The 2012 is drinking surprisingly well, fruit has fallen off a bit to be tolerated and some dust and leather is showing. I prefer this to the younger versions
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States peak for this wine is 2015 - 2019. We had a few bottles we found doing our inventory so we opened one today. We aerated and decanted it prior to drinking and it was fine - tasted bold and delicious.
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A wonderful wine at a great price point. This has aged well. The wine looks crimson colored. The legs are slow. It smells like cherry and blackberry. The body is full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes medium.
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Spot on terrific value red! Phantom really delivers. A Rhône/CNP like nose with a lush, ripe fruit and bramble palette followed by a long finish. Everything really comes together with no “rough edges”. Glad I saved a case. Think it still has a good couple of years + to go. Enjoy!!
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Wow. What a difference a few years makes. If you have the patience, while the wine is always good when available, a few mellowing years turns some of those harsher tannins into mellow palette pleasing roundness.
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This is a go to favorite for just sharing (usually sharing...) a bottle of wine. I buy two to three cases a year just for a decent quaffing wine. There are obviously better wines out there, but not many at the price. It is hard to beat at an "on sale" price of about fifteen bucks.
A loaf of bread, a bottle of wine and thou, and if thou ain't available, then a good movie.....
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I truly enjoy Phantom. Big bold dark fruit and berry flavors up front that hang on through the middle and a bold dry medium weight tannin that lasts long. Still with all the enjoyment I see it lacking the subtle flavors that could ad to its rating. This wine will be good for another 5 years with proper cellaring
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Nice enough at $15 sale price from World Market's 30% off sale. Good blend with nice dark fruit and tannins still a little tight. Probably a another point or two with some time. At sale price would buy a few more to cellar a while.
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This bottle was one of the best Phantoms we've had in some time. Poured nice and dark with dark fruit and spice on the nose and palate. We did aerate the wine which is what I would recommend. Great balance in this bottle.
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Better than pizza wine. Smoke, cinnamon, gas generator on the nose. Braised beef, thin and spicy with a solid short but tight palate/finish. Must be a healthy blend as I didn't get an overwhelming zin identity. Props to my least eldest.
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Grabbed this one at BJ's wholesale for 17 bucks. I thought I would give it a shot based on some good reviews. Well, it did not disappoint. Really nice with some dark fruit spice and some veggie on the finish.i will be going back to buy more soon!
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I'm not ready to promote this vintage yet ... it was disjointed, had some heat and flavors were muddled ... yes I know it's a blend, but something needs to be a little distinctive. I'll sit on the other bottles and try in 6 months, but I was expecting quality like past vintages ... it's no where close yet!
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Smoky oak, vanilla and dusky dark red fruit on the nose. Medium body, good acidity and refined tannins. Nice red and black raspberry fruit. The label offers no clue as to the varietals but there is surely Syrah in here and I would guess Grenache as well. This drinks well above its price point, is nicely balanced, elegant, and tasty.
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A decent wine but not a great deal. Very restrained nose. Tastes of dark cherry and oak with a little hint of pepper. It is a little thin and just a bit underwhelming over all for the price. not bad, would be a good buy at $10-$11 but not at $17
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Looking back at the cellar tracker ratings over the last 20 years this has been a very consistent performer--generally around 89. I have had it numerous times over the years and thought it a decent high volume wine. Don't know how many cases they produce each year but it must be tough to blend it so it doesn't vary too much-even within a vintage. This bottle had an overpowering oak/vanilla taste with sour cherry--don't remember that from past bottles. The best I can say is it is a decent "supermarket" wine.
End of the 2nd day after opening, so expectations are low. Have had this wine before. Still some zin typicity; some berries on the nose, with a large dose of vanilla -- and a whiff of corkiness. Some pleasant acidity. No hard edges but a simple and straightforward wine -- a bit pricy for an everyday drinker.
