6/13/2016 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Roasted caramel. Velvety. Not sure why the other reviews are so low. A decent wine, a bit sugary, no major defects and nothing outstanding. Perfect with some dark chocolate & sea salt.

2/9/2016 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Strong black pepper and spice on the attack. Lingering bitterness. Tastes like it should cost a fraction of what it does. Approx. $25USD in Seoul.

2/5/2016 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Dark cherry, black berry, chocolate. Starts full bodied, ends floral.

1/29/2016 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry syrup -- very sweet -- over deeper Zin flavors. $22 USD in Seoul. Too expensive for this sugary blend.

1/28/2016 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

Magnificent, at this price. Pepper and spice over blackberry jam and coffee. Boldly full flavored despite being slightly watery. W15,000 ($14) in Seoul.

1/27/2016 - Topher Seoul wrote:

A bit past best drinking date at time of writing. Had a couple bottles in summer of 2015 and found them deeply satisfying. At present, it's still mostly warm berries with cacao. The chocolate, however, has turned chalky, and an overly earthy flavor has crept in. I've had three bottles in the last month or so, and the trend is the same. Long airing minimalizes the imperfections. 87 is the average across three bottles. Quality will depend on how well the particular bottle has kept.

1/6/2016 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

Aptly named. Floral cherry and raspberry. Hints of leather, green pepper, vanilla, and earth. Smooth with a touch of tartness and acidity. Very likeable in an airy, easy drinking way. Will buy again, though too pricey in Seoul (roughly $22USD) for what it is: a simple pleasure.

1/4/2016 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

Green pepper on opening. Then surprisingly floral with raspberry and a hint of plum. W15,000 in Seoul ($13 USD).

12/31/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Dried cherry, orange peel, earth and leather.

8/22/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Smooth black fruits on opening, prominently plum, with earth and pepper. Earthiness mellows to dark cacao with airing, balancing out the initial tart acidity. At ₩30,000 ($30USD) in Seoul, a bit overpriced. But pleasantly appropriate for a cool August evening with friends.

4/30/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Burnt caramel and earth. Acidic. ₩16,000 in Seoul..

4/25/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Dark peppery berries with a tobacco and leather finish. Vanilla & espresso. However, also slightly acidic, boozy, and earthy. A flawed beauty.

3/13/2015 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

Floral and peach. Honey sweet. A lovely spring wine.

3/6/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Warm dark fruits -- plum, black berry, cherry -- over hints of cocoa, vanilla, and honey. Smooth, velvety, and rich without being too syrupy. With a taste like a bountiful August, easily one of my favorites. A bit pricey in Seoul, at about $20 USD.

3/6/2015 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

More cappuccino flavored candy than coffee. Watery, sweet, pleasant.

2/14/2015 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

Big cherry, on the sweet side, with tobacco and vanilla. Tastes the way a good pipe smells. The exuberant fruit overwhelms the other flavors. Otherwise lovely.

2/11/2015 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

Precisely what a cheap wine should be: uncomplicated, easy drinking without imperfections, sour notes, acidity, or booziness. Soft texture and a medley of fruits -- mostly blueberry ice cream and strawberry candy. Or Skittles. That said, it doesn't resemble any Tempranillo I've ever had, which tend to be spicier and have garden-vegetable secondary notes. It's closest to the sweeter California red blends in the same price range. Fun!

2/8/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Too earthy. Probably flawed.

2/7/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Upon opening, orange peel and cranberry toothpaste. With airing, a mouthful of dirt. I'm hoping it's a bad bottle -- Trapiche has otherwise been one of my favorite winemakers. ₩13,000 in Seoul.

2/5/2015 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

Dark berries and plum jam with hints of chocolate and coffee. An enduring personal favorite.

2/4/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Peppery strawberry first impression, with a light raspberry zing. Ends, like Chianti, on sour and acidic cranberry notes. Needs cheese.

2/3/2015 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

2012 bottle: delicious black fruits balanced with chocolate. Easy drinking.

2/2/2015 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

Unexpectedly light and floral: strawberry, watermelon, peach, and a pinch of cranberry. Not at all a typical Tuscan.

2/1/2015 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

Black pepper and blackberries. A bit rough and sour, before airing. A very good cheap carmenere.

