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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 61 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by gcarl on 12/10/2015 & rated 91 points: Still closed on P&P, decanted thru Vinturi into decanter, and after 90 minutes it started to sing to all 6 tasters present. The earlier hidden fruit was lovely on the nose and palate, finish was very soft and fairly long. A good buy at $17 back in 2012. (3290 views) | | | Tasted by TXtasteABL on 1/12/2014 & rated 91 points: Rich, balanced, and enjoyable. Upon initial opening the fruit was somewhat muted, but after aeration and sitting in the decanter for 1-2 hours a nice array of fruits became more prominent. The tannin and acidity balance were quite level and what one would expect from a Howell Mountain blend. We consumed alongside Guilliams 2006 Spring Mountain Cab & both paired excellently with the Belgian beef and red wine stew dinner we ate. The Ilona was more rounded and a tad softer than the Guilliams, but the Ilona has more Merlot in it. I would purchase this wine again since it drank well after over 10 years. (4753 views) | | | Tasted by Jzez1998 on 11/12/2012 & rated 92 points: Really hitting its stride with 30 minute decant. Glad I have 2 more!! (6162 views) | | | Tasted by floating_cellar on 11/10/2012 & rated 88 points: Same tasting notes as before. Although, left 1/2 bottle for 3 days and still drank well with better secondary flavors than I thought so i rated this a point higher. (6127 views) | | | Tasted by gcarl on 10/13/2012 & rated 90 points: At P&P, kind of closed, but over a couple of hrs opened up with much more fruit, chocolate on the nose. Smooth on the palate,enjoyable but no more than a 90 IMHO. (5939 views) | | | Tasted by floating_cellar on 9/6/2012 & rated 87 points: One dimensional and flat. Opened up a bit over an hour, but I definitely time to clear out of the cellar. (3470 views) | | | Tasted by Dar3 on 7/29/2012 & rated 90 points: The last of my batch. A sad day... (2298 views) | | | Tasted by Dar3 on 7/4/2012 & rated 90 points: This is the second bottle I have had in the last 2 weeks. The first bottle got me worried that this wine is hitting the end of its drinking window. The acid came through much more strongly (I had always associated this wine with its smoothness), and it had more of an aged taste. After opening another bottle, I am afraid that it does not look like bottle variation. Still a very nice wine, but it's time to drink up...
Edit: I raised this from an 88 to a 90 because this became significantly more balanced on day 2. Excellent. I still say drink now, but give it some air. (1379 views) | | | Tasted by redman77 on 1/8/2012 & rated 91 points: I waited two years since last bottle to open...This wine is singing...smooth mouth coating balanced wine! Wow very enjoyable...double poured decant...seved 15 minutes later. Last bottle (2010 views) | | | Tasted by GasRN on 1/6/2012 & rated 91 points: Very smooth and full. Blackberry dominant. Opened up with 2 hours decanting. (2197 views) | | | Tasted by Dar3 on 11/19/2011 & rated 92 points: Smooth, yet still has enough tannic backbone. Seems to be merlot dominated. Excellent wine. Very different from the '04 and '05, which seem to be more structured and cab-like. (2322 views) | | | Tasted by TCKM on 11/21/2010 & rated 91 points: Best bottle of the lot. Great value. (3226 views) | | | Tasted by boreddoughboy on 11/11/2010 & rated 91 points: didnt dissapoint (3303 views) | | | Tasted by TCKM on 10/9/2010 & rated 90 points: Consistent (3476 views) | | | Tasted by winegr on 5/24/2010 & rated 89 points: Pretty good stuff. Nice soft howell mountain. Deep cherry, some chocolate and licorce. Nicely balanced. 89+. Nothing special though. (3984 views) | | | Tasted by kvswine on 5/23/2010 & rated 89 points: Second bottle of the batch and I am giving this one a slightly better score.. paired with london broil, held up well.. Probably would have scored higher, except it ha a slight truncated finish. (3945 views) | | | Tasted by merryberry on 5/1/2010 & rated 89 points: Clear, pretty ruby red. Blackberry, bramble, cinnamon spice, and leather on the nose. Cherries for days, a green streak, integrated oak and tannins, chocolate, and a pleasant, long finish. Very balanced, with a smooth mouthfeel. Well done. (4015 views) | | | Tasted by Dasher on 4/12/2010 & rated 88 points: Needs some time. Dark with a little fruit on the noise. (4239 views) | | | Tasted by kvswine on 4/10/2010 & rated 88 points: Bright, clear ruby color. Very little structure and very smooth weak tannin. Very approchable and fruit foward style but nothing exceptional. (4082 views) | | | Tasted by TCKM on 3/24/2010 & rated 90 points: Darker fruit / cocoa profile on the nose as this came up to room temp. Seems to be in a slightly off balanced place right now compared to my last bottle.. a little heat on the back end. Needs more time. (4292 views) | | | Tasted by paindude on 3/19/2010 & rated 90 points: Popped and poured. Deep garnet red, medium bodied, the nose is rather subtle and hides the prominent vanilla taste, along with blackberries and cherries. Good to drink by itself but excellent with food of all kinds. (4327 views) | | | Tasted by gallen1119 on 2/7/2010 & rated 89 points: Very dark purple. Dark cherry, raspberry, and a hint of vanilla. Not terribly complex but still very good. Not sure how long it hold up in the cellar. (4745 views) | | | Tasted by malbecgal on 1/30/2010 & rated 89 points: Just a classic Cali Cab on the nose and on the palate. Very good. I would buy more. (4825 views) | | | Tasted by Jeffreyo on 1/25/2010 & rated 89 points: Not very complex, a bit singular noted, slight fruit, good drinking without food, or desert (4901 views) | | | Tasted by ThirdBottle on 1/25/2010 & rated 90 points: Liked this one a lot. Thought it had the right combination of full flavor,oak and a generous aroma. (4816 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Ilona Producer website
Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.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 Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Howell Mountain Howell Mountain |
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