After the last bottle of this wine, I was both a little apprehensive about this final bottle as well as fully cognizant that I needed to pop this puppy sooner than later. In fact, I was thinking after tasting the last bottle just a few weeks ago that I should have opened this one right away—as I feared the worst. No need to fear (or better said: this is proof that there are not bad wines, only bad bottles). Quite golden in the glass after the rather energetic opening of the wine, with an active sparkle resulting in a lively, frothy mousse. Peachy and yeasty, with an interesting white pepper aspect—quite lovely. That adoration continues on the palate with that gorgeous peach, a flinty minerality, and a killer finish. Fantastic. thedrunkencyclist.com
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Quite golden in the glass, so much so that it looks as if there must have been some red wine vestiges left in the glass before pouring. A touch of citrus and plenty of oxidative notes on the nose, with a touch of nuttiness and lanolin even. The palate has a vibrant sparkle and a hint of sweetness, but nice tartness, that nuttiness that presented itself on the nose, and a lingering finish. thedrunkencyclist.com
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PnP. Rich gold in color. Great nose of almonds, baked apples, brioche, and a touch of honey. Good mouthfeel. This bottle presented much nicer than the prior. Not feeling like it needs more acid like the prior. Med finish.
Enjoyed in a Riedel Vinum Cuvee Prestige glass at 40°F.
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I used up my last bottle making "champagne" cocktails for friends. I'm happy to be rid of these, and not buying again. Maybe I expected too much. I don't see these as any better qualitatively than their standard NV Blanc de Noir.
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This has not been a good purchase for me. Not worth $18 a bottle. This drinks more like cava than something from the "methode champenoise". Big clunky bubbles, a bitter finish. It's right on the border for me where I'd rather put some OJ in it to get it down. They do not appear to be aging well either.
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We tried to drink this straight, but it turned into mango mimosas while in Puerto Vallarta. This wine is not much better than their regular Blanc de Noir - acceptable but nothing exciting. Furthermore, the winery didn't respond to 2 emails inquiring about how these age, and it would appear they are NOT meant to age. Overall, a dissapointing showing, mostly because I was optimistic about this Grand sparkler, and it is not delivering.
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By 7:00 it had been a long day. A very long day. I moved to Houston four months ago from Philadelphia and all my wine has been in storage ever since. And I have not touched it at all. 123 cases sitting there, costing me $300 a month to keep cool in the sauna that is Houston. Until today. Today, on the coldest day of the year (33°), I rented a U-Haul and drove over to the storage facility, loaded up the 10 dozen plus boxes and high-tailed it home (actually, I drove a good 10 miles per hour below the speed limit on surface streets, which still did not prevent nearly all the boxes to be strewn every which way in the back of the truck). By 7:00, and after unloading 47 cases, I needed a break. Not a “Phew, let’s call it a day and celebrate!” kind of break, but rather a “Crap, I am not even half way done, but my back is killing me and I need some bubbles” kind of a break. And this hit the spot. Golden color, a bit nutty, and frankly a bit tired (or was that me?). Perhaps it has slipped a bit due to its arduous journey, but honestly, I didn’t care. It was cold, wet, and invigorating. Back to the boxes! thedrunkencyclist.com
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PnP. Rich gold in color like a Sauternes. Nice bead of fine/med bubbles. Rich nose of baked apples, pears, and brioche. Very full body, but as Seth Rosenberg states, this likely needs a bit more acid.
Enjoyed in a Riedel Vinum Cuvee Prestige glass at 40F.
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Nice nose: starts spicy with ginger and then shows a lot of sweet apple fruit. With time more bread, and some sweet malt or coffee/mocha. The palate has sweet apple, marzipan, honey, spice, ginger and lots of creamy malt/mocha that come out more as the palate develops. The mousse starts off OK but is too soft by the finish, which is malty and sweet with some ginger/spice. Not enough acid. Nose - 4.5-5/6, Palate - 4.5/6, Finish - 4/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 14/20.
