4/26/2024 - impresario51 Likes this wine:

A pleasant St. E, though only after a half hour of air. But not very deep. I find St E’s a little thin regardless. Citrus on the nose and finish. This paired well with fish at our favorite French restaurant but I wouldn’t seek it out.

4/14/2024 - impresario51 wrote:

Deep ruby color. Not quite ready to drink. Alcohol on the nose 14%, and a little steely on the finish. I’ll wait a couple of years to open the next.

4/14/2024 - impresario51 Likes this wine:

Drinking well now. Hits all the right notes, nose to finish. In a tasting of 3 Margaux this stood out. Deep ruby color.

3/31/2024 - impresario51 wrote:

An interesting blend. Tannic and oaky, and a little thin going down. But otherwise a decent restaurant purchase albeit at an inflated $75 at the Village Italian restaurant where we shared it. My companions liked it a little more than I did.

3/31/2024 - impresario51 Likes this wine:

Easy drinking, restaurant purchase. Not particularly fruit forward as the merlot kind of drowns out the Cabernet up front, but a nice bit of cherry and cassis on the back end of the finish. As a restaurant purchase that’s a good thing because it complimented the meal without overpowering it.

3/22/2024 - impresario51 Likes this wine:

This is drinking really nicely now. Acidity must have diminished over the past year. More than worthwhile at this price point.

3/21/2024 - impresario51 Does not like this wine:

Light in color and some nice fruit up front. A bitter note on the finish kind of killed it for me.

2/12/2024 - impresario51 Does not like this wine:

Light in body as expected, however there was an unpleasant bitter note on the finish, even with plenty of air time.

2/1/2024 - impresario51 wrote:

This bottle I am assuming was flawed based on my experience with the 2018 which I liked, and the other review here. Drank over 3 nights with my Coravin and after 1-2 hours in glass before trying. Very closed, tight, and unforgiving, showing nothing of the exceptional 2018 I had tried previously. I purchased 7 bottles of 2018, cleaning out the store’s bin, but didn’t pay attention to the 2 2017’s that were hiding in the bin. I have one more of the 2017 so will see if this bottle was indeed flawed or if the vintage is that different, worse, than the 2018.

2/4/2024 - impresario51 Does not like this wine:

This suffered from the too-rich mousy taint that cheap cabs can have from, I assume, underwhelming effort in the production process. The result is that the first sip tastes easy-drinking, inoffensive and inviting, but after the first glass I just couldn’t return to it.

12/16/2023 - impresario51 wrote:

Tight and a bit unforgiving.

1/3/2024 - impresario51 Likes this wine:

Especially excellent after a few hours open. If I get more I would wait a few years to open. Very smooth on pallet with just a whisper of iron on the finish that put me off at first then didn’t bother me. Not terribly complex but that is part of what makes a cdp a great dinner wine.

1/3/2024 - impresario51 wrote:

This took a couple of vacuvin days to open up. At that point it was interesting but not compellingly so. Would be a decent restaurant purchase if not overpriced and drunk very slowly to allow it to air.

1/3/2024 - impresario51 wrote:

Decent for an every day wine but nothing stood out or compels me to stock it.

1/1/2024 - impresario51 Likes this wine:

Very nice after an hour decant. Cherry blossoms and unripe plum, a long finish.

1/1/2024 - impresario51 Does not like this wine:

Dry but bland.

12/3/2023 - impresario51 Does not like this wine:

I purchased 6 bottles and 3 bottles were quite good for the price point; a simple but well done single grape every day wine. But 3 of the bottles were undrinkable - tasted mousy fermented and corked. I had to pour those bottles out. The corks looked intact. But the difference in flavor was remarkably significant. So the price point doubles if you can only drink half the bottles you purchase and double the price it is quite inferior. Sigh.

9/4/2023 - impresario51 Likes this wine:

Smooth pleasant petite Syrah. I wish they left out the 3% Malbec.

8/27/2023 - impresario51 wrote:

It was somewhat closed and uninspired on open, even after the MD shake. Vacuvinned and 2nd day was considerably more open and quite delicious. I will get more but leave it alone for a year or two.

7/29/2023 - impresario51 Likes this wine:

Actually a very good QPR and weekday quaff. So a strong 88. Yalumba consistently seems to hit the target for the “Y”.

7/25/2023 - impresario51 wrote:

Not bad up front fruit and velvet - a finish of iron and asphalt. Definitely better with food.

7/23/2023 - impresario51 wrote:

Nice raisins up front but a little closed on the finish.

7/19/2023 - impresario51 wrote:

Trying to like it. It’s not bad as a summer wine with ice in it. Sangria like.

