5/5/2019 - purevar1etals wrote:

Yangarra McLaren Vale Roussane 2009
A: Medium, clear, lemon
N: stony/steely note, ripe pear, slightly honeyed, kerosene, banana, almonds. pronounced, developing
P: Medium acidity, medium+ body, medium finish, high intensity. Caramelised banana
C: I like it! 89

5/5/2019 - purevar1etals wrote:

Yangarra McLaren Vale Roussane 2009
A: Medium, clear, lemon
N: stony/steely note, ripe pear, slightly honeyed, kerosene, banana, almonds. pronounced, developing
P: Medium acidity, medium+ body, medium finish, high intensity. Caramelised banana
C: I like it! 89

6/30/2018 - purevar1etals Likes this wine:

A: Pale, garnet
N: earl grey, forest floor, prunes, toffee, smoke, black plums, cooked strawberry, bramble. Pronounced, developing.
P: high acidity, med- tannin, med+ flavour intensity, medium bodied, long finish. What you want from a good pinot noir, with some interesting, complex characteristics.
C: 92. I really like it, and think this is the right time to drink it.

9/26/2017 - purevar1etals wrote:

A deep, purple colour, this wine smells of blackcurrant, cherries, baked strawberries, with oaky notes of vanilla and cedar wood. There is a herbacious eucalyptus note, and a mineral tar-like note. The body shows medium acidity, med- tannin, med+ body, with a medium finish. Not remarkable, but very good.

9/26/2017 - purevar1etals Does not like this wine:

A very austere nose with notes of plums, cherries, some stoney, earthy and hay-like minerality, with a hint of vanilla and nutmeg. The wine seems a bit astringent and off-balance as of now, which may have been an age-issue. On the palate it has medium acidity, med+ acidity, with some cedarwood in the medium finish.
A decent wine, but not worth the price.

9/26/2017 - purevar1etals wrote:

With notes of apricots, peaches, clay, lemon juice, wet wool, hay, and some creaminess, this wine has a lovely pronounced nose showing a lot of complex mineral characters. On the body it has medium acidity, med- body, med+ intensity, with a med+ finish. For a Chablis, this wine shows excellent ripeness, but also has lower acidity than you'd expect as a consequence.

9/26/2017 - purevar1etals wrote:

At seventeen years old, this wine has become an amber colour with medium depth. The odour is massive: notes of apricot, mandarin, cooked apple, beeswax, orange peel, honey, caramel, almonds, ripe banana, and figs. There are some notes that suggest this wine is developed and perhaps slightly past its best: oxidative flavours like walnuts and raisins. It is still full-bodied, with med+ acidity, high flavour intensity and high sweetness. The finish lasts a long time: still fantastic, but don't keep it for another decade.

9/26/2017 - purevar1etals wrote:

A typical light garnet colour, this wine smells of mineral notes like kerosene, earth and rubber, alongside dried cherries, plums and dried meat like parma ham. There are herbal characters such as nutmeg and a rosy floral note. The wine is full-bodied, with med+ acidity and tannins. There is a long finish, with more lingering sweetness than I expected. Intense flavour, balanced, and easy to drink makes for an outstanding wine.

8/3/2017 - purevar1etals wrote:

A lovely golden colour, this wine has a pronounced, youthful scent of pineapple, pine, almonds, cherry blossoms, and a bit of stony minerality. On the palate it has a medium+ body, medium+ acidity medium+ flavour intensity, and a medium finish. For the €18 I paid, this wine has good complexity and intensity. Drink through ~2020.

5/10/2017 - purevar1etals wrote:

This wine has a pale, slightly garnet appearance, with leather, licorice, vanilla, coffee, and stony minerality notes, alongside the typical strawberry, on the nose. It has high acidity, and a sleek medium body, with low tannins. Despite only medium intensity, the finish is long. What particularly sticks out is that this wine is incredibly balanced.

5/10/2017 - purevar1etals wrote:

Medium, ruby appearance in the glass, with notes of licorice, forest floor, blackberries, tobacco, marzipan, dried meat and black olives on the nose. The scent is starting to show some signs of maturity, but still has a long way to go. On the palate, this full-bodied wine tastes very savoury: rather than fruity or sweet. It has nice med+ tannin, high alcohol, and med+ acidity in this full-bodied wine. The intensity is good, with a long finish.

4/5/2017 - purevar1etals wrote:

A medium, ruby red colour, this wine smells of vanilla, strawberry ice cream, clove/cinnamon spice notes, and cedar wood. On the palate, it has a medium acidity, with medium tannins, medium body, and a medium+ finish. On the whole, this wine is very round, and smooth -- lovely to drink outside on a summer day.

