10/24/2021 - Jonnysul Likes this wine:

Not sure I understand the other rating I thought this bottle was fantastic. Great structure, well integrated tannins, big flavor but some surprising elegance, and for the under $20 price point the QPV is exceptional.

9/10/2020 - Jonnysul wrote:

I was excited to try this given a great vintage and a few great reviews here. I found it to be pretty boring, very muted and singular, short on the finish, not complex. Maybe the 2nd bottle will be better.

8/5/2017 - Jonnysul wrote:

I had higher hopes for this wine based on the reviews of the few that tasted this wine previously on CT. The wine starts extremely light, over ripe fruit, light cherry and vanilla, light oak, lacks body and structure to be a 90+ point wine. It does get better after being open an hour or so, but overall many better wines in this price point.

6/27/2017 - Jonnysul wrote:

Great nose, dark fruit, well structured and balanced, very enjoyable. Good value for less than $50.

10/5/2016 - Jonnysul wrote:

Pretty good, but drinking inconsistently, beware of corked bottles, have had a few that were soaked more than half way through which certainly changed the dynamic of the wine. Drink now for sure.

10/5/2016 - Jonnysul wrote:

Pretty good overall, some nice flavor and fruit, pretty light, not very characteristic or interesting but good daily drinker, good QPR.

6/30/2016 - Jonnysul wrote:

Needs 3-4 hours to breathe, huge wine that has a wonderful nose, hangs on forever, great structure, firm tannins, will develop nicely and be drinking even better in 5-7 years.

4/9/2016 - Jonnysul wrote:

Very enjoyable, love the blend of 50/50 Monastrell and Syrah, medium tannins, well balanced, awesome QPR!!

2/19/2016 - Jonnysul wrote:

Amazing bottle, fantastic structure, youthful tannins create some very interesting and exciting flavors. Hints of vanilla, blackberry, light tobacco, beautiful. Will be even better after a few years.

10/3/2015 - Jonnysul wrote:

I typically like Shiraz quite a bit, not sure the Amarone style making of this wine really appeals to me, came off very fruity, almost a bit port like. Overall, big fruity wine with biting tannins that were not all that refined or elegant.

8/1/2015 - Jonnysul wrote:

Bright, sweet fruit on the front, very smooth and enjoyable, good tannic structure unheard of in this price range, great finish for a $12 wine, hard to beat the QPV on this one.

2/12/2015 - Jonnysul wrote:

Beautifully balanced and blended, very enjoyable, medium tannins, good finish, deep purple plum, fresh fruit, great for under $30.

1/25/2015 - Jonnysul wrote:

Extremely tight on first glass, but beautiful complexity and structure with a nice, long finish. Don't make the mistake of judging this wine until you have let it breathe for 3-4 hours. Will lay down nicely, be better in 3-4 years.

1/25/2015 - Jonnysul wrote:

Absolutely delicious, drinking wonderfully now but will also lay down for awhile. One of my favorites I've tasted in the 2012 vintage to date.

1/25/2015 - Jonnysul wrote:

Deep purple velvet, big fruit that explodes up front and hangs on for a long time working through the background of vanilla and oak. Beautiful wine, amazing QPV. Bought a case after drinking one bottle.

1/25/2015 - Jonnysul wrote:

Definitely not your grandfather's Merlot, this is a knock your socks off big, bold Merlot consistent with other Mollydooker wines. Lacks a bit of finesse but a good wine nonetheless.

12/22/2014 - Jonnysul wrote:

I am a Hall fan but very disappointed in this vintage. I have drank other 2012 Cabernet's and have really enjoyed them. Not sure what Hall did here but this wine has a cheap nose, is very flat and linear and has little tannic structure. Bummed...wouldn't pay more than $20 for the quality they put out here.

11/26/2014 - Jonnysul wrote:

Past it's prime, full of dust and earth and losing all of it's characteristics. Shouldn't have trusted the rep on this recommendation.

8/30/2014 - Jonnysul wrote:

Wow, pure silk and velvet, beautiful tannins that last forever, still has plenty of life to go, exceptional wine.

8/23/2014 - Jonnysul wrote:

Amazing QPR, not long or complex, but good fruit and not overly sweet, very smooth.

5/3/2014 - Jonnysul wrote:

Very enjoyable, nice tannic structure and medium length for the price point. Great QPV!

4/23/2014 - Jonnysul wrote:

Smooth, light bodies, easy drinking Pinot. Nothing overly exciting but pretty good for less than $20.

2/16/2014 - Jonnysul wrote:

Really enjoyed this paired with a nice NY strip. Fantastic QPV, great nose, cherry plum, pencil shavings, relatively linear but finishes easy, will buy more for under $20.

