7/7/2023 - rossso Likes this wine:

In a good place. Not sure it will get any better.

5/29/2023 - rossso Likes this wine:

Bought a bottle to help decide whether to buy some for the cellar. Dense and dark in the glass. Nose and palate closed as expected but what was there was pure cabernet with signs of good structure and balance. Needs to be left alone for 5-10 more years (at least) but should reward well after that.

3/16/2023 - rossso wrote:

Full, sweet, plummy. Pleasant drinking but (as with previous vintages of this wine I have tasted) not a typical North Canterbury pinot.

12/9/2022 - rossso wrote:

Earlier note on this wine from Jon and Bek sums it up very well. Strong mint chocolate nose. Still seems young and superficially attractive but not sure that it will get any better.

12/9/2022 - rossso Likes this wine:

Elegant but fading. Time to drink up.

11/21/2022 - rossso Likes this wine:

Probably at or slightly past its peak but should still drink well for a couple of years.

5/12/2022 - rossso wrote:

More drinkable than I had expected. This was like watching a favourite movie on a black and white TV,: still recognisable and enjoyable but only a shadow of what it could have been.

4/28/2022 - rossso Likes this wine:

Excellent wee quffer, great qpr@ NZ$12.

3/14/2022 - rossso Likes this wine:

Promising. Needs at least another 5 years to see how good it might be.

3/3/2022 - rossso Likes this wine:

Opened 30 minutes before drinking. Intense nose, somewhat closed on the palate, probably should have given it some more air and/or cellar time before tasting Pretty good now, at least 10 years life in front of it.

2/18/2022 - rossso Likes this wine:

Opened, decanted and poured. Excellent drinking, many years still ahead.

2/18/2022 - rossso Likes this wine:

Everything it should be. This wine probably had another 10 to 20 years in it, but it was lovely to drink it tonight Complex buttered toast/ hay nose, great fruit/acid balance and a long finish.

9/11/2021 - rossso Likes this wine:

Magnum bought recently at auction and said to have been well cellared. Some ullage, about one third the way down the shoulder. No sign of leakage on the cork which came out in one piece and without too much trouble. Decanted 90 minutes.
A definite browning round the edge but bright and retains a deep garnet core. I’ve seen good wines 30 years younger that look older than this.
Nose initially musty/old cigar box.but this cleared to reveal a wonderfully mature cabernet nose that didn’t quit.
Surprisingly complex palate with earthy flavours predominating over solid remnants of fruit. Probably 10 to 15 years past its peak but still a glorious wine at 47 years. Pity they don’t seem to make them like this any more.

12/4/2019 - rossso Likes this wine:

PnP with leftover lamb. Still young. Dense, dark colour with no sign of age. Nose rather closed but opened with time in the glass. Perfectly balanced wine, an absolute steal at just under NZ$22 like other recent vintages. Does anyone know where these grapes are going now? My guess is that they now form part of a well branded regional blend at about twice the price I’ve been paying.

11/8/2018 - rossso Likes this wine:

2 hour decant. Getting a bit old now, definite brown around the edges but colour still fairly dense. Muted nose. Strong prune flavour, hints of shoe polish and chilli chocolate. NR due to age but I'm guessing it would have been a 94 or 95 a few years ago.

8/25/2018 - rossso Likes this wine:

Last reviewer nailed it, excellent food wine, drinking well now.

7/19/2018 - rossso Likes this wine:

Good basic South Australian shiraz. Plenty of fruit but a bit light on tannin and acid. But for less than US$10 I haven't found anything better than this, and it's as good as many wines that are twice the price.

6/27/2018 - rossso wrote:

Quite pleasant nose, good colour with plenty of depth, ok in the mouth but one of the shortest finishes I have had in a wine. Three seconds after swallowing, all you have is dry tannins on the sides of the tongue. Doubt this will improve much with age but neither is it likely to crash. A bit meh, certainly much less than you'd expect from a signature wine made in a good year by a winery with access to everything it needs to make good wine.

6/16/2018 - rossso Likes this wine:

Well balanced, showing signs of age but not yet over the hill. Good drinking, no reason to hold.

6/13/2018 - rossso Likes this wine:

Deep dark colour. Sweet nose. First impression in the mouth is sweet licorice balanced by grippy tanins and a surprisingly dry finish. Plenty of black fruits to follow. Lengthy finish. Lots of life left here.

6/9/2018 - rossso Likes this wine:

2 hour decant. Dark purple, youthful appearance. Nose still closed but blackberry plum and spice emerged in the glass. Really well balanced in the mouth but somewhat underwhelming given the price, pedigree and vintage. An elegant wine without being memorable. Not sure how happy I am that I have 5 more of these in the cellar.

6/9/2018 - rossso Likes this wine:

Drank this over 2 nights. Notes are from second night. Bright and clear in the glass. Fresh hay on the nose, gorgeous in the mouth with caramel and citrus flavours. Chalky dry. No signs that this is nearing the end of its life. Lovely wine.

6/8/2018 - rossso Likes this wine:

Decanted 2 hours. Definite brownish tinge. Nose of coffee, spices and vanilla, all beautifully integrated. A wine I could sniff all night. Palate follows the nose, lengthy finish. Still drinking very well but not sure for how much longer.

6/6/2018 - rossso wrote:

Plenty of alcohol on the nose, also evident in the mouth. The dominant flavour was dark chocolate which overpowered any other flavours. A very one-dimensional wine.

