10/14/2013 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

I know we're not really supposed to comment on the money, but I found this bottle very expensive for what you get. I popped and poured, and I think I'm finding that with many old world wines, specifically French wines, this just doesn't work. The bottle did open up after an hour or so. But initially it wasn't very approachable. The nose wasn't bad, but the palate was very rough - barnyard-y. This is the second 2009 Bordeaux vintage I've tried. The first was a Clos des Jacobins which was phenomenal. Again, expensive, but really very enjoyable. This one not so much.

I will leave this in the cellar for a few more years before trying it again. The bottle did open up after a while, so perhaps it just needs more time? Also, next time I will decant for at least an hour, but perhaps 3-4 hours would be better (and maybe even longer).

10/5/2013 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Popped and poured. A bit barnyardy at the beginning, but over the next hour it opened up nicely. Will decant it thoroughly the next time I drink it.

5/30/2013 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Really good, and I'm not really a fan of Bordeaux

3/8/2013 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Popped and poured, which probably wasn't the best plan for this wine. Light in colour. Couldn't quite figure out the nose until I read another user's comments - beats. Smooth on the palate. Not bad.

12/17/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan Does not like this wine:

This wine did nothing for me. Found it very bland both on the nose and on the palate. Like grape juice and alcohol. Very disappointing.

12/20/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan Likes this wine:

Wonderful wine. Cloves and quince on the nose, and quince on the palate. Very "thick" tasting too. Almost like an amarone in terms of texture, but not as sweet. We had it with pasta with Alfredo sauce - delicious!

12/17/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan Does not like this wine:

Not sure if I had a bad bottle or not, but it initially both smelled and tasted like a barnyard. We aerated it and decanted it, and that improved the nose substantially. But it still didn't taste very good.

I will not purchase it again.

12/9/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan Likes this wine:

No formal notes, but thoroughly enjoyed the wine.

12/6/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Popped and poured. Fairly muted on the nose and the palate. Not bad, but not my favourite.

12/1/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Not bad, but not my favourite. Previous years were more memorable. Will try again in a future year.

11/16/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Licorice, plum and smoky leather on the nose. Medium-bodied and quite dry. Cherries on the palate with a barnyard undercurrent. Could do with longer in the cellar to round out the wine.

11/12/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Very pleasant wine. Excellent price. Would buy again.

11/12/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

What can I say? The most incredible wine-drinking experience I've ever had. I opened it and let it decant for about four hours before serving it. Four of us shared it, and we had lots of fun trying to identify all the different fragrances and flavours on the nose and palate. You can tell it's a shiraz, but there are so many flavours. What a phenomenal wine!

11/12/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Better on the second day (24 hours decanting in the bottle), but still not very good.

11/12/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Decanted this for a couple of hours, and it improved over my previous tasting (which already wasn't bad). A great wine, especially for those seeking a bordeaux alternative.

11/12/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Immediately after popping, had a barnyard/musty nose to it. Aerated the entire bottle and then decanted it for 4 hours. This cause the nose to greatly improve, and the wine had a fairly decent bouquet. Taste was still very off-putting. Will not buy or drink again.

11/12/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Delicious!!

11/6/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Popped and poured. I didn't care for it at all, so I doubt I will purchase it again in the near future. For my palate, it was very dry, almost sour. Based on the reviews below, I'm almost wondering if I got a bad bottle. Mind you, the wine did taste better towards the end of the bottle, so perhaps this is just a screwtop that needs time to decant.

11/3/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Popped and poured. Berries, peppers, and coffee/chocolate on the nose. Spicy and fruity on the palate. Not too sweet, but very good. Would buy it again.

4/27/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Pretty good wine. Not my favourite. I someone's comments that it's not "too australian" and I'd have to agree. It's a shame though because I love the big Australian Shiraz taste, and this didn't have it. So for me, not my favourite Shiraz, but still a pretty good wine.

4/13/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Chocolate and pepper on the nose with an undertone of mint. Rich and velvety on the tongue. Oak and blackberries on the palette. Very nice wine.

3/1/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Great wine, but a bit young still. Very spicy. Delicious.

2/18/2012 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Did not like it. Not worth the money at all.

12/22/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Did not like it at all. This was my first recioto though, and although I knew somewhat what to expect, if they all taste like this, then I think I can say I don't like Recioto. Tastes sort of like a Port but without any substance. "Red Sugar Water" would be how I'd describe it. Not my cup of tea.

11/4/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

A nice wine

10/31/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Meh.

10/28/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Could use some more cellar time, but it is drinking quite nicely right now. Very deep purple colour. Lots of oak on the palate, and tannins are very thick. Long finish and thick tannins almost gives your tongue a numbing sensation (enjoyable though). Can't wait to see how this tastes in a few years.

10/20/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Loved this Shiraz.

10/21/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

We didn't like this. Maybe was an off-bottle? It wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't a 90.

10/4/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Found it much better than the first time I had it. Vanilla on the nose. Strawberry jam on the palate. Quite nice.

9/24/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Very impressive. Loved it.

9/23/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Meh. Don't get the hype about this wine. It was very average.

9/9/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Mineral/sour with a little cherry on the nose. Full bodied wine with cherry, plum on the palate. A wonderful wine - highly recommended.

8/21/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

This wine wasn't bad, but I'm left wanting more at that price point.

8/21/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Awesome shiraz!

6/1/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Loved this wine - it was great.

7/5/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Wonderful! Popped and poured. Lots of figs, cherries and raspberry jam on the palate. Loved it!

6/26/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Wonderful nose. Strawberry jam and dark chocolate with a hint of smokiness. I agree with the one reviewer who said that the raisiny qualities were on the finish as opposed to the palate. I did also notice a barnyard aspect to the palate, and this is why I didn't rate this wine higher. "Barnyard" is not a quality that I particularly care for in my wines.

6/25/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Phenomenal Shiraz. Had it decanting for about 3hrs and it was perfect. Wine was rich and fruity - almost jammy - on the nose and the palate. Lots of spice too - could almost be a port.

6/22/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Meh. Good, not outstanding.

6/18/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Great Shiraz!

6/4/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Wonderful - a big hit with my guests. Not too sweet, but just sweet enough. It went very well with the assorted pastries we served.

6/4/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Not sure if this was a flawed bottle or not. Served it to 4 people and we couldn't drink it. It didn't smell corked, but perhaps it was? Or perhaps it was oxidized? We ended up tossing it. I was very disappointed because I thought this was going to be a big hit. And at the price point, I can't say that I'll but it again.

6/4/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Bloody phenomenal wine. It's drinking very well now, but I popped the cork at 1~0:00am and let it sit in the decanter until ~4:00pm. It was a huge hit. Quite pricey, but worth it for special occasions in my opinion.

5/23/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Very nice - surprisingly rich - will buy again.

5/7/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

No formal notes - one of our favourites. Does not taste like a typical Merlot.

5/7/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

No formal tasting notes. Not bad - found it a little boring.

4/16/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Very nice wine. Not the most pronounced nose - vanilla and fruit. On the palate though - different story. You can really taste it on the back of your mouth as opposed to the front - strawberry and pepper. On top of it all, it's a great price.

4/15/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Think I drank this way too early. The tasting notes said to drink from 2011-12, but that obviously isn't the case. This needs a good 3 years at least to lie down. Fruit and spice on the nose. Fruit (blackberries?) and slight pepper on the palate, but the palate was extremely light and subtle. Not my favourite - the next Madiran I try I will ensure it is at least 10 years old from the vintage date.

4/9/2011 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote:

Very Nice. Pear and honey on the nose and palate. Would drink it again.