Agree with recent notes. Mature but not over the hill. Still good fruit with texture, earth, and a bit of funk. Has thrown a small amount of sediment but nothing to bother over.
Nice depth of color. Very pretty nose of cinnamon and spice. At ten years old it is mature but not old. Integrated black raspberry, cherry, and cola flavors framed with tartness and spice. Long finish. Went great with tempura shrimp sushi. Enough fruit to hold up to the saltiness of the soy.
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Crimson in color. 13.6% ABV. Riveting nose of red fruits, cloves, sarsaparilla and wet forest floor. Medium body with tremendous acidity. Fresh, sappy and well balanced. Cherries, strawberries, cola and earth on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Brilliant showing for a nine year old appellation wine. Bodes well for the single vineyard designates. Drink over the next 1-2 years.
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Pnp and decided to play around with Z burgs. This has been the best showing of this wine to date. Beautiful alluring classic Selyem aromas with balanced acidity and finished medium/short length but fully satisfies. Secondary flavors and aromas peeking through. This is why we age this producer’s wine. Should last at least a few more years.
Hit of nail polish remover on the nose and missing any discernible fruit flavors. With air some of it blew off but there was still not much there. Very different than the two prior bottles I have had. Perhaps it was an off bottle.
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I enjoyed this wine far better than any of the RRV designated WS. Nice balance and restraint and avoids the off putting flavors and aromatics typical of many WS hot climate Pinots.
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Slightly cloudy from sediment. Raspberry and spice on the nose. Soft, mature, cherry, currant and raspberry jam. Easily identifiable as Californian. Last bottle. For me this has pretty fruit, balanced acidity and a nice finish.
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decanted for 30 minutes, served cool. sediment from laying onside for 2+ years. Nose of cherry jam and spice. Palate was bright, cherry, stone, spice, medium body. Good value, wish all my WS had same QPR.
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Well made Pinot and I enjoyed this much more than many of the more expensive bottlings. This is due to a balance and restraint, without as much hot climate characteristics, not over ripe, no cherry cola and sassafras.
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The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like strawberry jam, prune, cherry, artichoke, nutmeg, cinnamon and dust. It tastes like red currant, strawberry jam, cherry, dust, flint, stoniness, cinnamon, honeysuckle and rose. The body is medium. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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pop n poured, followed over 4 hours. There was little change in the bottle during that time. Served @ a wedding
This represents the one of the most inexpensive bottling of the WS line up and from that perspective it does very well. I think I paid ~$38 for this. This is my first bottle opened.
At age 6, it has a nice mixture of primary delicious cherry fruit with a smattering of qualities I like in older wines: linearity, must, nuance, delicacy. The casual dining experience would be most complemented by this. Even a special night would be elevated.
I made a mental note to tote this in the backpack next week when we're hiking in Bend. It should be fantastic with some nibs and a view.
Drink over next 5+ years, with a bet that it might be a really nice surprise at age 12
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The thing is with the Williams Selyem wines made by Bob Cabrel is that except for the grapes, they're all made the same. Also, they're all fruit laden, spicy and complex. Sometimes they are so sublime and even when they're not they are interesting, lovely and pretty damn good. This one is not sublime. It's misses by a teeny bit from being fully integrated. Maybe a bit more bottle age would fix that. In any case it was just wonderful with our roasted chicken
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Normal Williams Selyem nose of baking spice and cola. My wife tasted this and immediately asked if this was Sonoma County (as opposed to Sonoma Coast) due to the abundant fruit on the palate. Usually I find these wines to have at least a hint of stone, but this was entirely ripe red fruit and spices in the mouth. This is the most extracted, jammy Williams Selyem wine I have had yet, coming across as more Californian in style (in a bad way) than some of their single vineyard bottlings. On the positive side, this paired well with barbecued chicken. This has retained sufficient acid to support a few more years in the cellar.
