7/9/2010 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

I agree with several other reviewers about the aromas and taste. It's an outstanding wine - delicate, yet powerful with great balance but it's too young. I say this because of the bite on the finish. If you have this wine, or can find it at a good price put it in your cellar and forget about it for a while. I tasted with several customers tonight and most thought the wine was not worth the high price tag. I think in a few years time all our opinions could easily change. I was very excited to finally drink a Clape after reading Kermit's book again. While Kermit put Clape on such a high pedestal in the 80's, I wonder if a lot of other producers may have caught up to Clape in terms of quality and over the last 25 years. I will open my next bottle in 3-5 years.

4/15/2010 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

Very light in color. Musty and bright cherry nose, Dry ...closest thing it reminds me of is a rustic, simple Pinot. But even that is a stretch. Mouthfeel is light+ and pinot-ish. Finish is dry, light tannin. Wine is in balance which is great. Even thought this wine is one dimensional, it's fun because it's unique. I had no idea what to expect. It definitely improved with air time. We bought this wine for a group of tasters that was looking for unique Italian grapes. Sure, it's unique but it underdelivers for the price. It should not cost over $15 retail. It's a very simple wine that's good for uncritical quaffing. We finished the bottle and I wouldn't buy it again unless the price came down.

3/6/2010 - www.westconcordliquors.com Likes this wine:

Ran through an aerator and left to sit for about five hours. This wine is 100% Grenache.

Medium ruby in color with slight rim to core difference. Nose smells clean - Medium+ intensity aromas of blackberry, cherry, licorice, cola. Mouthfeel is dry, sour, and just slightly bitter. Very mild in mouth - the 14.5% has integrated nicely. Tannin is medium, and not harsh at all. Further smells experienced in the mouth include more black fruits and now cedar. Medium+ finish. This wine has a very smooth, silky texture and some complexity based on the aromatic nuances, secondary smells and a finish that has me trying to figure out other flavors are going on here. I would say this wine has all components in balance and is in a good drinking window now.

1/27/2010 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

Takes a long time for the funky nose and heat to blow off. Two hours later (please don't pop and pour this wine) this wine became a full body pinot, with mushrooms, earth, and dare I say minerality on the finish. In a blind taste, I would guess Oregon pinot. It reminds me a lot of the 2006 Oregon pinots for example Elk Cove, or even 1er cru Burgundy. Minimal sulfites used on the wine. Wonderful acidity on the finish. At the right price, I would seek this wine out again. I would say you could cellar this wine for two more years.

11/27/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

Opened bottle and poured about 20 minutes later. Light ruby with slight rim to core difference. Medium+ intensity on the nose, with black cherry, cola, spice, cedar and other red fruits coming through. Smells very young and fresh. In the mouth, this wine is silky and fruity and I get more of the cola taste. The wine is slightly sour, has low tannins and just a hint of bitterness. The mouth feel is in between thin and creamy and gives off mild heat. The finish is short but leaves a pleasant flavor in the mouth and leaves me wanting more.

Overall, this wine smells and tastes like Pinot Noir and I would say all components are in balance. It's not a complex wine, but it has a fantastic nose and nice mouthfeel. At around $10, one will be hard pressed to find a better pinot then this. The only one I can think of in a similar price range is the 2008 Red Tree.

9/20/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

Clear, with a medium dense garnet color and just a slight rim to core difference in color. The color of this wine makes it look older then it really is. Opened up several hours ago, the wine has a medium+ intense nose with the strongest smells being green pepper, tobacco, tar and a light violette smell. This wine is dry, with a strong alcoholic initial attack. Once in the mouth, the sourness comes through along with more pepper and tobacco. Not bitter, the wine isn't thin in the mouth and not creamy either; somewhere in between. At 14%, there is some heat in the mouth, but it's not irritating. The texture is silky smooth, and there is a pleasant medium length, astringent finish. Tannins are not overpowering like some Nebbiolos. At this price point, I don't expect it to be too complex, but the Guidobono is in balance: Enough fruit to balance the tannin, and round enough in the mouth to balance the acidity. There are better bottles that cost twice at much, but there aren't any better or other Nebbiolo's at this price point (under $12). An outstanding value for a few years and counting.

