Bu au resto AVV Comme chez soi de Sherbrooke. A l`ouverture, je lui donne un 85 MAX, c`est in your face, dense et hyper alcooleux, surfait et maquiller. La bouteille fut relevé 3 jours avant et soigneusement décantée. Immense dépot et croute. Laissé en carafe pendant 6 heures, remis en bouteille non bouchée 2 heure avant la dégustation. Il fut beaucoup plus sage une fois au resto avec la nourriture, des mures, du poivre et un peu de tabac, les tannins sont bien enrobés et la finale assez longue laisse un peu de chauffe une une petite impression de sucrosité. Bien et pas certain comment il va vieillir.
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This followed a 2010 Côte-à-Côte Estate, and would perhaps have been as equally outstanding were it not for an underlying sharpness, possibly a touch of VA on the palate. Numbed as our palates were by the high ABV of this wine, we happily finished it (paying for the experiece with a late start the next morning).
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No formal TN, enjoyed as the 3rd wine of the evening. Typical big, GSM Paso red, 50%V new oak, with notes of black and blue fruit/jam, burnt wood embers, black pepper, and anise. Tasty, big and bold, probably correct to the intent of the winemaker. Not a re-buy for me at $65/btl. Drink now.
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Very dark, black fruit flavors. Something like bitter chocolate and fermented black cherries. Some roof-of-the-mouth sharpness, perhaps from the petit verdot. Very nice if not quite in balance. Reticent, slight sweetness and softened and well-integrated tannins. Drink by 2020.
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Decanted for roughly an hour. There was a medium level of sludge in the bottle, so decanting was the right call (and is recommended). This is a dark red trending to purple wine with significant mouth-staining capacity. On the nose, I get blackberries, brownies, and plum. In the mouth, this wine is rich, lush, and loaded with notable sweetness – there is a beam of dark fruits that barrels down the middle of the mouth. The finish continues the dark fruit with a chewy undertone. Overall, this is a powerful but enjoyable wine. It is distinctly Paso. 90 points.
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Open this wine an hour or two before drinking to capture it's potential. Big fruit, subtle tannin. I will keep my last bottle for a few years before drinking.
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Great GSM! Well integrated. Dark almost savoury fruit with nice spice notes and moderate to long finish. Has aged well but has many years left. Looking forward to day two.
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Much improved over past bottles. The overbearing fruit is fading and it is a good food wine and ok sipper. This style wine is what made me stop buying Paso Robles wines.
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After a tight beginning this wine is opening up and coming into its own. A nose of subdued huckleberry is followed by a smooth soft entry of ripe dark juicy fruit. Notes of chocolate and cedar followed by increasingly aggressive tannins which persist throughout a prolonged finish. In all it is an unusually well balanced wine with neither the fruit or the tannin gaining the upper hand. A beautiful wine now, I think it go another 5-10 years if you have any reason to wait that long.
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still young and intense, but not as balanced, structure as I would like....a fair amount of acidic fruit in the front 1/3 of the palate...big wine but not particualrly robust
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Rhone varietal blend 42% Grenache, 33% Syrah, and 25% Mourvedre. At first, the Grenache dominated and gave it a light, strawberry fruity effect; then the Syrah and Mourvedre asserted themselves.
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Ditto of SILBAKOR's and LORENGROSSMAN's reviews below. Nice stuff. Ready out of the bottle but as with all of Asseo's wines, you must decant (even the Rose wines!) or suffer the wrath of a boatload of sediment.
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Rich, delicious, very round and smooth, full-bodied blackberry/raspberry fruit with pencil lead flavors, excellent structure and balance, not as expansive and dynamic as in past years, nevertheless very nice wine
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Wow. Really impressed with this wine. Even at 16+% abv this wine is balanced and even nuanced. Pronounced notes of black raspberry, mulling spices, licorice, cardamom, violets and minerals. Brown sugar, espresso, blue and black fruit on the palate. The palate is huge but not thick or obvious, more coating and still in fine focus. Long peppery finish. I bet this will age effortlessly even with the high abv. Well done!
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A big, dynamic GSM. Approachable today, and this should improve over time. Wonderful layers of dark fruit, spice, cinnamon, and a touch sweet. We tried this side by side with a highly rated Syrah from Sonoma, and the l'aventure was a clear favorite.
