conveying impressions of a sweet fruit pile. This is definitely more drinkable at an early stage than the 2009 Estate. The wine has a notable teeth- and lip-staining concentration. 93 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not sure if 95 is the best score I've handed out, but I've thought a lot about this wine as I've had a few bottles over a about six weeks, and I really believe it is worth the score. Simply put, an elegant example of what a great winemaker can do when they blend appropriately - a crowd pleaser from day one with depth and complexity that make you salivate at the thought of what is to come as this ages.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Anise/licorice laced cassis and currant. It's smoky, gamy and earthy. Big oak on the palate. Spice, heavy cassis flavors and tobacco. It's Tempranillo/Malbec-esque in it's profile. Tar and cedar notes. Nice layers and structure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The best "ready to drink" 2008 that I've had yet (note, not the best 2008, that is Conn Valley Cab Reserve w/2 days to breathe). Smooooooth on entry and nice "soft" long finish. This wine has great balance already, really interested to see how this ages. Absolute best bargain in PLCB sale.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is deep black/purple in color, showing huge extraction in the fast-dropping legs, and weighing in at 15.9% abv. On the nose, charcoal and soil notes give way to deep, black fruits, a little heat, and perhaps a tad bit of noticeable volatile acidity. On the palate, the wine is of course dry, but has a false sweetness to it from the high alcohol and big fruit extraction. Notes of ripened plums and black cherries are supported by soil and mineral notes. The tannins are round and velvety already, and there is a medium level of acidity to support the highly extracted fruit. The wine is full bodied, with a long and delicious finish that lasts 45+ seconds, and a spicy kick at the end. Very California-esque, very nice. Better as a conversation piece than with food, IMHO.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very impressive aromas of black cherry, red raspberry, and a little herb. Explosive on the palate with fresh dark berries and lively acidity. Full bodied but not over the top. Silky from start to finish. Sweet and smooth tannins. This is really something else.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A hum a da huh! This is gooooooooooooood. Decanted for 20. Drank for hour with friends. If wine didn't taste better with friends, I'd might hoard this one. Fruit heavy, but well rounded.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Just like a similar review. A fantastic wine. Fruit forward, well balanced with an excellent finish. Notes of cherry, vanilla and chocolate. Fantastic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lamb Roast At The Lawrence House (Palo Alto, CA): Flowers and fruit on the nose. In the mouth, balance. Acidity present. To me, what they're doing at L'Aventure is taking the best of French sensibilities and pairing them with some of the best fruit we have in California. What more could you ask for?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
- Brick color. It's in total harmony and has flavours of oak and mushroom with a full body. Smooth texture with a long finish - Fleshy, delicious, smooth finish, beautiful right now
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of blue and black fruit, touch of barnyard and allspice, more of the same on the palate, medium/big body, tasty and good complexity here, long, long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Though thoroughly modern in style, and perhaps not the sort of wine that I like to pursue, this wine is undeniably pure, concentrated and complex. On the nose are aromas of berries, vanilla, espresso and black pepper. On the palate are very concentrated flavors of blueberry, vanilla, mocha, and spice, with nuances of mint, pencil shavings and minerality in the background. Though this is very ripe, and quite oaky, perhaps to the point where it is quite hard to taste any varietal characteristics, this wine is very well structured; the mid-palate and the finish are linked seamlessly and the wine always sees poised and fresh. The acidity level is nice, never does this wine seem heavy or overdone. One thing that should be noted is the softness of the tannins; though they are fine --however, not exceptional, they would suggest that this wine does not have the stuffing to age. I'd drink it in the next between now and 7-10 years, preferably with red meat. Very Outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big, big wine. A rich, almost overpowering nose of chocolate covered bing cherry with vanilla evident. Huge in the mouth, complex, showing cherry and raspberry, a little cassis, and more of that chocolate/vanilla finish. Tasty, even if the oak is evident. So much fruit, the wine comes off as almost a little sweet, with a relatively low acidity that leaves the full-bodied wine feeling a little too plush to be "balanced," but it's hedonistically interesting. Finish is, as one would expect, extremely long.