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13.6% alcohol. Notably riper than the recent 2011 we had, which isn't too surprising given the vintages. But this is lovely, forward, and approachable. Full cherry color. Pretty nose of cherry pie, black cherry, and light baking spice. In the mouth, lively and rather plush, with focused fruit that caresses the palate with a broad brush. Good acidity and a tasty finish. A really just lovely wine to drink. A-
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Rich ripe cherry flavors and a rich, long finish. Probably at its peak but will be good for another year. No flaws, lots of depth and near perfect balance
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Nose of cherry, red berry, citrus peel, cardamom, and baking spices. Flavor profile had surprisingly less tart cherry than I expected, but still quite sharp overall. Some nice soft fruit, with a hint of strawberry, balanced it out somewhat. Medium acidity, moderate tannins, medium alcohol. A good drinker right now.
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Sampled using Coravin. Though I usually decant these, I am drinking this at cellar temperature. I sometimes find that the ample fruit and spice bouquet overwhelms the stone notes, though this serving temperature brings them back into balance, even favoring the latter. What is lost in more expansive berry aromas is gained in a cool slate nuance. This is not totally devoid of fruit, however, having a initial flavor of ripe peach. The palate is linear, with subtle acid and a lingering cola and cinnamon sensation on the finish. In total, this seems more akin to an elegant young Côte de Beaune wine than a flashier (and indeed fleshier) California Pinot noir. Have half a bottle of this left under the ostensibly benign seal of argon gas; will provide updates over time as I am able to taste further.
Pleasant ruby color and smooth mouth feel. Sour cherry and cranberry or pomegranate tartness. Finished with just a kick of oak. Pretty simple profile, but went along nicely with BBQ shrimp. B-
4/19/2014 Pretty much the same thing this time. Had it with some orange chicken and there was too much tartness all around. But I didn't read my previous notes first, so chalk the mismatch up to me.
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W trout. Good color, nice nose but not something special. Very solid finish. Drink now and if you buy at mailing list prices a decent QPR but otherwise probably a bit expensive.
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My first foray into WS Pinot. Also I don't drink a whole lot of Pinot, but anyway. Very light in texture and composition. A little antiseptic, dude to age. But all around very good tasting. Even with its lightness, the fruit is very deep and tasty. Plum and cinnamon on the nose. Oak and cherry on the pallet. The heat is a little distracting, but all and all very good. Not sure it's worth the price point, but I will certainly try a higher end WS out of curiosity.
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Opened 2 hours b/4 pouring. Nose of violets and cherries and was nicely balanced on the palate. Enjoyed raspberries and some cherry on the palate....Very smooth without a lot of complexity. Thoroughly enjoyed and probably will drink my 2nd bottle within the year...Not sure aging will benefit this wine.
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Medium bodied. Red fruit dominant with light tannic structure. The fruit here was more ripe and the wine very well balanced compared to other Selyem '09 bottling (was very sappy and acidic). Enjoyed very much.
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Dark red, pretty color. Cherries, raspberries and some spice one the nose. Wonderfully balanced palate, with cherry, pepper and a bit of earth. I didn't get the floral notes that are referenced in some of the other notes, but it might have been the pairing. Had this with grilled tuna with an Asian glaze - worked quite well. Glad I have another bottle; it is drinking well young, but I'd love to try it a couple of years from now.
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Deep, dark garnet colour but translucent. Inviting nose of sweet cherry, earth and some tomato/tomato leaf. Full but light and balanced palate of dark cherry, baking spice, minerals and earth. Good acidity and medium length finish. Little oak/tannin showing up on the finish but nothing out of place. This would have been nicer with another 6-12 months bottle age but is easy to drink now and tasty.
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Wow! This one goes right at you. A bit rough around the edges due to its youth, but the forward fruit driven by black cherry and red cassis is amazing. Again, a little rough on the back end, but such an alluring wine. Jammy and fresh. Will taste another in a year but my feeling is the fruit is the prettiest part of this wine and it is best drank younger.
