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Tasting Notes for boxwine_in_hell

(120 notes on 113 wines)

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Red
2007 Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
7/15/2011 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
93 points
Unbelievable wine at this price point. Loved it. Had at a restaurant with a filet so no specific notes, but from memory it was quite complex and the flavors and finish were in beautiful harmony. Buy it up, this one is a steal. Any lover of meritage blends shouldn't miss this.
Red
2/14/2011 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
92 points
Valentine's day wine #2. Followed a great champagne and didn't disappoint. The nose is mostly red fruit...bing cherry and cranberry with some nice chocolate tones as well. On the palate is black cherry, vanilla, cedar, strawberries and raspberries. The tannins coat your mouth nicely, but are integrating well. It's a slightly sweet, long finish. Nice complexity. Well balanced and well made. Not a powerhouse, but nice wine. I don't think it's made for the long haul but when it's this good now, who cares?
Red
2003 Dominus Estate Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
12/21/2010 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
94 points
Opened for my birthday and what a present. Fabulous nose of blackberries, vanilla, chocolate, plum and clay. On the palate is cherry-vanilla, anise, cinnamon, cigar box, white chocolate and caramel. Long, lingering finish. Great harmony, balance and complexity.
White - Sparkling
2/14/2011 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
94 points
Wow. Nice champagne. Very golden/carmel colored. Crisp pear mousse mouthfeel with a bite of cashew and citrus/lemon finish. Smooth and delicious, dry but not acidic. Beautiful champagne. Was perfect with jumbo prawns and crab legs. Loved it.
Red
2002 Opus One Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
9/25/2010 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
94 points
The wife and I opened for our wedding anniversary and it did not disappoint. Dark violet in the glass and it's starting to brick beautifully. Nice complex wine. On the nose is vanilla, white pepper, cinnamon, blackberry, black cherry and rose water. On the palate is cherry, vanilla, allspice, blackberry, honeysuckle and fruit tart. Really interesting Opus, much more spicy than I remember past vintages. Was amazing with the filet mignon. Good balance and silky tannins. I'd say the tannins are peaking so I wouldn't hold too much longer. Soft mouth feel and medium body and finish at this point. Very balanced and harmonized. Great wine.
White
7/12/2010 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
91 points
Wow, one review says it's unoaked and the other says it's too much oak. Not sure which wine you all were drinking? I thought it was pretty balanced. Nice, buttery chard with great hints of crisp pear and pineapple notes. Wish I had more, on a hot day it goes down way too fast and good.
Red
7/12/2010 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
85 points
Not my favorite Zin I've ever had. At this price point you can do way better. Wine is too sweet and out of balance in my opinion. Tastes like a $12 zin. Very disappointing.
Red
4/22/2010 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
82 points
I must of got one of the bad bottles because if this is a 90 point wine, then I look like Brad Pitt in Fight Club when I take my shirt off. Wine is drinkable but obviously something fishy is going on and a lot of us got duped. It's tannic, stringent and has minimal integration. It has some hay characteristics with muted fruit trying to break through the wall of green tannin. I think I'm done with expensive Spanish wines, I've been burned one too many times. They are way too inconsistent. I'll stick with the safety of a Rioja and save my hefty purchases on some of the more reliable terroirs.
Red
4/16/2010 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
90 points
I don't think I'd hang on to this one much longer. It's well made but it's showing signs of its age. Significant bricking and the tannins seem to be at the end of their life span. It's a nice aged wine but was a bit soft for my taste. Full of dark fruit, cassis and leather. Really enjoyable but I'd wished I'd opened it a bit sooner.
Red
3/22/2010 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
87 points
I think this is my first experience with the anglianico grape. If I didn't know any better, it tasted to me like a classic, backwards, bold sangiovese. It's a subtle wine, astringent and tannic with a lot of rhubarb and cedar initially coming through followed by cherries and strawberries. Kind of tastes like you're licking the bottom of a wooden basket that's been carrying a load of berries. There's also hints of terragon, anise and some white pepper. This wine sort of baffles me, I'm not sure if the structure and integration is there, I suppose only time will tell. It's a bit hot and sour for my taste but it's also kind of intriguing.
