10/16/2011 - Sparkotron wrote:

A bit rough out of the bottle, but came to life with about an hour of air. Was a nice accompaniment both to the rib-eye steak I pan-roasted and the hunk of cheese I had for dessert.

6/5/2011 - Sparkotron wrote:

Drinking really well right now. Pencil shavings, cassis on the nose. Good structure, sweet tannins, balanced acidity in the mouth. Will have to keep my eye out for more of this.

6/3/2011 - Sparkotron wrote:

Pleasant, but unremarkable given the vintage.

4/27/2011 - Sparkotron wrote:

Very nice right now, but doesn't seem to have much left to improve, so drink up!

4/11/2011 - Sparkotron wrote:

This was a very lively wine with bright red fruit and good balance. Was still nice on the second day. Would like to get more.

4/13/2011 - Sparkotron wrote:

This has started to age nicely. Black olives, wet asphalt, and dark cherries in the nose. Lively palate with cherry cola, christmas spice, and red fruit, with a bright acidity. Medium weight, mild tannins. Not profound, but delicious.

3/23/2011 - Sparkotron wrote:

A lovely well-integrated wine that is drinking nicely right now.

2/10/2011 - Sparkotron wrote:

What a happy little wine. Nice with some meats and cheeses, or just on its own. Juicy fruit flavors with enough structure to keep it focused.

1/5/2011 - Sparkotron wrote:

Wow. The QPR was fantastic on this. The wine is big and a bit bombastic, but not overly so. Went back and bought two more. Thinking I shoulda bought a half case, because it will be interesting to see how this ages.

1/12/2011 - Sparkotron wrote:

This was really a lovely wine. I'm not sure whether or not it has the bones for long aging. but it seems like a great value from the 2007 Napa vintage. Went back and got 2 more while they still have it at Costco for 30 bucks!

1/15/2011 - Sparkotron wrote:

Pleasant, but not too exciting. Classic California cabernet aromas and tastes, but a bit lighter-bodied than I was expecting. Decent QPR at around 30 bucks, but not enough to incite me to buy more.

2/1/2011 - Sparkotron wrote:

This was an interesting wine. It reminded me a bit of one of the earthier cru Beajolais, maybe a Morgon.

12/29/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Pleasant, harmless, tasty, un-exciting.

12/27/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Paired very nicely Thai food. The mild sweetness, soft fruit, and good acidity complemented the spicy & savory flavors of tom yum, panning chicken, and prawns saucers with basil.

12/28/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Didn't enjoy this bottle quite as much as the previous. Not sure if it was bottle variation, the change in the weather or what, but it was rather tight and acidic tasting. Not nearly as plush and delicious as I remember. Still a nice wine, but below the mark for me on QPR.

11/6/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Had a nice nose, but wine was cloudy and tasted very acidic. Not sure if it just hugely past its peak or actually flawed. Drank about half the bottle then dumped out the rest. No score.

10/31/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

On the sweeter side, quite fizzy. Not particularly complex, but a nice foil to spicy, salty, greasy food.

10/3/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Nose of black raspberry, cigar box, and violets. Bright acidity and light tannins in the mouth, with a nice core of red fruit. A very nice effort!

9/29/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Nice, but not too exciting. A good every-day riesling.

9/28/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

For a non-cru Beaujolais (not even a Beaujolais-Village), this is a really nice wine. Drank it a bit cooler than cellar temperature, and it was a nice accompaniment to a spicy stir-fry on a hot late summer evening. It might have enough stuffing to age for a bit, but I wouldn't sit on it for a long time. Save that for the 2009 Moulin-a-vents and Morgons.

9/27/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

What a nose... red fruit, red flowers, and red meat. A hint of hoisin sauce (mu shu pork anyone?) and sea spray. Balanced in the mouth with enticing flavors of cherry cola, tart plum, and a distinct salty/beefy note (like the jus off a steak) leading into the 20+ second finish. Perhaps slightly hollow in the mid-palate & could have a bit more glycerol for a richer mouthfeel. Tannins need a bit of time to unfold, but in a couple of years this will be fantastic. Recommend drinking at cellar temperature or above (not chilled like the simpler Beaujolais).

8/26/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

A thoroughly charming wine at a great price. Light red fruits, faint hint of tannin, bright acidity. Actually quite nice cold on a hot day. If the Villages wines are this good, I can't wait for the crus!

8/29/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

OMG yum. This is one of the best balanced malbecs I've ever had. Full in the bouquet and palate, with rich red and black fruit complemented by good acidity and a nice minerally streak. Lots of umami flavors and a note of cocoa make it pretty interesting, too. Must get more!

8/9/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Didn't like this bottle nearly as much as the one I opened in May. Felt thin and had a very tart taste. With some air it developed a bit, but definitely not as interesting or pleasant as I remembered. Bottle variation?

7/26/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Was a bit shy when I first opened it, and felt a bit thin in the mouth. I left about 300ml in a capped 375ml screwtop and came back to it two days later and the wine was much more interesting and expressive. Strong bouquet of cigar box (cedar + tobacco), with some buried fruit notes. Very well integrated and balanced on the palate, with some nice spice and a hint of dried fruit. Medium finish. A nice expression of a relatively mature Bordeaux.

