12/30/2023 - Zo65 Likes this wine:

Too young but excellent potential here. First day a bit rough but second day really quite good. Amazingly concentrated. Not intellectual in any way but it’s delicious. Reminds me what I used to love back in the day from Australia

12/25/2023 - Zo65 Likes this wine:

Solid wine. Lots of fruit. Very easy drinking. Not much character. Blown away by average vintage Pape Clement(2014).

Can do much better in Napa for the price.

6/11/2021 - Zo65 Does not like this wine:

Agree with prior tasting note. An over-Oaked disaster. By far the worst wine I’ve purchased from De Negoce.

Thing is, I’ve loved Cougar Crest Reserve in the past. 🤔

12/17/2020 - Zo65 Likes this wine:

Opened practically off the truck. Nose a little muted at first but then opened with big, classic Napa bouquet. Rich cassis with just enough oak. This is great now and should get even better. Best De Negoce purchase to date

11/21/2020 - Zo65 wrote:

Nose smells cheap. Palate not much better. Tasted like $9 Josh Cab.

Fell for the WTSO hype. NOT worth $30, much less $65😂

6/7/2019 - Zo65 Likes this wine:

Amazing nose; Big Sangiovese but not overly ripe. Modest tannin. Definitely leans new world but a really delicious, well done wine.

4/28/2019 - Zo65 wrote:

Not a fan. Would expect more fruit given the vintage.

4/28/2019 - Zo65 wrote:

Really nice new-world Syrah. Solid

4/28/2019 - Zo65 wrote:

Decent Rioja. Good, not great. Medium weight, not over-oaked. True to classic Rioja style.

Good for $14

4/28/2019 - Zo65 wrote:

A bit of a "meh" wine. Not much to remark.

OK but not great. One can do much better for price point.

4/28/2019 - Zo65 wrote:

Excellent mid-weight Napa Cab-blend. Really in a nice place right now. Just the correct amount of oak and fruit. Very nice wine.

4/28/2019 - Zo65 wrote:

Solid pizza wine. Much better on day 2 and 3 suggesting that it will last for a while.

4/5/2019 - Zo65 Likes this wine:

Great fruit. American oak not overdone. Even better on day 2-3. One of the best QPRs I've had in a long time.

Will buy more.

2/20/2019 - Zo65 wrote:

Oxidized crap. Cork crumbled to nothing when removed. Bummer

12/29/2018 - Zo65 wrote:

Maybe will improve with age but still overwhelmingly bitter; thin with little nuance on the palate. Not pleasant to drink at this stage.

11/11/2018 - Zo65 Does not like this wine:

A sloppy, gloppy mess. Per other’s notes, actually reminiscent of that Caymus anniversary abomination.

Had with a big steak anticipating a huge wine.

Tastes like liquid jam mixed with oak chips.

I like big wines but can’t figure this one out.

10/21/2018 - Zo65 Likes this wine:

Really nice nose. Perfect steak wine. Big, firm tannins slice through the richness of the New York strip.

Tannins indicate a long life.

5/22/2018 - Zo65 Likes this wine:

This wine is really hitting its stride. Superb balance, just enough fruit with that unique Tuscan twist on the Bordeaux varietals. Wish I had bought a lot more.

5/14/2018 - Zo65 Likes this wine:

Simple, to be sure but actually quite good. Smooth as silk and blows away most domestic offerings in the same price range. May return to Costco for 6 more.

5/13/2018 - Zo65 wrote:

Good, not great. Simple. Disappointed actually given pedigree.

4/22/2018 - Zo65 Likes this wine:

Superb wine. Fantastic nose, smooth mid-palate, tannins resolved.

For my money FAR better value than Rancia bottling.

Wonderful complement to many Italian dishes. My go-to CC.

4/2/2018 - Zo65 Likes this wine:

Amazing bouquet; very Napa. One could enjoy smelling this wine all night. A bit thin in the mid-palate with a surprisingly tannic finish.

Good, not great. Not sure if the tannin will go before the fruit does.

3/31/2018 - Zo65 wrote:

Nice nose of classic, aged Bordeaux. Mid-palate hollow and finish quite tannic. A bit of a let down.

