4/24/2013 - CAS Likes this wine:

The wine looks Ruby colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Strawberry, Raspberry, Red Currant, Strawberry Jam, Plum, Vanilla, and Black Pepper. The body is Medium. The wine has Silky texture. The wine finishes Medium.

5/15/2009 - CAS wrote:

Medium ruby in appearance. Big expansive nose - summer berries are bursting out of the glass, strawberry, rasberry and a touch of dark cherry. Lively on the palate - maybe a touch too much acidity but medium tannins, sweet rasberries, vanilla creme with cracked pepper on the finish. Not too bad at all.

5/14/2009 - CAS wrote:

Dense dark crimson in the glass. Cherry on the nose, some floral aspect, tar and parma violets. Lots of spice on the palate, blackcurrant, plum and mocha. There is still a bit of heat on the finish but overall a nice glass of wine.

5/1/2009 - CAS wrote:

Deep inky purple in appearance. Aromas are bursting out of the glass - lots of blueberry jam, kirsch, cigar box - lots of dark fruits. Again very smooth on the palate - medium tannins, great balance - as smooth as velvet. Now getting chocolate covered cherries, blackberry jam, slight sweet fruits with a touch of peppery spice. Good long finish - excellent.

5/1/2009 - CAS wrote:

Deep crimson in the glass. Lots more to this wine since the last tasting. Lots of classic sangiovese notes - smoky cherry, tobacco, blackberry jam and some sous bois . Well balanced - moderate tannins and good structure. Pleasant dark fruits especially brackberry, plum, vanilla jam and onto a touch of strawberry with more than a tar component on the finish. Not bad at all.

5/1/2009 - CAS wrote:

Dark ruby. Lovely nose of cedar, graphite, pepper some cassis and damp earth. Smooth tannins on the palate - bright acidity - great body. Definite cassis, smoke, strawberry and then some hints of liquorice. Nice dark fruits on the finish. A real nice wine from the Wine Society Exhibition range.

4/30/2009 - CAS wrote:

Dark inky purple in the glass. On the nose I'm getting raw meat, blood then onto some moca and pepper. Soft tannins initially on the palate then blueberry, chocolate, more dark fruits followed up by some strawberry on the finish. Overall a nice syrah - quite refined but not like a big jammy fruit bomb. Goes well with BBQ foods.

4/29/2009 - CAS wrote:

Dense ruby at the core - lesser so at the rim. Cherry, liquorice and plum on the nose - also a bit of spice. Nice mouthfeel - quite bold tannins but matched by the fruit - wild strawberries, tobacco, sour cherry jam with some mocha covered cherry and pepper on the finish. Good acidity - quite elegant and a nice long finish. Excellent QPR wine from this producer.

7/17/2008 - CAS wrote:

Dense dark garnet in appearance atthe core and slightly lighter at the rim. Immediate sense of spice on the nose, then fruits coming through - blackberries, strawberry and cherry. Also a good hint of vanilla and mocha on the nose. Smooth on the palate, dark fruits, plumb and some chocolate. Quite short on the finish with a touch of heat. Not a bad mid week drinker.

3/24/2008 - CAS wrote:

Dark ruby in the glass. Coffee, tobacco, cherry, leather and vanilla on the nose. Big well rounded tannins - full bodied with bags of dark fruits, chocolate, spice and licorice. Long way to go for this but after a decant it is drinking rather nice.

3/24/2008 - CAS wrote:

Very light pink in the glass - not much difference from this and normal champagne. Nose has some nuttiness, citrus, apple and some floral notes. Very crisp on the palate - great acidity - slight citrus, lemons, toast and a hint of yeast. Nice finish.

3/24/2008 - CAS wrote:

Medium garnet in the glass. Quite a lot of oak on the nose then followed by dark fruits, tobacco, spices and some earth. Medium tannins on the palate with spicy blackberries, rasberry, coffee and cloves. Still getting a bit too much oak - maybe needs more time to integrate but not bad.

3/24/2008 - CAS wrote:

Golden straw coloured in the glass. Nose is quite sweet - apricot, touch of tropical fruits, minerals and slight petrol scent. Nice on the palate - notes of citris, lemons, minerals and some honey with a slight underlying sweetness followed by a long dry finish. Great acidity - excellent.

