This still has a fair amount of mildly harsh tannins. The fruit is well aged and mostly gone. Mild to moderate acidity. It is hard to say if additional aging will smooth this out to the degree that the other elements will not suffer. It is a gamble to hold until 2025.
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Clear, slightly pale garnet with significant rim browning. Anise, white pepper , rhubarb. Medium to low acids, low tannins. Cinnamon. Medium to long balanced finish.
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This was nice, but for me did not live up to the 94 WS rating. We opened it alongside the standard Seghesio Zin from the same vintage, and we all thought the regular cuvee bested it.
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Intensely dark red. Strawberry jam, roasted red pepper, and cedar nose. Medium bodied, cranberries, dusty cherries, black pepper, strong but well integrated tannins, leather, smoke, a bit of heat, and a medium plus finish. It takes some time to open up, but patience is well rewarded.
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Deep, dark red color with a somewhat pruney brownish hue. The brooding nose feels quite dark-toned with concentrated aromas of dark fruits, some aromatic sweet oak spice, a little bit of dried figs, light chocolatey notes and a hint of juicy boysenberry. The wine is dense, concentrated and somewhat hot on the palate with noticeably full body and intense flavors of ripe dark berries, some sweet strawberries, a little bit of spicy bitterness, a hint of chocolatey oak and a touch of dried figs. The wine is surprisingly structured for a Zin with lively, moderately high acidity and quite ample and firm yet pleasantly mellow tannins. The finish is long, warm and spicy with intense flavors of sweet figs, some raisiny dark fruits, a little bit of ripe dark berries, light chocolatey oak notes, a hint of toasted wood and a touch of strawberry jam. The tannins lend a gentle touch of astringent grip to the aftertaste.
A surprisingly firm, structured and serious Zinfandel with good sense of balance and intensity. Flavor-wise the wine is a classic Zinfandel: very ripe and sweetly-fruited with quite a bit of emphasis on the oak character. However, the wine doesn't come across as too overdone or ponderous and with its harmonious structure I can expect the wine to not just keep, but actually develop in a cellar. Zinfandel has never been a grape variety for my taste, but if I was looking for a high-quality Zin or just a well-made new world red with a lot of body and fruit, this would be a serious contender. Although not a wine for my taste, the high quality here is obvious and thus the wine is rated accordingly.
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En flott vin til grilling med en kraftig duft av mrke br, krydder og litt avslepen eik og fatlagring. Denne vinen er fortsatt ung og krever masse luft for og apne seg. Bredbunnet karaffel gjr underverker. Vinen byr pa masse frisk frukt, men vinen viser ogsa et lite skjemmende alkoholstikk (15%). Men til grilling og en saftig entrecote er denne bare et fantastisk flge.
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Deep, almost cloudy red with a thick rim. Big nose, lots of dark fruit. Mostly blackberries. Then graham crackers, nuts, warm gravel/minerals and sage/driftwood with hints of dark chocolate. On the palate, this Zinfandel is big and powerful. Starts out with great acidity and serves layers of fruit and a medium dry finish. Tannins are smooth and length on the finish is good. I don´t see this wine developing very much more than a few more years in my opinion. Overall, this is a big concentrated Zin that is pushing the limit on the alcohol level. Still, I liked it a lot. It´s more complex than the regular Sonoma bottling from Seghesio. Less fruit-forward, more spicy and complex. Would be very interesting to try another vintage of this. 91+
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I am really enjoying this wine tonight. Clear and very dark garnet. Nose of smoke, blackberry, and cedar. Ripe juicy palate of blackberry, black cherry, licorice, spice, and mild toasty oak. Very good length. Refreshing acidity. Mild tannins. Lovely balance without much noticeable alcohol.
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dark berry, dark cherry, some floral on the nose. Taste of dark berrys and dark cherry, some bacon chocolate and a little smokiness. nice finish. went very well with a rib eye.
