March 4, 2016 - Guter Wein! Voll auf der Frucht, Tanin ist runter und etwas zu schwach, riecht aber sehr geil, original staubige alte Werkstatt. Sehr gute Konzentration. Ein sehr anständiger Wein.
October 20, 2013 - Mature but not OTT, well rounded, warm oaky tannin with a hint of plum.
February 25, 2012 - What a great find for $11 in the bargain bin. I was worried this might be dead given the age and questionable storage. Nope, this is a delicious smooth merlot. There is still quite a bit of fruit and sweet oak along with some secondary flavors. Bell pepper on the nose, sweet bell pepper, red fruit and oak on the taste. The finish is not that long.
March 14, 2011 - Powerful enamel (cassis) & blackcurrant nose, quite inky. Well balanced, a juicy wine with fine tannins, fruity at the front, dry in the mid-palate and quite fresh with chocolate mint on the warm finish. 88-89pts.
February 20, 2010 - Deep purple red, with green capsicum and sweet oak on the nose. Not a typical Merlot, some cassis and berry with hints of earthiness and sweet vanilla finishing. Medium bodied and soft tannins. Just a mediocre Merlot.
February 1, 2010 - Interesting fruity mainstream wine. Undistinguished but perfectly acceptable and well made.
October 9, 2009 - intense red, attractive but not exotic scent, quite-balanced after decant, medium-bodied and finish, a decent Merlot in this price
December 27, 2008 - Christmas drinking; 12/24/2008-12/28/2008 (Hong Kong): Smokey and lacking a little fruit. The. toast on the oak masked the fruit
June 28, 2008 - Crystal sales tasting. Maybe my palate was tired at this point, but this wine sure tasted like oak juice to me. Sure, there was some new world sweet red-fruit character, nice flowery nose and rather powdery tannins that gave the wine some oomph, but the sweet vanilla from the oak just about overwhelmed everything else. Maybe some time might help, but I seriously doubt it.
June 22, 2008 - OUTSTANDING.
VISUAL: M- intensity, ruby, various M legs.
NOSE: Black/red fruit (plum, rasp/strawberry), toast, earth, mineral, animal notes, coconut, balsamic, M+ intensity, complexity and persistence.
PALATE: M->F body, M+ intensity, acidity, alcohol and tannins.
FINISH: Excellent balance and M++ finish (20s).
OVERALL: 91-92 points.
OBS.: I guess Paul S (see note below) took the strong coconut aroma for vanilla. I personally like this aroma...