I seem to have been drinking a very different wine than some who have previously posted notes.
Color is a deep garnet as expected from a wine with over a decade of age. But as for the nose and palate features, it belies its age. This was BIG in its youth and it hasn't diminished overly so at this point. It fills the room and coats the palate with rich dark chocolate covered cherries and licorice. Tannins have mellowed but maintain enough structure for the wine last for another five years or more. Acidity is medium and the finish is medium(++). I also found it to be food friendly, especially with a spicy dish. There's no doubt this is a Chris Ringland wine. Excellent.
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I get the same port-like aromas others have noted. Initially very ripe, fruit forward. Not much underlying structure either through tannins or acidity. Either my palate grew tired of this over my 3-4 hours drinking this, or the wine deteriorated. Drink up.
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excuse pop & pour: very hot alcohol on the onset , a bit of brown rim , otherwise nice garnet color....calmed into balance 60-90 min, very nice nose of dark cherry, raspberry ...initially strong rotten fruit on the palate ...but mellows into the hour as the tannins wane (strong initially )and the raspberry and black cherry fruit blossomed ... into hr 3...wife long asleep....nose & palate starts to thin but still very nice...I had this 3 yr ago and was nothing like this, my comment was " I need to be alone with this."......wish I had shared this last bottle....overall, I see 250 bottles in community stock.....I say" boys rev your engines and drink this now" ....even the best cellars won't preserve this....but what do I know...some stubborn will still be popping this 3-5yr only to pour the garbolator the final opinion, my friend already had to pour one out... capped the last 1/4, opened 48 hr (stayed chilled)....pretty much lost everything, flat, charred twice lit cigar on the palate with hint of blueberry on top, finish nonexistent, ...recommend consume all when opened
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Painfully alcoholic; the fire literally burned brighter when this was poured into it. Raspberry cordial, acceptable--but notable--level of VA, some black fruits, and that burning sensation on nose and palate.
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What a difference a day makes. Tonight this has cherry and red fruit notes without the hot overly alcoholic aromas from last night. Still fairly ripe on the palate, with raisin, cherry and red fruit flavors.
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Filling in w/the Friday Brown Bag Group (Rich & Dana's): Garnet color. This smelled like a young port- hot & alcoholic. It smelled like brandy. The palate is almost as bad, though there were some underlying raisin and raspberry qualities discernable underneath the alcohol.
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Caramel and red fruit nose, cinnamon, nutmeg...high alc. SMOOTH mouth feel, probably the most agreable characteristic of the wine, which is not to say the rest falls short... fruit, spice, caramel across the palate with a long silky finish. Very good now, but I wouldn't wait longer.
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A deep, but not inky red plum color. An expressively floral Grenache with orange zest, cinnamon, cherry pits, ripe cherries, some cigar ash, cedar, rich balsamic vinegar all wrapping around the olfactory sensors and holding them tight. The palate is rich and satisfying with fresh fruit driven by loads of cherry, but also lengthy layers of blueberry and coffee on the mid-palate and a mocha finish delivering a meaty mouthfeel. Balanced, satisfying, complex but not inscrutable; a wine that tops off a good week. Not a speck of sediment until the very last pour when previously unseen sediment poured out in chunks. 16% alc. With rosé salumi, blue cheese and crusty bread along with a walnut-arugala pesto for JFO. Highly Recommended.
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Still plenty of oak, but well integrated as vanilla with some caramel undertones. Sexy new world style. Drinking well now. Not sure if it will improve any more than this, but who knows.
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This is a great bottle of pure grenache with a wonderful WOW as you take your first whiff and swallow of smooth creamy grenache with raspberry and spice. have a lot of Moncayo grenache, from the entry level Veration to the top end Aquillon. They are a linear walk up the staurs, each one excellent in its own right, but each step up bringing you to a higher, more pure, level of flavor and aroma.
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Opened this up over a week ago but it was too aggressively New World so I put the cork back in and sort of forgot about it until now. Much to my surprise it's still very much alive, which I think bodes relatively well for its aging potential. Notes of wild berries, black cherries, black plums, baking spices and menthol. Ripe on the palate to be sure, but after being open for a week, the flavors have become much more mellow and balanced. Decanting is well advised.