7/3/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

What a delicious wine, especially for the price.

7/2/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Wow. This is an amazing wine. Apricots and hazelnuts on the nose. Thick and very sweet on the palate, but with a nice botyrized edge. Wasabsolutely lovely with some Bleu d'Auvergne. It's probably infanticide to drink this now, but it's hard to resist.

7/10/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

I almost hate myself for liking this wine as much as I did, but what can I say--it is delicious, drinking really well, and surprisingly structured and complex for the price. This would make a great house red... I think I saw it at Costco for under $10.

7/10/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Lovely as always, once it was at the right temp. Discovered that ice cold is too cold for this wine... It gets a bit chalky tasting.

7/16/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Last had this wine in 2007. Nose is still fabulous, with strong notes of vanilla and cherry. Before, it was a bit simple and a tad coarse on the palate, but it has settled down into an elegant medium-bodied wine. Along the way, it threw a surprising amount of sediment.

7/3/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

This was the star of our wine club's tasting of Provençal-style rosés. The nose is bright red fruit with spicy notes, and the palate is a focused beam of minerality. Would probably be even better with some food.

6/26/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

This meritage has a nice nose of dark fruit & spices. It drank well right out of the bottle, with good structure but not overwhelming tannins. I left a half-bottle corked in the cellar and found it had faded a bit the second day--I've found many other young reds often improve on the second day, so perhaps this one has less aging potential than most? Too easy to drink now in any case!

4/17/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Took to a friend's birthday party to have with oysters. Found this wine to be acceptable, but uninteresting.

6/11/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

An interesting wine, but not easy to like. First had a couple of glasses w/no decanting. The nose was iron, tar, and iodine. Palate was more iron, some beefy notes, and powerful tannins. Left remaining wine in stoppered bottle overnight. 24 hours later, some fruit had emerged, but it was still an iron fist in a not-so-velvety glove. It's possible that this wine may be in a "dumb" phase where it has shed its youthful fruitiness and is aging into something more complex and mysterious. I'd leave it for a few years, or at least have with some food that can stand up to the tannins.

6/9/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

This was a very enjoyable bottle. Agree w/previous tasters who noticed an almost Burgundian feel to the wine. Doesn't seem like there's much left to develop, so drink up!

6/5/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Pleasant, with tight cranberry fruit and mild tannins. Benefits from a slight chill. In fact, reminds me a bit of a cru Beaujolais. The 91 WA and 89 WS seem a bit high, but to me at least it's still very good.

5/27/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

This was "just ok". I remember liking this much better when I had a half bottle a few weeks ago. Bottle variation?

5/27/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Tasted blind as one of 4 CDP that evening. Not a profound wine, but perfectly balanced richness, structure, and acidity. In terms of price/performance by far my favorite wine of the night.

5/27/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

One of 4 CDP we tasted blind that evening. This cuvee shared the glass-coating richness of the 2005 Les Origines, but was friendlier out of the bottle with a huge nose of delicious fruit flavors. Predictably, it had less structure and complexity than the Les Origines, but it compared favorably to the 2004 Les Origines. Would definitely grab this if I saw it again at a good price.

5/27/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Tasted blind along with 3 other CDPs. Similar impressions to the previous bottle. I like this wine, but I don't feel compelled to go out of my way to get more. I prefer the 2005 Les Origines and even the 2005 Grand Veneur base cuvee.

5/27/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

We tasted 4 CDPs blind that evening, and this one really stood out for its richness and complexity. It was a bit harsh and tannic out of the bottle, but with some air really began to develop. Glass-coating viscosity gave it a really nice mouthfeel once it mellowed out. Good stuff!

5/24/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

A bit simple, but quite tasty. Enough sweetness and acidity to pair nicely with some very mildly spicy soy & ginger glazed salmon.

5/26/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Drinking really well right now. Heady aroma of fruit and herbs, solid but not overpowering palate, nice finish. Yum!

5/17/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

A lovely bouquet of white flowers and lemon lead to a juicy palate with zippy acidity and a bit of richness that makes me wonder if it saw a bit of oak... but this is by no means a buttery monster. It stays light on its feet and went well both with cobb salad and with nothing but itself. Need to get more... this could be our house white this summer.

5/15/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

What a delightful juicy, fruity grenache. With light tannins and a bit of earthiness, it reminded me a bit of pinot noir for some reason. It's not a complex brooding wine, but it was truly a delight to sip. Picked up two more!

5/9/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Powerful nose of iron and iodine, with a memory of what was once fruit. The body comes in a bit lighter than the nose implies, but it is still muscular. Will be interesting to see how it evolves once open.

5/6/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

I rather enjoyed this, especially on the second day, when some of the hotter notes dissipated and some nice earthy complexity emerged.

5/3/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Meh. Unimpressive, acidic, thin.

4/28/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

Definitely a big wine. Prunes, hot asphalt, beeswax, and alcohol on the nose. Mouthfilling richness, and a little hot. Will be interesting to see how the 2nd half of the bottle evolves.

4/26/2010 - Sparkotron wrote:

A little bit frivolous, but totally delicious. A favorite of my wife's.