3/13/2013 - empressa Likes this wine:

Really enjoyed drinking this wine. Even though it's still young, it's drinking well now, and I only wish I had more bottles to open over the next few years. Wine has a nose of blackberries and a taste of black currant and vanilla that lingers. The tannins are still prominent, so I'd imagine that the wine will continue to soften over the next few years, but it is delicious now.

3/3/2013 - empressa Likes this wine:

Really enjoyed this wine. Probably would have been better in another year or two, but couldn't wait...Drank with roast chicken-great pairing. Wine flavors include tobacco & black currant. Aromatic wine with medium-long aftertaste.

4/29/2011 - empressa wrote:

I'll preface this by saying I'm a fan of oak. Really enjoyed this wine & drank without food, honey flavors, green apple, oaky without being overly oaked. At $19.99, great QPR. Will definitely buy again.

3/15/2011 - empressa wrote:

Surprisingly delicious wine, drinkable upon opening. Great QPR. Smooth, velvety tastes of vanilla and plums. Well-integrated flavors, should probably drink in next 1-3 years.

3/13/2011 - empressa wrote:

Drank too young, but couldn't wait. Wanted to decide whether to invest in additional bottles, something that I will be doing. Big jammy wine, nose still a little closed (might open after decanting), but full expressive flavor--red currants, black cherries, and finish of tart strawberries that leaves me wanting more. Really lovely wine that I expect will only get better with a few years of age--if I can wait that long.

3/12/2011 - empressa Likes this wine:

Nice wine, nose of black currant. Pleasant to drink, good flavor of black cherries and pepper. Medium finish, but not terribly complex. I would happily drink again, but wouldn't go out of my way to find it.

8/18/2010 - empressa wrote:

I could tell the wine was well-made, but it seemed past its prime and as though the flavors were fading. I've still marked it pretty highly as there was a good underlying blend of flavors, just too faint for my liking.

6/26/2010 - empressa wrote:

I am a huge Andrew Will fan, and am on the mailing list. I recently purchased a case of this wine for only $20 per bottle. This was a good deal for a good wine, but I don't think that it is yet ready to drink. I drank this bottle over 2 days, and on the 2nd day it only opened up slightly. I could taste the underlying spiciness and dark berries, but the flavors somehow hadn't fully integrated, and it tasted a little hot--predominant alcohol. I suspect that this wine will drink really nicely in the next few years, and will wait at least 1 year before opening the next bottle.

3/15/2010 - empressa wrote:

Very nice wine, smooth, elegant, has aged nicely. Wine is almost sweet, hint of raisins, reminds me of an Amarone. Lingering aftertaste, smoky and earthy. All in all a very well-made, enjoyable wine. Still not worth the price that I paid (120E), but would have been happy for 50.

3/5/2010 - empressa wrote:

My impressions of this wine seem to be slightly more positive than the average in this forum. This is a big and heavy wine that coats the mouth. Dark chocolate and blackberry flavors dominate, and the aftertaste is long & lingering. I agree with other reviewers that the wine will improve with time, and that there is a touch of heat, but I think that even now the wine is a very positive example of Washington state Bordeaux blends.

1/30/2010 - empressa wrote:

Wine was pleasant, perhaps just a bit past its peak--slightly watery.

1/30/2010 - empressa wrote:

Usually love Owen Roe wines, and had high expectations. The wine was smooth and well-balanced, but not particularly distinctive. It may not have been ready to drink yet, and I did not decant the wine and probably should have, so would definitely try again in a year's time.

1/30/2010 - empressa wrote:

Liked this wine a lot better than the first time I tried it. 6 months made a difference, and this wine would be even better after another year. We drank the wine over 2 days, and on the second day the wine was much more open. Tastes of ripe blackberries and vanilla--really coats the mouth and long-lingering aftertaste.

1/26/2010 - empressa wrote:

Decent wine, but nothing to distinguish it. Would not seek this wine out.

7/2/2009 - empressa wrote:

I enjoyed this wine more than I expected to. It was a purchase made after touring the Chateau, and feeling somewhat obligated we bought 2 (very reasonably priced) bottles. I didn't dislike the wine, just didn't remember anything special. It is certainly an easy drinking wine, one that is ready to drink now rather than needing additional time in the cellar. Upon opening the wine I was surprised by the smell of ripe raspberries. The taste is of tart cherries. The wine is simple, not complex, and with a short-medium finish. I rate it so highly because of the QPR. The wine is a fantastic everyday wine.

5/31/2009 - empressa wrote:

Overpriced like most wines in Ireland, paid about $56. Very good wine, but not great. Drank over the course of 2 days, but about an hour of decanting would have been sufficient. Nose of leather and black cherries. Well-integrated flavors, with tannins still noticeable. Tastes of gravel and black cherries, with a medium-long finish. This was a thoroughly enjoyable, and well-made wine, but not worth the price that I paid.

5/22/2009 - empressa wrote:

Thick, rich, golden-hued wine with over-ripe honeysuckle aroma. The wine is incredibly smooth and complex, and the finish is surprisingly long. Tastes of musky honey with a lingering vanilla aftertaste. In all likelihood this wine reached its peak a couple of years ago, but is still very enjoyable. I would drink any inventory now; this wine is still delicious-but it won't keep.

