6/30/2014 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Sorry about your luck Wine Canuck as this is big and complex. Lots of stewed cherry, cola, and spice. Very new world and more '09 if you know what I mean. Time will tell but there's very good acidity and lots going on. Should be fun to watch over the next 6-8 yrs.

5/10/2014 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Classic! Very complex, couldn't put it down. Starting to sing with notes of dried fruit, nuts, brioche, etc etc. Doms get quite oxidative when they are older and this is showing that perfect middle ground. Open but with lots of acidity and mousse. Highly recommended for that special celebration.

7/5/2013 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Over the last 6 months, this has turned into a real jewel of a wine. Great Tuscan character that punches way above it's price point. Highly recommended.

7/5/2013 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Deep purple with an explosive nose that screams tuscany... Such a sense of place in this wine. Grilled herbs, sweet tobacco, dark cherry, blueberry, etc etc. A big wine with ample acidity and silky tannins that are so enjoyable to me. Wish I had a case or 3..

2/17/2013 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Here's one for bottle variation. Didn't drink much better than a cava.

2/17/2013 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Deep, inky, teeth staining concentration. The merlot is more prominent at this time but there's a great depth and complexity here. A few yrs will look towards better integration and that lofty 97pts awarded by WS.

2/16/2013 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Really starting to strut it's stuff and considerable more open than a yr ago. Cherry, sweet tobacco, violets, tar.. its all here with great balance. Gum drying tannins typical of this style and very enjoyable.

2/9/2013 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Nice juicy CCR. Deep ruby/purple with ripe fruit, leather and a touch of spice with soft tannings. Great balance - hard to put down as its drinking so well right now.

2/9/2013 - PatrickinKW wrote:

3rd bottle - Solid performer at this price point.

2/9/2013 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Deep ruby, big ripe fruit forward nose showing cherry, plums, cocoa, spice, and a touch of butterscotch. Obviously showing the heat of the vintage and seemed a little hot for the 13% alc. noted on the label. Could have easily been mistaken for a Cali Pinot. A bit on the fat side for sure but with no obvious signs of age.

1/18/2013 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Bam! right after opening this was singing. Very tuscan (tobaaco,leather, earth) over a great merlot frame of dark plums and spice. This is really rocking right now and there's still tons of structure and tannins to take it on a long journey. Gorgeous!.

1/1/2013 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Nice aged vintage port but a touch hot and simplistic. No where close to the '94. Has a big minty streak which is a bit unusual

1/1/2013 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Purchased at the winery. Deep purple with the nose exploding with blackberry, black plums, and a touch of black olive. Drinking will now with fine tannins and a nice acidic backbone.

1/1/2013 - PatrickinKW wrote:

From the moment I popped the cork I knew this was going to be something special. Notes of yeasty bread dough emerged from the bottle even before it was poured. In the glass I was met with an ultrafine mousse and typically Bollinger notes of ginger, pineapple, toasted almond, and fresh baked brioche. The palate was also outstanding and while the viscosity of the mousse coated my palate the nutty, doughy, and fruity notes aroused the senses. One note for those about to open one, don’t drink this too cold; I found different temperatures brought out different characteristics which is always fun and interesting. Also, i would recommend a wider glass than a typical champagne flute to enjoy the full aromatic experience.

12/9/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Corked

11/26/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Deep ruby to purple, not giving up much at this point. After a gentle decant things started to flesh out around hour 3. Very fine and feminine and a real joy to drink. I would say another 3 yrs for it to move out of it's dumb phase.

11/23/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Ruby red with the typical bricking at the rim. Big nose - showing well although I found it rather monolithic with mostly cherry liquor and the typical nebbiolo tar. Considering the pedigree, I was hoping for some nice floral notes and a bit of spice on the palate.

11/17/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Very primary, lots of fruit and surprisingly, not as much acidity as I was expecting. Decent Dolcetto but not for the price.

11/17/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Deeply colored but the nose was somewhat one dimensional as there was this note of barrel toast that got in the way of everything else. Bottle variation or not enough fruit to stand up to the oak treatment? Time will tell.

11/8/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

4th from a 6 pack - some bottle variation but this was the best yet. Deep ruby with a cherry drop, rose blossom, and tarry nose. Very pretty/feminine and reminds me of nice forward style burgundy.

11/1/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

3rd bottle. Very consistant.

10/28/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

A little flabby and too much oak for a white burg. Even though this was on sale I'm not getting any more.

10/28/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Similar color to the last bottle with slightly more character on the nose and palate, actually the nose is pretty good this time. Decent attack but it falls away fast in the middle with an average finish. Overall, quite disappointing considering the vintage and bottling.

10/19/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Very deep ruby, almost purple. Right from opening it has an explosive nose of Kirsch, raw meat, bramble, over-ripe figs.... Still very primary (no surprise) and modern in style with the secondary flavours just poking through. Tannins are very apparent but they cant hold up against the huge, ripe, fruit. This is a big wine and requires big food and should be interesting to follow.

10/12/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Beautiful young Sangiovese profile - cherry and blueberry with a touch of leather and grilled herbs nodding towards a fine understated Brunello profile. Impeccable balance and a fine structure. 92 pts with a significant upside. I think the 2017+ drinking window is a bit much as this is showing so well right now. I'd say 2014+ unless there's a close-down phase in it's future.