9/4/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

Slightly cloudy, garnet with ruby rim. The dense core is still quite dark and rim color is slightly receding. After two hours of sitting open in bottle, poured glass and was struck by the intense nose, medium plus. Right away from the intensity of smells I knew this wasn't a everyday, table bordeaux. Nose was clean. Major smells were green pepper and black olive which seem appropriate for this merlot/cab franc blend. Secondary smells included cedar and tar. Maybe throw in some leaves too for that earthy component I'm getting. Dry, not really sour, and barely a touch of bitterness, this wine has a pretty creamy mouth feel. I got a slight bit of heat in the mouth but but wine seems to be more spicy then hot. Very low tannin at this point, so a smooth finish. However, the finish, in my opinion is lackluster. Fruit flavor goes away after about 15 seconds and I'm left with a metallic mouth feel. I would say this wine is medium bodied, and with somewhere in between a smooth and coarse texture. Balance wise, I would say it's a little green pepper domiinant and lacking on the finish. I still like this wine a lot and it was fun to try. It has some life left in it but if you have it, you could easily drink it now.

8/14/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

This one had a quick 20 minute decant.
Medium dense ruby with slightly lighter rim. Smells clean, no faults. Major smell is green pepper, and reminds me of the green pepper bottle in the Le Nez du Vin smell kit. Medium to medium plus instense nose also hints of dark fruit and eucyalyptus. Smells good. This wine is dry, slightly sour and slightly bitter. Green pepper smells are evident again in the mouth. Just a tad of prickly heat in the mouth, but pretty mild overall. 13.5% alcohol is well integrated. Medium plus tannins with a quickly fading finish. Overall, I would say it's medium bodied with a semi-smooth texture and all components are pretty much in balance.

For a basic, varietally correct, good value Cabernet I really like this wine. In my opinion, It's better then many USA cabs in the $10-$15 range.
But I do think this wine is one dimensional. Not very complex and you don't get a lot of nuances. However, I would buy this wine again and would recommend for any kind of party. I remember having a glass of this wine at a restaurant a couple months ago and enjoying a lot more then I do now, sitting alone at my computer trying to scrutinize it.

7/18/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

Vertical tasting of '97, '01, '04 Beringer Private Reserve Cab. Almost the entire group liked the '01 the best but some thought the '97 was the most complex. Dry, slightly sour, slightly bitter, Definitely starting to show it's age, the core is still a nice ruby while rim is just starting to turn brown. Nose is of leather and definitely some mint which is a characteristic of the chabot vineyard. In the mouth wine is still silky smooth and velvety. The tannins are low and the wine is mild with a medium plus finish. Someone made an interesting comment that the '97 reminded them more of a Bordeaux then Napa cab in comparision to the '01 and '04. This wine still has years left. It was a lot of fun to compare the '97 to the '01 and I'll be curious what the '01 tastes like in a few years.

7/15/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

Maybe a new favorite rose for the summer. The perfect example of a cool climate wine because of the delicateness and bracing acidity. Attractive light pink in color. Medium intensity nose with smells that include strawberry, orange and lemon. Also a buttery note which reminded me of chardonnay and made me think of lees contact. Wine is dry, light body and very sour...sour almost like sucking on a lemon wedge. And I mean this in a good way. Finish is long, fruity, refreshing and makes you pucker a bit. Of course this rose like many others would be good on a hot day....picnic lunch...and all the other cliches you hear about drinking rose wine. What makes this rose special is the acidity balanced with delicate fruit flavors.

7/6/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

This note was written on the 2nd day of drinking wine.

Yellow/Gold in color, the 2006 Jurosa has a medium plus nose of tropical fruit (pineapple), woodsy notes and butter. This is a dry wine, mild, medium to full body and creamy in the mouth with striking acidity on the finish. I drank it alone but am craving salmon or roast chicken as a pairing. Winemaker notes show aging in french barrels plus battonage. I remember on the first day the wine was more sour, more austere and almost too sharp for my taste. Wine Advocate calls this chard very vibrant and fresh. It has settled down on the second day and reminds me more of what I'm all too used to: CA chard. The only thing that still gives it away for me as not CA is the minerality. This wine is fun because of it's noticeable differences from California chardonnay or white Burgundy. At $20 I think this would be a great deal, but in the mid 20's where we have it it's still worth a try.