Drink through 2018.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
What a wine! Decanted for an hour, utilizing a funnel. Violet in a brooding way with a thin, ruby rim. Blackberry, smoke, french roast coffee, cement, soy sauce, rose petal and dried blueberry. Brilliant acidity and no extraneous weight at all; coats every inch of your palate; long and balanced finish, showing velvety tannins. Very food friendly, even though this has 15.9% alcohol. More approachable at a young age than the illustrious '07. Drink 2012 - 2024.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured at local restaurant. Really big wine. Opened up pretty quickly. Great mouthfeel with silky tannins. Black and red fruit, dark chocolate and a hint of pepper on the palate. Very, very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Seemless profile from L'Aventure, drank over about four hours from a decanter and it showed modest change during that period. This is a ripe but balanced mix of dark berries and dark fruit along with a touch of chocolate and earth with a bit too much oak for me (but not excessive and it settled down) as well as a touch of alcohol heat on the nose. A beautiful new world wine sure to please hedonists and those who love lush, broad wines. For me the QPR is modest at best as I feel there are more interesting wines from France and Italy for below $50 (below $40?), though it's hard to find such a seemless profile with no jagged edges and super soft tannins like this wine displays.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From an interesting Rhone Ranger styled blend of 50% Syrah, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Petit Verdot, the perfume is filled with jammy black raspberries, licorice, chocoalte fudge, earth and herbal aromas. Full bodied and densely concentrated with ripe black and blue fruit, there is some heat that is discerned in the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Darker than a desert night. A black hole. Smells decadent. Spiced black fruit, pumpkin pie filling? Killer stuff w a deep finish. I bought a case on the spot and considering that was after tasting 25 wineries and only one other purchase...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
15.9% ABV. Dark magenta opaque in the glass. Sweet blackberry liqueur and creamy, toasty oak nose with some underlying herbal, mint complexity. Full bodied with sweet ripe and youthful berry fruit. Nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasting room pour. Mineral, tea, black currant, and cherry notes in the bouquet. Full dark fruit along with mineral and toffee notes on the palate. Round firm tannins and good length. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The Estate Cuvée is a Syrah driven blend which comprises 50% Syrah, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Petit Verdot. It's aged in 100% French oak for 15 months and it shows on the nose. I found extracted dark berry fruit, baking spice and a touch of meatiness. The palate is pretty full on. I found cranberry acid, smoke, and cracked black pepper. 1000 cases produced. 94 points Wine Advocate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Open 24 hours but not decanted. This is one gorgeous wine. Brooding dark ruby, thick, sticky red legs. Great nose of red and black fruits, smoke, saddle leather and game. Enters on the palate super smooth, sleek and elegant with utterly perfect balance. But there is powerful fruit here as well with a lovely milk chocolate component and dusty, chewy tannins. This will last a long time and I may be committing infanticide drinking it now, but so what, it is great even now. The epitome of an iron fist in a velvet glove. 5-12-18-9: 94/100.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Paso Robles Tasting (AZ Wine Company): Dark purple color. Blackberry, cherry, and currant. Good balance for such a big wine. Rich finish with nice depth and complexity. A blend of 50% Syrah, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Petit Verdot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
deep, lush velvet color. so rich and meaty on the nose. my husband and I just blindly picked a bottle from the cellar. after the initial 'glass' inspection and sniff, we could'nt wait to taste it! such a rich round mouth, lush and creamy with lots of dark fruit but finishing with lovely pepper, and slate with just a touch of vanilla! so glad we 'picked' this wine, cant wait to see what another year does for it!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
First red of Terry's 30th, but followed two bottles of champagne.
Everyone really liked this wine. We opened it a couple hours before drinking and poured into a decanter...simply because it's a pretty young wine. No one was disappointed with this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
"The main difference between this and the Optimus is that this comes from the older vine fruit (12 year old fruit) and this is also the top of the hill. We take our best fruit and make the Estate Cuvee and Optimus is what is blended down." Notes Michael Young.
Here, more freshness and lift than the Optimus, more drive and energy across the palate. Tastes more like Petit Verdot to me than Syrah and Cabernet. Not sure that that is a bad thing.
