Drinking very well now, with no need to decant. Balanced and sturdy, with an ability to stand up to big food flavors, without being over muscular by itself. Held up over the evening with no fading.
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The wine looks ruby colored with medium legs and no sediment. It smells and tastes like blackberry and black currant with pleasant tannin that softens during dinner. It is a medium body, smooth wine with low acidity and a very nice finish. A great value at $12.
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This wine has improved since my last tasting and was quite enjoyable. Somewhat muted nose of black floral fruit, but bursting with flavor. Sweet black cherry, cedar, and flint with billowy tannins that gave it some life in the middle. Medium length finish.
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This Spanish blend of 50% Mazuelo, 25% Syrah and 25% Garnacha is a real winner for its price. It has been liked by all of our guests. The wine looks ruby colored with medium legs and a small bit of sediment in the bottle. The nose hints of raspberry, cherry and other fruits and there is a distinct blackberry, red currant and cherry taste with a hint of oak and low acidity. This is a medium to full bodied wine with a polished texture and a long finish. You just can't go wrong for the price and it might be drinking well into the next decade.
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Grade: VG+ Very pleasant easy-drinker and crowd-pleaser from Monsant, worth grabbing a case of. Deep purple in the glass, bright red and black fruit on the nose with wet stone and some vanilla, raspberry and blackberry on the palate with some minerality and nicely balanced acidity, medium finish with very fine grained tannins.
My Grades: EXX-Exceptional, EX-Excellent, VG-Very Good, G-Good, O-Ordinary, P-Poor, U-Ungraded
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What an enjoyable bottle of wine. Red fruit, spice, good lift. Just when you think it might go juicy, the acidity provides a nice lift into the medium finish. Really nice balance for such an entry-level wine.
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Deep purple color. Nose of blackberries and other dark fruits. Smooth on the palate, especially as the night wore on. Probably liked this better than other CTers. Paired well with a roasted pork loin chop and scalloped potatoes.
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This wine is dense, restrained, and fine to drink, but not living up to the ratings. Black fruit, bay leaf, and anise flavors. Time will tell if it comes out to play
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Good every day drinker for the money. Interesting butterscotch nose. Little bit of mid-palate barnyard eucalyptus bomb. Not the pick if you like a long finish.
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50% Mazuelo, 25% Syrah, 25% Garnacha. Ripe red fruit aromas with rose and violet with pepper. Also hints of blue and black plum. Purple notes. Juicy on the palate with nice texture. Raspberry and cherry flavors with blackberry, marionberry and pepper. Hints of currant. Nice and full bodied. Nice complexity of flavor.
Not very memorable Spanish syrah blend. Semi-dark with a bit of cherry nose. Strangely short finish and not enough body. A bit of tannins, earth and tobacco. Did not hold up to bold food. Label is gorgeous though.
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Pulled from wine fridge and decanted. Still a little cool upon first tasting. Notes of cherry, game and spice. Flavors of cherry, dill and a touch of earth. Not as good as the first time I had it.
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A nice, solid wine featuring a welcoming, earthy nose followed by a hearty but not too rich flavor bearing similar attributes that you would expect from the aromas. There also is a fruit component to the flavor but not an overly strong presence. A good food wine. Enjoy.
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Well-balanced: dark fruits, light tannin, some spicy pepper, and a hint of smoke. Easy drinking, although not particularly complex. A good bottle for late evening?
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Great!! Enjoyed this one with a BBQ beef brisket, some Greek oven-roasted potatoes, and baked beans. It was a great pairing. Dark inky purple/red color. Big fruity nose of black/red fruits with some baking spice. Huge fruit on the palate. Flavors of blackberry, black cherry, molasses, and cigar smoke. Great value at $13. The regular Can Blau with the other label is usually $18 in my market and the differences are not that great. The more expensive Can Blau has more smokey elements to it. I would like to buy a case of this.
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Told that this 09 Blau is not just a different vintage than the 08 Can Blau I've been enjoying for years, but a totally different wine altogether. Prefer the Can Blau for it's smokiness, but this one is delicious as well. Great wine for the price. Bumped it up 2 points from my last rating. Enjoyed it so much with food, delicious with BBQ beef brisket. Smooth, good balance of fruitiness & dryness. Gorgeous label would help make it a nice gift.
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I was pleasantly surprised by this wine. Black cherries and some toast on the nose. Solid fruit, not too jammy, lovely herb and tobacco accents. Great with grilled chicken.
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Been a fan of 2008 Can Blau Montsant for a few years. This vintage showed up for $5 less..not sure why, or if the only difference is vintage & label?? Doesn't have the smokiness of the 2008 old friend, more of a meatiness. Great same nose of ripe dark berries, chocolate, richness. Decanted, but still tasted better on day 2. Big deep dark blackberry & cherry, some notes of bacon. May be worth it to cellar for a bit & see what happens.
