5/4/2014 - dave_from_MD wrote:

05/05/14 - There were strong notes of tart pear and apple with this wine that I had not noted before. It could be that it had been in my cellar for over a year, but it was definitely unexpected.

2/8/2014 - dave_from_MD wrote:

What an absolutely beautiful nose of strawberries and cherries! It's a light body wine, but it has mouth watering acidity well balanced by the fresh fruit and a lightly tannic backbone! It has a medium finish that tails off with a bit of minerality. At $23, it's a great bargain.

1/1/2014 - dave_from_MD wrote:

Very good Sangiovese blend. At $14.99, an excellent QPR. Worth buying more.

1/1/2014 - dave_from_MD wrote:

Nothing remarkable about this Rhone GSM, but it was rich and tasty. I liked it more when it was right out of the cellar and still cool (55F - 65F) and tight. As it warmed up, the oak notes began to appear which, for me, tend to diminish its freshness.

1/1/2014 - dave_from_MD wrote:

This was a very good wine. The balance was superb and, unlike most American Chardonnays, it wasn't over-oaked, but just enough to add a smooth, silky texture over the fresh fruit.

8/24/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

Although a simple wine, it is rich, fruity and delicious. It's acidity tightens the wine up nicely and the light tannins make it an easy drinker even on a summer day. It would go great with burgers, but don't take that as meaning it's a cheap guzzler. Definitely worth buying more.

8/17/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

08/17/13 - Floral and herbal notes. Bright and refreshing acidity well balanced with fruit. Tannins provide good structure without being overwhelming. Nice medium finish. Good QPR. Will buy again.

8/10/2013 - dave_from_MD Likes this wine:

Typical Barbaresco floral nose and clear, bright red color. Fresh, light red fruit flavors with absolutely wonderful mouthwatering acidity. Long, tasty finish. I don't get the oak that others noted, but then again, I don't expect to with a traditional Barbaresco.

6/7/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

06/07/13 - This wine has a pronounced yet pleasant earthy nose that is reflected in the taste. Medium body, subtle tannins, nice sour cherry fruit and mouth watering acidity. Decent finish. Great wine.

6/7/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

06/07/13 - Compared to the '07, this wine is a bit more tannic and the fruit is a touch more rich. It shares the same body, acidity and lasting finish.

6/6/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

06/07/13 - Even after another year, this is still a good wine. The acidity and subdued, but supporting tannic structure allows this wine stand up well on its own even without food. The fruit is still rich and there's still a hint a vanilla.

I have 4 bottles of the 2009. I hope they're as good.

5/28/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

05/28/13 - Medium bodied. Lightly oaked. Balanced acidity. Apricot. Medium spicy finish on the tongue. I'm not a fan of New World chardonnays, but this one is very good and worth buying again.

4/21/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

04/21/13 - Very aromatic. Notes of cinnamon and licorice. Berry fruit. Good acidity for food. No tannin. Some sediment.

4/20/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

04/20/13 - Medium/full body. Fruit forward. Fresh acidity. Not tannic at all. A bit too much oak, but not bad.

08/14/13 - It's interesting that I said "Not tannic at all" in my last review, because that's certainly not the case this time. It could be that I've been drinking a lot of nice Italian wines recently which haven't been tannic so this one appears to be by comparison.

4/20/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

04/20/13 - Oddly enough, this wine was destined to because the base of a sangria that we were making, but when we tasted it, we decided that it was good enough to stand alone. Not a complicated wine, but it was rich and fruity although I'll say it was a little over-oaked. Worth buying again.

3/31/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

03/31/13 - This was a very good wine. Rich and fruity. Refreshing acidity with light tannins. Typical zin pepper, but a bit more in the background which was very pleasant. Worth buying more.

3/31/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

03/31/13 - The only tasting note I scribbled down on this wine was "smokey" which probably meant I wished it wasn't so pronounced. Nothing else of value to report.

3/31/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

Beautiful floral bouquet. Ruby red. Strawberries and red fruit. Excellent accompaniment to a grilled flank steak.

3/31/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

Medium/Full, fruity Grenache/Syrah blend. The acidity is refreshing. Tannins are very light. Not a complex wine, but a good accompaniment to food. A good wine at a good price.

3/2/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

Palate of tropical fruit, peach and apricot. Used it in a cod dish with lemon, tomato and basil and it then made a perfect drink match.

3/1/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

Notes of leather, cedar and herbs. On the palate the herbs and chocolate lead the way with solid dark fruit background. The acidity is fresh and tannins are light but add a balanced tautness. I really like this wine. It's a regular in my cellar

2/24/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

A simple but delicious wine with a good QPR at 15.99. On opening there was an interesting menthol note. This is a light bodied wine, with a slight tannic, but not astringent, backbone. Worth buying again.

2/22/2013 - dave_from_MD wrote:

A quaffable (if that is indeed a word) light-bodied, tannin-free fruity wine. Aroma of chocolate-covered cherries. Refreshing acidity.