A bit hot but certainly hits the spot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
11/30/2023 - Winiac wrote: 89 Points
Ripe, concentrated, acid minus and over oaked, which took away from the wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/16/2023 - PIntag wrote:
Decadent, very rich, very ripe, very strong oak signature. Pleasure bomb, but not really much of interest for me.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2022 - StainedGlass wrote: 88 Points
Cellared at optimal conditions since release, I think this vintage is at the end of its best window. Inky purple black color, very sweet, the tannins have faded away so nothing to offset the port like richness. Probably never intended to be a long term cellar candidate, drink now. 15.9 abv.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/29/2022 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 94 Points
Not at the best of its trajectory... maybe another 3-5 years to go
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
11/2/2021 - EducatedDrunk Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking so nicely now. Lovely integration of the tannins and cab, carries the alcohol effortlessly. Amazingly elegant for such a big wine. Very good indeed. Will easily go 3-5 more years, but delicious right now with an hour and a half of air.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2020 - camben wrote:
Oh baby
If anyone thinks these high alcohol wines will fizzle out
Try this
Wow
Plows out of the bottle and gets lively
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2020 - Justin B Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drinking beautifully. Great nose, secondary ruby flavors coming out, and nice finish. Still plenty of fruit left too.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2020 - crikel wrote: 98 Points
A beautiful wine at its apex.. This is the epitome of superb Rhône wine making in California. Just one of one of the many great wines Stephen makes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2020 - signotim Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stunning wine. Score based on first night open. It did fall off a bit on night 2
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2019 - tplskylrk wrote:
Super rich and delicious, this is a crowd pleaser. Can feel the alch in the body not in the palate. Drinking perfectly adn yet, loads time ahead. Well made.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2018 - Fractals888 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Can’t go wrong with this one, way to end the year with this bottle. Still room for aging, incredibly full bodied, blackberry, cherry and currants.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2018 - tplskylrk wrote:
So delicious. Rich decadent wine that is so well made. This is signing out of the bottle and gains weight and velvet texture w air. Great Cuvee
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2018 - AmonandAllison Likes this wine: 92 Points
Initial taste was sharp and spicy, but the wine opened up completely after being decanted 20 minutes and is incredibly smooth and drinkable - tobacco, blackberry, cherry, some spice in the finish with a hint of bear paw. Rich dark cherry color. Amazing legs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/16/2018 - brandonferrera wrote:
Acidic
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/5/2018 - td1836 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking at peak IMO, smooth, integrated tannins compliment the soft blue fruits.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2018 - Matt'sCellar Likes this wine:
Bedell’s Jan 2018 - very good!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2017 - td1836 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was smooth and more balanced since the last time I had it. The oak has integrated, tannins settled down, and the alcohol that was noticeable last time was gone. Blue fruits, baking spices, mocha.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2017 - Jackie & Chris Likes this wine:
Great wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/6/2017 - drrobvino wrote: 91 Points
Flew with this wine on a plane, then opened at final destination in FL.
Deep and dark purple in color, with a slight browning at the rim, showing 9 yrs of age.
Blueberries, licorice, mocha and some nice herbaceousness on the nose.
Full bodied on the palate, with tight tannins and moderate acidity, ushering in blueberry compote, wet rocks, peppery spice, bittersweet chocolate, and espresso grounds.
This wine is too inky and dense for my ideal flavor profile, but a well-made wine nonetheless. No hurry on drinking it, it has structure in spades and is built to last another 5 years or more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2017 - Corrie wrote: 87 Points
50% Syrah, 36% Cab, 14% Petit Verdot, did not get better day 2; I like it better day #3, wild flavors are mellowing and blending better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/2/2017 - FlyPig Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cork all but disintegrated, but the wine was not compromised. Pomegranate, plum, blackberry, concentrated / viscous, firm backbone, nice complement to ribeye. very well made wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/16/2016 - rremiker Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow! My first ever L'Adventure wine. Great flavors, deep color, distinctive. I will buy more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/29/2016 - ecola Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very rich and ripe dark fruit. Full bodied with a bit of acidity holding the balance. Long finish with soft tannins. I would drink this now, with a but of oxygen there is a bit of pruning.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2016 - tp096255 wrote: flawed
My prior tasting note stands because this bottle failed after being Coravin'd twice over the past year. The wine today was barely drinkable, having become incredibly "porty" (like the 2009 Schrader Old Sparky disaster even though this was on its side the entire time).
Lessons learned:
1) Do not overpressure the bottle. Short, sharp bursts from Coravin are essential. Allow the bottle to relieve itself of the increased pressure before pressing that trigger again. If you do a full drag on the trigger it can cause a serious rupture in the cork's adhesion to the sides of the bottle. This then allows oxygen to seep in at a rapid rate. You may not notice it if you finish the bottle within a few weeks, but over several months it will destroy your wine. This is what happened with this bottle. It was one of my early experiments.
