4/29/2023 - WineDuq Does not like this wine:

Alcohol and stewed/baked fruit on the nose. No freshness. 2015 was the same. Shows all of its 15.5% alcohol. Ripe fruit sweetness, but the alcohol dominates and the baked notes not to my taste. Seems like a relic from the Parkerized wines of the early 2000s. Pass on this producer in the future.

8/27/2023 - fencerdan Likes this wine:

Opened 7. Hours before dinner. Good idea. It Opened really well with red fruits on the nose. Great palate with good acidity and a positive finish. It should improve, but it is terrific now with a proper decant. Solid 90+

9/17/2023 - wine-enthusiast Likes this wine:

Way to early to really rate this wine. Deep fruit that is gorgeous and medium bodied currently. Needs time..

11/2/2023 - SCM Fan Does not like this wine:

Decanted 20 mins prior to serving. End of 1st glass noticed a VA on the nose. 30 mins later poured 2nd glass, worse- poured out. Replaced with a 2018 Walla Walla Syrah that was far superior and only $9.

8/5/2023 - NikkiNikkiG Likes this wine:

HOLD!

1 year later totally closed, no nose, no palate; decanted for one hour, cooled down to 58°, perhaps a light bit of fruit on the palate, no aroma as completely dumb

Second night, no aroma to start, a little more fruit on the palate, pleasant and oddly quite drinkable; only on the last glass at the bottom of the bottle, developing aromas of Bergamot tea, colas, rose petals, the beginning of burgeoning aromas but alas, the end of the bottle 😂

HOLD minimum six months; if possible, one year

While reviewing a prior note, I recalled a last glass in 2022 began to close down, both-aroma and palate; will this be a very fine pinot in the future? reminiscent of a 2005 jim maresh bottling that was amazing…15 years later

9/24/2023 - cyc wrote:

Underwhelming relative to the hype

4/13/2023 - stamperb Likes this wine:

Nose: Loamy earth, sweet wildflowers, dark raspberries, salted chocolate; very nice. Palate: Sour raspberry and cassis, bit of wood prickle and bitterness, tannins have good structure and polish. Tried this on the heels of drinking the '16 vintage and while the fruit is still tart on the palate, it's much less so than the '16 and tastes more in balance on day one, but given time to open up, I might prefer the '16 by a hair; both vintages are very good.

3/11/2023 - brianschool wrote:

Dark ruby red in color. Slightly translucent. Slightly expressive nose of tart cherry and herbs. On the palate: cranberry, floral, rocky minerality, dark cherry, clay, and a hint of bay leaf & pyrazine on the finish. Medium- length on the finish. Extremely closed up at first, but opens a bit after a couple of hours. But little to no fruit or tannin on the front of the palate.

In all, a decent Cabernet for the Syrah/Pinot lover, which makes sense if Dehlinger is the producer. It's a quality cabernet, yet in a year where California cabernet's tend to lead with more fruit, this feels thin on entry.

This bottle, n.201 seems to be a bit lighter than n.227 one of my favorites and one I rated very highly. Though I didn't taste them side by side, from memory n.227 offers more power with the same finesse and complexity, and IMHO is the better wine.

That said, this is still closed up to some degree, and I wonder if an improvement will be gained after a 24 hour decant. (Will report back tomorrow). If this does improve than it probably lends to a longer cellar time.

98% Cabernet, 2% Merlot 50% new French oak 14.4% alc.

Day 3 Update: A lack of structure and tannin, something is off here. Though there is fruit and tannin, it's not noticeable up front, and appears with a touch of acidity on the back. Likely a flawed bottle, or maybe this wine is just in a really weird place, but that would be odd 4 years out, IMO.

2/21/2023 - S0N_0F_BACCHU5 wrote:

Delicious, complex and funky!!

2/4/2023 - The Wine Write Likes this wine:

Enticing strawberry and cherry aromatics, bright and fresh spicy red fruit flavors, vibrant on the palate. Huge value.

11/7/2022 - GrapeCrusader wrote:

Friggin' delicious. Tastes a little more expensive than what we paid for this bottle. Really nice acid and a light almost airy like texture and weight. Really compelling wine for the price. Clean and fresh. Love it!

