5/7/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

tropical fruit, vanilla and oak really showing on the finish. i really like this for $20 or less.

5/2/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

a fun, full, fruity but intense wine. candied yellow fruit, residual sugar leaves the sensation of biting into real, ripe fruit on your palate.

4/28/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

Not your typical $10 NZ sauv blanc. femented in old oak barrels to add texture and complexity. palate is round with peach, apricot, guava, honey. vanilla and spice on the finish. a lot of fun, would buy again

4/14/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

I don't think people understand this wine. Concentrated, tropical fruit. lots of verve and acidity. if I was blinded, my first guess would be chenin blanc

4/14/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

My first fully mature Bordeaux. Sat upright for 3 days to work the sediment down to the bottom. Bursting with tertiary earthiness, leather, tomato leaf, basil/herb. evolved and morphed from red to black fruit. raisinated and caramel and then, at the finish, fresh red fruit. a fun experience worth seeking out

4/4/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

big fruit, boysenberry, cherry pie. finish isn't lengthy but a lot to enjoy. maybe just a smidge young at the moment

3/24/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

If I'm remembering the cost right ($30 i think) this is great value for money. showing some black fruit, mushroom, juicy and generous. drinks nice now and probably over the next 2 or 3 years

3/20/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

nose is full of ripe, tropical fruit, a touch of honey. the palate is not as concentrated as the nose, on the lighter side. really refreshing with a meal

3/13/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

first beaujolais I truly enjoyed. vibrant and concentrated fruit with just a little bit of spice present on the finish

3/4/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

black and purple jammy fruit while still having elegance

3/2/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

black fruit, salty and savory minerality. i think this is a region to look out for. grenache, carignan, syrah, cab sauvignon

2/25/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

light to medium body, tropical fruit, lime, pear. i really liked this

2/25/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

showing lots of oak at first, comes together after about 1.5 - 2 hours of air. red fruit profile, still present tannins. i like it but the retail has gone away up since purchase

2/24/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

very cheap, $15, and well-made and enjoyable at that price. not sure of the cuvee but felt like a simple, merlot based red with black and red fruit. resolved tannins and short finish

1/30/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

pretty solid. drinks nicely right out of the bottle. feels elegant but powerful. red current and spice with a medium length finish

1/20/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

showing bright, fresh, red fruit. mushroom and forest floor. palate is juicy, fresh and medium length. a fine example of California pinot and I really like how it's drinking now and probably over the next 2 years

1/17/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

didn't like at first. lots of those green pyrazine notes front and center. day 2 really brought out the complete package. red fruit character, oak and leather balancing the experience

1/10/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

personally thought this was great. smells of licorice, black cherry, mixed black and red fruit. medium + body, good structure to hold together a lengthy, fresh finish

1/9/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

I've had a few of these over the last year or so, a solid buy at the $20ish price point. don't wait if you're holding this. pure black fruit, blackberry, currant, well-integrated oak.

1/2/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

lacking the complexity to score above 90. has textbook cali characteristics with a lot of oak, menthol, jammy fruit but not too much. elegant and doesn't totally overdo it but the steep price of Napa makes this hard to imagine buying again. had better wines from Paul Hobbs for less from Argentina

1/1/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

i think this is delicious, off dry with some residual sugar. the bubbles are very light. barely feels like a sparkler. green apple and honeysuckle

1/1/2024 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

great nose of cherry, forest, roses, with more dark fruit on the palate. needs about an hour to mellow out. really like this but the finish is the weakest aspect, wanted more

12/29/2023 - RKcellar wrote:

took a chance at $20 recognizing the Magrez name and enjoying many of their wines. i don't think this at that price is compelling, although if found at a lower cost it would be enticing. blackberry, black cherry, violet, some vegetal tones that i didn't fully appreciate. some tannic structure holding together a middling finish. sounds harsh i know, but that price will produce good Rioja and Cotes du Rhone and I consider that in the score

