Drinking nicely, especially after an hour or so of air. Cherry and plum with some black pepper. Medium bodied with medium finish and fairly grippy tannins.
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Has held up pretty well in the cellar. Plenty of red vibrant fruit with a nice acidic backbone. Wine showed no sign of fatigue over two hours, I did notice a bit more sediment than years past. Drink now and through next year.
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PnV. Rich crimson in color. Super nice round nose with (over)ripe plums, meat, and lavender. Med-light in body. Agree with TopShelf in that the taste does not live up to the nose. Bit of a stemmy aftertaste. I had high hopes after smelling it, but am admittedly a bit disappointed.
Tasted in a Riedel Vinum Syrah glass at 63℉.
EDIT: The stemminess went away on Day 2, making it much more enjoyable. I would recommend decanting a few hours before serving.
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Similar to the last bottle, maybe fading a little: Excellent. Lots of dark fruit, blueberry, blackberry, along with some dried flowers, roast beef, and basil , and a little black pepper spiciness. Medium-full bodied. Fairly well balanced, it flirts with being overly fruity, but it's got good backbone. Delicious fruit. Very clean and well defined. Long, delicious finish.
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Popped and poured. The additional year and half since previous tasting of this wine has really allowed it to come together. Drinks great now without much decanting.
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Initial open was herbaceous with a hint of berry. Good middle but not much entry or finish. An hour open and the initial entry blossomed. Middle opened up, with leather and cherries. Over all a beautiful GSM blend. Wonderful QPR
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PnP: Nose is clean, not jammy, leaning toward red fruit. A bit of jolly rancher on the palate (flavor not sweetness). Complexity improved with air and finish started to show cocoa. Good effort for the price point.
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This is a really good wine and a great QPR at $12. Needs at least an hour to breath to blow off the alcohol and let the wine unfold. The nose was intoxicating with raspberries, cocoa, roses, small amount of cherry compote. The mouth feel was a bit thin even after an hour but sometime between the 1-2 hr mark the wine developed a plush feel with medium length finish. The notes on the pallat matched the nose perfectly. I really enjoy the fruit from Shake Ridge, I enjoyed this over two days.
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Decanted for an hour. Big nose of blackberry, spice, smoke. Palate is full bodied and somewhat dis-jointed. Dryness and heat without any distinct to follow through on the great nose. Finish did not leave any memorable impression. Great wine for $13. 5,13,14,5=87
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Decanted for 30 min and drank over 3 days Nose: black cherry and licorice Taste: Smoky spicy with loads of fruit and a velvety mouthfeel A nice quality GSM blend for $17. Would buy again at that price.
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Requires a long decant. When first opened (popped and poured), it was tight with a spicy kick. We corked the bottle up and stored for a couple days. The additional air time allowed this wine to come together and taste rather pleasant, with great complexity, nice fruit balance, and pleasant mid-long finish.
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A family favorite. Tannins are prominent and even a bit harsh immediately after opening, but given an hour (or more) to breathe, they mellow and you are left with a complex, medium/full-bodied wine with a pleasant mouth feel and a nice, leisurely finish. Expect a small amount of sediment at the bottom of your glass unless you decant carefully. I don't bother, since I find it inoffensive and feel that it adds to the character of the wine.
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Tastes exactly like it came out of the S. Rhone. A little hot for my palate these days, but lots of berry pie aromas and flavors. Would have liked more tannin, but a nice wine. My palate is just not where it used to be with this style of wine.
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Wonderfully blended GSM. Medium bodies with appropriate spice from the start. Settles out with a palate of pepper and black berries. Balanced acidity with a touch of tannins. Well done!
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Very ,very good, didn't score as high as the first one we opened but we did open some outstanding wines this week. Still, this was extremely well made.
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Really well made GSM for the price. Well-balanced. Dark fruit with a splash of Old World style. I could drink this all night long. It's a shame I didn't buy more on the Wine.Woot special.
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I can't get enough of this wine--develops in the decanter and glass. Each grape has an opportunity to shine--Grenache=silky mouthfeel and subtle red berry, Syrah=spiciness and meatier red fruit, and Mouverde=the great binder tying it all together with appropriate tannins.
