Youthful and fresh, somewhat immature, shows cherries, tutti fruit, menthol, spices and floral notes. Balance is a little unsettling, structure kind of loose. Nice concentration and typical sweet intense finish. 90
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One of the best under $40 values in wine you can buy. This 2011 is drinking exceptional right now with a two-hour decant (use screen, sediment). Perfect blend of acidity, fruit and tannins although the tannins are barely noticeable and this one may not have much life left. Will hold my other three bottles in hopes of better things to come anyways.
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Fantastic aroma, fruitfull, sweet and reminding of cinnamon. Powerful, bold and full on mouth, bringing cocoa, cherry and licorice, balanced and harmonious. 91
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Enjoyed over 2 days with day one being more fruit driven and a little better after decanting. Balanced perfectly and drinking great right now. I have 2 more of these for later 2016 and maybe 2018? Hope the 2012''s are just as good as I can get those but 2011's are a hard find. Drank about 8 or 9 bottles of the 2011 already. Great tasting room type wine I prefer solo vs with food.
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The wine has medium acidity. It smells like chocolate, tobacco and clove. The body is medium. The wine finishes medium. It tastes like plum, blackberry, red currant, fig and nutmeg. The wine looks purple colored. The wine has smooth texture.
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Two hour decant, this has a pretty standard bordeaux blend nose that leans toward the juicy side with dark fruit, light cedar and tobacco, I spent a lot of time with my nose stuck in the glass. The palate is voluptuous and soft, almost bordering on the hot, syrupy side but this did fade with time in the glass and the tannins stiffened up over time which helped a little bit. There is a clear dill component to this which indicates time in the barrel and the finish is pretty long with a dense mouthfeel. Nothing wrong with this at all but the style of wine I prefer is not as extracted as this is.
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very nice nose after only 15 minute decant. Not much change over next hour or 2 while drank. Fruit very evident and nice tannins but maybe not enough structure to be cellar-ed too long? time will tell. Nice unique blend and flavors with this wine
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Light garnet red in a dark bar. Light vanilla and fresh cracked black pepper, and blackberry laced with red fruits. Very nice multiple layers with raspberry, strawberry, a smooth mouth-feel, just-ripe blackberry. 91-92.
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Cherry, strawberry, boiled pork and dried herbs. Medium-heavy bodied, spicy with good acidic backbone. Dark fruits are covered by cocoa, oak and some chewy tannins. Needs 1-2 years more.
Significantly better on second night. Apparent sweetness initially then the fruits and herbs came rushing in with tamed tannins. Upgrading my score.
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In my opinion, this is one of the better vintages from Girard on this (We really enjoyed this bottle and I think we have a good sense of these having consumed the last 3 vintages): Upon opening, the nose is floral, sweet cooked cherry sweet baked strawberry pie, raspberry, vanilla, bubble gum sweetness. Austere at first taste and a tight. After about an hour bottle decanted the nose is absolute perfume: incredible complexity of napa sweetness, bright fruit (previous) . Palate: What is interesting here is that this wine is definitely a touch softer/lighter on the palate than previous vintages. It has more elegance and grace (vs straight up fruit bomb). Maybe slightly less alcohol on this to lighten the weight of the wine a little. Beautiful showing from Girard. Dances across the tongue in a tickling way and doesn’t bite.
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12/11/2020 - shellylowen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wood and green pepper nose, blackberry, eucalyptus, green pepper in the mouth, long finish
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4/17/2019 - Ceo wrote: 91 Points
Decant
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2/2/2017 - kbcadeponei wrote: 90 Points
Youthful and fresh, somewhat immature, shows cherries, tutti fruit, menthol, spices and floral notes. Balance is a little unsettling, structure kind of loose. Nice concentration and typical sweet intense finish. 90
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1/14/2017 - Wine Lover 1964 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking very well now as noted before. Drink now or over next couple years. Goid to go after 30 min decant.
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11/20/2016 - Donald Jubel wrote:
Nice smooth taste.
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10/13/2016 - Wine Lover 1964 Likes this wine: 91 Points
drinking extremely well right now. 2 hour decant and perfect!
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7/24/2016 - wtianseter wrote: 91 Points
Nice Wine good balance with chocolate, and a touch of cedar and a good bit of dark cherry. finish with silky satin.
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5/28/2016 - Wine Lover 1964 Likes this wine: 92 Points
One of the best under $40 values in wine you can buy. This 2011 is drinking exceptional right now with a two-hour decant (use screen, sediment). Perfect blend of acidity, fruit and tannins although the tannins are barely noticeable and this one may not have much life left. Will hold my other three bottles in hopes of better things to come anyways.