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Still young and possibly recovering from travel, initially there was some bite on the finish. Mourvedre seems to be dominating within the first hour. Starting with a nose of flowers, almost like a fine perfume as opposed to a wine. Parts don't fit together all that well.
Plenty of rich dark fruit, though cassis, spice with a hint of dark dark cherry. A little too tannic for my taste, there is something on the back end that goes a little bitter and takes away from a very long finish. I may adjust this review after some more time if the wine changes significantly. Overall a good GSM, not an exceptional one and probably a little out of my personal sweet spot. Price point for how this is drinking is high. Looking forward to future tastings to see if it evolves.
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Decanted 2 hrs. ahead. Very deep almost inky garnet color. Very nice nose of white pepper, pine, black fruits, allspice. Good depth of flavors on the palate, as plums, blackberries, and cassis show up. Full-bodied and rich in texture; acidity is moderate rather than firm. Finishes well, with licorice and integrated light tannins. This is a rich and spicy wine. Needs hearty foods. For near-term consumption.
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Wow. What a wine. This wine was somewhat of a "hot mess", but I loved it. It was a little out of control and totally over the top. Maybe this will calm down with some cellar time?? I will love it even if it doesn't. 16.1% alcohol!!! Super gushy gigantic black and blue fruit on the nose with some baking spices. Super gushy gigantic black and blue fruit on the palate too with baking spices, cigar smoke, tar, graphite and minerals.. Great spicy pepper finish, was great with a nice beef filet. There was some burn from the high alcohol though, so it was hot in that respect too. We split a bottle with our dinner after drinking a different red blend prior to going to the restaurant. We felt drunk!! It was great. If you like huge-boob, CA, fruit forward GSM blends, try this at least once. We purchased this on "special" for $37 which I felt was a giant bargain. I'd love to have a rack full of this.
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Cinnamon & dark fruit on the nose. Powerhouse of flavors, big dark black & blueberry, chocolate. Very sweet, spicy, & quite hot going down. Great bottle, but almost overpowering to drink too often, which is good as it is spendy at $75/bottle. Nice change for a special occasion. At 16%+ alcohol a bottle, it was literally a knockout minus the next day aches & pains.
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Showed best after 2hrs in glass through vernturi. Easily one of the best wines ever from here. Nose of blueberries, raspberry liqueur, cinnamon, nutmeg, boysenberries, and some cherry cola. Complex palate with plenty of blue and red fruit, boysenberry jam, cola, minerals, cocoa, and spices. Medium+ finish. Layered and seriously complex! The grenache really stands out to me. I feel like i can taste the hot sun beating down on the dusty limestone vinyards in this bottle. If you like rhones this is a must buy. 94+
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Deep cherry color. Floral and vibrant nose. Just looking at the wine gives the same thick and juicy feeling as tasting. Luxurious mouth feel with balanced berries, herbs, and hint of smoke. Smooth tannic structure exactly what I wanted. Feels like infanticide to drink now but couldn't resist after tasting at the winery.
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Floral and expressive nose of red flowers, black and red fruits, and underbrush. Pillow soft fruit within a fine tannic spine. Great texture. Some wood influence but well proportioned. Good length on the spicy and satisfying finish. Nice effort here with room to grow.
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Purple-red. Thick, leggy, viscous. Very aromatic nose with crushed red and black fruits. Penetrating, deep. Richly flavored, persistent on the palate. Borders on raisiny over ripeness but still very appealing. Vanillin oak in the finish. Long. 5-12-16-8: 91/100.
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Gorgeous wine, though a little young still. Decanted for a few hours before drinking, which helped open it up. Will continue to develop with some time in the cellar.
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Dark ruby with medium viscosity in the glass. Stewed tomato, mushroom and blueberry on the nose. Secondary cherry and cranberry. Medium body with dark cherry, blueberry and char on the palate. Decent structure and soft grip. Medium finish.
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Very dark; lots of tea, with vanilla, prunes, tobacco and very subtle licorice. A hint sweet, very smooth, balanced, with wonderfully integrated tannins.
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This one is at least drinkable, though still very young. Quite dark in color, and rich-looking. Started out strong, with excellent fruit in the nose and mouth, but then it seemed to lose it a bit. I don't know if it's just me coming down with a cold or what, but it seems strange that it tastes great to begin with but then loses it after a few sips. Not rated.
