4/6/2024 - pdxwinefan Likes this wine:

3 hour decant. Very dark. No visual signs of aging. Rich blackberry and currant aromas. Blackberry, small hints of cocoa on the palate. After another hour, some subtle coffee tastes blended with the cocoa. Seared ribeye brought out some carmelized blackberry notes—like the edge of a blackberry cobbler pan. Another hour and some more gamey and savory notes emerged. meat, savory herbs. Juicy throughout and nicely integrated tannins.

Gorgeous wine with a long road ahead. Drink or hold for 5 years (maybe more).

8/23/2023 - pdxwinefan Likes this wine:

Barely classifies as a rose, although it’s very enjoyable cooled. There’s a discernible barnyard character on the nose, which blows off with air, then a nice rich strawberry flavor, with secondary spice flavors like Chinese 5-spice. Balanced tannins and acidity, and an interesting, long-ish finish. Great wine, and an interesting one. Should cellar well for several years.

8/3/2023 - pdxwinefan wrote:

1-hour decant brought out rich cherry, licorice aromas. Ate with a grilled steak, shrimp sautéed in butter sauce, and a summer tomato salad. Lots of acidic life here, but the fruit is shy at first. Longer decant might have been good. But ultimately this felt a little flabby, like it needs more tannin. Have a few left so will try a longer decant next time.

2/2/2023 - pdxwinefan wrote:

Dark, sweet, blueberry pie. Strong blueberry fruit on both the nose and the palate. It’s fairly high alcohol but not terribly noticeable given the power of the fruit and sugars.

This wine undeniably tastes good. It’s easy to drink and quite a crowd pleaser. And while it’s really sweet (have I mentioned that?), it did have some emerging tobacco and chocolate notes after a while.

But it’s not my style. I found myself craving more structure, something to grab hold of to help balance the fruit and sweetness. But my girlfriend loved it for all the reasons I didn’t, and you know what? Isn’t that why we enjoy wine in the first place?

2/17/2023 - The_Cat wrote:

98 pts. Garnet red with orange rims. Wonderful complex still lots of fruits but balsamic notes some tobacco and cigarbox. Full bodied sweet tannins and extremely long finish. Ripe but no hurry needed

12/7/2022 - jamesabdavis wrote:

Lovely aromatics, roses, bacon.
Soft sweet fruit on the palate, acidic frame with a saline savoury character, lovely balance.
Resolved tannins, very complete and harmonious wine. Gorgeous.

3/12/2023 - pdxwinefan wrote:

Highly structured with both tannin and acidity. Fruit is subdued. Needed food.

I liked this, but it came off as very muscular and not easily accessed.

Probably should have decanted for a lot longer.

11/17/2015 - Rollerball wrote:

Comparing a 1997 to a 2010 Brunello. (Perbacco): Such power but still so welcoming and even-keeled. Entirely approachable now. Killer, thrilling, delightful bouquet. Such strength and balance. Driven by a range of pleasureable flavors that get intricate on inspection, like not-quite-ripe persimmons, fresh cherries, anise, espresso, and earthy spring rain. Leaves you with an impression of joy.

Enjoyed next to the 1997 Azienda Agricola due Portine (Gorelli) Brunello.

10/25/2015 - pdxwinefan Likes this wine:

Lovely. PnP this time. Should have decanted at least a little, although it opened up fairly quickly in the glass. Light strawberry with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg, with a moderately long finish. A nice Pinot with a lightly grilled salmon.

5/22/2015 - pdxwinefan Likes this wine:

A friend of mine brought a 2005 Rioja to dinner, so I brought this from 2005 as a comparable--and it really was quite a difference! While the Rioja was ruby red, expressive and supple, this is black as midnight, tannic and brooding. And pretty great. It took almost 90 minutes of decanting for the tannins to calm down, but once the balance emerged, the wine's darkness (it's the only word I can think of) took over. It's a deep, strong wine--definitely not old world style and not for those looking for an American Rioja. Black cherries, a touch of earthiness, a little peppery. Clearly not 100% Tempranillo--maybe merlot and probably syrah in the blend? I will try to find more. This could have been cellared for another few years, easy.

3/31/2015 - La Cave d'Argent wrote:

Purchased from a Napa Valley restaurant's list at a lofty price, this wine proved itself to be enjoyable but certainly not a blockbuster. Its beautiful purity of fruit somehow pushes beyond the boundaries of its excessive oak. It is a heavily extracted, round, "fruit bomb" that is, by its nature, controversial among tasters. To my palate, it pushes the threshold of being over-the-top but somehow is hard to dislike. Drink now-2030.