3/24/2008 - CAS wrote:

Decanted for 5 hours. On opening the bottle the air was full of dark fruit aromas! Very dark in the glass - almost inky black. Nose of vanilla, pepper,blackcurrant, spices and chocolate with a touch of alcohol. Quite thick on the palate - medium tannins but smooth sweet black fruits coming through and a good hint of the alcohol. A good long finish but the oak is coming through quite strong. I prefer the 2005 but willing to give this more time in the bottle to see how it develops. Looks like other people have the same opinion that they prefer the 2005.

3/24/2008 - CAS wrote:

Decanted for an hour. Deep ruby in the glass. Very expressive nose bursting with aromas of spices, blackcurrant, minerals, red fruits leather and all sorts going on here!! Very smooth on the palate and full of complexity. Many things are going on here - medium tannins followed by spicy dark fruits - blackcurrant, slight jaminess, cinnamon and some sweet stewed red fruits followed by a long finish. An excellent Beaucastel - which is sure to become even better as the years go by.

3/24/2008 - CAS wrote:

Dark ruby in the glass. Aromas of dark fruit, spices, coffee and vanilla. Big and bold on the palate with dark fruits, toasted oak and chocolate. Nice long finish - has a few years ahead of it for sure.

12/12/2007 - CAS wrote:

Dark garnet in appearance going rose at the rim. Quite soft on the nose with red berries - strawberry and rasberry with notes of cinnamon and spices. Medium tannins on the palate, elegant and smooth with spicy dark fruits and some minerals on the finish. Nice.

10/13/2007 - CAS wrote:

Dark ruby in appearance. Decanted for 5 hours - nice nose of blackcurrant, vanilla, plum, kirch, some spice and graphite. Grippy tannins on the palate, lots of blackcurrant, cherry, liquorice, tar and a reasonable finish. I would say that with a good decant it's not bad but will get better with some more years.

9/29/2007 - CAS wrote:

Pale straw in the glass - nice nose of flint, minerals, grass, citron and some honey. Very nice in the mouth - it's not sweet but has sweet fruits - pineapple some honey, lemon and lots of minerals. Good acidity and a nice long finish makes this a very good Mersault.

9/28/2007 - CAS wrote:

Medium ruby with some slight ochre at the edges. On the nose I'm getting plenty of ripe red fruits - rasberries & strawberries with some spice and minerals. Nice and silky on the palate - no discernable tannins, good acidity and a good burst of sweet ripe fruits. I'm getting the standard rasberry, spice and some kirsh. It all ends in a nice long finish. Excellent!

9/14/2007 - CAS wrote:

Dense garnet in the glass. The nose is full of sour cherry, tobacco, blueberry and a touch of oak. Nice and smooth on the palate - medium tannins, good fruits mainly with cherry, blackberry and some vanilla. Good lingering finish.

6/30/2007 - CAS wrote:

Deep dark crimson in the glass. Non the nose there is blackberry jam, cassis, pepper, spices and some plum. Lots of dark sweet fruits on the palate, medium tannins and very well matched with the lorry load of dark fruits - cassis, blackberries, coffee, plum and mocca. Very well balanced. My first Dead Arm - two of the 01 left and I will keep them for a few years before popping them. This was a great wine but not as profound as the Amon-Ra or Rusden Chookshed I've had recently.

6/30/2007 - CAS wrote:

Decanted a few hours. Medium to full ruby in appearance at the core and rose at the rim. On the nose I'm getting oak, blackcurrants, forrest floor and some tobacco. Medium tannins on the palate, more balckcurrant some minerals and some savoury elements. Very enjoyable.

6/22/2007 - CAS wrote:

Medium ruby - on the noseit smells very much like a Pinot -summer berries, mainly rasberry, strawberry, some smoke and a hint of leather. Very nice mouthfeel - everything seems to be in balance - nice light tannins, good acidity and a good bundle of light, sweet red fruits. Cranberry, rasberry, strawberry jam and some peppery spice on the finish. Another nice bottle.

6/22/2007 - CAS wrote:

Dense dark ruby in the glass. Nice nose of blueberry, blackberry, tar, creme de cassis and some plum. Very smooth and silky on the palate - medium tannins and well rounded acidity. Bags of dark fruits that match up well with the tannins - sipces, blackcurrant, plum, truffle and some rasin on the finish. Very nice and will get better after a few years.