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Huge berry and dark cherry nose with lots of fruit and eucalyptus. Chewy, big, rich wine with strong, fine tannins, mild acidity, and less earthiness than others of the same vintage.
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10/18/2020 - barrytaylor Likes this wine: 92 Points
deep color, ready, more refined @ balanced than typical syrah-cab blends.
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7/3/2020 - maxima wrote: 90 Points
Bu au resto AVV Comme chez soi de Sherbrooke.
A l`ouverture, je lui donne un 85 MAX, c`est in your face,
dense et hyper alcooleux, surfait et maquiller.
La bouteille fut relevé 3 jours avant et soigneusement décantée.
Immense dépot et croute. Laissé en carafe pendant 6 heures, remis
en bouteille non bouchée 2 heure avant la dégustation.
Il fut beaucoup plus sage une fois au resto avec la nourriture,
des mures, du poivre et un peu de tabac, les tannins sont
bien enrobés et la finale assez longue laisse un
peu de chauffe une une petite impression de sucrosité.
Bien et pas certain comment il va vieillir.
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12/30/2019 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 92 Points
My last bottle of this Rhone blend. Very good with grilled pork chops. Loads of dark fruits and good balance.
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12/26/2019 - prism wrote: 92 Points
This followed a 2010 Côte-à-Côte Estate, and would perhaps have been as equally outstanding were it not for an underlying sharpness, possibly a touch of VA on the palate. Numbed as our palates were by the high ABV of this wine, we happily finished it (paying for the experiece with a late start the next morning).
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4/27/2019 - drrobvino wrote: 88 Points
No formal TN, enjoyed as the 3rd wine of the evening. Typical big, GSM Paso red, 50%V new oak, with notes of black and blue fruit/jam, burnt wood embers, black pepper, and anise. Tasty, big and bold, probably correct to the intent of the winemaker. Not a re-buy for me at $65/btl. Drink now.
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10/31/2018 - mac-eye Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very dark, black fruit flavors. Something like bitter chocolate and fermented black cherries. Some roof-of-the-mouth sharpness, perhaps from the petit verdot. Very nice if not quite in balance. Reticent, slight sweetness and softened and well-integrated tannins. Drink by 2020.
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9/9/2018 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for roughly an hour. There was a medium level of sludge in the bottle, so decanting was the right call (and is recommended). This is a dark red trending to purple wine with significant mouth-staining capacity. On the nose, I get blackberries, brownies, and plum. In the mouth, this wine is rich, lush, and loaded with notable sweetness – there is a beam of dark fruits that barrels down the middle of the mouth. The finish continues the dark fruit with a chewy undertone. Overall, this is a powerful but enjoyable wine. It is distinctly Paso. 90 points.
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3/31/2018 - CMSPN wrote: 93 Points
Excellent. Ready to drink. Fruit and alcohol balanced.
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1/12/2018 - TheFoodieTraveler Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fruity but a bit hot
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1/7/2018 - dsimmons wrote: 92 Points
Open this wine an hour or two before drinking to capture it's potential. Big fruit, subtle tannin. I will keep my last bottle for a few years before drinking.
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12/10/2017 - prism wrote: flawed
TCA delivering a sharp corked note and ruining the wine. Down the drain, along with the $68 I paid for it. Wah.
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9/14/2017 - Hi.its.Don.4.Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great GSM! Well integrated. Dark almost savoury fruit with nice spice notes and moderate to long finish. Has aged well but has many years left. Looking forward to day two.
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5/30/2017 - Mtpisgah Likes this wine:
Much improved over past bottles. The overbearing fruit is fading and it is a good food wine and ok sipper. This style wine is what made me stop buying Paso Robles wines.
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1/8/2017 - jvest Likes this wine: 97 Points
After a tight beginning this wine is opening up and coming into its own. A nose of subdued huckleberry is followed by a smooth soft entry of ripe dark juicy fruit. Notes of chocolate and cedar followed by increasingly aggressive tannins which persist throughout a prolonged finish. In all it is an unusually well balanced wine with neither the fruit or the tannin gaining the upper hand. A beautiful wine now, I think it go another 5-10 years if you have any reason to wait that long.