2) Do not Coravin more than half the bottle. You always want to keep the cork fully submerged in the wine. This bottle was fine until I dropped the level to about 50% and the cork was partially exposed inside the bottle. I believe this allowed rapid oxidization. This of course means that you should NEVER store a Coravin'd bottle upright. It must ALWAYS be laid on its side.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2015 - charliesea wrote: 93 Points
Big, blue fruit. Maybe a hint of cinnamon. Dark, inky,toothstaining red on the eye. Almost overwhelmingly extracted, it screams for red meat. Strongly flavored charbroiled steak would be a good pairing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2015 - charliesea Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark and inky on the eye. A bit of graphite but mostly fully extracted blue fruit on the nose and palate. Strongly tannic and tooth coating. Pair this with a beefy steak for an old world, gout inducing extravaganza. It could be interesting to wait and see if it calms down some if you have the bottles, appropriate storage, and time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2015 - Brownvino wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 60 min. This wine started strong and then just got better.
The wine looks inky colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), prune, prune and meaty. It tastes like meaty. The body is full. The wine finishes long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2015 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
consistent with notes of 4/27/2013 - continues to impress.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2015 - Hamersly Likes this wine: 93 Points
Absolutely delicious. This wine is huge, savory and chock full of black fruit and plums, tremendously rich and seamless with a medium finish, no edges and low tannins. A bit lacking in complexity but what's there is wonderful. Not hot despite the relatively high alcohol.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/3/2015 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
consistent with notes of 4/27/2013 - was a hit at the party
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/13/2015 - tb76 wrote: 90 Points
Dark and brooding, rich, smooth, with a bit of heat. Perfect by itself while sitting next to first fire pit of the fall. 90+ if the alcohol integrates.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2015 - sayward wrote: 91 Points
Same as previous notes. I wouldn't say the wine is fading, but it is not as good as when I first tried it 2 years ago. Still a nice wine, but at $70 retail it is a bit pricey vs. quality. Drink up.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2015 - tward wrote: 86 Points
Not much to add to prior reviews except to say that I doubt this is going to get better or more interesting going forward. Heavy handed with high notes, dark, inky, Syrah seems to dominate. Poor QPR for my preference. Drink with grilled meats or even with hard cheeses as this approaches a dessert wine profile in its sweetness (sweet oak / nose, not RS), roundness, and alcohol content (label: 15.9% abv).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2015 - afketter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Whoa. My first from this winery and it was huge in every way. Decanted for 3 hours before tasting. Just massive fruit and oak with a really long finish. There was no doubt this was a syrah driven wine.
You could sense this wine was high alcohol and it borders 16% but it wasn't punching you in the face either. Really a smooth wine and quite frankly the best wine I've had from Paso Robles. A treat for a father's day dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2015 - bergkamp10 wrote: 85 Points
Rich big fruit with gritty wood tannins to the fore, and a hot searing finish. I found this to be a rather charmless clunky modern wine with all the trappings to get high ratings from the critics. However, I sure there's some perfectly good fruit that's getting ruined with Parker pleasing spoofulation.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
4/25/2015 - brucerob Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great drinking window!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2015 - td1836 wrote: 91 Points
Another huge wine that was less balanced than the Jacob Franklin. It had a lot of fruit, alcohol, and noticable oak. Very delicious, but you have to be prepared for it. I get blueberry, cassis, and fruit pie flavors along with some chocolate notes. Part of my 30th birthday celebration.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2015 - sayward wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hours. The wine is big. Syrah and wood dominate the nose. Tannins are prominent on the finish. Fruit is fading a bit. Not sure what is going on, but I recall there to be more ripe fruit in this wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2015 - STM82 wrote: 93 Points
Holding up well. Dark fruit and espresso beans galore. Great fruit without being hot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2014 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 92 Points
---
COLOR: opaque purple with garnet-purple rim
NOTE: Nose is overripe, like some French plum liqueur I once had. Mouth is nice and rich, the fruit is still plum/prune driven but has nice acidity. Finish is ripe blackberry, cinnamon and vanilla. Still a bit too ripe for me. One glass is enough. Drink it up now.
DECANT: 1hr
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 9.2
COST: 55
VALUE: 6.0
TRY AGAIN: now - 2016
CORAVIN'D: Yes
PRE-POUR LEVEL: 100
PAIRING: n/a
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
---
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2014 - brucerob wrote: 92 Points
No notes
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2014 - Bob & Sue Atlanta wrote: 95 Points
Inky colored, somewhat primary,good amount of sediment. Off the charts richness and density. Up there with the 2006 version of this wine....
