I had totally forgotten about these! Delicious, bright and layered and not at all close to done. can last another year or two, at least. I think I payed maybe $15-20 for this? Lucky.
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This is quite delicious. Did not know I had bought this and very pleased to have found it in the cellar. Didn't expect much (ie had a couple of back ups ready) but this was deep and well fruited with nice structure and balance. Lots of dark cherry and berry fruit with a tasty long chocolate and cherry finish.
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I have not drunk a lot of Washington wine, so I can not evaluate within that context. On the rich side, tannins not pronounced. Smoothed out meaningfully after 90 min or so (no decant). By the end of the bottle, very enjoyable.
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A little hot with green fruit in the nose and sweet, velvety grape notes on the palate. Finished short. Drink now, probably a bit overpriced, but not the worst wine for the $.
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Sweet and fruity up front, bitter green bell pepper on the end. Disjointed throughout. The Cabernet Franc and Malbec seem to dominate, and not in a good way.
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One of my favorite Renegade wines. The last 2011 note absolutely still applies, and the wine is holding up very well. Still, no reason to hold any longer, drinking perfectly right now with just a bit of air.
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Still delivering great complexity of flavors with fine grained tannins and blends of baking spices, red and black fruits, hints of old leather. Very nice. Consumed over 5 hours after a two hour decant.
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This bottle is more pleasurable than the last. Quite nice. Fruit and structure integrating. Holds up well on day #2. I find the oak a little prominent - that is my biggest gripe. Bonnie took a swig after a bite of awesome beef jerky from Butcher's Best Market in Newtown and LOVED it - great combo per my lovely wife. 88-90pts. I now am optimistic about this continuing to improve for the next 2-3 years.
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Let me preface this by saying I opened this to close out the night after enjoying a glass of Barbaresco paired with salami. Needless to say this wine can't hold a candle to anything decent from Italy because it's just too damn sweet and a bit vegetal. It really wasn't doing any favors for the salami so I shelved the meat and grabbed some Reggiano Parmesan. Switching to the cheese accompaniment, and letting this renegade air out proved a good combination. I still think the wine is too sweet, but it seems to develop more balance the longer it sits out.
Day 2: I let this sit out in the decanter for 24 hours in a 78 degree room. That I'm even drinking this on day 2 instead of pouring it out immediately speaks volumes for this wine. It also gets a fair evaluation tonight because its not having to follow a nice barbaresco like last night. I've changed my tune on this and I now think this is an excellent domestic for the price. It's complex enough to keep me intrigued and pondering. Good structure for a $20 domestic. Although it doesn't seem as sweet as last night, its still not as dry as wines from the old world. It's a good domestic QPR, but for $20 I could get a more enjoyable (to my palate preference) wine from Italy and even from Bordeaux. Still, I wish I had purchased more. I also, want to note that I had the "Garagiste" allocation of this wine which supposedly is a slightly different blend.
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This is a powerful wine with a nose of smoky cedar-y oak, white chocolate, underpinned with sous bois and earth. In the mouth there's cassis, mixed berries, and a vibrant acidity that holds it together. It has a Bordeaux-like balance of fruit, acidity, and oak (but times 10). I feel that other tasters have misjudged this one; I think one would be well rewarded to leave this alone in the cellar for another 4-8 years. Update on day 3: Oak is more integrated, alcohol poking through a little now, showing some nut oil (curious in Bdx blend) and spice. I do believe this will age well.
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Popped at a summer BBQ. Great pairing with BBQ chicken, shrimp skewers, and grilled veggies. Dark fruit, some earth/smoke, and just a little bit of oak. Could have used a decant, but opened up nicely after an hour.
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Decent cab, but not worth the money based on this tasting. The oak/tannin are a little firm, diminishing the pleasure of this. Hopefully, this will integrate with a little more time in bottle.
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Just about the same note as the first bottle except PNP this bottle.Vivid dark Ruby color. Blackberry and Blueberry with a little menthol on the nose. Very little oak. Blackberry and some cola on the palette.Jammy and fruit forward. Not to much acidity with mild tannin's. Decent finish. Overall good balance and not over powering. For $20.00 bucks,good buy.
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Poured through Vinturi. Enjoyable, but slightly one-dimensional. But not just grape juice, by any means! Good blackberry and dark chocolate flavors, nicely oaked without excess.
