11/26/2014 - RATER Likes this wine:

Still young but approachable, decent effort here!

12/4/2012 - RATER Likes this wine:

I am happy to share, we tasted this yesterday in celebration of my 3 year princess who was born in 2009...what an exquisite wine this has turned, right now. And we wonder how long can we cellar it, I want to say 2-3 years...

11/30/2012 - RATER Likes this wine:

Very good wine one third of the time, despite the 3-1 bottle variation (per case)!
After tasting and enjoying this wine at EL PORRON, NYC, back in April this year, we went ahead to get a case. However, there is clearly a bottle variation here…good thing it is not an expensive wine, but the ratio seems to be at 3-1, which in the end costs us a great deal to finally enjoy a good bottle within our case. I have to say, even the other ones are not bad, but the ones that taste better are so far distant in terms of quality. For Instance, 1/3 of a case (in our case) can be qualified as very good, while the other 2/3 are just above average; but not bad though.

11/9/2012 - RATER Likes this wine:

Very impressed with this!
A solid wine, with a nice bouquet, enjoyable taste with a distinct and elegant character. Extraordinary effort for the price!

10/26/2012 - RATER Likes this wine:

Overpriced for its quality!
This is a good wine to enjoy right now, but one can find the same quality here at a much lower price, e.g. at $10 or so…The average price of this wine is $18. FYI, DWE below describes this wine accurately, but the price….

10/22/2012 - RATER wrote:

Very good value and sipping wine!
This has a vibrant burgundy color and an obvious viscosity, with a distinctive Sonoma bouquet, including dark berry fruits, minerals, spices, and toasty oak aromas. It offers a fresh and harmonious, but fruit forward, taste including decent enough tannins for an acceptable structure to be enjoyed on its own, or with a succulent meal. I recommend this wine, especially, to those who don’t care for a big bold and dry wine…

10/17/2012 - RATER wrote:

OK but not complex enough....
However, just by looking at this wine's color and texture one can imply how great it might taste. But that is not the case here. I will have to try it later on to see how it develops. For now just an OK Napa cab!

10/11/2012 - RATER wrote:

Incredibly very good wine now, with great potential!
I came across this one last month, in particular the 2007 vintage, and got ¾ of a case. This was our four bottle so far my wife and I enjoy. Not to replicate my previous note on this, but I could only add that we are very pleased with it: neat appearance, enticing nose, bold enough structure, harmonious balance, and an elegant taste and after taste; at an unquestionable price. Definitely recommended! We only regret not have gotten more on this…five more bottles to go, though.

10/8/2012 - RATER wrote:

Good wine, but it must be paired!
Definitely a good wine with potential, just that its acidic component overpowers the rest (for now), so by itself one might find it one dimensional. However, super good with pasta & tomato sauce dishes and not to mention with meat. One noticeable quality of this wine is its ever evolving and dynamic structure; it evolves by the minute, impressive, really. I wonder if this will grow to match or outgrow the great quality of the 2004?

9/27/2012 - RATER wrote:

A Merlot with good enough character, elegance and balance for the price; honestly I did not expect to find such elevated qualities in this wine. It has definitely aged well, but at its peak, right now!
Proof of that is its brownish color and mature fruity taste, but showing an acceptable balance in terms of its bold and approachable tannins, acidity and its not-to-high alcohol level, with a nice oaky and lengthy aftertaste. A good effort here, for a below $10 bottle of wine from CA, after about 5 years of age; that proves how a great vintage the 2007 was, particularly in CA.

9/26/2012 - RATER wrote:

A Very good Merlot; attractive now and with room for improvement within the next 4-5 years!
It shows a sumptuous plummy and dense color, with an attractive and aromatic aroma, including coffee, chocolate, spices and dark red fruit, for a taste that includes round and velvety tannins with a resounding long enough, but elegant and balance finish. A very good quality wine for the money…with potential to age and improve even more. I’ll cellar at least a couple of bottles to prove myself right….

9/15/2012 - RATER wrote:

A very good malbec for the price, with a great potential to grow. First day it showed a lot of heat, second day a bit mellow; by the third day this was not only pleasant to drink but delivering an elegant structure and balance. Nice effort here, again, from a consistent producer at a very good value!

