6/28/2015 - jrockman wrote:

No formal notes, but this was excellent - balanced and well integrated, tasting beautifully right now. Paired very well w/ roasted lamb. 5+12+18+9

3/9/2015 - jrockman wrote:

I'm frankly mystified by the low scores, I found this to be a good wine, not great, but certainly better than the scores posted to date; perhaps it just needed more time. Somewhat muted on the nose, but did get some strawberry, cherry on the palate, smooth and bright, with a medium finish. Drinking well now, I don't think there is reason to think it will improve. 4+12+16+7

1/2/2015 - jrockman wrote:

Decanted +/- 2 hours, drank over two nights; a bit on the tannic side night one, smoothed out on night two. Nice aromas of black fruit, but felt a bit thin in the mouth, especially the first night. 4+12+15+7

12/13/2014 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Really enjoyed this, a very nice wine; no notes, but great mouthfeel, smooth, nicely rounded tannins and a lingering finish. Drinking very well now.

8/22/2014 - jrockman wrote:

I've enjoyed the other PB wines I have tasted in the past, this one not as much; drank over two nights, overly tart to my taste on the first night, with a shortish finish; better the second night. Too young, would definitely hold for another year or two.

5/8/2014 - jrockman wrote:

Something not quite right with this bottle, seemed to be mildly corked; quality of the fruit was apparent, but not able to shine.

3/7/2014 - jrockman wrote:

Drank over two nights; great nose of blackberry, forest floor and mushrooms, especially on the first night, a bit more muted on the second night. The palate didn't quite live up to the nose though - pleasent enough, smooth, but lacking structure. 4+13++15+7

2/28/2014 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Decanted for aout 3 hours; quite a deep garnett color in the glass, great nose - dark fruit and spice, nice texture in the mouth with flavors of bluberry and blackberry, a bit of spice and wood, tannins in balance. Drinking well with the decant. 4+13+16+7

2/16/2014 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Popped and poured; dark and seductive in the glass, very aromatic, scents of blueberry & spice, and some earthiness as well; great mouthfeel, with flavors of blackberry, blueberry, a bit of clove and earth, nice long finish; nicely structured, excellent wine. 4+13+17+8

12/27/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Notes of blackberry and blueberry, forest wood, a bit of bacon; nice and supple in the mouth, dark berries, good texture, smooth and balanced. 4+13+16+7

12/24/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Enjoyed with Christmas Eve dinner; no formal notes, but a very nice, balanced, well-made wine with an excellent bouquet and lingering finish. 4+13+17+8

12/21/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Drank over two nights, one glass the first night, the rest of the bottle the second night after decanting. A deep maroon color, scents smoke, pepper and berries, medium bodied in the mouth, with flavors of berries and light smoke again. The nose stayed consistent over time and the flavors continued to improve, smoothing out and becoming more rounded with time. A well balanced, lovel wine. 4+12+17+7

12/13/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Drank over two nights - deep ruby color, great nose, really heightened my expectations, very expressive notes of cherry and cedar; somewhat disappointing on the palate though, didn't match the nose and the finish was a bit hot. Palate was better on night two, but it had lost the aromatics that were so good on night one. Overall disappointing for Ciel du Cheval fruit, I had higher expectations. 4+13+15+6

10/21/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Drank over two nights, decanted briefly the first night. A lovely dark crimson color, blackberry on the nose, blueberry and meat on the palate with excellent mouth-feel. Nicely balanced and drinking well. 5+12+17+8

9/14/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Corked; very disappointing, was looking forward to tasting this bottle.

8/31/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Decanted about one hour and pairred with rib-eye; a seductive dark crimson in color with cherry, strawberry and floral notes on the nose; flavors of black cherry, strawberry, a bit of spice and chocolate, very dense and smooth at the same time with a lingering finish. Nicely balanced with the tannins present, but well integrated. Drinking great now and should continue to do so for a few years. 5+12+17+8

8/22/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Drank over two nights, decanted briefly prior to first pour; a deep, dark purple in the glass with nice legs, rather aromatic with scents of blueberry, pepper and cinnamon. In the mouth, flavors of bluberry, plum, pepper and a bit of herbal notes, with a full mouthfeel and a medium long finish. This was initially tasting rather young and rough but it softened out over a couple of hours; it will benifit from some more time. 4+12+15+7

