Drank with beef tenderloin Xmas Day dinner. Fruit and earth on the nose. Balanced palate of fruit, earth, tobacco, and acidity with a lingering finish. There was a little funk when first opened but it mellowed after about 45 minutes.
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Enjoyed this distinctively carmenere until it gave out a terrible headache. The boiled peas nose is memorable and quite pleasant. Too bad I won't ever want to touch this again given the headache.
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Drank over 3 days. Best on night 2 after some air. Significant funk, tar, and burnt rubber. Dark cherry cough drops. Medium to full bodied. Smooth tannins. Overall interesting wine but the wife didn't like the funkiness.
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Excellent value at $14.37/bottle at Le Matin in Lexington. On the second day, it showed distinct flavors of Luden's cherry cough drops, along with bell pepper, blackcurrant, coffee, and the other flavors one expects from a Chilean Carmenere. Good stuff.
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Drank over 4 days. Dark purple color. Cherry cough syrup and oak on the first day. Mellowed out with more toasty oak arriving on consecutive days. By the third day the wine was balanced, medium body with a strong fruit component and plenty of oak. Some black pepper elements eventually emerged from the Carmenere. Not my style, but I can imagine this appealing to a lot of consumers.
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Delicious, with flavors and aromas of bell pepper, french roast coffee, and axle grease/cosmoline (in a good way!), wrapped around mixed black fruits (mostly black plum, I think), finishing with delicate floral nuances. This wine cost me $15 after tax, and drinks at a much higher price point. Worth a bulk purchase.
Edit: I need to bump up the score a bit. With air, more fruit is emerging, along with some sweet Indian spices. Man this stuff is good.
This wine is peaking right now. Kresolution nailed the tasting notes. Nice backbone of acidity keeps it fresh. Recommend chilling slightly and open bottle 1 hr before serving.
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Dark color. Coffee, beef, green bell pepper, and a hint of blueberries on the nose. Beautiful! Dark fruit, green pepper, a hint of spice and cedar. Gorgeous smooth tannins with long finish. Showing great right now. Bravo.
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The last of a few bottles that I bought awhile back. I wish that I had more. It seems to have really hit its stride now. Smooth, with good depth, purity of fruit. A very nice Carmenere.
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We drank this at the family reunion on Lake Michigan. I liked it and found it fruity but not jammy. This was my first Carmémère in a while. Chile does it well. Rated 91 by Wine Spectator. $14.
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A nose astonishingly similar to coffee. Still an interesting wine but the fruit has sadly drained at this point. I'm still finding the earthy/bell pepper thing, some prune and meat, acidity, an incredibly long finish. What verve. This is an exciting and fascinating bottle of wine.
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A disappointing if not altogether unpleasant Carménère, this shallow Gran Reserva opens with Cab-like cassis and other deep purple fruit before turning more Syrah-like, in a rather uninviting way, with meat, earth, and black pepper. It tastes quite a bit better than it smells, with characteristic green pepper and herbal notes adding belated complexity, but even then it doesn't have all that much to recommend it.
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Young, acidic and tannic at first but once it was allowed to breathe it opened up showed notes black fruits and pepper. For the money this is a great value. Can be aged for at least a few more years.
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Deep blackberry with an earthy and sulphur notes. Beautiful complex and rounded spice on the back palate. Great value in a wine and impressive complexity.
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Fascinating wine, and a very strong bargain in PA at $12.99. Richly colored, lots of smoke and tar, green pepper, coffee, dark fruits (esp. blackberry). Bright acidity. I think a very good wine and deserving of high marks at this price.
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Nose: big and rich with ripe black fruits (plum, blackberry, currant), but also dried fig, dates and molasses. Vanilla, cedar wood chips, and sweetgrass. Little bit of violet on the undertone. Very attractive nose. Taste: dry, medium body, rich ripe fruits without being juicy or jammy: black currant, blackberry, plum and figs. Tannins are subtle and rich, with a very silky and lengthy finish. Texture is creamy and has good depth and structure. Mid palate brings vanilla, creme brûlée, and raspberry leaf. Extremely delicious, crowd pleaser without being simple. What can I say? Just WOW. 92.