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5/5/2016 - kbcadeponei wrote: 91 Points
Fantastic aroma, fruitfull, sweet and reminding of cinnamon. Powerful, bold and full on mouth, bringing cocoa, cherry and licorice, balanced and harmonious. 91
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4/2/2016 - Wine Lover 1964 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Enjoyed over 2 days with day one being more fruit driven and a little better after decanting. Balanced perfectly and drinking great right now. I have 2 more of these for later 2016 and maybe 2018? Hope the 2012''s are just as good as I can get those but 2011's are a hard find. Drank about 8 or 9 bottles of the 2011 already. Great tasting room type wine I prefer solo vs with food.
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3/19/2016 - athurst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lots of pepper at first. As it opened, currants and cherries came through. Long finish with oak prominent. Very nice. Too bad it's our last bottle.
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12/31/2015 - ZinLover630 wrote: 90 Points
Dark and bold. Very dry and excellent with steaks.
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12/31/2015 - km5 wrote:
Very nice, not Cali tasting
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11/6/2015 - Skiperwaif wrote: 85 Points
The wine has medium acidity. It smells like chocolate, tobacco and clove. The body is medium. The wine finishes medium. It tastes like plum, blackberry, red currant, fig and nutmeg. The wine looks purple colored. The wine has smooth texture.
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10/9/2015 - quaffnov Likes this wine: 89 Points
Two hour decant, this has a pretty standard bordeaux blend nose that leans toward the juicy side with dark fruit, light cedar and tobacco, I spent a lot of time with my nose stuck in the glass. The palate is voluptuous and soft, almost bordering on the hot, syrupy side but this did fade with time in the glass and the tannins stiffened up over time which helped a little bit. There is a clear dill component to this which indicates time in the barrel and the finish is pretty long with a dense mouthfeel. Nothing wrong with this at all but the style of wine I prefer is not as extracted as this is.
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10/3/2015 - Ceo wrote: 92 Points
Great wine from Glenn Hugo and the cellar crew!!
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9/7/2015 - danielbleier wrote: 86 Points
Nose was a bit off, like a mix of red fruit and lighter fluid. Taste was better, high toned red fruit.
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8/21/2015 - marcellevi wrote: 92 Points
Very nice. Mix of red and dark fruits are the dominant character. Soft tannins, subtle medium body and quite enjoyable.
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12/22/2014 - Wine Lover 1964 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Similar notes as b4.
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11/8/2014 - jdb123 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured, enjoyed throughout an evening. Great dark fruit, balanced tannins, great wine.
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10/9/2014 - Wine Lover 1964 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Heavy oak 1st day but good. Better integrated day #2.
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7/29/2014 - Wine Lover 1964 Likes this wine: 90 Points
very nice nose after only 15 minute decant. Not much change over next hour or 2 while drank. Fruit very evident and nice tannins but maybe not enough structure to be cellar-ed too long? time will tell. Nice unique blend and flavors with this wine
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6/30/2014 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light garnet red in a dark bar. Light vanilla and fresh cracked black pepper, and blackberry laced with red fruits. Very nice multiple layers with raspberry, strawberry, a smooth mouth-feel, just-ripe blackberry. 91-92.
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5/27/2014 - Smokn' Winds wrote: 90 Points
very smooth, light
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5/6/2014 - Rojo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cherry, strawberry, boiled pork and dried herbs. Medium-heavy bodied, spicy with good acidic backbone. Dark fruits are covered by cocoa, oak and some chewy tannins. Needs 1-2 years more.
Significantly better on second night. Apparent sweetness initially then the fruits and herbs came rushing in with tamed tannins. Upgrading my score.
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5/5/2014 - BCharlieG Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistent with prior tasting notes.
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10/17/2013 - BCharlieG Likes this wine: 92 Points
In my opinion, this is one of the better vintages from Girard on this (We really enjoyed this bottle and I think we have a good sense of these having consumed the last 3 vintages): Upon opening, the nose is floral, sweet cooked cherry sweet baked strawberry pie, raspberry, vanilla, bubble gum sweetness. Austere at first taste and a tight. After about an hour bottle decanted the nose is absolute perfume: incredible complexity of napa sweetness, bright fruit (previous) . Palate: What is interesting here is that this wine is definitely a touch softer/lighter on the palate than previous vintages. It has more elegance and grace (vs straight up fruit bomb). Maybe slightly less alcohol on this to lighten the weight of the wine a little. Beautiful showing from Girard. Dances across the tongue in a tickling way and doesn’t bite.
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