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The 16.0% alcohol makes this an alcoholic mess I'll never buy again. The rest of my family liked it though, but I'm very sensitive to alcoholic heat in my wines.
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It smells like strawberry jam and black pepper. The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. This was a very good wine.
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Dark garnet color - nose of dark berry, spice, cedar, currants. Nice balance - not too much alcohol, l lots of dark fruit and spice, hint of cedar, currant and chocolate. Very nice zin - even better after an hour.
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This opaque ruby wine offers a beautiful balance of fruit, acid and tannic structure. Wild berries, baking spices, dried herbs and cedar adorn both the nose and palate. Full-bodied, freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic (14.8%) and with big sweet tannins, it delivers its payload nicely through the middle palate and closes very long. This is a "restrained" version of the grape which has plenty of fruit but does not flirt with over-ripeness. Bravo! Drink now-2017.
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Nice aromas of black berries, cherry and chocolate. Big, bold and jammy in the mouth, finish of with some tannins and acid. Good complexity. For my taste it is too jammy in the mouth.
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Some rusticity and heat initially, then opens up to kir Cherry and ripe rasberry. Oak is there, but nicely in the background. Lush, berryish fruit with some Zin spice and the right amount of tannin and acid to reign in. A joy to drink after 20 minutes of being poured. I had this 6 months ago, and it has improved. Rich, Lush and Rustic without too much heat, nor jamminess.
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This was the third wine of the night, so we just had a taste and rest is recorked. Wow, what a difference to the Carlisle. A nice wine but without Direction.
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Opened this on our anniversary. Hey it's a Tuesday night so didn't want to go too crazy. Juicy blackberries & boysenberries with notes of cinnamon stick and red licorice. 14.9% alcohol but it hides it very well. No heat on the finish whatsoever. A fine example of Zin done right.
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Definitely one of the better Zins out there when you are looking for one that isn't way jammy or fruity. This drinks very nicely on its own and also pairs well with sweet and/or spicy food.
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Rich cherry, anise and spice. Lighter and more elegant and refreshing than most Zin's that I have tasted recently. Excellent match this evening for barbequed pork ribs.
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Great dark color. Nose of black cherry, violets, hunt of vanilla ice cream. Mouth builds into dark fruit, moderate tannins, and nice spiciness. Finish lingers a bit. I've always loved this wine, but 2011 seems lighter and quicker than earlier years. This one lacks the rustiness and bold depth of earlier vintages. It's really good but seems to be a slight step back. But still yummy.
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I'm sticking with my theory that 2010 and even more 2011 wines from Oregon, Washington and Northern Calif should be purchased only after tasting. Bought this in Atlanta to taste with my kids. I like Seghesio Old Vine but this is light and acidic. Really light. Mediocre. Blahhj
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Deep dark color. FULL bodied. Intense nose with a hint of alcohol on the finish. Big berries, and black pepper. It does not take long to open up. Although I think an hour in the decanter and I might rate it a bit higher. Great with red meat obviously, but a nice hard cheese and chorizo carcuterie plate is good too.
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Nice deep dark berry nose with dark indigo hue. Drank very nicely, smooth, little spicy, medium-long finish. Tasted great with salt and vinegar almonds. Nice effort by Seghesio!
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Opaque purple. Oak, black fruit and spice nose. Lush blueberry and raspberry flavor. Less spice than in the nose but it is still there. Medium weight and texture. Great acidity. Under 15% alcohol. Got much better after a a couple of hours of air.
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1/5/2022 - jmcafee Likes this wine:
This still has a fair amount of mildly harsh tannins. The fruit is well aged and mostly gone. Mild to moderate acidity. It is hard to say if additional aging will smooth this out to the degree that the other elements will not suffer. It is a gamble to hold until 2025.
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8/30/2020 - GGinSF wrote: 90 Points
Still showing great fruit, balanced tannins. Delicious.
