10/2/2019 - Jeffyboy Likes this wine:

deep tea/pink colour; good. nose: tart - cranberries, rhubarb, wild strawberries; fresh, pleasant plus slight sweetness; medium (-) intensity. taste: high acidity; wild strawberries, tart cherries, hawthorn, pink grapefruit; light boded and sharp as a razor; medium (+) finis with tea aromas and grapefruit zest. Very good.

9/20/2022 - Hondo701 Does not like this wine:

Decanted and got air for 2 hours. Dark purple in glass with muted aromas of cherry and oak. There was a very heavy, almost astringent, alcohol note that overpowered the glass. Very basic oak and cherry on the palate with a little plum. Medium acidity and grippy tannins cleared to a long cherry finish. Overall, the bottle lacked depth and was a complete miss for me. I have a couple more bottles so maybe it was just a not great bottle. The best way to describe it for me would be a chain restaurant cab that gets ordered during the early bird specials on Friday date night, "but just one serving that we will split because she can't have the sulfites with her medication and I am driving. Also, we have this coupon for a free order of loaded potato skins with an entree."

8/13/2016 - wino121 wrote:

Vinturi/decant, 1-2 hours.
Not even close to prime time.
Although the nose begs you on its not yet developed into a drinkable btl.
Tart red fruit dominated the spectrum,
ESP the finish.
Not sure it will ever be a 95pt WE??
2 yr min before it's ready for another try.

9/7/2023 - oldwines wrote:

Tasted at the winery. The Pinot’s from Shea are distinctly different than many of the other Pinot’s we tried this week (with a couple exceptions). They are bolder, more “masculine”, darker and more fruit forward…What I sometimes call Pinots for Cab lovers. This appears to be the result of several winemaking choices. In the vineyard, they pick much more ripe than some of the others we have spoken to, around 26° Brix rather than the ~24° others have told us (resulting in ABV’s of 14-14.5% vs. others at 13-13.5%). Also they employ both pumping over and pushing down of the cap during fermentation, resulting in more extraction. They use both free run and press wine in their final blends which are aged in higher percentages of new oak barrels (20-60% in the wines we tasted vs. some others at 0-40%). The sum total of these practices makes for a wine that is usually not my favorite and my scores do reflect that. There is certainly a market for this style, others may like it more than I do. They are not poorly made in any way, just a bit more “manipulated” rather than “made in the vineyard with as little winemaking interference as possible to better express the terroir”
Made with 22% whole clusters, 33% new French oak Barrels and comes in at 14.3% ABV. Mostly (maybe all) Pommard clone. This is another “Big” Pinot but it does lean to the “pretty” side of things. Medium+ acidity and quite high tannin for Pinot, almost a modern Nebbiolo-like mouth feel. Lots of rose petals on the nose, Red cherry fruit, earthy. Long finish. Needs time in the cellar.

6/10/2022 - Shapnyc Likes this wine:

Remarkable back notes of perfume To my surprise this has really improved with age.

10/22/2023 - El_Dougo Likes this wine:

Very good Riesling from Mosel and unlike most Kabinetts that I’ve tasted (rounder and longer in finish), perhaps on account of its age.
Medium lemon in glass. Complex nose of lemon, orange peel, orange creamsicle, honey, touch of kerosene.
Palate was is very round. Med body, med+ to high acidity, med+ length. An off-dry sweetness at just the right level to avoid any cloying (not even close). Wish I could purchase this wine for the cellar they appear to be long gone. Drink now or continue to hold if you have them (or sell them to me!).

