Deep purplish ruby. Smells like stewed dark fruits, licorice, lemon, and graphite. Big and brash on the palate, medium body, acid, and finish, with flavors of dark fruits on the cooked side, lemon, and minerals. This is not a style of Italian wine I prefer. In fact, I doubt I'd guess Italy if you asked me blind—i would say inexpensive Argentine, Australian, or Californian (but either way, non-descript). Not sure if Luca Maroni reviewed this one, but he'd probably love it.
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A muted nose of some fruit and some spice, medium garnet in color. A medium bodied red blend, with cherry, plum, herbs and some spice, just did not work, not good. www.winelx.com
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Is there durif or primativo in this wine? Super dark, looking like petite sirah. Blue and sweet red fruit. There is some tannic structure but I'm not sure about the acidity as the sweetness may mask it.
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Served at room temperature with an entree of roasted chicken and trimmings.
Nice, non-vintage red blend w/grapes from Italy. Deep ruby red color, nose of red berries and darker fruit. Medium-bodied, Smooth, well-rounded, with just a hint of sweetness. A little Jammy, but maybe that is more because of the minimal acidity or tannins. Pleasant lingering finish. Nice just for sipping or with food.
(In a tasting comparison, liked better than a 2012 Luigi Bosca Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza) (WineSpectator rated 91 pts) opened at the same time, which seemed a little more harsh and not as smooth or well-rounded.)
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I keep coming back to this wine even though I still don't exactly know what to make of it. Big, almost syrupy texture. There's no nuance or terroir to speak of. It would be hard to place this as Italian in any way. But it's enjoyable nonetheless and a crowd pleaser.
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This is our first taste at Location Wines. Location Wines are a series of wines crafted by Dave Phinney of Orin Swift Cellars to show the “best” characteristics of wines from various regions around the world. Our first look at one of these wines is an Italian wine labeled I - 1. It is a blend of mostly Negroamaro, Nero d’Avola, and Barbera grapes. This featured wine could definitely use a good hour or so of decanting to allow it to fully open up. It was quite hot after the first pour. You’ll note aromas of raspberries and plums while being in awe of its deep purple to ruby red hue. You’ll taste some olives and blueberry, followed by some strong spicy notes with a bit of acidity. It is quite tannic with a very long lingering finish. You may even pick up on some minerality towards the end. Overall the wine has a good character and a nice medium body. Not bad for a featured wine to help us all gain a better sense of the terroir and wine making styles with different varietals of a particular country or region. More location wines will be sampled and reported on this year! Saluti!
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I liked this a bit more than the last bottle I had. Gave it a full hour decant, which helped tame the fruit and provided more balance. Pretty enjoyable for a party.
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New World styled fruit-forward wine from Old World grapes. Overwhelmed by alcohol at first, but that dissipated after a half-hour in the decanter. Other tasters have noted the strong blueberry taste--and I got that too. This wine is enjoyable, and it did well with food. But there's a vibrancy, complexity and terroir--this wine could easily be from California--missing that keeps this from greatness.
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A little hot right out of the bottle, viscous with good legs. Blueberry on the nose, dark fruit flavors and a dry finish. After decanting; still noticeably blueberry nose, flavors evolved to more plum and red licorice with a slightly bitter cherry pit taste. Finish was still medium dry.
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Deep ruby red colour. Dark cherry fruit nose. Intense mature fruit taste. Smooth finish. Like others have suggested, this is very reminiscent of a super Tuscan- maybe it is?
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soo far much better then the F1 blend I tried some ago that was too hot, this wasn't hot at all from the pull and we will see where it goes... way above the F1 blend imo for me at this point..stains and grips without austerity...super nice on day 2 sweet mulled black fruit stains on the palate ends with nice soft dryness.. going to the try the E1 or AR next...
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Scents of dark fruits, tomatoes, and maybe some olives. The wine is jammy, with something a little savory. There's some nice spice on the finish. (We didn't enjoy it as much as the E-2, but it's still good.)