Red
3/20/2010 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
91 points
Classic Mt. Veeder wine. Really nice. Pretty good value by Napa cabernet standards. I highly recommend this winery, always consistent. They have a really nice chardonnay as well.
White
3/10/2010 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
87 points
One of the fiew Monterey Chards that actually measures up to some of it's California neighbors. Impressive, I've had some real dogs from this region. It's kind of like a butter dipped, Granny Smith apple with a dash of pineapple. Nice acidity, medium finish and body. Good stuff for the price. I personally prefer a richer Chardonnay that isn't quite so tart, but this is tasty.
Red
2003 Ferrari-Carano Prevail Back Forty Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (view label images)
3/5/2010 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
95 points
Holy crap. This wine is sublime. It's an oenologic orgasm. This is the finest 2003 vintage california wine I've tasted and I'm a borderline drunk, I've tasted a lot of them. Decanted for about an hour and you can just smell the quality coming out of the decanter. The nose is sweet, perfumed and magnificent. Layer after layer of vanilla, rose petal, chocolate and dark fruits. So much going on with your palate. It's almost sensory overload but the fruit and tannin are so in harmony that it just builds and builds to a silky, strong, lingering finish. So complex and enjoyable. Vanilla, cigar box, blackberry, black currant, nutmeg, clay, minerality, plum, cherry, white chocolate, chocolate, lavender. Unbelievable wine, buy it up. Puts Napa cabs at 2-3 times it's price in this vintage to shame. The selfish part of me wants to give it a bad review, so I can have it to myself. It's really quite extraodinary. Loved it.
Red
2006 Castello Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva Chianti Classico DOCG Sangiovese Blend, Sangiovese (view label images)
3/2/2010 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
86 points
Wow, where is all the hate coming from on this wine? I think it's actually pretty good. This wine is wonderful with a pasta, meat sauce. On it's own it's a bit tannic and closed, but you can say that about a lot of Chiantis. It definately needs a big glass to breathe. The nose is pencil lead with a hint of dark fruits brooding under the surface and some vanilla and herbal tones. On the palate is plum, blackberries and black currant and some wet stone. Dark fruit dominated wine, firm tannins but not offensive. Decent structure and finish. I think it might actually be a little young and will benefit from some time in the bottle. Old world style and a bit backward but compared to all the fruit bombs out there with no structure, I think it's refreshing. Nice Chianti in my book.
Red
2/24/2010 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
86 points
Great value and everyday wine. Nose has floral qualities, plum and blueberries. On the palate is blackberries, tart cherry, anise, white pepper and terragon. Nice acidity, short finish but very enjoyable. Food really brings the fruit out in this wine. Very nice, affordable malbec.
Red
2/21/2010 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
68 points
Cute name and label. Terrible wine. Layer Cake? Are they freaking kidding me? Layers of garbage. This wine is sickening sweet, syrupy, funky and lacks any sort of structure. I walked away from it and revisited it an hour later. Tastes like Welch's cough syrup. It's like the wine maker just said screw it and hoped that the barrelling and bottling would magically transform this crap. No such luck. I've had $4 bottles of wine that put this to shame. At $13.99 they're pulling the wool over a lot of people's eyes. Fool me once shame on me, fool me twice, not a chance. Never again will I purchase something from this winery.
Red
2/15/2010 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
93 points
Wine is aging nicely. Slight bricking but still tastes very youthful. Amazing nose of cherry, dark chocolate, blackcurrant, anise, cigar and blackberry. The palate isn't nearly as fruity, tannins still have a good grip, but not overpowering. Sweet and tangy with some hints of spice. Black cherry, strawberries, redcurrantm, hay, sweet rubarb, raspberries and clay. Nice structure and layers of flavor. Nice, long finish that's smooth but with a bite of tannin. Fantastic wine, not sure if it's quite at it's peak yet but it's very good at the moment.
