6/9/2023 - gordongarlic wrote:

Little tipsy but this wine is very good. Dry as a bone and some really incredible smells. Maybe my fav ever

4/7/2021 - gordongarlic wrote:

My first Zweigelt and really enjoyed it for the funk and fruit

6/7/2018 - gordongarlic Likes this wine:

Improved a lot since purchase two years ago. Nice Pinot flavor with lots of fruit flavor now

1/21/2018 - gordongarlic wrote:

Open this and let it sit for at least a day. Afterwards, u will be happy

11/6/2017 - gordongarlic wrote:

sooooo much better on day two

3/26/2017 - gordongarlic wrote:

nice and dry, but with lots of stuff below the surface that i could not quite put my finger on, but enjoyed until the bottle was a goner. kinda hurtin the next day cuz of it, but was enjoying this one so much that didnt want to possibly lose the wine in that moment

2/19/2017 - gordongarlic wrote:

previous reviews do not do this wine justice. admittedly, it is not a latour etc., but it is good and there is quality. plenty of acid the first 24 hours, but that subsided by 2nd day and it was really getting nice. will decant next time and see what happens

8/9/2015 - gordongarlic wrote:

tremendous dry red wine

7/21/2015 - gordongarlic Likes this wine:

Would be better at 13.5% rather than 14.5%

6/23/2015 - gordongarlic wrote:

Exceptionally smooth tempranillo with very solid flavor and nuance

6/6/2015 - gordongarlic wrote:

very enjoyable. at first, some slight effervescence was pretty cool, but that smoothed out and the rest of the way was just nice pinot fruit without too much sugar. i wish i had more

5/12/2015 - gordongarlic wrote:

flavor without the sugar

3/22/2015 - gordongarlic wrote:

Smooth, balanced and with very nice fruit right from pop

2/16/2015 - gordongarlic wrote:

Opulent. A huge, complex wine that smells great

2/10/2015 - gordongarlic wrote:

Cranberry pinot. Good stuff and a freaking steal at this price

2/8/2015 - gordongarlic wrote:

nothing stood out over the first couple of hours and it was thinner to my palate than other reviews. however, its strength built and by hour 3 provided some interesting complexes. i think this will get better as it cellars

12/30/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

not bad. not super good either. too sweet.

12/29/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

very drinkable. lots of fruit coupled with minerality on the finish. builds strength and was best at hour 3.

12/22/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

Big one. Dark, dark fruit that's pretty complex. Gave some real good sniffs on the nose too. Perhaps strongest at hour 4

12/18/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

too much alcohol. that overwhelmed some of its qualities

12/17/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

Solid. Big and bodied from the start through 5 hours and still very strong. Grapes seem analogous to a mix of syrah and zinfandel.

11/26/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

one of the best wines ive ever had, and trust me, ive had lots of decent wine, you know?

poor attempt at humor aside, this is a big one; bold and rich and unique. unmistakably tempranillo with some red fruit i have not been able to put my finger on. kicking strong at hour 4 and have another glass for day two.

8/25/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

perhaps the best qpr of any wine out there. an even keel throughout with new tastes and flavors in nearly every sip. still completely solid at hour five with no hint of fade.

8/11/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

Smoothed out from a year ago and really nice right from the start. good fruit with a little bit of heft

8/6/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

really nice strawberry fruit without the sugar. good balance as well

7/17/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

The acid fom 4 months ago is gone and it's pretty good now, especially on day 2 when it deepens a bit and provokes some thought. Not a lot, but some

5/29/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

Day 1 - good

Day 2 - excellent

Day 4 - excellent and still evolving

I may not touch the rest of the stash for 3-4 years

5/13/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

much better on the 2nd day. decant.

4/29/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

Too sweet right now. The 2010 has balanced nicely now and im guessing more time will do the same for 2011

4/24/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

Effervescent and satisfying fruit for quite some time after pnp. The 4th bottle drank over a couple years and the best. At hour 5 the taste seemed to be fading, but the tannins were still ripping...... ?

4/18/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

its complexity was much more pronounced this past summer. however, after four hours it settled in nicely and the sugar balanced out a bit. definitely decant if drinking now.

4/15/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

nice, but not a $60 wine

4/9/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

After really enjoying some of these previously, the last 2 bottles died early and badly. I actually put my 3 remaining in a place for the banished. However, after waiting about a year, the bottle today was not bad. Had an olive flavor and smell that was unique to go along with decent fruit and body

4/3/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

Meaty nose. Nice fruit flavor in this easy drinker. Still going strong after 4 hours with decent tannins.

