9/17/2013 - hld1970 wrote:

outstanding QPR

2/15/2013 - hld1970 Likes this wine:

Fantastic- paired with crabcakes, wild rice and asparagus. Served slightly chilled and it offered rich stone fruit and smooth, lingering finish.

9/23/2012 - hld1970 wrote:

Very smooth. Nice black fruit and even better finish. Paired with brisket and roasted vegetables.

3/2/2012 - hld1970 wrote:

This was overwhelming upon opening on day 1. However, day 2 brought out the smooth nature of this hot red. i really enjoyed it the second time around.

2/5/2012 - hld1970 wrote:

Outstanding. Served at our wine party and it was the hit of the night.

12/22/2011 - hld1970 wrote:

This is now one of my favorite zins. Period.

5/8/2011 - hld1970 wrote:

Served with grilled chile rubbed hangar steak and corn. Sublime. Great dark fruit and long finish. Decanted for 45 minutes.

4/21/2011 - hld1970 wrote:

Surprised by the silkiness of this bottle. Aussie shiraz gets it right here.

4/19/2011 - hld1970 wrote:

Just visited this winery this past week and had a great time there with Gary K. Told Gary about this wine in my collection and he told me to drink it soon. Well, tonight I did, after decanting for about 40 minutes and letting sit in the glass for another 30 min. Scott- my hat is off to you. Great nose and even better taste with lush, long finish. Can't wait for my bottles thatI bought at the winery to arrive. Kudos to the team.

2/11/2011 - hld1970 wrote:

Had to run it through the Venturi twice and then let it sit. Finally it opened up. Had it with pasta and meatballs in Rao's marinara sauce. Not too shabby.

12/12/2010 - hld1970 wrote:

Served with braised lamb shanks and baked potatoes.

11/14/2010 - hld1970 wrote:

Quickly grabbed and poured for an accompaniment to pasta with red sauce. Deep purple and inky, this wine was quite the surprise, considering I paid $15 for it. Chewy with great dark fruit and smooth velvety finish.

11/12/2010 - hld1970 wrote:

Served with shrimp scampi over pasta. Great balance between minerality and sweetness.

9/17/2010 - hld1970 wrote:

Served with baked penne pasta. Deep, dark inky purple with solid tannins and chewy red fruits.

8/1/2010 - hld1970 wrote:

This is the kind of wine that makes me glad I joined the Cuvaison wine club back in 2003. Soft, supple and well rounded, this merlot is velvet in a glass. Drank a few glasses on its own and will drink more with BBQ chicken and veggies. Not its intended use but it works for me.

5/31/2010 - hld1970 wrote:

like liquid velvet. served with chile-glazed hanger steak, grilled corn and broccoli slaw salad. perfect note.

5/17/2010 - hld1970 wrote:

One of the bteer QPR I have tasted, especially for Cab.

3/1/2010 - hld1970 wrote:

Earthy, mushroom smell with nice spicy kick. Light in color. May develop more on day two. Drank with salmon and roasted potatoes.

1/10/2010 - hld1970 wrote:

Very inky purple color and velvet-like texture. Delicious. Served with homemade beef stew.

12/12/2009 - hld1970 wrote:

Jen's birthday dinner-- great nose and smooth finish.

12/11/2009 - hld1970 wrote:

too sweet

10/8/2009 - hld1970 wrote:

Nice dark fruit and chewy tannins. Paired with homemade pesto pasta.

10/2/2009 - hld1970 wrote:

served with chorizo and shrimp soup--outstanding. Full body, smooth, black fruits and nice tannins on the finish.

6/21/2009 - hld1970 wrote:

Great red table wine, by any standard. Needed about 30-45 minutes decanting and more in the glass. Red fruit on the nose with a smooth finish. Served with caprese salad and lasagna. Yum.

5/31/2009 - hld1970 wrote:

On the young side, but decanting helped as well as extra time opening up in the glass. Served with grilled salmon, couscous and grilled asparagus.

5/16/2009 - hld1970 wrote:

Smooth taste with dark fruit and nice legs. Served with hamburgers, grilled corn. Ahh, summer.

5/7/2009 - hld1970 wrote:

Surprisingly smooth. Nice red berry fruits on the nose with a silky finish.

4/27/2009 - hld1970 wrote:

Soft and smooth but on the way down. Optimal taste was day 2 of a 3 day window. Lots of lush dark fruit, spice, a bit of pepper. Nice, long finish with long legs in the glass.