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Nice fragrance of flowers and dried red fruit moves into a Vacqueras-like mid palate of spice, crushed rocks, wet earth and leather saddle (awesome). Unlike the 2006, this wine ends with a bit of harsh oak and tannin, which subsided some after some air, but still persisted. Overall still a good wine at this price point ($19 at backroom in napa).
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One of my favorite--supple grenache, spicy syrah, and majestic mourverde all share the spotlight in this slightly restrained symphony of flavor... Delicious, and an unbelievable QPR at $11 on Woot!
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Medium body, well balanced, moderately spicy, very nice swallow. Some dark fruit. Did not think it needed much time to open. Wish I'd bought more - staggering QPR.
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- Crimsom color with medium forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of cherry and oak with a medium/full body. Narrow texture with a long finish - Oaky at first then turned cherry. Very nice long finish.
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Great Rhone-like nose. Palate of dark fruit (dark cherries, blackberries, some plum), medium tannins, pretty long finish. All in all I thought it was a very good wine, especially for <$20.
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I concur with the general high opinion of this good quality red blend. It needed very little time from opening to be drinkable, and extraordinarily pleasant. Fine finish to dinner.
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Excellent. Lots of dark fruit, blueberry, blackberry, along with some dried flowers, roast beef, and basil , and a little black pepper spiciness. Medium-full bodied. Fairly well balanced, it flirts with being overly fruity, but it's got good backbone. Delicious fruit. Very clean and well defined. Long, delicious finish.
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Good/Very Good. Expressive nose of dark fruit. Dark fruit, herbs, black olives and meat on the palate. It was better the second night than the first, so give it some time to open up. Not Ch du Pape quality, but definitely Vacqueras-like. A real treat. <Wow/Very Good/Good/Fair/Plonk>
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Wow, this is good! Decanted for about 30 min prior to tasting. The smell has a nice, very mild spice with an amazing rich, buttery, bacon-like taste but fruity at the same time.
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At the initial opening, awkward, out of place, some spiciness, some tartness. After about 1.5 hours later, it all comes together and form the balanced wine that was similar to a CdP. Definitely, the wine needs some air time. Not too jammy, but the spicy note was obvious. Nice aroma.
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(A-) Quite the surprise. Floral, rich, spicy, and a bit jammy. Would have guessed CDP blinded. A bit tannic, yet smooth overall; the side palate seems to really catch the spiciness, while the back palate gets the wood. Perfect anytime dinner wine.
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12/31/2019 - whudock Likes this wine: 89 Points
still good dark fruit and lots of brambly notes as well as a bit of earth
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8/8/2018 - ChipGreen wrote:
Drinking nicely, especially after an hour or so of air. Cherry and plum with some black pepper. Medium bodied with medium finish and fairly grippy tannins.
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9/22/2017 - ccotton8 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Has held up pretty well in the cellar. Plenty of red vibrant fruit with a nice acidic backbone. Wine showed no sign of fatigue over two hours, I did notice a bit more sediment than years past. Drink now and through next year.
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12/6/2014 - RMapou wrote: 87 Points
Last bottle. Lighter and less full than the Bald Mountain Syrah, which we had earlier in the week, but still good. Would buy this again.
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10/10/2014 - hesnctrl wrote: 88 Points
PnV. Rich crimson in color. Super nice round nose with (over)ripe plums, meat, and lavender. Med-light in body. Agree with TopShelf in that the taste does not live up to the nose. Bit of a stemmy aftertaste. I had high hopes after smelling it, but am admittedly a bit disappointed.
Tasted in a Riedel Vinum Syrah glass at 63℉.
EDIT: The stemminess went away on Day 2, making it much more enjoyable. I would recommend decanting a few hours before serving.
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10/4/2014 - JavaMonkey Likes this wine: 90 Points
Similar to the last bottle, maybe fading a little: Excellent. Lots of dark fruit, blueberry, blackberry, along with some dried flowers, roast beef, and basil , and a little black pepper spiciness. Medium-full bodied. Fairly well balanced, it flirts with being overly fruity, but it's got good backbone. Delicious fruit. Very clean and well defined. Long, delicious finish.
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7/5/2014 - t0pshelf Likes this wine:
Amazing nose of cherry. Taste doesn't live up to the nose due to a bit of sourness. But overall an excellent wine at the the price point.
