3/8/2013 - newtuxedo wrote:

Really good for such a young wine. Should be excellent in a few years. Attractive nose. Firm tannins. Good fruit - majority Malbec in the blend. Tasted at one of the dinners at Mid-Atlantic Wine + Food Festival. Will try to buy and cellar some of this. First vintage for this producer. Santiago Achaval was the winemaker.

3/26/2011 - newtuxedo wrote:

Where was the fruit and creamy texture mentioned by other reviewers? Decanted this for five hours before drinking. This was hot (high alcohol content) and not very appealing. Happy I stopped ordering Zins from them. Many better Zin producers in Sonoma County and elsewhere in CA.

1/22/2011 - newtuxedo wrote:

Very subdued nose of peach, apple and maybe some petrol, or as one guest put it, pine resin. Nice lemon and stone fruit flavors on the palate, with good integration of oak. Medium finish. Very well made wine. Excellent with food.

11/19/2010 - newtuxedo wrote:

Surprise me how balanced this was. Great wine for mid-weight Italian food. Nice fruit, smooth on the palate. From a wine region I have not sampled before. Still have one bottle. The hype from the Garagiste sales pitch proved accurate once again.

8/28/2010 - newtuxedo wrote:

Excellent wine. Very well balanced. Incredible combination of flavors. Long finish. Jeff Gaffner makes great Pinots-no doubt about it.

8/26/2010 - newtuxedo wrote:

I agree with DaveZack's comments. Very nice alternative to Chardonnay. Served it with a variety of tapas. Poured this, an unoaked Chardonnay, and a Rioja. This was the best match of the three with most of the dishes. Chilled it in frig for about 2 hours after taking it from wine cellar. Flavors improved as it warmed contrary to tasting notes published by TC. Will buy more from TC Wine Club next time.

7/5/2010 - newtuxedo wrote:

OMG. This was the best Zinfandel we've ever tasted. Balanced, smooth, wonderful fruit, just enough spice. Too bad it was my last bottle. Drank alongside a Carlisle 2008 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel - also quite good, but not in the same league. Served with pulled pork sandwiches, BBQ tri-tip, and ground lamb sliders for a group of 10 (mostly non-wine drinkers). Wife and I tried to keep this bottle to ourselves. Can't wait to get the Carlisle fall release order form.

4/2/2010 - newtuxedo wrote:

Opened this about 30 minutes before a dinner of cheese and chicken ravioli in a spicy tomato sauce. Wine had a nice fruity nose (the Sangiovese component showing up), but was a bit hot on the palate. Was much better on Day 2. Guess I should have decanted the bottle for an hour or more when first opened. I usually really like all of Robert Rex's juice.

3/25/2010 - newtuxedo wrote:

Had a bottle of this at Wirrakee restaurant in Bendigo, VIC, Australia and again at a tasting at the winery. Similar tasting experiences both times. One of the finest Pinot Noirs I have tasted outside of some of the Grand Cru cellars of Burgundy. Balance of fruit, earth, and minerality is excellent. This is a world class Pinot. Too bad it isn't exported to the US and I have to travel to Australia to drink it.

3/9/2010 - newtuxedo wrote:

This wine was given to us in 2008 when we checked out after our stay at Cavas Wine Lodge in Mendoza, Argentina. Gorgeous hotel with great wine cellar, but back to discussing the wine. The Bonarda grapes are grown on the premises and it was harvest season when we were there. Lots of workers were picking the vines right outside of our casita. Now the wine tasting notes: in one word "simple". Not much nose, almost non-existent tannins, OK fruit, short finish. The wine brings back pleasant memories, but there is not much to this wine.

2/27/2010 - newtuxedo Likes this wine:

Deep, deep red color. Nice nose with spice and black fruit aromatics. Very smooth on the palate considering the bottle was open for a limited time before drinking (no decant). Glad I cellared this for a few years. Moderate finish. Overall, a very nice wine for the money. Not quite a 90 rating though.

2/23/2010 - newtuxedo wrote:

Light golden yellow color. Nose of apples and some citrus. Light, Aussie Riesling flavor. Other reviewer was spot on - similar to some Sauvignon Blancs. Paired with big bowl of steamed Manila clams and sourdough bread.

2/16/2010 - newtuxedo wrote:

Ruby red color. Light nose of red/black fruit (cherry) and some spices. Well balanced at this stage. Not very complex on the palate, but very tasty. Went well with panko crusted pork chops. Medium finish. Could drink this bottle all night (and did).

12/12/2009 - newtuxedo wrote:

Rec'd this as a gift from friend in Santiago who brought it to U.S.. Exciting nose with plum and blackberry dominant. Dark purple color. Taste of the same fruit and medium tannins. Nice medium length finish. Surprisingly good Syrah for the list price.