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Color: Dark red/ruby. Nose cassis and menthol, some dark cherry fruit. Taste: dark cherry, medicinal, menthol/mint notes, some cassis, wine is def concentrated. Medium body, medium acid. 14.5% abv. Nice drinking wine for 15 bucks. Some have mentioned it's drinking like a Pinot, it seems a bit more intense to be Pinot and is more like a super Tuscan blend from my tasting. This is worth picking up if you like wine with some concentration and brute. I enjoyed this for what it was worth.
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Dark and opaque. Grape jam and hints of apple and earth in the subtle nose. Spicy and jammy in a fairly typical Phinney style. One dimensional and simple. Very drinkable everyday wine.
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The last of the locations series for me to try. The "I" could have been any of the others. Its decent wine (especially for the price), but not specifically Italian in profile or style. Shy nose and fruitbomb on the palette. Big dark red fruit and a little heat. Not much in the way of complexity or character. All of the wines in the locations series are cocktail wines and are best by themselves. They all seem to be Cali style wines and are not true to the respective "Locations" (except CA, of course). 6-16-7-7
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DAY 1 - PNP. This is to Italian red blend as Meomi is to Pinot Noir (i.e. completely unrecognizable). Heavily extracted and viscous, this modern-styled wine has very little acidity and is pretty one note. A decent amount of heat on the back end. A slight hint of the Negroamaro on the nose is about the only indication that this is perhaps from Italy and not from Santa Ynez valley. That being said, similar to the Meomi, this is a wine that is smooth and relatively enjoyable for what it is. 84 points
DAY 2 - Kept vacuum-sealed over night. More acidity than day 1, which is definitely needed to cut through this thick wine. Additional earthy and forest floor notes add complexity. Much better than day 1, although the Meomi/Pinot comparison still stands. A good QPR wine. A great example of how oxygen can interact with and potentially improve a wine. 87-88 points
Purchased from Binny's in September 2014 for $13.50
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All of these are great by Dave Phinney....I, E, F....This is a nice expression of old world italian dusty earth pasta wine....$15 and ready to drink. Does get a bit more expressive with air.
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Very intense nose of dark cherry, Blackberry with notes of fennel and cream. Dry with medium+ acidity, high level of soft, powdery tannins, full bodied, intense, with high alcohol. Flavours mirror the nose. Good grip, good finish. Still a puppy and can develop for another 5 years or so. Delicious. Napa valley meats Toscana,
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Nice deep ruby, nose of ceder, black currant, floral, medium body with great balance, lots of fruit here. Not your classic Italian wine, definately American style. Ready to drink, goes with a large variety of foods. good value.
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I got a bit more curious about these rather obnoxiously designed bottles that have been making rounds at parties after reading the Spectator article on the wine maker (a Mr. Phinney previously of Owen Roe fame). Given the name Locations, one ought to be able to take a stab at what's in the bottle. Beats me. Completely generic. If I had to guess I'd go with some sort of Tuscan blend...but this wine lacks anything distinguishing except the price tag. Which is too damn high.
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Surprising. Not a classic italian blended wine. Juicy and fruity more than dry or tannic. Nice dark berry bouquet, smoky, medium finish, great buy. More California italian-like or Rhone-like. No barnyard. Dark fruits, well structured.
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Solid. Like not a love. Didn't finish well for us. But again it is solid. Maybe the wrong pairing. Pizza with a gluten free crust. Wretch. Will try again. But right now it's a double yum
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Flamboyantly hedonistic. Ultra ripe and uber-concentrated. Loads of dark berry fruit on the nose, along with eucalyptus, juniper, mint, and garrigue. Subdued oak treatment, concentrated palate with excellent grip, minerals, and structure. Very long and exceptionally juicy finish that features a range of elegant fruit tannins. Tasted blind and guessed hot vintage Nebbiolo. More enjoyable than heavily oaked California wines or jammy Australian fruit bombs. Not my drink of choice, but certainly entertaining.
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Another tasty table red from our friend D.Phinney. This Italian blend has plenty of fruit, and less of the barn-yard nose that some traditional Italian bottlings offer. It doesn't have alot of depth, but it goes well with a wide range of foot. Drank with Goat-Cheese Lasagna, and it paired wel.