Red
2/10/2010 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
92 points
I had to do a double take and make sure this was a New Zealand red wine. It's by far the finest New Zealand red I've personally tasted. It can easily be mistaken for a fine Rhone wine. Wonderful nose. Dark berries, anise, leather, tobacco, vanilla. There's a lot going on in this wine, very nuanced and elegant but has good structure to age it. Fantastic wine. I was blown away.
Red
12/16/2009 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
94 points
Opened for my 40th birthday and what a birthday present it was. Wine is showing no sign of it's age, it's going to be very long lived. Absolute fantastic nose on this wine of vanilla, cherry, fig, chocolate, cola and a hint of spice. It's extremely aromatic. On the palate is more of the vanilla, cherry, caramel, red currant, spice and a nice bourbon quality that must have come from the barrelling. The layers and complexity of this wine are what you hope for when you plunk down $100+. The finish is smooth, long and sweet with just a bite of spice. Reminded me of some of the great Aussie shiraz which was a bit surprising. This wine is extremely vibrant for its age, a perfect metaphor for the first day in my 40's.
Red
12/8/2009 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
90 points
A bit disappointed in this wine, considering the price. Substantial bricking in the glass and is pretty much a one or two note wine. Not a lot of complexity. Nice finish.
Red
2000 Col Solare Columbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
7/6/2009 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
92 points
Wine is as good as last reviewed in January.
Red
5/28/2009 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
92 points
Classic Napa Cab flavors and aromas. Great wine, good balance, smooth tannins. This wine is peaking. Really, really nice. Drank from a magnum. Wish I had another.
Red
4/29/2009 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
89 points
I was shocked how big and tannic this wine is 9 years in. Some fruit, smoke and tar did emerge after a few hours but this is a huge wine and the tannins still have a stubborn grip. I'm not sure how it will intergrate in the future. The structure seems awful backwards. Definitely old school. Maybe more cellaring will reward the patient. This wine should be extremely long lived.
Red
4/17/2009 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
92 points
I've heard and seen reviews of wine described as having a bacon fat smell/taste and I always thought that was nuts. Well I finally smelled and tasted bacon fat in a wine. The nose is spicy, blackberry, vanilla, raspberry and yes bacon fat. The taste is even more apparent, I could actually detect smoked bacon on the pallet along with plum skin, strawberry and pepper. This wine is fairly complex. I thought there was a nice balance of sweetness and tartness to the tannins. Loved it.
Red
3/14/2009 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
92 points
Don't have exact notes, but from memory this wine was classic Pauillac. Lots of anise, leather and cigar box straight out of the bottle. Nice fruit emerges after a short decant. Nice cassis and blackberry tones. Good structure and smooth tannin. Excellent wine.
Red
12/31/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
92 points
Light ruby with some amber bricking in the glass. Nice nose of currant, anise, slate and pepper. Well made and built for the long haul. The palate is blackberries, currant, cranberries, cinnamon, wet stone and pepper spice. Long finish and solid tannin structure. Give it a good decant, it's a bit hot and un-ripe out of the bottle. Nice complexity and intersting spice which I don't normally associate with Barolo.
Red
12/4/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
92 points
Year after year Karl Lawrence puts out an elegant and interesting cabernet. The 2005 is fantastic. More balanced in it' s youth than the 2004. If you want a wine that's ready to drink immediately than the 05 KL really doesn't have many flaws. It has a wonderful floral/lavender nose with a hint of plum and black cherry. On the palate is smooth cherry and a tangy light berry quality with a nice undertone of licorice and anise. This wine has a nearly perfect tannin structure at the moment, firm yet smooth. I don't think this is a long lived wine, but it is phenomenol right now so drink it up. It's unbelievable paired with dark chocolate.
