5/14/2021 - englishman's claret wrote:

Really wonderful things are happening at Lagrange. The 2020 is another hit, with the grand vin showing a gorgeously succulent boysenberry nose, augmented by a floral touch and a whiff of fresh espresso, so clean and full of energy. The balance here is excellent, full bodied but balanced by ripe, soft tannin and good acidity. Very cool palate with almost imperceptible alcohol. This finishes well. 93-94

1/8/2024 - Donjcorleone Likes this wine:

Expressive aromas of crème de cassis, forest floor, tobacco and #2 lead pencil lead to a rich, round, balanced dose of palate staining sweet blackberry flavors with a lingering eucalyptus edge.

12/15/2023 - MikeDB Likes this wine:

Nice wine. Great QPR at the $35-40 range. Beautiful nose. Red plum, cherry. Earthy, some dried herbs, cured meat, tobacco spice and subtle sweet oak. On the palate the tannins are no more than moderate and very fine. Moderate acidity. Better mid-palate and length than front palate. Builds to an elegant finish. Can hold for a few more years, but thought it drank well now.

12/13/2022 - Edeon Likes this wine:

Incredibly soft and round for such a young wine. Haven't had anything like this before. Nice balance. More licorice and and funky earth than fruit. Not a great value for me at that price.

1/21/2023 - CheviotCellar Likes this wine:

Good but not great at this stage. Had the 2015 Hermitage Aine Blue the night before and were hoping for something closer in presentation. This 2018 Crozes was green with an anise flavor that seemed misplaced. The fruit is full and enjoyable but this wine needs more time to integrate. Will try and hold remaining bottles for at least 2-3 more years.

8/18/2022 - CheviotCellar Likes this wine:

Brilliant. Shedded all the baby fat that was present nearly 3 years ago. Wine is refined and nuanced, the nose bursting with a plethora of aromatics. The clarity is evident from all the racking… all the wonderful elements of oak without the bitter tannins or angularity. This wine is holistic, charming, immediately accessible. Bravo

8/5/2022 - johnnyo Likes this wine:

This wine was showing beautifully! Still plenty on youthful rich fruit with near perfect balance.

6/19/2022 - Jeff B wrote:

N/A

3/19/2022 - tomoem Likes this wine:

Oak Knoll neighborhood wine tasting.

This one is restrained and lively. Totally different from the lineup tonight. More violet then red berry and absolutely French in style. Finishes with tobacco leaf and slight lead pencil.

1/9/2022 - pakabear Likes this wine:

This bottle was better than the others, great dark blue and black fruits, loads of baking spices, dried violets, dried earth, medium + acid and medium + tannin that coat the mouth but sweet and fine grain. This has perfect balance and drinkable now but really needs 3-5 years. I love this wine.

12/7/2021 - CheviotCellar wrote:

Pitch black body. Coffee, chocolate, caramel on nose. Palate has chocolate, raspberry coulis and coffee liquor.

It has a smooth, velvetyness at room temperature and decanted. Little to no tannin and finish is a little funky.

We dont drink this type of wine but if stranded at a small market hotel or remote area this is acceptable.

11/1/2021 - MS86 Likes this wine:

Medium plus intensity ruby with some bricking at rim.
Somewhat closed with an earthy / barnyard character not noticed in any other vintages. New belt leather. Minimal fruit.
Tannins are very fine and just slightly chewy but wow is this hot. Acidity is medium – very modest compared to other vintages.
The hay / earth / barnyard note continues on the palate, accompanied by ripe black plum and black cherry, menthol and milk chocolate.
Good length.

8/25/2021 - CheviotCellar wrote:

Drank head to head with the 2017 Tenuta Riserva, which we thought was significantly better than the Monsanto.

Ruby body with purple flares. Nose has musky oak, raisin, cherries, mineral and a prominent caramel note. Palate is acidic, with cherries and dark bramble. Soft mouth feel, and elegant delivery despite the high acid. Feels almost water vs. the Tenuta because of the relative lack of tannin. I think there are much better wines and Chiantis at this price point.