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2014 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
consistent with notes of 4/27/2013 - still feels young and a little primary - this may improve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2014 - uncle al Likes this wine: 92 Points
I have never had an average bottle of this fine Paso Robles Wine. Combination of red and dark fruit and very smooth and velvety. Always a great wine. Drink ord Hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2014 - Curt11 Likes this wine: 91 Points
My first try of the Estate Cuvee. This is opulence with little sophistication. I've had a few vintages of the Optimus label and preferred those for the price. This wine is Syrah dominated with blue/black fruit and is the type of wine I would prefer to sip without food (not that it would necessarily be bad with food). Low acid, big bold fruit, mild tannin, and probably not a bottle I would lay down for the long haul. Tasty now, even if lacking in complexity. 91+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2014 - Mtpisgah Likes this wine: 89 Points
I liked this bottle a lot more than the last one. Still very fruit forward, but not as hot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/18/2014 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 91 Points
Day 3 review with underbrush, charcoal, blueberries, boysenberries and spices. A big style that will not please the Old World drinker. Should continue to improve with some bottle aging.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/7/2014 - Mtpisgah wrote: 87 Points
Pretty darn dark. Very fruit forward and jammy. Nose is literally of grape jelly. You can taste the alcohol, it makes me want to say:
Blame it on the goose
Got you feeling loose
Blame it on Patron
Got you in the zone
Blame it on the a a a a a alcohol
Blame it on the a a a a a a alcohol
It is good overall but reminds me of why we do not drink as much Paso wine anymore.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2014 - tward Likes this wine: 88 Points
Decanted for a couple of hours, rebottled, and brought out to dinner.
Incredibly dense, inky black, very concentrated. Sweet tannins and dark fruits with a touch of earth. Fairly monolithic. A bit hot due to very high abv. This would probably be best with hard cheese though it went well with grilled beef. IMO quite poor QPR. This wine is built for people who like the richest, most dense, fruit-dominant style.
I'll lay down the couple other ones I have for a few years, though there was little here to suggest further refinement and development.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/28/2013 - Mike Kopanski wrote: 92 Points
Another outstanding purple teeth wine from L'Adventure. They are all big, highly extracted, super ripe, 15+% alcohol, with all the supporting depth and character to balance things out. This one is getting close to ready. The oak seems to have settled in, letting all kinds of other things exert themselves. Needless to say, this wine is inky purple opaque. Layers of the kind of fruit profile you would expect from 50% Syrah, 36% Cabernet, and 14% Petit Verdot with a beefy, gamey start to blackberries and black cherries. Secondary flavors like licorice, graphite, mocha, cola and brown spice. Nicely integrated oak. The tannins could use some more seasoning. Tight finish with fruit, tea and graphite plus plenty of heat that is mostly tamed by the balance and structure, and must be considerably more satisfying today a few years after release.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2013 - sayward wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 1 hour and then brought to the Schoolhouse in Cannondale. Consumed over the next 2 hours. Smell of fruit, sugar and raisin bran on the nose. Some tannins on the finish. Wine is in a good place and I like the idea of drinking it over the next 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/19/2013 - Spyder14 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very fruit forward & jammy; excellent!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2013 - maxima wrote: 89 Points
Pas au niveau de 2009 mais bien.
Beau nez sur le cassis, le chocolat avec une présence appuyé de bois et de vanille.
En bouche, c'etait puissant, du cedre avec des mures.