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Deep purple. Nose of plum and purple fruit. Very fruit forward with some mineral and minimal tannin backing. A little jammy but pretty well put together. Full mouthfeel and smooth. Sort of jumps right at you then the midpalate and finish simmer down.
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PnP through Nuance Wine Finer. Dark purple color. On the nose, dark fruit, a little alcohol and oak. On the palate, pretty heavy on the tannins. Oak and alcohol on the finish. Tasty wine, a bit big and tight right now. Look forward to opening the other bottle a couple of years from now. 89pts. Aloha!
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Pop/pour. Lively berries and a hint of floral on the nose. On the palate, good fruit depth with nice balancing acidity. Comes across medium bodied, with a sappy impression toward the back of the palate. Some tannins round out a structure that suggests this could be a big surprise several years down the road. This continues to be the best of the Renegade Mystery wines offered over the last year or two, and I quite like it for $20. My challenge will be to segregate these from the '07s which are quite expendable, so that these might see a tasting in 2013-4. Update: even better Day 2, richer with improved integration.
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Seemingly mature, not much tannin in this one. Chocolate with a bit of raspberry, did not seem to have a ton going on right now. The nose is the best thing, berry and oak in the nose, with some length the finish. Not as much as expected for $20.
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Decent blend, but even for $20 not the best QPR. Nice dark fruit, tannins balanced, a bit green and weird aftertaste. Too much oak killing any complexity.
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Decanted for seven hours before consuming. This turned out to be a good idea because this wine was absolutely outstanding. I paired it up with a new york steak and the two were a match made in heaven. I think it'd be best to wait a few more years before opening my remaining bottles of this.
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Hmm, for some reason, I had a hard time liking this wine. It has a lot of good things going on, but it just never did it for me. After some air, the nose is fairly powerful: blueberry, blackberry, brambles, some red berries, and vanilla. Blackberry, blueberry compote, bitter dark chocolate, and oak on the palate. Decent acidity. Good finish. Just didn't do it, sorry to say.
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Nice wine which drinks very well now, but has the body to hold up for 5+ more years. My first experience with a Mystery Wine and I must admit for $20 a very, very nice wine. No exact details it was a week ago and I've forgotten all.
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Good overall structure but unbalanced due to the enormous amount of oak on this wine. Some of it blew off after awhile but it never really gained the balance I was looking for. Not a pop and pour wine and should be left in the cellar for another 5+ years
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Decanted for an hour.Vivid dark Ruby color. Blackberry and Blueberry nose. Blackberry and some cola on the palette.Jammy and fruit forward. Not to much acidity with mild tannin's. Decent finish. Overall good balance and not over powering. Have one bottle left. Will give it a year. For $20.00 bucks,good buy.
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I love the blending of varietals in this wine. The Merlot brings a cocoa element that is terrific. Blackberry, black currant, raspberry, some cherry in there as well. Expansive in the mouth but not ultra concentrated, it's a wine that's good with food but enjoyable well after the food is done with.
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Certainly more sophisticated & dimensional than the 07 first offering, yet not complex enough in it's own right to garner a score of more than 1-2 pts higher. We polished this off rather quickly, so it may gain complexity with more air.
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Teeth staining purple. Tannic, so decant, or pour and swirl. Black berries burst forth. Hints of vanilla, chocolate on the finish. Glad to have purchased a few of these from Garagiste. A decent $20 QPR that should last for a few years. Will likely wait six months plus for the next one.
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I think this could use more time in the cellar. Hope it gets better in 6 months. Merlot on the nose. Cab Sav on the palate and Cab Franc on the finish.
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Very tight on open, took about 2 hours to really open up. Cherries and leather on the nose, cola on the palate. Could use a few more years in the bottle.
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Very tight, took about two hours to open up without Venturi. Cherries and leather on the nose and cola on the palate. This could use a couple of more years in the bottle.
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Double decanted using a vinturi (vinturi > decanter > Vinturi > bottle. Let sit for about an hour before drinking. A very nice bordeaux blend. Tastes of chocolate, leather, blueberries, blackberries. It still needs age and more air, but it's somewhat complex now, and promises to be even better with time. I was pleasantly surprised.
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Moderate deep purple with full pleasant nose of red fruits (cherry), some oak and pepper. Light to medium mouth feel with fairly sharp tannins. Getting mostly pepper/spice with some underlying black fruit. Lingering finish. Very agreeable if not spectacular. Tannins may mellow out some with time, not sure if that will bring more fruit out on the palate or not.
