11/7/2020 - wineisred Likes this wine:

Whoever rated this a 97 is delusional. It's a nice bottle of Bordeaux wine.
No obvious faults, mostly Merlot I would guess. It does open up a bit with some breathing time. Doubt it will ever approach a 97. Does not seem to have a long term aging potential. Not a bargain at $30.00.

1/12/2021 - FiggySmalls wrote:

First experience with Sancerre rouge.

Really great nose! Extraordinarily fragrant... red cherry punch, spiced-orange tea, brandy, and a faint "herbal" element kinda like jaeger cough-syrupy side of licorice.

Palate straightforward acid+bright fruit not showing further complexity in the first 30 mins to 1 hour in glass. Light end of medium bodied.

No signs of age (oxidation or deterioration) on nose or palate

2/11/2021 - KJD45$ Likes this wine:

Nose is unmistakably Syrah with the herbal, meaty, dark fruit smell..
That taste is great... deep red/black fruit,garrigue, black pepper, terroir,
Nice grippy tannins, some mineral lift...just an excellent Syrah...
Definitely French.....I think a few more years will make it even better as the tannins lighten up...well balanced wine..

12/28/2020 - PerfectVintage Likes this wine:

Juicy and energetic with mixed berries. A little heat but not sweet or overly extracted. Finishes with medium tannins and a bit of acid giving credence to possibility of an even brighter future, although this is immediately enjoyable.

If you find a Napa Cab under $50 with this quality & accessibility, sign me up for a case, I’m good for it.

12/18/2020 - KJD45$ Likes this wine:

You know it’s just not a great Syrah....missing some fruit in my opinion..
Totally a wine I will never remember..
I bought a case though and it’s a decent mid week wine quaff...

5/7/2018 - Eric Guido Likes this wine:

What an amazing bouquet, seductive from the onset, showing a mix of ripe blackberry, black raspberry, crushed violet candies, lavender, stone dust and a hint of animal muskiness. On the palate, textures like liquid silk wrapped around the senses as a display of remarkably fresh yet saturating red and black berry fruit seemed to hover, dispersing violet florals, licorice, minerals and hints of grippy herbal tea-like tannin across all that they touched. Balanced to the core, with brisk acidity making light of the wines amazing textural depth and resulting in a finish that was both impossibly long, amazing fresh, yet structured all the same. I can still taste the purple inner floral and dark fruit tones, having lost track of how long the finish has been going. It’s hard to fault the 2015 Gourt de Mautens for anything, and incredibly easy to become lost in it.

10/25/2020 - KJD45$ Likes this wine:

Very pale gold hue....legs take their time to form...
Really great mouthfeel that borders on thick for a white,,
Grassy herbal with an incredible red grapefruit finish that just gets lifted beautifully by the acidity.....well balanced... not a huge fan of Sauvignon blanc but this is really great..some peach notes sneak in as well....
My score is relative to other sancerre’s I have tried...

9/11/2020 - KJD45$ Likes this wine:

Disagree with others...
Wine is prime time now...don’t see it getting better as it’s a great balance now with the fruit and minerality and touch salinity...
Good flavors but lacks complexity....what you see(first taste) is what you get...

3/31/2020 - KJD45$ Likes this wine:

Nose of cherry and spice, some earth..
Flavor profile is mostly the same with a fair amount of drying tannins...
This was a PNP....think it needs air time to develop ...
Definitely needs more cellar time... room for improvement as the structure is there to be a very good Barbaresco...
Today 90 pts.

5/21/2020 - KJD45$ Likes this wine:

It’s all herbal cherry spice sturdy tannic deliciousness.....
Great wine?...not at this point...
Very good wine..yes at this point

8/25/2018 - KJD45$ Likes this wine:

Okay here’s the straight skinny on what is an overhyped label...
Of course a beautiful deep purple magenta color...
Nose is stewed plum, some cassis, bit of green pepper, herbaceous,
overall nose is nice
Nice fruited tongue of boysenberry syrup, leather, wrapped in nice tannins and a lingering finish...
Pretty good expression of Cali Syrah...
Would never mistake for a northern Rhône Syrah....but tasty

12/11/2019 - RoyaltyCoins wrote:

Deep ruby

Nose: Black cherry, Baking chocolate, olive tapenade, paprika, powdered oak. Reserved projection.

Mouth: Smooth flavors of black currant and black cherry glide across the palate, seamlessly segueing into a midpalate of melted licorice, slate, bakers chocolate and dusty earth. Each of the flavors build over time into an endless finish amidst fine grained tannins. This is all about finesse and it exhibits that in spades.

Overall: Smooth, developed fruit flavors come through with a vibrant, etched-in midpalate, and a finish that retains everything that came before it before refusing to quit.. all in a wine that costs $30 and is drinkable now. This is beautifully put together, with unified, deep, easy flavors. 100% Tempranillo.

94.