4/11/2012 - RATER wrote:

Un Vino Espectacular!
Mi esposa y yo tuvimos el placer de visitar El Porron, horas antes de dirigirnos hacia el concierto de Mana en el MSG. Gracias a Diego, el catador/conocedor del Porron, degustamos este espectacular vino de un color rojo intenso, con una textura espesa pero docil al paladar. Que decir de los encantadores aromas que despedia a lo largo de una hora, perfumados de especias, frutas rojas, y minerales. Tenia un gusto encantador y progresivo, con un balance incomparable. A todo esto lo acompañamos con un solomillo de vaca a la pimienta verde, que estaba para morir. Y a un super precio, que ya casi encargo una caja…recomendable sin duda alguna!

4/10/2012 - RATER wrote:

Becoming one of my favorites Cali Cabs!
My kind of wine: dark and dense, multifaceted and evolving nose, with a muscular but elegant and balanced structure for a fruit forward and versatile ending….Oh with a great room for development within a decade. Definitely very good!

4/6/2012 - RATER wrote:

It continues to impress!
Nice presentation, dynamic nose, decent structure, ending with a balance and delicious taste. A very reliable and consistent wine. it can very easily pass for a more expensive one....I will continue to enjoy this vintage while it last.

3/31/2012 - RATER wrote:

The best inexpensive wine I ever tasted!
In particular this vintage... spectacular and intense color with a muscular density with a succulent and explosive nose, which ends with a very ripe and dark-berries fruit forward, elegant and balanced taste...a very, very good wine at its price point of less than $12; impressive!

PERSONAL NOTE: I will start to pass on the numerical ratings, just because they are very deceiving. For instance, the 100 point scale is widely used, but the categories such as good, very good, etc., are not in line. Therefore, I would rather describe a wine for its quality with adjectives and the like, instead of using numbers. Hopefully all understand and perhaps will follow too...

3/22/2012 - RATER wrote:

An acceptable and enjoyable wine, at its price point....It won't disappoint!

3/18/2012 - RATER wrote:

Disappointing....
I wanted to rate this, at least, as good. However, this vintage does not stand up to the quality and elegance that has characterized this wine. No wonder why I found it at discount ($16.99)!!!!
At the same time, their Reserva Malbec has been improving though.....

3/4/2012 - RATER wrote:

A decent wine…but past vintages seemed better!

3/3/2012 - RATER wrote:

A typical Napa Cab:
Beautiful texture and color, with a classic Napa Cab nose ending robust but elegant at the same time....A good wine from an splendid Napa vintage (2007)!

3/7/2012 - RATER wrote:

An acceptable wine…
At its price point, much better quality than its counterparts from the US or else!

2/15/2012 - RATER wrote:

I indeed went for more....!
And I have to say, our second attempt on this was still a delicious and delicate wine experience. We opened two bottles in celebration of Our 18th Valentine's Day, showing an impressive consistency and elegant taste; definitely an excellent QPR here!

2/8/2012 - RATER wrote:

Impressively good with a great potential!
Despite it seems young, it definitely shows various characteristics of a very good wine right now: enticing dark color and dense body, a sumptuous nose as if this was a much more expensive wine with a bold but elegant and balance taste....I will go for more! An excellent QPR here at less than $19; Concha Toro continues to deliver good value…

2/5/2012 - RATER wrote:

A nice wine!

PIEPRO could have not said it best.....This improves a gread deal after day one, by the way I enjoy it during the Super Bowl game: Lets Go GIANTS!!!

1/25/2012 - RATER wrote:

No wonder it made the WS Top 100 list of 2010!
This is a decent wine with good potential to develop even more, but drinking very good right now. This is our second bottle and noticed it became even more harmonious by just sitting in the glass after an hour or so. It shows much more character than any Argentine Malbec at its price point ($10-12). One other impressive quality of this wine is its expressive nose, and its magnificent dark violet color and texture….with a mid and elegant finish. At $10 this is a jewel!

1/21/2012 - RATER wrote:

Outstanding consistency and quality!
Not that we are looking for a fault in this wine, but its consistency is very impressive. We all know wine varies even within the same winery and vintage.
This shows a great and bold body, with a lot of character and a outstanding balance for a mid-long elegant finish; it really leaves you thinking about it for days! I shoud forget about this for now, so I can enjoy it in the years to come....Look forward to even more improvement on this.

1/21/2012 - RATER wrote:

A delicate-delicious wine!
Definitely a very good wine, showing a sumptuous harmony and a delicate-delicious taste. What Merlot should be, right at its peak now; It is worth mentioning, a good QPR too!