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Pours a deep ruby. Nose is of mocha, oak, plum, and blackberry syrup. Medium body with round tannin, with flavors of plum, cocoa powder, lavender....pretty plain and uninspiring.
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This is just so darn good. Not as full throttle an offering as the F-1, but an exceptional choice for our dinner of fresh saffron pasta with sautéed harvest chanterelles. Cranberries and cherries, whiffs of hillside brush and herbs. Some sandalwood and cedar in the finish. A welcome touch of acidity to cut through the butter/olive oil in the mushrooms.
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This Italian blend has a medium purple to ruby red color. It's nose is pretty with aromas of fragrance, fruit, and some Italian herbs. It is very fruit forward and New World in character. It tastes of ripe raspberries, tart cherries, and plums. I agree with MFLESH that it tastes like "Syrah jammy". The wine is tannic, however the tannins are not well integrated or smooth. It's oak is not overwhelming. The wine is medium bodied and is fairly complex. It is a blend of Italian varietals including Negroamaro, Nero d’Avola, Barbera, and other native varietals from Puglia that are aged for 10 months in oak barrels.
After reading other reviews, it seems that the wine community is not thrilled with this Orin Swift Wine. I usually try this producers wines and I applaud Phinney's attempt to blend these varietals. I think that I get where he is going. The blend is nice and rich, fruity, and spicy. Very "Californiaesque". It is also somewhat unique, and more than an Italian table wine. It doesn't have that big, bold, fruity taste that I associate with Phinney wines, but Dave was able to demonstrate his talents in blending these more uncommon grapes.
Overall, a nice attempt to blend Italian varietals that are usually not blended.
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A lovely, basic Italian red table wine. There is nothing particularly special or unique about this wine, but it tastes good with a variety of red sauce Italian dishes. It is well balanced with smooth tannins and a nice, if not overly long, finish. I drank this wine while watching a re-run of "The Sopranos" and thought the two went quite well together. Bada-bing!
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Typical Orin Swift smoothness, really almost blended all of the character out of it! Not a lot on the nose, a touch of cherry with ever-so-little spice
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A good wine - not a very age-worthy wine though as it was probably good to go before popping at a 2011. It was popped and poured. The nose was a very ready raspberry with some funky herbal notes. Wine poured a dark red with purple hints into the glass. The wine had a very fruit forward aroma that didn't necessarily translate 100 percent into what you actually were getting on the palate. On the palate was a dark wine, medium bodied, raspberry but kind of darker, rather "syrah jammy", with a lot of earth that dominated the end of the front, the mid-palate, and start of the finish. The finish was herbal, almost alcoholic cherry-esque, no oak barrel, not much tannin. I just don' t think this one will stand up at all, so don't plan to age this wine....more than 1-2 years at the most. Done by 2015, MAYBE 2016 if you get the right bottle.
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David Phinney does it again. More elegant than his F1 Locations offering, but still stuffed with bright fruit and nuanced herbs. Dusty cranberry, whiffs of lavender and hillside brush after a spring rain with some wildflowers thrown in for good measure. I can't begin to guess at the varietals he threw into the crusher or the vintage(s). It's simply delicious and a very good value at $17.
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Popped and poured. This wine has a great nose but that is all. The palate is vaguely reminiscent of an Italian but too fruit forward and occasionally syrupy.
The E and F wines are much better.
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Initial impression was bold up front followed by a bitter middle and ending. Over an hour, the bitterness subsided some, but not enough. Seemed to want to force Italian wines to be more Californian and it didn't work well. This is my least favorite of the Locations wines.
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This is ok at best. If this were labeled as a true Italian wine, I'd say it was an average Italian table wine. ...unfortunately that would be worth ~$12 a bottle.
This is my first disappointment from Orin Swift's Dave Phinney. ....and I went in wanting/expecting to really, really like it.
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I'll be first to chime in and then step back from the fusillade...
On p-n-p -- initial impression was absolute cacophony of assertive tannins swirling around mass of dark fruit. Let it fart-out (homage to WineAss, wherever you are) for a couple hours and tried again. Tannin-fest settled some but still little or no defined structure or integration. Signature big fruits are there but that's about it. I'm a big fan of Phinney wines so this was a disappointment.