3/9/2022 - Eric Guido Likes this wine:

Any attempt to enjoy the 2015 Domaine du Gour de Chaulé Gigondas without, at least, an hour open in bottle, will not reveal just how special this wine really is, and that's been the case since day one. This is a wine that goes through a metamorphosis once the cork is pulled, as minty herbs and black currant evolve into smoked meats, lavender, violet candies and garrigue. However, it's on the palate where this really impresses, packed full of acid and mineral tension, with notes of blackberry and spiced tangerine slowly pulling back to reveal silty tannins. The finish is long, grippy, yet still so pleasurable today with cascading inner floral tones and a sour citrus tinge.

8/28/2022 - AMC Eagle wrote:

Pnp. Deep ruby-purple in colour. Nose of dark plums, dark cherry compote, with hints of garrigue and blackberries. On the palate, a somewhat peppery blackberry profile is noticed along with some dark jammy fruit, a touch of tobacco, and dark herbs. Medium bodied with a medium finish. This latest version is 2/3 2019 vintage and 1/3 previous vintages.

6/8/2022 - Deegie Likes this wine:

Ordered two cases given the great price and they only sat a week in the basement after arriving before I just had to try it. Decanted about an hour. The predominant flavor for me was lime with some lemon. There was definitely toasty new oak on this wine and it lends very pleasant vanilla and coconut notes. A bit of characteristic RRV minerality on the finish. This will be really tough to beat for just over $8/bottle (before tax and shipping).

5/27/2022 - rama wrote:

From the truck to the fridge for a couple of hours then PnP. Coconut, lemon oil. Rich. Medium acid. Quaffable though lacking depth. Will follow over 2-3 nights and update if it changes.

Edit: cracked a 2nd bottle, no coconut notes though otherwise fairly similar. Much preferred on day 2. I suspect bottle shock and drinking too young, and these will come around late summer.

4/3/2022 - Beatsmith8 wrote:

Good juice but very sweet

3/28/2022 - CheapAndBest Likes this wine:

Modern and sleek. And intense and with great mid range and finish. Has tension. Quite the package!
Now just a bit disjointed. But:
1. Bright and intense after an hour
2. Deep and brooding after a few hours
3. Very nice the next day

Not sure whether to drink in a measured manner over the next couple of years..or keep for a few.. opinions welcome. No wrong choice

Day 1: Pasta with ground pork and radicchio
Day 2: Breaded eggplant pizza

3/9/2022 - dera Likes this wine:

Second day tasting notes. Medium to dark garnet, slight orange rim, looks surprisingly mature for its age. Nose is floral, earthy tones, very slight ripe blackberries. On the palate, surprisingly low acidity, grippy tannins, leather, little bit of plums, but sort of disjointed. I think this needs more time. Let's try this again next year. Still an enjoyable wine, but needs to collect it's thoughts for another year.

1/6/2022 - Escher Cellars wrote:

Decent very thin production. Nice weekday wine for the non-discerning oenophile. Cheers.

12/14/2021 - rama Likes this wine:

First! Sweet, juicy black fruit. A bit heavy handed oak at this stage. Bitter tannins on the finish. Just a baby, maybe in bottle shock, but was curious to try given Cam's effusive praise. I gotta say, its enjoyable even now. Will try again tomorrow and update here if it changes.

Night 2: bitter finish has gone. Sweet black fruit remains. The oak isn't as blunt. Not super complex, but so quaffable I will re-up.

3/5/2021 - EllaW Likes this wine:

WWB. Horizontal with 2014. Pepper, cherries, cotton candy? acetone, earthy. missing some acidity (flabby)

8/29/2020 - Jvanwinkle wrote:

Another gigondas and frankly another disappointment. Nothing wrong with this bottle but nothing special either. Could name a handful of Cotes du Rhône I would favor over this and have change in my pocket. Won’t upset anyone to try this but you may feel underwhelmed after.

