Quality was evident but I think it was a wrong moment in time experience. Flavor and nose were flat, but structure was there. Wish I had more to try six months or a year from now.
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Great wine. Inky dark red and purple on the syrupy pour. Strong aromas of licorice, blackberry and flowers. Dense on the palate wth dark fruits, underbrush, mint, licorice and big tannins with a long 30 second finish.
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Best Petite I’ve had for a long time. Such a simple grape yet fun to drink. Good with strong chocolate. Had half Friday night and half Saturday. Sat in decanter in cellar. Mellow now.
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Floral and dark fruit nose, almost black in the glass. Big blue/black fruit, juicy acidity, plenty of tannins still there, so many years to go for this wine but if you like the big fruit even after 7 years in, a little sweet tobacco leaf on the back end, this is very good stuff.
We opened and let sit for an hour while we drank some chardonnay. There was dark fruit on the nose, the palate was dark berries, chocolate and hint of licorice and spice. The finish was long and full.
Massive wine. Dark, almost black in the glass. Nose of incredibly dark fruit (plum, currant) as well as ginger and Asian spice. Huge wine, probably way too soon to consume but it was quite good.
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Pulled this thinking that it was the RS Zinfandel and all of my notes were written thinking that it was zin. At first I thought it was flawed in some way - but it wasn't corked, it was kept in my cellar at correct temp, the cork was pristine and the bottle didn't seem to be oxidized. After two glasses I put a cork in the bottle and put it aside. But I kept thinking about what I had tasted. I thought perhaps Tegan had gone off the deep end or perhaps Zin just really isn't my thing. Anyway, went back and looked at the bottle and there it was - it wasn't the Rattlesnake Zin - I had pulled the Petite Syrah by mistake. Bottom line - this is way way too young to open. Super aggressive tannin and acid. The nose was nice showing brooding dark fruit and earthy undertones. But the wine itself is unbalanced and heavy. I would have liked to give this wine another 10 or 15 years. Oh well. Killed a baby. Will try it again today with the hope the O2 helps.
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I've never been to Howell Mountain but damned if this wine didn't take me right back to my childhood in the pine forests of North Georgia. The elusive perfume is of lilac, pine resin, and cayenne. The evolving taste is of dense chewy edges of blackberry cobbler, pine bark, a squeeze of lemon, and a bit of green twig. Broad tannins give a clean finish with a touch of saltiness. Color is deep ink. Shows a bit of heat on the nose and palate which is the only thing keeping this delicious, complex mountain wine a notch or two below great. Double decanted to remove a small amount of fine sediment and drank over 4 hours.
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3 Hour decant and consumed over two days. Had read the review by Wine Spectator (WS) that sated: "Fragrant, with lavender, chai tea and dark rye bread aromas, offering a core of huckleberry and blackberry flavors. The dark espresso details and firm, dense tannins don't interfere with the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2025." We figured it was good to go with a solid decant and popped the cork. We agree with most of the WS review but the tannins are still too prominent for us so the tannins DO interfere with the otherwise nice and log finish. The CT review by Mike Dildine is pretty spot-on too except we would add the tannins make this wine very dry right now. Our best guess is this needs more time in cellar so it can mellow out just a bit. Very nice and the 93 from WS is probably about right.
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15.1% abv. Dark, ruby ruby red. Moderately expressive aromas. On the palate, tar, smoke, black pepper and red fruit highlights. Exceptional concentration, depth and length. Very enjoyable now but should age beautifully. An outstanding example of Howell Mountain Petite.
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Needed some air. But after two hours it opens into a full bodied smooth sexy beast. Dark red/purple rim. Moderate tannins give it just enough structure. Medium acidity. This can certainly age a little, but it's delicious now. I opened this accidentally thinking that it was a Turley Zinfandel. I'm actually really happy that I did. Drink now-2020.
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Excellent bottle, show blackberry and plums, pepper and a slight meaty quality. Dense, yet accessible with a bit of air. The oak is reasonable and the length lengers nicely. A burly wine for rustic, meaty food.
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10/30/2021 - PMTinfv Likes this wine: 88 Points
Quality was evident but I think it was a wrong moment in time experience. Flavor and nose were flat, but structure was there. Wish I had more to try six months or a year from now.
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3/4/2021 - ipp Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still drinking young. Significantly better after a few hours of air.
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12/19/2020 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 92 Points
Opulent and floral and thick - fun wine - drinking great
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8/2/2020 - Janstan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Went well with chargrilled mild fennel pork sausage and hamburgers.
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6/20/2020 - DrBad Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great wine. Inky dark red and purple on the syrupy pour. Strong aromas of licorice, blackberry and flowers. Dense on the palate wth dark fruits, underbrush, mint, licorice and big tannins with a long 30 second finish.
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5/22/2020 - oenophilemoose wrote: 93 Points
Decanted and consumed over the next few hours. Wait no longer, it's ready now.
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5/17/2020 - NickP Likes this wine: 91 Points
Terrific. Big complex great drinking over 2 days. Still lots of life left
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2/13/2020 - cstir Likes this wine: 91 Points
well-balanced flavor with good depth and complexity; moderate finish
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12/22/2019 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opaque. Gave it some air. Full-bodied wine with dark blue and purple fruit. Pleasant, drinking well, but not overly nuanced.