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10/24/2022 - studleytrey Does not like this wine: 83 Points
Deep purplish ruby. Smells like stewed dark fruits, licorice, lemon, and graphite. Big and brash on the palate, medium body, acid, and finish, with flavors of dark fruits on the cooked side, lemon, and minerals. This is not a style of Italian wine I prefer. In fact, I doubt I'd guess Italy if you asked me blind—i would say inexpensive Argentine, Australian, or Californian (but either way, non-descript). Not sure if Luca Maroni reviewed this one, but he'd probably love it.
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4/27/2022 - Wine Of The Moment Likes this wine:
Still drinking well. Small color change, some fruit loss, but nothing big. Cork holding up well, too.
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2/1/2021 - Mezz Likes this wine: 89 Points
Fading but still good in 2019, don’t wait.
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4/27/2018 - corkscrews Does not like this wine: 81 Points
A muted nose of some fruit and some spice, medium garnet in color. A medium bodied red blend, with cherry, plum, herbs and some spice, just did not work, not good. www.winelx.com
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3/25/2017 - williamswhine Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark berry fruit nose. Nice wine for the value-- likely to please anyone that likes fruit bombs. Easy to drink with or without food.
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12/4/2016 - brigcampbell wrote:
Prigioniero italiano.
Is there durif or primativo in this wine? Super dark, looking like petite sirah. Blue and sweet red fruit. There is some tannic structure but I'm not sure about the acidity as the sweetness may mask it.
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5/23/2016 - Red Don Likes this wine: 88 Points
Served at room temperature with an entree of roasted chicken and trimmings.
Nice, non-vintage red blend w/grapes from Italy. Deep ruby red color, nose of red berries and darker fruit. Medium-bodied, Smooth, well-rounded, with just a hint of sweetness. A little Jammy, but maybe that is more because of the minimal acidity or tannins. Pleasant lingering finish. Nice just for sipping or with food.
(In a tasting comparison, liked better than a 2012 Luigi Bosca Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza) (WineSpectator rated 91 pts) opened at the same time, which seemed a little more harsh and not as smooth or well-rounded.)
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5/8/2016 - JenVinoCO wrote: flawed
TCA tainted bottle
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3/23/2016 - pdxwinefan wrote: 88 Points
I keep coming back to this wine even though I still don't exactly know what to make of it. Big, almost syrupy texture. There's no nuance or terroir to speak of. It would be hard to place this as Italian in any way. But it's enjoyable nonetheless and a crowd pleaser.
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1/12/2016 - Wine Of The Moment Likes this wine: 89 Points
This is our first taste at Location Wines. Location Wines are a series of wines crafted by Dave Phinney of Orin Swift Cellars to show the “best” characteristics of wines from various regions around the world. Our first look at one of these wines is an Italian wine labeled I - 1. It is a blend of mostly Negroamaro, Nero d’Avola, and Barbera grapes. This featured wine could definitely use a good hour or so of decanting to allow it to fully open up. It was quite hot after the first pour. You’ll note aromas of raspberries and plums while being in awe of its deep purple to ruby red hue. You’ll taste some olives and blueberry, followed by some strong spicy notes with a bit of acidity. It is quite tannic with a very long lingering finish. You may even pick up on some minerality towards the end. Overall the wine has a good character and a nice medium body. Not bad for a featured wine to help us all gain a better sense of the terroir and wine making styles with different varietals of a particular country or region. More location wines will be sampled and reported on this year! Saluti!
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12/31/2015 - pdxwinefan Likes this wine: 89 Points
I liked this a bit more than the last bottle I had. Gave it a full hour decant, which helped tame the fruit and provided more balance. Pretty enjoyable for a party.
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12/12/2015 - pdxwinefan wrote: 87 Points
New World styled fruit-forward wine from Old World grapes. Overwhelmed by alcohol at first, but that dissipated after a half-hour in the decanter. Other tasters have noted the strong blueberry taste--and I got that too. This wine is enjoyable, and it did well with food. But there's a vibrancy, complexity and terroir--this wine could easily be from California--missing that keeps this from greatness.