6/25/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

This wine is 40% Trebbiano, 30% Chard and 30% Sauvignon Blanc. I bought this because I enjoyed the Moma red so much. Turns out this wine is a pefect summah sippah aka porch pounder. Color is bright yellow/gold. The nose has medium plus intensity with aromas of melon, pear, apple and baked bread smells which lead me to believe there was some lees aging. The Moma bianco is dry, pleasantly sour, and slightly bitter. The wine has a creamy mouthfeel and is mild temp in the mouth. Further smells included pineapple and more apple. The finish is medium length. Overall, it's a medium body wine, smooth texture, simple, and in balance with the steely acidity on the finish. At first I pulled this baby out of the fridge and it seemed to be lacking acidity but once it warmed up a bit the zippy acidity on the finish came through and really balanced out the juicy fruit flavors in the mouth. I'd recommend for simple summah drinkin in Massachusetts.

6/16/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

Opened bottle nearly six hours before writing this note.

Still very dark, dense purple. Nearly opaque from the core up. I was expecting a much lighter color but I guess the strong color after nine years is a sign of the vintage. The rim is just starting to turn ruby. Nose is clean and slightly above medium intensity. Dominating smells include pepper and black olive. Secondary smells were toast, currant, violets and maybe mushroom. Mouthfeel is dry, slightly bitter with a very silky, lush and creamy mouthfeel and not hot at all in the mouth. Not very rustic, but by no means is this a new world example of Bordeaux. Low tannins at this point, but still leaves a dry feeling in the mouth. Other smells in mouth include tobacco and there is a also a noticeable minerality to this wine. Medium finish, and noticing that minerality. Overall, this wine is has a medium to full body in the mouth (with that silkymouthfeel), a smooth texture, slight complexity with all the different smells and medium finish. I would say at this point it's in balance.

Spectator was correct in saying best after 2008. It took six hours of an open bottle for this wine to start showing nicely. Drink now or hold.

5/18/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

Very deep yellow/gold color. Nose of lemon, banana and cream. Full, rich and creamy in the mouth with a pleasantly sour finish. I would buy again and recommend to chardonnay drinkers. Looking at other Falanghina prices, this wine is a terrific value.

5/9/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

Pale, clear, light yellow with hints of green. Very fresh and floral nose also including, honey, lemon oil and a slight hint of oak. Dry, creamy, juicy and medium+ body in the mouth, with the floral flavors continuing. Medium acidity, with a slightly sour finish. Not much bitterness. This balanced wine has a very nice weight and the slight oak flavor is perfectly integrated. The creamy mouthfeel reminds me of a not too oaky chardonnay. Best part is the mouth watering acidity at the end which persists in the medium length finish. We sell this wine and I will continue to carry it at least for the summer season.

4/12/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

reddish brown in color now. The cork broke but the wine was fine. I would recommend decanting for two hours. Upon opening nose was very closed, slight medical tape smell. After an hour or so in the glass the nose started to come arond a little bit with heavy tobacco, celery and plum. Smooth texture in the mouth, medium acidity, low tannins. Medium weight weight in the mouth. Many people would call this wine "light" compared to the wines being produced today. This wine is still pretty juicy after a couple hours of air. Black currant smells persist on mid palate. Long, smooth, slight sour finish. This wine is past it's prime but if you are a fan of older wines, this wine is still great.....if you can find it on sale.

4/3/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

The most dominant smell is eucalyptus or menthol. And then baked cherry and strawberry. Dry, slightly sour, not bitter, mild temp (despite 14% alcohol) and very soft tannins. More cherry (reminds me of Pinot Noir) smells in the mouth and a short (but not bad) finish. Medium body in mouth, smooth texture. Overall a pretty simple wine, in balance, and fantastic and delicious for the the pricepoint. A great wine to buy by the case.

4/3/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

The most unbelievable chocolate, coffee nose I have ever smelled on a wine. Very perfumed: cherries, carnations, medical tape. Gripping tannins....BUT ready to drink. The flavors are still too jumbled up to unique. I tasted with about 12 people including a MW and almost all thought this wine was not ready yet.

3/30/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

Decanted for about an hour. Color is a medium ruby with little rim to core change. Nose of adhesive tape, black/red fruits, fresh earth and a tiny bit of campfire. Dry, medium acidity, medium tannins and slightly bitter. Tannins are soft and supple and alcohol is not overpowering. Juicy in the mouth with more red/black fruit smells. Finish is long, but still left with slightly bitter taste in my mouth. This tastes more new world to me then classic St. E so I'm guessing new oak. I don't know the exact blend but I'm guessing mostly merlot with some cab franc. Medium body with a smooth texture, this wine is not complex but in balance with only annoying thing being that slight bitterness onthe finish. I wouldn't buy this wine for our store unless we could sell it for under $12.