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10/9/2016 - WineGirlOne wrote: 85 Points
Showing a lot of sweet fruit as the acid has fallen off.
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7/26/2016 - richshoes Likes this wine: 91 Points
still young and intense, but not as balanced, structure as I would like....a fair amount of acidic fruit in the front 1/3 of the palate...big wine but not particualrly robust
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1/29/2016 - Zorg wrote: 92 Points
Maybe the best red rhone blend I'v had, clear fruit and not as sweet as most CdP´s are.
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12/25/2015 - ELH wrote: 90 Points
Rhone varietal blend 42% Grenache, 33% Syrah, and 25% Mourvedre. At first, the Grenache dominated and gave it a light, strawberry fruity effect; then the Syrah and Mourvedre asserted themselves.
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7/26/2015 - Stevere Likes this wine: 94 Points
Full of dark fruit. Well balanced and has a lot of years left. Stefan Asseo's wines seem to get better every year, including this GSM. Great wine!
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6/1/2014 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ditto of SILBAKOR's and LORENGROSSMAN's reviews below. Nice stuff. Ready out of the bottle but as with all of Asseo's wines, you must decant (even the Rose wines!) or suffer the wrath of a boatload of sediment.
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4/1/2014 - Kayentacellars wrote:
Decanted 2 hours, returned to bottle. Drank at Docutah documentary review
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3/22/2014 - jhieb Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep and rich. Needs a some time to open, but, as usual, great stuff.
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5/4/2013 - Amerique wrote: 92 Points
Rich, delicious, very round and smooth, full-bodied blackberry/raspberry fruit with pencil lead flavors, excellent structure and balance, not as expansive and dynamic as in past years, nevertheless very nice wine
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3/14/2013 - cobhcork Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very Big wine, 16.1 was all you needed to read. It was hell of a bottle of wine. Wish I had more in my cellar!
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8/1/2012 - LorenGrossman wrote: 94 Points
Wow. Really impressed with this wine. Even at 16+% abv this wine is balanced and even nuanced. Pronounced notes of black raspberry, mulling spices, licorice, cardamom, violets and minerals. Brown sugar, espresso, blue and black fruit on the palate. The palate is huge but not thick or obvious, more coating and still in fine focus. Long peppery finish. I bet this will age effortlessly even with the high abv. Well done!
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7/31/2012 - jhieb wrote: 93 Points
A big, dynamic GSM. Approachable today, and this should improve over time. Wonderful layers of dark fruit, spice, cinnamon, and a touch sweet. We tried this side by side with a highly rated Syrah from Sonoma, and the l'aventure was a clear favorite.
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7/7/2012 - silbakor wrote: 89 Points
Huge, rich sweet fruit and vanilla in the nose. Soft, sweet, round mouthfeel. Super long finish. A bit less acid than usual, but very nice balance.
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5/13/2012 - afu wrote: 91 Points
Still young and possibly recovering from travel, initially there was some bite on the finish. Mourvedre seems to be dominating within the first hour. Starting with a nose of flowers, almost like a fine perfume as opposed to a wine. Parts don't fit together all that well.
Plenty of rich dark fruit, though cassis, spice with a hint of dark dark cherry. A little too tannic for my taste, there is something on the back end that goes a little bitter and takes away from a very long finish. I may adjust this review after some more time if the wine changes significantly. Overall a good GSM, not an exceptional one and probably a little out of my personal sweet spot. Price point for how this is drinking is high. Looking forward to future tastings to see if it evolves.
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5/10/2012 - VeniceCalif wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hrs. ahead. Very deep almost inky garnet color. Very nice nose of white pepper, pine, black fruits, allspice. Good depth of flavors on the palate, as plums, blackberries, and cassis show up. Full-bodied and rich in texture; acidity is moderate rather than firm. Finishes well, with licorice and integrated light tannins. This is a rich and spicy wine. Needs hearty foods. For near-term consumption.
