Important Update From the Founder Read message >

Tasting Notes for Amjn

(59 notes on 56 wines)

1 - 50 of 59 Sort order
Red
3/30/2016 - Amjn wrote:
89 points
Bold wine with tobacco, garrigue, venison & bold chalky oak. A great balance of earth and fruit. This wine has settled down in the past year and is now more approachable then ever.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 Haselgrove Switch GSM McLaren Vale Red Rhone Blend (view label images)
3/30/2016 - Amjn wrote:
89 points
Medium + Body. Very juicy and pure. Lots of fruit but not overdone. Bright cherry, black forest cake, underlying oak and a dusting of white pepper. Fun for sure.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2009 Col Solare Shining Hill Red Mountain Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
3/30/2016 - Amjn wrote:
88 points
Soft and elegant. Very intricate and delicate all the while showing great depth. Smooth soft dark fruit with hints of worn leather, graphite and fine rich tannins. A little simplistic.
Red
3/30/2016 - Amjn wrote:
87 points
Pleasant is a good word to describe this wine. Pushing medium body, cocoa, candied cherries, tea leaf. Toasty fine oak that matches the body well.
White
3/23/2016 - Amjn Likes this wine:
92 points
Stunning! Nose of butterscotch, candied lemon, vanilla and subtle soft spice. The palate is medium full with a rich creamy mouthfeel, the perfect amount of oak. Pie crust, lemon, apple and delicate vanilla.
White
3/14/2016 - Amjn Likes this wine:
90 points
Gorgeous white from South Africa, 52% S.B. 48% Semillon. Sauvignon Blanc for me can get boring fast. But the addition of the Oaked Semillon does wonders. Separated into thirds and aged in 1st, 2nd and 3rd use barrels for 9 months. A delicate and soft wine, you still notice the bright and fresh Sauvignon Blanc notes but the Semillon adds incredible weight and depth. A nose with notes of sweet petrol, lime, gooseberry and hints of vanilla & butterscotch. The palate is smooth and silky with a slight hint of creamy oak. Fresh citrus, toffee, and smoke notes on the finish. A lovely wine well worth the price. Will buy a 6 pack and see how it ages.
Red
12/19/2015 - Amjn wrote:
93 points
Oh so good smooth rich and dusty spice. Dense and creamy laden with deep cherries and brambly berries. Loved this bottle. Not a long term ager but still has some years left.
Red
12/19/2015 - Amjn Likes this wine:
92 points
Quite Fantastic. First off before the wine is opened the packing is elegant, dark and feminine. The wine mirrors that as an elegant, dark and dense wine. The Ne Cede Malis has a lot of what the Stags' Leap P. Sirah is lacking. Elegance. This bottling brings that dimension of elegance & delicacy while maintaining the bold fruit driven aspect of the brand. Dark brambly fruit with leathery bold oak and a dusting of the most subtle spice. Very pure and bright although a little straight forward.
Red
2012 Ledge Catacombs Paso Robles Red Rhone Blend (view label images)
7/31/2015 - Amjn wrote:
86 points
Ok. Nice Paso Robles combination with great minerality and soft, bright and acidic fruit flavours. Opens up after an hour with creamy PN like tannins. Suffers a touch feom a syrupy edge , and hot heat. A lighter style for sure, but fun and modern. Not my cup of tea.
Red
7/14/2015 - Amjn Does not like this wine:
87 points
I see how this wine is attractive to some but a little over extracted and lacking character.
Red
7/14/2015 - Amjn Likes this wine:
90 points
80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. The nose displays fresh top soil, smokey oak, vanilla, pencil lead and black fruit. The palate has attractive dark fruit but also a great balance of earth, dark chocolate and graphite. This Cabernet is not a fake fruit tasting bomb, which I appreciate, rather there is some sophistication. Not over Oakes, the 30% new French oak matches the weight of the Faust well.Would drink by 2016-17
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
7/14/2015 - Amjn Does not like this wine:
87 points
Lean, green, pepper machine.Falling out a bit. Drinking well now but not an age-er.
Red
7/14/2015 - Amjn Does not like this wine:
85 points
Nope. No no no. I'll pass on a second glass. Past prime.
