11/9/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Point of order: I am a total newbie to Rhones, but not fine wine......

Our host Joel had this open from dinner last night and it was the 'opener' for our pizza night get together tonight. I have no idea how this bottle was prepared last night or how long it's been open this evening.

Dark garnet in the glass, nose of red fruit with a tinge of green/sagey herb notes in the background. But it's very slight. I'm told this is 100% Syrah. Given its age it's so very smooth and integrated. The palate is quite good with quality dark red/black fruit and a hint of brown butter on the end. I can recognize this as high quality, and it certainly has some complexity to it, but at the same time, it appears a tad tame. Perhaps that has to do with it being its 2nd night open? I have no experience with these, so I just don't know. What I do know is that current bottles are $249 on Wine Searcher and I would have a very hard time paying that for this bottle. Again, I'm not a Rhone Ranger so maybe I just don't have the overall palate to fully appreciate this wine and what it costs? 92-93 for me.

11/9/2023 - Barnaby33 wrote:

Jeebus, do we all shop at the MV Costco? Friend brought one over last night and it was yuuuuuugge! With an hour of air and a glass in the gullet it settled down but this is a fruit driven monster! I wouldn't touch a bottle for 5 years. Bramble and boysenberry, some heat and heavy in weight.

3/22/2023 - abehollander@gmail.com wrote:

Not impressed in 2022.

8/7/2022 - JustOneMoreGlass Likes this wine:

This ain't no cashed-up-bogan. Refined. Distinctly a Aussie shiraz but exudes an old world understated elegance. Silky soft tannins. Rich ripe fruit quickly gives way to a balanced mid-palate of earth and then a long finish that could easily come from BDX.

6/30/2022 - Barnaby33 wrote:

It completes surprise to the downside. It's green on the nose and it's green on the pallet. It doesn't quite come across as hot but it's certainly is not a good example of mclaren Vale or of dead arm.

4/9/2022 - Barnaby33 wrote:

Took to church, decanted an hour early. Medium bodied Spatlese, instantly notable as Riesling just from a whiff. Notes of green apple and lemon, married to a sweetness that didn't move the wines perceived weight. Acidity built over the 2 hours it was open and warmed up. Delicious and in my mind ready to go.

3/12/2022 - Yack Man wrote:

A wine that has some promise but is very young and needs some cellaring. The resume seems impressive 100% Cabernet Sauvignon (65% Georges III and 35% Melrose) this wine comes across as underdeveloped at this early stage. Potential perhaps? Time will tell. I opened this wine and it clearly needed some air. After some time the wine began to reveal trace elements of flavor and potential. With half a bottle remaining, I will elaborate further on possible improvement.... perhaps? 90/91 Points

11/6/2021 - forceberry wrote:

The fruit is sourced from multiple estate vineyards in Côte-Rôtie, lots vinified separetely. A blend of Syrah (98%) and Viognier (2%), aged for 18 months in barriques (25% new). Annual production 15000-20000 bottles. 14% alcohol.

Slightly translucent dark red color with a youthful purplish hue. Clean, quite classic and rather ripe Syrah nose with aromas of fresh bilberries and juicy blackberries, some meaty notes, light sweet notes of toasty oak spice, a little bit of black cherry, a hint of peppery spice and a touch of licorice. The wine is ripe, quite densely textured and rather broad on the palate with a quite full body and intense flavors of ripe blackcurrants and black cherries, some toasty oak spice, a little bit of earth, light notes of licorice, a bitter hint of phenolic spice and a touch of cocoa. The somewhat noticeable oak influence makes the wine feel a slightly polished, while the high-ish alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the palate. The mouthfeel is velvety smooth and a bit on the soft side, thanks to the medium-to-moderate acidity - although the moderately grippy tannins bring some welcome firmness to the palate. The finish is rich, slightly sweet-toned and somewhat grippy with quite bold flavors of juicy bilberries and blackcurrant jam, some toasty oak spice, a little bit of cherry marmalade, light licorice tones, an extracted hint of woody bitterness and a sweet touch of cocoa.