3/26/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

exciting wine. bursts with fruit after pop, but certainly not overly sweet initially. in fact, the first hour featured juicy fruit that beckoned no waiting between sips... in spite of a good finish. also, defintely some minerality here that rose as time passed. however, the zin sweet took over the fruit a bit following hour one. keep in mind, though, the 2012 sugar. the future, im sure, is filled with lots of fun and surprise with each subsequent bottle

3/18/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

good, but... i dont know. balanced, but.... hmmm. i guess nothing truly stands out as it never gave one of those 'wow' moments. for a taste around hour 1 some raspberry came forth.. but then subsided. quite balanced, though, and still itself after 4 hours.

3/13/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

So interesting. Why? Unlike almost all current reds, the sugar is nonexistant here. Consequently, at the start, the worry is that this one has died. On the contrary, the fruit flavor actually builds throughout, and by hour 3 some tannins are evident along with pepper. Unexpected and thought-provoking

3/11/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

serious jam juice. overwhelming sugar. even after a day sweetness was the only distinguishing characteristic

3/6/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

Fresh and zesty fruit dominate. Really one of the more refreshing juices i've had. By hour 2, pepper appeared and at hour 3 things moved bigger and fuller. I did not expect this change at all considering that this began on the light side.

Day 3- left a glass of this and revisited 2 days later; wow, so smooth, yet full of strawberry and some meat with a medium to full body. 91-92 this glass.

3/3/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

Maybe i got a bad one, but i do not agree with any of these scores. a fun, grape-soda note to start, but that was the only noteworthy element. the rest of the 4-5 hours after a PnP featured acid and a hot flavor, thus, decanting seems like the way to go at this point. i only have a few of experiences with Washington Bordeaux blends, but all of them have been hot. i hope some time will balance out the rest of the bottles.

2/28/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

$20 at Trader Joe's. great mouthfeel and lots of fruit flavor along with licorice. after a couple hours it got a little hot with acid but i'm hoping some time will balance that out. revisit this in the summer.

2/23/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

do not agree with any of these notes. Mine was a light-bodied juice. Very dry to start, devolving into a more fruity flavor with less body. After a few hours this was really going downhill

2/20/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

Begins with pleasant fruit on the nose and pallet; however, as the time passes its overriding trait is a hot, acidic quality.

2/10/2014 - gordongarlic wrote:

it was the best wine i had ever had when i tried the first bottle a year ago or so and it's even better now. this time, for the first hour or two a silky texture brought forth much fruit, but without the sweetness it displayed on first try. then things started to build, with more body and power taking over, and this became quite potent in the final two hours. but what must be said is that at no time in the 4 1/2 hours we spent together did anything overwhelm. this was really awesome stuff.

12/24/2013 - gordongarlic wrote:

Complex, but less notably with the flavors than with its intensity. Starts off very smooth, but an hour later it's big with heavy and zesty fruit. an hour after it has softened again and I'm thinking perhaps it's on the downward slope. However, another hour passes and it is big and bold again with a more prune-like taste.

12/18/2013 - gordongarlic wrote:

Powerhouse of flavors, including loads of fruit, most of which are dark, while also containing some sourness that made me think of apples. This was the last of the many bottles I consumed (and the best due to the deepening of all the wine's attributes as it aged) and the overriding quality of all was the consistency of flavor throughout. However, there was never an abundance of nuance nor complexity to this juice either. That aside, a very good wine for under $20.

11/11/2013 - gordongarlic wrote:

good now, but current factors augur well. pleasing merlot fruit throughout, but there was a youthful tanginess/acid alongside at nearly every moment that i felt detracted rather than enhanced. time should do the trick for that and cannot, but will have to, wait to see how things evolve

10/23/2013 - gordongarlic wrote:

light with smooth flavor and clean finish

10/22/2013 - gordongarlic wrote:

One of the best wines I have had with a lovely paradox to boot. Started off balanced, with zesty fruit and a little spice on a lighter body. I emphasize this wine's balance. However, about 2 hours in it turned into a medium-bodied wine and leathery tannins burst on the scene. An hour later it lost steam, but that in no way dimished the previous 3. I've had this bottle a year and think it may have reached its peak at this very moment.

10/8/2013 - gordongarlic wrote:

Table wine with a nice nose