2008 Francis Ford Coppola Alicante Bouschet Diamond Collection Magenta Label

Community Tasting Notes (12) Avg Score: 87.2 points

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  2/6/2014 - neilemc Likes this wine: 87 Points

  Bright dark ruby red. Shirazy red berries and cooked cherries with peppery spice. On the palate I agree with others -- it totally reminds of a good petite sirah, with dark dry fruit and spice rack notes, chewy tannins and medium length. A pleasant surprise and good value too.

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  12/19/2013 - LaDolceVitaSF wrote: 86 Points

  - It's somewhat balanced with a medium/full body. Round texture with a short finish - I bought this wine more for the fact it's such a rare varietal to see on its own and for the history behind it rather than how it would taste. Alicante was fairly common during Prohibition because it's one of the few varietals with pigmented pulp, so it was a great grape for home winemakers to use to make a deep "red" wine with relative ease without worrying about the technical details associated with more finicky varietals.
  But enough with the history lesson...this wine was just as interesting to taste as to read about. Rich, dark red in color, I got dark berries and a bit of smokey, cured meats in the nose, with a rounded, cherry jam note on the tongue. Medium in acidity with a bold tannic punch in the beginning, the finish tended to fall flat rather quickly. Proof I suppose that it tends to work better as a blending grape than all on its own. Still I rather enjoyed it, and the finish did pick up a bit after it was left to breathe a bit more.
  Apparently Coppola has discontinued making this as a varietal (it was a "pet project" of Francis Ford), but I do with they would occasionally release a vintage for those looking to taste a bit of California wine history for an affordable (and quite quaffable) rate.

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  5/13/2013 - Adventr.us wrote: 89 Points

  This one's growing on me. Was bland and flat yesterday on the pop n pour. But today, with a bit more "hang time" it's opening up nicely. Nice plum and dark berry fruits emerging, with some petite-sirah like richness, although a bit lighter in the body. Also showing a bit tannic, but not overbearing. I'll try to remember to give the next bottle a little air first.

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  4/11/2013 - wilypod Likes this wine: 86 Points

  Still good after 2 years in the cellar. Rather like a petite sirah without the bulky tannins. Dark, sweet (bing cherry) fruitiness, good body glides smoothly with little complexity thru the mid palate. Satisfying. Drink now, holding nicely.

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  1/9/2013 - Mmulle wrote: 85 Points

  a little plain. lacks depth and body a a bit over fruited

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