February 16, 2021 - Tobacco, oak, and pepper on the nose. A nice peppery raspberry on the palate. The 14.4% alcohol comes through a little strong but it's still very enjoyable
February 3, 2019 - 4th of 4 bottles. Popped open to enjoy with chicken wings during the SB.
A bold but quite refreshing southern Rhone blend.
Blueberry, blackberry, and peppery spice, alongside burnt ember notes.
This wine delivers a long finish, with med acidity on a black pepper and burnt wood flavor.
Drink now through 2022.
June 4, 2018 - Rich and dark with lots of blueberry and black fruits
April 2, 2017 - Drank this over two days. It never really came together but wasn't flawed in any way. Smooth texture was marred by heat and the flavors were disparate rather than concentrated.
November 8, 2016 - Opened for friends who love big and bold, fruity wines. They were not disappointed.
I didn't pay attention to write a formal TN, but this was a well-made wine that will drink well through 2018+.
July 6, 2016 - Very concentrated, opulent style which I'm typically not a fan of but this bottle IS nonetheless beguiling and it showed even better on Day Two. Very youthful, has a long future ahead--would guess it's prime years will be 2018-2022.
September 4, 2015 - The Grand Reve/Force Majeure wines are all delightful, and this one is certainly no exception. Drinking beautifully now after a four hour decant, this was lush, complex and seamless. A complete joy to drink.
June 30, 2015 - I haven't been blown away by the wines from Grand Reve...they have been largely overblown and way too ripe for my palate.
That being said, I've adored the wines from Ross Andrew Winery, and was pleased to see that Ross Mickel, the Ross Andrew owner/winemaker, made this wine.
Opened and consumed over 2 hours.
This is a fabulous effort, in every way. Beautiful deep black/purple in color, fading to a tawny rim.
The nose and palate show off red and black cherry, pomegranate, pepper, moist earth, and spice. The tannins are smooth and sultry, with medium acidity and a long, satisfying finish that echoes the fruit and spice.
This wine is complex and very well balanced, showing nice maturity. It has reached a nice level of maturity now, and should continue to drink well through 2023 or so...but it is absolutely brilliant now, so I will consume my remaining 2 bottles by 2019 or so. Delicious.
I am enamored with the wines of Ross Mickel.
April 27, 2015 - Wow. Big dropoff here compared to the first bottle I had of this a few years ago. Nose was still big with dark blue fruit but a dominant oak note masked a lot of the aromatics that this wine showed last time. Big and palate coating on the mouthfeel, the wine lacked some acidity and came off a bit flat and monotone on the palate, especially from a jammy fruit and oak perspective. With that said, you can tell this is a really well made wine and the fruit flavor is very intense and it's smooth drinking for a big wine. It just lacked the aromatic characteristics that really made this wine attractive the first time I had it.
April 5, 2015 - Can't recall as had with a number of people but tasted great overall. Had plenty of life left in it. Drink or hold.