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Decanted about 4 hours. Sweet ripe cherry and blackberry greet the nose. Behind that are subtle aromas of fresh manure, and black pepper. The nose trails off with light floral notes. Much more balanced on the palate, the cherry and blackberry fruit is tempered by the earth flavors. The acidity is good and the tannins are firm, especially on the mid-palate. The finish is spicy and floral.
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9/11/2022 - rogerr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mature but not over the hill. Still good fruit with texture, earth, and a bit of funk. Drink now, probably will not improve.
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9/29/2020 - rogerr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Agree with recent notes. Mature but not over the hill. Still good fruit with texture, earth, and a bit of funk. Has thrown a small amount of sediment but nothing to bother over.
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6/22/2019 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nice depth of color. Very pretty nose of cinnamon and spice. At ten years old it is mature but not old. Integrated black raspberry, cherry, and cola flavors framed with tartness and spice. Long finish. Went great with tempura shrimp sushi. Enough fruit to hold up to the saltiness of the soy.
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6/11/2018 - tomlee wrote: 92 Points
Crimson in color. 13.6% ABV. Riveting nose of red fruits, cloves, sarsaparilla and wet forest floor. Medium body with tremendous acidity. Fresh, sappy and well balanced. Cherries, strawberries, cola and earth on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Brilliant showing for a nine year old appellation wine. Bodes well for the single vineyard designates. Drink over the next 1-2 years.
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3/9/2018 - arthrovine wrote:
Pnp and decided to play around with Z burgs. This has been the best showing of this wine to date. Beautiful alluring classic Selyem aromas with balanced acidity and finished medium/short length but fully satisfies. Secondary flavors and aromas peeking through. This is why we age this producer’s wine. Should last at least a few more years.
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4/11/2017 - dlduchon Does not like this wine: 70 Points
Hit of nail polish remover on the nose and missing any discernible fruit flavors. With air some of it blew off but there was still not much there. Very different than the two prior bottles I have had. Perhaps it was an off bottle.
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2/14/2017 - dlduchon Likes this wine: 88 Points
I enjoyed this wine far better than any of the RRV designated WS. Nice balance and restraint and avoids the off putting flavors and aromatics typical of many WS hot climate Pinots.
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1/13/2017 - mwrichter Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking well
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1/9/2017 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Slightly cloudy from sediment. Raspberry and spice on the nose. Soft, mature, cherry, currant and raspberry jam. Easily identifiable as Californian. Last bottle. For me this has pretty fruit, balanced acidity and a nice finish.
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7/16/2016 - daveste Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Soft tannin, fine nose, decent fruit. Not a big PN but an elegant wine. Drink up now.
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5/3/2016 - gwkozar Likes this wine: 91 Points
decanted for 30 minutes, served cool. sediment from laying onside for 2+ years. Nose of cherry jam and spice. Palate was bright, cherry, stone, spice, medium body. Good value, wish all my WS had same QPR.
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4/17/2016 - dlduchon wrote:
Well made Pinot and I enjoyed this much more than many of the more expensive bottlings. This is due to a balance and restraint, without as much hot climate characteristics, not over ripe, no cherry cola and sassafras.
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3/2/2016 - ebunderson wrote: 92 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like strawberry jam, prune, cherry, artichoke, nutmeg, cinnamon and dust. It tastes like red currant, strawberry jam, cherry, dust, flint, stoniness, cinnamon, honeysuckle and rose. The body is medium. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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1/30/2016 - goldgarf wrote: 80 Points
Very pedestrian.
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8/21/2015 - arthrovine wrote: 90 Points
pop n poured, followed over 4 hours. There was little change in the bottle during that time. Served @ a wedding
This represents the one of the most inexpensive bottling of the WS line up and from that perspective it does very well. I think I paid ~$38 for this. This is my first bottle opened.