Red
Drink now. Beautiful colour was about all I liked in this wine. But i will be honest and say I am never a huge fan of French wine.
Red
7/13/2015 - Amjn Likes this wine:
91 points
Very young, no rush on this one. Took a few hours to open up but when it did it showed power, strength, oak and fruit will take time to soften and open. Will revisit.
Red
7/13/2015 - Amjn Likes this wine:
92 points
Delicious, such a good representation of Cabernet Franc. A thick and luxurious mouthfeel with earthy notes of leather asian spice, earth and bark but of course a nice helping of soft and chewy deep seductive fruit.
Rosé
6/8/2015 - Amjn Likes this wine:
88 points
Beautiful colour here. The 30% Macabeo (Viura) is a nice touch adding a extra breath of freshness to an awesome Mediterranean styled rose.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
6/8/2015 - Amjn Likes this wine:
88 points
A nice restrained Aussie shiraz from the difficult 2011 vintage. The cooler weather shows here. Stephen Black takes a natural approach letting this smooth, slightly green shiraz with no new oak speak for it self.
Red
5/23/2015 - Amjn Likes this wine:
92 points
Pretty good stuff especially for the price. Not overdone Californian. Classy Cab Franc from John Maltus.
Red
4/29/2015 - Amjn Likes this wine:
95 points
Tros de Clos is a body builder of a wine from Priorat. 100% whole cluster fermented Carignan from 103 year old vines aged 14 months in French oak. This wine is bursting with a generous helping of Carignan fruit flavours, with notes of creamy oak, as and strawberry and a touch of priorate slate. A big wine for a big occasion. I could go on and on about the wine but will instead say you want to sit on this one for years to come. It is tight now but still gorgeous and opulent.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2007 Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
3/20/2015 - Amjn Likes this wine:
88 points
Have watched this one evolve over the past 4 years. It still drinks well but just over the peak of drinkability. Despite this you can continue to drink and enjoy. Optimal Enjoyment 2012-2016.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
1/28/2015 - Amjn wrote:
90 points
Peat and raspberry concentrate on the nose. Black tea, tart blackberry, grainy tannins, fruit compote and a hint or iron, and black olive on the palate. Decant as so the fruit comes out to produce a chewy and smooth syrah. Great fruit concentration time has evened out the bottle and will drink well for a few more years to enjoy at its peak.
Red
11/17/2014 - Amjn Likes this wine:
92 points
Negre de Negres translates to "The Red Wines of Red Wines" You can almost taste the aromas, so intoxicating. The nose screams carignan and shiraz with dark perfumed fruit plum gingerbread, chocolate cherries, licorice, root beer and lavender. A warming palate of chewy cassis, toasted oak, plum and leathered spice. A finish that goes on and on and on.....
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
11/15/2014 - Amjn wrote:
90 points
A blend of 90% White Grenache and 10% Grey Grenache. 1/3 in oak casks. Rich potpourri, dried fruit, peach and soft spice on the nose. Light nutty and the softest kiss of oak on the palate, there is some decent weight on the palate leading to flavours of white chocolate, lemon, peach, garrigue. The more you drink the more noticeable the 30% oak becomes. A real Mediterranean white.
Red
9/30/2014 - Amjn wrote:
89 points
Bombastic and full of life. Allspice, cola, dark berries, black licorice. A long smooth deep finish that only Shiraz can command. A great wine by a small boutique producer. Will revisit.
Red
9/24/2014 - Amjn wrote:
84 points
Light and a little loose. But still smooth and bright with a bounce of earth. The concrete fermentation and aging shows.
Red
9/15/2014 - Amjn Likes this wine:
89 points
A BIG in body but refreshingly lighter flavour profile, easy drinking super tuscan from Maremma. Sangiovese, Montepulciano D'Abruzzo and Alicante. A nose of perfumed violets, cherries, baking spice and oak laden berries. Fine structure with a pure strong finish. A little hot when you open it but after a decant a real chewy mouthfeel develops. A great pizza pairing.