1/28/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Disappointing after drinking a 2009 back in 2013. Standard fare Chianti: green, acid, earthy, good fruit, but overall a bit harsh.

2/9/2014 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

Bought it, pretty much because of Jack London, for about $40USD in Seoul. Disappointed by the high cost. The wine was merely good.

1/27/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

A garnacha with a typical, but notably inferior, Campo de Borja flavor. Stick with the regular, non-tesco Borsao granacha. The price is similar, but the difference is big.

1/24/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Earth, olive, and bitterness.

1/21/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Dark fruit and savory, but overly earthy.

1/20/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Day one: tart, acidic, unremarkable. Day two: strawberries and spice. $10 in Seoul.

1/17/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Too boozy, sour, and green. About $10 in Seoul.

1/17/2015 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

Mostly dark cherry with blackberry and a hint of espresso. Very pleasant: easily drinkable. About $15USD in Seoul.

1/12/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

This is for the garnacha/syrah blend: Blackberry jam with an earthy / bitter end note. W10,000 in Seoul.

1/9/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

A bit sweet, green, vinegary, and weak. Bad bottle or drank too early? Hard to say.

Second bottle: considerably better. Easy drinking. Undistinguished.

1/7/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Strong tempranillo flavor with tart notes and rust. Holds up well with rich pasta sauce, opening up the pepper.

1/5/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Unexpectedly floral.

1/5/2015 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Weak start with a strong pop of fruit at the end. Velvet beginning. Fruits include black berry, grape, and a lingering raspberry. A good wine, but pricey in Seoul at W20,000.

9/27/2014 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Sweet bananas and sour grapes. Wonderfully cheap: perhaps the cheapest wine in Seoul that's still drinkable (₩6,900). 2013 bottle.

9/27/2014 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Clean mineral water over crisp green apples. Lightly acidic, with traces if soapiness. A competent wine with minor flaws. Good at a low price, (₩10,000 on sale, Seoul, Homeplus).

9/27/2014 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Smooth and velvety dark fruits, with lots warmth. One of my favorite cheap wines.

9/27/2014 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

More dark chocolate than coffee

10/21/2013 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

Spicy cherry and plum, with a bit of leather and earth. Develops a cranberry tartness. <Tierra de Castillia IGP, Spain, 2011> Seoul cost: about $8.

10/21/2013 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

As flawless as it is without character: a pleasant, smooth, drinkable wine without distinction. <Toscana IGT, Italy, 2008>. Seoul cost: W16,000 (under $14).

10/18/2013 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Peach and honeydew melon, with odd note of unripened green. Pairs ok with sushi. On second day, sumptuous butter (86). <Campo de Borja, Spain, 2012> Seoul cost: W14,900 (just over $13).

10/18/2013 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Earthy, a bit of chocolate-like bitter, indistinct spice. On the nose, cranberry and cherry. <Loncomilla Valley, Chile, 2011> Seoul cost: W13,800 (under $13).

10/18/2013 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

Pleasant, flabby cherry juice. Likeable, easy to drink.<Loncomilla Valley, Chile, 2012> Seoul cost: W14,000 (under $13). I like regular G7 cab sauv just as much at half the cost.

10/18/2013 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

Dark cherry in two dimensions with a pinch of pepper. Good and cheap(82). Allow to air for a few hours and a bright cherry cola flavor comes out (86). Very awesome at this price. <Loncomilla Valley, Chile, 2012> Seoul cost: W6,900 (just over $6). A very good choice for cheap wine in a country where wine is typically marked up 50 to 100%.

10/18/2013 - Topher Seoul wrote:

Earthy blueberry with some bitterness and acid. Beginning to turn. <Argentina, 2011> Seoul cost: W13,000 (less than $12).

10/18/2013 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

Spicy raspberry. A lot of zing and a pinch of black pepper. (Colchagua Valley, Chile, 2011). Seoul cost: W12,500 (less than $12).

9/14/2013 - Topher Seoul Likes this wine:

Pleasant dark cherry, plum, and blackberry. Dark chocolate, jam, and coffee tones at the end. <Graton, Sonoma Valley, California, 2011> Seoul cost: W15,900 (about $15 USD).