10/14/2023 - Buff Tannen, USXFel Presidente Likes this wine:

The first night, with its raspberry jam, red apple, leather, and lithe, almost elegant construction were it not for an average ending, I thought this was the best 8 dollar Barolo I've ever had in my life
Did darken a bit on day 3; blackberry, orange, mint, mace, crayons, allspice, leather, and (thank you, interweb), boxwood
Is this delectable, or merely well made?
Research continues

8/27/2023 - JayP Does not like this wine:

This is such an under-rated Champagne. Delicious

8/28/2010 - Bellissimo wrote:

Tasted on day two of being open and wow, this was nice. Light ruby red with purple undertones. Nose was alluring clove, baking spices, and maybe a bit of anise--awesome. Taste up front was black raspberries, white pepper, a bit of tobacco and some black olive juice and finally plums; so much going on. There was a good bit of acid up front then velvety tannins; finish is long and really in balance. Oh how I wish I had more of this. Only bottle I could find in town. My surprise of the year so far and it was a ~$15 bottle.

7/25/2023 - Buff Tannen, USXFel Presidente Likes this wine:

Barely intimated Vouvray at 61°; refreshing yet specific from 68-71
Linden, bread, canned pears, and Panton chair vinyl
Bubbles to stuffing is perfect
What a great postreinheitsgebotbier this would be

12/19/2021 - Putnam Weekley Likes this wine:

The whole thing is much more coherent and accessible than the following text might seem to imply. You don't need a masters degree to access this. In fact, it could be a hindrance! Beeswax, marzipan, iron, pressed roses, saltmarsh, and chamomile. Muscular. Petrol wrestles with toasted hazelnuts. Peppermint-scented blood orange filets. Mocha. Fresh pine pitch. Old Rheingau Spätlese trocken from Walkenberg or Johannisberg. Quartz. Bright, strawberry-scented, cured lemons. Confident, contained and draped acidity (4 gr/l, pH 3.27.) Raspy straw minerals. This tastes more mature than I expected, gratifying in that way. It presents itself in the direction of statement, aged, still wine that happens to be preserved with dissolved CO2. I mean to sock away a few more bottles. I suspect it is on some plateau of evolution while actively shedding its insides out. Repetition. Concentric circles. Pair with rare beef, perhaps garnished with scallions, ginger, and shoyu. 94+? points.

6/28/2023 - Putnam Weekley Likes this wine:

Pleading dry. Oil of grippy earth. Scented of rose, marzipan, tar, marine debris, and gravel. Violet. Lilac. Rose. Oil of star anise. Ginger,
Come on, man. You think I'm joking—I'm serious!
TIME: 24 hours later, left open tabletop before chilling for service, still lots of dissolved gas. Savory, and yet curiously amusing with fruit and floral perfume. Racy. Geologically transparent. Yielding to inquiries of its waxy wool and root resin, but not boring about it. In fact, it can be enjoyed—to the finish—entirely in attention to crunchy herbal clouds and perfumed blanched stone. A stiff calcium spine teased with grasping, sour earth. Bitter stone grit advances the case for isolated drinkability.
When O-when to drink the last remaining bottle? It would be nice to see this in the 2030s, but waiting at least until 2025 would seem like the minimum act of patience to swear by.

10/7/2021 - Muleskinner wrote:

The red 2015 Allende is a perfect example of the style of this wine. It has a sleek palate with moderate acidity and polished tannins that make it very easy to drink. It was a warm and dry year that delivered powerful wines. This matured in French barriques for 14 months, and during that time, it was racked every two months. 320,000 bottles produced.

5/6/2020 - porkandsalmon wrote:

Ref fruit nose, light to medium bodied. Nice dark red fruits on palate, reminiscent of Gamay or Cabernet Franc but understand it is 100% Mencia. Maybe a bit lacking in acidity but a very charming wine nonetheless.