8/17/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Drank over two nights; decanted briefly before first pour; a deep maroon color, bouquet of blackberry, black licorice,wild game and pepper; dark fruit, meat and pepper on the palate, medium finish. Lost a little something on the second night, but still quite good; I found this very intriguing, surprisingly complex for the price, and believe it will continue to evolve for another year or two. 4+12+16+7

8/3/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Left for a weekend getaway and neglected to bring a bottle; fortunate to find this at a local restaurant that sold some retail wines, much better choices than what was available at the local groceries. Pop and pour, drank over two nights; quite a dark maroon color in the glass, red fruit and a bit of spice on the nose, simialr in the mouth. Smooth, nice texture, medium finish; drinks nicely, but doesn't change much with time; didn't strike me as terribly complex. 4+12+15+7

7/31/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Popped and poured into a decanter, poured first glass immediately thereafter; followed this over the next four hours. A deep, dark ruby color, uniform throughout; an expressive, complex, nose right from the start, scents of black cherry, blueberry, blackberry, a touch of floral notes, some earthiness and mineral as well. On the palate, this was initially still quite tight, but over time opened up and tasted great - dark fruit, black cherry, leather, with a touch of earthiness, tannins softening over the course of time and well integrated. Overall, a very enjoyable bottle, balanced and complex, drink now with some air or continue to hold. 5+13+16+8

7/29/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Popped and aired for about a half hour before tasting and drank over two nights; a nice dark red in the glass, aromas of raspberry accompanied by floral notes, flavors of cherry and rasberry with a spicy earthiness to it, this is nicely balanced with a very nice mouthfeel to it and a lingering finish. Agree with others that it improves with airtime and should be better with a bit more age on it. 4+13+16+8

7/28/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Pop and pour; an inviting, dark burgundy color in the glass, with a nose of dark fruit, maybe a hint of vanilla; flavors of black cherry with a touch of spice, medium to full bodied in the mouth with a nice texture and a medium finish. A good wine, I enjoyed it well enough, but not memorable enough to search it out again. 4+12+16+7

7/20/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Drank this on two nights, Thur & Sat, over a three day window. The first night, had quite a bit of funk - gamey, forest floor, mushroom - along with dark berry fruit, both on the nose and in the mouth; thought it was quite good. When I finished it two nights later, the funk had disappeared and it was very ordinary. Score from night 1. 4+12+16+8

7/12/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Drank over two nights, decanted about an hour before tasting on night one. A cab dominate bordeaux blend, it's a deep maroon color in the glass. Very aromatic on the nose with lots of dark fruit scents and floral notes, a little smoke and forest floor. a lovely smooth texture in the mouth, with blackberry and blueberry, a bit of pepper and earthiness to it as well, and a nice medium-long finish to it. Drinking very well right now. 5+12+16+8

7/6/2013 - jrockman wrote:

An inexpensive quaffer, primarily grenache, blended with syrah and tiny bits of Cinsault and Carignan; fairly light and fruity.

6/29/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

My third time with this wine and it has always delivered. Very dark and sultry in the glass, with scents of black cherry and spice; full bodied and yet silky smooth in the mouth, flavors of dark berry and pepper, with a bit of earthiness to it. A nice, lingering finish to it. 5+12+17+8

6/26/2013 - jrockman wrote:

This bottle was a gift; a pleasant enough wine, drank smooth and easy, nothing complex about it; overall, pleasantly surprised, better than I expected. 4+10+15+6

6/25/2013 - jrockman wrote:

A nice, inexpensive "daily drinker" wine; dark red in the glass, a mix of both red and black fruit on the nose and in the mouth, light tannis, medium finish. Not a complex wine, but nice enough; good value at $14. 4+10+15+7

6/21/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Drank over two nights, decanted immediately prior to pouring first glass on night one; very dark in the glass with nice legs, initially meaty and gamey on the nose, and then the dark fruit starts to come through, along with a bit of earthiness and mineral. On the palate, blueberry, blackberry and the minerality again and a bit of spice, with a nice, lengthy finish; tannins present, but nicely integrated. This wine continued to evolve over the next couple of hours on night one, softening a bit as time wore on. I found it to be a complex, savory wine, particularly on the first night; night two, while still delicious and smooth, I found it a bit more one dimensional than the first night, seeming to have lost a bit of it's complexity. Drinking well now and should continue to do so for some time. 5+12+17+8