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10/26/2019 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 96 Points
Quite an evolved nose - flowers, fruit, funk. You smell it across the room. And boy the tannins still hit hard. They coat the glass.
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9/28/2019 - Chrishavens Likes this wine: 91 Points
Best Petite I’ve had for a long time. Such a simple grape yet fun to drink. Good with strong chocolate. Had half Friday night and half Saturday. Sat in decanter in cellar. Mellow now.
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8/31/2019 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted. Plum. White pepper. Deep and rich, but subtle. A hint of eucalyptus.
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5/28/2019 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Floral and dark fruit nose, almost black in the glass. Big blue/black fruit, juicy acidity, plenty of tannins still there, so many years to go for this wine but if you like the big fruit even after 7 years in, a little sweet tobacco leaf on the back end, this is very good stuff.
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7/18/2018 - levinml wrote: 91 Points
Sorry, don't remember any specifics; just typical yummy Turley in all its glory
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6/13/2018 - markcic Likes this wine: 91 Points
We opened and let sit for an hour while we drank some chardonnay. There was dark fruit on the nose, the palate was dark berries, chocolate and hint of licorice and spice. The finish was long and full.
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1/13/2018 - DougSamuel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Massive wine. Dark, almost black in the glass. Nose of incredibly dark fruit (plum, currant) as well as ginger and Asian spice. Huge wine, probably way too soon to consume but it was quite good.
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8/29/2017 - crikel Does not like this wine: 86 Points
This isn't going to come around. Pass!
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6/19/2017 - Janstan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very jammy, blackberry, heat on the finish which curbed my score and enthusiasm
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5/28/2017 - Procurare Does not like this wine:
Pulled this thinking that it was the RS Zinfandel and all of my notes were written thinking that it was zin. At first I thought it was flawed in some way - but it wasn't corked, it was kept in my cellar at correct temp, the cork was pristine and the bottle didn't seem to be oxidized. After two glasses I put a cork in the bottle and put it aside. But I kept thinking about what I had tasted. I thought perhaps Tegan had gone off the deep end or perhaps Zin just really isn't my thing. Anyway, went back and looked at the bottle and there it was - it wasn't the Rattlesnake Zin - I had pulled the Petite Syrah by mistake. Bottom line - this is way way too young to open. Super aggressive tannin and acid. The nose was nice showing brooding dark fruit and earthy undertones. But the wine itself is unbalanced and heavy. I would have liked to give this wine another 10 or 15 years. Oh well. Killed a baby. Will try it again today with the hope the O2 helps.
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3/27/2017 - wineotim Likes this wine: 92 Points
This needs a lot of air time, in fact this wine was much better on the second day. Inky black, dry, medium tannin, ripe black fruit, good acid.
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3/22/2017 - Mootsie Likes this wine: 91 Points
Give it an hour or two decant.
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11/12/2016 - adipovino Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark rich and brooding but in balance. Excellent.
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6/5/2016 - jmw17 wrote:
I've never been to Howell Mountain but damned if this wine didn't take me right back to my childhood in the pine forests of North Georgia. The elusive perfume is of lilac, pine resin, and cayenne. The evolving taste is of dense chewy edges of blackberry cobbler, pine bark, a squeeze of lemon, and a bit of green twig. Broad tannins give a clean finish with a touch of saltiness. Color is deep ink. Shows a bit of heat on the nose and palate which is the only thing keeping this delicious, complex mountain wine a notch or two below great. Double decanted to remove a small amount of fine sediment and drank over 4 hours.
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12/26/2015 - RobbieC Likes this wine:
3 Hour decant and consumed over two days. Had read the review by Wine Spectator (WS) that sated: "Fragrant, with lavender, chai tea and dark rye bread aromas, offering a core of huckleberry and blackberry flavors. The dark espresso details and firm, dense tannins don't interfere with the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2025." We figured it was good to go with a solid decant and popped the cork. We agree with most of the WS review but the tannins are still too prominent for us so the tannins DO interfere with the otherwise nice and log finish. The CT review by Mike Dildine is pretty spot-on too except we would add the tannins make this wine very dry right now. Our best guess is this needs more time in cellar so it can mellow out just a bit. Very nice and the 93 from WS is probably about right.
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9/3/2015 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 94 Points
15.1% abv. Dark, ruby ruby red. Moderately expressive aromas. On the palate, tar, smoke, black pepper and red fruit highlights. Exceptional concentration, depth and length. Very enjoyable now but should age beautifully. An outstanding example of Howell Mountain Petite.
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4/12/2015 - WineCPA wrote: 93 Points
Needed some air. But after two hours it opens into a full bodied smooth sexy beast. Dark red/purple rim. Moderate tannins give it just enough structure. Medium acidity. This can certainly age a little, but it's delicious now. I opened this accidentally thinking that it was a Turley Zinfandel. I'm actually really happy that I did. Drink now-2020.
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2/8/2015 - JJA wrote: 88 Points
Disappointing
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12/26/2014 - awise45 wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful eggplant purple with a lighter rim, nice hint of candied cherry and then rich fruit, long finish. Really nice and already very balanced.
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9/10/2014 - mdefreitas wrote: 90 Points
Excellent bottle, show blackberry and plums, pepper and a slight meaty quality. Dense, yet accessible with a bit of air. The oak is reasonable and the length lengers nicely. A burly wine for rustic, meaty food.
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