3/29/2018 - Zo65 wrote:

Beginning to taste a little stewed...Hopefully just an off bottle.

3/13/2018 - Zo65 wrote:

Still a really poor effort; fruit is totally overwhelmed by oak. I don't this can integrate even if one waits forever.

I have one more from the Woot offer that I will not touch for at least 5 years.

Cant figure out what everyone on Woot loved so much.

11/23/2017 - Zo65 wrote:

Really nice bouquet but brutal tannins; don't think fruit enough to compensate.

Not one of my better wine buying choices.

Gary V hype strikes again

10/14/2017 - Zo65 wrote:

This bottle was well past prime. No fruit, no tannin. Bummer..

10/14/2017 - Zo65 wrote:

Really good, early drinking Barolo

10/14/2017 - Zo65 wrote:

Waaay past prime.

9/20/2017 - Zo65 Does not like this wine:

Wow; tasted like $8 grocery store Chianti. No bold Aglianico tannins, just bland, insipid plonk.

Hope this is just a bad bottle cuz WTSO sold me 4

8/17/2017 - Zo65 Does not like this wine:

Wow. What a crappy wine. Light, poor, simple candy bouquet. Medium body. Virtually no Napa character. An extraordinarily poor effort. Took a flyer for $45 at Costco. One can do better with $15 from Chile.

5/19/2017 - Zo65 Does not like this wine:

Hoped the Reserve bottling would use a little less oak then the standard cab; No such luck.

Not quite "Vile oak juice" as others have described but not far off.

Tough to get down.

4/30/2017 - Zo65 wrote:

Candy and not much else

4/21/2017 - Zo65 wrote:

Thin and overly acidic; nothing like a decent right bank wine. Really disappointing.

4/16/2017 - Zo65 wrote:

Not very good. Too much oak. Clumsy without any semblance of finesse. Barely drinkable

3/23/2017 - Zo65 wrote:

muted nose; medium body. Better on day 2 but still outclassed by Felsina CCR.

3/12/2017 - Zo65 wrote:

Smooth as silk. Still very youthful with plenty of tannin left. Wish I had bought more. Superb

2/2/2017 - Zo65 wrote:

Too much oak; a bit like $9 Chilean Cab. Very disappointing.

1/28/2017 - Zo65 wrote:

Meh.

11/27/2016 - Zo65 Does not like this wine:

I have no idea what wine the rest of the reviewers were drinking. This wine is thin, astringent and not pleasant at all to drink.

It tastes like bad homemade wine.

Given heft of bottle, 97 point score and Winelibrary hype I expected much, much more.

Glad I only bought 2 bottles as it is literally the worst bottle of wine I've had in some time.

9/7/2016 - Zo65 wrote:

Certainly barnyard but actually quite bland. Little fruit and even less character. ? Bad bottle

7/22/2016 - Zo65 Likes this wine:

This wine was always good but has really come into its own. Classic Napa Cab bouquet, full mouthfeel, long finish. Superb.

5/9/2016 - Zo65 wrote:

Holy sheep-butt Batman! New world it is NOT. Gamey but quite structured. Interesting but far from delicious to my palate.

4/3/2016 - Zo65 wrote:

Unremarkable; at best.

3/28/2016 - Zo65 wrote:

Initially funky bouquet gave way to subtle floral aroma. Smooth as silk. A very nice wine.

2/8/2016 - Zo65 Does not like this wine:

Holy sheep-butt...no fruit, just, dirt, rot, funk, funk, and more funk.

I do like a bit of earthiness in my wines but this was undrinkable. Not my cup of tea.

1/20/2016 - Zo65 Does not like this wine:

Flowery bouquet; medium mouthfeel. Short astringent finish. Not a fan. Bought cheaply through lastbottle and not worth that discounted price.

At full retail, much worse. Hopefully just a bad bottle?

1/1/2016 - Zo65 wrote:

Pretty nose; really opened up

12/6/2015 - Zo65 wrote:

Not sure how one could produce such bad wine in a superb year. Horribly overoaked unimpressive fruit. $8 Grocery store wine is better. Avoid.

9/29/2015 - Zo65 wrote:

Excellent, easy drinking bordeaux; drinking quite well right now. Not complex but delicious and quite a find for <$20.