At age 6, it has a nice mixture of primary delicious cherry fruit with a smattering of qualities I like in older wines: linearity, must, nuance, delicacy. The casual dining experience would be most complemented by this. Even a special night would be elevated.
I made a mental note to tote this in the backpack next week when we're hiking in Bend. It should be fantastic with some nibs and a view.
Drink over next 5+ years, with a bet that it might be a really nice surprise at age 12
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2/14/2015 - smokeandmirrors wrote: 90 Points
Velvety mouth feel, wish I had more
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12/22/2014 - Don and Pam wrote: 90 Points
Still going strong
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12/20/2014 - brujazz wrote: 91 Points
The thing is with the Williams Selyem wines made by Bob Cabrel is that except for the grapes, they're all made the same. Also, they're all fruit laden, spicy and complex. Sometimes they are so sublime and even when they're not they are interesting, lovely and pretty damn good. This one is not sublime. It's misses by a teeny bit from being fully integrated. Maybe a bit more bottle age would fix that. In any case it was just wonderful with our roasted chicken
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11/27/2014 - harley-dawg2001 wrote: 91 Points
Cherry, anise, well balanced, smooth
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6/8/2014 - NineteenEightyTwo Likes this wine: 88 Points
Normal Williams Selyem nose of baking spice and cola. My wife tasted this and immediately asked if this was Sonoma County (as opposed to Sonoma Coast) due to the abundant fruit on the palate. Usually I find these wines to have at least a hint of stone, but this was entirely ripe red fruit and spices in the mouth. This is the most extracted, jammy Williams Selyem wine I have had yet, coming across as more Californian in style (in a bad way) than some of their single vineyard bottlings. On the positive side, this paired well with barbecued chicken. This has retained sufficient acid to support a few more years in the cellar.
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1/2/2014 - gutt22 Likes this wine:
13.6% alcohol. Notably riper than the recent 2011 we had, which isn't too surprising given the vintages. But this is lovely, forward, and approachable. Full cherry color. Pretty nose of cherry pie, black cherry, and light baking spice. In the mouth, lively and rather plush, with focused fruit that caresses the palate with a broad brush. Good acidity and a tasty finish. A really just lovely wine to drink. A-
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12/28/2013 - dino_mike wrote: 92 Points
Rich ripe cherry flavors and a rich, long finish. Probably at its peak but will be good for another year. No flaws, lots of depth and near perfect balance
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11/1/2013 - handyb wrote:
Nice smooth Pinot. Good solid wine in the Cali style.
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10/21/2013 - jazzop wrote: 91 Points
Nose of cherry, red berry, citrus peel, cardamom, and baking spices. Flavor profile had surprisingly less tart cherry than I expected, but still quite sharp overall. Some nice soft fruit, with a hint of strawberry, balanced it out somewhat. Medium acidity, moderate tannins, medium alcohol. A good drinker right now.
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10/7/2013 - difran wrote: 94 Points
Raspberry and strawberry on the nose. Softened tannin on the start, but picks up a bit on the finish. Well rounded. Another good one by WS.
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8/16/2013 - NineteenEightyTwo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Sampled using Coravin. Though I usually decant these, I am drinking this at cellar temperature. I sometimes find that the ample fruit and spice bouquet overwhelms the stone notes, though this serving temperature brings them back into balance, even favoring the latter. What is lost in more expansive berry aromas is gained in a cool slate nuance. This is not totally devoid of fruit, however, having a initial flavor of ripe peach. The palate is linear, with subtle acid and a lingering cola and cinnamon sensation on the finish. In total, this seems more akin to an elegant young Côte de Beaune wine than a flashier (and indeed fleshier) California Pinot noir. Have half a bottle of this left under the ostensibly benign seal of argon gas; will provide updates over time as I am able to taste further.