4/5/2017 - purevar1etals wrote:

This wine has a deep colour, that is starting to turn slightly garnet. It has a developing, very savoury odour, with notes of olives, forest floor, dried meat/salami, dried cranberries, and earthy/steely mineral notes. On the palate, it is full-bodied, with med+ acidity, med+ tannin, and a high flavour intensity with a long finish. The wine has very little fruit, and is almost too austere to drink on its own -- would definitely recommend having it with food. Very interesting and different!

3/22/2017 - purevar1etals wrote:

With a lovely deep lemon colour, this wine smells of tropical fruit, especially pineapple and passion fruit, alongside the typical gooseberry and grapefruit characters of Marlborough SB with a nice stony/steely minerality. The oak, and malolactic fermentation, are very present, with notes of vanilla and whipped cream. On the palate, the acidity is high and the flavours have a high intensity on this full-bodied wine. The finish is very long.
This remains the best iteration of the sauvignon blanc grape that I have ever come across. Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume are boring in comparison.

3/22/2017 - purevar1etals wrote:

With a very pale, lemon appearance, this wine is a typical Marlborough sauvignon with notes of green peppers, blackcurrant leaf, grape fruit, with a medium intensity. On the palate, the acidity is med+, with a medium body and a med- intensity. The finish is med-, though the acidity lingers.

3/22/2017 - purevar1etals wrote:

This wine sits with a deep, ruby colour in the glass. The nose shows notes of dark fruit, including blueberries and blackcurrant, along with secondary flavours of menthol, vanilla and cinnamon. Like almost all Italian wines, there is an earthy character. On the palate it is slightly reminiscent of cranberry sauce, thanks partially due to the high acidity. The wine has med+ tannins, is full bodied, with high flavour intensity and a long finish. The wine carries its 16% alcohol very well, neither tasting harsh or particularly alcoholic. In the after-taste there is some sweetness: a slightly honeyed note.
Balanced to a fault, that it's almost boring, this wine is awesome and what you want in an Amarone.

3/22/2017 - purevar1etals wrote:

A deep, ruby bordering on purple hue, this wine smells of chocolate and vanilla, dried cherries, with some tertiary flavours starting to show including balsamic, leather and earthy notes. On the palate, the tannins are, of course, very high. Luckily the med+ acidity provides some freshness. This full-bodied wine has a med finish and a med+ intensity. This is exactly what you'd expect from a Madiran Tannat, though this wine may have been slightly over-oaked.

12/16/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

It has a deep, purple colour, partially due to its youth one would imagine. On the nose, odours of vanilla, blackberries, cloves, and mint leaves. On the palate, it has a full body, with med acidity, high tannin, and a long finish. The intensity is good: I remember characterising it as 'packing a punch'. The complexity and balance are a tiny bit lacking, but it's a good wine.

3/14/2016 - purevar1etals wrote:

Sits medium ruby in the glass, with a herbal nose portraying notes of eucalyptus, asparagus, plums, vanilla, and sweet liquorice. On the palate it has high acidity, a rounded full body, with medium tannin, and a medium finish. The palate is quite a bit sweeter than expected from the nose, with a definite note of toffee/caramel.

9/9/2016 - purevar1etals wrote:

A pale garnet colour, this wine has notes of fresh strawberries, leather, cherry syrup, rubber, and stony/saline mineral characteristics on the nose. On the palate, it has a fresh, high acidity, medium- body, light tannin, and a medium+ intensity, with a medium+ finish.
In some ways it tastes like a typical Marlborough pinot noir, yet in other ways it deviates far from expectations -- I still haven't quite decided if those deviations are all pleasant.

11/14/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

The wine is pale and garnet in colour. On the nose it has characters of cedarwood, black pepper, eucalyptus, red plums, vanilla, and strawberries, amounting to a medium+ intensity. On the palate it has a medium body, high acidity, low tannin, with a medium finish, and medium flavour intensity. This wine is very elegant, though its intensity and complexity leave something to be desired.

3/14/2017 - purevar1etals wrote:

With a pale, ruby appearance , typical of a burgundy pinot, this wine shows notes of raisins, dried cranberries, forest floor, ink, vanilla, and all-spice on the nose. There are primary (fruit), secondary (oak), and tertiary (dried fruit, earthiness) notes, leading to good complexity and intensity. On the palate, it has a med+ acidity, medium tannin, medium body, and an incredibly long finish.