Red
9/15/2014 - Amjn Likes this wine:
Fine merlot. Braised smokey plums with creamy oak. Surprised that this 04 is still holding up well. Great value at 25CAD.
Red
2006 Schubert Cabernet-Merlot Martinborough Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
9/11/2014 - Amjn wrote:
87 points
Tobacco leaves, black tea and olive brine on the nose, very subdued despite the 3 years in burgundian oak. Carries some lingering heat but lacks boldness and fruit. Despite this is still smooth and mellow with a more herbaceous edge as the merlot definitely dominates. A little lacklustre. Definitely drink now.
Red
9/2/2014 - Amjn Likes this wine:
88 points
The typical flavours of Sangiovese are abundant. Fresh and fruity flavors of cassis, strawberry, a little spiciness, black tea leaf, sweet deep oaky and a slight tarry flavour. There is more developed and deep flavour compared to old world sangiovese while still maintaining the higher acidity and medium plus tannins that make this a great pairing option. For 52 CAD too much $$$.
Red
8/31/2014 - Amjn wrote:
85 points
A smooth, light and fruity zin with highlights of spice and a kiss of earth. A little loose for me.
Red
8/31/2014 - Amjn wrote:
90 points
Plush full and smooth body. This wine has balanced out in the bottle after 14 months in French and American oak. Dark unctuous smokey fruit with gingerbread and black pepper. A good representation of the modern and flashy style of Ribera del Duero compared to Rioja and other spanish temps.
Red
8/17/2014 - Amjn Likes this wine:
89 points
Lilac, bacon jam and eucalyptus on the nose. Cola, jolly rancher fruit of raspberries and chewy oak on the palate. A little loose. Drink sooner rather than later. I believe that it is peaking.
Red
2010 Luddite Wines Saboteur Cape South Coast Shiraz Blend, Syrah (view label images)
8/2/2014 - Amjn Likes this wine:
92 points
Oh my. Fantastic South African Blend. Not normally fond of Shiraz-Cabernet blending but the Mourvedre has really filled a hole that is normally in Shiraz-Cabernet blends. On the nose typical South African shiraz notes, somewhere between Australia and France, closer to Washington. Worn leather, spice, ink and cola. On the Palate creamy game and oak meets blueberry streusel, meaty fruit, rustic spice and thick mouth coating tannins. Big wine. Love Luddite. for $30 CAD Great QPR for South Africa.
1 person found this helpful Comments (1)
Red
7/24/2014 - Amjn wrote:
89 points
Bold Rich flavors of the Cabernet and Syrah are tamed by this Priorat's Grenache. Deep plum and currant flavours are mixed with hints of warming gingerbread. The soft delicate tannins provide an excellent lingering finish.
Red
7/10/2014 - Amjn Likes this wine:
95 points
Despite the still strong tannins this wine is polished and a real Portuguese representation of Tempranillo. Deceptively dense and dark purple in colour. Fairly tight nose, it is still young after all. Creamy, rich kirsch and cocoa hit at the front of the palate. The real strong point of this wine is the texture; dense and chewy like biting into a blackforest cake or the crunch of an apple. Finishes with soft baking spice and polished graphite laced field berries. The clean medium finish that coats your mouth and sits there. After it fades I would realize 30 seconds later that it was still lacing my throat. Second coming. Drinking now with a decent decant but don't be scared to age and revisit in 4+ years.
3 people found this helpful Comment
Red
6/17/2014 - Amjn Likes this wine:
96 points
This is the kind of wine that makes grown men including myself cry. The amount of work and care that goes into this Crasto masterpiece pays off. Intensity structure and depth are the strong points of this wine. Dusty Oak and leathery smoke meld together with the rich dense peppered fruit. Bought at De Luca fine wines in Winnipeg for $190.
Red
6/8/2014 - Amjn Does not like this wine:
84 points
Reminds me why I am not a huge fan of Montepulciano. There is body and structure and tannic presence but unfortunately the flavour profile does not support the strength that this wine has. Drink Now.