7/16/2021 - mmcleod Likes this wine:

Good nose and presentation. Full body great texture

3/11/2021 - CheviotCellar Likes this wine:

Its nice, agree with the other reviews. Tannins are approachable but I think flavors will deepen and expand with more years. We’ll wait 3-5 on the next bottle. Probably needs 10 years but who has that kind of time?

3/14/2021 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Dark black fruit.....slightly thinner in the mouth than the Carter/Carter and less glycerin/glide. Excellent quality to the fruit and the winemaking....a little more smokey barrel char than the Carter. A nice wine that like most '18s probably will benefit from more time in bottle. Thanks again to HMC for opening!

3/13/2021 - CheviotCellar Likes this wine:

45 minute decant. Feminine nose, perfumed, spicy. Taste is rich, silky red and black berries contrasted with umami, au jus, cinnamon and anise. Never feels extracted or overdone, just full and controlled. Finish has some pepper, nuttiness, warm praline. Very nice wine that’s just getting started.

11/2/2020 - Hermosabritdad Likes this wine:

Having tried several Priorat examples when we were in Spain a couple of years ago, and being a little underwhelmed when we did, this is a nice counterbalance. Ruby color with garnet at the edge. On the nose there is a lot to like: Red fruit that over an hour or two transitions to some gentle back fruits of sweet blackcurrent, along with new saddle leather and some pepper and even a touch of cedar. Is surprisingly “warm” and round on the palette. Only 5 yrs old yet the Samso/Carinena is very much rounded out by the Garnacha. Previous review said it is 100% Carinena but my bottle says 77%. Either way it was a lot rounder (and rather “hotter”) than I expected. There is some acidity in attendance holding it all together - but way in the back. At 15.5% alc this is a pretty big-hitting warm Garnacha influenced wine despite the labeling. Liked it a lot, and definitely another good example of a well made Spanish wine that from a Quality to Price ratio POV has a lot going for it.

11/2/2020 - Vinnut Likes this wine:

Deep dark garnet in color, essentially opaque. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with briary overtones, spices, dried herbs, dark cocoa, pepper, minerals & a hint of vanilla in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, plummy/jammy, ripe dark fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & blueberries with spices, herbs, minerals, cocoa & a hint of vanilla. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & extended airing but has the fruit & structure to continue development with additional more years of aging if cellared properly. A blend of 72% Zinfandel. 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane & 2% Mataro (Mourvdre); Alc. at 14.5%. A more forward Lytton Springs than from years past.

10/19/2020 - CheviotCellar Likes this wine:

Opened on a friday evening and didn't pair well with rare tuna steaks (not sure what I was thinking). The marinade had lime and fish sauce which completely collided with the acid of this wine. The wine tasted hot and past its prime/disjointed. Tried on its own and with some chocolate afterward and was pretty much the same. Vacu-corked and put back in cellar.

Two nights later with duck breast main and a blueberry pie dessert, this was the sophisticated, generous Pauillac we had been hoping for. The high acidity of the first night was perfectly tolerable with the flavorful duck and blueberries. Deep fruit palate with modest extraction, dry spices and wood flavors, and a long finish. Complexity is medium for a wine of this price point. Have 2 more bottles and interested to see how they evolve. Next time I will go classic for the food pairing.

6/2/2020 - R.Jos.Valent Likes this wine:

Great vintage! Top notch wine making. Solid backbone of Rich Black fruits, truffles, and just a well balanced acid profile too. Lengthy finish not overly tannic. Has many years ahead.

12/7/2019 - CheviotCellar Likes this wine:

Decanted for 3 hours then drank over the next 4 hours.

This is a very good wine, though is modern in style for Rioja. Heavy usage of American oak here somewhat disguises the underlying fruit. What I can tell though of the fruit is that its nice quality and silky.

Nose has roasted notes, tobacco, chocolate, lead.

Palate has similar along with blue and black fruits. Stronger tannins. We found them enjoyable, but you may want to wait a few years for this to settle down.