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8/15/2013 - Backdoctor wrote: 88 Points
earth PN. Had a slight frizzante to it, but still was enjoyable and flavorful
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8/13/2013 - underwds wrote: 88 Points
Pleasant ruby color and smooth mouth feel. Sour cherry and cranberry or pomegranate tartness. Finished with just a kick of oak. Pretty simple profile, but went along nicely with BBQ shrimp. B-
4/19/2014 Pretty much the same thing this time. Had it with some orange chicken and there was too much tartness all around. But I didn't read my previous notes first, so chalk the mismatch up to me.
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7/9/2013 - Scottlmatthews Likes this wine: 90 Points
Give a little more time to evolve in bottle.
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2/25/2013 - SMZ wrote: 91 Points
I don't think I've ever had a bad WS wine. This one was smooth and silky.perfect balance. Seems to be at it's prime.
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2/15/2013 - MichielV Likes this wine: 89 Points
W trout. Good color, nice nose but not something special. Very solid finish. Drink now and if you buy at mailing list prices a decent QPR but otherwise probably a bit expensive.
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4/9/2012 - sbtoby wrote: 92 Points
My first foray into WS Pinot. Also I don't drink a whole lot of Pinot, but anyway. Very light in texture and composition. A little antiseptic, dude to age. But all around very good tasting. Even with its lightness, the fruit is very deep and tasty. Plum and cinnamon on the nose. Oak and cherry on the pallet. The heat is a little distracting, but all and all very good. Not sure it's worth the price point, but I will certainly try a higher end WS out of curiosity.
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3/24/2012 - vegasrenie wrote: 90 Points
Drank too soon, but wonderful nevertheless. Should have waited a year. A true dammit moment.
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2/20/2012 - Annie1 wrote: 91 Points
Opened 2 hours b/4 pouring. Nose of violets and cherries and was nicely balanced on the palate. Enjoyed raspberries and some cherry on the palate....Very smooth without a lot of complexity. Thoroughly enjoyed and probably will drink my 2nd bottle within the year...Not sure aging will benefit this wine.
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1/27/2012 - jtinto Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium bodied. Red fruit dominant with light tannic structure. The fruit here was more ripe and the wine very well balanced compared to other Selyem '09 bottling (was very sappy and acidic). Enjoyed very much.
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11/2/2011 - Tony Poli Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark red, pretty color. Cherries, raspberries and some spice one the nose. Wonderfully balanced palate, with cherry, pepper and a bit of earth. I didn't get the floral notes that are referenced in some of the other notes, but it might have been the pairing. Had this with grilled tuna with an Asian glaze - worked quite well. Glad I have another bottle; it is drinking well young, but I'd love to try it a couple of years from now.
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10/26/2011 - Mr. Muga wrote: 90 Points
Agree with most of the CT tasting notes below. Definitely needs more bottle age to reach full potential.
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9/24/2011 - kultcha wrote: 90 Points
Deep, dark garnet colour but translucent. Inviting nose of sweet cherry, earth and some tomato/tomato leaf. Full but light and balanced palate of dark cherry, baking spice, minerals and earth. Good acidity and medium length finish. Little oak/tannin showing up on the finish but nothing out of place. This would have been nicer with another 6-12 months bottle age but is easy to drink now and tasty.
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7/19/2011 - sirwine wrote: 91 Points
Wow! This one goes right at you. A bit rough around the edges due to its youth, but the forward fruit driven by black cherry and red cassis is amazing. Again, a little rough on the back end, but such an alluring wine. Jammy and fresh. Will taste another in a year but my feeling is the fruit is the prettiest part of this wine and it is best drank younger.
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5/8/2011 - mmurry Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted about 4 hours. Sweet ripe cherry and blackberry greet the nose. Behind that are subtle aromas of fresh manure, and black pepper. The nose trails off with light floral notes. Much more balanced on the palate, the cherry and blackberry fruit is tempered by the earth flavors. The acidity is good and the tannins are firm, especially on the mid-palate. The finish is spicy and floral.
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5/2/2011 - Flav333 wrote: 89 Points
Good. There are plenty with more bang for the buck.
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