3/5/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

GIVE THIS BOTTLE TWO HOURS OF AIR before drinking. We opened at our store and myself and several customers tried it out and thought it was decent but then I took the bottle home for my girlfriend and I. Wow, what a difference between when we first tried it and then drank again a few hours later. Sadly, the wine was getting better and better as we neared the end of the bottle Nose was closed a musty at first, but turned into classic burgundy: cherry, spice and some vanilla. My GF thought she smelled raspberries. Loose, juicy, medium body mouth feel. Long, slightly sour, slightly bitter mineral finish with soft, smooth tannins. A well balanced wine.

2/13/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

Writing after about 30 minutes after bottle was open. 90% Monica Grape! Haven't had or seen that before. I am a big fan of the Argiolas Costera and I always recommend it to customers so I decided to try this one seeing it was less expensive and everyone is looking for value these days. Color is medium ruby at the core with a violette rim. Medium intensity nose of black fruits, spice, mushroom. Medium body in the mouth, lively, fleshy, slightly coarse though not rustic and sweet fruit smells persist on the midpalate. Like the previous reviewer, I would also guess that this was grenache (probably from Spain) The finish is improving as I write this note. At first it was just bitter, but now the tannins are starting to build and there is just a slight appearance of sourness.

Like it says on RP, it's still early for this wine whose finish is dominated by the smooth, chalky tannins. Overall I'm quite pleased with this wine and would drink again but next time definitely with food! As much I can remember about the Costera, the Perdera seems like a lighter version of the Costera.

2/9/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

Color is ruby at the core and getting pink on the rim. Very dense. Medium intensity nose is of cooked fruit, damp earth, cherry, cola black currant, more earth and very, very much like an aged Bordeaux wine. If tasting blind, I would have without a doubt said this was from Bordeaux and at least 5 years old. But knowing what I was drinking, it's obvious this wine isn't as rustic as most petite chateau bordeaux Medium body, lush and smooth in the mouth, the nose persists and there are really no hard edges. Very soft tannins on the on the finish that increased with aeration.

At first pop and pour I thought this tasted like a unbalanced $10 bordeaux. But after airing, the wine really came together and has structure. Drink soon. This will be a nice compli ment to the Foris pinot noir on our shelves.

2/7/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

Dense yellow/gold in color and still pretty bright. The nose is medium intensity and consists of floral notes, some peach and maybe honey. A nice, rich mouth-feel, slightly viscous . There is no real noticeable residual sugar. The finish is where this wine loses it for me. It's slightly sour, but not sour enough. I was expected more of a crisp finish but it just didn't happen and the flavor disappeared from my mouth with in seconds. I haven't drank a ton of chenin blanc, but I've definitely tried more well balanced chenins then this example. Still, not a bad quaffer but nothing serious. If there was more acidity this wine would rank much higher for me.

1/10/2009 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

Very big nose of pear and apple, and not much oak. This wine actually tasted better to me on the second day. Medium to full body in the mouth, but nice intensity and a crisp, clean finish that was just a tad short. We were fighting over who was going to take the last pour. An amazing value for a Napa Valley chard. I'll be sure to recommend this to my customers that want something no overly oaked. Also might be a nice in-between wine for those used to Cal Chard who have not had white Burgundy.

12/25/2008 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

After trying to find good Burgundy in Mass. for under $20 I've pretty much given up for now and paid about $35 for this bottle and it did not disappoint. Meal for the night was salmon. I popped a poured a small amount and on first taste was thinking this wasn't any better then the generic Latour I had tried earlier in the week but after two hours of airing this really came around. Not a huge nose, but some cherry, spice and other red fruits led to a typical light bodied mouth coating of sweet cherry and nice long 30 second mineral finish I've come to expect with quality Burgundy. The tannins that the others mention have calmed down quite a bit. They are still there, and this wine needs a little more time but I would say this wine is showing as quite balanced now, just a tad strong on tannin vs acidity.

Of the four that were drinking, all thought the wine was excellent.

11/1/2008 - www.westconcordliquors.com wrote:

Not a huge nose but did get some of the cherry that other users got.

In the mouth, leaning toward medium body that actually reminds me of grenache or pinot from Languedoc. There isn't that crisp acidity that I enjoy from other MdA.

Some welcomed grape tannins on the finish, but overall this wine reminds me of so many others like Hob Nob Pinot Noir or the Avalon Cab that are crowd pleasers and not much else. A fun wine but nothing serious.