A rich, ripe and quite weighty Côte-Rôtie with a somewhat polished feel to it - mainly thanks to the somewhat sweet-toned, solar fruit, courtesy of the 2015 vintage, and somewhat noticeable, toasty new oak character. Although the wine isn't super-modern or gloopy in any way, I think that just by reducing the new oak influence this wine would come across as much more savory and serious stylistically. Now the wine isn't bad in any way - on the contrary, I can acknowledge the obviously high quality of the wine - but it's just in a style I don't enjoy that much. There's great intensity of fruit here and the overall feel is quite balanced and enjoyably structured despite the richness of the fruit, but even then I admit I prefer the style of the lighter and more savory old-school producers more. Perhaps a bit pricey for the quality at 38,50€.

12/25/2016 - ljonas wrote:

Pilsner beer & green apple bouquet. Medium bodied, slightly acidic & mouthwatering. The flavor profile is an oak infused green apple w/ hints of lime & minerality. The finish is dry & its flavors linger for quite a while. I would pair this wine with grilled swordfish with a lemon butter sauce

1/8/2021 - Mic Mac Likes this wine:

Nothing special. Don't get the hype on this label.

3/18/2020 - richard.presser Likes this wine:

A beautiful, rich, superbly made shiraz. Beginning to show some devt. Wonderful balance. Ron Laughton is a master. The half is opening up, but will be around for a long time.

3/25/2021 - Harley1199 Likes this wine:

By the glass. Bottle opened the night before. Dusty matt black colour. Timid berries yogourt in red and black also with notes of black plums and stubble from the forest floor. Good complexity. The meatiness of the Merlot grapes stands out in the mouth with a delicate texture and a good balance in this aging phase. Large, tasty and long. It can only get better when ripe. Great vintage for this Château.

Por copas. Botella abierta la noche anterior. Color polvoriento de negro mate. Tímidos armas a yogourt de bayas rojas y negras con notas de ciruelas negras y la hoharasca del suelo del bosque. Buena complejidad. La carnosidad de la uva Merlot sobresale en boca con una textura delicada y un buen equilibrio en esta fase de envejecimiento. Amplio, sabroso y con longitud. Solo puede mejorar al madurar.
Gran añada para este Château.

9/6/2021 - shormi wrote:

dinner with Paula and eric

7/8/2021 - gsomers Likes this wine:

Good wine. Decant and pour. Nice fruit without being jammy. It's a good wine that delivers satisfying QPR at a $45 price point.

7/6/2021 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine:

Had with Greek nachos

7/18/2021 - Barnaby33 wrote:

I have my suspicions. This was a lot 10.xxx bottle with reserve juice. On opening it had lush Nebbiolo fruit so dark yet sweet. Tannins were there but not obtrusive. As the evening wore on though the fruit really subsided and harsh tannins became quite intrusive. I'm a bit scared that this is at it's peak. Scared because the 06 vintage was never one to drink young and I'd hoped that this year in particular would make old bones. Lovely to drink now without a decant, but hold for more aging, maybe not.

5/17/2021 - iamandyc Likes this wine:

Bought this new version of Meander (new owners and winemaker -- not Amy Aiken since 2014 vintage) on WTSO cheap to try. Not up to Amy's standard for depth, texture and flavor yet (although expect a lot from Rutherford grapes in 2016 vintage). Will see if some aging helps it. Enjoyable for $30 -- wouldn't pay Meander website price of over $80. Interesting to see where this label and wine goes.

4/9/2021 - Barnaby33 wrote:

How to review something like this? First of all Grange is always a good wine. Tasted side by side with a 95 to celebrate my wife's citizenship! The nose came across as a bit overripe, almost porty. However the palette was plush lovely and seemless. The tannins did get a bit more assertive over the evening, but don't be in a hurry to consume.

The 95 by comparison was much more drying and tannic on the palette. Tried blind I would have guessed Bordeaux from a warmer vintage.

Lovely wine, but don't serve it to the girls lookin to partay, they just won't get it!

4/6/2020 - GrapeScott wrote:

Poured a glass through the Vinturi. Brilliant light, near transparent ruby color with a rather subdued nose. Medium to light-bodied, crunchy red fruit and crushed rock profile with bright acidity, brimming with cranberry and raspberry flavors. A rather fresh, lean and elegant Volnay with a lovely mineral streak, purity of fruit and no trace of oak or tannin. This is the WineBid barrel, raised and bottled by Jadot. Very happy with this for under $30.
Update on day 2: this has filled out and developed a bit more charm, though still characterized by somewhat linear cranberry/tart red fruit flavors. This seems to have entered its prime drinking window, but likely will soften with another 5-10 years in the cellar. I just opened a '15 HdB Volnay Cuvee Blondeau (also elevee par Jadot) after this and it was an interesting contrast. Not sure if it is vintage, age, or site, but the two wines were quite different in color, tannin and perception of oak, with the only similarity being their core of bright cranberry fruit flavors.