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12/19/2013 - csillabu wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. The additional year and half since previous tasting of this wine has really allowed it to come together. Drinks great now without much decanting.
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9/28/2013 - North316 wrote: 87 Points
Really opened up and smoothed out after being open for about an hour. nice solid wine.
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4/6/2013 - Wicked Panda wrote: 89 Points
Initial open was herbaceous with a hint of berry. Good middle but not much entry or finish. An hour open and the initial entry blossomed. Middle opened up, with leather and cherries. Over all a beautiful GSM blend. Wonderful QPR
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1/27/2013 - trifecta wrote:
PnP: Nose is clean, not jammy, leaning toward red fruit. A bit of jolly rancher on the palate (flavor not sweetness). Complexity improved with air and finish started to show cocoa. Good effort for the price point.
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12/28/2012 - JPLogan wrote: 90 Points
Very nice Floral and raspberry nose.... Gets better after sitting for a while. Great value!
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12/16/2012 - ICaWineGuy wrote: 89 Points
See previous notes. Still a great buy.
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12/10/2012 - ccotton8 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is a really good wine and a great QPR at $12. Needs at least an hour to breath to blow off the alcohol and let the wine unfold. The nose was intoxicating with raspberries, cocoa, roses, small amount of cherry compote. The mouth feel was a bit thin even after an hour but sometime between the 1-2 hr mark the wine developed a plush feel with medium length finish. The notes on the pallat matched the nose perfectly. I really enjoy the fruit from Shake Ridge, I enjoyed this over two days.
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11/18/2012 - rodsjuice wrote: 87 Points
Decanted for an hour. Big nose of blackberry, spice, smoke. Palate is full bodied and somewhat dis-jointed. Dryness and heat without any distinct to follow through on the great nose. Finish did not leave any memorable impression. Great wine for $13. 5,13,14,5=87
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8/31/2012 - ICaWineGuy wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for 30 min and drank over 3 days
Nose: black cherry and licorice
Taste: Smoky spicy with loads of fruit and a velvety mouthfeel
A nice quality GSM blend for $17. Would buy again at that price.
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8/21/2012 - rjdoan wrote: 85 Points
Strong nose of deep fruit, but lacks the complexity of better wines.
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8/17/2012 - csillabu wrote: 88 Points
Requires a long decant. When first opened (popped and poured), it was tight with a spicy kick. We corked the bottle up and stored for a couple days. The additional air time allowed this wine to come together and taste rather pleasant, with great complexity, nice fruit balance, and pleasant mid-long finish.
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8/4/2012 - trifecta wrote:
Pop and pour. No time to decant. Nose was tight but the finish was nice and smooth within about 20 minutes in the glass. Good QPR.
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7/23/2012 - swinder Likes this wine: 91 Points
A family favorite. Tannins are prominent and even a bit harsh immediately after opening, but given an hour (or more) to breathe, they mellow and you are left with a complex, medium/full-bodied wine with a pleasant mouth feel and a nice, leisurely finish. Expect a small amount of sediment at the bottom of your glass unless you decant carefully. I don't bother, since I find it inoffensive and feel that it adds to the character of the wine.
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7/12/2012 - stevetony wrote: 91 Points
Still love it!
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7/5/2012 - KyleMittskus wrote: 87 Points
Tastes exactly like it came out of the S. Rhone. A little hot for my palate these days, but lots of berry pie aromas and flavors. Would have liked more tannin, but a nice wine. My palate is just not where it used to be with this style of wine.
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5/14/2012 - Vandi wrote:
Amazing wine especially at the 12 price point.
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5/12/2012 - tabachus wrote: 91 Points
Wonderfully blended GSM. Medium bodies with appropriate spice from the start. Settles out with a palate of pepper and black berries. Balanced acidity with a touch of tannins. Well done!
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4/23/2012 - LizT Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice drinking wine. A-
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4/17/2012 - prettydeceextrap wrote: 89 Points
(A-)
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4/14/2012 - RStewart67 wrote: 89 Points
Nice blend with very smooth finish. A little fruit forward for my taste, particularly served with meat. Didn't need much time to open up.
