August 21, 2009 - "Slumming" with the Friday Brown Bag Group (Rich & Dana's): Garnet color. Aromas of red fruit, spice and pomegranate. Flavors of spice, currants, plum and dark fruit. Nice finish, with a bit of spicy oak.
August 19, 2009 - Owen Roe Winemaker Seminar (Binny's on Clark - Chicago, IL): Elegant dark berries. Blueberries, plum, vanilla, oak. Classic extra fresh on the palate. Excellent depth with a solid focused finish.
Soft smooth mouth feel. A touch of black truffle on the back end.
Very nice.
June 29, 2009 - A lot of alcohol and ethyl acetate on the nose. Still some plummy and coffee/mocha flavors but its lost a lot of weight. The palate is very hot. I should have drank this earlier than I did.
May 3, 2008 - Owen Roe Spring Release Party (Ecotrust Building, Portland, OR): Seems somewhat more closed than previous vintages in this tasting. Still lovely nose, earth, smoked meat, blackberry. Some of the same hits the palate, but not the intensity of fruit flavors as I was expecting, although it is still delicious, but compared to the previous 3 vintages, not as much. Outstanding - 91 points (Owen Roe DuBrul Merlot Vertical, 99-06).
November 21, 2007 - Probably not as huge and blockbuster as it was a year or two ago. Nose is very dark with grilled meat, coffee, and tar aromas. Palate still retains some of that fresh berry cobbler flavor, but its fading. The alcohol and volatile acidity are now more evident than before. Winemaking decision?? For the most part, Owen Roe's wines are made to lay down for the short term. Long enough to let to tannins polymerize and mellow out but also keep the fruit. I would suggest drinking these now as they look like they are losing fruit.
April 16, 2004 - Tasted at McCarthy & Schiering. I pulled this wine off the shelf to try and blind the staff. Wow, this stuff is over the top, lots of alcohol poking out, floral moving to more herbal and showing some more Merlot character. On the palate this is searing with a huge blast of acid and tannin, fairly sweet, very ripe and juicy, very hard to evaluate right now. Stacked to the gills and *really* needs time to settle. Not rated.