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Decanted 45 mins. ahead. Very deep cherry-garnet. Nose has black pepper, cherries, blackberries; a bit shy. Full-bodied on the palate and semi-smooth, which means just a bit of tartness. Flavors are simple but pleasant. Finishes well with a bit of grip and a dusting of tannin. It's completely decent if you need a dark spicy bottle at a reasonable price.
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Nose: razzleberry pie, pastry and all; dark strawberry-raspberry liqueur; spiced wood. Rich and sweet. Palate: low-med tannins, med acid, med-high alcohol, but quite well-handled. Medium length. Perhaps a tad generic, but a well-made wine and a very easy, delicious sip. Very good QPR. Benefited significantly from breathing 30 minutes. 14.9%, $15.
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Dark ruby/garnet in color. Nose of raspberry, plum, and some pepper. Flavors of plum, blackberry, baking spices, with a gentle velvety texture. Soft, tannic mocha finish that leaves all those flavors lingering. The 2012 was more vibrant and complex than the 2011 in a side by side. The 2011 was a bit more dark and broody. Suggest you decant for 45 mins to an hour. Paired it with rosemary/lemon pork loin. Once the word gets out my guess is that it will be scooped up quickly. Get some while you can! $18
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Very good, quite surprising and a very good QPR. Classic Zin flavors, however there is a large amount of cab coming through, I'm not sure if they added more this year but it's quite enjoyable, perhaps '12 gave them access to better cab fruit for a good price. Good stuff.
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Always a great value, the 2012 seems like the best vintage for this wine in quite some time. Accessible, yet should age for 5 to 8 easily. The nose is deep with black raspberries, roasted meats, iodine. Easy to drink. Delicious. Slight tannins. Lots of fruit. Great QPR.
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4/15/2022 - darkfeld wrote:
The 2012 is drinking surprisingly well, fruit has fallen off a bit to be tolerated and some dust and leather is showing. I prefer this to the younger versions
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7/19/2021 - Viniterra Likes this wine:
States peak for this wine is 2015 - 2019. We had a few bottles we found doing our inventory so we opened one today. We aerated and decanted it prior to drinking and it was fine - tasted bold and delicious.
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10/8/2020 - Jeff Ferrante Likes this wine: 90 Points
A wonderful wine at a great price point. This has aged well.
The wine looks crimson colored. The legs are slow. It smells like cherry and blackberry. The body is full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes medium.
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11/11/2019 - vesuvius wrote: 91 Points
Edges have softened , but still feisty after all these years.
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5/11/2019 - robseconti@aol.com wrote: 91 Points
Spot on terrific value red! Phantom really delivers. A Rhône/CNP like nose with a lush, ripe fruit and bramble palette followed by a long finish. Everything really comes together with no “rough edges”. Glad I saved a case. Think it still has a good couple of years + to go. Enjoy!!
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3/2/2019 - steve_and_mary Likes this wine: 91 Points
We really enjoy this wine. Complex, dark, rich, velvety.
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9/29/2018 - vesuvius wrote: 91 Points
Wow. What a difference a few years makes. If you have the patience, while the wine is always good when available, a few mellowing years turns some of those harsher tannins into mellow palette pleasing roundness.
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9/28/2018 - WinoTim wrote: 90 Points
Outstanding!
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9/5/2018 - web_creator Likes this wine:
This is a go to favorite for just sharing (usually sharing...) a bottle of wine. I buy two to three cases a year just for a decent quaffing wine. There are obviously better wines out there, but not many at the price. It is hard to beat at an "on sale" price of about fifteen bucks.
A loaf of bread, a bottle of wine and thou, and if thou ain't available, then a good movie.....
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3/27/2018 - steve_and_mary Likes this wine: 89 Points
We are never disappointed by Phantom. Dark, dry with moderate tannins. Love it, especially alone.
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1/29/2018 - ppandian wrote: 82 Points
Not much structure with too much fruit. Typical mediocre California cab.
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1/1/2018 - Travelindan Likes this wine: 88 Points
Full and robust.Dark fruits - blackberries, plums and dark cherries.
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12/11/2017 - SailorChris Likes this wine: 88 Points
Yummy! Very nice with lamb.