5/19/2009 - empressa wrote:

Pleasant and decent wine good for weekday drinking, decent QPR. Wine several steps down from Lapostolle's higher-end bottlings, but easy to drink. Distinctive flavor of grass and minerals, very metallic. Aroma of honeysuckle.

5/17/2009 - empressa wrote:

This is a lovely, jammy, well-crafted wine that will likely continue to improve for the next several years. When I first opened the bottle, the wine was tight and closed, and it was hard to distinguish any specific flavors. We've now been drinking this wine over 2 days, and it has opened up and evolved so much. The aroma is one of ripe blackberries, with the flavor integrating black currants and black cherries. The finish is long, with a very slight hint of acidity at the end. This is truly a great wine, and one I'd like to buy more of for our cellar.

5/14/2009 - empressa wrote:

The wine smells of leather, black currants and blackberries. Upon first pouring the wine it was hard to distinguish the aromas, but as it warmed a bit in the glass, they opened up and became more distinctive. In terms of taste, the wine is very smooth and enjoyable to drink. It has clearly mellowed a bit over the last 6 years, though the prevalent tannins suggest that it could use a few more years in the bottle. I've recently had a few bottles of the 2005 which I think has more potential, but I don't enjoy drinking it as much-though i suspect I will prefer it in a couple of years time. This wine is nice & well-crafted, though stops short of being excellent due to a slightly watery and acidic quality. Still, the smooth taste of smoky black currants is one that I'll enjoy drinking frequently, and I would buy this wine again.

5/2/2009 - empressa wrote:

I am a big fan of Chateau Ste Michelle wines and was happy to find a bottle, though overpriced, in Ireland. The wine has a lovely nose of black currants and jam, though it seems to be a bit faded. The flavors in the wine are well-integrated, and have clearly developed over time. It is smooth and velvety, and tastes of leather, black cherries, and black currant. It is smooth and easy to drink, a very well-made wine. My perception of the wine though is that it likely peaked 1-2 years ago, and any bottles left in inventory should be consumed within the next year.

4/25/2009 - empressa wrote:

While I usually love a wine with big oak flavor, this wine didn't have much beyond oak. It did have a long-lasting aftertaste, but I think the wine might be slightly past its prime and none of the underlying fruit came through. It has a buttery mouth feel, and the color in the glass is golden, like an apple cider. This wine would likely pair well with salmon or a seared tuna. I drank it on its own, and this wasn't ideal. All in all, it is a satisfying wine, but it wasn't worth the price I paid (50E).

5/24/2008 - empressa wrote:

Really enjoyed this wine, more than expected. Honeysuckle nose, buttery mouthfeel, medium-long finish. A bit heavy on the oak for some palates I suspect, but admittedly this is a style that I enjoy. This is a big, buttery chardonnay and one that I will definitely buy again.

5/17/2008 - empressa wrote:

Husband tried--couldn't drink more than a glass--impression was of a very cheap-tasting wine. Poured out the remainder.

5/9/2008 - empressa wrote:

Nose of honeysuckle with a hint of citrus. Taste of pineapple, with long finish, smooth, well-integrated flavors. Viscous wine that is a real pleasure to drink. Drank without food, but might pair nicely with a dessert with hint of black pepper or star anise.

5/5/2008 - empressa wrote:

Decanted and drank over the course of 6 hours, during which time the wine really opened up. The wine has a long finish of ripe, tart cherries and raspberries. The wine is obviously very young, and neds more time to mature and evolve, but even so drinks quite well now. I think, based on my recent tasting of a 2004 vintage, that even 1 more year would make a big difference in the wine.

5/5/2008 - empressa wrote:

Nose of buttery toast and honey. Pleasant taste of honey with well-balanced oak. Medium length finish of tart green apples makes this wine more complex than the first sip would suggest. I was not blown away by this wine however, and though it is pleasant and well-crafted, it is not one that I would go out of my way to purchase again.

5/3/2008 - empressa wrote:

Great long finish of tart cherries; prevalent tannins-I suspect this wine will improve for at least another 3-4 years. This is an impressive wine from an impressive wine-maker, but I will wait at least 2 years before opening the next one as I believe it will improve with age.

4/27/2008 - empressa wrote:

Wine was drunk and decanted over a 2-day period, definitely better on the 2nd day. Full-bodied, heavy wine with a long and surprisingly tart finish, a bit like smoky cherries. On the 2nd day the wine opened up a lot and the taste of red fruit came out more noticeably. This was a very nice, well-rounded wine, but in my opinion there are better wines for the price and I would not buy this wine again for that reason.

4/27/2008 - empressa wrote:

Buttery mouthfeel, musty nose and flavor, with a longish but slightly cloying finish. All in all a decent wine for the price, but not something I would rush to drink again.

4/26/2008 - empressa wrote:

This is a lovely wine, with a surprisingly long finish--buttery mouthfeel, melon and pear flavors with a mineral undertone. Hints of vanilla and honeysuckle on the nose.

4/26/2008 - empressa wrote:

Very nice wine for the price, full-bodied and oaky, not incredibly complex but a nice wine to have with a weekday dinner or a barbeque.

4/14/2008 - empressa wrote:

Tobacco nose and taste tempered by ripe black cherries. The wine has well-integrated flavors and a medium-long finish with noticeable tannins. At 19 Euros a bottle, it is excellent value for money and one that I would drink on a regular basis.