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Champagne by Joe (Tracy's garden): The last TWO bottles of this have been underwhelming. The bitterness that was blowing off on previous bottles is not blowing off now. One of the bottles at least had a decent champagne nose. After a lackluster showing at a wine tasting, I opened another bottle after going to the fair, and it was not any better. Clunky and uninteresting. I may be putting orange juice in my remaining bottles.
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Champagne by Joe (Tracy's, Mpls): Medium yellow color. Drank a 2 oz pour over 15 minutes. The nose is fairly pleasant with apples mainly. The palate is rather foamy, lager like, apple, grapefruit, bitter and angular on the mid and the finish. I did not experience the previous bottles which were reported to be be significantly better. I didn't find anything off about this bottle, it just wasn't very redeeming. Just about any of the common Napa/Sonoma sparkling offerings would have been preferable at or often below this price point (or a nice Prosecco for that matter).
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Porch Pounders (Jim's house): I believe my last note was spot-on. This seems a little bitter initially and that subsides with time. There is some nice yeast and acidity. Slight champagne character. A step up from the NV blanc de noir.
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Note: I use a rating scale for which 85 represents a very good wine.
I was not as impressed (at least score wise) as some others. The wine was a bit too heavy for me. The flavors were not that delicate or delineated. Overall, a very positive impression, but there is room for improvement. Will more time do the trick? Who knows? Anyway, a tip of the hat to the New Mexicans for making this -- shattered expectations.
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I never cease to be amazed that this comes from New Mexico. Gruet consistently produces a great sparkling wine and this is no exception. Nice richness balanced with good acid and fruit with a hint of vanilla. It rivals the best Napa Valley sparkling wines.
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Drank a bottle the day before thanksgiving while cooking. The color is a dark gold or "slightly unhealthy urine" color. Initially, the taste is pretty, but not much different than the NV BdN. There is a significant tinny, tartic acid minerality to it that I find a little off-putting. I have gotten much more of that from the regular NV. With time, this flavor moves into the background, but it never completely disappears. What remains is a richer, slightly gold-fruit Champagne-tasting drink that is quite satisfying. It seems to be one foot in California (Or New Mexico?, I dunno, never been there) and one foot in Champagne. I was wondering how this youngster would fair, I think it did differentiate itself from their normal bottling, and I hope/anticipate it to further improve along that path through the years.
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A little darker in color and a tad sweeter in taste than a classic French champagne, it nevertheless holds its own as a sparkling wine of quality. Lots of toast and almonds, but balanced by enough acidity to be a good food wine. Very good QPR at <$20.
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I wasn't wildly impressed with the glass I had, but I've liked Gruet in the past, so I was disappointed. Nevertheless, this was served with all the wrong food, and I'll wait to actually review it till I can drink it under more favorable conditions.
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Imagine a bad day. Not the worst day you have ever had, but just your run of the mill "bad day." Undoubtedly, at some point during that day, there was a point that was actually good, or at least "not so bad." Even if you do not believe me, it has to be true, almost by definition. Well, this bottle for me was certainly that bright spot. I had gained three pounds, watched my football team get embarrassed, and hurt my arm playing catch with my son. This wine? Stellar. Citrus and baked bread with good acidity and a lingering finish. It made me forget about my crappy day. Almost. Outstanding. thedrunkencyclist.com
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Medium golden-lemon, very fine persistent bubbles. Yeasty aromas upon opening, medium(-) aromas of bread, strawberries. Dry, medium-medium(+) acidity, very low tannin, medium(-)-medium body, medium(-) alcohol @12%. Medium flavors of lemon, strawberry, red berry, mineral, yellow apple, mint(?). Rich and soft mousse, vibrant mousse. Balanced, medium texture. Crisp medium length finish with lingering acidity. Robust enough to go with light foodfare.