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PLCB Fall 2014 CS Tasting (KoP): Strongest coffee note I've ever smelled or tasted in a wine. More like Joe than grape juice. Amazing.
Even at the Chairman's price, hard to recommend because of my past experience with this particular wine and inconsistency from bottle to bottle - some great, some undrinkable.
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3/17/2020 - wtianseter wrote:
Don't remember anything about this one at all so I assume it was nothing special.
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12/25/2016 - Mr. Slate Likes this wine: 87 Points
Drank with beef tenderloin Xmas Day dinner. Fruit and earth on the nose. Balanced palate of fruit, earth, tobacco, and acidity with a lingering finish. There was a little funk when first opened but it mellowed after about 45 minutes.
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5/23/2016 - convex Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Enjoyed this distinctively carmenere until it gave out a terrible headache. The boiled peas nose is memorable and quite pleasant. Too bad I won't ever want to touch this again given the headache.
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3/16/2016 - tigerpaw75 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Drank over 3 days. Best on night 2 after some air. Significant funk, tar, and burnt rubber. Dark cherry cough drops. Medium to full bodied. Smooth tannins. Overall interesting wine but the wife didn't like the funkiness.
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2/26/2016 - Swaggering Beaunie Likes this wine: 89 Points
Excellent value at $14.37/bottle at Le Matin in Lexington. On the second day, it showed distinct flavors of Luden's cherry cough drops, along with bell pepper, blackcurrant, coffee, and the other flavors one expects from a Chilean Carmenere. Good stuff.
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2/11/2016 - lelandinmichigan wrote:
Drank over 4 days. Dark purple color. Cherry cough syrup and oak on the first day.
Mellowed out with more toasty oak arriving on consecutive days. By the third day the wine was balanced, medium body with a strong fruit component and plenty of oak. Some black pepper elements eventually emerged from the Carmenere. Not my style, but I can imagine this appealing to a lot of consumers.
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2/5/2016 - Swaggering Beaunie Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious, with flavors and aromas of bell pepper, french roast coffee, and axle grease/cosmoline (in a good way!), wrapped around mixed black fruits (mostly black plum, I think), finishing with delicate floral nuances. This wine cost me $15 after tax, and drinks at a much higher price point. Worth a bulk purchase.
Edit: I need to bump up the score a bit. With air, more fruit is emerging, along with some sweet Indian spices. Man this stuff is good.
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1/25/2016 - wynja Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine is peaking right now. Kresolution nailed the tasting notes. Nice backbone of acidity keeps it fresh. Recommend chilling slightly and open bottle 1 hr before serving.
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1/6/2016 - Kresolution wrote: 91 Points
Dark color. Coffee, beef, green bell pepper, and a hint of blueberries on the nose. Beautiful! Dark fruit, green pepper, a hint of spice and cedar. Gorgeous smooth tannins with long finish. Showing great right now. Bravo.
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11/29/2015 - rougeamore Likes this wine: 90 Points
Blackberry and raspberry notes with a hint of green pepper. Very smooth. Firm tannins. Great value for the price.
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11/12/2015 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good structure, nicely mellowed fruit (relatively) and decent acid. Bell peppers, black pepper and coffee
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11/4/2015 - twfwinedude Likes this wine:
The last of a few bottles that I bought awhile back. I wish that I had more. It seems to have really hit its stride now. Smooth, with good depth, purity of fruit. A very nice Carmenere.
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8/20/2015 - tklock16 wrote: 89 Points
Must breathe for full flavor. Full bouquet, berry and spicy. Great tannins.
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7/19/2015 - Ombibulous Likes this wine:
We drank this at the family reunion on Lake Michigan. I liked it and found it fruity but not jammy. This was my first Carmémère in a while. Chile does it well. Rated 91 by Wine Spectator. $14.
