11/11/2023 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Still alive. Fruit is still there, with VERY slight raisin or stewed fruit taste, but good solid blue fruits with red cherry backbone. Nice remaining acidity to give a lift. Tannins completely resolved and just smooth. Drinking beautifully tonight and likely starting to head down, but would give another 1-2 years of good drinking. Cannot beat the QPR.

2/21/2023 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Shocking. I mean who has ever heard of drinking 15 year old Barbera, let alone it being good. Bright fruit and just enough acidic lift. Great suprise.

2/13/2023 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Wow. Opened this on Monday night, figuring it was probably over the hill. Simple dinner of eggplant Parmesan. What a stunner. Still had red fruit, more raspberry the typical, sour cherry. Very smooth, refined tannins. Visually, the wine is breaking down a bit, but very pleasant and extremely enjoyable. Would estimate one more year maximum before the fruit would be gone. Drink up and enjoy.

9/22/2022 - Vino Vita wrote:

I’m sorry but I just don’t get it. It feels like the emperor’s new clothes. I do think the winemaker knows what he is doing but it’s just bland and hollow. What’s the the bottle doesn’t live up to the hype. Bright red fruit. Slight pepper, but no depth. Better wines to be had for the chase.

8/27/2022 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Wow. What a beautiful wine. Full and sumptuous. Great red/blue fruit, wonderful mid palate, and just a touch of firm tannins on the finish. Beautifully structured wine form start to finish. Damn good now, but in five years…magical.

8/20/2022 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Classic old world nose. Nice tart red fruit. Decent mid-palate, truncated finish. Tannins need to soften, but all due respect to KCproper, but I disagree. Solid wine for the price, and wine was tasted amongst 16 other Pinots

8/10/2021 - Vino Vita wrote:

Great nose, but acidity overtaking palate at this point. Disjointed. Still quality, but needs to drink now

5/7/2021 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Surprising. Beautiful nose of blackberries, cassis, ink well, and cedar shavings. Nose was intriguing and contemplative. Very good quality for the price if you had the patience. Very enjoyable.

2/28/2021 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

What an end to the case...Beautiful black cherries and lavender. Fruit was dense and tannins oh so polished. B=Lovely expression of sangiovese. Drinking beautifully now, but has about 2-3 years more at peak. Why wait, enjoy.

2/12/2021 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

No notes on this wine for a while, so here goes. Pretty wine. 12 years on and very refined. Completely resolved tannins nose of plums and violets. Nice red/blue fruit. Still tasty. Only criticism is short finish.

1/27/2021 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Nose of blue fruit and toasted oak. Blackberries, blackberries, blackberries with menthol and tobacco. What a great mid-palate feel. Full, plush wine. VERY impressed. Did not feel any heat from the 15% alcohol. In summary, a Spanish beauty in it prime.

1/14/2021 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Shocked. Shocked. Thought this would be long gone as well. WRONG. Beautiful, soft dark chocolate and cherries. Great mouth feel. Only drawback was nose was muted. Found in back of cellar and wish I had more. Enjoy ‘me if you got ‘em.

1/10/2021 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Agree with MFLESH's notes most. Very strawberry profile with tight bubbles and pleasant finish. Went great with ahi poki. A phenomenal, deep wine, no, but a very good rose champagne....yes

11/20/2020 - Vino Vita wrote:

Ok, let's be frank about this wine. Is it inky, deep, and pretty...check. It is fruity and easy to drink...check. BUT, it has no soul. NO uniqueness or great structure. No finish that lasts 30 seconds and make you contemplative. It is not a profound wine, and for $150 and 9 years of perfect providence and aging, I want profound. A well made wine, ok, but sorry, meh.

10/30/2020 - Vino Vita Does not like this wine:

So disappointed. Got this on ex-chateau release and providence is spotless. Looking forward to a St. Estephe with 11 years on it and...flat. No structure and hollow in the center. Muted nose. still decent fruit, but the structure is lacking making it feel flabby. Hope it was just bottle variation....we will see.

9/5/2020 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Solid wine. Nose was classic French Pauillac. Fruit is there but understated, with secondary notes of wood, tobacco, and spice taking the forefront. Very pleasant and worth the time in storage for those who had patience. Would drink any remaining 750 ml bottles in next year so fruit doesn't die off completely.

9/1/2020 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Petty little wine. Not a stunner, but good fruit and just enough of the Zin pepper. Alcohol of 13.5% for a Zin was a BIG plus.

8/28/2020 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Nose was a bit shy, but beautifully balanced wine with lots of tart red fruit and smooth tannins. Has at least another 8-10 years of drinkability. Very pleasant wine.

7/29/2020 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Beautiful....

8/8/2020 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Dark garnet color. Beautiful nose of violets, tobacco, a bit of shoe polish, and cassis. Taste of cassis and boysenberries. Good acidity, very balanced, and smooth as silk. A little short on finish, but what a well made wine. Absolutely enjoyable.

3/7/2020 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Beautiful Granaca wine. Red and black fruit. Balanced acidity and tannins. Confused about the statement of simple or not much complexity. For a wine sub $20, believe it is an exceptional value.

2/29/2020 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Excellent cherry and tea flavors. Just a pretty bottle of wine. Well done.

8/11/2019 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Very light color. Bright raspberry flavor, with minimal tannins. Tastes like a Rosso, rather than than the real deal Brunello. Pleasant, but forgettable. Would drink now as does not have the structure for significant aging.

6/6/2019 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Same as in 2014, but more subtle. Drinking window definitely not ended. Would place at 2022 for end of window.