8/22/2017 - RayT Likes this wine:

My wife drank this with a girlfriend. They enjoyed it quite a bit.

10/31/2020 - Snowey Likes this wine:

Good qpr at $16 shipped. Nose was a bit muted but still showed through. Flavors had nice acidity, tannins, and sweetness though pretty simple. Day 2 flavors declined a bit but fruit was still enjoyable. More enjoyable than many west coast fruit fests I have had for sub-$20

2/7/2021 - Barnaby33 wrote:

Opened a bottle, killed a baby. What strikes me is how well this drinks young. The fruit took about 15 minutes to start coming out and then it seemed to be a race as both it and the oak built for at least an hour. Normally I like my Italians with more age, this drank surprisingly well young, with an initial burst of what I'd almost call blue fruits, settling into a lighter sweeter red fruit style.

1/26/2021 - Barnaby33 wrote:

Safely on the downslope. Whether storage or the wine, drink em if ya got em. I'm not normally a fan of the high alcohol Barossa style but GC seems to defy categorization. However this bottle offered little of the ripe fruit of other bottles. C'est la vie.

8/16/2019 - MC2 Wines wrote:

I know that everyone seems to love these wines and for some reason I find them always solid, but not truly great. This was opened 1.5 hours before pouring and spent an hour in the decanter. It's black cherry and mouth coating tannins and a kindof dark crispness to it. It seems to be missing just a bit of the je ne sais quoi to it but good for the price point.

4/12/2019 - La Cave d'Argent wrote:

This deep garnet wine was tasted in double-blind fashion from a well-cellared bottle. At this point in its evolution, it is far more pleasant on the nose than on the palate. Aromas of Montmorency cherries, raspberries, clove, anise and dried herbs are followed by similar but muted flavors. Medium-bodied, seamlessly alcoholic (14%), high in acidity and with substantial dry tannins, it stays solid in the middle but closes with an overtly acerbic, medium-length finish. This wine is lacking charm at this point. Those owning bottles would be wise to continue cellaring them for at least another five years. Drink 2024-2030.

5/2/2020 - jeffjohnsonjj@hotmail.com wrote:

Strong tertiary notes on nose and initial palate detracted from the vivid fruit on the finish. This was clearly on its downward slide and I held it too long before drinking - drink up!

7/26/2020 - Dj6544 wrote:

Explosively feminine blasts of Asian spice, intoxicating cherry fruit, tobacco, menthol and green pepper. All perfectly balanced and utterly delicious. Absolutely singing after a decent decant - very much looking forward to the next one. 96

5/30/2020 - AllRed wrote:

Saw this pop up on WTSO again and hadn't tried one yet, so here we go with a pop & pour to see if we should add more. Domino says "yes" - and this is the perfect thing for her bin. A pretty good effort for a modest price. There's some cassis and black currant with floral overtones. A little wood spice in the background. Medium-bodied. Juicy and bright with mixed red and black cabernet fruit tones on the palate. A little spice in the finish. This is a decent little cab for $20. 89-90 pts.

5/25/2020 - Bam_Man wrote:

Am taken aback and simply cannot fathom some of the low scores here. This is a beautiful Barbera - made in the Modern style, yet still displays such tremendous elegance and poise. Offers plenty of ripe, delicious plum, cherry and blackberry fruit, with subtle hints of earth, violets and spice. There's wonderful depth and intensity to the brightly acidic mid-palate, and a long, intriguing finish that features a gigantic mineral streak. Deftly balanced. Could easily be mistaken for a very, very good Rioja Reserva. So pure, delicious and food-friendly. Paired wonderfully with the roast chicken that Kerry's mom made for us and we will definitely be looking to acquire more of this.
50+5+12+17+7=91

3/8/2019 - Barnaby33 wrote:

PnP with chicken tikka masala. Wonderful rich spice nose and beautiful mid-palette. I'm always impressed with the quality for price from this producer. Drinking well now, though I'm unsure about it's future. The palette did dry out some over 1.5 hours.

