Dark purple. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cherries and licorice with floral, mineral and spice notes in the nose. Lots of black fruit, plums, licorice and spice in the flavor. A rich elegant wine, complex, full bodied with nice acidity and a very long silky finish.
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Can't say I was expecting an excellent wine, but this was quite good. Drinking well, has the sharpness or acidity of a grenache, but very nice fruit with a good finish.
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Almost pinoesque on opening. A ripe cherry nose. Some green on the tongue initially. Quite surprised the alcohol is 15.6%. Cherry morphs into a darker red with some purple fruit emerging. Very long finish.
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From memory last night at The Source in DC, SO'd for a few hrs then decanted at the restaurant, deep ruby, red & black fruit with spice, mod. tannins, long finish; delicious, but still a little young, drink or preferably hold (has been hard for me to do....). Will try to get more
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Double decanted, med. purple, red & black fruit with cinnamon & a touch of pepper (influence of the 15% syrah), mod. tannins, long finish; delicious but still a little young, drink or preferably hold for a couple of yrs
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This was drank at open without decanting. The wine was clear and purple (with a slight hue of ruby) in colour and it had a nose of tobacco, burnt cherries and (in what was a first for me) bacon. When tasted, the wine had strong flavours of red cherries, tobacco and some vanilla. There was a slight sour aftertaste and the acidity was quite weak while the tannins were noticeable but not overpowering. I enjoyed this bottle tonight.
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A wow wine. Great dense flavors of red cherry, strawberries, and raspberries. Seductive and smooth, rich and full bodied, yet very well balanced. Very much in the same vein as SQN. (had the 2009 SQN upside down grenache the next day) A wine, I can't imagine anyone not liking. Seek this out!
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PnP'd, then drank over 2 hours. Rich, black cherries, wild raspberry, some spice. Nice fruit but still a bit tight. Drinkable now with some air or hold.
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Deep, dark purple - opaque, but not cloudy. Very jammy, brambly, somewhat wild nose - blackberry tart. Surprisingly lively on the palate for what looks like a brooding wine. Classic Grenache kirsch flavors. Still has some grippy tannins...needs more time. Fruit seems to be holding, so wait a bit on this.
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A day of lots of SQN and a few more!; 12/7/2014-12/9/2014 (Loretta Paganini School of Cooking and the Woods of Newbury): This is really great but after all the great SQN Grenaches, it was a bit unfair. Still, this outstanding. Ruby in color with purple swirls. The nose has black cherries, black raspberries and spice. Full bodied. Young. Lots of black cherry and raspberry fruit on the palate. Long finish. Going back to it later in the night, it had started to really open up showing a bit more oak, but also a tight layering suggesting further development.
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I did not rate as not sure this one in top form. I was concerned by the soft cork and the wine displayed dark fruits but a thin finish and some rather disjointed heat....
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This was brought to a local restaurant and decanted for 30-45 minutes. Clear and medium ruby in colour. Although the nose was always clean, originally it was light in intensity due to the fact that it was still quite chilled. When it warmed to proper temperatures, it was of medium intensity with red fruits. On the palate was an off dry wine with medium acidity and tannins. The body was slightly less than medium with quite a bit a of red cherries and some noticeable caramel. Quite enjoyable overall but it need more time.
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Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Big, fat and lush fruit start, clearly a New World Rhone varietal. Lots of plum and black cherry but with a restraint and balance that surprised me when this was unveiled as Alban. Very good in its style.
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12/25/2022 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark purple. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cherries and licorice with floral, mineral and spice notes in the nose. Lots of black fruit, plums, licorice and spice in the flavor. A rich elegant wine, complex, full bodied with nice acidity and a very long silky finish.
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8/29/2022 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Can't say I was expecting an excellent wine, but this was quite good. Drinking well, has the sharpness or acidity of a grenache, but very nice fruit with a good finish.
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2/15/2022 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Almost pinoesque on opening. A ripe cherry nose. Some green on the tongue initially. Quite surprised the alcohol is 15.6%. Cherry morphs into a darker red with some purple fruit emerging. Very long finish.