1/1/2023 - Buff Tannen, USXFel Presidente wrote:

Correct yet inexpressive over 3 days, despite all manner of decants, but @$25, almost certainly worth hiding some for a couple of years

3/21/2023 - Buff Tannen, USXFel Presidente wrote:

Unusually grapey
Wouldn't necessarily blind this as Bourgogne
Somewhat fun, vaguely Italian, very purple,
A little disconcerting. I'm reminded of my previous love of Sumatran coffee's shroominess; then they cleaned up their processing, got rid of the mold, and no more shroominess
Perhaps I'll alter my expectations

5/5/2021 - Buff Tannen, USXFel Presidente wrote:

Discreet gentleman's barnyard politely recedes after the necessary introductions to enjoyable iodine, red currant, blackberry, black tea, and white pepper, though the structure's weak and quaffy

The black tea stemminess becomes floral/citronella, the structure subtly tightens, and the qpr@ $16 is reasonable as this starts to taste like shroomier zweigelt the next day
Pleasant, but easy to imagine looking this up on CT at a store, encountering one's own note, and saying 'oh yeah, I had this last year
No; a more muddled, less vibrant Vajra Rosso! Yeah, same price, just get that

3/1/2019 - watcheslover Does not like this wine:

At this price and for a myth, I find it shameful, far behind Lafleur, Petrus, Ausone but also wines 50 times cheaper, for example Clos L'Eglise. Rarity does not excuse everything

10/30/2022 - Buff Tannen, USXFel Presidente Likes this wine:

The 15.5 abv seems accurate and earned from fruit. Bombs not usually my thing, but @$5, this was balanced and held up well over 4 days. Would get again

7/7/2022 - mks83 Likes this wine:

Day 1 - Constantly shifting nose starting from hibiscus, red beans, and fig followed by prune, cinnamon, dried orange peel, and black cane sugar. Mouth is combination of lowish acidity, medium smooth tannin, alcohol sweetness/warmth and some moderately syrupy/viscous substance. Overall clean/soft and having seamless medium+ length. I wish it had higher toned spectrum of fresh fruits, but at the same time I liked the honesty (no obtrusive oak) and hidden complexity of this wine. Decent for the price. 89.

Day 2 - evolving. Gained grip of acidity/tannin and brightness of fresh red fruits (raspberry, rose hip, dark cherry, strawberry) which are just needed. Unexpectedly reminiscent of good Greek Xinomavro today. Might still improve further. Excellent for the price. 90.

Day 3 - intense blueberry with a touch of leather. Acidity sticking out (which I totally didn’t notice on day 1), alcohol heat came back too. Day 2 was the best. 89.

9/20/2022 - Buff Tannen, USXFel Presidente wrote:

Similar to last year, so far:
Bitter cherries, leather, lacks funk and citrus, respectable but more than a little anonymous

4/28/2022 - Buff Tannen, USXFel Presidente Likes this wine:

Amazing cab nose
Cassis still green
HOLD
Sangio no sho till day 2, then out comes the leather & red berries. Subtle vanilla; enablement or enbalment?
Fabulous qpr @$17, maybe
Notes going back to 06 occasionally complain about a lack of definition
We'll see how it goes

Over 4 days
Maybe a little aqueous
Stayed leafy, acquired asphalt: Hold
Still, gave me about 90% of the refined intensity a same-vintage Maestro Raro recently did, for less than half the price
A little cab went a long way

12/21/2012 - nortonnose Likes this wine:

So sad when the superstars are corked. That said, they're still not bad . . .

Same batch as the one I had a week ago that was splendid. C'est la vie!

1/29/2022 - Buff Tannen, USXFel Presidente Likes this wine:

Crack
Crackety crack crack Crack
To throw another noun on the fire, sweet everlasting; or if that's too arcane, fenugreek or grade B maple syrup, albeit with an herbal tinge
If I ever ascend from mere bourgeois alcoholism to an actual Life of Crime, I think I'll make this my Twinkie defense

Day 2, the raspberry fades, leaving a beautiful duopoly of burgeoning sweet everlasting and strawberry, and on the last day, the everlasting completely takes over, and I feel like I'm drinking something obscurely Etruscan once lost to Time
Finish a little brief, I guess
You could recut Miracle on 34th Street and just have Santa give everyone this
Kumar should've married this instead of weed
Maybe you need wine to be better than this
I don't

4/24/2020 - Al-Vino Likes this wine:

In a better spot now than the last tasting. Very good bottle but on the pricey side for the quality of the juice.