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4/16/2020 - CJM wrote: 90 Points
Clear, slightly pale garnet with significant rim browning. Anise, white pepper , rhubarb. Medium to low acids, low tannins. Cinnamon. Medium to long balanced finish.
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4/8/2020 - GGinSF wrote: 90 Points
My previous bottle opened in late 2018 seemed slightly passed its prime, but the one opened tonight is perfect. Big fruit, but balanced.
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9/7/2019 - JuliannaDHS wrote: 90 Points
For my tastes, this could use more time. Primary and intense with loads of ripe fruit and spices winding through from beginning to end.
Interesting and fun to be drinking this in Paris. And that'd be France, not Texas.
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1/27/2019 - dalemosier Likes this wine: 91 Points
Complex taste with great balance. Went well with the rack of lamb
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1/1/2019 - Pour Boy wrote: 89 Points
This was nice, but for me did not live up to the 94 WS rating. We opened it alongside the standard Seghesio Zin from the same vintage, and we all thought the regular cuvee bested it.
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12/19/2018 - Tlkemp57@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nicely aged with a bit of heat on the finish.
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12/16/2018 - dalemosier Likes this wine: 90 Points
Did side by side with Seghesio Home Ranch 2011 - Home Ranch much better - more complex and fuller bodied without being more fruit forward.
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10/4/2018 - GGinSF wrote: 89 Points
A great wine, but I think it’s a bit past its prime. A classic California Zin, with great fruit but not a jammy mess.
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4/28/2018 - bbcc66 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hr. Delicious, consistent, lively tastes of strawberry, cranberry, cherry, pepper & spice with a nice finish.
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3/18/2017 - merryberry Likes this wine: 90 Points
Intensely dark red. Strawberry jam, roasted red pepper, and cedar nose. Medium bodied, cranberries, dusty cherries, black pepper, strong but well integrated tannins, leather, smoke, a bit of heat, and a medium plus finish. It takes some time to open up, but patience is well rewarded.
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8/30/2016 - Tlkemp57@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Needs a little time to open up. Classic Zin.
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7/17/2016 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
38th Annual Zinfandel Retrospective - the 2011s (R&D's): Peppery, brambly zinfandel fruit on the nose and palate. Finishes with nice length.
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5/31/2016 - pugblanc wrote: 84 Points
Dark yet brown intensity. Slight splaying on cork. A little prune on open. Settled with air. Cherry raspberry. Vanilla. Flat.
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5/19/2016 - MacManifest Likes this wine: 92 Points
A beautiful Zin. Wow that's all I can say. Drink and enjoy.
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4/19/2016 - pugblanc wrote: 88 Points
Cherry vanilla caramel.
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3/13/2016 - Kayaklady Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely as always. This was not jammy at all, well balanced, opened up quickly but held through two days. Moderate finish.
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12/15/2015 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine: 90 Points
A nice balanced zin with good black fruits. Enjoyable, drink up soon as I don't think this will last more than 2 or 3 more years.
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10/22/2015 - forceberry wrote: 90 Points
Deep, dark red color with a somewhat pruney brownish hue. The brooding nose feels quite dark-toned with concentrated aromas of dark fruits, some aromatic sweet oak spice, a little bit of dried figs, light chocolatey notes and a hint of juicy boysenberry. The wine is dense, concentrated and somewhat hot on the palate with noticeably full body and intense flavors of ripe dark berries, some sweet strawberries, a little bit of spicy bitterness, a hint of chocolatey oak and a touch of dried figs. The wine is surprisingly structured for a Zin with lively, moderately high acidity and quite ample and firm yet pleasantly mellow tannins. The finish is long, warm and spicy with intense flavors of sweet figs, some raisiny dark fruits, a little bit of ripe dark berries, light chocolatey oak notes, a hint of toasted wood and a touch of strawberry jam. The tannins lend a gentle touch of astringent grip to the aftertaste.