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This is a delicious wine, especially at the $10 tariff. Nice mix of red and black fruit, balanced minerality and nice acidity. Fills the niche as a quaffer nicely, and works well with food.
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WOW! This was a super pleasant surprise... for a 2009 I didn't expect such depth and flavor, tasting more aged than it is... so then I have to wonder how much potential it really has at it's peak of shelf life! Go get some, if you can... it's a BIG one so look out!
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Decanted for couple hours prior to drinking. There is lots of fruit in this one, but the finish isn't quite as balanced as I would like. The tannis are overpowered by the acidity. Give this wine another 6 months to year and it should come together and be quite good.
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10/24/2016 - Bluecollar wrote: 91 Points
Crowd favorite among 4 other spanish wines.
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10/23/2016 - Bluecollar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking very well now, with no need to decant. Balanced and sturdy, with an ability to stand up to big food flavors, without being over muscular by itself. Held up over the evening with no fading.
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9/23/2015 - gew71walsh wrote: 90 Points
Big red and black fruit on the nose and palate. Dark purple in the glass. I think the acidity and tannins are in balance. A lingering finish.
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12/4/2014 - Leomania Likes this wine: 88 Points
Still drinking surprisingly well. See previous notes. Nice midweek wine.
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11/3/2014 - jwilkey Likes this wine: 88 Points
The wine looks ruby colored with medium legs and no sediment. It smells and tastes like blackberry and black currant with pleasant tannin that softens during dinner. It is a medium body, smooth wine with low acidity and a very nice finish. A great value at $12.
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9/26/2014 - Bluecollar wrote: 90 Points
This wine has improved since my last tasting and was quite enjoyable. Somewhat muted nose of black floral fruit, but bursting with flavor. Sweet black cherry, cedar, and flint with billowy tannins that gave it some life in the middle. Medium length finish.
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9/1/2014 - jwilkey Likes this wine: 89 Points
This Spanish blend of 50% Mazuelo, 25% Syrah and 25% Garnacha is a real winner for its price. It has been liked by all of our guests. The wine looks ruby colored with medium legs and a small bit of sediment in the bottle. The nose hints of raspberry, cherry and other fruits and there is a distinct blackberry, red currant and cherry taste with a hint of oak and low acidity. This is a medium to full bodied wine with a polished texture and a long finish. You just can't go wrong for the price and it might be drinking well into the next decade.
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6/12/2014 - Bluecollar wrote: 88 Points
Solid everyday wine that is well integrated and ready to drink now. Will probably hold for a while but not sure it has anything else to give.
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5/21/2014 - Joesap wrote:
Grade: VG+ Very pleasant easy-drinker and crowd-pleaser from Monsant, worth grabbing a case of. Deep purple in the glass, bright red and black fruit on the nose with wet stone and some vanilla, raspberry and blackberry on the palate with some minerality and nicely balanced acidity, medium finish with very fine grained tannins.
My Grades: EXX-Exceptional, EX-Excellent, VG-Very Good, G-Good, O-Ordinary, P-Poor, U-Ungraded
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5/4/2014 - Leomania Likes this wine: 88 Points
Simple and delicious Montsant. Consistent with previous bottles. Holding okay but time to drink up methinks.
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1/1/2014 - ghollen Likes this wine:
Liked it very much. Tasted dark cherry in it. Very floral.
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12/5/2013 - Leomania wrote: 87 Points
Red berries, minerality, good acidity. A good Montsant value, drinking well now.
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11/13/2013 - Leomania Likes this wine: 89 Points
What an enjoyable bottle of wine. Red fruit, spice, good lift. Just when you think it might go juicy, the acidity provides a nice lift into the medium finish. Really nice balance for such an entry-level wine.
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11/13/2013 - gew71walsh wrote: 90 Points
Deep purple color. Nose of blackberries and other dark fruits. Smooth on the palate, especially as the night wore on. Probably liked this better than other CTers. Paired well with a roasted pork loin chop and scalloped potatoes.
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10/1/2013 - Bluecollar wrote: 87 Points
This wine is dense, restrained, and fine to drink, but not living up to the ratings. Black fruit, bay leaf, and anise flavors. Time will tell if it comes out to play
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9/27/2013 - Leomania Likes this wine: 87 Points
Pomegranate, raspberry, wet rocks. I think this is plenty soft now, would recommend drinking up in the next year.
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7/24/2013 - mpmullic wrote:
Good every day drinker for the money. Interesting butterscotch nose. Little bit of mid-palate barnyard eucalyptus bomb. Not the pick if you like a long finish.
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6/15/2013 - Ceo wrote: 90 Points
It is drink great now with Fajitas!!!
