2/18/2012 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Dark red in color, not opaque. Red fruit on the nose - also some noticeable alcohol on first whiff that then faded. Can't identify what I'm tasting, unfortunately, but enjoyable all the same. Fairly light mouthfeel, gripping tannins on the back. It's in the decanter now, but I like it.

1/20/2012 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Have to agree with the previous note - damp, rotting earth is all I get on the nose. Really unpleasant. Almost chemical-like on the palate. Not drinkable, in my opinion.

1/4/2012 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Not much fruit on the nose. Spicy on the palate and the finish, nice mouthfeel but minimal tannins. An interesting wine, very different from what we normally drink.

12/15/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Straw yellow in the glass, with citrus on the nose. Bright on the palate, with good mouthfeel and acidity. Really very pleasant - the bottle disappeared quickly!

12/7/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Pop n pour. On the darker end of the spectrum, opaque. Nose full of fruit. A rush of dark fruit on the palate, really nice body, with smooth tannins on the finish. Really great QPR, would definitely buy again.

11/28/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

More purple than red, and inky. Earth, must, spice, and black fruit on the nose. Medium body, with spice, earth, and a tannic dryness predominant. Very different from what I usually drink. Not sure if I would buy again.

11/20/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Dark red in color, dark fruit on the nose, but tight and tart on the palate. Lingering, bitter finish. Will report back if it improves.

11/19/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Bright red in color. Red fruit and spice on the nose, tartness and acidity most noticeable on the front and back palate, with minimal tannins and some heat on the finish.

11/13/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Big black fruit on the nose. Powerful acidity and deep dark fruit on the palate, nice tannins on the finish. Definitely a bit oaky on the finish, but (at first taste) this is a nice wine. Happy with the purchase.

11/7/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Bright red in the glass, not inky at all. Really nice nose - I actually thought raspberry, of all things, and then something floral. Bright, tart fruit on the front, some tannins mid-palate, and then a peppery finish. I'm surprised to say it, but I think this is definitely better than the 2008 version (which was a very different blend). Very pleased.

10/30/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Pop and pour. Bright red, clear in color. Strawberries predominant on the nose, a whiff of alcohol. Strong acidity on the front, red fruit, and a very pleasant spiciness on the back palate. Tannins noticeable on the finish. At first blush, this is good stuff. Quite pleased with the impulse buy.

9/12/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Note: definitely improved with decanting. Musty on the nose, with fruit behind. Powerful acidity on the palate, with tannins that have integrated pretty well. Well-made and tasty, but dubious QPR to me all the same.

8/13/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Agree with the more effusive note below. Spice and earth on the nose for me, though. On the palate, really pleasant mouthfeel, nice tannins, and a finish that sticks to your tongue. Some dust there, perhaps, and nice tartness. Great value, IMO.

8/8/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

I don't give numeric reviews anymore, but this wine is awful. The nose is musty, smells almost of decay. The palate is just... gross, honestly, and difficult to describe. I'm assuming this was defective, but I'm not sure. Just yech.

7/26/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Pop and pour. Dark, spicy nose, maybe a bit of alcohol. Dark purple in the glass, but not inky. Big fruit on the palate, smooth mouthfeel, with noticeable tannins and oak on the finish. I like this bottle than the first one I opened...

7/25/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Garnet color, very appealing. Bright nose of red fruit and spice. Tart on the palate, more spice, a touch of heat on the finish. Tannins are a little strong but make for a nice mouthfeel. I like this.

7/19/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Decanted. First impressions: Deeper, darker color than I had expected. No nose, maybe too cold. Nice mouthfeel, smooth tannins, spice on the finish. Later: Warmer now, more spice on the nose. Slightly tart on the front palate. Tannins still smooth, but more spice, fruit, and heat on the finish, which is now noticeably longer. I don't usually like syrah, but this is growing on me.

7/16/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Wine tasting party! Decanted for three hours before serving, totally bamboozled the group. General opinion was that the wine is well-made but really caters to a certain palate. I think this needs years more in the bottle.

7/16/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Wine tasting party! Our fourth bottle, this was obviously a relatively young, fruit-forward California cab, and was appreciated as such. A bit too expensive IMO.

7/16/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Wine tasting party! Our third bottle and another crowd-favorite, with an earthiness on the nose that felt varietally correct and allowed nearly everyone to make a quick identification. Another good buy at 22.50/bottle.

7/16/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Wine tasting party! Our first bottle, this was quite popular. Not quite as grassy / herbacious on the nose and palate as my previous bottle, but definitely a good buy.

7/16/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Wine tasting party! This was a crowd-favorite, true to the varietal, and readily identified by everyone. Golden in the glass, really fragrant nose, but pleasantly dry on the palate. Good finish. Absolutely would buy again.

7/13/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Bottle #2, this time drunk in the quiet of home - and the reason that I didn't keep notes for the previous bottle becomes apparent. No nose, no fruit on the palate, thin mouthfeel, no acidity to speak of, and a short, bitter finish. Whether a sub-par wine or simply one past its prime, this is a serious disappointment. A really poor example of SB.