11/22/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

Ok, I admit it. I bought this bottle for the cool label and for Coppola's reputation/pricepoint. I served with leftover beef stew and it did better the second night than the first. I agree with the other taster that this does not display typical zin qualities. Still a bit of alcohol on the first pass- maybe I should have saved tis for another year or two. But its not bad for the price.

10/30/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

Ugh. This was absolutely awful. I have found lots of good values but this is NOT one of them. Maybe it was a spoiled bottle but it was smelly, acidic and sour tasting. Yikes.

9/14/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

Opened at beginning of week and it got smoother by week's end. Nice cherry fruit.

9/5/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

Decent cab but still very hot with a lot of alcohol taste. Needs more cellaring.

6/8/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

While we drank this past the typical "window" it was a very balanced, crisp offering from a well-known winemaker. Any Moore has done a fine job with this one- nice melon and apple flavor balanced with crispness on the finish.

5/11/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

Smooth after decanting for about an hour. Lots of juicy red fruit with a velvet like finish. Had it with flank steak and roasted vegetables.

4/19/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

Very smooth upon first opening. Paired with planked salmon on the BBQ. After airing out over the course of dinner, it revealed several layers. Most notably, pencil lead, tobacco and a smoky flavor. Wish I had picked up more on sale.

4/5/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

I am a tough critic when it comes to zin- it's one of my favorites. This bottle was exceptional. Lots of fruit and smooth structure make it a winner. Went very well with baked pasta dish and held up on its own.

3/31/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

While I opened this a little past its "prime" it nonetheless was smooth and crisp to the end. Paired it with dover sole a la meuniere and it was sublime. Honeysuckle and peach on the palate. It puts most chards to shame IMHO.

2/28/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

Slightly lighter on the palate than I expected. Window closing this year, so I decided to take the plunge and open it. Maybe it will get better with time.

2/21/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

Served with baked pasta with red sauce and crusty bread. In the dead of winter, it doesn't get much better.

2/14/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

Very very good value. I bought a bottle at a wine sale for $5.99. Solid everyday drinker, paired it with chicken, pesto, pine nuts and pasta.

1/29/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

This bottle was slightly better than the first one I opened, due much to the fact that time has passed no doubt. Mellow with a hint of blackberry and velvet taste, this wine was helped by decanting for about 30-45 minutes.

1/24/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

I opened this bottle to serve with homemade turkey chili, forgoing the Malbec option. Smart move. While there was a lot of alcohol on the initial taste, over time (several hours and the next 3 days) this wine got smoother, deeper and more velvety. Nice cassis, berry and mineral tones. However, the vineyard recommends laying it down longer, so I will save my second bottle for a few more years.

1/18/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

This wine opened up the more it sat. While not a desert wine, it nonetheless has rich creamy layers that fill you up with a full fruit forward taste. A great everyday drinker.

1/4/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

Had this with boiled lobster for New Year's and it really worked well with the buttery rich taste of the lobster. The temptation is to go with Chardonay with lobster but do yourself a favor and find a nice dry riesling like this.

1/4/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

This was my first go around with Veuve and I was not disappointed. Good balance between dry and fruity, yeast component kept it from getting too sweet which I liked.

1/1/2008 - hld1970 wrote:

This bottle was a strong effort from the vineyard. Plenty of fruit on the palate and the right balance. Decanted for 30 minutes before serving only enhanced its flavor. Served it with a mushroom lasagna that we made for friends and it complemented it perfectly.

12/30/2007 - hld1970 wrote:

This was a wine club special selection offered in January 2005. I have to say, it was well worth the wait. With only 507 cases produced, this is a gem that I wish I had more of. We served it with roasted cornish game hens and it was perfect. Lots of bold red fruit and a nice smoothness to it. It only got better the next day. Sad to see it go.

12/24/2007 - hld1970 wrote:

This continues to be one of my favorite, if not all time favorite, go to everyday reds to drink. Lots of dark fruit on the palate and the finish is balanced well. I cannot recommend it enough.

10/27/2007 - hld1970 wrote:

Nice jammy, up front fruit and decent lingering finish. Definitely will add this to my cellar in multiple.

10/24/2007 - hld1970 wrote:

I agree with the others who have drank this before me: lots of sediment. Noticed a slight alcohol or hot burning feel on the beginning of the taste. I decanted it for 20-30 minutes and it slowly softened. Funny thing was that while the alcohol taste left after awhile, so did any hint of complexity. Guess I will hold onto the other bottle for a little longer.