1/22/2021 - twain Does not like this wine:

Green. Can't get over it. Had a case of these, only a few left and don't want them. Been a while since I'd tried one hoping it'd show better. Kinda just want to clear em out now and be done with it.

7/23/2020 - df1962 wrote:

PnD let air for 1hr.

Consistent with previous notes. Nice savoury elements. Touch of cola on the finish.

1/18/2020 - nowine4u Likes this wine:

Really good wine. Wonderful round red fruit that persists. Great structure and balanance, firm but integrated tannis that should allow this wine to age. Going back to purchase more. Great QPR..

11/23/2020 - ogres3 Likes this wine:

Good voluptuous wine. Same as prior notes. Must be catching on as the '18s sold out before I could place my order.

10/23/2020 - DavilaDC wrote:

Pleasing nose that took about 30 minutes of air to bring out. Once it was up and running the nose was more interesting than the palate with violets mixed with red and blue fruit. The wine felt muted on the palate and was a struggle to get the same volume of notes as we did from the nose. For being their top tier bottle and a good vintage, this hasn't aged as well as I hoped. Unfortunately, that has been my experience with my Regusci bottles over time, more enjoyable in their youth.

7/8/2020 - nowine4u Likes this wine:

Needs more time in the bottle to fill out, but really think this wine has potential to improve another 2pts. Nice color, medium aroma with enticing cherry flavors. Needs a 4hr decant.

8/11/2020 - Winedog22 Likes this wine:

Rich, ripe, but balanced Oakville Cab. Blueberry, blackberries, dark chocolate. Nice concentrations, and softened tannins. Great wine, especially for the price.

7/24/2020 - Carib Likes this wine:

I think Greg Brewer is a top notch winemaker, very focused on the development of his vineyards for the expression of terroir. This is a great example of his work. The fruits are lovely (raspberry, cherry & anise) and structure well balanced except alcohol seemed a bit forward, so maybe wait another year for this one to mellow out? I drank it over three days, it got better & better as each day passed.

7/11/2020 - tomjputney Likes this wine:

Medium, black currant, sour cherry and black pepper. Hint of smoke and leather. Well balanced acidity and tannin

11/9/2018 - Phil Loxera wrote:

A lovely table wine from the south Rhone, 50% each Grenache and Syrah, from the (what i’ve read) exemplary 2016 vintage. Tasted over 2 days, starting out at cellar temp and left to open up on the counter overnight. Fruit roll-up / Mezcal nose. Inky purple berries with a dash of secret herbs and spices. Very refreshing when chilled, transforms into a chew-worthy sipper at room temp. 13.5% alcohol is noticeable but not unpleasant. Slightly thin body and short finish, but what do you expect for ~$15. Excited to see this develop further, will revisit in a year. Paired well with Indian Food. Great QPR. Vive la France.

3/15/2020 - Wine Gopher wrote:

Way too young. I opened on Friday and decanted 2 hours. It was tannic and closed so I audibled to a different wine for dinner and funneled this back in to the bottle and vacu-vinned. Checked in on Saturday and it hadn't evolved from Friday. Opened again on Sunday and it was still closed. Decanted for an hour and ate with a steak. Scoring off of Sunday.

After long wait it was ready to drink. Muted nose, red fruited, hint of pepper. Medium body. Very smooth at this point. Medium finish.

2/28/2020 - FlyPig Likes this wine:

Had 1/2 through coravin, finished bottle a week later. Delicious in round two - put on weight, retained fresh/vibrant red fruit bouquet, crisp but well integrated, beautiful showing. I remain conflicted on FM wines - they seem overpriced in their youth, and I’ve struggled to reconcile my experiences with ratings agencies. I stopped my allocation, but they have consistently met expectations with bottle age.

2/16/2020 - Mactuan Likes this wine:

Great nose, medium bodied, had it with cassoulet

12/29/2019 - AdieGrey Likes this wine:

I love this wine. There is something about it that I cant put my finger on that just works for me. Despite it being a bit hot, it goes down like a liquor without being super high alcohol...14.5%...plenty high but not like some cabs I have tried. It all comes together well for me.