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11/29/2015 - jgarvie Likes this wine: 86 Points
A little hot right out of the bottle, viscous with good legs. Blueberry on the nose, dark fruit flavors and a dry finish. After decanting; still noticeably blueberry nose, flavors evolved to more plum and red licorice with a slightly bitter cherry pit taste. Finish was still medium dry.
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11/21/2015 - williamswhine wrote: 90 Points
Deep fruit-bomb nose; smokey dark fruit flavors; full-bodied; nice, long finish. More like a California red, not an Italian wine. Great value.
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10/28/2015 - vinorsk wrote: 85 Points
Good and drinkable. Nice QPR. Hot, rough but tasty. Like all Italian wine it needs food. Round-less acidity than most QPR Italians.
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9/26/2015 - DStone wrote: 87 Points
Rough and ready. Typical hot weather red from Southern Italy. Needs food.
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9/25/2015 - blarmston wrote: 90 Points
A very nice Italian blend. The QPR on this is very high. An easily drinkable wine for around $20.
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9/22/2015 - bottledpoetry Likes this wine: 89 Points
Deep ruby red colour. Dark cherry fruit nose. Intense mature fruit taste. Smooth finish. Like others have suggested, this is very reminiscent of a super Tuscan- maybe it is?
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8/19/2015 - redz wrote: 89 Points
solid Italian style, enjoyable, smooth, has time
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7/6/2015 - sweensomm wrote: 84 Points
nice value wine.
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6/17/2015 - cw360 Likes this wine: 80 Points
Hard to describe. Minerally.
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5/25/2015 - JimW712 Likes this wine: 90 Points
great blend
very good value for tbe price point
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4/3/2015 - ABOVETHEINFLUENCE wrote:
soo far much better then the F1 blend I tried some ago that was too hot, this wasn't hot at all from the pull and we will see where it goes... way above the F1 blend imo for me at this point..stains and grips without austerity...super nice on day 2 sweet mulled black fruit stains on the palate ends with nice soft dryness.. going to the try the E1 or AR next...
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4/3/2015 - GEMon Likes this wine: 90 Points
Scents of dark fruits, tomatoes, and maybe some olives. The wine is jammy, with something a little savory. There's some nice spice on the finish. (We didn't enjoy it as much as the E-2, but it's still good.)
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3/8/2015 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 85 Points
Drinkable
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3/7/2015 - Millennial Drinkers Does not like this wine: 83 Points
too sweet and not very Italian
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3/7/2015 - WineWright Likes this wine: 90 Points
so approachable and agreeable, especially for the price. Another crowd-pleasing but quality winner from O. Swifty.
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1/6/2015 - Mr Helper wrote:
Not bad, but probably wouldn't buy it again.
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12/11/2014 - Basicallyjones wrote: 86 Points
Nice, but really nothing that says "Italy". Solid structure, great mouthfeel...some balanced Jamminess, but nothing too much to write home about.
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11/17/2014 - df1962 wrote: 88 Points
PnP. Ripe and robust. A real mix of Italy and California. Would be a real stumper in a blind tasting.
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11/11/2014 - mzmijewski wrote: 87 Points
For the price-not bad.
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11/11/2014 - mikemaan wrote: 88 Points
- Garnet color with medium forming legs with a medium/full body.
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11/7/2014 - garrigue65 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Great mono demensional red blend. Very drinkable.
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11/5/2014 - JLuch1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Color: Dark red/ruby. Nose cassis and menthol, some dark cherry fruit. Taste: dark cherry, medicinal, menthol/mint notes, some cassis, wine is def concentrated. Medium body, medium acid. 14.5% abv. Nice drinking wine for 15 bucks. Some have mentioned it's drinking like a Pinot, it seems a bit more intense to be Pinot and is more like a super Tuscan blend from my tasting. This is worth picking up if you like wine with some concentration and brute. I enjoyed this for what it was worth.
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10/26/2014 - Doc90 wrote: 86 Points
Dark and opaque. Grape jam and hints of apple and earth in the subtle nose. Spicy and jammy in a fairly typical Phinney style. One dimensional and simple. Very drinkable everyday wine.