A surprisingly firm, structured and serious Zinfandel with good sense of balance and intensity. Flavor-wise the wine is a classic Zinfandel: very ripe and sweetly-fruited with quite a bit of emphasis on the oak character. However, the wine doesn't come across as too overdone or ponderous and with its harmonious structure I can expect the wine to not just keep, but actually develop in a cellar. Zinfandel has never been a grape variety for my taste, but if I was looking for a high-quality Zin or just a well-made new world red with a lot of body and fruit, this would be a serious contender. Although not a wine for my taste, the high quality here is obvious and thus the wine is rated accordingly.
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10/22/2015 - sortiarius wrote: 88 Points
Too young as compared to the 2009 vintage (or 2011 Seghesio a less good vintage?). Complexity lacking. Will have a second look in 2017.
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7/24/2015 - Paulzzz Likes this wine: 91 Points
very tasty, cherry to the nose, fairly jammy.
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6/22/2015 - TastdaTore wrote: 90 Points
En flott vin til grilling med en kraftig duft av mrke br, krydder og litt avslepen eik og fatlagring. Denne vinen er fortsatt ung og krever masse luft for og apne seg. Bredbunnet karaffel gjr underverker. Vinen byr pa masse frisk frukt, men vinen viser ogsa et lite skjemmende alkoholstikk (15%). Men til grilling og en saftig entrecote er denne bare et fantastisk flge.
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6/20/2015 - askoje wrote: 91 Points
Deep, almost cloudy red with a thick rim. Big nose, lots of dark fruit. Mostly blackberries. Then graham crackers, nuts, warm gravel/minerals and sage/driftwood with hints of dark chocolate.
On the palate, this Zinfandel is big and powerful. Starts out with great acidity and serves layers of fruit and a medium dry finish. Tannins are smooth and length on the finish is good. I don´t see this wine developing very much more than a few more years in my opinion. Overall, this is a big concentrated Zin that is pushing the limit on the alcohol level. Still, I liked it a lot. It´s more complex than the regular Sonoma bottling from Seghesio. Less fruit-forward, more spicy and complex. Would be very interesting to try another vintage of this. 91+
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6/2/2015 - Wink Likes this wine: 90 Points
I am really enjoying this wine tonight. Clear and very dark garnet. Nose of smoke, blackberry, and cedar. Ripe juicy palate of blackberry, black cherry, licorice, spice, and mild toasty oak. Very good length. Refreshing acidity. Mild tannins. Lovely balance without much noticeable alcohol.
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5/15/2015 - winebot Likes this wine:
Always reliable. Wonderful with spaghetti.
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4/2/2015 - txtiebreaker Likes this wine: 89 Points
Just too early.
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3/22/2015 - Alcontd Likes this wine: 90 Points
dark berry, dark cherry, some floral on the nose. Taste of dark berrys and dark cherry, some bacon chocolate and a little smokiness.
nice finish. went very well with a rib eye.
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3/14/2015 - Zorg wrote:
The 16.0% alcohol makes this an alcoholic mess I'll never buy again. The rest of my family liked it though, but I'm very sensitive to alcoholic heat in my wines.
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1/2/2015 - dehaai5 wrote: 91 Points
It smells like strawberry jam and black pepper. The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. This was a very good wine.
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12/28/2014 - Alcontd Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark garnet color - nose of dark berry, spice, cedar, currants.
Nice balance - not too much alcohol, l lots of dark fruit and spice, hint of cedar, currant and chocolate. Very nice zin - even better after an hour.
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12/14/2014 - tantotinto wrote: 90 Points
See previous notes.
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12/10/2014 - gramanan Likes this wine: 90 Points
slowly develops warmth and spice on tongue. Cherry currant chocolate undertones. Beautiful balance.
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12/1/2014 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 91 Points
This opaque ruby wine offers a beautiful balance of fruit, acid and tannic structure. Wild berries, baking spices, dried herbs and cedar adorn both the nose and palate. Full-bodied, freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic (14.8%) and with big sweet tannins, it delivers its payload nicely through the middle palate and closes very long. This is a "restrained" version of the grape which has plenty of fruit but does not flirt with over-ripeness. Bravo! Drink now-2017.