6/6/2018 - rossso wrote:

Lovely light gold colour. Nose of apples with some kerosene. Disappointing in the mouth, nowhere near as good as the 2011. Predominant flavour for me was feijoa (think perfumy tangy apple for those not from NZ). Doubt it has much improving to do nor a long life in front of it.

6/3/2018 - rossso wrote:

Dark without being dense. Black currants and cherries on the nose and palate. Only had one of these and wish I'd waited another 3 to 5 years before opening.

6/3/2018 - rossso Likes this wine:

Pretty good cabernet. Good cork, deep colour with no real sign that it's 10 years old. Nose developed in the glass, black fruits and some pepper. Beautifully balanced with a hint of mint and no hole in the palate. Great now, will go many more years but not at all sure that it will get any better. Wish I had many more of these.

5/27/2018 - rossso Likes this wine:

This has come together beautifully. For a wine tha cost under US$15, it has it all. Lovely, complex nose of dark fruit, palate in harmony, and a pretty good finish. Sure, there are plenty of better wines but you won't find many this good at anything like this price. Only one bottle left and I'm tempted to give it a couple more years.

5/22/2018 - rossso Likes this wine:

Drank this afternoon after a full-on kiwi chardonnay. Great nose but not easily identified as a chardonnay. In the mouth it was somewhat disappointing, not unpleasant but not what was expected from the nose. Nice finish. Good food wine but not a typical chardonnay.

5/21/2018 - rossso Likes this wine:

Lovely wine. Bright and clear, citrus nose and palate, long finish.

5/6/2018 - rossso Likes this wine:

Well balanced and elegant. Excellent value and still has a few years in front of it.

1/11/2018 - rossso wrote:

This was discounted and recommended at a local wine shop. Cork was in good condition. Colour showed definite age, brownish round the edges but still dark in the middle. The nose and the palate were both disappointing, plenty of alcohol, and the overriding impression was of port. Not good value for money despite the discount. Will not buy any more.

1/3/2018 - rossso Likes this wine:

2 hour decant. Colour still very dense and dark. Restrained on the nose, needs more air. Dark fruits, chocolate on the palate. No need to hurry to drink this one.

7/16/2017 - rossso Likes this wine:

This was quite different from any other vintage of Command I have tasted. Decanted 3 hours prior. Colour looks more like 10+ years old, clear but not deep. Nose somewhat closed, missing the usual boot polish. On the palate more restrained and refined. Pleasant enough drinking but not what I expected. Unsure where it will go.

5/27/2017 - rossso Likes this wine:

Lovely mature riesling, honey and apples, hint of kero, still has a year or two left in it.

4/26/2017 - rossso Does not like this wine:

Wine was well past its best. Possibly badly cellared, looked and tasted more like an average 30 year old wine rather than a 13 year old wine of reasonable quality.

5/4/2017 - rossso Likes this wine:

This bottle seems to be a lot more advanced than the last one of these that I opened. Dark golden colour but still pretty good balance. Drink the rest of these soon?

4/23/2017 - rossso wrote:

Golden yellow in colour but no hint of flabbiness. Still in good condition but I would drink up soon.

4/23/2017 - rossso Likes this wine:

Decanted 90 mins. Drinking very well already and should continue to improve.

3/14/2017 - rossso wrote:

Medium garnet colour, bright and clear with some browning evident. On the nose, cherries, spices and some earthiness. Some heat in the mouth, quite complex for a Marlborough pinot, medium long finish. Well made wine, probably at or just past its best at 6 years.

3/11/2017 - rossso Likes this wine:

Deep, dense ruby colour, bright. Nose quite closed an hour after opening. Will decant future bottles. Subdued fruit, tannins prominent, dry finish.

2/25/2017 - rossso Likes this wine:

This bottle is in great condition and in no way past its best. Medium garnet colour, bright and clear, with no browning. Nose of mushrooms and chocolate. Integrated flavours with restrained fruit and a long, dry finish. I will save my last bottle of this for a few more years. Great value at US$12.

1/14/2017 - rossso Likes this wine:

Beautifully integrated and balanced wine. Difficult to believe it is only 5 years old and no reason to believe it won't be just as good 10 years from now.

1/3/2017 - rossso Likes this wine:

Young wine, bright and clear. Plenty of acid to balance the sweetness, will be good to see how this develops over 10+ years

1/2/2017 - rossso Likes this wine:

High alcohol on the nose reminiscent of port. Medium ruby red colour with browning on the edges. Somewhat dull in appearance. On the palate, nothing like any NZ pinot noir I have tasted. Surprisingly well balanced, some berries and dark chocolate on the palate.

12/31/2016 - rossso wrote:

Bright green/gold in colour. Nose clean but somewhat subdued. Acid dominates the palate, apples and some toasty flavours. Not unpleasant but not special either. Won't buy more.

12/30/2016 - rossso Likes this wine:

Medium red colour with browning on the edges. Nose still fairly youthful, berries and spice. Nicely integrated palate, spicy with lengthy vanilla-like finish.

12/29/2016 - rossso wrote:

Pale golden colour. Toasty chardonnay nose. Acid and fruit in balance, nice long finish. Good drinking now.

12/25/2016 - rossso Likes this wine:

Drank this on Christmas Day with others so no detailed notes but overall favourable and I will be happy to leave my 2 remaining bottles of this vintage for 2 to 3 more years before drinking.

12/25/2016 - rossso Does not like this wine:

Golden in colour, looks older than it is. Not much on the nose, overly heavy and not very refined on the palate. A bad bottle?