Held off on opening this wine due to most of the tasting notes that had already opened a bottle and had a satisfactory result. Most ratings were in the 90 plus range ( nothing over 92). I've always been a fan of the Three R's of Zinfandel ( Ravenswood, Rafanelli, and Rosenblum), so I had a feeling that something called "Mixed Blacks" might be a bit interesting. I made spare ribs tonite and opened a 2010 Cotes du Rhone ,but it just didn't seem complex enough to compliment my ribs, so I took a chance and opened the Icon hoping it would fill the bill. It's a 100% better than the Rhone! I immediately got intense spice and black currents from the nose which rose my expectations to no end. Don't get me wrong, this is no powerhouse (especially being ten years old), but it's such an improvement from the Cotes du Rhone that it's like night and day. This is a complex, multi-layered blend that is totally enjoyable. Zin, petite sirrah, Carignane and Alicante Bouchet are perfectly mixed to produce a wine that is a pleasure to drink. The spice and exotic finish make this wine an exceptional bottling that I'm so glad I save until today, because I feel that it is really at it's peak and certainly won't get much better. I have a habit of keeping wines too long in my cellar, but in this case I really hit a home run.
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Last bottle, glad I saved one, could have held off another year or two. This is just about perfect right now, tannins are still present but just about fully integrated. The balance is now spot on. Extremely long finish and extremely enjoyable!
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Pours thick; dark and foreboding with gem qualities in the edges. Delicious nose with a strong oak presentation accompanied by plum and raspberry aromas, and vanilla ice cream. Full bodied, very rich mouthfeel. Plum and blackberry flavors lead into a spicy mid palate with a good helping of alcohol. Average finish. Nothing spectacular, but it's an interesting blend.
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Opaque, black. Nose is dense black fruit and spice. Intense licorice and plum flavors with a long lingering spice finish. Drink up within the next year.
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8/23/2017 - Ecoenophile wrote: 90 Points
Good fruit... up front and through the finish. Closes a bit tart, but nice.
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4/6/2017 - pdbender Likes this wine: 90 Points
Held off on opening this wine due to most of the tasting notes that had already opened a bottle and had a satisfactory result. Most ratings were in the 90 plus range ( nothing over 92). I've always been a fan of the Three R's of Zinfandel ( Ravenswood, Rafanelli, and Rosenblum), so I had a feeling that something called "Mixed Blacks" might be a bit interesting. I made spare ribs tonite and opened a 2010 Cotes du Rhone ,but it just didn't seem complex enough to compliment my ribs, so I took a chance and opened the Icon hoping it would fill the bill. It's a 100% better than the Rhone! I immediately got intense spice and black currents from the nose which rose my expectations to no end. Don't get me wrong, this is no powerhouse (especially being ten years old), but it's such an improvement from the Cotes du Rhone that it's like night and day. This is a complex, multi-layered blend that is totally enjoyable. Zin, petite sirrah, Carignane and Alicante Bouchet are perfectly mixed to produce a wine that is a pleasure to drink. The spice and exotic finish make this wine an exceptional bottling that I'm so glad I save until today, because I feel that it is really at it's peak and certainly won't get much better. I have a habit of keeping wines too long in my cellar, but in this case I really hit a home run.
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5/15/2016 - jcsf420 wrote: 92 Points
Last bottle, glad I saved one, could have held off another year or two. This is just about perfect right now, tannins are still present but just about fully integrated. The balance is now spot on. Extremely long finish and extremely enjoyable!
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9/17/2014 - Doc90 wrote: 89 Points
Pours thick; dark and foreboding with gem qualities in the edges. Delicious nose with a strong oak presentation accompanied by plum and raspberry aromas, and vanilla ice cream. Full bodied, very rich mouthfeel. Plum and blackberry flavors lead into a spicy mid palate with a good helping of alcohol. Average finish. Nothing spectacular, but it's an interesting blend.
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9/6/2014 - marcellevi wrote: 91 Points
Opaque, black. Nose is dense black fruit and spice. Intense licorice and plum flavors with a long lingering spice finish. Drink up within the next year.
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