2/25/2018 - Timothy Sung Likes this wine:

Supe QPR wine.
The seductive nose almost reminds me of Paleo, with dark fruit and ample oak influence.
Palate shows more of a typical maremma style, but in a truely expressive and generous manner that is rarely achieved in this price range.
Absolutely stunning, especially when you put the price into consideration.

8/15/2019 - isaacjamesbaker wrote:

Ripe yellow colored. Nose of sea salt, honeysuckle, white tea with generous apricot, honeydew and lemon crème pie notes. Punchy, ripe and juicy with lemon curd, green melon, and juicy pear fruit, laced with notes of honey, sea salt, raw almond, white tea and minerals. Year after year, this wine comes across to me as one of the most vibrant, complex, personality-driven wines that’s widely available in this price point. I buy a few every year for summertime drinking with seafood and family, and I’ve never been let down by a bottle. That makes me highly happy to continue giving Badenhorst my money.

7/30/2021 - Buff Tannen, USXFel Presidente Likes this wine:

Very juicy and floral, seemingly destemmed, feminine, open upon opening, quite enjoyable if you're not a luddite cur, temptation to overrate to balance silly CT score was resisted

5/3/2019 - JuliannaDHS wrote:

Tastes like a $9 dollar wine. Mind you, a $9 wine from Italy is much better than a $9 wine from anywhere else. Simple with lots of acidity.

3/8/2021 - talbot61 Does not like this wine:

This provides a helpful calibration of my numerical ratings. Most of my ratings are between 88 and 92, but I am now reassured that I am mostly drinking well-made wines that I like. This wine I do not like.

There is an overwhelming aroma of rubber. There is a strongly charred taste, carrying over some of the rubber notes, not altogether enhanced by the sweetness of the wine.

I see that half the tasters posting here like this wine, so I don't know if I'm genetically aversive to rubber smells, the way some people are to cilantro or broccoli, or if there is some bottle variation, and others are drinking non-rubbery versions, or if the rubberiness has emerged as the wine ages. So I will abstain from ranting about the cynicism of a wine production and distribution system that allowed the creation and sale of this wine.

4/24/2018 - Yagil wrote:

Cerbaiona tasting (winery): BT
much more elegant nose than the Rosso 2017
Richer complexity, very well structured
Longer finish

8/20/2020 - 100pp wrote:

Good QPR!

1/5/2012 - cbucking Likes this wine:

The best Merlot I have ever sampled. Second place is not even close. I loathe Merlot and only sampled this varietal as it came in my club shipment that I was too busy to alter to exclude the Merlot. Thank goodness for being swamped at work!

I have gone through two cases of this wine, it is quite simply one of the best made wines that I have tasted.

A blind tasting would have made me bet my life that this was a medium-full California Cabernet. Full-bodied, layered, subtle spice, immense depth and a stunning lengthy finish (for a Merlot). Alas, the 2004 vintage is a proud follow-up, but nothing will match the 2003 Caparone Merlot.

BTW, 89 is the highest I have previously ever rated a Merlot.

If you can find one, snatch it up NOW - and send me a bottle as a Thank You!

11/27/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:

Right in the prime of its life with beautiful fruit notes backed up by silky textures and pronouced aromatics.

Enjoyed surrounded by many Gran Reservas, made me wonder how those extra years in barrel changed the wine, especially in terms of longevity. This was definately one of the fruitiest of the night and while drinking wonderfully now had many years to go. But how long? The 45 years of some of the Gran Reservas? Obviously more research is necessary.

6/26/2008 - br wrote:

this is the go-to wine when you're tired of the "scrutinize, swirl, swish, spit" routine, yet you still want a very well made, versitile, great value red. don't intellectualize it, analyze it or study it. slurp it up with whatever is on the table tonight.

