Wow, this wine has really changed in the last 2-3 years since I opened the last one. Decanted for >2 hours and it was perfumey, a little sweet and just amazing!! dried cranberry, wet leather, cassis, blueberry and velvety smooth. I would have never guessed the "overoaked baby" from a few years ago would turn into this gem!
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Decanted 2 hours, consumed over 2 hours. From this wine's first release ("only" 6 years in barrel). I wanted to like this more, but the acid levels were high enough to be harsh, only calming down a little after a lot of air...I'm not sure if this will ever fully integrate. Very dense tart cherry fruit and some spicy/woody/leathery barrel notes. More interesting than actually enjoyable this time, alas.
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2009 release - 8 years in barrel (the same as my 2/24/2010 note).
Decanted for 2 hours, consumed over 1 hour. Blackberry preserves on the nose are overlaid with prominent balsamic and woody notes. Slightly fumey, but that dissipated with time. On the palate, the fruit goes in more of a cranberry direction, and the wood notes are less obvious as such, becoming more savory, herbal, and leathery. Pervasive acids help bring balance, although they stuck out a little; this bottle seems a touch lighter-bodied and less concentrated than the last one.
As has been mentioned, this is a fascinating and unconventional wine, and one that needs to be approached as something other than your standard dry table wine. Very pleasurable in an offbeat way and seems to have plenty of life left, although I have little frame of reference for how this will develop.
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I have really enjoyed this wine over the past year and this is my last bottle and it just keeps getting better. Similar to previous, lots of fruit (still!) jammy, but not overly so. Outstanding.
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2/22/2017 - alex.lewis Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow, this wine has really changed in the last 2-3 years since I opened the last one. Decanted for >2 hours and it was perfumey, a little sweet and just amazing!! dried cranberry, wet leather, cassis, blueberry and velvety smooth. I would have never guessed the "overoaked baby" from a few years ago would turn into this gem!
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5/27/2013 - bretrooks wrote: 85 Points
Decanted 2 hours, consumed over 2 hours. From this wine's first release ("only" 6 years in barrel). I wanted to like this more, but the acid levels were high enough to be harsh, only calming down a little after a lot of air...I'm not sure if this will ever fully integrate. Very dense tart cherry fruit and some spicy/woody/leathery barrel notes. More interesting than actually enjoyable this time, alas.
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2/12/2012 - Dan & Patti wrote: 89 Points
Berry with good acidity, plum, nuttiness
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11/4/2011 - bretrooks wrote: 90 Points
2009 release - 8 years in barrel (the same as my 2/24/2010 note).
Decanted for 2 hours, consumed over 1 hour. Blackberry preserves on the nose are overlaid with prominent balsamic and woody notes. Slightly fumey, but that dissipated with time. On the palate, the fruit goes in more of a cranberry direction, and the wood notes are less obvious as such, becoming more savory, herbal, and leathery. Pervasive acids help bring balance, although they stuck out a little; this bottle seems a touch lighter-bodied and less concentrated than the last one.
As has been mentioned, this is a fascinating and unconventional wine, and one that needs to be approached as something other than your standard dry table wine. Very pleasurable in an offbeat way and seems to have plenty of life left, although I have little frame of reference for how this will develop.
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1/23/2011 - cnr128 wrote: 92 Points
I have really enjoyed this wine over the past year and this is my last bottle and it just keeps getting better. Similar to previous, lots of fruit (still!) jammy, but not overly so. Outstanding.
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