3/11/2024 - dwood wrote:

I hope this wine will continue to improve. It's not in a good place at the moment. It's a complex wine with a good backbone of fruit and refreshing mineral palate and nose. However, its quite sharp and acidic. Initially one might think it's very dry Sauvingnon blanc. It's very good with Salmon and a lemon beure blanc. On its own without food it's not for me.
After three hours the wine surprisingly it was much better it' has evolved and definitely not to be served too cold.

The 1/2 bottle kept in the fridge the next day was like a different wine it developed a buttery smooth lanolin texture still quite sharp but very pleasant. Very much a food wine and not for just drinking alone though.

3/2/2024 - dwood wrote:

Polished, light bodied, purple rim
Nose and palate dominate with sour cherries.
Medium finish
No sediment.
This wine needs air at the moment
On opening it was quite restrained. After 3 hours it was excellent and had developed a fuller mid palate and earthy undertones to complement the fruit.
Served at 15 degrees but better as it warmed up
1/2 bottle saved fir next day.

1/19/2024 - dwood wrote:

Way to young.
I agree with other members. Needs lots of air. Starts to come together after 4 hrs. Wait until 2025. to try next bottle.

1/15/2024 - dwood Likes this wine:

This wine has continued to improve (7th of 12) and is probably reached it's peak. Very silky smooth, rich dark fruit with an almost light port prune/ raisin flavour but with a dominant cherry bouquet.
Very enjoyable over the meal.
Needs plenty of air. 3-4 hour decant but it continued to improve. Robust enough to drink with a slow cooked shin of beef pie with a lambs kidney/mushroom duxelle. Need to buy another case. There is some fine sediment but heavy, stayed at bottom. Still superb the next day.

1/13/2024 - dwood Does not like this wine:

Very simple wine that doesn't have any complexity Better drank without food. I found it quite acidic for a Vermentino,
Bland with a short finish.

10/19/2023 - dwood Likes this wine:

Cellared since release and kept at 12.5 degrees undisturbed.
Ruby rim very dark opacity. Long legs.
Decanted for 1hr
Incredibly large bottle covering sediment. Impossible not to pour without some but quickly settled to bottom of glass
Intense bramble blueberry nose with vanilla, pear drop undertones.
Palate followed with rich dark fruit and same subtle vanilla
Tannin very fine silky smooth with nice uplift of acidity
Very long finish.
A beautifully made wine with an unusual flavour profile
It got better and evolved in the glass.
Have 5 left and keeping to 2030.
Stunning.
Served with slow cooked mutton Cassoulet a perfect match.

9/10/2023 - dwood wrote:

Drank from Magnum.
Stored from release at 12.5 degrees. Decanted 2 hrs
Ruby rim, polished medium bodied dark opacity.
Little sediment hard but loose.

Fine tannins smooth refined dark fruit nose some pepper undertones.
Very enjoyable wine with BBQ
1/3 bottle left till next day corked and put back in cellar.
Wow this has improved. Silky smooth and velvety. Lots of fruit.
Next time minimum 4 hrs decant

8/20/2023 - dwood Likes this wine:

Wonderful Port
Stored since 2005 in perfect conditions undisturbed
Cork mouldy until last 1cm. Ullage grade A. I was worried!
Bright polished deep tawny rim
Decanted for 2 hours
Solid sediment which made it easy to decant.
Nose dominant raisins but complex rich ripe fruit too. No sign of cork contamination.
Palate full bodied silky smooth, Tanins very smooth and still there. Still refreshing acidic undertones
Incredible burst of dark fruit,, no signs of the mouldy cork
Finish incredibly long 60 seconds +
Best port I have ever tasted.

7/30/2023 - dwood Does not like this wine:

I hope this was bottle variation as the last tasting note sounded promising.and I was looking forward to it.
Intense lemon on the palate and nose and undertones of flinty minerals. Bitingly acidic so much so that we both struggled to finish the glass. No complexity a mono palate.
We both love Albarino so this was disappointing. At £21 a bottle.

6/20/2023 - dwood wrote:

stored at 12.5 degrees since release.
Muted fruit on nose and palate.
Decanted for 1 HR
Little sediment.
Long legs 15.5 ‰
Not polished or bright on pour.
Very smooth but no wow factor
Low acidity
Tanins fine and smooth
Just not an exiting wine
Kept 1/2 bottle back
A little disappointed
Served with mutton pie
Update.
The 1/2 bottle was refrigerated and poured into glasses 1 HR before serving.
Little change. Perhaps a little smoother. Very smooth now and a pleasant wine but still disappointing.
Given the excellent reviews from other members hope this is bottle variation. There is a "reserve" bottling which I have which is superb.and closer to other review notes.