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10/19/2014 - CO_Roots13 wrote: 86 Points
The last of the locations series for me to try. The "I" could have been any of the others. Its decent wine (especially for the price), but not specifically Italian in profile or style. Shy nose and fruitbomb on the palette. Big dark red fruit and a little heat. Not much in the way of complexity or character. All of the wines in the locations series are cocktail wines and are best by themselves. They all seem to be Cali style wines and are not true to the respective "Locations" (except CA, of course).
6-16-7-7
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10/17/2014 - Lizizwhereitiz wrote: 85 Points
Subtle wine with earthy tones that drank like a pinot. Not really in our wheelhouse. But if you like Pinots, then this is a good buy for $15.
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10/10/2014 - JerryRoy Likes this wine: 89 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle.
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10/7/2014 - mzmijewski wrote: 87 Points
Reasonable start but little finish. Spicy and hot.
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10/5/2014 - oddswiz wrote:
It was a smooth wine with an easy to drink taste. Very much a blend. A sophisticated apothic.
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10/1/2014 - smcilhen wrote: 87 Points
DAY 1 - PNP. This is to Italian red blend as Meomi is to Pinot Noir (i.e. completely unrecognizable). Heavily extracted and viscous, this modern-styled wine has very little acidity and is pretty one note. A decent amount of heat on the back end. A slight hint of the Negroamaro on the nose is about the only indication that this is perhaps from Italy and not from Santa Ynez valley. That being said, similar to the Meomi, this is a wine that is smooth and relatively enjoyable for what it is. 84 points
DAY 2 - Kept vacuum-sealed over night. More acidity than day 1, which is definitely needed to cut through this thick wine. Additional earthy and forest floor notes add complexity. Much better than day 1, although the Meomi/Pinot comparison still stands. A good QPR wine. A great example of how oxygen can interact with and potentially improve a wine. 87-88 points
Purchased from Binny's in September 2014 for $13.50
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9/8/2014 - Carvaholic Likes this wine: 89 Points
Great!
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9/1/2014 - DesMarteau Likes this wine: 90 Points
All of these are great by Dave Phinney....I, E, F....This is a nice expression of old world italian dusty earth pasta wine....$15 and ready to drink. Does get a bit more expressive with air.
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8/23/2014 - Markus Randall wrote: 90 Points
Very intense nose of dark cherry, Blackberry with notes of fennel and cream. Dry with medium+ acidity, high level of soft, powdery tannins, full bodied, intense, with high alcohol. Flavours mirror the nose. Good grip, good finish. Still a puppy and can develop for another 5 years or so. Delicious. Napa valley meats Toscana,
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7/14/2014 - Purple Tooth wrote: 88 Points
Thick and lush. It seems like its made in a super tuscan style. I detect lots of Merlot. Good grip, very enjoyable.
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6/8/2014 - BaylinBoy wrote: 89 Points
Warm ruby red and warm spice notes solid structure and good finish
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5/1/2014 - Wine4Life Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice deep ruby, nose of ceder, black currant, floral, medium body with great balance, lots of fruit here. Not your classic Italian wine, definately American style. Ready to drink, goes with a large variety of foods. good value.
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4/24/2014 - DaddyNeedsPow wrote: 85 Points
I got a bit more curious about these rather obnoxiously designed bottles that have been making rounds at parties after reading the Spectator article on the wine maker (a Mr. Phinney previously of Owen Roe fame). Given the name Locations, one ought to be able to take a stab at what's in the bottle. Beats me. Completely generic. If I had to guess I'd go with some sort of Tuscan blend...but this wine lacks anything distinguishing except the price tag. Which is too damn high.
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4/22/2014 - BaylinBoy wrote: 89 Points
very solid stil, nice red fruit, solid structure and lingering finish
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4/20/2014 - williamswhine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Surprising. Not a classic italian blended wine. Juicy and fruity more than dry or tannic. Nice dark berry bouquet, smoky, medium finish, great buy. More California italian-like or Rhone-like. No barnyard. Dark fruits, well structured.