9/6/2019 - KJD45$ Likes this wine:

Dense purple inky blue......heavyweight viscosity as legs take days..
Nose leans savory of leather and spice, herbal , maybe blueberry cobbler note..
Sweet hit of blueberry, blackberry first , then earth then major
Black pepper on the tannic finish....
(Not as tannic as previous reviewers suggested but still very sturdy)
Lot going on here....will try and post Day 2..for now 93...
(Leans towards a Rhône style Shiraz vs Aussie which is a compliment in my book) kind of wine that invites studied drinking vs quaffing....

9/4/2019 - Eric Guido Likes this wine:

A nearly identical experience with previous bottles, showing a mix a savory and sweet on the nose, with plum sauce, violet candies, and crushed stone, which became more savory over time, adding peppery blackberry, smoke, animal musk and hints of rosemary. On the palate, I found velvety textures, lifted by brisk acids, showing spice, white pepper, mineral-infused black fruits, inner violette florals, and hints of lavender. The finish was long, with saturating spices and tannin, as cooling minerality, and crisp dark fruits lingered.

7/20/2018 - LW31 Does not like this wine:

2 btls of this. Neither was very good, clumsy, slightly oxidative, rather muted on nose. Perhaps better younger and with mountain cheese.

2/24/2019 - KJD45$ Likes this wine:

Second and last bottle... very similar notes to last post except maybe
A bit more lemon curd along with all the other previously noted flavors.
I cannot think of a white wine I have had in the last couple of years
that has delivered such a great complex interesting drinking experience
... it’s a testament to great Riesling and what this grape can deliver..
Not for every meal or every white wine experience but it’s delicious
and worth seeking out...

10/23/2018 - Grinner wrote:

Best bottle of wine we've had in many weeks! Very complex with loads of savory notes complimenting the layered black fruit. You've got meat / blood, florals, spice / pepper, black olive, a hint of caprese salad (with balsamic, tomato and herbs). It's like a treasure hunt in a bottle! Tannins are there but like a French horn in the background. Now-2026!

10/28/2018 - KJD45$ Likes this wine:

Drank next to a Foley Claret...the myriad had more noticeable oak on the nose then led to the fruit aromas... mouth is dense rich extraction
Packed with blackberry cherry oak and tannins... never crosssed over to the “sweet Caymus” style that I am not a huge fan of... everyone loved it... next bottle will be drank slowly over a few days to see what it holds in store....

7/2/2018 - KJD45$ Likes this wine:

Nose is cassis and plum, tar leather....mouthfeel is syrupy....flavor is blackberry, touch leather, spice note, fine tannins... some slightly
unusual flavors I can’t describe.. for me not a good QPR

1/15/2018 - KJD45$ wrote:

2 bottles. In a row with just a hint of being corked,...sone sips are ok
Some invoke a corked sensation....

6/17/2017 - budosyu Does not like this wine:

Tasted through two bottles on two separate occasions. Dark purple. Nose of dark fruit jam and some chocolate. Sweet on entry, turns a bit more dry in the mid palate. The sweet fruit drops off and ends on a spike of alcohol and moderate acidity with spice and stewed dark fruit and a slow alcohol burn.

Hate to be the outlier, but not a particularly well made or balanced wine. Tried after aerating for 3 hours, pop and pour, and second day... actually best as P&P. The tannins are light with some of the fruit dropping in the mid palate, so there's nowhere for sharp alcohol/acid spike to hide. With more air, the tannins disappear almost completely and the sweet fruit gets a little more muted, so there's even less place for the alcohol to hide. The texture is smooth and fairly concentrated, so there's some redeeming qualities.

At $60, this wine competes with wines in the $30 category.

9/2/2017 - Dough Boy Likes this wine:

From Dec 2015: Terrific, balanced wine loaded with fruit. A bit precocious, but smooth and as delicious as advertised.

Two years later, still outstanding. Score unchanged, maybe less edges from 2 years ago and loaded with dark berries. Some nice meaty notes are coming though. Can't wait to enjoy with braised (in Merlot!) lamb shank.

7/24/2016 - SLOFred Likes this wine:

Decanted one hour. Clear Syrah on the nose. Beautiful red color. Black fruit on the palate with tones of chocolate. This is an incredible wine. Wish I had more. This can clearly be served to easily the most discriminating wine drinker. If I come upon other vintages, I will definitely buy from this producer.

9/10/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote:

Deep in color, with just a hint of oak along with the flowery, spicy, jammy, smoky, black raspberry filled perfume. Sweet, sexy, lush and plush, the fruit is ripe, sensuous and fresh. This will probably rise in score as the wine ages and the oak integrates. Made from a blend of 80% Grenache, and various percentages of Mourvedre, Vaccarese, Counoise and a dollop of Syrah, the wine reached 15% alcohol with no touch of heat.

4/6/2016 - KJD45$ Likes this wine:

Medium color extraction for a Pinot....thick medium lines.... Aromatic
Is complex...smoky...ripe cherry...clean...spice.... Flavor is very ripe black cherry...slight wood/earth..touch minerality...bit of pie crust...
Finish is all fruit berry flavors touch peppery...long finish...
This wine really improved over two hours (our wines don't have a long expected life span due to consumption habits!)... REALLY enjoyed this wine but it's in the realm of fruit forward more extracted Pinot...not an austere acidic Bourgogne style...DRINK UP, YOU WILL LIKE IT!!