4/23/2023 - dwood wrote:

Corked undrinkable

8/1/2022 - dwood Likes this wine:

Well,
After my previous experience I didn't expect great things.
Patience is a virtue! I have drank 6 out of 12 (see last tasting note 2020)
Tannins fully resolved and beautifully balanced. Same intense bouquet but added mushroom damp forest floor undertones.
Palate full on with long finish rich intense dark fruit. The puckering tannins no longer dominate.
Was this bottle variation?
2 hr decant. Watch out very heavy sediment.
Served with Mutton Casserole . It is an intense full bodied wine.

5/7/2022 - dwood wrote:

Agree with last comment not a pleasant wine and very acidic

5/6/2022 - dwood wrote:

Cellared in perfect conditions since 2006
Decanted for 30 minutes into glass at 12 degrees.
Wow-- Beautiful bouquet of dark fruit and forest floor. Restrained but more like a young wine
Tawny rim showing its age.
Polished with little sediment.
Palate complex and elegant with lots of fruit and fine drying tannins. Long finish. So smooth
A very good bottle
Note :- Cork very long and a little fragile be gentle.

10/22/2021 - dwood Does not like this wine:

Sharp one dimensional palate,unpleasant nose. Couldn't finish glass.
Not off just not pleasant 1/2 bottle for next day. Cooking wine

9/15/2021 - dwood Likes this wine:

Stunning wine
First bottle of 12 cellared at 12 degrees since release.
Beautiful orcha yellow polished with long legs 14%.
Intense tropical fruit nose pineapple, melon and mangos which develops as the wine warms up. Served at 10 degrees.
Biting acidity on the palate initially dominates but dissipates quickly leaving the tropical fruits lingering on the palate and very long finish. Silky buttery mouth feel.
A beautifully made Burgundy that has aging potential.

9/4/2021 - dwood Likes this wine:

Cellared at 12.5 degrees since 2007. Cork sweet scented and dark only 5 mm up cork.
1 hr decant into Burgundy glass. Served at 18 degrees.
Full bodied, tawny rim, bright xtal clear.
Nose gentle dark fruit blackberry, blueberry with a musky intoxicating damp forest backdrop. Superb just to nose this.
Fine silky tannins not over powering with an acidic uplift. Fruit follows nose and beautifully integrated with musky flavours. long 30 sec finish. Mouth feel is silky but mid palate a little light.
After another hour this was stunning. Mid palate now full on. I rarely taste a wine that evolves so quickly in glass in the right way.
Tried this two years ago and was disappointed. Was this bottle variation or its now in its sweet spot?

4/13/2021 - dwood wrote:

I agree with previous comments. This has s long finish and perfect with hot smoked salmon as it is robust and quite high on acid level.
1/2 bottle kept until next day which I thought had mellowed. This was better for me served at 12 degrees + to bring out the flavour profile.

1/3/2021 - dwood Likes this wine:

EP stored in perfect conditions since 2004. Decant 3 hrs at 15 degrees. Stood upright for 2 days. Hard sediment.
Brown tawny rim, delicate dark fruit nose ,restrained but refined with cedar and forest floor.
Palate incredibly smooth with dark fruit very fine tannins. Complex with an Uplift of refreshing acid and long****** finish.
This was superb Served with Roast beef.
Only one bottle left sadly.

12/1/2020 - dwood wrote:

left to warm up from cellar in Glass for 1hr
Bright clear long legs.
Cork sweet and pleasant.
Intense nose of blackcurrants but with a barnyard funky overtone.
Palate unpleasant at first but follows through with dark fruit.
Something not right and not enjoyable no acidity or oaking but smooth with no rough edges
. This wine is not faulty it's just unbalanced and has a strange flavour I have never experienced before.
3/4 bottle left for tomorrow (couldn't manage a second glass!!)
Transformation incredible.
the funky aromas have disappeared leaving a rich intense palate much more balanced. Now a long finish of dark fruit but a dryness of oaking fine tannins has materialised. An acid (pleasant) finish had appeared. The nose more muted but very appealling.

