9/6/2017 - IPT wrote:

Color: dark cherry hues and tinge. Quite transparent.
Nose: wood dust and slate minerality.
Flavor: on the forward - bitter red fruits, cranberry, crab apple, very minor - overlapped by a delicate combo of smoke, leather, earthiness and oak. Middle is mellow and unassuming - light on the tannins, a bit chalky. Finish is smooth, brief. Linger is around 20 seconds. Light bodied.

Rather unassuming Burgundy red. Past is prime and as such the QPR isn't any good. The profile would be good if it wasn't so watered down. To play devils advocate, this bottle does slightly improve over several hours. Original notes were at 1 hour of airing. If this one is in your cellar, drink it now. If you see this one on the shelf, look for something else less costly.

Update (9/7/2017): bottle holds up the second evening. This bottle definitely needs to breathe 4 hours or more (up to 12) to really open up. Left a decanter/aerator on the bottle overnight and didn't hurt anything.

7/4/2017 - IPT Likes this wine:

Color: dark inky purple hues with lighter purple/red tinge. Very little translucency.
Nose: black cherry preserves with smoke and pepper.
Flavor: for the forward - jammy dark fruits and kirsch, smoke, toasted oak, dark chocolate and a touch of vanilla. Middle has good balance and good tannin structure. Finish is smooth with a bit of the dark chocolate tartness following to the end. Linger is 30 or so seconds. Medium to full bodied. Dry.

Went into this bottle with high expectations (hate doing that). While not quite what was expecting, still a solid Malbec. Let sit for an hour and appreciate. Given the $50 dollar price tag, not the greatest QPR. Not so sure if this bottle will appreciate well over time, but still have 2 other bottles so will find out. Glad I finally got this wine but not so sure I'll look out for the Voyage 4 if Wagner Wines will make it.

Update (7/5/2017): tried this bottle the second night. General improvement overall, but especially with regards to the nuances in the flavor. Would likely add 1-2 points as a result. Lesson learned: let this bottle sit after opening maybe 8 hours or more. Well worth it.

12/1/2016 - IPT Likes this wine:

Color: black pitch hues and tinge. No translucency.
Nose: dried dark fruits, slight green, cracked black pepper.
Flavor: fruit consists of dried plums and dark currents with some underlying flavors to compliment - licorice, bitter dark chocolate, some pepper, and a touch of vanilla. Middle shows some chalky tannin structure doing an excellent job of coating the mouth. Finish is smooth and silky. Linger is a good minute or more. Medium bodied.

For the flavor profile, the fruit component seems to be the predominate element, but by no means is it overbearing. Excellent balance overall; a very fine Rioja. Given the vintage, more likely than not that this bottle is reaching the end of its journey so enjoy while you can.

7/29/2016 - IPT Likes this wine:

Color: deep red tinge with decent translucency for a pinot.
Nose: blood orange zest, flower petal and slight minerality. Sometimes get a whiff of licorice.
Flavor: dark-red fruits and anise for the fruity elements, but otherwise a hefty steak flavor - smoke, oak, pepper, and whatever else that gives that meaty profile - all complicating the forward, and in a good way. Some heat by the middle then quickly the flavors drop off into a finish that's a bit tart and very abrupt. Linger is 15 or so seconds. Medium bodied.

Very enjoyable Oregon pinot. Complex flavor profile that stands out. Unfortunately the profile finishes so quickly that you're left wanting. Would rate 3 more points if the finish was as good as the forward. Good to drink immediately, but does improve with a bit of airing. Drink or Hold for a few years.

8/2/2016 - bluedogwine Likes this wine:

Stunningly good stuff! 93/7 Zin to Petit Sirah ratio in the blend, made from old vines in GB Crane, Morisoli and Milat vineyards.

Powerful, heady structure, rich and deep brambly red raspberry, sweet earth, kirsch, dark red cherry. And is that snickerdoodle cookie?! Extracted but not overblown. Saturated red fruit, mouth coating texture and medium+ finish. Not for the shy, but then again, with Dave Phinney behind the wheel you should know what to expect.

Overall one of the best and most interesting Zins I've had.

5/27/2016 - Lucia Skywalker Does not like this wine:

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Notes of a Novice:

• upon opening, first taste
• mainly ruby with a bit of brownish in it, but not garnet yet
• fairly thin in body
• beautiful legs
• on the nose - something like mild cheese, or something else mild and not too attractive, but not too annoying,
• on the palate, fresh, acidic, not very fruity
• sour cherries as the primary flavor
• perhaps a hint (soupçon) of unripe dark fruit, including a very minuscule measure of prunes
• medium tannins (still working on my tannin-detection and hierarchy)
•
• after 9 hours of decanting
•
• did not detect any changes (or if there were any, they were imperceptible to me).
• did not care for this wine - not for me. For me, it's in the "too sour", too "unrefined" category.

7/2/2016 - Lucia Skywalker Likes this wine:

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Notes of a Novice

100% Malbec
13.9% alcohol

• color is purplish ruby
• quite thin -
• beautiful legs
• mild, mellow, lovely semi-ripe fruit - tree and berries
• barely detectible barrel/oak
• alcohol mediu/high
• beautiful acid
• lovely tannins
• beautiful, long finish
•
• PERSONAL NOTE
• would definitely buy this wine again
• having some home-made, old world grilled sausages with it - superb

5/29/2016 - Lucia Skywalker Likes this wine:

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Notes of a Novice

85% petite Sirah, 15% petit Verdot
14.5 % alcohol

• upon opening
• color is a very deep, purplish - dark byzantium
• on the nose, very pleasant, ripe, but not overly ripe dark fruit (tree kind)
• main smell is “wine” - no fruit standing out. Very pleasant
• I suppose it’s the “petite sirah” grape
• nice acidity, feels prickly on the tongue
• full-bodied wine, pleasant,
• has a bit of a sweetness to it
• not sure about bitter aftertaste (mild) - could be because I just had some bitter wine earlier
• full of aromas, very drinkable
•
• day 2
•
• (can’t remember whether I decanted or not)
• color is a very deep ruby (with dark byzantium in it)
• if there’s a hint of brown, it is ever so slight
• beautiful legs
• on the nose, very mild aromas, gentle, discrete - perhaps a bit too discrete
• wine is still bright, balanced
• nice acidity
• bit of bitter aftertaste (not too much though)
• decided to decant wine for a few hours, then poured back and re-corked
•
• day 3
•
• color, still very similar to day before
• pleasant, fruity, with a strong barrel smell (like a barrel that was not washed out - not moldy, but funky)
• there is a bit of sweetness to the smell
• in the mouth, strong acid
• strong tannins
• the “barrel” taste is overpowering, unpleasant - have a feeling this is it for this wine
• will give it a try tomorrow
• very modest finish, tannins still going

8/17/2015 - Wine Canuck wrote:

This was quite the oddball. The nose smells strongly of sweat and VA with artificial grape vitamin C flavour. Really simple. The palate is short, sweet and grapey. Not terrible; not memorable; and certainly not a classic for the variety or region.

12/26/2015 - Hemingway wrote:

This bottle way okay, I am wondering if something was off with it. I noticed the cork came out of the bottle a little too easily, so perhaps the wine was slightly oxidized. Smelled a bit green. I decanted it for 15 or so minutes. The sour taste gradually dissipated, and some fruit notes emerged. The wine was smooth for the most part and had a nice finish. Am wondering if that is just the flavor profile or if the loose cork had something to do with it. For the record, all Coho wines I've had previously were great. I have a 2012 Coho Michael Black merlot in the cellar, we'll see how secure that cork is.