6/20/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Brought to dinner. Potent orange flavors, not too appealing.

6/20/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Brought to BBQ - not remarkable, no notes available.

6/16/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Significant crystal formation in the neck. Ruby in color, clear. Pleasant nose, definitely something herbal, reminds me of massage oil, oddly enough. Silky on the palate, nice mouthfeel, with some spice and heat on the end - fortunately some air dispelled the heat, which initially was too much. I don't have that much PN experience, but I do like this.

6/8/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Perfect quaffer for a warm, lazy summer afternoon. Consistent with prior note.

6/5/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Drank with friends, pop and pour. No notes, but the most striking element was a tartness that slowly faded with air. Recommend decanting.

6/5/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Sangria. Yum.

5/24/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Consistent with prior note. A bit more tartness and heat on this bottle - the remainder is in the decanter now.

5/23/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Consumed with dinner at a restaurant. All five of us - from neophyte to aficionado - enjoyed this. My impressions: rich with smooth tannins and a great finish.

5/20/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Purple with red edges. Clear. Blackberries and some alcohol on the nose. Clean on the palate, though, with black fruit predominant. Gripping tannins, nice acidity, some bitterness on the finish. Insane QPR.

5/19/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Red/purple in color, red edges. Red fruit overwhelmed by alcohol on the nose initially. First sip - fruity, acidic, with some spice and heat on the finish. Into the decanter...

5/17/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Pale, no sediment. I also noticed floral notes on the nose, nice fruit without too much acid on the palate. No noticeable MLF or oak, at least not for me. Very pleasant.

5/16/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

No notes but enjoyed it.

5/15/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Limited notes. Dark red in color, didn't notice any bricking. Sediment present. Nice nose and red fruit on the palate, but I didn't pick up much in the way of secondary flavors. Round tannins on the finish, which was long and pleasant. I'll hold the next bottle for a while.

5/10/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Consistent with others' notes - light straw color with a hint of green. The nose is really something - it smelled "green", in a good way. Nice fruit on the palate, good body, with some acidity on the end. Really nice, wish I'd bought more.

5/9/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Bright red color, with a very pleasant bouquet that I can't identify. Red fruit on the palate, delicate as others have mentioned, no earthiness. Pleasant but not as complex as I expected.

5/2/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Ruby in color, red edges, transparent. Cherries, but sweeter, on the nose. Light-/medium-mouthfeel, not as tart as the previous bottle, some nice oak notes. This is a pleasant quaffer - it doesn't blow my socks off, but I'm enjoying it.

4/30/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Not consistent with prior notes. No bouquet, increased acidity, lighter mouthfeel, generally lacking personality. Bad bottle?

4/28/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Deep red in color, red fruit on the palate, noticeable tannins, nice acidity. Heat on the finish, though. Decanting seems like a good idea.

4/25/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Consistent with prior note. Tart without being sour, spicy but not hot, and just a really pleasant quaffer. I would totally buy this again.

4/21/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Bright nose. Very fruity on the palate - loads of red fruit. Raspberry seems like a good description. A bit of tartness in the middle, nice mouthfeel, minimal tannins, with some mild heat, not unpleasant, on the finish. Another good quaffer.

4/19/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Dark red, red edges, transparent. Red fruit on the nose, initial impression on the palate is tartness. Medium body in the mouth, in line with my expectations for a merlot. There's a pleasant spiciness on the mid palate, with some bitterness (oak?) on the finish. Seems like a nice quaffer.

4/17/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Beautiful dark color but still transparent. Funky, herbacious nose that surprised me. The initial mouthfeel was thin, but oddly enough it rounded out after a few hours of airtime. More earth than fruit on the palate, with a bit of sourness, not unpleasant, on the finish, with increasingly noticeable tannins. My first impression of this wine was negative, but it grew on me as the night progressed. Definitely good for the price point.

4/15/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Red in color, transparent. Cherries on the nose and bright on the palate, with some acidity. Medium mouthfeel and smooth, with a finish that was longer than I expected, and pleasantly noticeable tannins. Not what I expected, honestly, but pleasant enough all the same.

4/5/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

I really like this stuff. A pleasant bouquet, even when quite cold, and a full body on the palate with pleasant acidity and a smooth finish. A really nice value wine that I would definitely buy again.

3/29/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Red in color, slightly darker than I expected. Not opaque. Red fruit (cherry) on the nose. My palate was shocked initially by the tartness and acidity, but that receded and left behind a really interesting combination of flavors. I think other notes' mentions of cola and vanilla on the finish are right on, along with some spice and tannins to complete the finish. I like this wine but would likely not buy it at retail price.

3/20/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Purple, not quite opaque. Restrained nose. Dark fruit on the palate, tannins and slight bitterness on the finish, even after decanting. I think I'm going to wait until 2013 to open another.

3/16/2011 - michaelflynnca wrote:

Ruby color. Pleasant bouquet, with red fruit on the palate. Nice acidity and tannins, with a peppery finish. Good QPR.