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7/18/2015 - jeffal66 Likes this wine: 89 Points
A nose astonishingly similar to coffee. Still an interesting wine but the fruit has sadly drained at this point. I'm still finding the earthy/bell pepper thing, some prune and meat, acidity, an incredibly long finish. What verve. This is an exciting and fascinating bottle of wine.
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7/6/2015 - Alain C Likes this wine: 85 Points
Couleur ruby, intensité moyenne. Nez de fruits rouges. En bouche, belle acidité mais équilibre harmonieux. Bon rapport qualité prix.
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6/30/2015 - mjwstickings Likes this wine: 86 Points
A disappointing if not altogether unpleasant Carménère, this shallow Gran Reserva opens with Cab-like cassis and other deep purple fruit before turning more Syrah-like, in a rather uninviting way, with meat, earth, and black pepper. It tastes quite a bit better than it smells, with characteristic green pepper and herbal notes adding belated complexity, but even then it doesn't have all that much to recommend it.
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5/9/2015 - Jae Likes this wine: 90 Points
Young, acidic and tannic at first but once it was allowed to breathe it opened up showed notes black fruits and pepper. For the money this is a great value. Can be aged for at least a few more years.
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5/8/2015 - audeyoe Likes this wine: 88 Points
Extremely deep, dark, heavy, and full-bodied. Flavors of plum and black cherries. Not for the faint of heart, but quite a journey.
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4/24/2015 - Cyberpana wrote: 88 Points
Cherries, pepper, mint, smooth in the mouth, middle body. Great value for the price. I definitely buy it again.
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4/17/2015 - tsdv wrote: 88 Points
Different. Smells exactly like coffee at first, blew off after couple hours. Big, spicy, dry.
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4/3/2015 - Wallacmb wrote:
Deep blackberry with an earthy and sulphur notes. Beautiful complex and rounded spice on the back palate. Great value in a wine and impressive complexity.
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4/1/2015 - jeffal66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fascinating wine, and a very strong bargain in PA at $12.99. Richly colored, lots of smoke and tar, green pepper, coffee, dark fruits (esp. blackberry). Bright acidity. I think a very good wine and deserving of high marks at this price.
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3/28/2015 - thirsty_cat wrote: 92 Points
Nose: big and rich with ripe black fruits (plum, blackberry, currant), but also dried fig, dates and molasses. Vanilla, cedar wood chips, and sweetgrass. Little bit of violet on the undertone. Very attractive nose. Taste: dry, medium body, rich ripe fruits without being juicy or jammy: black currant, blackberry, plum and figs. Tannins are subtle and rich, with a very silky and lengthy finish. Texture is creamy and has good depth and structure. Mid palate brings vanilla, creme brûlée, and raspberry leaf. Extremely delicious, crowd pleaser without being simple. What can I say? Just WOW. 92.
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3/23/2015 - GTFreek wrote:
Blind tasted. Burned earth, fresh pine, red currants, spicy blackberry. I said Chilean Cab, most got Carmenere right.
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2/22/2015 - Chateau du Fey 1994 wrote: 85 Points
nothing special but decent QPR. Good Tuesday night wine.
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2/17/2015 - twfwinedude Likes this wine:
A very sound Carmenere with tasty fruit.
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11/5/2014 - lifeattable wrote:
PLCB Fall 2014 CS Tasting (KoP): Strongest coffee note I've ever smelled or tasted in a wine. More like Joe than grape juice. Amazing.
Even at the Chairman's price, hard to recommend because of my past experience with this particular wine and inconsistency from bottle to bottle - some great, some undrinkable.
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10/5/2014 - Brett and Megan Likes this wine: 90 Points
green peppers, onions; great with steak
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9/24/2014 - Red@Sunset Likes this wine: 90 Points
Needs time to open.
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8/27/2014 - PT insurgent wrote:
Big tobacco notes. Ripe dark fruits, dark chocolate and spicy notes.
Great value.
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8/4/2014 - wino121 wrote: 91 Points
A must decant, which really rounded this out.
An exceptional value.
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