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4/8/2014 - Martnmac wrote: 88 Points
Solid. Like not a love. Didn't finish well for us. But again it is solid. Maybe the wrong pairing. Pizza with a gluten free crust. Wretch. Will try again. But right now it's a double yum
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4/6/2014 - Motz wrote: 92 Points
Flamboyantly hedonistic. Ultra ripe and uber-concentrated. Loads of dark berry fruit on the nose, along with eucalyptus, juniper, mint, and garrigue. Subdued oak treatment, concentrated palate with excellent grip, minerals, and structure. Very long and exceptionally juicy finish that features a range of elegant fruit tannins. Tasted blind and guessed hot vintage Nebbiolo. More enjoyable than heavily oaked California wines or jammy Australian fruit bombs. Not my drink of choice, but certainly entertaining.
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3/15/2014 - ChateauSeger wrote: 90 Points
- Brick color.
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3/9/2014 - mpricher wrote: 88 Points
same as prior TN's.
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3/9/2014 - mpricher wrote: 88 Points
Another tasty table red from our friend D.Phinney. This Italian blend has plenty of fruit, and less of the barn-yard nose that some traditional Italian bottlings offer. It doesn't have alot of depth, but it goes well with a wide range of foot. Drank with Goat-Cheese Lasagna, and it paired wel.
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2/12/2014 - vegastom2 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Well balanced. Earthy. Went well with pizza. Mature fruit
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2/3/2014 - acox wrote: flawed
corked
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1/27/2014 - redz wrote: 88 Points
medium body, admittedly italian flavors, decent drinker
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12/28/2013 - therhonestore wrote: 81 Points
Pours a deep ruby. Nose is of mocha, oak, plum, and blackberry syrup. Medium body with round tannin, with flavors of plum, cocoa powder, lavender....pretty plain and uninspiring.
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11/17/2013 - DRob wrote:
Ton of fruit, much better than the CA version, which was actually sweet.
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10/12/2013 - jonahfactor Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is just so darn good. Not as full throttle an offering as the F-1, but an exceptional choice for our dinner of fresh saffron pasta with sautéed harvest chanterelles. Cranberries and cherries, whiffs of hillside brush and herbs. Some sandalwood and cedar in the finish. A welcome touch of acidity to cut through the butter/olive oil in the mushrooms.
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10/3/2013 - Gstein77 wrote: 86 Points
Good Italian wine but definitely a food bottle. On day two it wound down a bit but also seemed to lose character.
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10/1/2013 - saki846 wrote:
Much better than the previous bottle I had.
More typical of an Italian table wine. Nothing tremendous, but something I'd have again.
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9/26/2013 - hgddsas wrote: 86 Points
Not bad at all but a bit acidic and under-ripe for my palate. Need to consider the correct food pairing...
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9/21/2013 - Endodr wrote: 87 Points
This Italian blend has a medium purple to ruby red color. It's nose is pretty with aromas of fragrance, fruit, and some Italian herbs. It is very fruit forward and New World in character. It tastes of ripe raspberries, tart cherries, and plums. I agree with MFLESH that it tastes like "Syrah jammy". The wine is tannic, however the tannins are not well integrated or smooth. It's oak is not overwhelming. The wine is medium bodied and is fairly complex. It is a blend of Italian varietals including Negroamaro, Nero d’Avola, Barbera, and other native varietals from Puglia that are aged for 10 months in oak barrels.
After reading other reviews, it seems that the wine community is not thrilled with this Orin Swift Wine. I usually try this producers wines and I applaud Phinney's attempt to blend these varietals. I think that I get where he is going. The blend is nice and rich, fruity, and spicy. Very "Californiaesque". It is also somewhat unique, and more than an Italian table wine. It doesn't have that big, bold, fruity taste that I associate with Phinney wines, but Dave was able to demonstrate his talents in blending these more uncommon grapes.
Overall, a nice attempt to blend Italian varietals that are usually not blended.
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8/30/2013 - JandGCellar wrote: 88 Points
A lovely, basic Italian red table wine. There is nothing particularly special or unique about this wine, but it tastes good with a variety of red sauce Italian dishes. It is well balanced with smooth tannins and a nice, if not overly long, finish. I drank this wine while watching a re-run of "The Sopranos" and thought the two went quite well together. Bada-bing!