1/14/2016 - purevar1etals wrote:

This wine has retained a deep purple colour, with lovely notes of blackcurrant, vanilla, cinnamon, cedarwood, and forest floor on the nose. The body shows that it is still somewhat raw, with med+ acidity, high tannin, med+ body that is looking to smoothen out over a couple more years. The finish is long. I think I committed infanticide with this bottle: it will develop some lovely tertiary notes with age.

3/14/2017 - purevar1etals wrote:

The wine still has a deep, purple colour, and opens up with a nose of forest floor, blackcurrant and leather. On the palate there is high acidity, on a medium- body, with medium- tannin, and a medium finish. The wine is definitely under-ripe though. It's good enough, especially for its price and understanding the region it comes from, but nothing to write home about.

3/14/2017 - purevar1etals wrote:

Typical young, ruby Chianti hue, on the nose this wine smells of red cherry, blue flowers, fresh leaves, and cinnamon. It's youth is evident but it has good intensity on the nose. On the palate, a high acidity, med- tannin, med- body, show that there is perhaps a slight lack of ripeness, while further oak flavours, like vanilla, appear. There is a decent, med+ finish. It ticks quite a few boxes, but nothing in particular stands out.

10/27/2016 - purevar1etals wrote:

Appearance: medium, garnet
Nose: minty, ginger spice, black pepper, cranberries, earthy, cedar P:
wood, austere -- steely. Maturing, medium+ intensity.
Palate: high tannin, medium- acidity, medium finish,
Conclusion: the acidity is far too low to keep up the tannin, which is a pity because it makes the wine unbalanced. There was real potential here though, and still interesting!

10/27/2016 - purevar1etals wrote:

Appearance: deep, purple
Nose: blackberries, plums, cedar wood, eucalyptus, cinnamon, youthful, medium intensity
Palate: med+ acidity, medium tannin, full bodied, medium finish, med+ intensity
Conclusion: a nice, simple 2-dimensional wine, if not very interesting. In its youth tastes almost a bit sweet. Good+ 85

10/16/2016 - purevar1etals wrote:

A surprisingly light medium ruby appearance does not take away from the wide range of notes immediately apparent on the nose: black pepper, blackcurrant, dried cherry, nutmeg, and a smoky character all suggest a youthful, oaked, powerful wine. A medium+ acidity and medium tannins to match round out this wine with a medium finish. Very good.

6/23/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

Typical ripe riesling nose with steel, petrol, apricot, nectarine and jasmine characters. Eight years in bottle have made some of the flavours a touch honeyed as well. The palate has high acidity, a medium body and brings new stoney, overripe lemon and slight toffee flavours with a long finish. Ready to drink now, but will develop more.

6/23/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

Vanilla, toast, melon, over-ripe banana and nutmeg on the nose, with the ripeness and oak also apparent on the palate, with high acidity, med+ body, and a med+ finish. Potential for aging.

6/23/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

This wine has an attractive if reserved nose of lemon peel, ripe pear, and slight steely and creamy notes. It is bone-dry, with high acidity and a medium body, leading to a medium finish. Very refreshing.

6/22/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

Fruity and floral, with notes of raspberry, red plum and violets that are reminiscent of raspberry skittles. On the palate it has low intensity of flavours, low tannin, high acidity with a medium finish. Drink yesterday.

6/16/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

Very garnet in appearance, this wine smells of tobacco, forest floor, cedar, dried fruit, nutmeg and something savoury (black olives or mushrooms). The acidity is high, with med+ tannins that have softened with age. The finish is endless, with lots of vanilla, coffee, dark chocolate and licorice.

6/16/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

Very typical Gruner nose of white pepper, grapefruit, lettuce-leaf and a steely note. Six years in bottle has given some of the flavours a slightly honeyed characteristic. It's dry with high acidity, a medium body and a medium+ finish. Well-balanced.

6/16/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

A very typical cabernet sauvignon nose of blackcurrant, eucalyptus and lavender. The palate shows med+ acidity, high tannin, a full body with a long finish. This wine is almost a tuning fork for what a typical cabernet sauvignon should taste like.

6/16/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

Very gamey nose with toast, nutmeg and blackberries. It has med+ acidity, with high but gentle tannin and a medium body. Some sour cherry on the palate that leads into a long finish.

6/16/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

A beautiful tawny colour. Cedar, cloves, dried figs, and hay all jump out of the glass, with a hint of something vegetal too. High acidity, with medium tannin, and smoky intense flavours that last a long time.