12/26/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

some tropical fruit, lime and kiwi, with light herbaceous quality. well worth it

12/23/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

blood orange, tangerine, dark cherry, earth and mushroom. drinking beautifully now

12/20/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

black cherry, blackberry, black licorice, but most importantly a distinct minerality of rock and earth. day 2 is even better

12/17/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

black and red cherry notes, with a subtle spice or menthol on the finish which is lengthy and mouthwatering. i really like this. i find it drinkable and a step up from basic malbec. blended with bonarda and petit verdot

12/13/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

overall if you've found this for $20 or less, I think you'll be happy. the wine is not quite jammy, with black cherry and red fruit, some violet, earthyness or mushroomy characteristics on the nose. not quite complex enough to go above a 90+ score but a nice wine

12/7/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

the wine is light and juicy, candied yellow citrus, honeysuckle, waxy

12/3/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

candied lemon, zippy yellow citrus, ripe and round texture

11/29/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

one of the finest white wines I've enjoyed this year. has a similar fruit profile to New Zealand. a rich, juicy acidity on the finish and a medium body

11/21/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

Revisiting after a year. Upon release it was a mess, very oaky and not showing much fruit. Maybe it was "bottle shock" if that's a real thing. Decanted for an hour just to be sure, still showing oak but coming together and showing the complete package. Red berries, cherry, chocolate. much more interesting than many Napa cabs at this price

11/19/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

fresh, juicy, elegant. only 13% alcohol

11/5/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

perfectly solid for a NV champagne. lemon, apple, yeast. nice, enjoyable length

10/31/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

tannins are still present and firm. decanted for 2.5 hours and finished on day 3. at first, the wine was underwhelming. on the 3rd day, it neared perfection. it was complex, red and black fruit, currant, caramel, tree bark, smoked tobacco. a juicy, fresh and lengthy finish. no rush to drink this, may be in an even better spot in 2 years?

10/25/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

I quite like this for the price, smells of a left bank Bordeaux. Delivers red and black fruit, feeling like it shows some new world jammyness but not in a bad way. still feels balanced and like Cali while showing french inspiration

10/18/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

smells a bit like burnt rubber, but not in a bad way. also smells like earth and soil. firm tannins. tastes of dark cherry and raspberry

10/11/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

Rich and full, spending 12 months in French oak barrels. perfect for fish. shows that waxy texture that Chenin often has

10/1/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

very nice for the price (maybe $20 max?). 40% zin which gives it black and red fruit, while not feeling over ripe or hot. elegant and balanced. held together beautifully even on day 3

9/25/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

easy to mistake as a white Burgundy. smells of fresh lemon, tropical fruit and pineapple. medium bodied

9/22/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

good sipper, ripe peach, citrus, medium bodied

9/17/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

beautiful wine, feeling very much like a Bordeaux blend. complex and intense with firm tannin, thinking this would be even better with more time.

9/11/2023 - RKcellar Does not like this wine:

not for me, feels bland and uninteresting. red cherry notes and a pretty short finish

9/7/2023 - RKcellar Does not like this wine:

unfortunately this is not for me. tried it several times in the last year. jammy and ripe and a bit of a hot, alcohol finish

9/7/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

lychee, lime, some green notes coming through. zesty acidity reminiscent of fresh Sauvignon Blanc

8/30/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

dry and aromatic. smells of cherry, mushroom and forest floor. notes of stewed red fruit and sour cherry on the palate. intense and lengthy finish

8/25/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

A bit of a mess, feeling over extracted and slightly too oaky. I can see the appeal and it's not too expensive either

8/23/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

fun and good value for less than $20. peach, pear, zippy tropical fruit. drink now

8/22/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

plenty enjoyable, certainly recommend an hour decant, if not 2 more years of patience. intense, red currant, oak, tobacco. not super complex but not overdone. drink with your steak

8/18/2023 - RKcellar Likes this wine:

slightly cloudy. ripe peach, pineapple, honey, spice. a top 10 Sauvignon Blanc for me atm. shows a bit of alcohol