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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 86.9 pts. and median of 88 pts. in 198 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Kat4949 on 1/25/2020: Waited too long, had to dump (1476 views) | | | Tasted by hingsbee on 10/29/2019 & rated 86 points: Mild tannin, purple, plum, licorice (1484 views) | | | Tasted by dlduchon on 9/10/2019 & rated 60 points: Opened this to use as a marinade and was worried that it would impact the flavor of the meat. Smells like a red hybrid grape. (1603 views) | | | Tasted by Djwpar3 on 7/11/2019 & rated 86 points: I know the heritage of this, but I don't understand the high ratings some bestow. Decent fruit with slight off taste for me. I am disappointed, as I remember a previous bottle as much more interesting and layered. I'll skip future purchases for a while. (1663 views) | | | Tasted by runandshoot on 10/21/2018 & rated 87 points: Solid bottle - smooth blend. Not really a fan of zinfandel, but it works nicely with the blend. Not too complex, but very enjoyable for a weekday evening, casual dinner. (2015 views) | | | Tasted by kleinahoe on 9/7/2016 & rated 88 points: Not as compelling as the Conundrum White. (2888 views) | | | Tasted by jeginmt on 4/14/2016 & rated 90 points: Consistent with my previous tasting notes. More time in the cellar has resulted in improvement in complexity. Again it was a hit with our guests. A very enjoyable wine. (3210 views) | | | Tasted by vang on 4/2/2016 & rated 85 points: very dark color, not very aromatic, black cherry, smoky with leather on the nose, black cherries and chocolate front taste, not much depth or tannins. Didn'work well with a grilled beef tenderloin, but was good with the chocolate desert. (3154 views) | | | Tasted by t0pshelf on 3/16/2016: chocolate & cherries, fruit galore. lush mouth feel. Kind of a weird nose and finish. Almost a desert wine without the heavy sweetness. Fine for one glass but gets tiresome beyond that. I have no idea what varietals made it into this wine, but it has the color & body of a petite sirah and a flavor profile that is more zinfandel. (3200 views) | | | Tasted by mike7145 on 2/21/2015 & rated 91 points: Absolutely love it. Great value. Big fruit. Young and bold. (3905 views) | | | Tasted by Hazevedo on 2/19/2015 & rated 88 points: - Ruby color. (2488 views) | | | Tasted by Don and Pam on 12/29/2014 & rated 87 points: enjoyable (2421 views) | | | Tasted by hcnate on 12/21/2014 & rated 87 points: I like it, but this wine is full on jam time. Pair appropriately. (2438 views) | | | Tasted by akehler on 11/26/2014 & rated 88 points: Wow -- it's hard to know where to start. Very forward nose: raspberry, blackberry, cherry syrup, chocolate, raisins, coffee, menthol...no doubt a partial list. Similar palate mostly dominated by rich fruit, chocolate, vanilla, plum, and some herb. One of the least subtle wines I've ever had.
It's hard to rate because it depends what you're looking for. If you want a refined red to serve with dinner, then forget it. On the other hand, if you want something rich and exuberant to drink by itself and like this style, you might find yourself going back to buy a case. Personally, I love it for what it is, and can see myself buying a half a case or so at the $16 I paid for it.
I wouldn't drink it with food, although it might work against spicy BBQ. Could be served during a break between dinner and dessert. If this wine were sweeter you might peg it as a late harvest zin, but it isn't a dessert wine by any means. (2746 views) | | | Tasted by tomy5gxy on 11/2/2014 & rated 87 points: I guess I was expecting a bit more for a $20 wine from the Wagner family. It was a bit of an oak monster with lots of vanilla. This wine needs to be decanted for approx 3 hours. After decanting, it has a big fruity nose with heavy oak and a bit of cedar, red fruits, pomegranate, and a bit of tobacco.
The mouth feel was smooth and it is definitely a fruit bomb. Red currant, oak, vanilla, was a bit overpowering. It was like a charms blow pop! The mid palate was decent and an average finish.
Good wine but a bit over priced. I will try it again just in hopes to get a taste of a Caymus-like wine for 20 bucks. (1820 views) | | | Tasted by MurphyCellar on 10/30/2014 & rated 89 points: My house red. Easy to drink and always a crowd pleaser. (1701 views) | | | Tasted by RAPierson on 10/26/2014 & rated 65 points: Not so good. Don't repurchase. (1594 views) | | | Tasted by Jwd12 on 10/18/2014 & rated 89 points: Red garnet color lots of fruit coffee and earth on the nose. Red current cherry and maybe plum long finish and very smooth. This a great wine for $17,bought a case (1457 views) | | | Tasted by jmesack@yahoo.com on 10/15/2014 & rated 87 points: Great wine with food such as spice foods like Pizza. (1435 views) | | | Tasted by JWayner on 10/4/2014 & rated 83 points: Fruit forward red with sweetness. Little depth. A high end Apothic. (1289 views) | | | Tasted by mpmullic on 9/27/2014: I think this is what Mondavi meant when he described the California "cocktail wine." This is like a $5.99 21st birthday party wine. Off dry fruit bomb. (1424 views) | | | Tasted by rfras on 8/8/2014 & rated 86 points: This wine is ok for a before dinner appetizer, but it lacks depth and body. It also has a slightly sweet taste. (1681 views) | | | Tasted by Monaco on 7/31/2014 & rated 75 points: Tastes like a cherry cough drop. Really disappointing as I do care for the Conundrum White, but they grossly missed the boat with this wine. Couldn't even finish my glass at the restaurant. (1674 views) | | | Tasted by rmcnees on 6/21/2014 & rated 87 points: This is not a wimpy wine! The first hint is the aromatics that fill the room upon opening. Dark ruby colored, medium-full bodied, it punches you in the mouth with big concentrated expressive black and red berry fruit flavors and a rush of 'heat' as if from alcohol but seemingly from a layer of acidic tones that are somewhere between pine, light mint and camphor, before giving way to a medley of sweet anise, kirsch and hints of caramel vanilla flavors. This is a big bold flavorful fruit forward drinker that would go well with hearty foods or bold cheeses or chocolate. Wife and daughter liked it, but a bit over the top for my preference.
The next day, the 'heat' had burned off and the wine settled considerably but the result came across a slight bit 'flabby', which perhaps was masked by the initial frontal attack. But then, hey, this is a sub twenty dollar wine, not to be confused with Caymus Cabernet at around $60 plus.
http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/06/conundrum-california-red-wine-2011.html (2098 views) | | | Tasted by hcnate on 6/11/2014 & rated 87 points: I can't figure out the directions to drink slightly above refrigerator temps. I drank at cellar temps and it tasted like berries and cherry. Pretty good body. (2032 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Sara d'Amato
WineAlign (3/21/2014)
(California Red Conundrum red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (12/20/2013)
(Conundrum Wines Red) Opaque purple red violet color; violets, baked berry, licorice, tar, berry syrup nose; creamy textured, baked berry, blackberry, violets palate; medium-plus finish (14.5% alcohol) 87+ points 87 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of WineAlign and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Conundrum Wines Producer website
Starting in 2001, the white wine formerly known as Caymus Conundrum was spun off to a separate winery, Conundrum Wines. So there are two different wine definitions depending upon your vintage:
* 2000 and earlier: Caymus Conundrum
* 2001 and later: Conundrum WinesRed Blend.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson CaliforniaNapa Valley.http://www.stagecoachvineyard.com/vineyards/our_vineyards.php
Santa Ynez.http://www.everyvine.com/org/Camp_Four/vineyard/Camp_Four/ |
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