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4/22/2012 - tjdripper wrote: 93 Points
Wow. What a wine. This wine was somewhat of a "hot mess", but I loved it. It was a little out of control and totally over the top. Maybe this will calm down with some cellar time?? I will love it even if it doesn't. 16.1% alcohol!!! Super gushy gigantic black and blue fruit on the nose with some baking spices. Super gushy gigantic black and blue fruit on the palate too with baking spices, cigar smoke, tar, graphite and minerals.. Great spicy pepper finish, was great with a nice beef filet. There was some burn from the high alcohol though, so it was hot in that respect too. We split a bottle with our dinner after drinking a different red blend prior to going to the restaurant. We felt drunk!! It was great. If you like huge-boob, CA, fruit forward GSM blends, try this at least once. We purchased this on "special" for $37 which I felt was a giant bargain. I'd love to have a rack full of this.
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4/21/2012 - JenXH wrote: 92 Points
Cinnamon & dark fruit on the nose. Powerhouse of flavors, big dark black & blueberry, chocolate. Very sweet, spicy, & quite hot going down. Great bottle, but almost overpowering to drink too often, which is good as it is spendy at $75/bottle. Nice change for a special occasion. At 16%+ alcohol a bottle, it was literally a knockout minus the next day aches & pains.
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2/28/2012 - DarinC Likes this wine: 94 Points
Showed best after 2hrs in glass through vernturi. Easily one of the best wines ever from here. Nose of blueberries, raspberry liqueur, cinnamon, nutmeg, boysenberries, and some cherry cola. Complex palate with plenty of blue and red fruit, boysenberry jam, cola, minerals, cocoa, and spices. Medium+ finish. Layered and seriously complex! The grenache really stands out to me. I feel like i can taste the hot sun beating down on the dusty limestone vinyards in this bottle. If you like rhones this is a must buy. 94+
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2/20/2012 - ppierpont wrote: 92 Points
Deep cherry color. Floral and vibrant nose. Just looking at the wine gives the same thick and juicy feeling as tasting. Luxurious mouth feel with balanced berries, herbs, and hint of smoke. Smooth tannic structure exactly what I wanted. Feels like infanticide to drink now but couldn't resist after tasting at the winery.
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2/11/2012 - Redguy wrote: 92 Points
Floral and expressive nose of red flowers, black and red fruits, and underbrush. Pillow soft fruit within a fine tannic spine. Great texture. Some wood influence but well proportioned. Good length on the spicy and satisfying finish. Nice effort here with room to grow.
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2/1/2012 - MicklethePickle wrote: 91 Points
Purple-red. Thick, leggy, viscous. Very aromatic nose with crushed red and black fruits. Penetrating, deep. Richly flavored, persistent on the palate. Borders on raisiny over ripeness but still very appealing. Vanillin oak in the finish. Long. 5-12-16-8: 91/100.
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1/14/2012 - rarchbold wrote: 92 Points
Gorgeous wine, though a little young still. Decanted for a few hours before drinking, which helped open it up. Will continue to develop with some time in the cellar.
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1/5/2012 - christophee Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark ruby with medium viscosity in the glass. Stewed tomato, mushroom and blueberry on the nose. Secondary cherry and cranberry. Medium body with dark cherry, blueberry and char on the palate. Decent structure and soft grip. Medium finish.
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9/7/2011 - silbakor wrote:
Very dark; lots of tea, with vanilla, prunes, tobacco and very subtle licorice. A hint sweet, very smooth, balanced, with wonderfully integrated tannins.
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8/23/2011 - MicklethePickle wrote:
This one is at least drinkable, though still very young. Quite dark in color, and rich-looking. Started out strong, with excellent fruit in the nose and mouth, but then it seemed to lose it a bit. I don't know if it's just me coming down with a cold or what, but it seems strange that it tastes great to begin with but then loses it after a few sips. Not rated.
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8/21/2011 - Martin Redmond wrote: 92 Points
Recap of 2011 Family Winemakers of California Tasting - San Francisco (Fort Mason Center - Festival Pavilion): GSM Blend. Dark red fruit, tea, hint of tobacco aromas. Vibrant dark red cherry, red currant, and vanilla flavors. Young, but smooth. Should just get better with time. Long finish.
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5/2/2011 - brigcampbell wrote:
Rapped up in lots of tannins. Full bodied and fruit forward. A baby at this point in time. Not sure I'm loving the value play here though...
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4/3/2011 - silbakor wrote:
Huge berry and dark cherry nose with lots of fruit and eucalyptus. Chewy, big, rich wine with strong, fine tannins, mild acidity, and less earthiness than others of the same vintage.
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