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5/18/2013 - vegasoenophile Likes this wine: 88 Points
50% Mazuelo, 25% Syrah, 25% Garnacha. Ripe red fruit aromas with rose and violet with pepper. Also hints of blue and black plum. Purple notes. Juicy on the palate with nice texture. Raspberry and cherry flavors with blackberry, marionberry and pepper. Hints of currant. Nice and full bodied. Nice complexity of flavor.
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2/27/2013 - Leomania Likes this wine: 87 Points
Delicious. Saw a bit of seepage on the cork, but no obvious harm to the wine. Previous notes still apply. Holding up extremely well, no hurry.
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2/17/2013 - CTTarheel Likes this wine: 86 Points
Not very memorable Spanish syrah blend. Semi-dark with a bit of cherry nose. Strangely short finish and not enough body. A bit of tannins, earth and tobacco. Did not hold up to bold food. Label is gorgeous though.
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2/8/2013 - slywka7 wrote: 89 Points
Pulled from wine fridge and decanted. Still a little cool upon first tasting. Notes of cherry, game and spice. Flavors of cherry, dill and a touch of earth. Not as good as the first time I had it.
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1/23/2013 - jjtim Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drink with dark chocolate, or a meal that has very bold rich flavors. Has a lot of spice notes, big bold red flavor, purple in color.
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1/19/2013 - t4drman Likes this wine: 85 Points
A nice, solid wine featuring a welcoming, earthy nose followed by a hearty but not too rich flavor bearing similar attributes that you would expect from the aromas. There also is a fruit component to the flavor but not an overly strong presence. A good food wine. Enjoy.
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11/30/2012 - babaji Likes this wine:
Good value. A bit strong but a good, basic example of Spanish Montsant
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11/6/2012 - Richard123 wrote: 86 Points
Well-balanced: dark fruits, light tannin, some spicy pepper, and a hint of smoke. Easy drinking, although not particularly complex. A good bottle for late evening?
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11/5/2012 - MH Amateur wrote: 88 Points
Would buy again
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10/26/2012 - Leomania Likes this wine: 87 Points
Blue fruit, a bit of tar and leather. Enjoyable, but was not a good pairing with pizza. Nice on its own.
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10/7/2012 - tjdripper wrote: 89 Points
Great!! Enjoyed this one with a BBQ beef brisket, some Greek oven-roasted potatoes, and baked beans. It was a great pairing. Dark inky purple/red color. Big fruity nose of black/red fruits with some baking spice. Huge fruit on the palate. Flavors of blackberry, black cherry, molasses, and cigar smoke. Great value at $13. The regular Can Blau with the other label is usually $18 in my market and the differences are not that great. The more expensive Can Blau has more smokey elements to it. I would like to buy a case of this.
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10/6/2012 - JenXH wrote: 88 Points
Told that this 09 Blau is not just a different vintage than the 08 Can Blau I've been enjoying for years, but a totally different wine altogether. Prefer the Can Blau for it's smokiness, but this one is delicious as well. Great wine for the price. Bumped it up 2 points from my last rating. Enjoyed it so much with food, delicious with BBQ beef brisket. Smooth, good balance of fruitiness & dryness. Gorgeous label would help make it a nice gift.
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9/8/2012 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 87 Points
I was pleasantly surprised by this wine. Black cherries and some toast on the nose. Solid fruit, not too jammy, lovely herb and tobacco accents. Great with grilled chicken.
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9/3/2012 - JenXH wrote: 86 Points
Been a fan of 2008 Can Blau Montsant for a few years. This vintage showed up for $5 less..not sure why, or if the only difference is vintage & label?? Doesn't have the smokiness of the 2008 old friend, more of a meatiness. Great same nose of ripe dark berries, chocolate, richness. Decanted, but still tasted better on day 2. Big deep dark blackberry & cherry, some notes of bacon. May be worth it to cellar for a bit & see what happens.
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7/24/2012 - Leomania Likes this wine: 88 Points
This is a delicious wine, especially at the $10 tariff. Nice mix of red and black fruit, balanced minerality and nice acidity. Fills the niche as a quaffer nicely, and works well with food.
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6/15/2012 - Cbevill wrote: 85 Points
Not too dry or complex. Nice finish
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5/27/2012 - blacklock wrote: 91 Points
WOW! This was a super pleasant surprise... for a 2009 I didn't expect such depth and flavor, tasting more aged than it is... so then I have to wonder how much potential it really has at it's peak of shelf life! Go get some, if you can... it's a BIG one so look out!
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4/21/2012 - csillabu wrote: 87 Points
Decanted for couple hours prior to drinking. There is lots of fruit in this one, but the finish isn't quite as balanced as I would like. The tannis are overpowered by the acidity. Give this wine another 6 months to year and it should come together and be quite good.
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1/30/2012 - jtt300 wrote: 90 Points
Great blend. Cherries/berries good balance. great value
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