Finale moyenne sur la chauffe, un peu disjoint en ce moment!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2013 - mhewitt wrote: 96 Points
Outstanding wine. Doesn't get much better than this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/9/2013 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Excellent wine with Bing cherries, plums, crushed rock, violets and spices. Medium to long finish and powerful. Should be able to cellar this wine for a decade plus.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2013 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Smooth, rich, delicious, full-bodied blackberry/dark cherry/blueberry fruit, excellent structure, softened tannins, less chewy and rough than the 2007, spicy, tea leaf flavors, long finish
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/10/2013 - 2loyal Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bested the (tasty) '09 Booker Alchemist we had last night. Benefited from a Vinturi pour... many happy years ahead on this one.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2013 - shellywine wrote: 94 Points
After 4 hour decant was truly remarkable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2013 - Frank&Steph wrote: 92 Points
très bien, très costaud mais avec de beaux arômes et saveurs de tarte aux bleuets. c'est super bon. mais il faut laisser respirer lentement quelques heures avant
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2013 - mhewitt wrote: 95 Points
This is one of the top wines in the U.S. Massive and balanced at the same time. Will buy every year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2013 - camben Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big and savory. Should wait a bit longer to drink the other bottles. Straddles the line of too much alcohol, but the end result is great
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2013 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
Blast of espresso, green bean, dark berry on the nose. Flavors of blueberry, blackberry, cranberry, bbq sauce roll around your mouth, finishing with very fine tannins. Persistent and deep.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2013 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 94 Points
15.9% ABV. Pretty much opaque dark garnet in the glass with some magenta at the rim. Ripe blackberry liqueur nose with a touch of toasty oak. Full bodied with ripe, lush black fruit on the palate. This really struck a chord with me.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2012 - uncle al Likes this wine: 93 Points
A very deep dark color. This wine may be cellared but excellent right now. This syrah/cab blend is a superb Paso wine with very jammy fruit. Silky smooth.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/6/2012 - DaddyO Likes this wine:
Secret Santa Gift 2012: Extremely dark and viscous...flavor profile mirrored color with heavy fruit and a chewy structure. A plummy licorice on the font palate and a fairly long finish...finish was much more balanced on day #2. I'm a big fan of Central Coast Syrah's and this one did not disappoint. The cabernet blend added a dimension that perhaps would suggest another couple of years and/or a longer decant for many but I'm actually a big fan of that upfront power.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2012 - Vino Me wrote: 85 Points
Offline with Hawaii Wine-O's; 11/9/2012-11/10/2012 (Haggis Home- Honolulu): Opened at the Hawaii offline. No formal notes. 85 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (3)
11/7/2012 - sayward wrote: 92 Points
Election night 2012 wine dinner at Bonda: Last wine of the night and a little bit of a blur. Was nice and enjoyable, but drank without a decant. I think that would have helped. A lot of sugar on the nose and relatively smooth on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/4/2012 - piontenvy wrote: 97 Points
Insanely good
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2012 - whitmanlholt wrote: 93 Points
Opened a bottle from wine.com. The bottle had an oddly depressed cork, which seemed to have little to no impact on the wine. Color was a very dark purple. Strong nose of dark fruit, with a hint of oak and burnt rocks. The wine is sweet and velvety in the mouth, with no noticeable tannin. The finish lingers on the back of the tongue, conveying impressions of a sweet fruit pile. This is definitely more drinkable at an early stage than the 2009 Estate. The wine has a notable teeth- and lip-staining concentration. 93 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/21/2012 - mrmedoes wrote: 95 Points
Not sure if 95 is the best score I've handed out, but I've thought a lot about this wine as I've had a few bottles over a about six weeks, and I really believe it is worth the score. Simply put, an elegant example of what a great winemaker can do when they blend appropriately - a crowd pleaser from day one with depth and complexity that make you salivate at the thought of what is to come as this ages.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2012 - vegasoenophile wrote: 92 Points
Anise/licorice laced cassis and currant. It's smoky, gamy and earthy. Big oak on the palate. Spice, heavy cassis flavors and tobacco. It's Tempranillo/Malbec-esque in it's profile. Tar and cedar notes. Nice layers and structure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2012 - mrmedoes wrote: 93 Points
The best "ready to drink" 2008 that I've had yet (note, not the best 2008, that is Conn Valley Cab Reserve w/2 days to breathe). Smooooooth on entry and nice "soft" long finish. This wine has great balance already, really interested to see how this ages. Absolute best bargain in PLCB sale.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2012 - drrobvino wrote: 92 Points