Red
6/4/2014 - Amjn Likes this wine:
92 points
Let this one open up and you will be rewarded with a polished and gripping wine. Matured with care in small, fine grained mixed use french oak for 12 months. Shardana is a carignan based wine with only a touch of syrah which adds a surprising amount of depth. Baking spice, steamed cedar and rich cherries on the nose. Ripe black cherries form a seductive body met with old fashioned liquorice, subtle cigar smoke, and baroloesque tar. A long seductive finish that keeps going.
Orange
2011 Channing Daughters Ramato The Hamptons Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris (view label images)
5/20/2014 - Amjn Does not like this wine:
70 points
A nice effort at old world italian methods but falls short on execution. Probably could double as bug spray.
Red
2007 Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend (view label images)
3/23/2014 - Amjn Likes this wine:
94 points
What a beautiful elegant and worthwhile bottle. From the glistening tartaric acid crystals on the cork to the plush smooth tannins, this wine is an embodiment of elegance and grace. The oak has settled nicely offering just a mix of toasted bark underneath a generous portion of ink dark fruits, definite bordeaux elegance while retaining what Napa drinkers love. The merlot really shines through. Drink now or over the next 2 years for optimum enjoyability.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
1/6/2014 - Amjn Likes this wine:
92 points
Still drinking well, see previous notes. Complex and mysterious.
Red
12/25/2013 - Amjn Likes this wine:
89 points
Wow! This bottle surprised me. But then again, is it that surprising for a well made small batch chilean malbec to be better than many many Malbecs being pumped out of Argentina. Chile excels in medium full wines, and this bottle falls into that category. Soft smooth dry toasted cedar, a touch of herbs, forest floor and soft spice round out this wine leaving a comforting and lingering finish. A wine for the chilean cab and carmenere lovers out there. Reminiscent or the Achavel Ferrer Style.
Red
12/8/2013 - Amjn wrote:
90 points
Yeah it's really that good. A lot better than some Barolos out there. Deep rich but incredibly mellow. Lovely toasted oak, cocoa, and vanilla qualities.
Red
12/8/2013 - Amjn wrote:
93 points
Soft and approachable at such a young age with such a long life ahead. The even structure, thick and plush tannins, matched with heavy yet easy body make the perfectly balanced wine. Deep brooding jam like fruit without the sweetness of some Napa Cabs rounded off with the slightest kiss of smoke and black spice.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
11/28/2013 - Amjn wrote:
92 points
Was this Malbec worth 30 pieces of Silver Judas? The crown jewel of the Sottano brand is anything but disappointing. Incredibly silky and soft tannins present a mouthful of light spice black and blueberry, mocha and smooth oak. Not as jammy and overdone as most run of the mill Malbecs, a good dose of earth, and not the offensive vegetal earthiness that some malbecs obtain.
Red
11/28/2013 - Amjn wrote:
93 points
2010 was about as perfect as growing conditions can get for Bordeaux. 74% Merlot and 22% Cab Franc make this enjoyable now with undertones of forest floor, roasted coffee beans and a kiss of liquorice backing up the solid dense plummy American influenced style. Hard to resist cracking open now, but if you don't you could let this bottle lay down and see evolution.
Red
11/28/2013 - Amjn wrote:
88 points
Cabernet, Montepulciano and Merlot. This bottle is a reserved fruit forword medium bodied Marche Rosso with hints of oak and spice. A surprisingly long lingering finish considering the softness in this wine. But still pretty lacklustre.
Red
11/28/2013 - Amjn wrote:
90 points
Developed nose of forest floor mushrooms, smoke and cracked pepper with a moderate dose of perfectly ripe cherries with a touch of mocha. The palate matches the forest and dried cherry notes with smooth soft liquorice , truffle and spice. Still developing but a great drink now candidate, Will soften out yet and bring out even more desired characteristics in years to come.
Red
11/5/2013 - Amjn wrote:
89 points
The Tikal malbec is smooth and big in style with sweet dark plum, light cocoa, oak and a heavy dose of herbaceousness. Almost too much. Interesting and really approachable. All in all a little bombastic and lacking complexity.
1 - 50 of 59
More results
  • Tasting Notes: 59 notes on 56 wines
© 2003-24 CellarTracker! LLC.

Report a Problem

Close