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11/22/2017 - wtianseter Likes this wine: 89 Points
I truly enjoy Phantom. Big bold dark fruit and berry flavors up front that hang on through the middle and a bold dry medium weight tannin that lasts long. Still with all the enjoyment I see it lacking the subtle flavors that could ad to its rating. This wine will be good for another 5 years with proper cellaring
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8/7/2017 - whudock Likes this wine: 90 Points
lots of layers of flavor and a strong backbone. A great QPR
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7/16/2017 - whudock Likes this wine: 90 Points
drinking very well. Complex, deep, smooth
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6/18/2017 - easttide Likes this wine: 90 Points
very nice. extremely classy especially given the price point.
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5/22/2017 - familydoc wrote:
Nose: cedar, blueberry
Taste: jammy, blueberry, very short "zinny finish"
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4/12/2017 - donash.com wrote: 89 Points
- Garnet color.
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4/12/2017 - donash.com wrote: 89 Points
- Ruby color.
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2/1/2017 - redmancge wrote: 88 Points
Nice enough at $15 sale price from World Market's 30% off sale. Good blend with nice dark fruit and tannins still a little tight. Probably a another point or two with some time. At sale price would buy a few more to cellar a while.
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12/28/2016 - Parnelli Likes this wine: 90 Points
This bottle was one of the best Phantoms we've had in some time. Poured nice and dark with dark fruit and spice on the nose and palate. We did aerate the wine which is what I would recommend. Great balance in this bottle.
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12/24/2016 - schlotz wrote: 85 Points
Ok nothing to really remember. Drinkable for sure but not note worthy.
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12/22/2016 - CappyD wrote: 85 Points
Blend of PS, Z, CS, M. Med dark, a little alcoholic in the nose. Sharp on the finish.
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12/18/2016 - beej Likes this wine:
Better than pizza wine.
Smoke, cinnamon, gas generator on the nose.
Braised beef, thin and spicy with a solid short but tight palate/finish.
Must be a healthy blend as I didn't get an overwhelming zin identity.
Props to my least eldest.
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11/27/2016 - Jdalessiojr wrote: 89 Points
Great nose, smooth and velvety taste. Nice dark color. Surprisingly good.
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10/6/2016 - JPlay wrote: 89 Points
Liked the bigness and decently long finish. Good oak not too tannic.
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8/26/2016 - samsneed Likes this wine: 91 Points
Grabbed this one at BJ's wholesale for 17 bucks. I thought I would give it a shot based on some good reviews. Well, it did not disappoint. Really nice with some dark fruit spice and some veggie on the finish.i will be going back to buy more soon!
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6/11/2016 - xinco Likes this wine: 85 Points
Underwhelmed. Nothing special. Far better wines available at the price point.
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5/20/2016 - intrij wrote: 94 Points
The wine looks crimson colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle.
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5/16/2016 - Jayjbird Likes this wine: 82 Points
Some tannins but went well with the chocolate pretzels
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4/26/2016 - Parnelli wrote: 85 Points
I'm not ready to promote this vintage yet ... it was disjointed, had some heat and flavors were muddled ... yes I know it's a blend, but something needs to be a little distinctive. I'll sit on the other bottles and try in 6 months, but I was expecting quality like past vintages ... it's no where close yet!
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4/6/2016 - valecnik Likes this wine: 89 Points
Smoky oak, vanilla and dusky dark red fruit on the nose. Medium body, good acidity and refined tannins. Nice red and black raspberry fruit. The label offers no clue as to the varietals but there is surely Syrah in here and I would guess Grenache as well. This drinks well above its price point, is nicely balanced, elegant, and tasty.