This wine is deep black/purple in color, showing huge extraction in the fast-dropping legs, and weighing in at 15.9% abv. On the nose, charcoal and soil notes give way to deep, black fruits, a little heat, and perhaps a tad bit of noticeable volatile acidity. On the palate, the wine is of course dry, but has a false sweetness to it from the high alcohol and big fruit extraction. Notes of ripened plums and black cherries are supported by soil and mineral notes. The tannins are round and velvety already, and there is a medium level of acidity to support the highly extracted fruit. The wine is full bodied, with a long and delicious finish that lasts 45+ seconds, and a spicy kick at the end. Very California-esque, very nice. Better as a conversation piece than with food, IMHO.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2012 - ecola Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very impressive aromas of black cherry, red raspberry, and a little herb. Explosive on the palate with fresh dark berries and lively acidity. Full bodied but not over the top. Silky from start to finish. Sweet and smooth tannins. This is really something else.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2012 - GlenviewGSW wrote: 95 Points
One of my favorite wines
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/25/2012 - Jflawrence wrote: 92 Points
A hum a da huh! This is gooooooooooooood. Decanted for 20. Drank for hour with friends. If wine didn't taste better with friends, I'd might hoard this one. Fruit heavy, but well rounded.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2012 - Kurt and Ruthann wrote: 93 Points
Just like a similar review. A fantastic wine. Fruit forward, well balanced with an excellent finish. Notes of cherry, vanilla and chocolate. Fantastic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/6/2012 - Jflawrence wrote: 93 Points
Very very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/5/2012 - oropeza Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lamb Roast At The Lawrence House (Palo Alto, CA): Flowers and fruit on the nose. In the mouth, balance. Acidity present. To me, what they're doing at L'Aventure is taking the best of French sensibilities and pairing them with some of the best fruit we have in California. What more could you ask for?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2012 - vinodolphin wrote: 93 Points
Opened for 6 hours and still may not have been enough. Very good juice but still too young. Smooth but still a bit closed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2012 - rsternth wrote: 93 Points
- Brick color. It's in total harmony and has flavours of oak and mushroom with a full body. Smooth texture with a long finish - Fleshy, delicious, smooth finish, beautiful right now
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2012 - epicred wrote: 95 Points
Simply Outstanding. Big nose, lots of fruit and long finish. Love how inky the color is as you pour it into a glass.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2012 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose of blue and black fruit, touch of barnyard and allspice, more of the same on the palate, medium/big body, tasty and good complexity here, long, long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2012 - GlenviewGSW wrote: 94 Points
Really outstanding. Well balanced, harmonious with a nice structure and long polished finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2012 - petrusncoke wrote: 93 Points
Though thoroughly modern in style, and perhaps not the sort of wine that I like to pursue, this wine is undeniably pure, concentrated and complex. On the nose are aromas of berries, vanilla, espresso and black pepper. On the palate are very concentrated flavors of blueberry, vanilla, mocha, and spice, with nuances of mint, pencil shavings and minerality in the background. Though this is very ripe, and quite oaky, perhaps to the point where it is quite hard to taste any varietal characteristics, this wine is very well structured; the mid-palate and the finish are linked seamlessly and the wine always sees poised and fresh. The acidity level is nice, never does this wine seem heavy or overdone. One thing that should be noted is the softness of the tannins; though they are fine --however, not exceptional, they would suggest that this wine does not have the stuffing to age. I'd drink it in the next between now and 7-10 years, preferably with red meat. Very Outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2012 - Kurt and Ruthann wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. A fantastic wine. Fruit forward, well balanced with an excellent finish. Notes of cherry, vanilla and chocolate. Fantastic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/28/2012 - IWineAlot wrote: 92 Points
Big dark wine. Very extracted fruit. Vanilla, mocha/chocolate notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2012 - THaas wrote: 95 Points
Big, big wine. A rich, almost overpowering nose of chocolate covered bing cherry with vanilla evident. Huge in the mouth, complex, showing cherry and raspberry, a little cassis, and more of that chocolate/vanilla finish. Tasty, even if the oak is evident. So much fruit, the wine comes off as almost a little sweet, with a relatively low acidity that leaves the full-bodied wine feeling a little too plush to be "balanced," but it's hedonistically interesting. Finish is, as one would expect, extremely long.