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Upon opening tasted just like a Cherry Cola (without the sweet); heavy tannins. After a 5 hour decant the wine took on strong chocolate mocha notes with a full body. The tannins were a bit gripping, but not overwhelming. I don't believe there's sufficient acids to make this a long term ager, but it should benefit from 2- 3 years of ageing. This is a fun (not elegant) wine to drink.
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Garagiste Test Drive - Spring 2011; 4/10/2011-4/11/2011 (Home): Popped/poured. While initially tight, this one is not "hot" like a couple of the other copy machine-labeled Renegades from last shipping season. Initially, a buttered corn note on the nose that quickly blows off replaced by dark fruit and a sweet leather cologne. Tight on the palate, it will be interesting to see if the fruit shows up with some air. All in all, this seems to be better balanced and better behaved than prior Renegade bottlings, even with the less-than-ideal pop/pour treatment. 90 points, give or take.
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Poured through Vinturi and drank shortly thereafter. Was tight at first but opened up relatively quickly. I love this wine! Paired well with salami and a stir-fried broccoli with fig balsamic vinegar (yeah, strange little meal) and continued to be enjoyable throughout the evening. My wife and I devoured this bottle -- perfect mix of structure, black and red fruit, cocoa and sweet oak.
I'll doubt that I'll ever know how long the wine will hold, as it's unlikely the remaining bottles will last into 2012.
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No formal notes taken. Poured a glass upon opening, very tight and reserved, corked and held overnight. Opened up beautifully, on day 2, loamy currant, cocoa, and black olive flavors dominate, with a kiss of spicy oak. Very tasty.
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7/2/2022 - josephcohn Likes this wine: 91 Points
I had totally forgotten about these! Delicious, bright and layered and not at all close to done. can last another year or two, at least. I think I payed maybe $15-20 for this? Lucky.
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5/11/2022 - HitAnyKey wrote: 91 Points
Wonderfully balanced with great flavors and still an appropriate amount of tannins. Great now and would still be good 5 years from now.
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9/21/2016 - Quarked wrote: 90 Points
Last of my Renegades, and the best of the lot. Really shows the quality of wine available for a song during the financial crash!
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4/21/2016 - thebonnydooner wrote: 90 Points
This is quite delicious. Did not know I had bought this and very pleased to have found it in the cellar. Didn't expect much (ie had a couple of back ups ready) but this was deep and well fruited with nice structure and balance. Lots of dark cherry and berry fruit with a tasty long chocolate and cherry finish.
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2/15/2015 - John Nezlek wrote: 88 Points
I have not drunk a lot of Washington wine, so I can not evaluate within that context. On the rich side, tannins not pronounced. Smoothed out meaningfully after 90 min or so (no decant). By the end of the bottle, very enjoyable.
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10/21/2014 - Leomania Likes this wine: 90 Points
Loved this, and as it's the last bottle I will miss it. Drank well right through the end. Notes consistent with previous.
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7/22/2014 - guitarguy wrote: 87 Points
A little hot with green fruit in the nose and sweet, velvety grape notes on the palate. Finished short. Drink now, probably a bit overpriced, but not the worst wine for the $.
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6/27/2014 - Leomania Likes this wine: 90 Points
Delicious as always. Consistent notes with past bottles.
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3/7/2014 - jayw wrote:
Starts sweet, ends bitter. Blueberry cola with a vegetal streak. A bit disjointed, but better than previous bottles.
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2/19/2014 - shormi wrote: 88 Points
spicy.
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1/5/2014 - jayw Does not like this wine:
Sweet and fruity up front, bitter green bell pepper on the end. Disjointed throughout. The Cabernet Franc and Malbec seem to dominate, and not in a good way.
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10/17/2013 - circadumonde wrote: 88 Points
Better after 4th day. Too disjointed on the first couple.
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4/21/2013 - Quarked wrote: 87 Points
Eucalyptus and fruit, but a little too hot.
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4/6/2013 - Leomania Likes this wine: 90 Points
One of my favorite Renegade wines. The last 2011 note absolutely still applies, and the wine is holding up very well. Still, no reason to hold any longer, drinking perfectly right now with just a bit of air.
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3/15/2013 - hdchappy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great value. Tons of fruit and pretty jammy but still delicious. Continued to hold up on day 2.
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2/14/2013 - redrhonewine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still delivering great complexity of flavors with fine grained tannins and blends of baking spices, red and black fruits, hints of old leather. Very nice. Consumed over 5 hours after a two hour decant.