9/1/2017 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote:

Tart and tannic but with good structure. Needs 10 years or a days decanting. It's amazing to me high end restaurants sell these wines to pop and pour. A waste.

3/3/2016 - Mike Kopanski wrote:

We don't get many chances to taste wines that are mostly Carignan. Having actually worked in a winery making Carignan, to me the nose and palate entry are so typical to what I experienced. Superb, expressive, roses and fresh crushed strawberries. Almost full bodied. Reminds me of Barbera with the same fruitiness and mouth feel. Distinctive black cherry with the red fruit on the palate. Not tannic or overly acidic. Fruity friendly finish.

10/11/2015 - franzem Likes this wine:

Flinty. Honey, rounded, balanced

3/26/2018 - Rabaja Likes this wine:

Blend of 50/50 carignan and mouvèdre. PNP. Still young and primary. The color is a very dark crimson. Syrupy aromas of purple fruit, plum, hibiscus, sandalwood, and garrique. The attack is lively with med plus acidity making its presence felt. There is tons of blueberry syrup and plum preserve on the palate following through to a tooth-staining long finish with good tannic backbone. Another excellent deal from the south of France. Fun to drink now but probably better in a year or two.

12/1/2019 - tedcholl Likes this wine:

This Sonoma County Zin wasn't a good match for my preference in Zins. Plum jam was predominate and very little of the typical zin spiciness. This was #64 in Wine Spectators Top 100 wines of 2019 with a 91 point rating but not for me. I'll give the second bottle some time and see if I like it better.

1/29/2019 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine:

Quite a ripe nose of tropical citrus fruits, some pulled nettles. The palate is fresher and cleaner than the nose suggested with fresh lemon and lime and a squeeze of pink grapefruit. Quite ripe but nice balance.

4/2/2019 - dave747400 wrote:

With almonds & various cheeses night one, Steak & chip-shop chips night two.
Night one.... Poured one glass & ploughed through it with masochistic determination. Almost no nose and the very definition of 'tannic' in the mouth. Just a wall of dry tannin with something behind it, that no amount of swirling would penetrate. Cork replaced, in the fridge for 12hrs, then removed at midday the next day to come up to temperature.
Night two.... Enter stage left, miraculously transformed wine. Enticing sweet cherry & herb nose on pouring. Palate unrecognizable from yesterday. Full & sweet, cherries & red fruits all over the place but with burgundian lightness of touch as it glides over the taste buds. Tannins are present & correct, but part of the balanced whole. Gorgeous.

4/25/2016 - Lyubomir Lefterov wrote:

Quite close after opening, so plan for a good 2hrs of decanting. Muscular wine that is trying too hard to be something it is not. Not really my kinda of thing, maybe needs some time in bottle to settle.

4/29/2019 - Harley1199 wrote:

Rueda Envejecido (Lavinia - Madrid): Slightly rusty on the nose, note from iron. It adds a mineral touch. Acidity of unripe apricots on the palate. Atypical curiosity.

Ligeramente oxidada en nariz, nota a orín de hierro. Se añade un toque mineral. Acidez de albaricoques verdes al paladar. Curiosidad atípica.

5/19/2020 - VoVo Likes this wine:

We agree that this is a great entry point wine into Turley style. That said, we think there are Zinfandels for the price point that are much more distinctive. We think it is going for “this tastes like a Zinfandel and is a clear expression of California Zin”, in which case we agree it achieves its goal.

12/29/2019 - mcromain1021 Does not like this wine:

Just like my other bottle, this was just strange to me. Syrupy and real pronounced fruits, almost sweet. Almost felt like drinking a Yellow Tail. Maybe it was the vintage? I have had this wine in the past and found it to be a great QPR. This one is just don't get.

5/30/2020 - galewskj wrote:

This was not nearly as interesting as a bottle a few months ago. Acceptable, some minerality.

10/12/2019 - crashrb wrote:

not sure if it wasnt stored right or bad food pairing but did not taste great and was frizzante