1/19/2014 - MtBakerDave Likes this wine:

Very mature, but not dead yet! Great with the appetizer - pears, almonds and blue cheese toast.

10/22/2011 - MtBakerDave wrote:

A kaliedoscope, this wine, but not an especially beautiful or interesting one. At first a grapy nose, no fruit at all on the palate. I thought it was cooking wine at best. Later on, some fruit came around and it even developed a bit of a finish. Nose went from grapy to soapy to cheesy and finally some mineral notes crept in before a return to the original grapiness. I guess this wine was worth the $10 I paid for it, but I've certainly had better.

12/21/2009 - MtBakerDave wrote:

After three hours of open time, light and fruity, moderate tannin. Recognizable as Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but really not up to the usual standards. Good QPR at $10 though.

12/5/2009 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Thisis a truly well-made wine. Meaty and smoky and just beautiful. My WOTN, against some tough competition. Mature - it started falling off after about three hours open time, but still drinking great.

9/13/2009 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Good god. There is NOTHING better than nicely aged Northern Rhone Syrah for grilled steak.

8/19/2008 - MtBakerDave wrote:

This is very, very pretty right now. Recognizably Gamay fruit, with good secondary richness.

8/12/2008 - MtBakerDave wrote:

My first impression after opening this five minutes ago is that it's drinking very very nicely right now. Nice black fruit aromatics, with a touch of high-toned alcohol. Youthful vigor with lots of fruit on the palate, not overdone, just harmonious, with a bit of leather and other secondary flavors adding complexity through the middle. Strong, lasting finish. A pleasure to drink at six years of age!

7/24/2008 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Ever wonder what an Aussie Chianti might taste like? Well, here's your chance. Identifiably Sangiovese, but rich, juicy, and heavy as hell.

7/13/2008 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Left over from last summer. Last year I loved the earthiness of this wine; this summer the fruit has faded quite a bit, leaving a complex nose full of secondary aromas. Light and beguiling on the palate; long finish. Pretty in the glass; a tinge of copper. Altogether quite a lot different than I remember from last year, but a little age is fine for the right rose. Time to stock up again!

6/5/2008 - MtBakerDave wrote:

So sadly, this is dead.

2/29/2008 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Tasted at a House Concert. Good god it was awful.

10/31/2007 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Not much concentration, but correct and balanced. Hooray! No oak at all. Totally drinkable for a weeknight wine.

3/28/2007 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Bright pie cherry fruit on the palate; nice darker notes on the nose. Pretty nice in a $10 grocery store wine.

2/4/2007 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Winecats "What's the price point?" Cab tasting - Started with a big green note. One comment around the table was that it must have some Cabernet Franc in it. I was thinking, Yes! Loire Cab Franc! Greenness blew off to reveal a very firm structure, drier and richer than anything else at the table. Beautiful balance, and an excellent accompaniment to prime rib. Also the only wine of the night to show any interesting development in the glass.

12/4/2006 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Decent nose; very thin on the palate. Not bad, but not good either. Just what you'd expect of $5 wine.

11/21/2006 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Only been open for 20 minutes or so, but beginning to open up beautifully. Violets on the nose. Sour cherry, and a touch of tar on the palate. A little leather starting to develop, and tannins beautifully integrated. Yum!

6/15/2006 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Mm! Good! White flowers and peaches. And, $7.75? Great QPR!

6/10/2006 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Still drinking very nicely. Very fresh strawberry, spicy, dry and restrained. Superb sipper actually!

4/27/2006 - MtBakerDave wrote:

A nice, balanced cotes-du-rhone. Inexpensive, and a perfect everyday quaffer.

3/24/2006 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Tasted at a wine shop tasting last night. Quite a dissapointment. Low acidity, no flavor definition. Fat, flabby fruit, overloaded with oak and alcohol. Tasted twice over the evening, no real development in an hour of time. Boring.

Although this is very young wine, and in some ways badly in need of a little bottle age, I don't believe it has the backbone to age gracefully. Not good now, won't get better later. Avoid.

4/17/2006 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Pleasant nose, with lemon and mineral. Huge mouthfeel, viscous and mouthcoating. A very harmonious balance here of fruit, mineral, acidity and a little oak. A fresher, cleaner style than a lot of Burgundies I've tried, but it certainly has the balance and intrigue that a good Burgundy has. A terrific bottle, easily the best Italian white I've ever tasted.

3/15/2006 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Pleasant, bright fruit, little or no oak. Alcohol well under control. Nice, rich mouthfeel. Adequate acidity to match with lots of food. No great shakes, but an excellent everyday wine.

2/14/2006 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Somewhat hot nose. Jammy, plummy palate. Fruit is fading, but still in balance. Still a pleasure, but time to drink up!

1/23/2006 - MtBakerDave wrote:

High acidity, very concentrated while remaining medium-bodied. Complex, tarry nose. Very pronounced pie cherry with earth on the palate. Long finish with just a hint of bitterness. A terrific wine!

1/20/2006 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Tasted at a wine shop tasting last night. Ripe cola, cherry, spice and a nice sense of earthiness. Not quite an oh-my-god wine, but definitely a pleasure to drink.

1/18/2006 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Recommended to me, but unfortunately this one was a dissapointment. Tannic, weak nose, not a lot of fruit. Only moderate acidity. None of the elegance of a true Côtes du Rhône. Maybe the tannins would soften eventually, but the fruit is too weak to stand up to the time that might take.

12/30/2005 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Just opening this; full and rich and a little oxidative character. I like a bit of nuttiness in my whites, and this has it. Reminds me of summer, even though it's December ...

12/30/2005 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Still drinking nicely ...

12/28/2005 - MtBakerDave wrote:

Bright, jammy, medium body. Very attractive tar and tobacco on the nose. Explosive black fruits on the palate, good finish. Not extremely complex, but for under $10? A no-brainer. Easily the best I've tasted for a long time. This is going to become my house red for as long as I can get it.