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10/23/2014 - "Rhône Rider" Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Nice aromas of black berries, cherry and chocolate. Big, bold and jammy in the mouth, finish of with some tannins and acid. Good complexity. For my taste it is too jammy in the mouth.
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10/11/2014 - Winemaker51 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Some rusticity and heat initially, then opens up to kir Cherry and ripe rasberry. Oak is there, but nicely in the background. Lush, berryish fruit with some Zin spice and the right amount of tannin and acid to reign in. A joy to drink after 20 minutes of being poured. I had this 6 months ago, and it has improved. Rich, Lush and Rustic without too much heat, nor jamminess.
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10/5/2014 - Chasse_spleen wrote: 91 Points
Deep cherry and cola notes in the nose, some heat, but only a whiff. Good mouthfeel, with poignant acidity. Long taste, an honest wine.
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10/2/2014 - psusfca Likes this wine: 88 Points
This was the third wine of the night, so we just had a taste and rest is recorked. Wow, what a difference to the Carlisle. A nice wine but without Direction.
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9/23/2014 - brown57 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened this on our anniversary. Hey it's a Tuesday night so didn't want to go too crazy. Juicy blackberries & boysenberries with notes of cinnamon stick and red licorice. 14.9% alcohol but it hides it very well. No heat on the finish whatsoever. A fine example of Zin done right.
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7/30/2014 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Definitely one of the better Zins out there when you are looking for one that isn't way jammy or fruity. This drinks very nicely on its own and also pairs well with sweet and/or spicy food.
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5/25/2014 - tantotinto wrote: 91 Points
Rich cherry, anise and spice. Lighter and more elegant and refreshing than most Zin's that I have tasted recently. Excellent match this evening for barbequed pork ribs.
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5/16/2014 - jarfour wrote: 90 Points
Great dark color. Nose of black cherry, violets, hunt of vanilla ice cream. Mouth builds into dark fruit, moderate tannins, and nice spiciness. Finish lingers a bit. I've always loved this wine, but 2011 seems lighter and quicker than earlier years. This one lacks the rustiness and bold depth of earlier vintages. It's really good but seems to be a slight step back. But still yummy.
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1/24/2014 - blabbott wrote: 87 Points
I'm sticking with my theory that 2010 and even more 2011 wines from Oregon, Washington and Northern Calif should be purchased only after tasting. Bought this in Atlanta to taste with my kids. I like Seghesio Old Vine but this is light and acidic. Really light. Mediocre. Blahhj
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1/17/2014 - boobennett055 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Deep dark color. FULL bodied. Intense nose with a hint of alcohol on the finish. Big berries, and black pepper. It does not take long to open up. Although I think an hour in the decanter and I might rate it a bit higher. Great with red meat obviously, but a nice hard cheese and chorizo carcuterie plate is good too.
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1/4/2014 - fcupero wrote: 90 Points
White Tanks
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12/25/2013 - williamswhine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice deep dark berry nose with dark indigo hue. Drank very nicely, smooth, little spicy, medium-long finish. Tasted great with salt and vinegar almonds. Nice effort by Seghesio!
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12/20/2013 - tantotinto wrote: 90 Points
Opaque purple. Oak, black fruit and spice nose. Lush blueberry and raspberry flavor. Less spice than in the nose but it is still there. Medium weight and texture. Great acidity. Under 15% alcohol. Got much better after a a couple of hours of air.
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11/20/2013 - smokeandmirrors wrote:
needs a little time to open up, wait another year for the next bottle
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11/17/2013 - T.E.D. wrote: 90 Points
Defined nose and palate - both containing ample berry fruit tastes, dusty fruit, pepper and scorched earth.
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9/14/2013 - MarshPDX Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very young. Needs time.
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