QPR at $40 seems spot on. I've heard some comparisons with La Rioja Alta Ardanza or even 904 but I don't get it; the nose complexity and tertiary flavors of LRA are a completely different class ahead. Then again, those wines don't come to market until they're 8-10 years old, so will be worth checking back on this Sierra Cantabria in 5 years to see if its matured.

10/5/2019 - CheviotCellar Likes this wine:

Dark body, glass staining legs. Nose has cherry kirsch, cedar, plum, sweet perfume; requires several hours decant and swirling to get.

Palate has strong tannin, plump and deep fruit palate. Heady, lots of black cherry, plum. Some heat and spice in the long finish. Should settle down and become special with more time. Would give 5 years until trying again.

11/30/2019 - brewnello wrote:

Much better than 6 mos ago. Dried cherries with touch of layers - iodine, bark, balanced and integrated with long finish. Cucumber?

11/3/2019 - CheviotCellar wrote:

This is inky, very dark stuff. Don't be scared to give it a long decant, more than 4 hours if possible. It was rather closed through the first few hours and was more drinkable on day 2. It worked better with food than on its own. As dense and concentrated as the blue and black fruit flavors are, this wine is simply too hot to be considered high end. While this might work in a Rhone blend, in a 100% cab sav, it does not. Even with food, we felt this wine was too astringent and edgy (not in a good way). Time will tell if it gains tertiary flavors and complexity, but high alcohol typically doesn't bode well. For the price and tasting experience, I wouldn't buy this again.

8/2/2019 - sean7711 Likes this wine:

Blind tasting Cab & Cab blends around the world
Served 6 of 9
My Rank 5 of 9
Overall Rank 8 of 9

Definite earthiness, tart cherry, light, not overly fruity. Called Bordeaux. Others did not like this, but was not surprising given what I know from their palettes.

1/27/2019 - CheviotCellar Likes this wine:

Pours deep garnet, brown tones show age. Nose has red cassis, stewed strawberry, chocolate, cigarette smoke, and sandalwood. Palate has red rich currant, plum, eucalyptus, light tannins, medium-light acidity. Decent finish. Slight metallic note that drops this down from a 90. Finely mature bordeaux at a great price: 88.5-89. No rush, 2-5 years left.

3/9/2019 - RobinHeimdahl wrote:

First bottle was corked.

Second botte - good.

1/2/2019 - Lahontan Likes this wine:

I know it is early to drink, but even with that in mind it was a disappointment (especially after some of the dithyrambic reviews out there from well-respected tasters). Feels completely closed. Nose and palate totally muted, perfumes v. faint. The only plus is texture which reminds you that a good, high-quality wine is lurking somewhere around there. Here's hoping it will reemerge someday.

1/19/2018 - CheviotCellar Likes this wine:

This bodega has the most amazing aromas in their wines. Recently had the 904, and the Ardanza is in the same class. The cork had enticing aromas of spruce, dark chocolate and raspberry.

Pours dark cranberry, also with orange hues like the 904. Nose has leather, brown sugar, chocolate, fresh caramel, orange peel, golden raisin and faint plum. Perfect look and nose.

Mouth feel is a little lighter than I was expecting, mild tannins. Palate still bears lots of rich fruit and appropriate acid: plum, dark cherry, brown sugar, oak. I think it's in the prime window over the next 2 years.

11/13/2017 - bonedoc wrote:

Ditto last note

1/29/2016 - macaujames Likes this wine:

This wine is superb value at under 30 Euros. Simple but broad aromas of raspberries, strawberries, cloves, coffee and menthol. Has a full bodied palate with superb concentration and lushness underpinned by great freshness and good oak. Ends longish, fresh and aromatic. Impressive.

2/5/2015 - gorvetzi Likes this wine:

I've bought over 10 bottles of this 08 Gamache cab, and every single one has been excellent...I only have two left, and will include more detailed notes after consuming those. However, if you're a lover of fruit bombs, this is one of the biggest and most dense I've ever had, yet it carries it all very well, with great silky tannins. Perhaps it is somewhat monolithic and hedonistic, but its a very fun bottle of wine and when you're in the mood for a high quality fruit bomb, I haven't had much luck finding anything better in this price range. 92-93