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11/2/2012 - maxmanx wrote:
Nice red blend, but a little over priced at $20.
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10/23/2012 - mdvino63 wrote: 88 Points
This bottle is more pleasurable than the last. Quite nice. Fruit and structure integrating. Holds up well on day #2. I find the oak a little prominent - that is my biggest gripe. Bonnie took a swig after a bite of awesome beef jerky from Butcher's Best Market in Newtown and LOVED it - great combo per my lovely wife. 88-90pts. I now am optimistic about this continuing to improve for the next 2-3 years.
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10/8/2012 - kakpoo wrote:
Let me preface this by saying I opened this to close out the night after enjoying a glass of Barbaresco paired with salami. Needless to say this wine can't hold a candle to anything decent from Italy because it's just too damn sweet and a bit vegetal. It really wasn't doing any favors for the salami so I shelved the meat and grabbed some Reggiano Parmesan. Switching to the cheese accompaniment, and letting this renegade air out proved a good combination. I still think the wine is too sweet, but it seems to develop more balance the longer it sits out.
Day 2: I let this sit out in the decanter for 24 hours in a 78 degree room. That I'm even drinking this on day 2 instead of pouring it out immediately speaks volumes for this wine. It also gets a fair evaluation tonight because its not having to follow a nice barbaresco like last night. I've changed my tune on this and I now think this is an excellent domestic for the price. It's complex enough to keep me intrigued and pondering. Good structure for a $20 domestic. Although it doesn't seem as sweet as last night, its still not as dry as wines from the old world. It's a good domestic QPR, but for $20 I could get a more enjoyable (to my palate preference) wine from Italy and even from Bordeaux. Still, I wish I had purchased more. I also, want to note that I had the "Garagiste" allocation of this wine which supposedly is a slightly different blend.
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9/24/2012 - guitarguy wrote: 87 Points
Seemed more mature and ready to go.
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9/11/2012 - graphite wrote: 91 Points
This is a powerful wine with a nose of smoky cedar-y oak, white chocolate, underpinned with sous bois and earth. In the mouth there's cassis, mixed berries, and a vibrant acidity that holds it together. It has a Bordeaux-like balance of fruit, acidity, and oak (but times 10). I feel that other tasters have misjudged this one; I think one would be well rewarded to leave this alone in the cellar for another 4-8 years.
Update on day 3: Oak is more integrated, alcohol poking through a little now, showing some nut oil (curious in Bdx blend) and spice. I do believe this will age well.
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7/21/2012 - RPerro wrote: 89 Points
Popped at a summer BBQ. Great pairing with BBQ chicken, shrimp skewers, and grilled veggies. Dark fruit, some earth/smoke, and just a little bit of oak. Could have used a decant, but opened up nicely after an hour.
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6/9/2012 - mdvino63 wrote: 87 Points
Decent cab, but not worth the money based on this tasting. The oak/tannin are a little firm, diminishing the pleasure of this. Hopefully, this will integrate with a little more time in bottle.
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6/4/2012 - Mythlogic Likes this wine: 89 Points
Just about the same note as the first bottle except PNP this bottle.Vivid dark Ruby color. Blackberry and Blueberry with a little menthol on the nose. Very little oak. Blackberry and some cola on the palette.Jammy and fruit forward. Not to much acidity with mild tannin's. Decent finish. Overall good balance and not over powering. For $20.00 bucks,good buy.
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5/29/2012 - benny wrote: 89 Points
Not a bad drink. Not worth $24. Too much oak?
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5/18/2012 - Leomania Likes this wine: 88 Points
Poured through Vinturi. Enjoyable, but slightly one-dimensional. But not just grape juice, by any means! Good blackberry and dark chocolate flavors, nicely oaked without excess.
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5/3/2012 - ravbik wrote: 90 Points
Good depth. Red berries. Mild tannins and glycerol. Makes up for deficiencies of 2007. Good all around red. Did well with steak.
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4/27/2012 - Ron Felthoven wrote: 89 Points
Enjoyed very much. Rich and tasty without being overly hot, oaky, etc. Nice.
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3/24/2012 - Zach P wrote: 88 Points
Nice wine. Opened up nicely after 1 hour
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3/4/2012 - chifred wrote: 88 Points
Deep purple. Nose of plum and purple fruit. Very fruit forward with some mineral and minimal tannin backing. A little jammy but pretty well put together. Full mouthfeel and smooth. Sort of jumps right at you then the midpalate and finish simmer down.
