June 2, 2011 - had it with a strip steak. Not a complex wine but decent balance, and not overly fruity. A hint of some secondary flavours of a bit of tobacco. Decent acidity which went well with the steak. A good QPR wine.
May 19, 2011 - Easy drinking and fairly nice merlot. Dark and full bodied at this stage. Lots of currant and plum with strong vegetal notes. Some oak/vanilla present. No cherry or blackberry notes here. Quite chewy with balanced tannins. Nice mid palate but has a slight sour and somewhat bitter finsih that lasts a while. If not for the bitter finish would rate it 90.
May 18, 2010 - I am noticing a lighter red color in this Merlot than more traditional Bordeaux or Napa Cabs. Black pepper and dark fruit on a moderate nose. Mild and balanced tannins emerge on the mid-palate and offer a good counterpoise to a dark fruit blended finish. Seems lighter than previous outings. 2nd night: still very good, not as light, interestingly, than last night. Paired very well with seasoned Mahi Mahi. ALC 14.7%
March 20, 2010 - Herbal flavor, maybe peppery stems, red berries, toasty vanilla, medium tannins. Pretty nice.
January 20, 2010 - Consistent with previous notes
September 2, 2009 - Have to agree with most comments - good value for $13. Hard to find a drinkable merlot at this price. A bit tuned off by the brownish tinge to the color, but did not affect the flavorl. Medium body, redcurrant ; not much up front but builds upvery nice midrange and finish. Bit more like a French Bordeaux wth more fruit. Don't know how much longer good to hold since detected a bit of oxidation; might be descending.
August 14, 2009 - Dark crimson red hue with some transparency and slight brick tint. Lots of raisins on the nose with some heat as well. Also dates come to mind. Medium body with good intensity of fruit, dry, kind of tart finish. Fairly good acidity. Black currant comes to mind, and brandied cherries with cocoa powder.
August 4, 2009 - Quite good. Even better and more balanced than the last bottle. Medium bodied with nice oak, red fruits and pencil lead.
July 29, 2009 - Better intergration with this bottle. Enjoyable. Good QPR.
July 23, 2009 - Aromas of plum, oak, and vanilla. Mild dark fruit upfront transforming to a slight cinnamon on the mid-palate. Finished with spice and oak. Considering its high alcohol level, it is well balanced. I could barely detect the heat.