6/17/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Popped about an hour prior to pouring at a group tasting; a medium crimson color in the glass, with light bricking at the edges; on the nose, a pleasant bouquet of cherry and a bit of licorice, in the mouth, red fruit - stawberry, cherry - with a bit of pepper, with a medium finish; nicely balanced. For me, the style is more austere than the typical WA cab; this wine came across as more restrained than the others at the tasting, which may have contributed to it standing out in comparison. 5+12+16+8

6/16/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Drank over two nights; very striking in the glass, inky dark; aromas of dark berry and chocolate, very nice; great texture in the mouth, with flavors of blueberry and blackberry, some mineral as well; full bodied and delicious. 5+12+16+8

6/16/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Dark purple in the glass, dark fruit predominant on the nose with a bit of smoke, primarily dark fruit flavors in the mouth, blueberry and blackberry; a bit more fruit forward than I prefer. 4+12+15+7

6/7/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Drank over two nights; a dark crimson color, moderately aromatic with notes of cherry, blackberry and floral scents; powerful in flavor - dark fruit and minerality - and yet soft and supple in texture at the same time, well-structured and balanced; excellent value and drinking well. 5+11+17+8

6/11/2013 - jrockman wrote:

This was my third time with this wine over the past eight months; no notes on previous bottles, but generally thought it was a decent wine, but not nearly as good as many others have rated.

Drank over two nights, about 1/2 bottle each night; decanted briefly prior to first pour on night one. The first night did nothing to dispel my previous impressions - decent, but over-rated on CT. The second night though, it was much better, better than the previous bottles as well; purple in color, cherry on the nose, smooth and silky in the mouth, nice finish. I still don't think it is a 92, but better than I previously would have rated. 4+11+16+8

6/10/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Drank over three nights, single glass night one, most of the bottle night two, and a single glass to finish night three. Medium purple in the glass, very fruit forward the first night, more so than I care for, fruit seemed overly ripe, decided to wait on the rest of the bottle. Much better night two, the predominance of fruit had blown over, although still present, but much more nuanced in flavor and more balanced; same for the last glass on night three. Nice texture in the mouth on nights two and three. Decent, but nothing special. 4+10+16+7

6/7/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Drank over two nights, decanted about one hour on first night; a deep purple color in the glass, mildly aromatic, with primarily dark fruit & a bit of floral notes, pleasant on the palete with flavors of blackberry and plum, medium bodied with a medium finish. A nice enough wine, not a lot of variation from the first night to the second, not terribly complex or interesting. 4+11+16+6

6/6/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Drank over two nights; pulled from the wine refer, immediately decanted and poured into glass. Medium garnett in the glass, initially muted, this started to open as it warmed up, a potpourri of aromas, difficult to put my finger on specific scents - some floral notes, maybe some black cherry, a bit of forest floor perhaps. Flavors were similar in that I couldn't quite pinpoint specifics, some cherry again, with the floral notes as well, but much more than that; tannins present, but not overpowering, with a medium finish. Initially I wasn't too high on the flavors, but it continued to evolve and by the end of the first night, I was thinking it was pretty good; by the second, it had smoothed out even more and was soft and plush in the mouth and quite good. A surprisingly complex wine for this price point. 4+11+17+7

6/1/2013 - jrockman wrote:

A grocery store off-the-shelf purchase, pleasently surprised. Inky dark in color, almost black; moderate aromas of blueberry and blackberry, with a bit of spice and meat in the mix as well, full bodied in the mouth, but soft and silky at the same time, tannins are there, but softly, balanced and well structured with a medium-long finish. I enjoyed this very much and thought it an excellent value for less than $20; I'd look for this again. 5+12+17+7

5/27/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Drank over two nights, decanted maybe one hour on night one; medium crimson in the glass, initial aroma on the nose was that of cherry cola, the cola seemed to blow off after a few minutes and then the secondary aromas of minerals and earth started to come through. Primary flavor of black cherry, with hints of smoked meat and earth, this wine evovled from the first glass, seeming to become more balanced and smoother with time. Tannins present but well integrated, especially by the second night, when this wine was tasting mighty fine. 4+12+16+8=90