10/27/2020 - dwood Does not like this wine:

Bought in 2007 ex chateau ep. Stored in perfect conditions at 12.0 degrees for 13 years. First of 12.
After 2 HR decant
Very heavy sediment.
Long legs bright and polished .
Nose wonderful scent of blueberries
Palate-- what a brute!! Very drying with tannic finish. One dimensional. It's full bodied and mouth coating, starting with a nice blueberry smooth palate before the drying tannins take over and completely dominate. Is it going to get better?
I am not sure of that and it' had no complexity. Disappointed.
It's a real food wine not for drinking by it's self.
Had with Steak pie

9/23/2020 - dwood Likes this wine:

Tawny rim long legs 14.5
Very heavy sediment
Muted fruit nose but deep forest barnyard nose.
Palate fullbodied with long finish. Great balance and now the sour cherries and vanilla oaking with fine dry tannins
Delicious
Didnt decant and served cool. After an hour it was singing
Decant next time

8/24/2020 - dwood Likes this wine:

Cellared at 12.5 degrees since purchase 2006.
This wine is very fruit forward and needs 2 hr decant.
Tawny rim very full bodied.
Velvet smooth palate.. long legs 15%
Intense bouquet dark fruit with very long finish
Drink 16-17 degrees or it will be jammy.
Loose sediment let it stand.
Drank over two days. better 2nd day
Sara had a headache twice with this which is unusual.

7/18/2019 - dwood wrote:

An excellent BBQ wine. Better on the cooler side at 16 degrees.
Give a 2-3hrs decant.
1/2 bottle was corked and put back in cellar at 12 degrees. It was excellent and had improved the 2nd day. The strong Carignan palate had mellowed for the better. It is more of a food wine (served with venison steaks)

6/2/2019 - dwood Likes this wine:

Tawny rim. Cellared at 12.5 degrees directly from Bodegas in 2007. Served in Burgundy glasses at cellar temperature and allowed to air fo 30 minutes. Bouquet of complex dark fruits but restrained. Palate of cherry and plums with some raisin undertones and forest floor. Beautiful creamy texture mid to full bodied. After 2 Hours this was singing with layer after layer of flavours on fine dry tannins. Quite sharp on attack but melts away with a very long finish.------ Delicious. Little sediment served with mutton loin chops and dauphinoise potatoes and red currant jelly. Superb on its own.

8/1/2018 - dwood wrote:

1 hr decant . Delicious full bodied wine. Perfect with pan fried chicken breasts. Perfect next day too. Serve not too cool

7/20/2018 - dwood Likes this wine:

Requires 4 hour decant.
Delicious long finish and complex with forest floor undertones. next day 1/2 bottle even better

9/20/2015 - dwood Likes this wine:

Wow wine

Inky black, polished.
Intense black fruit on nose, long finish fine tannins.
palate rounded, silky, blackberries
Just as good 3rd day
Structure refined
serve cool.
kept in cellar for 7 years

buy more

9/23/2013 - dwood Likes this wine:

Decant for at least 2hrs. very heavy loose fine sediment.

Deep intense aroma of plums and blackberries and a similar palate
very long finish with silky tannins and sufficient acidity to make this a very well balanced wine. Full bodied with long legs
definitly buy again

6/1/2013 - dwood Likes this wine:

Very palatable mellow champagne with nutty overtones. Lots of fine bubbles

3/20/2013 - dwood wrote:

heavily corked
previous bottles very good for price point

3/1/2013 - dwood wrote:

similar to last tasting note but now much more complex and gentle oxidsation has enhanced the fruit an bouquet until it tastes like a light port. wow!!! last bottle. best £10 wine i have ever tasted. Kept at 12.5 degrees for 12 years. Very heavy sediment coating the entire length of bottle.

12/25/2012 - dwood wrote:

Opened second bottle not corked but tasted like a cheap £7 bottle of wine
totaly shut down no bouquet.
acidic with a reasonable amount of fruit but you would not recognise this as PN. Great dissappointment for xmas day as these wines are £40/bottle
Kept in absolute perfect conditions since 2007 with no evidence of cork failure. This is the risk of buying burgundy!! Ouch!!

12/25/2012 - dwood wrote:

Bought ex chateau 2007 kept at a constant 12.5 degrees 60% humidity

perhaps the most corked wine I have tasted undrinkable

2/6/2012 - dwood wrote:

Wow,

Cellared for 7 years at 12.5 degrees

Poured straight into the glass from the cellar and left for 30 minutes to slowly warm up to 16 degrees..

Dark black crystal clear with tawny rim
beautiful intense nose of black fruit mainly blackcurrents, cherries and dark chocolate with complex overtones of ripe raisins port like.
palate full bodied with sharp attack of fine tannins and good firm acid. then---------explosion of fruit following the nose lasting for at least a minute.

This is very very good. After 2 hours this was magnificint with added weight and complexity and a silk like feel that coated every taste bud

This is too good to drink with a steak. Sip it gently and enjoy perfection.