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8/25/2013 - djinc01 wrote: 89 Points
Typical Orin Swift smoothness, really almost blended all of the character out of it! Not a lot on the nose, a touch of cherry with ever-so-little spice
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8/16/2013 - mflesh wrote: 87 Points
A good wine - not a very age-worthy wine though as it was probably good to go before popping at a 2011. It was popped and poured. The nose was a very ready raspberry with some funky herbal notes. Wine poured a dark red with purple hints into the glass. The wine had a very fruit forward aroma that didn't necessarily translate 100 percent into what you actually were getting on the palate. On the palate was a dark wine, medium bodied, raspberry but kind of darker, rather "syrah jammy", with a lot of earth that dominated the end of the front, the mid-palate, and start of the finish. The finish was herbal, almost alcoholic cherry-esque, no oak barrel, not much tannin. I just don' t think this one will stand up at all, so don't plan to age this wine....more than 1-2 years at the most. Done by 2015, MAYBE 2016 if you get the right bottle.
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8/1/2013 - jonahfactor Likes this wine: 89 Points
David Phinney does it again. More elegant than his F1 Locations offering, but still stuffed with bright fruit and nuanced herbs. Dusty cranberry, whiffs of lavender and hillside brush after a spring rain with some wildflowers thrown in for good measure. I can't begin to guess at the varietals he threw into the crusher or the vintage(s). It's simply delicious and a very good value at $17.
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7/15/2013 - Ander038 wrote: 88 Points
Delicious
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7/15/2013 - Mtpisgah Does not like this wine: 79 Points
Popped and poured. This wine has a great nose but that is all. The palate is vaguely reminiscent of an Italian but too fruit forward and occasionally syrupy.
The E and F wines are much better.
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6/25/2013 - StageOneRacing Does not like this wine: 82 Points
Initial impression was bold up front followed by a bitter middle and ending. Over an hour, the bitterness subsided some, but not enough. Seemed to want to force Italian wines to be more Californian and it didn't work well. This is my least favorite of the Locations wines.
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6/17/2013 - Amarone Man wrote:
Worth it. Need to try F and E.
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6/9/2013 - sundiegojc Does not like this wine:
Meh, a bland and immature table wine (but what else to expect from a 2011 vintage?)
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6/7/2013 - DelmarvaWine.com Does not like this wine: 86 Points
The Barbera softens the other two grapes nicely, but there is no complexity and the finish is unremarkable. Low PQR for this Orin Swift wine...
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6/4/2013 - donash.com wrote:
- Ruby color and aromas of phenolic, hazelnut and dusty and has flavours of raspberry, phenolic, hazelnut and dusty.
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6/1/2013 - joraesque wrote: 86 Points
Orin Swift/Dave Phinney Tasting (Blackwell's Wines & Spirits): Medium to full body with unresolved tannins, resembling a Nero d'Avola. 86+
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5/17/2013 - saki846 wrote:
This is ok at best.
If this were labeled as a true Italian wine, I'd say it was an average Italian table wine. ...unfortunately that would be worth ~$12 a bottle.
This is my first disappointment from Orin Swift's Dave Phinney.
....and I went in wanting/expecting to really, really like it.
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5/13/2013 - mmoss wrote: 88 Points
Plum nose, rich with a tart finish. Notes show a blend of Negroamaro, Nero d’Avola & Barbera.
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5/12/2013 - Mezz wrote: 91 Points
Raspberry, plums, hints of lavender on the nose. Palate is lush and warm. Mild acidity and medium tannins. Still needs time. Could be amazing.
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5/11/2013 - TheMudshark Does not like this wine: 84 Points
I'll be first to chime in and then step back from the fusillade...
On p-n-p -- initial impression was absolute cacophony of assertive tannins swirling around mass of dark fruit. Let it fart-out (homage to WineAss, wherever you are) for a couple hours and tried again. Tannin-fest settled some but still little or no defined structure or integration. Signature big fruits are there but that's about it. I'm a big fan of Phinney wines so this was a disappointment.
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