11/21/2019 - wcf1946 Likes this wine:

A WTSO find. Barely worth $32, but very good, not great. Dark fruit, not real complex, smooth. Drank over 3 days. Opened up much better on day 3. This might evolve much more over the next 5 years. A food wine, not sipping wine.

4/14/2020 - Barnaby33 wrote:

5 of 5 bottles opened in the last 6 months with varying but overt levels of green and a bitter finish. I'm not sure what other tasters are seeing in this, the label perhaps? For the price paid, I'm unpleasantly surprised as I've come to think of CP as a solid producer that I buy regularly. This wine while not flawed is not a good BdM.

Because of the similar flavor in all of the bottles I opened (all bought at the same time from the same retailer on release) I'm leaning towards a flawed wine and some dishonesty from the producer.

The green note and the bitter finish seemed to subside over 3 hours, but never really went away. Maybe give it a few hours of air, and then pray.

1/22/2020 - Barnaby33 wrote:

Oakey but still delicious. Personally I'd like to see the fruit shine a bit more but no complaints about it other than it could be well made Napa chardonnay, except its not.

12/8/2019 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine:

Solid value Bordeaux, not fancy, but getting to the part of the window I like. Medium body, balanced nicely. Will improve for a few more years.

10/25/2018 - Ruby99 Likes this wine:

Drinking at its peak. Menthol and dark red fruits on the palate. Wonderful viscous mouth-coating texture. Long finish. A real pleasure to drink

3/29/2019 - srh wrote:

Friday Tasting Group: "Killer Bar" (#02 for me) (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Corked, the contributor being VERY disappointed. :(

92 pt WS + numerous other solid reviews listed on wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg.

8/23/2018 - JOsgood wrote:

Not nearly as expressive as my first bottle. Earthy and true. Let’s see how it does on day 2.

4/17/2014 - Barnaby33 wrote:

PnP. At first sniff I thought it was off. It's got the candied cherry nose of other Wendouree wines but something just isn't right. At least not yet.

20 minutes in the green note is mostly gone. Gives me an initial cab nose, a hint of green and spice, but then the sweet cherry comes in and you know it's Aussie. Medium bodied, still a bit of a hole in the middle. I'm hoping that fills in with time.

2 hours in, and with food the wine has opened up. It lacks the full balance and flavor set of the straight shiraz. I'm assuming it's because of the mataro, that it's more tannic, gives a very strong cab impression. However the green note is mostly gone and while medium bodied, it gives off like most Wendouree a very burgundian feel. Nothing is overbearing. On the nose I still get the cherry liquor, and bright red fruit. Mid palette though a bit lacking is there and the aftertaste is lovely.

Drink em if ya got em.

2/3/2017 - acyso wrote:

Megan's 30th (Chicago, IL): It's seldom that you're wowed by a wine at this level, so it's important to cherish each and every moment (the pairing of this with the plin at Osteria Langhe is incredible). A light touch of reduction on the nose, there's lots of that awesome steely character on the palate. It's not particularly opulent or rich, but this is certainly ripe enough, and the concentration is carried very nicely by both the zippy acidity and crisp minerality.

10/16/2016 - rdearing wrote:

Drink 'em if you got 'em. Time running out.

10/8/2016 - BBencz wrote:

Having a hard time figuring out the Galardi allure. Two hour decant through a Vinturi. Beautiful dark garnet color at the edge, and almost black at the center. Really interesting nose of deep red fruit and light ash. But palate is largely dry and unforgiving with harsh tannins and little fruit. A great wine to stare at and smell, but fairly unenjoyable to drink. Maybe I need a tutorial or the wine needs another decade; I just don't get the hype.

12/8/2012 - WST wrote:

Not my cup of tea, but a top notch Napa Cab blend. Dense and sappy, generous dark fruit and oak, very well balanced. If you like huge, well made, reasonably priced New World Bdx blends, this is your bottle. Subtle food-friendly wine - not so much.

11/1/2014 - Barnaby33 wrote:

Even a month later the memory remains though not in a good way. I love this producer but this wine was a tannic rock. Hopefully in 5 years it will open up but dear sweet jeebus it was unforgiving. Seriously hard, tannic, fruit gone somewhere north for the winter. Reading other tasting notes it's like we were all drinking different wines.

9/12/2013 - Barnaby33 wrote:

You've got to kiss a lot of frogs and I have, to find a prince.