Red
10/13/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
88 points
Huge alcohol content, 16% if I remember correctly. Pretty impressive considering that the winemaker had to deal with this massive alcohol. This is a fruit bomb with a lot of dark fruit and spice but a little one dimensional for my tastes.
Red
9/17/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
92 points
Great Cabernet. Merryvale is a very underappreciated winery in my opinion. They do great stuff. Bouquet of clover, anise, blackberry and strawberry and a bit of hay. The palate is a great sweet cedar, plum, blackberry and interesting orange zest flavors in the finish. Tannins are strong but yielding nicely. This wine still puckers you a bit. Good structure and should continue to mature nicely but very tempting at the moment.
Red
9/16/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
91 points
Dark and inky in the glass. On the nose is a lot of dark fruit with raspberry and cassis thrown in for a pleasant balance. On the palate is dark fruits, a lot of black currant and clay. Very tannic but in balance. It will benefit from further cellaring. Medium finish. I can see the wine's score rising with some time in the bottle. I don't have a clue what grape this wine is, but it has a lot of merlot characteristics. That would be my guess, is that its main component is merlot, maybe blended with some other varietal or varietals?
White - Sparkling
8/2/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
92 points
Lighter apperance than past vintages I've tasted, not the classic carmel tint. Pear, lemon peel, grapefruit, pineapple and slight almond on the palate. Nice finish, long and smooth.
Red
2003 Château Faugères St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
9/8/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
90 points
Had at restauraunt so no exact tasting notes but this was a nice, smooth bordeaux with heavy berry and dark fruit tones. Good balance.
Red
7/10/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
91 points
Wine has evolved nicely since I first rated it last year. The fruit is coming through in full force. Garnet with ruby edge in the glass. Amazing nose on this wine, chocolate, vanilla, blackberry, cinnamon and mint. Palate follows the bouquet with some blueberry flavor. Velvet tannins. Beautiful wine. Smooth and long finish. Personally I'd like to see a little more nuances of the classic cigar box or earth but this is a very good wine.
Red
2002 Château Pavie Macquin St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
7/5/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
87 points
Tannic and backwards. Not sure if it needs more bottle time or it's just out of balance. There is subtlety of flavors but very muted by the overpowering tannin. Maybe better with a longer decant, I didn't have time to let it breathe as much as I probably should have.
Red
7/5/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
90 points
Very good. Smooth and fruit forward.
White
I can't give this wine an accurate score because I was completely hammered by the time desert came around and the cork popped on this one. It was delicious in my drunken stupor.
Red
4/9/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
90 points
Nice Pinot. Dark fruits and jammy, with a nice smooth finish. Had at a restaurant so no exact notes. Great with goat cheese pizza.
Red
3/16/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
93 points
I'm not sure what wine these other reviewers were drinking because this wine is phenomenol. It is one of the better Brunellos I've had in some time. Wonderful nose of black cherries, strawberry, earthen, spice and floral hints. On the palate is cherry, chocolate, cola, vanilla, cigar and clay. Nice undertones of red fruit and cinnamon. This wine is really complex with many layers and it just compliments food wonderfully. Tannin structure is great and they are sweetening nicely. Very long and complex finish. Beautiful Brunello.
Red
2/21/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
93 points
Wow. KL does it again. The nose is fantastic and the taste is as delightful. This is a velvety, chocolate, blueberry, tobacco, leather, black cherry, vanilla wonder. I gave it a nice long decant and this wine really sings. Tannin structure is phenomenol, no need to hold it but it's got the structure to go for quite a few more years. I'm glad I have more. Great Cabernet Sauvignon. This is what you expect from a high end Napa Cab and KL doesn't disappoint.
White
2/15/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
90 points
Had at restaurant so no exact notes but from memory this was a nice buttery chardonnay with great citrus and green apple flavors.