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2/18/2012 - nefarm wrote:
Finished second in blind tasting. Should only get better.
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2/15/2012 - egg698 wrote: 88 Points
Fair, with dark fruit and a hint of olive, although the tannins were a bit grittier than I like. Decent but surely not worth the list of $40ish.
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2/14/2012 - benny wrote: 90 Points
Cabernet Franc for sure. A decent party wine.
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2/11/2012 - rremiker wrote: 86 Points
Nothing special here, average at best....
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1/29/2012 - benny wrote: 89 Points
I'm not sure where Jon R came up with 95+?
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1/29/2012 - AccaDacca wrote: 88 Points
Good QPR. Don't think alot of room for improvement. Decent balance of fruit and tannins.
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1/23/2012 - cpsmith33 wrote: 86 Points
Eh, disappointed in Garagiste on this. Not much complexity, bitter end.
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12/22/2011 - bg3034 wrote:
PnP through Nuance Wine Finer. Dark purple color. On the nose, dark fruit, a little alcohol and oak. On the palate, pretty heavy on the tannins. Oak and alcohol on the finish. Tasty wine, a bit big and tight right now. Look forward to opening the other bottle a couple of years from now. 89pts. Aloha!
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12/11/2011 - NathanT wrote: 90 Points
I really like how the acidity interlaced in this wine along with balanced mixture of fruit and other structure. Very nice indeed.
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12/7/2011 - vanpe003 wrote: 90 Points
Pop/pour. Lively berries and a hint of floral on the nose. On the palate, good fruit depth with nice balancing acidity. Comes across medium bodied, with a sappy impression toward the back of the palate. Some tannins round out a structure that suggests this could be a big surprise several years down the road. This continues to be the best of the Renegade Mystery wines offered over the last year or two, and I quite like it for $20. My challenge will be to segregate these from the '07s which are quite expendable, so that these might see a tasting in 2013-4. Update: even better Day 2, richer with improved integration.
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11/29/2011 - guitarguy wrote: 88 Points
Seemingly mature, not much tannin in this one. Chocolate with a bit of raspberry, did not seem to have a ton going on right now. The nose is the best thing, berry and oak in the nose, with some length the finish. Not as much as expected for $20.
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11/24/2011 - cpsmith33 wrote: 87 Points
Decent blend, but even for $20 not the best QPR. Nice dark fruit, tannins balanced, a bit green and weird aftertaste. Too much oak killing any complexity.
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11/22/2011 - devman wrote:
Decanted for seven hours before consuming. This turned out to be a good idea because this wine was absolutely outstanding. I paired it up with a new york steak and the two were a match made in heaven. I think it'd be best to wait a few more years before opening my remaining bottles of this.
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11/4/2011 - rmh66 wrote: 87 Points
Hmm, for some reason, I had a hard time liking this wine. It has a lot of good things going on, but it just never did it for me. After some air, the nose is fairly powerful: blueberry, blackberry, brambles, some red berries, and vanilla. Blackberry, blueberry compote, bitter dark chocolate, and oak on the palate. Decent acidity. Good finish. Just didn't do it, sorry to say.
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10/28/2011 - rschwartz wrote:
Good wine. Needs decanting.
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10/7/2011 - kdubler Likes this wine:
Nice wine which drinks very well now, but has the body to hold up for 5+ more years. My first experience with a Mystery Wine and I must admit for $20 a very, very nice wine. No exact details it was a week ago and I've forgotten all.
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7/26/2011 - elise wrote: 87 Points
Good overall structure but unbalanced due to the enormous amount of oak on this wine. Some of it blew off after awhile but it never really gained the balance I was looking for. Not a pop and pour wine and should be left in the cellar for another 5+ years
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7/24/2011 - Mythlogic Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted for an hour.Vivid dark Ruby color. Blackberry and Blueberry nose. Blackberry and some cola on the palette.Jammy and fruit forward. Not to much acidity with mild tannin's. Decent finish. Overall good balance and not over powering. Have one bottle left. Will give it a year. For $20.00 bucks,good buy.
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7/3/2011 - Leomania Likes this wine: 90 Points
I love the blending of varietals in this wine. The Merlot brings a cocoa element that is terrific. Blackberry, black currant, raspberry, some cherry in there as well. Expansive in the mouth but not ultra concentrated, it's a wine that's good with food but enjoyable well after the food is done with.
