Needed a good 3 hour decant, but by that time it was a lovely wine. Nice cab fruit up front with some tar from the syrah. Still needs some more years to soften. I would hold the 2011 another 1-2 years .
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I'm not sure why I bought these, but the first one wasn't very notable. A typical $10 to $20 bottle of one dimensional adult grape juice similar to so many high volume, mass marketed, entry level wines. To be fair, by the third day it had smoothed out somewhat and was tolerable. The general public may like this and it may be OK as a wine to serve at a party for people who don't drink much wine, but I don't look forward to the other 3 bottles.
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The syrah has toned down and the cabernet picked up in the last few months, still a solid quaffer rather than something subtle for laying down, see my tasting note of June 2014.
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pnp, consumed over 3 hours. this was much better than the last bottle. medium-bodied, pleasant bordeaux blend. the name suggests christmas spices on the nose, but i found it leaned more toward pine which was interesting, and accompanied cocoa, black cherries and plum sauce. medium-length finish played out the same. just a pleasant sipper that maybe could be a few dollars cheaper, but no regrets on this one. 87-89 meant for near-term drinking.
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pnp. i only got a few small glasses before we had to leave, so wasn't able to track the whole bottle. started out promising with lots of baking spice and some soft, watery cherry and plum notes. but it turned a little dusty and simple. i'll hold out judgment until i am able to track a whole bottle, but i'm not sure that i will love this one.
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fruit, minerality on the nose, lots of big nice fruit, good acidity, firm tannins but not harsh, medium short finish, good minerality. Would buy again.
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Bottle says this is more or less a bordeaux blend, 83% cabernet sauvignon and merlot, 17% syrah, but the syrah is dominant at the moment, with its scent of raw meat and spice and earth, with something floral hiding behind the oak. It's a bumptious wine, rustic, with lots of fruit flavor and nothing much in the way of nuance. Bring it to the barbecue. (Nicer on day 2 with brébis.)
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This is a very nice, balanced wine. Paid only $20. Worth way more. Wish I had a case of it. Great blueberry and blackberry on the nose and palate. Tannins are soft and integrated. A very nice wine.
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2/4/2016 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 90 Points
Sorry this is my last bottle. Great PR cabernet blend. That little bit of Syrah works wonders! I can't wait to try the 2013 I bought.
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1/3/2016 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 90 Points
Needed a good 3 hour decant, but by that time it was a lovely wine. Nice cab fruit up front with some tar from the syrah. Still needs some more years to soften. I would hold the 2011 another 1-2 years .
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3/16/2015 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very nice blend. The cab still dominates, however.
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1/27/2015 - M. Anthony Lee Does not like this wine: 87 Points
I'm not sure why I bought these, but the first one wasn't very notable. A typical $10 to $20 bottle of one dimensional adult grape juice similar to so many high volume, mass marketed, entry level wines. To be fair, by the third day it had smoothed out somewhat and was tolerable.
The general public may like this and it may be OK as a wine to serve at a party for people who don't drink much wine, but I don't look forward to the other 3 bottles.
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9/16/2014 - mazik Likes this wine: 88 Points
The syrah has toned down and the cabernet picked up in the last few months, still a solid quaffer rather than something subtle for laying down, see my tasting note of June 2014.
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9/10/2014 - caeleric Likes this wine:
pnp, consumed over 3 hours. this was much better than the last bottle. medium-bodied, pleasant bordeaux blend. the name suggests christmas spices on the nose, but i found it leaned more toward pine which was interesting, and accompanied cocoa, black cherries and plum sauce. medium-length finish played out the same. just a pleasant sipper that maybe could be a few dollars cheaper, but no regrets on this one. 87-89 meant for near-term drinking.
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8/17/2014 - caeleric Likes this wine:
pnp. i only got a few small glasses before we had to leave, so wasn't able to track the whole bottle. started out promising with lots of baking spice and some soft, watery cherry and plum notes. but it turned a little dusty and simple. i'll hold out judgment until i am able to track a whole bottle, but i'm not sure that i will love this one.
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6/18/2014 - Chasms Likes this wine: 88 Points
fruit, minerality on the nose, lots of big nice fruit, good acidity, firm tannins but not harsh, medium short finish, good minerality. Would buy again.
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6/2/2014 - mazik wrote: 85 Points
Bottle says this is more or less a bordeaux blend, 83% cabernet sauvignon and merlot, 17% syrah, but the syrah is dominant at the moment, with its scent of raw meat and spice and earth, with something floral hiding behind the oak. It's a bumptious wine, rustic, with lots of fruit flavor and nothing much in the way of nuance. Bring it to the barbecue. (Nicer on day 2 with brébis.)
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5/25/2014 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is a very nice, balanced wine. Paid only $20. Worth way more. Wish I had a case of it. Great blueberry and blackberry on the nose and palate. Tannins are soft and integrated. A very nice wine.
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