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There are times in your life that you have regrets. I should have tried out for the football team in college (we were horrible--I could have ruled); there was the time in Champagne that I passed on a Krug tasting for a longer bike ride (I know, I know); and I never asked out the hottest woman in my graduating class after contemplating it most of the four years there (I found out a decade later she would have said yes). Here? I should have bought more of this. A lot more. I fooled my wife into thinking this was champagne--deep and complex flavors, vibrant acidity, enduring finish. Outstanding. thedrunkencyclist.com
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Retail $33. A bit on the amber side, with a caramel note prominent on the nose. Austere on the palate with great flavors of brioche and a lemon creaminess on the finish. I love a good Blanc de Noirs and this is a good BdN. Likely better with food, but this was great with binge watching of Breaking Bad. Very Good to Outstanding. thedrunkencyclist.com
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2/20/2022 - F_&_M Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last note still holds. Drinking very well. Loving it.
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11/29/2018 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 91 Points
After the last bottle of this wine, I was both a little apprehensive about this final bottle as well as fully cognizant that I needed to pop this puppy sooner than later. In fact, I was thinking after tasting the last bottle just a few weeks ago that I should have opened this one right away—as I feared the worst. No need to fear (or better said: this is proof that there are not bad wines, only bad bottles). Quite golden in the glass after the rather energetic opening of the wine, with an active sparkle resulting in a lively, frothy mousse. Peachy and yeasty, with an interesting white pepper aspect—quite lovely. That adoration continues on the palate with that gorgeous peach, a flinty minerality, and a killer finish. Fantastic. thedrunkencyclist.com
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11/17/2018 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 88 Points
Quite golden in the glass, so much so that it looks as if there must have been some red wine vestiges left in the glass before pouring. A touch of citrus and plenty of oxidative notes on the nose, with a touch of nuttiness and lanolin even. The palate has a vibrant sparkle and a hint of sweetness, but nice tartness, that nuttiness that presented itself on the nose, and a lingering finish. thedrunkencyclist.com
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11/2/2018 - John Nezlek wrote: 88 Points
Note: I use a rating scale for which 85 represents a very good wine.
Meaningfully better than the last bottle. Rich yet with verve. New Mexico blanc de noirs. Who knew?
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1/1/2018 - hesnctrl Likes this wine: 89 Points
PnP. Rich gold in color. Great nose of almonds, baked apples, brioche, and a touch of honey. Good mouthfeel. This bottle presented much nicer than the prior. Not feeling like it needs more acid like the prior. Med finish.
Enjoyed in a Riedel Vinum Cuvee Prestige glass at 40°F.
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8/5/2017 - galewskj wrote:
I used up my last bottle making "champagne" cocktails for friends. I'm happy to be rid of these, and not buying again. Maybe I expected too much. I don't see these as any better qualitatively than their standard NV Blanc de Noir.
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6/24/2017 - galewskj wrote: 86 Points
This has not been a good purchase for me. Not worth $18 a bottle. This drinks more like cava than something from the "methode champenoise". Big clunky bubbles, a bitter finish. It's right on the border for me where I'd rather put some OJ in it to get it down. They do not appear to be aging well either.
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3/4/2017 - galewskj wrote: 88 Points
Pleasant enough. Light golden fruit with some depth.
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1/1/2017 - galewskj wrote: 87 Points
We tried to drink this straight, but it turned into mango mimosas while in Puerto Vallarta. This wine is not much better than their regular Blanc de Noir - acceptable but nothing exciting. Furthermore, the winery didn't respond to 2 emails inquiring about how these age, and it would appear they are NOT meant to age. Overall, a dissapointing showing, mostly because I was optimistic about this Grand sparkler, and it is not delivering.
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12/31/2016 - mazik wrote: 85 Points
Good enough for New Year's Eve.
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12/31/2016 - foobarski Likes this wine: 90 Points
A lovely wine with which to ring in 2017! Like I said last year, crisp and biscuit-y.