12/26/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

12/26/12 - Straight out of my 55F cellar this wine had a nice nose of coconut and perhaps mint. As it warmed, the oakiness began to dominate and the fruit was pushed to the background. It's pleasant enough, but more of the merlot grape needs to shine through.

12/24/2012 - dave_from_MD Likes this wine:

12/24/12 - A tasty, rich GSM but with a pleasant mineral finish.

12/24/2012 - dave_from_MD Likes this wine:

12/24/12 - This wine is a nice break from the straight-up, all-Shiraz 'Dookers like The Boxer. The merlot gives a the wine a refreshing acidity while still retaining much of the shiraz's richness.

11/25/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

I don't know if it really reflects the characteristics of its Barolo and Barbaresco heritage, but it's a nice wine. It's darker than its ruby red cousins. Pronounced licorice on both the nose and palate. Fruit is more on the dark side. Medium body and refreshing acidity. Tannin-free. Short finish.

9/20/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

It's been a while since I finished this bottle, but I do remember liking it. It was a nice, bright red, aromatic Barolo, tasting of strawberries. I'll provide better notes when I open the second bottle.

9/20/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

Ruby red. Aromatic. Fruity, raspberry. A bit tannic but with balanced acidity. Medium finish.

9/5/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

Mineral and apple nose which is reflected on the palate. The body is smooth and a bit spicy, but with a refreshing acidity in balance. A rather nice wine for $9.

8/12/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

08/12/12 - Aromatic black currant. Medium body, soft tannins and balanced acidity. Black current and blackberry on the palate with a little oaky spiciness.

8/5/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

08/05/12 - Mineral nose. Medium-light body. Green apple. Mouth-watering acidity.

7/8/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

07/08/12 - I wish I could remember more about this wine other than it was very good and had an ever so slight spritz to it. Definitely need to buy more.

7/8/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

07/08/12 - Light and crisp. Think of unsweeted lemon meringue pie filling. A nice Summer wine.

7/8/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

07/08/12 - Light and refreshing. Lemon-lime. Very nice.

6/18/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

06/18/12 - Perfumed, dark cherry nose. Sour cherry, spice...maybe a little vanilla. Acidity is high...tannins are low. Light body. Short finish.

6/6/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

A simple, garnet red wine. Lacks the aromatics of a Barolo or Barbaresco, but the taste is a pleasant light strawberry. Tannins are very light, but the acidity is refreshing making it a good match with food.

6/6/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

We drank this wine in Barolo while on vacation. We had it with traditional Piedmontese food (carne cruda, vitello tonnato) and it was excellent. It was described to me as being of the "modern" style, meaning aged in French oak, but to me it seemed to be little more rich in fruit, but less aromatic, at least the floral accents, than the "traditional" Barolos we tried.

5/30/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

It's amazing to me how Mollydooker can start with any varietal and turn it into "jelly in a bottle". Nearly opaque purple color. Dark cherry, black berry, prune.

5/23/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

My last tasting compared this to a NZ Sauvignon Blanc, but I take it back. Lemon is the predominant fruit...think tart lemon merangue pie filling.

5/23/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

Simple, dry and refreshing. Notes of green apple. No honey that I come to expect in a Riesling.

5/20/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

My previous notes on this wine do not do it justice. This is a delicious wine with an intriguing, herbal/cedar perhaps even smoky note. The color is a brick red. It was a great complement to stuffed zucchini with tomato sauce. Definitely worth buying more

5/17/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

Medium bodied, spicy but not over-oaked. Could use a little more fresh fruit...maybe some apple. Yellow color. Creamy finish.

5/13/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

Color tending toward purple. Nose is more herbal or earthy than fruity. Medium body. Blackberry fruit and spice. High acidity with very light tannins that linger into a nice finish.

5/6/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

2nd bottle did not possess the "wet dog" aroma of the first. Well, at least not soon after being opened and probably in the mid 60's in temperature after being in the cellar. Very little nose on this bottle. Light body, freshly acidic with light, quickly disapating tannins. Fruit is simple and light and perhaps best described as cherry. The finish is spicy. Overall a good, everyday wine.

5/5/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

- Crimsom color - Dark sweet cherries with a touch of spice. Medium body. Refreshing acidity. Nearly tannin free.

5/5/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

- Garnet color - Dark and delicious. Think a Loire Valley GSM. Refreshing acidity with a light but from tannic backbone. The finish is short and spicy. Generally not a complex wine, but certainly one to buy again.

5/4/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

Dark purple. Dark fruit and mint(?) nose. Medium bodied. Balanced tannins and acidity. Dark fruit with an extended spicy finish. Brief tannic peak mid-palate.

5/4/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

- Garnet color - Light non-aromatic nose. Medium body. Dark cherry...maybe plum. Medium-long spicy, tannic finish. Acidity tend to sourness as opposed to freshness.

5/2/2012 - dave_from_MD wrote:

This wine had aroma that I couldn't describe any other way than "wet dog". The taste, however, didn't relfect that. It was a brief blast of dark cherries and pepper with a short finish. Mild tannins with balanced acidity.