6/2/2019 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

This is an excellent bottle for the price. Clean cherry and leather notes on the noise. Excellent red fruit with good acidity. A Chianti made by a Brunello master for the price of a daily quaffer. All due respect to Coremill, he had a bad bottle. Almost didn't write this review so there would be more for me....

4/5/2019 - Vino Vita wrote:

Very solid wine. Fruit just starting to move to the background. Still great flavor of red cherries and cherry pits, but now menthol, rosemary, and tobacco. Will last another 5 years, but I believe the peak is now.

2/17/2019 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Wow. What an amazing expression of Sangiovese. Full mid palate that just coats your mouth. Tastes of bing cherries, violets, and dark chocolate. Finish lasts a full 35 seconds. Can only imagine what it will be like in 5-7 years, as I don't think I will be able to keep my hands off of my remaining bottles that long.

1/20/2019 - Vino Vita wrote:

Solid and great price point

1/17/2019 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Lovely wine. Consistent and just want you need when you go to the cellar thinking...I want a great bottle. Red, tart fruit. Nose of roses, cigar, and cedar. Very enjoyable now, probably even better in 5 years.

1/14/2019 - Vino Vita wrote:

Very tart cherries. High amount of acidity supported by good fruit. A bit one dimensional, but good price point

10/31/2018 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Very enjoyable. Beautiful cherry and plum on the palate with some herbs and tobacco. Not too acidic. Finishes a bit short otherwise would be pushing 96. Now is time to drink, as tannins are minimal.

10/1/2018 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Agree it is at end of drinking window. Tannins are completely resolved, leaving a bit lack of structure. Fruit is still there, and slightly sweet like a late harvest. Still good, but not likely to get any better.

8/26/2018 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Wow. This was exceptional. It is open for business. Classic Pauillac nose you could smell from across the table. The purity of fruit was stunning...blackberry and cassis. Sweet tannins, with secondary notes. The body and mid-palate was what stuck with me most. Full mouthfeel that rode out for 20 second finish. Excellent.

5/21/2018 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

And a good 87. Not a knockout, but at $10 per bottle, a hell of a price. Definitely Bordeaux on the nose. Red fruit with the tiniest drop of cassis. Slightly hollow, but in all a good quaffer.

5/11/2018 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

I enjoyed this wine. First tasted 100% Graciano in Madrid, last year. This was true to form. Lighter body, good fruit, and nose of boysenberries. Went well with salmon. Tasted like s Spanish version of Dolcetto del Alba.

4/25/2018 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Very impressed. I have had this before an liked it, but tonight, it sang. Smoky red fruit. Cherries and cherry pits, with a solid backbone and smooth resolved tannins. At peak. Cannot see if getting any better. Great QPR if you had the patience.

1/20/2018 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Always surprised about the variation on CS tasting notes. This bottle was ready to go. In perfect drinking window. Heady nose of cherry pits, tobacco, and slight rosemary. Taste is full of red fruit, with good supporting acid, and smooth tannins. Good mouthfeel. In all very enjoyable. Wish I had more.

10/27/2017 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

WOW...wow. Beautiful structure and lifting acidity that helped keep the palate fresh. Smooth, resolved tannins with predominantly red fruit. Dried cherries and slight raisin on the nose. This is a Brunello firing on all cylinders...it is the why I got into Italian wines.

10/6/2017 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Red fruit on nose as well as the palate. Definite bramble smell with some vegetable character. Bright red fruit on taste with some grippy tannins, but not overpowering. Pleasant wine for price.

3/1/2017 - Vino Vita wrote:

Thin. High acidity, but nice red fruit. Disappointing for this wine with its previous track record. No glaring problems, but not memoriable.

10/10/2016 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Very pleasant Barbera. Crushed raspberries and fruit that a backbone of acid supports. Agree with previous notes of soft tannins and no real wood. Excellent wine for the price point. Would drink up in next 1-2 years as the freshness and brightness of the wine is the winning combo.

9/11/2016 - Vino Vita wrote:

Decent nose of gravel road and herbs. Very acidic and astringent upon opening. Good bright cherry flavors with tobacco on the end, but needs air. Much better on day #2. Not bad for a Costco $14.99 price point, but not very memorable.

8/21/2016 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Beautiful wine. Sweet cherries and long finish. Very polished. Minimal tannin. Slight coffee notes. I think this wine as been underrated on cellar tracker. I agree that price for a Barbera is high, but one cannot question the quality.

3/17/2016 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Pretty little wine. Sour cherries with the rose petal fragrance of a Nebbiolo wine. Short finish, but decent mid-palate for a fuller feeling on the wine. Definitely worth the $35 spent. Will be interesting to see how it evolves.

12/20/2015 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Excellent fruit. Very soft and full resolved tannins. Agree with dark berries and full mouth feel, but would not wait more than 1-2 years on this. Truly enjoyable now. Medium finish.

12/16/2015 - Vino Vita wrote:

Very soft. Medium finish. In short great wine for QPR.

11/22/2015 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

What a treat. Smooth, unctuous. Incredible mouthfeel. Dark fruit with cassis and dark chocolate. Absolutely lovely.

6/25/2015 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

I really dig this wine. Tannis have soften, but still prominent. I read the other recent reviews and kept tasting and looking at the other scores wondering if I was indeeed tasting the same wine. Beautiful cabnernet with the soul of Italy. Classic dark black fruits, cedar and smoke on the nose and soft, sweet cassis and blackberries. Wonderful mature cab....will look for more. Darmagi which means a shame...definitely not.

6/23/2015 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Flint and steel. Very dry with lemon zest and fine petrol notes. As a fan of dry Rieseling, hits all of the right notes.

6/16/2015 - Vino Vita Likes this wine:

Drinking excellently. Love the dark chocolate notes and full mid-palate