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12/19/2016 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 89 Points
By 7:00 it had been a long day. A very long day. I moved to Houston four months ago from Philadelphia and all my wine has been in storage ever since. And I have not touched it at all. 123 cases sitting there, costing me $300 a month to keep cool in the sauna that is Houston. Until today. Today, on the coldest day of the year (33°), I rented a U-Haul and drove over to the storage facility, loaded up the 10 dozen plus boxes and high-tailed it home (actually, I drove a good 10 miles per hour below the speed limit on surface streets, which still did not prevent nearly all the boxes to be strewn every which way in the back of the truck). By 7:00, and after unloading 47 cases, I needed a break. Not a “Phew, let’s call it a day and celebrate!” kind of break, but rather a “Crap, I am not even half way done, but my back is killing me and I need some bubbles” kind of a break. And this hit the spot. Golden color, a bit nutty, and frankly a bit tired (or was that me?). Perhaps it has slipped a bit due to its arduous journey, but honestly, I didn’t care. It was cold, wet, and invigorating. Back to the boxes! thedrunkencyclist.com
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11/26/2016 - hesnctrl wrote: 88 Points
PnP. Rich gold in color like a Sauternes. Nice bead of fine/med bubbles. Rich nose of baked apples, pears, and brioche. Very full body, but as Seth Rosenberg states, this likely needs a bit more acid.
Enjoyed in a Riedel Vinum Cuvee Prestige glass at 40F.
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11/24/2016 - Seth Rosenberg wrote: 88 Points
Nice nose: starts spicy with ginger and then shows a lot of sweet apple fruit. With time more bread, and some sweet malt or coffee/mocha. The palate has sweet apple, marzipan, honey, spice, ginger and lots of creamy malt/mocha that come out more as the palate develops. The mousse starts off OK but is too soft by the finish, which is malty and sweet with some ginger/spice. Not enough acid. Nose - 4.5-5/6, Palate - 4.5/6, Finish - 4/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 14/20.
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9/5/2016 - galewskj wrote: 86 Points
Champagne by Joe (Tracy's garden): The last TWO bottles of this have been underwhelming. The bitterness that was blowing off on previous bottles is not blowing off now. One of the bottles at least had a decent champagne nose. After a lackluster showing at a wine tasting, I opened another bottle after going to the fair, and it was not any better. Clunky and uninteresting. I may be putting orange juice in my remaining bottles.
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9/3/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 85 Points
Champagne by Joe (Tracy's, Mpls): Medium yellow color. Drank a 2 oz pour over 15 minutes. The nose is fairly pleasant with apples mainly. The palate is rather foamy, lager like, apple, grapefruit, bitter and angular on the mid and the finish. I did not experience the previous bottles which were reported to be be significantly better. I didn't find anything off about this bottle, it just wasn't very redeeming. Just about any of the common Napa/Sonoma sparkling offerings would have been preferable at or often below this price point (or a nice Prosecco for that matter).
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7/31/2016 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
Porch Pounders (Jim's house): I believe my last note was spot-on. This seems a little bitter initially and that subsides with time. There is some nice yeast and acidity. Slight champagne character. A step up from the NV blanc de noir.
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5/15/2016 - RMapou Likes this wine: 89 Points
Agree with stormygirl
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4/23/2016 - stormygirl Likes this wine: 89 Points
Heavier than typical bubbles, dark straw color. Flavors of honey and apple
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3/21/2016 - John Nezlek wrote: 85 Points
Note: I use a rating scale for which 85 represents a very good wine.
I was not as impressed (at least score wise) as some others. The wine was a bit too heavy for me. The flavors were not that delicate or delineated. Overall, a very positive impression, but there is room for improvement. Will more time do the trick? Who knows? Anyway, a tip of the hat to the New Mexicans for making this -- shattered expectations.
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3/12/2016 - RMapou Likes this wine: 87 Points
Toasty and dry.
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12/28/2015 - foobarski Likes this wine: 90 Points
Impressive QPR. Crisp and biscuit-y.
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11/26/2015 - Two Winos Likes this wine: 91 Points
I never cease to be amazed that this comes from New Mexico. Gruet consistently produces a great sparkling wine and this is no exception. Nice richness balanced with good acid and fruit with a hint of vanilla. It rivals the best Napa Valley sparkling wines.