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3/12/2012 - MXL wrote: 89 Points
Very ,very good, didn't score as high as the first one we opened but we did open some outstanding wines this week. Still, this was extremely well made.
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3/6/2012 - boylan wrote: 89 Points
This one was a little unsettled but a little time open and it was largely the same wine.
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2/25/2012 - Gunman Likes this wine: 89 Points
Really well made GSM for the price. Well-balanced. Dark fruit with a splash of Old World style. I could drink this all night long. It's a shame I didn't buy more on the Wine.Woot special.
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2/23/2012 - mbmiche wrote: 91 Points
I can't get enough of this wine--develops in the decanter and glass. Each grape has an opportunity to shine--Grenache=silky mouthfeel and subtle red berry, Syrah=spiciness and meatier red fruit, and Mouverde=the great binder tying it all together with appropriate tannins.
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2/17/2012 - 46and2 wrote: 88 Points
Nice fragrance of flowers and dried red fruit moves into a Vacqueras-like mid palate of spice, crushed rocks, wet earth and leather saddle (awesome). Unlike the 2006, this wine ends with a bit of harsh oak and tannin, which subsided some after some air, but still persisted. Overall still a good wine at this price point ($19 at backroom in napa).
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2/16/2012 - mbmiche wrote: 90 Points
One of my favorite--supple grenache, spicy syrah, and majestic mourverde all share the spotlight in this slightly restrained symphony of flavor... Delicious, and an unbelievable QPR at $11 on Woot!
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2/11/2012 - boylan wrote: 91 Points
Medium body, well balanced, moderately spicy, very nice swallow. Some dark fruit. Did not think it needed much time to open. Wish I'd bought more - staggering QPR.
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2/5/2012 - Vandi wrote: 90 Points
- Crimsom color with medium forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of cherry and oak with a medium/full body. Narrow texture with a long finish - Oaky at first then turned cherry. Very nice long finish.
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2/4/2012 - Trax Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great Rhone-like nose. Palate of dark fruit (dark cherries, blackberries, some plum), medium tannins, pretty long finish. All in all I thought it was a very good wine, especially for <$20.
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2/2/2012 - qwerty2 wrote: 90 Points
I concur with the general high opinion of this good quality red blend. It needed very little time from opening to be drinkable, and extraordinarily pleasant. Fine finish to dinner.
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1/28/2012 - clio_wine wrote:
Good/Very Good. Vacqueras-like expression of black olives, bacon, herbs, dark red fruits. Yummy. <Wow/Very Good/Good/Fair/Plonk>
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1/26/2012 - jpinsb wrote: 88 Points
Big, full bodied, and a touch syrupy for my taste. Still, bery fruit aplenty.
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1/21/2012 - JavaMonkey wrote: 91 Points
Excellent. Lots of dark fruit, blueberry, blackberry, along with some dried flowers, roast beef, and basil , and a little black pepper spiciness. Medium-full bodied. Fairly well balanced, it flirts with being overly fruity, but it's got good backbone. Delicious fruit. Very clean and well defined. Long, delicious finish.
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1/20/2012 - clio_wine wrote:
Good/Very Good. Expressive nose of dark fruit. Dark fruit, herbs, black olives and meat on the palate. It was better the second night than the first, so give it some time to open up. Not Ch du Pape quality, but definitely Vacqueras-like. A real treat. <Wow/Very Good/Good/Fair/Plonk>
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1/13/2012 - stevetony wrote: 91 Points
Wow, this is good! Decanted for about 30 min prior to tasting. The smell has a nice, very mild spice with an amazing rich, buttery, bacon-like taste but fruity at the same time.
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12/24/2011 - NathanT wrote: 90 Points
At the initial opening, awkward, out of place, some spiciness, some tartness. After about 1.5 hours later, it all comes together and form the balanced wine that was similar to a CdP. Definitely, the wine needs some air time. Not too jammy, but the spicy note was obvious. Nice aroma.
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12/14/2011 - prettydeceextrap wrote: 90 Points
(A-) Quite the surprise. Floral, rich, spicy, and a bit jammy. Would have guessed CDP blinded. A bit tannic, yet smooth overall; the side palate seems to really catch the spiciness, while the back palate gets the wood. Perfect anytime dinner wine.
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