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7/2/2011 - fitchbuck wrote: 91 Points
Certainly more sophisticated & dimensional than the 07 first offering, yet not complex enough in it's own right to garner a score of more than 1-2 pts higher. We polished this off rather quickly, so it may gain complexity with more air.
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6/28/2011 - jedly wrote: 89 Points
Teeth staining purple. Tannic, so decant, or pour and swirl. Black berries burst forth. Hints of vanilla, chocolate on the finish. Glad to have purchased a few of these from Garagiste. A decent $20 QPR that should last for a few years. Will likely wait six months plus for the next one.
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5/28/2011 - Itriolo wrote:
Tasty red fruit and acidity with some oak and heat. Better than I expected out of a deep discount wine from an undisclosed source.
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5/28/2011 - benny wrote: 89 Points
I think this could use more time in the cellar. Hope it gets better in 6 months. Merlot on the nose. Cab Sav on the palate and Cab Franc on the finish.
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5/26/2011 - bpvrm wrote: 89 Points
Very tight on open, took about 2 hours to really open up. Cherries and leather on the nose, cola on the palate. Could use a few more years in the bottle.
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5/26/2011 - bpvrm wrote: 90 Points
Very tight, took about two hours to open up without Venturi. Cherries and leather on the nose and cola on the palate. This could use a couple of more years in the bottle.
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5/22/2011 - Atlantean wrote: 91 Points
starts out tight and emerges with leather and cherry.
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5/18/2011 - devman wrote: 90 Points
It's great now, but give it five years and it'll be pretty dang awesome.
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5/17/2011 - Blue Shorts wrote: 90 Points
Double decanted using a vinturi (vinturi > decanter > Vinturi > bottle. Let sit for about an hour before drinking. A very nice bordeaux blend. Tastes of chocolate, leather, blueberries, blackberries. It still needs age and more air, but it's somewhat complex now, and promises to be even better with time. I was pleasantly surprised.
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5/17/2011 - Dale M wrote:
Quick impression, forward flavored with well defined blueberry and roses, sneaky acidity, well balanced, good mystery wine.
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5/17/2011 - chifred Likes this wine: 89 Points
Moderate deep purple with full pleasant nose of red fruits (cherry), some oak and pepper. Light to medium mouth feel with fairly sharp tannins. Getting mostly pepper/spice with some underlying black fruit. Lingering finish. Very agreeable if not spectacular. Tannins may mellow out some with time, not sure if that will bring more fruit out on the palate or not.
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5/1/2011 - PSirah Tampa wrote: 91 Points
Upon opening tasted just like a Cherry Cola (without the sweet); heavy tannins. After a 5 hour decant the wine took on strong chocolate mocha notes with a full body. The tannins were a bit gripping, but not overwhelming. I don't believe there's sufficient acids to make this a long term ager, but it should benefit from 2- 3 years of ageing. This is a fun (not elegant) wine to drink.
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4/17/2011 - wirelesswine wrote:
Wow. Big fruit, sweet oak. Fairly tannic but the intensity of fruit makes it great even now.
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4/11/2011 - vanpe003 wrote: 90 Points
Garagiste Test Drive - Spring 2011; 4/10/2011-4/11/2011 (Home): Popped/poured. While initially tight, this one is not "hot" like a couple of the other copy machine-labeled Renegades from last shipping season. Initially, a buttered corn note on the nose that quickly blows off replaced by dark fruit and a sweet leather cologne. Tight on the palate, it will be interesting to see if the fruit shows up with some air. All in all, this seems to be better balanced and better behaved than prior Renegade bottlings, even with the less-than-ideal pop/pour treatment. 90 points, give or take.
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4/10/2011 - Leomania Likes this wine: 90 Points
Poured through Vinturi and drank shortly thereafter. Was tight at first but opened up relatively quickly. I love this wine! Paired well with salami and a stir-fried broccoli with fig balsamic vinegar (yeah, strange little meal) and continued to be enjoyable throughout the evening. My wife and I devoured this bottle -- perfect mix of structure, black and red fruit, cocoa and sweet oak.
I'll doubt that I'll ever know how long the wine will hold, as it's unlikely the remaining bottles will last into 2012.
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3/21/2011 - DanR wrote: 91 Points
No formal notes taken. Poured a glass upon opening, very tight and reserved, corked and held overnight. Opened up beautifully, on day 2, loamy currant, cocoa, and black olive flavors dominate, with a kiss of spicy oak. Very tasty.
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