6/21/2007 - CAS wrote:

Medium garnet in appearance. The main thing I'm getting on the nose is damp earth, mushrooms, cranberries, rasberries and some pepper. Nice fruit and good acidity on the palate. Light tannins with red summer fruits - sweet rasberries, black cherry, strawberry, spices and some black pepper on the fnish. I think this will get better with some age. Very good.

6/16/2007 - CAS wrote:

Opened and left in the bottle for 6 hours. Dark garnet in the glass. Initial scents of leather, cigar smoke, cherry, vanilla and pepper. Nice in the mouth - very smooth - low tannins and good acidity. On the palate I'm getting minerals, dark jammy fruits, blackcurrants, sweet cherry and some chocolate. Nice long finish of sweet blackberry. Excellent.

Note: Very similar to the previous TN by Lorenzo which I did not read to influence my own TN!!

6/16/2007 - CAS wrote:

Left open in the bottle for 5 hours. Medium ruby at the core and going rose at the edge. For me an unusual nose - not fruit driven but there is lots of earthy aromas - damp soil, definite cedar, liquirice and a very hint of cherry. Very smooth and silky on the palate. Refined and elegant - hardly any tannins but again not a lot of fruit but more savoury flavours. A really good older Bordeaux.

6/10/2007 - CAS wrote:

Nice dusky plumb tones in the glass. Nose of rasins, prunes, cherry, summer berries and vanilla. Very smooth on the palate - this wine is 15.5% ABV but this is not apparent on the palate. Plenty of dark sour fruits, chocolate, cinnamon, spice and a good lingering finish of kirsh and plum. Very nice.

6/9/2007 - CAS wrote:

Light golden in appearance - nice nose with apples, orange, minerals, wet stones and some citrus. Plenty of acidity on the palate but matched with the fruit and minerals - this wine goes down very nicely and is particularly good with food. On the palate I can sense apple, melon, cream, lime, minerals and some peach in a nice long finish. Great stuff.

6/8/2007 - CAS wrote:

Decanted for a few hours. Medium ruby in appearance with a very unusual nose of Cloves, nutmeg, spices, dark fruits, vanilla, leather and tobacco. Nice and smooth on the palate - nice tannin structure with spices, blackcurrant, vanilla and smoked sour cherry! Very nice wine with plenty of potential to get better in the bottle.

6/8/2007 - CAS wrote:

Dark plum in the glass - burnt oak, blackcurrant, tobacco and mocca on the nose. Ok mouthfeel - not showing too much fruit or tannin on the initial taste but leading on to notes of plum, cassis, strawberry and some spices. Quite a short finish with some drying tannins on the way down.

6/7/2007 - CAS wrote:

Dark ruby in the glass - nice nose of plum, chocolate, blackberry and spices. Very smooth in the mouth - velvety - medium tannins - lots of plum, cassis, strawberry, blueberry and propped up with good acidity. Great Italian Merlot.

6/2/2007 - CAS wrote:

Medium straw coloured in appearance with slightly less bubbles that the Cristal 1990. Not as yeasty on the nose - slightly muted in comparison, however, it is still a great champagne. Notes of toasted almond, toast, citrus and cream on the nose. Lively acidity with plenty of nuttiness, minerals, butter leading onto some fruits - apple, pear and a good dose of citrus. Nice long finish with nuts, yeast and lemon. Very close second after the Cristal.

6/2/2007 - CAS wrote:

Rich golden in appearance - not too many bubbles. The nose is very complex - yeast, caramel, cream, butter, citrus and some nuts. Never knew a Champagne could smell like this. Wonderful on the palate - nice layers of vanilla, toffee, peach, citrus and a very long finish of lemons. Good acidity and very smooth on the palate - this is a fantastic Champagne.

5/28/2007 - CAS wrote:

Opened it up and tasted it over a few hours. Medium garnet at the core and ochre at the rim. This bottle was in mint condition. Lovely nose - hint of barnyard was very evident ( my mum actually mentioned baby's nappies and she has never heard of this wine before). This led on to eucalyptus, red berries, mocha, herbs and spices. Very complex nose that developed new scents during the evening.

On the palate it was very well balanced - hardly any tannins, good acid and very smooth with lots of ripe fruits, more herbs, gaminess, leather and now onto black fruits. The flavours were amazing and the finish was lingering like an old friend who would not go away.