Drink through 2018.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2011 - BigCountry wrote: 94 Points
Very good bottle of wine. Decanted for 60 minutes, and consumed over the next 45. Very well balanced. Wish I would have bought more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2011 - ClubTerry wrote: 94 Points
This is a very good wine, wish I would have picked up more as I feel it will continue to progress in the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2011 - Matt Scott wrote: 94 Points
What a wine! Decanted for an hour, utilizing a funnel. Violet in a brooding way with a thin, ruby rim. Blackberry, smoke, french roast coffee, cement, soy sauce, rose petal and dried blueberry. Brilliant acidity and no extraneous weight at all; coats every inch of your palate; long and balanced finish, showing velvety tannins. Very food friendly, even though this has 15.9% alcohol. More approachable at a young age than the illustrious '07. Drink 2012 - 2024.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2011 - cmont75 Likes this wine:
Deep, deep purple color. Light berries on the nose. Big fruit taste with a hint of acidity. Good body. Very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2011 - The Wine Write wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured at local restaurant. Really big wine. Opened up pretty quickly. Great mouthfeel with silky tannins. Black and red fruit, dark chocolate and a hint of pepper on the palate. Very, very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2011 - macawmom&dad wrote: 91 Points
beautiful fruit- dark berry, nice legs and has a little time left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2011 - tward wrote: 90 Points
Seemless profile from L'Aventure, drank over about four hours from a decanter and it showed modest change during that period. This is a ripe but balanced mix of dark berries and dark fruit along with a touch of chocolate and earth with a bit too much oak for me (but not excessive and it settled down) as well as a touch of alcohol heat on the nose. A beautiful new world wine sure to please hedonists and those who love lush, broad wines. For me the QPR is modest at best as I feel there are more interesting wines from France and Italy for below $50 (below $40?), though it's hard to find such a seemless profile with no jagged edges and super soft tannins like this wine displays.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
From an interesting Rhone Ranger styled blend of 50% Syrah, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Petit Verdot, the perfume is filled with jammy black raspberries, licorice, chocoalte fudge, earth and herbal aromas. Full bodied and densely concentrated with ripe black and blue fruit, there is some heat that is discerned in the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2011 - tplskylrk wrote:
Darker than a desert night. A black hole. Smells decadent. Spiced black fruit, pumpkin pie filling? Killer stuff w a deep finish. I bought a case on the spot and considering that was after tasting 25 wineries and only one other purchase...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2011 - tplskylrk wrote:
Dark. Berry nose, yummy, great mouth feel. Likey.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2011 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine:
15.9% ABV. Dark magenta opaque in the glass. Sweet blackberry liqueur and creamy, toasty oak nose with some underlying herbal, mint complexity. Full bodied with sweet ripe and youthful berry fruit. Nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2011 - MattMauldin wrote: 93 Points
Tasting room pour. Mineral, tea, black currant, and cherry notes in the bouquet. Full dark fruit along with mineral and toffee notes on the palate. Round firm tannins and good length. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2011 - jamieirving wrote: 90 Points
The Estate Cuvée is a Syrah driven blend which comprises 50% Syrah, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Petit Verdot. It's aged in 100% French oak for 15 months and it shows on the nose. I found extracted dark berry fruit, baking spice and a touch of meatiness. The palate is pretty full on. I found cranberry acid, smoke, and cracked black pepper. 1000 cases produced. 94 points Wine Advocate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2011 - silbakor wrote:
Funky, dry aroma with tea, cedar & spice. Black cherry, blueberry flavors. Very dry.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/25/2011 - MicklethePickle wrote: 94 Points
Open 24 hours but not decanted. This is one gorgeous wine. Brooding dark ruby, thick, sticky red legs. Great nose of red and black fruits, smoke, saddle leather and game. Enters on the palate super smooth, sleek and elegant with utterly perfect balance. But there is powerful fruit here as well with a lovely milk chocolate component and dusty, chewy tannins. This will last a long time and I may be committing infanticide drinking it now, but so what, it is great even now. The epitome of an iron fist in a velvet glove. 5-12-18-9: 94/100.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2011 - kstoddard Likes this wine: 91 Points
Paso Robles Tasting (AZ Wine Company): Dark purple color. Blackberry, cherry, and currant. Good balance for such a big wine. Rich finish with nice depth and complexity. A blend of 50% Syrah, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Petit Verdot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2011 - 2glassesdown wrote: 94 Points
deep, lush velvet color. so rich and meaty on the nose. my husband and I just blindly picked a bottle from the cellar. after the initial 'glass' inspection and sniff, we could'nt wait to taste it! such a rich round mouth, lush and creamy with lots of dark fruit but finishing with lovely pepper, and slate with just a touch of vanilla! so glad we 'picked' this wine, cant wait to see what another year does for it!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2010 - saki846 wrote:
First red of Terry's 30th, but followed two bottles of champagne.
Everyone really liked this wine.
We opened it a couple hours before drinking and poured into a decanter...simply because it's a pretty young wine. No one was disappointed with this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2010 - Justin B wrote: 92 Points
Tasted from 50ml bottle. Way too young still. I'll wait on my 750ml bottles at least a year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2010 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
"The main difference between this and the Optimus is that this comes from the older vine fruit (12 year old fruit) and this is also the top of the hill. We take our best fruit and make the Estate Cuvee and Optimus is what is blended down." Notes Michael Young.
Here, more freshness and lift than the Optimus, more drive and energy across the palate. Tastes more like Petit Verdot to me than Syrah and Cabernet. Not sure that that is a bad thing.
A bit hot but certainly hits the spot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment