4/17/2017 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Appearance: Very dark garnet, inky, purple haze near rim.

Aroma: Very berry like shiraz, Alcohol up front, but it blows off quickly, blueberry, strawberry, very slightly tannic.

Flavor: Very sweet berry, dark bush berries, blueberry, loganberry, boysenberry, all berry, no pepper or leather or bacon, all berry, very similar to a berry bomb shiraz, in a very good way of course.

Overall: Tasty, not tannic, berry blast! Enjoyed with grilled ribeye's, really liked this wine with the grilled beef. We would drink again with the same grilled beef dinner.

12/2/2016 - JohnnyWine Does not like this wine:

Color -Light garnet, cloudy.
Aroma -Very alcohol hot (Used venturi and decanted about 60 min -Still very alcohol hot). Some red berries underneath, raspberry, strawberry, but alcohol nose overwhelms.
Mouthfeel -Slightly tannic, slick and soapy, sharp tartness.
Flavor -Overwhelmingly tart, raspberry, pomegranate, but not much depth, one dimensional. Very tart. Paired poorly with sausage, cheese & crackers w/Pate.
No interest in drinking this wine again.

10/23/2016 - JohnnyWine Likes this wine:

Appearance: Garnet, dense & opague.
Aroma: Very berry, Blueberry, Raspberry up front, definite wisps of smoke, cigar smoke, meaty, almost beefy.
Mouthfeel: Strong tannic backbone (decanted ~1/2 hour), astringent, but not to a fault, just needs to open up a little more.
Overall: Definitely has more character than I expected for a $12 Malbec. After the berries fade away, the smoke is pleasantly front and center. This will pair well with the pot of Texas Chili I have simmering on the stove right now!

5/21/2016 - JohnnyWine Likes this wine:

Aroma -Pear & melon, very pleasant and mild.
Color - Coral or salmon in color, very clear, brilliant.
Flavor - Drank moderately chilled, sweet -but really very lightly sweet, more pear & melon in the first sip, not tannic, very low astringency on the tongue, barely detectable alcohol in the after taste. Watermelon comes out in the mid section -nice!
Overall -Very pleasant and enjoyable rose! Drank as a precursor to grilled chicken & asparagus. It was a very nice pre-dinner rose and still held up to the chicken & asparagus. Very enjoyable -we liked this wine a lot! We have drank a lot of rose's this spring and this is a really nice one!

2/23/2016 - JohnnyWine Likes this wine:

Decanted 4+ hours. Paired with homemade pot roast & Brussel sprouts.
Aroma - After 4 hours - still a pretty heavy alcoholic nose. Berrries -Blueberry, raspberry, cherry. Floral up front, followed by Gardenia's. Alcohol is dominant.
Color: Garnet, dark ruby red. Not as inky as our recent shiraz's.
Flavor: Mild, restrained tannins up front. Not nearly as much alcohol as the aroma suggested. Not very prickly on the tongue and sides of the mouth. This wine actually seems pretty smooth, mature but restrained. Complex layers, chalky, tartness, but no berry bomb. Very good, mature, adult wine. A pleasure.

2/22/2016 - JohnnyWine Likes this wine:

First note - Not nearly as nice as the Dead Arm Shiraz we had last night with the same homemade pot roast we are eating tonight. Decanted 3+ hours.
Aroma: Very berry, still a lot of volatile alcohol in the aroma. Tangy up front, almost like canned Mandarin oranges.
Color: Deep purple garnet, Octopus inky, very opaque.
Flavor: Tongue-tickling tannic bite, berry - but not as much as we expected from the aroma, dark cherry, chalky, slight beef jerky in mid palate swallow, noticeable alcohol -even after 3+ hours decanting.
Overall: Nice, but left much to be desired after last night's Dead Arm Shiraz. Still a pretty nice wine.

2/21/2016 - JohnnyWine Likes this wine:

Decanted about 4 hours. Paired with homemade Pot Roast (Barefoot Contessa recipe).
Aroma: Very berry! Boysenberry, Blueberry, Raspberry. Subdued alcohol.
Color: Deep red/purple garnet, dense, inky, opaque.
Flavor: Mildly tannic up front, fades fast, leaves slickness on tongue, chalky, those sensations up front, but quickly followed by the boysenberry from the aroma. Silky, smooth, easy drinking, warming on the tongue. Tannic backbone balanced by fruitiness & silkiness. Delicious.
Overall: First glass paired excellent with pot roast dinner, second glass was a great, relaxing sipper! Enjoyed very much!

6/11/2015 - JohnnyWine Likes this wine:

Aroma - Actually great berry aroma up front, Raspberry/Blueberry, a little bit of hot alcohol takes a bit to blow off, lingers.
Appearance - Deep ruby red/ dark garnet, nice and clear against lamp.
Flavor - Berry flavor is much less than expected from aroma, tannic slickness on the tongue dominates, salty, less perceived alcohol than expected from aroma, minerally aftertaste lingers, up front tartness fades quickly. Still seems pretty young.
Overall - Decent wine with ribeye's, but still young and not a lot of bold structure to hold up.

6/6/2015 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Aroma - Not much, mineral, stone, d'anjou pear, faint citrus.
Appearance - Golden-straw, clear, CO2 bubbles rising, No haze.
Flavor - Very tart, puckering, astringency lingers long on the tongue.
Drank with steak & salmon ok, held up better with the salad.

6/6/2015 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Aroma - like a pinot grigio with very faint strawberry, tart.
Appearance - Reddish-orange, more orange than pink, clear, no haze.
Flavor - Tart, puckering, d'anjou pear, very crisp.
Mediocre cheap $10 French Rose. Wife liked, I was indifferent.

2/11/2015 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Expected a little more from this wine.

12/26/2014 - JohnnyWine Likes this wine:

Excellent black proseco!

12/20/2014 - JohnnyWine Does not like this wine:

CRAP! This wine is so cloyingly sweet, fake sweet, that my wife and I couldn't drink more than half a glass each. The best use for this wine is to dump it in the crockpot for tomorrow's all day Sunday crockpot beef roast, but I will sleep on that idea and might just dump it down the drain tomorrow. Yuck! Stay away, undrinkable.

11/24/2014 - JohnnyWine Does not like this wine:

Mediocre. Did not accentuate the pot roast we drank it with. Would not buy again.

6/8/2014 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Color of dark garnet/ruby.
Aroma of strawberry jam but comes off pretty hot and that covers up the rest of the berry aromas, maybe some boysenberry/loganberry in the back, but still pretty hot. We decanted only about 30 min.
Flavor is again strawberry jam, almost cherry cough drop without the menthol bite, somewhat salty, mineral-y, general fruitiness, rich and smooth, pleasant.
Decent wine with grilled ribeye's and brussel sprouts, just lacked any depth, rather one-dimensional, but decent quick corker for dinner.

4/14/2014 - JohnnyWine Likes this wine:

Color-Obviously deep, dark, inky, purple.
Aroma-Definitely very berry: Blueberry, Blackberry, Gooseberry. All the luscious DARK Berries.
Mouthfeel-Full, pillowy like a cloud, soft, subdued, really wonderful mouthful of pleasant sensations. Very gentle on the tongue. (Decanted 2 hours)
Taste-Full, ripe fruit, deep, complex, subtle, nothing tangy, blueberry, blackberry, everything in it's place.
This is an absolutely wonderful wine that I have been hanging on to for 8+ years and is drinking fantastic right now.

10/26/2013 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Color is garnet, mostly opaque, darker than expected.
Aroma is strawberry jam, little bit of alcoholic heat.
Flavor is tannic, mild alcohol heat, tart, salty, mildly intense berry almost like a weak shiraz.
Overall lacks the great complexity of a good pinot, but you will rarely find that without spending at least $20. This wine came in a bulk purchase and I would not have bought on it's own. Again, you gotta spend at least $20 for a decent pinot.

7/14/2013 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Decanted 4hours
Aroma - Intense alcohol, after 4 hours, is what we get most predominately in the aroma. Dark cherry, kind of fruit bomb, but not like a good Shiraz.
Color - Dark red, plum, opaque.
Flavor - Tart, salty, tannic, raisin, prune, dry fruits, puckering, oxidation, dry finish. Drinks old, not fresh. I believe this wine is past it's prime. Very grape skin-y.
Paired w/grilled ribeyes and just seemed rather old, didn't mature very well.

6/11/2013 - JohnnyWine Does not like this wine:

Very mediocre, but that's what you get buying any wine from Rimann.
78 is being generous.

6/11/2013 - JohnnyWine Likes this wine:

Very light gold in color, not quite straw-colored.
Aroma is predominantly melon, honeydew melon, some chalky stone, d'anjou pear.
Flavor is almost oaky chardonnay-like, soft and buttery, creamy even. Expected more citrus, melon and pear. Medium tannic bite up front, but quickly turns smooth and mellow. Very different from my previous bottle, not as wonderful, but still very good. Paired w/grilled Copper River Salmon and pico-guacamole salsa. I have two more bottles and look forward to comparing this bottle with both of those.

6/7/2013 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Mediocre.
Aroma - Honey Dew Melon, some pear, green apple.
Color - Clear, golden, straw-colored.
Flavor- Tart green apples, a little bit of minerally-stone, slight pucker.
Mouthfeel - Semi-dry, tart, mouth puckering actually, not pleasant.
Overall - mediocre. Much better Verdicchio's out there. Bucci is by far my favorite.

5/24/2013 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Used to make Sangria.

5/27/2013 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Used to make Sangria.

5/14/2013 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Nice yellow straw color.
Aroma of citrus, honeysuckle, stone, tangy, honeydew melon.
Flavor of tart granny smith apple, acidic punch that recedes rather quickly, but tartness does linger a little. Expresses a little bit of Bartlett pear.
Paired with grilled chicken and grilled asparagus.
Nice & refreshing, a good pairing.

4/20/2010 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Deep, dark purple in color.
Fruit bomb aroma, strawberry shortcake or strawberry/rhubarb pie. Detectable alcohol, but not over-powering (decanted at least 1 hour).
Paired with tomato-basil grilled chicken, grilled asparagus.
Wonderful, medium tannins, not too big at all. More strawberry on the palate, like a pie. Subtle fruitiness, not in your face at all. Slightly salty. Slight pepper, black pepper.
Very nice Shiraz, one of our favorites. Did not over-power the chicken at all. Yummy

2/27/2010 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Very dark, and inky in color. Intensely alcoholic in the nose, too much actually. Ran this through the aerator to open it up and drank over a couple of hours, but still couldn’t seem to get the alcohol to burn off. Dark fruit, mostly strawberry, and some blueberry. Tannic and salty mouthfeel. Alcohol and strawberry, some raspberry, dark fruits dominate, definitely an Aussie fruit bomb. Paired w/roasted pork loin and brussel sprouts and it was really pretty over-powering for this meal. One-dimensional and nothing more than an in-your-face fruit bomb. Didn’t really care for and would not buy again.

2/22/2010 - JohnnyWine wrote:

I guess this bottle got lost in my cellar, because I would of drank it earlier, but it was a pleasant surprise. It has mellowed out alot since I drank my other bottle back in 2007. The alcohol is not nearly as intense now and it has mellowed considerably and seems quite balanced now. Aromas of citrus and pear, very chardonnay-like. Flavors of pear, honey dew melon, some minerally-stone-like qualities. Slightly tart, but much mellowed from a couple of years ago. Not too bad actually for a past-due bottle of Pinot Blanc. Pared with Roasted Atlantic Cod w/Roasted Asparagus.

10/29/2009 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Decanted 1 hour. Paired w/homemade Roma Minestrone.
Dark garnet, but not deep in color. A jewel.
Aroma's of eucalyptus, plum, meat (bacon), cigar box or like a cedar humidor.
Flavors more like aged or stewed fruits & berries rather than a fresh fruit bomb that is in your face.
Solid tannin backbone from the age, tastes old, but not necessarily in a good complex way.
Like flat RC Cola. Was expecting vibrant and young, got dull and flabby.
I will probably pass on any more of this vintage and wait to see what the next year’s vintage brings.

7/6/2009 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Deep, dark garnet in color.
Wonderful fruit bomb, berry aroma, with medium-length cedar. Noticable alcohol.
Smooth and velvety in texture, strong tannic backbone supports the berry base, leaving a very balanced perception, ending in tart cherry.
Great drinking wine, paired with grilled beef and chicken kabobs, corn on the cob and mozzarella caprise.

6/8/2009 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Decanted for just under an hour and paired with a beef roast slow-grilled for 5 hours on the outdoor grill.
Nice dark purple in color. Aroma of smoke, RC Cola, alcohol, dark cooked red berries and leather.
Creamy and soft, but not full of oaky vanilla. Very comfortable drinker. White pepper, clove, some leather, more cola, and more dark red berries.
Drank my second glass with a nice Oliva Series V cigar. Very nice.

4/7/2009 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Nose of red fruits, strawberry, raspberry and some blueberry, but these fade quickly. Alcohol is very noticeable and dominates the aroma.
Flavors of plum, and wine skin - bitter and unpleasantly tannic. Lip and mouth puckering. Very dry and gritty
Paired with homemade chicken parmesan and brussel sprouts sautéed in pale ale.
I had hoped that food will help improve this wine, but no such luck.
This was actually a pretty awful wine and was not pleasant to drink.
No rating.

3/17/2009 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Dark purple/garnet. Bottle showed some sediment. Decanted about a half hour.
Wonderful creamy and fruity aroma. Nuts, like maybe almonds. Black licorice (anise) in the background. Plenty of red berry fruits.
Drank over a couple of hours, opened up nicely. Plenty of red berry fruits like strawberry and raspberry, even a little bit of light blueberry. Medium tannic structure, moderately dry. Some earthy forest floor undertones. Alcohol is evident.
Paired with home-made pepper steak. A pretty decent wine for dinner.

3/9/2009 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Very young. Drinkable after decanting, but was like putting a slice of green tomato on your backyard-grilled hamburger when you really wanted a nice, thick-sliced, red beefsteak tomato.

3/5/2009 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Past it's prime. Harsh alcohol in aroma and flavor. This wine was more citrus, pear and spritzy than I was anticipating. I was expecting a nice mellow, oaky, buttery chardonnay. I paired with some skillet chicken slop and this wine would have been better with seafood, probably shrimp in particular.

3/3/2009 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Nothing special. The cork appeared slightly moldy.

2/26/2009 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Paired w/steak chili.
Same notes as before, except I would add that it is starting to get a little old and is breaking down a bit from it's best fruit forward fruitiness.
Drink up now because this vintage has peaked.

2/6/2009 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Decanted about a half hour.
This wine is a dark purple and very foamy around the edges. Lots of dissolved gas is creating many bubbles clinging to the sides of the glass.
Aromas of dark red berries, some alcohol and still seems fresh.
Moderate tannic structure, feels pretty even overall. Flavors are of dark red berries, like cooked strawberries in a strawberry pie without the added sugar sweetness. The mouthfeel is medium-dry and somewhat salty. Also has a slight meatiness, like cooked bacon.
I think this wine is what it is and won't be getting any better in the cellar.

2/5/2009 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Dark purple, medium thin, not very thick.
Aromas of mostly hot alcohol, cooked strawberries, like in strawberry pie.
Flavors of more alcohol and dark red berries. Not very bold in structure.
Paired with Chinese take out Beef & Scallops. Held up OK, certainly didn’t over-power the food.

2/3/2009 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Very dark, inky, purple edges.
Decanted for one hour and paired with grilled rib eye steaks.
Aroma of alcohol, black currants, stone/mineral, ripe strawberries.
Very dry, solid tannic structure compliments the rib eyes, but not as thick and robust as I was expecting.
Nice drinker, but not a lot of diversity in flavors. Not a fruit bomb, but not thin either. Some smokiness, which goes well with the grilled rib eyes.

12/31/2008 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Stuck cork and had to push into the bottle. Decanted about 1 hour.
Very dark, nearly black in color.
Aromas of Toluene (model airplane glue) but wasn't overly unpleasant. Red berries like strawberry and raspberry. Cinnamon like hot tamale candy.
Very heavy bitterness up front (even after an hour of decanting and swirling). Very dry with the same red berries from the aroma. A little bit of raisin and prune.
Paired with New Year's Eve grilled ribeyes.
Actually rather disappointed. Expected more pleasant flavors and more complexity for the price.
Properly using the 100-Point Rating Scale - I can't rate this wine better than at the top of the Good Range. 84 points.

12/31/2008 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Light golden straw color.
Aromas of pear, honey-dew melon, earthy stone and/or mineral with some hints of kiwi.
Very creamy oaky-vanilla mouthfeel, but not over the top. Light oakiness, buttery with the pear and melon from the aroma. Slightly tart.
Wonderfully complex and pleasurable wine with New Year's Eve shrimp scampi.

12/31/2008 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Very light garnet in color, transparent.
Aromas of light, fresh red berries like strawberry and cherry. Also spicy with hints of flat cola. Medium alcohol is evident as well.
Very fruit forward with the same berries recognized in the aroma. Creamy vanilla mouthfeel. Medium to medium-high alcohol presence. Salty with a lingering tannic bitterness.
Still a little thin for my tastes, but was enjoyed by all before New Year's Eve dinner of ribeyes and shrimp.

12/21/2008 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Very dark purple, nearly black in color.
Aroma of alcohol, dark berries, smoke, earthy minerals and stone.
Dark berry (like cooked blackberries in a blackberry pie) and tannic up front, almost astringent. Salty.
Decanted almost 2 hours before pairing with Chinese Beef Pepper Steak and Veggies.
A pretty plain wine that didn't add much to dinner.

12/14/2008 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Nice dark purple with light edges.
Fruity aromas, like strawberries. Some chocolate, milk chocolate actually. Restrained alcohol.
Flavors of strawberry fruit and milk chocolate. Also has some minty hints and a little bit of tobacco, like mild pipe smoke.
Decanted for about an hour and paired with baked chicken breast, sliced into strips over salad. A decent $10 bottle of wine.

12/7/2008 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Very dark in color, nearly black.
Aroma of dark berries (black berries), alcohol and smoke.
Decanted about an hour. Very fruity, still with the heavy alcohol and some smoke. Paired with Baked Chicken-Strip Salad, didn't add or detract.
Rather one-dimensional really for a $16 bottle.

12/4/2008 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Fruity aromas, especially blueberry. Alcohol needs to burn off a little further.
Pretty high astringency – overly high grape skin tannin factor. Very dry and seems very tight.
I should of decanted longer than the 30 minutes I did.
For my money, Zaca Mesa’s Z-Three is much better.

11/29/2008 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Nice dark purple in color.
Aroma is very berry, especially strawberry. Also some alcohol left to burn off, some smoke too.
Fruit bomb – blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry. Medium tannins, but tart. Alcohol present.
Buy another bottle and lay down for a couple years.

11/18/2008 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Deep, dark ruby in color.
Aroma of mellow alcohol, not too strong, jammy, fruity-strawberry and other sweet berries.
Jammy, medium-low tannins with a medium-length finnish.
Great with homemade steak chili (no beans!). Good everyday drinker.

10/28/2008 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Nice and dark like a Cab.
Fruit bomb up front, sweet red berries like strawberries and raspberries, low alcohol nose.
Tasting very raspberry, almost tart, cocoa is evident, some eucalyptus, medium alcohol presence and medium dry as well. Mostly a dense, sweet highly fruity merlot.
Paired with Chinese take-out Kung Pao Triple.

10/21/2008 - JohnnyWine wrote:

Appears rather thin.
Strong alcohol nose (decanted about 30 min). Cooked strawberry aroma, some raisin as well.
Sharply bitter, chalky and salty. Thin and not very pleasant.