5/26/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Over two days, notes from day two. Medium garnett in color, pleasing to look at; moderately aromatic with notes of cherry, with a touch of both pepper & forest floor on the nose; cherry and strawberry flavors on the palate, moderately tannic. Overall, lacking complexity, but a nice daily drinker. 4+11+15+7=87

4/30/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Opened late morning to allow plenty of time to slow-ox, then double decanted a couple of hours before serving with New York strip steaks; a beautiful dark purple in color, aromas of dark cherry, chocolate, minerals, flavors of cherry, coffee, toast; tannins present, but not overpowering, to provide structure, this wine is full-bodied with great mouth-feel and a lengthy finish. 4+13+17+8=92

4/30/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Decanted a little longer than previous bottle, about two hours this time; the longer decant definitely helped, this wine was ready from the start. Medium ruby in color, cherry and spice on the nose and in the mouth, tannins rounded and smooth; medium bodied with a medium finish. This bottle seemed to be lacking the complexity of the previous bottle. 4+12+16+8=90

4/30/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Drank over three different nights over a five day period; initial night (Thur) pop & pour, drank one glass; circumstances didn't allow me to return to this bottle until Sunday and finished Monday. This wine is a beautiful dark, inky color in the glass, with a touch of bricking at the edges; complex aromas of dark berry & meat, along with mineral & floral notes, flavors of black cherry, berry, and spice; powerful and yet silky in the mouth, this is a delicious wine. It remained excellent over the extended drinking window, softening slightly from day one to the last two nights without losing flavor or complexity. I would definitely look for it again. 5+13+17+8=93

4/19/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Decanted briefly prior to pouring; deep ruby red, blueberry and wood on the nose with a touch of pepper; dark berry and mineral in the mouth; somewhat tannic, with a long finish. 4+11+16+7=88

4/21/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Drank over two nights; decanted about one hour prior to pouring. First night initially very closed & muted with the first glass, gradually started to open up over the next hour and with a second glass, but still quite reticent; decide to put the top on the decanter and let sit.

Waited two nights before revisiting, much better this time around; very dark in the glass, cherry and spice on the nose, much more open and inviting in the mouth with a long finish. Too early for this wine, believe it will continue to develop for another 3-5 years; I'll wait on the second bottle. 5+11+17+7=90

4/21/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

For me, a rare experience with an aged Bordeaux; decanted for sediment, was somewhat surprised by the lack of any. This wine was beautiful and sublime, balanced and smooth. An inviting ruby red in the glass, very aromatic - cherry, wood, spice and mineral all together; a wonderful texture in the mouth and on the tongue; tannins are rounded and integrated. A delicious experience with a beautifully mature wine. 4+13+18+8=93

4/3/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Decanted about one hour prior to first pour; ruby red, initially a lot of black cherry on both the nose and in the mouth, a little bit of minerality as well. After about another hour, the predominance of the black cherry dissipated and it tasted more balanced, definitely better after the first glass, with a medium finish; probably would have benefited from a longer decant. 4+11+16+7=88

3/7/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Decanted for about an hour, an inviting dark garnet in the glass, scents of black cherry with some floral notes and a touch of mineral, a soft, velvety texture in the mouth, again with the black cherry and mineral, smooth and balanced, with soft tannins and a medium to long finish; drinking well now. 4+12+16+7

2/26/2013 - jrockman wrote:

Decanted briefly before pouring, a dark ruby color, predominant aromas of pepper and coffee, with a touch of blueberry, rich and savory in the mouth, with a medium finish; a very nice wine for under $20. 4+12+15+7

2/23/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine:

Drank over two nights, decanted briefly on night one; primarily grenache and mourvedre, with some cinsault and counoise thrown in and just a bit of petite verdot; deep garnett color in the glass, this wine hits hard right from the start, in a good way; funky & gamy & meaty, w/ some spice and a bit of raspberry on both the nose and palate, with a chewy texture and long finish; this wine may not be for everyone, but I like it, great QPR. 4+13+16+8