Red
2/14/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
93 points
Wasn't sure what to expect, the ratings are all over the place on this one. I don't see why some rated this so low, this is a wonderful wine in my opinion. This wine has a great nose of black currant, plum, vanilla, blackberry. On the palate is a beautiful integration of dark fruits and vanilla/cigar box and smooth tannin and finish. This is a much more fruit forward wine than any Silver Oak I can remember and perhaps this is the basis of most complaints. Definitely not a collectable wine, if you've got a lot of it, start drinking it because it's peaking. Reminds me a lot of some of the better Karl Lawrence cabernets.
Red
2001 Château Rol Valentin St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
1/13/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
90 points
Interesting wine. Very dark wine. The nose is laden with blackberry, black cherry, plum and a nice rose/floral quality. On the palate is nice dark fruits with some spice and a good touch of acidity and tannin. Medium bodied and medium length finish. Overall a very solid wine. I do detect some greenness and unripened tannin so I think this one will benefit from further cellaring.
Red
2000 Col Solare Columbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
1/4/2008 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
92 points
Wow, this is one of the better Washington state wines that I've had in a very long time. Great, powerful nose of vanilla, leather, black cherry and raspberry. On the palate is a beautiful integration of black cherry, cola, vanilla, tobacco/clove and raspberry. Nice, long finish. The tannins are fairly soft at this point, I think this wine is at its peak. Great stuff.
Red
12/27/2007 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
92 points
Wonderful Brunello. Built to last. Huge bouquet of blackberry, blackcurrant, vanilla, tobacco and anise. The palate follows the nose with a nice bite of clay/earthen thrown in. Solid tannin structure and a nice, long finish. Very good now, but there's no hurry, this one will be good for quite a few more years.
Red
12/25/2007 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
87 points
Interesting wine, but nothing special. Substantial bricking in the color and tannins are fading so this wine has already peaked in my opinion. Tastes like a Rainier cherry, molasses/tar and earthen are also present flavors. Not much of a nose on this wine. Medium to lighter bodied, seems like this wine is losing its punch.
Red
12/12/2007 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
87 points
Really dark, almost black. Blackberry and currant on the nose. The palate follows with heavy blackberrry with lesser tones of currant, raspberry and a bit of cinnamon spice. The cinnamon was a nice departure from the traditional "peppery" shiraz. Nice and fruity, not all that complex. If I had to quickly describe this wine it is pretty much a very serious blackberry bramble. If you like blackberry flavors, this is your wine.
Red
11/22/2007 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
93 points
Opened a magnum for Thanksgiving. This is the finest zinfandel I've had in many years. So smooth and seemless. It's beautfully integrated. Holy crap I had to keep pinching myself and rechecking the bottle to make sure it was in fact a zinfandel. Plum, raspberry, anise and great chocolate overtones. This wine has the structure of a fine claret. It really blew me away. If you are a fan of zin, this wine is a must.
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Red
1999 Lynsolence St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
11/16/2007 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
87 points
Drink this fast. Really nice and jammy out of the gate. Nice plum and cocoa tones but this wine is fading fast. Once it aerates for a while you can taste the deterioration over just a couple of hours. Stop holding and drink this one, it's on its downside.
Red
10/21/2007 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
90 points
Deep garnet in the glass, this wine is dark fruit, dark fruit and more dark fruit. Heavy black cherry aroma with some blackcurrant, anise, blackberry and raspberry to fill it out. Black cherry dominates the palate and there is good tannin that produce a soft, lingering finish. Somewhat one dimensional but very enjoyable. Lovers of fruit forward style wines will really like this wine and if you like a black cherry fruit bomb then this is your ideal wine.
Red
10/20/2007 - boxwine_in_hell wrote:
90 points
Ordered at restaurant so no detailed tasting notes, but a really nice shiraz. Typical, quality McLaren Vale shiraz.
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