9/9/2011 - dwood wrote:

Another corked bottle. Drinkable after 3 hours just!

7/13/2011 - dwood wrote:

definitly slightly corked after 3 hours some of the mustiness dissappeared and was drinkable

7/7/2011 - dwood wrote:

polished inky black with purple/broown tinted rim
long legs
massive bouquet of blackberries
Palate Layer-upon-layer of cool-vintage McLaren Vale shiraz: blackberry, then dark chocolate, then more blackberry, and finally a thin slice of licorice and earth. Fantastic long finish

Will be very long-lived.

After two days corked in 1/2 bottle and kept at 12 degrees

it was still developing complexity and was a pleasure to drink

5/12/2011 - dwood wrote:

This wine has surprised me. Decanted for an hour

rough edges have dissappeared the taninns now smooth and the wine far better balanced.

Rich full bodied fruit forward with long finish. cedar wood overtones minerals. Acid balance seems much better and I wouldnt call it incipid like previous note. Wonder if this was bottle variation rather than aging??

4/19/2011 - dwood wrote:

Decanted for two hours serve cool 16 -17 degrees. Bought in 2003 and stored at 12.5 degrees for 8 years
Brown rim. crystal polished intense colour
Dark fruit nose with classic pomerol barnyard overtones. Slight peppery nose.
Complex palate good attack but watery in the middle palate
Medium to long finish with balanced fine tannin and acid.

Very Good wine.
Day two Wine has developed beautifully and gained mid weight and lanolin silky finish with plenty of fruit

2/14/2011 - dwood wrote:

Classic Pomerol
Silky palate, complex structure, refined barnyard, forest floor bouquet with a beautiful dark red fruit finish. Decanted for an hour and served cool 16/17 degrees. Too delicate to serve with food savor this by its self. Tannins silky smooth and acid level balances the sweet fruit.--- Buy more

8/1/2010 - dwood wrote:

Agree with lsaleski

Decanted for an hour
Wine bright and clear.
Dense purple with fresh purple rim
Nose barnyard, minerals over extracted fruit.
Acid balance poor, insipid.

Wine has nothing going for it unbalanced with a heavy domanence of minerals. Finish has unpleasant lingering stewed fruit flavour and course tannins.

Pity I have another 11!!

4/11/2010 - dwood wrote:

Jet black with long legs and tawny rim. Sparkling clear

Nose:- intense dark fruit with slight PN peppery background. Blackberry dominance
Palate:- follows with strong tannins and good acid balance to counteract the slightly overpowing fruit. Some raisin port like overtones. Very long finish

Decanted for 1 hour but this was no where near long enough. After 4 hours wine was drinking beautifully. Next day even better.

This is a very well made wine with lots of life left. At £8/bottle bought in 2005 this is very good value. Drink over the next decade

3/22/2010 - dwood wrote:

excellent table wine punching well above its value.
Full bodied with brown rim
intense nose of dark fruit

palate complex but rustic with good fruit and barnyard earthy overtones. Mouth drying smooth tanins. Slight peppery finish
Long finish 30 seconds +

Bought in 2005 when the first bottle tasted was truly awful-- worth the wait.

Decant for at least an hour

12/29/2009 - dwood wrote:

Still fresh with medium/ intense nose of pears/ citrus. Palate similar with great acidity and medium to long finish. Definitly has held up which surprised me as well. Would defiinetly buy more of this.

10/1/2009 - dwood wrote:

Full bodied with polished clarity. Brown rim showing its bottle age.

intense nose of red dark fruit with barnyard undertones.
Palate complex with lots of fruit. Tannin medium to fine and high acid level gives peppery long finish.
Decant for an hour and serve quite cool-- 14-15 degrees. Very nice wine which went went well with Pork steak cassarole with tomato base

9/28/2009 - dwood wrote:

Superb rioja with deep complex intense fruity palate and wonderful nose of blackcurrrants and cherries. medium bodied, well inntegrated oak- fine tannin and a long --very long finish. Bargin at this price. After a three hour decant it was singing!! --Buy more.

9/15/2009 - dwood wrote:

Rich dense shiraze loads of fruit with a good acid/tannin balance. at £6/bottle bargin

8/12/2009 - dwood wrote:

Very good crisp SB with plenty of fruit and good acid balance. Medium/ Full bodied with creamy palate.
Cool climate undertones with a slaty finish. at £5.99/bottle-- bargin

7/22/2009 - dwood wrote:

Corked, cork stained to top foil strong cork taint