4/14/2023 - impresario51 wrote:

A strong 88. I don't get the so-so reviews of this wine. I drank a lot of the 2018 and 2019, and based on the reviews I thought they dropped the ball in 2020. Not so. I find this wine an enjoyable every day drinker with a great QPR. Honestly I am not a fan of zinfandel - I went through that phase a couple of decades ago when everyone else did, I guess - but the blend Trentadue does with this really works. The sangiovese, petite syrah, and carignane work to neutralize that galvanic black velvet sandpaper fruit taste that makes zinfandel just too intense. The result is a more positive uplifting pleasant, and - interesting - combination up front, and a more smooth (though to be fair not super complex) finish. It's like the blend extracts the more interesting flavors of the zinfandel and suppresses the 'heaviness" that might otherwise be present.

4/9/2023 - impresario51 wrote:

Somewhat dry and a hint of tartness. Fruit is there but veiled.

4/3/2023 - impresario51 wrote:

This is really nothing special. It does improve with significant airing but it is dry, no complexity or depth, and has a slightly bitter finish.

2/5/2023 - impresario51 Does not like this wine:

Perhaps too young but it just never opened up and 2nd day had to pour out.

1/5/2023 - impresario51 wrote:

Wet rusty car on the nose; ripe fruit - pear, banana, raisin with a hint of charcoal on the finish. Very pleasant. Will get more.

7/7/2022 - impresario51 wrote:

Not quite an easy drinker as the 2019. Still a nice addition to the weeknight cycle for so little at the register.

7/7/2022 - impresario51 wrote:

Surprisingly good at the price point. The deep violet/ruby color hints at something more bombastic but up front the Shiraz intensity holds back and lets a variety of fruit forward wash over the tongue, with a hint of vanilla, cherries and fig. The finish mixes fruit with a lingering touch of black peppercorn and poppy seed. Very enjoyable.

7/2/2022 - impresario51 wrote:

Very jammy and dense. However for that, it was enjoyable.

4/24/2022 - impresario51 wrote:

Astounding.

4/24/2022 - impresario51 wrote:

A little bit long on the finish a nice undertone almost broke through but overall too tart and tannic, even after airing.

11/8/2021 - impresario51 wrote:

Very enjoyable.

11/8/2021 - impresario51 wrote:

Nothing exceptional. Tannic and never opened up.

11/8/2021 - impresario51 wrote:

I wanted to like this more but it is very innocuous up front, mildly pleasant on the finish but in the end not worth the price.

9/30/2021 - impresario51 wrote:

Very nice aglianico, floral bits up front and a smooth velvety finish. Excellent QPR.

8/1/2021 - impresario51 wrote:

I really wanted to like this after reading the reviews but it is too tart and acidic, at least at least currently. Vacuum sealed and a day later no better.

4/4/2021 - impresario51 wrote:

Perfect time to drink. Pleasant easy and silky finish. Silver undertones up front.

3/28/2021 - impresario51 wrote:

I enjoyed this very much. At $30 was it 3 times better than the $10 Petite Syrah I have been drinking with weekday dinners? Unfortunately no.

3/28/2021 - impresario51 Likes this wine:

After a disappointing run trying out picks in the $18-30 range I stumbled onto this gem which sat next to Trentadue’s worthwhile Cabernet. This 2019 OPR is an interesting blend of Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, Carignane, and Sangiovese. You can pick these out up front: a little tickle on the back of the tongue from the Zinfandel; dry fruit from the Petite Syrah; robust fruit from the Sangiovese; and an elusive slight buttery finish from the Carignane. In the end at $11 you don’t have to deep think it to just enjoy drinking it. 14.5% alcohol.

3/11/2021 - impresario51 wrote:

This did not rock my world, in my never ending quest for good Chateauneuf QPR.

3/11/2021 - impresario51 wrote:

Uneven bottles. Some more tannic than others. But overall a very affordable Margeaux and worth picking up.

1/8/2021 - impresario51 wrote:

A little mousy on first pop and pour. That as probably the Cabernet Franc. It gets better with air.

12/24/2020 - impresario51 wrote:

Decent QPR, not deep but pleasant and drinkable.

12/21/2020 - impresario51 wrote:

Weak and tannic. Not bad, but not especially pleasant unless you like the grape I think.

6/28/2020 - impresario51 wrote:

Delicious QPR Cali wine. Floral, prune, raisins, dates and velvet up front. Palette tickling spiced finish. Held up over 3 days (left alone day 2, but very nice day 3 and was wonderful day 1.

6/28/2020 - impresario51 wrote:

Deep fruit but acidic - coppery on the finish.

6/28/2020 - impresario51 wrote:

Too sweet and syrupy, not at all what I expected.

1/2/2020 - impresario51 wrote:

Enjoyable accompaniment to dinner. Brought by a froend.