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6/12/2019 - wardawg100 wrote: 95 Points
Robert Parker 95
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2/2/2019 - WineDoctors wrote: 91 Points
Hi octane. Beautiful developed notes. Garnet. Color nearly beaks. Grapey. Blueberry. Black olive silky tannins and smooth finish.
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10/8/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
From memory last night at The Source in DC, SO'd for a few hrs then decanted at the restaurant, deep ruby, red & black fruit with spice, mod. tannins, long finish; delicious, but still a little young, drink or preferably hold (has been hard for me to do....). Will try to get more
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7/1/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted for an hr then returned to the bottle; similar to prior notes, but even better; amazing juice, drink or hold
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1/21/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Double decanted, med. purple, red & black fruit with cinnamon & a touch of pepper (influence of the 15% syrah), mod. tannins, long finish; delicious but still a little young, drink or preferably hold for a couple of yrs
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2/12/2016 - Knicksfan wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful ripe fruit yet well balanced and structured. In a very nice place and likely to improve.
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12/20/2015 - Rosengoo wrote: 93 Points
This was drank at open without decanting. The wine was clear and purple (with a slight hue of ruby) in colour and it had a nose of tobacco, burnt cherries and (in what was a first for me) bacon. When tasted, the wine had strong flavours of red cherries, tobacco and some vanilla. There was a slight sour aftertaste and the acidity was quite weak while the tannins were noticeable but not overpowering. I enjoyed this bottle tonight.
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8/29/2015 - KenK Likes this wine: 95 Points
A wow wine. Great dense flavors of red cherry, strawberries, and raspberries. Seductive and smooth, rich and full bodied, yet very well balanced. Very much in the same vein as SQN. (had the 2009 SQN upside down grenache the next day) A wine, I can't imagine anyone not liking. Seek this out!
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6/26/2015 - brianofthevine wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful ripe raspberry and blackberry fruit with some floral components and subtle earth.
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6/12/2015 - patwjr Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP'd, then drank over 2 hours. Rich, black cherries, wild raspberry, some spice. Nice fruit but still a bit tight. Drinkable now with some air or hold.
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3/1/2015 - WestJohnson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep, dark purple - opaque, but not cloudy. Very jammy, brambly, somewhat wild nose - blackberry tart. Surprisingly lively on the palate for what looks like a brooding wine. Classic Grenache kirsch flavors. Still has some grippy tannins...needs more time. Fruit seems to be holding, so wait a bit on this.
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12/19/2014 - Dnathanson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Has improved since the last time I opened a bottle...slowly getting into a good drinking window.
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12/7/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
A day of lots of SQN and a few more!; 12/7/2014-12/9/2014 (Loretta Paganini School of Cooking and the Woods of Newbury): This is really great but after all the great SQN Grenaches, it was a bit unfair. Still, this outstanding. Ruby in color with purple swirls. The nose has black cherries, black raspberries and spice. Full bodied. Young. Lots of black cherry and raspberry fruit on the palate. Long finish. Going back to it later in the night, it had started to really open up showing a bit more oak, but also a tight layering suggesting further development.
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11/7/2014 - Dnathanson wrote: 91 Points
Needs time to open
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6/19/2014 - Stumpy wrote:
I did not rate as not sure this one in top form. I was concerned by the soft cork and the wine displayed dark fruits but a thin finish and some rather disjointed heat....
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8/10/2013 - Rosengoo wrote: 91 Points
This was brought to a local restaurant and decanted for 30-45 minutes. Clear and medium ruby in colour. Although the nose was always clean, originally it was light in intensity due to the fact that it was still quite chilled. When it warmed to proper temperatures, it was of medium intensity with red fruits.
On the palate was an off dry wine with medium acidity and tannins. The body was slightly less than medium with quite a bit a of red cherries and some noticeable caramel. Quite enjoyable overall but it need more time.
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3/16/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Big, fat and lush fruit start, clearly a New World Rhone varietal. Lots of plum and black cherry but with a restraint and balance that surprised me when this was unveiled as Alban. Very good in its style.
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