1/21/2012 - RATER wrote:

Enjoyable Wine!
Just a notch better than its lower level sister “Clasico”. A more integrated wine with a bigger body and a decent balance, ending with short but delicious dark fruit forward finish. I really enjoy this wine, however I do not know if the price difference between the Clasico and the Reserva really justifies the very little difference in quality of each?

1/1/2012 - RATER wrote:

Very good, but not outstanding!
A great character wine: enticing color, wonderful bouquet, but it did not taste like an outstanding wine; maybe down the road…

12/25/2011 - RATER wrote:

Very good still!
However, I don't think this wine will improve any more....this might be at its peak (we’ll have to enjoy our last bottle soon). Definitely it’s a great wine, with all elements in balance. Consistent quality, same great experience as per my previous notes.

12/13/2011 - RATER wrote:

Another above average wine, but definitely not a 90+....if that is what they are trying to market with their wine making strategy/philosophy.

11/25/2011 - RATER wrote:

Outstanding Wine!
We opened and enjoy two extra bottles for Thanksgiving, and definitely confirmed our original experience with this wine. It shows all the attributes of a very well made wine at an outstanding price. Sumptuous appearance, versatile bouquet, ending with an enjoyable and elegant finish! I wonder if this wine measures up the quality of a bottle of Don Melchor; anyone?

10/27/2011 - RATER wrote:

A Graceful Wine!
Showing a lot of character, with main elements in harmony…This is a great wine at its price point ($30-$35); luckily I bought it for a little less than that. Its nose is definitely in accord with its taste, showing a harmonious and elegant body, which ends delicately on the long side. I am definitely getting more….

9/23/2011 - RATER wrote:

Impressively good!

In particular, after being opened for two days, this wine resembles an impressive structure and balance. For instance, it shows a solid-dark-plummy color with an aromatic and diverse nose and, I would say, an elegant taste and finish. Who would say this is a $10 wine…

6/7/2011 - RATER wrote:

Surprisinly tasty!

Zin-Syrah-Merlot blend, with dominant Zin notes; a good effort with an acceptable balance and good enough and refreshing taste.
A great example of a good value wine; market arount $10.

6/1/2011 - RATER wrote:

Giggs' review is right on!

However, I continue to insist there is bottle variation on this wine and vintage. The bottle my wife and I enjoyed on May 31st, was a superior one from 2 cases we got last month. All and all, a very well made, satisfying, and affordable wine right now; look forward to our next 12 bottles....

5/31/2011 - RATER wrote:

Always excellent, slightly better than ’06 & ‘07 vintages!

We had the fortune to enjoy and bring this in at Latitude 41◦, in Mystic, CT over the Memorial Day weekend, Sunday, May 29th.
Extremely aromatic with its trademark robust-dark-dense color, displaying a firm character with fruit forward and palpable-round tannins with the right alcohol and acid levels for a great balance; ending with an enticing and lasting elegant taste.
My only objection though, it continues to be pricier vintage after vintage, $38 for this one.

5/26/2011 - RATER wrote:

Surprisingly Very Good!
I had the great fortune to pass by Garnet Wines on 68th ST. and Lexington Ave. yesterday and had a sip of this surprisingly well-made wine.
Graceful and aromatic nose, with an elegant and mature body showing mostly dark berry fruit forward hints; with a harmonious balance and a refreshing and delicious ending ….All and all, at less than $13 a remarkably well-made wine, even better than the reserves from the same winery (in my opinion).

4/20/2011 - RATER wrote:

Consistently good!
There seems to be some bottle variation but on the good side. Last night we open another bottle of this wine which tasted more like the “reserve”. It shows a solid plum color, with an elegant viscosity; on the nose dark berries, mostly plum and blueberries with a hint of leather and tobacco; on the palate a balanced and concentrated taste with a midrange velvety finish.

This wine definitely will mature to become a jewel with at least a couple of years of cellaring time. In particularly, this bottle was splendid…we still have ½ a case and just ordered another case for an average price of $18.45 a bottle. To be honest, I never bought so much of the same wine at one time. But I did not want to miss the opportunity to continue to enjoy this wonderful wine….

4/9/2011 - RATER wrote:

Can’t go wrong with this!
Dark burgundy color with a mid-hi density, showing an aromatic bouquet mostly on the dark berries side with a fruit forward taste with solid tannins. It also shows a bold character and a harmonious balance with a great potential to age for at least five more years; elegant finish. I just got a case at less than $19 a bottle, don’t miss it; fairly priced even at $20: good QPR.