2/8/2014 - Jonnysul wrote:

Best yet, unfortunately last of my stock.

2/7/2014 - Jonnysul wrote:

After an hour, fantastic wine. Lots of body and structure. Hint of vanilla, light cherry, great finish and lots of room to develop over the next 5-10 years. Going back to buy more.

1/16/2014 - Jonnysul wrote:

Light tannic structure, slight cherry currant, easy to drink but very one dimensional and somewhat unexciting.

11/28/2013 - Jonnysul wrote:

Decent table wine, nicely balanced, not a big cabernet but great for everyday drinking, full of cherry, short finish. Good QPV for under $19.

11/28/2013 - Jonnysul wrote:

I am not a huge Pinot fan, but this was exceptional for the price. Definitely less fruit and more complexity and balance than most Pinot's under $20. It was a little hot, acidic to drink bit paired very well with our Thanksgiving meal.

9/28/2013 - Jonnysul wrote:

Really enjoyed this wine, nice all the way through, good finish, ripe red raspberries. A great buy for $35.

7/13/2013 - Jonnysul Likes this wine:

Tried at Wine Experience with a nice filet, very nice well balanced wine, not overly potent, but easy drinking and enjoyable, great fruit blend. Quite a bargain at under $20.

5/15/2013 - Jonnysul Likes this wine:

Very nice overall, earthy California red, smooth and well balanced but finishes short and lacks the character that the bigger bolder Chimney Rock wines produce.

2/15/2013 - Jonnysul wrote:

Really opened up after 45 minutes, had nice structure, length and balance for a $20 bottle of wine, great QPV.

11/17/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

I have been looking all over to stock up on the 2007 Artesa Elements Cabernet which is the best wine under $15 on the market and accidentally grabbed a handful of these in the mix. I had tried the 2007 Artesa Elements Red wine and didn't really like it but the 2008 is much better. Again, a great buy for around $15, this wine is very enjoyable to drink and a great choice for events.

11/17/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

Was actually very surprised. I am not much of a Zin fan but found this very enjoyable to drink especially when paired with a nice Italian dish and even pizza. Great QPV for under $15.

11/17/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

I loved this wine!! Paired with a nice new york strip, this wine was fantastic from start to finish, just enough oak for me, nice fruit but not so much so that the rest of the elements of the wine were underwhelmed. So glad I bought all 5 the wine store had left in stock.

10/14/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

Not only do I love the Mollydooker label, but this is a very unusual and exciting wine for the price. Has a solid hit on the front of the wine with lots of fruit but enough oak and tannin structure that it balances out nicely. The wine ends quickly, but is smooth throughout.

10/14/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

I am not a Zinfandel fan, but this was actually pretty good, decent balance, easy tannins, and a great overall value. will buy again at $15.

10/14/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

Nice, easy drinking Bordeaux, very smooth, but lack the complexity and structure of a 90+ wine. Great QPV for less than $25.

10/4/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

Tangy, ripe cherries, slightly bitter and somewhat unexciting, but easy to drink, would pair nicely with Italian dishes.

8/23/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

Ripe fruit, short in length, decent structure, but overall pretty boring.

8/19/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

Hints of vanilla, elegant, good complexity and structure, medium length, nice wine.

8/19/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

Very enjoyable easy drinking Bordeaux. A little light on the tannins and alcohol content coming through, the fruit comes through a bit too strong and leaves me wanting more. Will likely not age well for long, but enjoyable to drink now. I saw one note from another reviewer that had decanted for 4 hours and found it to be a bit bigger and bolder so maybe I will give that a go next time.

8/19/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

It's all there, full bodied with great structure, one of my favorites as far as big, bold Cabernets go.

8/19/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

Last of the batch and still haven't found anything I like better for $15.

8/3/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

Quite good, tannic enough to pair with a good steak, fruity but balanced and medium length. Not bad for around $16. Would buy again.

7/14/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

Not your typical Cabernet but pretty good for a Colorado wine. On the nose, almost more like a Zin, great body and length, paired with pork chops, nice!!

5/19/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

Quite good, nice length and adequate structure, just enough fruit on the front to make it very enjoyable, nice for 25-30 bucks.

4/18/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

Excellent, great body and structure, primarily Cabernet, lovely overall wine.

3/27/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

Quite enjoyable, good fruit on the front, smooth but short finish, not a bad buy for $15.

3/21/2012 - Jonnysul wrote:

Very disappointing in my mind for Joseph Phelps. I was expecting it to be much better, quite bitter as it finishes, clumsily balanced, just really not good for a winemaker of this caliber.