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11/26/2015 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
Drank a bottle the day before thanksgiving while cooking. The color is a dark gold or "slightly unhealthy urine" color. Initially, the taste is pretty, but not much different than the NV BdN. There is a significant tinny, tartic acid minerality to it that I find a little off-putting. I have gotten much more of that from the regular NV. With time, this flavor moves into the background, but it never completely disappears. What remains is a richer, slightly gold-fruit Champagne-tasting drink that is quite satisfying. It seems to be one foot in California (Or New Mexico?, I dunno, never been there) and one foot in Champagne. I was wondering how this youngster would fair, I think it did differentiate itself from their normal bottling, and I hope/anticipate it to further improve along that path through the years.
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11/22/2015 - F_&_M Likes this wine: 91 Points
Quite a serious sparkler. Almonds and toast. Darker than the usual offerings. Nice complexity.
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11/21/2015 - Richard123 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A little darker in color and a tad sweeter in taste than a classic French champagne, it nevertheless holds its own as a sparkling wine of quality. Lots of toast and almonds, but balanced by enough acidity to be a good food wine. Very good QPR at <$20.
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10/23/2015 - JohnRachelWine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fantastic
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9/20/2015 - mazik wrote:
I wasn't wildly impressed with the glass I had, but I've liked Gruet in the past, so I was disappointed. Nevertheless, this was served with all the wrong food, and I'll wait to actually review it till I can drink it under more favorable conditions.
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9/20/2015 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 91 Points
Imagine a bad day. Not the worst day you have ever had, but just your run of the mill "bad day." Undoubtedly, at some point during that day, there was a point that was actually good, or at least "not so bad." Even if you do not believe me, it has to be true, almost by definition. Well, this bottle for me was certainly that bright spot. I had gained three pounds, watched my football team get embarrassed, and hurt my arm playing catch with my son. This wine? Stellar. Citrus and baked bread with good acidity and a lingering finish. It made me forget about my crappy day. Almost. Outstanding. thedrunkencyclist.com
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8/31/2015 - mcoleman1722 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very nice sparkler. Explosive mouse lead to a crisp finish, if just a little off. Not bad at $17 per.
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8/7/2015 - Barolo Raymond wrote: 89 Points
Medium golden-lemon, very fine persistent bubbles. Yeasty aromas upon opening, medium(-) aromas of bread, strawberries. Dry, medium-medium(+) acidity, very low tannin, medium(-)-medium body, medium(-) alcohol @12%. Medium flavors of lemon, strawberry, red berry, mineral, yellow apple, mint(?). Rich and soft mousse, vibrant mousse. Balanced, medium texture. Crisp medium length finish with lingering acidity. Robust enough to go with light foodfare.
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7/2/2015 - wirelesswine wrote: 90 Points
A very nice sparkler with intense gold color, and great body. Great value too.
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6/28/2015 - Quaffing in Colorado Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nothing to add to the Drunken Cyclist's reviews. Delicious and a steal at this qpr.
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6/20/2015 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 91 Points
There are times in your life that you have regrets. I should have tried out for the football team in college (we were horrible--I could have ruled); there was the time in Champagne that I passed on a Krug tasting for a longer bike ride (I know, I know); and I never asked out the hottest woman in my graduating class after contemplating it most of the four years there (I found out a decade later she would have said yes). Here? I should have bought more of this. A lot more. I fooled my wife into thinking this was champagne--deep and complex flavors, vibrant acidity, enduring finish. Outstanding. thedrunkencyclist.com
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5/23/2015 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 90 Points
Retail $33. A bit on the amber side, with a caramel note prominent on the nose. Austere on the palate with great flavors of brioche and a lemon creaminess on the finish. I love a good Blanc de Noirs and this is a good BdN. Likely better with food, but this was great with binge watching of Breaking Bad. Very Good to Outstanding. thedrunkencyclist.com
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