10/8/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Deep ruby robe, almost purple with the typical Brunello bricking at the rim. Dark cherry, leather, and grilled herbs. This baby has tons of structure and is a bit disjointed at the moment which is expected but if I was to guess, it should be singing in 5 yrs or so. Great potential and decent QPR.

10/7/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Much different that the last note. Still has gobs of mocha/coffee (from the oak treatment?) that never really subsided and the fruit never really appeared. Rather monolithic and uninteresting. Not a good weekend for wine for me.

10/7/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Ruby red with a slight bricking at the rim. I had high hopes for this as I tasted on release. Maybe just an off bottle but this didn't impress at all. There was good character in the distance but not much of a mid palate and finish. 2 to go, hope they fare better.

10/7/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Corked. Really bad TCA.

10/5/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Maturing nicely. Deep ruby robe, not much bricking at the rim. Nose of cherry, beetroot, earth, and a slight green note (stewed celery) developing later. Great balance and a huge pleasure to drink. Could use a touch more complexity but pretty darn nice! Drink up as it started to decline after 2 hours of air.

9/3/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Deep purple, inky... Big fruit forward nose with lots of mocha and dark fruit. No sense of place like the '07 (tuscan grilled herbs, leather, etc). Tastes like a cheap over worked new world cab/merlot blend. To bad.

9/3/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

To echo Krugman, I was overwhelmed by the creaminess of the mousse. Yes, its still a baby, but shows great character and finesse. cookie dough, biscuit, lemon curd, and a touch of nuttiness. Simply amazing PQR so stock up as this a small production.

6/1/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Pale yellow with a robust nose of green apple, peach, and grapefruit. Nice acidity and structure with a touch of minerality on the finish. Recommended.

5/4/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

This is already displaying some attractive secondary notes and flavours along with typical beetroot, dark cherry, and slight saline component.

4/28/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Quite a bit darker than typical with a nose that jumps from the glass with notes of cherry, leather, and spice. Nice repeat on the palate with the ample tannins doing there best to hide whats to come. High potential to be classic in 5 - 10 yrs. Fantastic value.

4/18/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Deep ruby with purple flecks... Big nose of ripe cherry, flowers, and a touch of leather. Nice balance on the palate (not a big typical acidity bomb) at first but as time progressed, the fruit dominated leaving the result a bit flabby. Great complexity for a simple varietal, good and consistent lenght but too bad on how it ended up. This could have been 93 pts if it held up. Note: There was a bit of sediment on the last pour.

4/8/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Great nose, watery palate. Not a re-buy

4/8/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Dark purple robe, big nose of tobacco, ripe dark fruit, tar, and sandlewood. On the palate the attack is hard and fast then it slows down a bit throught the middle and on to a decent finish. Stucture wise I found this a bit over the top. The sweet tannins and minimal acidity didn't do a very good job of holding up the fruit which in summary I'd say it was a bit too fruit forward and flabby. Unfortunate as there was great complexity here. I dont get RP's 93+, not even close.

4/5/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

2nd bottle, no signs of TCA. Light yellow, sparkly. Great typicity with notes of honey, pear nectar, flowers, and wet stones. Decent intensity and nicely balanced. Rather delicate for this cuvee.

4/3/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Ruby red, nice typical nose of cherry, beetroot, spice, and a touch of minerality. Nice replay on the palate although the finish is a bit clipped. Great QPR for a single vinyard 1er Beaune.

4/1/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Corked: Wet paper/cardboard notes, even the cork stunk of it. Too bad as there was some really nice Mosel character under all that.

3/22/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

This is the most consistent cuvee I've tasted in a long time (3rd bttle). Still quite primary but very expressive, somewhat of an oddity for 2004. Cant keep my hands off it.

3/17/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Just starting to hit its drinking window as the tertiary flavours are starting to appear. Popped and poured; found this quite delicious! I wonder how much the synthetic cork will affect the aging process.....

3/17/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Considering it's age, it's still a touch disjointed. Big flavours with the fresh tobacco and dark cherries in the forefront. Good minerality, acidity, and tannins that are starting to resolve. Needs a few more years to pull together but it's on the right track.

3/16/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Deep purple with a forward nose of fresh tobacco and plums. Big repeat on the palate as this was singing upon opening. Decent acidity and well integrated tannins but it fell apart with about 4 hours of air. Textbook Margaux character just too bad the structure wasnt there. Still a good buy tho and nice pop and pour.

3/15/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Light gold, odd spicy nose with dark stonefruit, roasted nuts, and a sour green note. Too different in style for me to be completely objective but it needs robust food to be enjoyable.

3/1/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Now this is different. Light gold, lighter in color than the other '07s I have. Big tropical nose of coconut, pineapple, and orange marmalade with a full replay on the palate. Quite light on it's feet with lots of acidity and needs time to fill out. Delicious!

2/28/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

This bottle was much better. Deeply colored with a nice tuscan nose of dark fruit, spice, leather, etc.

2/26/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Great color, aromas of buscuit, straw, honey, and a touch of fruit. A bit singular and it could use a bit more acidity.

2/24/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote:

Light ruby, a bit of swampy upon opening which blew off after some time. Decent fruit but a bit hollow and the astringent acidity never really went away.