3/9/2011 - RATER wrote:

Surprisingly good and consistent with my previous note back from 02/20/11!
This was our fourth attempt on this wine; surprisingly good at less than $10.
-Dark deep color, somehow an aromatic nose with an enticing taste of dark berries and spices, showing an acceptable structure that ends smoothly. Definitely this is not a super wine, but no doubt it would surprise any crow; a decent quality wine from color to finish. I am getting more to stack so for the time comes, we can share with friends a good wine without breaking our wallet!

(One thing though, this seems to be an unfiltered wine which one might need to keep an eye when serving, so to avoid its sediment end out in your glass)

3/3/2011 - RATER wrote:

I could not agree more with HUDAMANG!
(I actually did the same thing, waited until day 2 to be able to write my tasting note here.)

One thing though this wine has a beautiful color and a robust and a dense appearance of a wonderful wine. But when you come to smell this, it is actually mute with a palate overpowered by oak and more oak. It lacks structure and complexity...which means little room for improvement here. Good thing this experiment only cost me around $23.
Even if WS gave 96 to this wine for its potential, I do not think it will even evolve into a truly 90 pointer.
I wonder what wine WS tasted to give this one a 96 points and put into the top 100 wines of 2010, #25 in that group. I am no longer a subscriber, for this and other inaccuracies…

2/27/2011 - RATER wrote:

Satisfying, a second time around!
This was my second attempt on this wine. And this time I was not the only one able to appreciate this approachable, enticing and very affordable wine. We had friends home over the weekend and they too were very satisfied with the quality of this wine.
We started with a couple of decent Malbecs from Argentina and we ended with this Martini from Sonoma County 2008 vintage.
Yes, we all agreed on how invigorating its nose was, with a vibrant color and density, and a much better complexity to end with a good enough taste of a much more expensive wine, in comparison to the previous Malbecs we had.
This quality wine at its price point, is to buy by the case.

2/20/2011 - RATER wrote:

A decent quality Malbec for less than $10!
There are plenty of bad wines at that price point. However, this one has a nice and aromatic nose; a good color and density with a fruit forward taste with a surprisingly decent balance and the firm structure of a more expensive wine. All and all this wine ends with a enticing but short finish. The old vine really pays off.

2/12/2011 - RATER wrote:

Satisfying straightforward wine!
My first attempt at the ’08 vintage, as always an uncomplicated wine that would please anyone….I has to say, I enjoyed this better than the ’07; both equally great value wines.

2/12/2011 - RATER wrote:

Definitely much better than its counterpart from Sonoma County!
It delivers now an interesting taste, but extra oaky though. I feel tempted to categorize this good value, but it lacks just a bit of character to make it there. All and all, it shows a nice dark burgundy color and solid appearance, with a shy nose that ends shortly and mostly oaky. This might improve with time, but just a notch.

2/14/2011 - RATER wrote:

Well made wine!
At $15 price point, this reserva is a well made wine with an OK structure, balance and taste. Not impressive but OK quality for the price.

12/31/2010 - RATER wrote:

My best ever wine experience, so far!
The first time that I was actually ever to taste in a wine what I had previously sensed on the nose; WOW! This has an aromatic and explosive nose, with a succulent, silky and delicious taste; extremely well made wine with a unique complexity and unforgettable structure. The finish was the longest I ever experienced in a wine…what a way to end a year and start a new one.

Also, the first time I really, really agree with the price point of a high rated wine: even the price of this wine is outstanding!

We tend to equate quality with price, which most of the time does not apply. This wine though really stands to that. How many of us have tasted higher priced wines that only disappoint, that is not the case here. I am definitely sure my notes here will resonate with you, if you happen to come across this wine. Just outstanding!

12/18/2010 - RATER wrote:

Decent effort!
This shows an attractive dark burgundy color, with distinctive Napa Cab aromas. It has a med-light body, including dark fruit forward taste for a short and decent ending. Despite it has an OK complexity, it lacks character. All and all, a decent and well made wine that won’t disappoint. Just that I am doubtful of its $25 value; in my opinion one can find the same quality wine at $20 range.

12/6/2010 - RATER wrote:

Not a bad wine!
However, I don't see how this one was selected as one of 100 WS wines of the year, 2010.
Totally agree with diablito here.

To be honest, I got a better impression out the Trapiche Broquel Malbec at a much better price than this.....