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2/5/2016 - arass wrote: 86 Points
A decent wine but not a great deal. Very restrained nose. Tastes of dark cherry and oak with a little hint of pepper. It is a little thin and just a bit underwhelming over all for the price. not bad, would be a good buy at $10-$11 but not at $17
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1/28/2016 - spicy1 wrote: 84 Points
Looking back at the cellar tracker ratings over the last 20 years this has been a very consistent performer--generally around 89. I have had it numerous times over the years and thought it a decent high volume wine. Don't know how many cases they produce each year but it must be tough to blend it so it doesn't vary too much-even within a vintage. This bottle had an overpowering oak/vanilla taste with sour cherry--don't remember that from past bottles. The best I can say is it is a decent "supermarket" wine.
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1/10/2016 - GrapeTank wrote: 88 Points
Nice wine for the money. Always consistent.
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1/9/2016 - pc2006mg wrote: 91 Points
Always solid! Stunning value.....
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12/31/2015 - slulkin Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice wine at a great price point. Recollections are a little fuzzy, but dark fruits, vanilla, toasty oak and spice.
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12/7/2015 - whudock Likes this wine: 90 Points
solid, reliable, this is a blend that has depth, strong fruit, length and more complexity than its price would predict. Excellent QPR
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11/22/2015 - RAD wrote: 85 Points
End of the 2nd day after opening, so expectations are low. Have had this wine before. Still some zin typicity; some berries on the nose, with a large dose of vanilla -- and a whiff of corkiness. Some pleasant acidity. No hard edges but a simple and straightforward wine -- a bit pricy for an everyday drinker.
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11/22/2015 - Roscos Likes this wine: 98 Points
Great tasting buy again
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11/4/2015 - Buddy12 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good wine for everyday drinking . I would buy again
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10/15/2015 - VeniceCalif wrote: 87 Points
Decanted 45 mins. ahead. Very deep cherry-garnet. Nose has black pepper, cherries, blackberries; a bit shy. Full-bodied on the palate and semi-smooth, which means just a bit of tartness. Flavors are simple but pleasant. Finishes well with a bit of grip and a dusting of tannin. It's completely decent if you need a dark spicy bottle at a reasonable price.
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10/12/2015 - edog77 Likes this wine: 87 Points
Echo previous comments. Fruity but not the fruit bomb I was expecting. Great with bbq ribs.
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10/11/2015 - Benj Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nose: razzleberry pie, pastry and all; dark strawberry-raspberry liqueur; spiced wood. Rich and sweet. Palate: low-med tannins, med acid, med-high alcohol, but quite well-handled. Medium length. Perhaps a tad generic, but a well-made wine and a very easy, delicious sip. Very good QPR. Benefited significantly from breathing 30 minutes. 14.9%, $15.
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10/10/2015 - thetattooedwineguy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark ruby/garnet in color. Nose of raspberry, plum, and some pepper. Flavors of plum, blackberry, baking spices, with a gentle velvety texture. Soft, tannic mocha finish that leaves all those flavors lingering. The 2012 was more vibrant and complex than the 2011 in a side by side. The 2011 was a bit more dark and broody. Suggest you decant for 45 mins to an hour. Paired it with rosemary/lemon pork loin. Once the word gets out my guess is that it will be scooped up quickly. Get some while you can! $18
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9/22/2015 - mzmijewski wrote: 86 Points
Lots of fruit, hot but with a rapidly faddish finish. Price is right.
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9/20/2015 - Minne Lusa Likes this wine: 87 Points
A well balanced fruit heavy wine, simple and elegant. Black cherry leads into cocao . Trace of Cinnamon.
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8/28/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very good, quite surprising and a very good QPR. Classic Zin flavors, however there is a large amount of cab coming through, I'm not sure if they added more this year but it's quite enjoyable, perhaps '12 gave them access to better cab fruit for a good price. Good stuff.
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8/23/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 90 Points
Always a great value, the 2012 seems like the best vintage for this wine in quite some time. Accessible, yet should age for 5 to 8 easily. The nose is deep with black raspberries, roasted meats, iodine. Easy to drink. Delicious. Slight tannins. Lots of fruit. Great QPR.
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11/1/2014 - Randito Likes this wine:
Nice complex wine for the money, one of the better wines enjoyed at the $15 price point.
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