6/16/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

Lovely butter, vanilla, white pepper, apricot and peach-yoghurt on the nose. Very ripe. The palate is dry with high acidity, medium+ body and quite a long finish. It's very balanced and pleasant-drinking, but a bit expensive for what it is.

6/16/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

Very deep ruby, this wine shows black cherry, blackberries, cinnamon, vanilla, and charred wood on the youthful nose initially. It has med+ acidity, high tannin, high alcohol, and a gripping intensity on the palate with flavours of black pepper, vanilla, eucalyptus and quite a lot of dark chocolate. Outstanding wine, with all the flavours distinct from one another without blending together. At the moment the alcohol stands out a bit, and this wine will definitely improve with age. Keep.

6/13/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

Smells of red plums, wet leaves, asparagus (a tiny hint of green) and, oddly, a slightly medicinal scent. The acidity is high with medium+ tannin which, though not astringent, are a bit coarse. It's a nice overall mouthfeel with a med- intensity. It's good: a bit different for in a modest price-range, though not everything about it is pleasant.

6/13/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

Incredibly deep and ruby in the glass, this wine smells of dried cherries, black pepper, earth, blackberries, cinnamon spice, and red pepper. It has very high acidity and long but gentle tannins, a full body with a very long finish. It's spicy at first, but with air the sweet fruity flavours become more pronounced.

6/13/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

A typical nose of gooseberry, steel, jasmine and citrus. The acidity, at medium, is lower than I would have expected. The finish lingers. Pleasant and easy.

6/13/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

A pale ruby colour, this wine smells of fresh strawberries and raspberries, alongside savoury flavours including raw mushrooms and savoury cereal. On the palate, this savoury fruit flavour carries threw with med+ acidity, low tannin, a medium body, with a long- finish. It's very good: a nicely drinking wine on a summer's day.

6/8/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

The wine has a deep, ruby appearance with a nose that is first overwhelmingly both fresh and dried red cherries. Upon opening up a bit, it smells of blue flowers and earth, balsamic vinegar, dates and other very dark fruits. On the palate, the high acidity helps maintain a freshness despite the full body and the complexity of flavours. Toasted coffee beans become apparent. The tannins are long, but very smooth (medium+). The finish is incredibly long. An outstanding wine: lacks nothing and everything about it is pleasant. Only thing is that I wouldn't give it too much air: the second and especially the third glass started to taste a bit jammy, with the fruit flavours blending together.

6/6/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

This wine has a beautiful pale, golden colour and an interesting nose that is, at first, honey and baked apple, but upon closer look smells of white truffel oil, dill, a hint of mint, and even pickles. It has very high acidity, is full-bodied, medium-dry, with the white truffel and dill most pronounced on the palate. It's very interesting and the high acidity lengthens the finish. Whether one likes this wine or not kind of hinges on whether one likes pickles, though.

6/6/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

This wine reveals a pronounced scent of petrol, passion fruit, mango, and red apple, which is quite appealing. The palate is medium-dry, has medium acidity, a medium+ body, and a medium- finish where a metallic flavour lingers. Its acidity is lower than one would like and the metallic characters are not entirely pleasant making the wine feel a bit jagged. Good+

6/6/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

A beautiful tropical nose with mango, ginger, papaya and then very pronounced cooked granny smith apples and elderflower. The palate is well-balanced with high acidity, a medium body, medium sweetness and a very long finish where a sweet mango flavour lingers. The acidity gives it a very clean and crip feeling, while the body leaves a very rounded impression. Outstanding.

6/6/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

Though this wine is bone-dry, it opens up with unmistakeable honey and mango scents, with kerosene and a green, asparagus character underneath. There is a hint of a slight cheesy character as well. The body has medium acidity, body and a medium+ finish. This wine is complicated and may not appeal to all, but it's definitely very good.

6/5/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

There is great tension in this wine. The nose reveals melon, honeysuckle, and apricot-yoghurt (there is definitely some dairy to this wine), but also a bitter flavour that I best identify as rubber (as in a pencil-eraser). Very interesting: would not have identified this as a Riesling in a blind tasting.

6/5/2015 - purevar1etals wrote:

Incredibly interesting: the nose opens up with unmistakable satsuma-juice, lychee, peach, and a tiny hint of petrol. The palate is dry, with medium to high acidity and a medium-body. The finish is very long, but closed somehow: the character that lingers is steeliness. It's incredibly elegant, but I can't help but feel that I've committed infanticide by drinking it now. Keep for at least three years.