The wine looks crimson colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like cherry, fig, black currant (cassis), petrol, cedar, oak, vanilla, cinnamon and rose. It tastes like black currant (cassis), prune, mineral, stoniness, espresso, oak, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, violet, lavender, soy sauce and alcohol/hot. The body is medium. The wine has fleshy texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has high acidity and balanced tannins.
I have no idea what others would think; I wish there were more reviews here to note if my impressions are shared by anyone!

1/19/2020 - Neecies Likes this wine:

Hated the '16--heavily oaked, sappy--but this is very different. Dialed back with an unusual aroma/flavor I couldn't put a name to but liked a lot. After reading that this is made under flor, I get it. Quite beguiling, actually.

1/25/2020 - winedrinker5 wrote:

Buy some more for storage

1/7/2020 - gharter Likes this wine:

PnP. Enjoyed over the next 4 hours. Red fruit, spice, cedar and chocolate. Then the tannins hit. Just not sure the fruit will outlive the tannins. I am holding off on the last few bottles hoping the fruit out lives the tannins, but not sure that will happen.

1/19/2020 - ClaytonDave Likes this wine:

Nice zin with predominant black fruit, assisted by the petite syrah. Brief decant; in a good window.

1/24/2020 - rm97 wrote:

Rich
Still young
Delicious

1/18/2020 - pgrzesik wrote:

Elegant nose with lots of tertiary characteristics - dried figs, leather, and hints of dark blueberries on the nose. The palate felt a little thin - lost its vibrancy. Lack luster taste. Felt tired. Probably a few years past its prime. This was probably really good 5 years ago.

1/18/2020 - Djfermentation Likes this wine:

My last of six bottles and still quite enjoyable.

1/15/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Lots of black cherry, some roasted meat with anise and black pepper. Very good density for its level, with still firm tannins in the middle. Good now, better 2022 forward.

Softer and more pleasurable on the second day.

3/22/2019 - feinwine Likes this wine:

Loved this nicely balanced 2013 Ramey gem after a three-hour decant. Dark reddish-purple color. Nose is aromatic with sweet forest flora, subtle oak, a hint of vanilla, and reddish-black fruit. Juicy up front with dark cherry and blackberry jam, which evolves with a layer of tobacco smoke, savory herbs, and firm yet approachable tannins balanced by moderate acidity. Medium-long, velvety finish leaves me wishing I’d bought more!

12/27/2019 - jamesdoeser wrote:

Felt pretty dead. Tasted alongside '10 St Estephes from superior winemakers. Two more bottles in cellar. Lets see if they are any better. Will try again very soon.

12/19/2019 - boomecho Likes this wine:

Vinturi aerated with no further decant. Dark berry fruit with some woodsy notes on the nose. Full bodied and smooth. Tannins well integrated. Wonderful blackberry fruit and dark plum palate, balanced acidity. Medium long finish. Delicious with an outstanding QPR. This wine punches far above its weight class and is worth seeking out.

11/17/2018 - daveyk39 wrote:

Gave this Rhone blend (40% Black Grenache, 30% Carignan, 20% Syrah, 10% Mouvedre) from Côtes du Roussillon 120m of air, given its youth. Medium/Dark Purple color. Lovely and fragrant of strawberry and cherry, with hints of blueberry, baking spices and vanilla. Red fruit on entry, with hints of blueberry and spice, but aggressive tannins take over in the mid-palate and finish. Tightly wound, this improves a little with time in glass, but never realizes the promise hinted at by the aromas.

11/13/2019 - Rob Hansult Likes this wine:

Deep color.
Nose > Rich, ripe, intense black & purple fruit nose, with hint of new oak & marshmallow.
Palate > Great richness with good freshness. Stuffed with fat, rich, ripe,
sweet black fruit. Some new oak evident.
Rich, smooth, ripe tannins. All of a piece already. Great balance. Excellent intensity. Impressive fruit.
Better than the '16 by a nose.
14.5% ABV
39 hl/hc (2.4 tons/acre)
95% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc
(94+)

8/29/2019 - Ben Christiansen wrote:

The problem is Julieta doesn't like it. Chocolate dirt. Palate is more chocolate-y.