January 25, 2023 - This bottle held up and only improved through the years. My last, and very enjoyable paired with a couple dinners. It was a "what a steal wine!" in the end.
May 4, 2020 - This wine held up nicely over the years. It was purchased for $8 some decades back, and reading through my previous TN's on CT, I don't find much has changed. I was happy to find the wine didn't dive on night-2. It was never an all out stunner of a wine, and it's more in the BBQ and Zin realm, but for what it is/was, very well executed. On the other hand, the 2003 Domaine de Bonserine Côte-Rôtie La Garde bottle from the same vintage fell apart on night-2 and ultimately a 3rd of the bottle had to become one with Mother Vinegar collective. Quite a price/perceived-quality differential there. This goes to show, there's no accounting for price/quality/perception when it comes to wine, and in the end balance wins all.
November 1, 2013 - The wine looks Ruby colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Prune, and Mushroom. It tastes like Prune, and Mushroom. The body is Full. The wine has Silky texture. The wine finishes Medium.
October 5, 2012 - - Brick color.
August 19, 2012 - Drinking beautifully now. No signs of tiring but I don't see how it could get any better.
April 25, 2012 - Harsh ...even after long decant
December 17, 2011 - Drink over the next year. Went great with food. 90
December 12, 2011 - ~1 hour decant. Obvious bricking and some lightening at the rim. LOTS of stewed fruit, with plum on the nose, also some white pepper, vanilla, some light licorice or black currant. On the palate, ripe tannin, low acid, medium bodied. Palate is similar to nose but LOTS of licorice character too. Long finish but very sweet, I think the acid is gone and the wine needs it. Would agree with other post indicating that the wine is at the end of its window, maybe past. Update: With food much better. Grew on us. Still, drink it now, don't hold any longer.
October 8, 2011 - Near end of life span. Oak has subsided significantly. Nice Black fruit and a bit of earthiness on palate and rather short finish. Drinking nicely.
January 29, 2011 - Opened and poured, decanting an hour would have made all the difference. Nice aromas of dark plum and blackberry. Flavor opened up as the bottle was cosmumed, mouth filling, smoke, pipe tobacco. Medium finish of with a hint of white pepper. Great QPR