Wow - a top 5 wine for me - possibly the best after L'Evangile 90.

5/24/2007 - CAS wrote:

Medium garnet in appearance. Nice aromas - vanilla, red berries, tobacco and some cloves. Light tannins on the palate with good acidity and almost velvety mouth feel - good layers of fruit ripe red strawberry, plum and a load of cherry on the finish. Quite a long finish - 45 secs. Excellent Rioja.

5/24/2007 - CAS wrote:

Pale green/golden in the glass. Nice crisp nose of apples, floral, cirtus and some elderflowers. Nice in the mouth - good acidity, some apple, pear and slight minerals and wet stones. Very good QPR white.

5/23/2007 - CAS wrote:

Dark ruby - tart cherry, smoke and some blueberry on the nose. Light dusty tannins, some light cherry and good acids on the palate. Not bad.

5/18/2007 - CAS wrote:

More of the same - nice sweet berry fruits. easy drinking - not complex and not bad at the price.

5/15/2007 - CAS wrote:

Dark purple in the glass - lots of oak, tobacco, plum and cherry on the nose. This follows through to the palate with a good hit of tannins, oak and lots of cherry and plum. Good acidity and some moca on the finish. Great daily drinker.

5/15/2007 - CAS wrote:

Dark purple in the glass the nose was explosive! Lots of dark fruits, tobacco, vanilla wafted from the glass. Very smooth on the palate - smooth tannins and an abundance of fruit with blackcurrant jam, spice, plum and chocolate. Lots of oak is also evident but it is not overpowering but should integrate well after some more bottle time. This is a big rioja bursting with fruit and should be even better in a few years.

5/13/2007 - CAS wrote:

So dark in the glass and thck as treacle. Very expressive nose bursting with no end of fruit including chocolate, cassis, spice and liquorice. Wow - what a wine - the palate is silky smooth with big tannins but they are matched with bigger fruits and it's so complex on the palate I can hardly think where to begin! There is everything in here - spices, vanilla, pepper, cassis, blackcurrant jam, chocolate, mocha, minerals and more. The finish goes on forever - what a satisfying wine.

5/13/2007 - CAS wrote:

Almost black in the glass with an incredible nose of liquorice, pepper, spice, blackberry jam, vanilla and some gaminess. Quite tight at the beginning of the bottle but it soon opened up. Smooth silky tannins and tonnes of sweet dark fruits. Unquestionably a typical aussie fruit bomb - lots of blackcurrant, cherries, vanilla and liquorice. A great finish with a nice coating in the mouth of sweet blackcurrant jam for about 45 seconds. Impressive!

5/13/2007 - CAS wrote:

Dense purple in the glass - big nose of jammy blackcurrant fruits, fire, spices, leather and liquorice. This follows through to the palate with sweet jammy fruits, vanilla, prunes, pepper and a long finish. Very good QPR wine.

5/13/2007 - CAS wrote:

Medium garnet in appearance with a hint of ochre at the rim. Great nose with meat, tobacco, old leather, blackberry, plum and cherry. Nicely balanced on the palate - very silky smooth with lots of dark fruits - blackcurrant, plum, cherry, vanilla and a hint of truffle on the finish. Shame I've not got more of this but I look forward to the 1999 and the 2001.

5/13/2007 - CAS wrote:

Bright medium ruby. Complex nose - lots of leather, cedar, minerals and dark blackcurrant. Very silky on the palate - hardly noticeable tannins - fantastic taste of blackcurrant, cassis, strawberry - very elegant. The fruit just glides around the tongue and ends in a good long finish. Not much experience of older Bordeaux but this is a hit.

5/11/2007 - CAS wrote:

Yep - as good as usual. Have decided to buy another 6 of these as daily drinkers.

5/10/2007 - CAS wrote:

Dark ruby in the glass. Nice notes of blackcurrant, leather, cherry and some tobacco. Full bodied - plenty of tannins and lots of dark fruits dominate the palate - well balanced. It's a big beefy Sangiovese and should age very well for the next 5 or more years.

5/6/2007 - CAS wrote:

Dark plum in appearance - good nose of dark fruits, spice and smoke. Well balanced on the palate with jammy blackcurrants, strawberry and pepper. Very nice CNDP.