-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind --

NOSE: juicy melon fruits with ample minerality

BODY: golden yellow color; medium bodied

TASTE: nice acidity and minerality; coating mouthfeel; alcohol not noticeable; a very easy-drinking wine.

B: 50, 5, 12, 16, 7 = 90

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind --

NOSE: seems very tight; some minerality and sweetness;

BODY: pale golden yellow color; medium bodied

TASTE: lightly sweet with pronounced minerality; full palate with notes of very ripe pear; Hold.

B: 50, 5, 10, 15, 7 = 87

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind --

NOSE: intense; very nice minerality with some sweetness that was somewhat aged in character, but not at all oxidized.

BODY: medium-light bodied; light amber color -- a very beautiful-looking wine.

TASTE: strong note of baked apples and pears is off-set by the perfect amount of minerals; very rich, but only lightly sweet; medium-length finish. Gorgeous wine. My WOTN.

B: 50, 5, 13, 17, 8 = 93

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind --

NOSE: lots of spiciness; some non-descript red fruits; hint of pinot funk.

BODY: light garnet color of medium-light depth

TASTE: cherry pie with a slight citrusy note; medium-length finish; well-balanced, but tannic right now; Hold. My second-favorite WOTN.

B: 50, 5, 12, 16, 7 = 90

-- double-decanted before tasting: decanted for 3 hours --
-- tasted non-blind --
NOSE: ripe red fruits; tight ... not bad, but not memorable either.

BODY: mahogany color of medium-depth; medium bodied

TASTE: distinctively CA in style; very ripe red fruits with a bit of earthiness; too oaky, and way too hot ... bottle says 14.1%, but this drinks far hotter -- searingly hot.

B: 50, 5, 11, 14, 6 = 86

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind --

NOSE: pretty bouquet of dark raspberries and sweet oak

BODY: clear; garnet color of medium-light depth

TASTE: oak!! 2x4. oak treatment is so over-the-top I find this offensive; a bit hot; perhaps if this were laid-down for many years the oak would recede to reveal a nice wine, but there's no way of telling right now.

B: 50, 5, 12, 13, 6 = 86

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind --

NOSE: very spicy; interesting notes of pine, cigar, and black licorice ... a vegetal hint too.

BODY: ruby color of medium-deep depth; medium bodied

TASTE: black licorice; spicy cigar wrapper; oaky; medium-long finish. I really enjoyed this wine.

B: 50, 5, 12, 17, 7 = 91

-- double-decanted: decanted for 2 hours --
-- tasted non-blind --

NOSE: leather and garrigue; a bit chalky; tight ... initial raspberry aroma dissipated by the time this was poured 5 hours after first opening.

BODY: mahogany color of medium-deep depth; medium-full bodied; some fine particulate matter suspended in the wine

TASTE: very tight right now; primary raspberries and blackberries with a secondary hint of funk; tannic; hot finish; seems closed-down right now. Hold.

B: 50, 5, 12, 15, 8 = 90

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over 3 days --

NOSE: dark, smoky bouquet with intense florals (violets); dark fruits; hint of oak; chalky; pronounced cinnamon incense; hint of black licorice emerges on Day 2;

BODY: lots of fine particulate matter is suspended in the wine; purple-garnet color of great depth; medium-full bodied

TASTE: Day 1: very oaky, strong black cherry fruits with a hint of smoke; full palate; tannic. Day 2: oak toned-down quite a bit now; tannins fully integrated on Day 2; very interesting iodine/peat note has come forward; otherwise same as Day 1 ... this is slowly getting better; Day 3: same as Day 2 ... I think Kim Marcus summed it up well: "A muscular, strapping Touriga, with concentrated flavors ...". At its price point, I'm sold ... barely. Will buy another to give it a few years in the cellar. If you must drink now, decant overnight.

Day 1:
B: 50, 5, 13, 15, 7 = 90

Days 2 & 3:
B: 50, 5, 13, 16, 7 = 91