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Pop-n-Pour. Medium ruby color, with quite a nice bouquet of cherries and cranberries with orange honey? I liked the nose a lot. On the palate the sour cherry/cranberry flavors are huge. The tannins are ripe, and probably all coming from the huge oak treatment. Surprisingly, the oak did not bother me, and in fact seemed balanced because of the brightness of the fruit. I did notice some heat on the tail end, but the finish was all raspberry liquer, and was great. 50+4+13+16+7
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Hiro’s: This had cassis, some tabacco, and prune notes along w/some slite red frts; mth was HOT, port-like; Mth had some slight spice notes, bark, with a sweet core--almost thot T. National, the Malbec, then P Verdot! Ringer for Garnacha--missed this. 2006 clearly better I think.
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A very good example of a re-engineered spanish wine with smooth tannins, big fruit and balanced oak. A style I enjoy every once in a while, but not every week.
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Pop and pour. Consumed over 4 hours. Bright red fruits with oak influences but the oak seemed well integrated. Full-bodied and dense but sufficiently acidic to give it some energy. A touch of that 16% alcohol shows on the finish. Normally not a style of wine I enjoy but I was in the mood for something big last night and this fit the bill.
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decanted for an hour. no off putting heat despite 16.5%. there is no doubt this is a ringland wine. ruby red in color. i got cherries and red raspberries on the nose w/ a slight touch of toffee. the oak treatment was not overly done. just a bit of spice and earth as well. raspberry, kirsch, a touch of cranberry and a cocoa like aspect on the palate. this was like liquid velvet in the mouth. the tannins were completely integrated, making the finish a silky slingshot. i mentioned that i could drink this until i fell flat on the floor. extremely impressive wine.
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What a wine! So much character, I could sniff this all night. On the nose, very rustic in a barnyard way (it was very pleasing but hard to characterize) with notes of dark chocolate covered raspberries, scorched earth cassis and a touch of plum. Very concentrated nose. Well integrated in the mouth with a long finish and a touch of black pepper spiciness. When I poured this into the glass, it could easily have been mistaken for cali pinot (without sniffing or tasting it of course), lighter in color, but packs a punch. I need to buy this wine every year. Have had this and the '04 and I think its one of the best qpr's out there.
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No written notes. Still a great wine. Big on the nose and palate as it's always shown. Lovely dark fruits. Can still be held over the medium term if you'd lile. Wish I had more. I might go try to find more on the after market.
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This wine seems to have more in common with zinfandels than with grenache: peppery spices and raspberry-cherry fruit (and lots of it). Delicious overall, with no overt oak, and a full, creamy mouthfeel. The tannins seem to be resolved already, and I'd recommend drinking this by 2010.
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This type of wine is usually right up my alley, but I could not find a way to enjoy it. Too much alcohol even after 2-3 hours of decanting. We had the Veraton a few months ago and really enjoyed it, but this is a much worse wine for more money.
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Initially it was as I expected: tons of delicious and dense fruit with a little heat (as you would expect from 16% alc.). With about an hour in the glass, it began to unwind and settle down into something more: clearly delineated raspberry supported by mixed berry compote, a bit of cinnamon and chocolate, and a creamy mouthfeel progressing to a balanced, lingering, and tasty finish. The heat receeded entirely. Nice value, highly enjoyable.
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Dark rich purple, zin/port like on the nose with boysenberry, red currant, vanilla and spice, rich extracted fruit, very oaked, lots of heat and burn on the palate, very young and awkward, acidic and biting finish, big wine but inelegant, will get better, good deal if you like big extracted wines
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WOW! This was a real surprise. I had the 2004 at a tasting and really liked it but decided that it needed years in the cellar. Today at Zachy's, my good friends from Tempranillo distributors were pouring the 2003 along with some other wines. This wine had a nice fruit bouquet and a dark color, but it was the palate (as it should be) that really impressed. Rasberries, sweet cream and vanilla. NO, it was not oaky. There was no noticeable wood and the tannins had really softened. Very easy to drink. No bitterness. A bit of spice with the rasberry, but mostly sweet and supple. I think I have a few bottles already in the cellar but I bought three more. The importer also tells me that the price of the 2005 is going to go way up and that the 2004s are all gone. Oh well. I have 03 and 04. I guess that means my verticle stops at two years. Note that they did not make the Aquillon (their top of the line) in 2003 so they blended those grapes in with the rest for the regular cuvee, which may explain the really great taste. Interestingly, they had already bought the Aquillon bottles before they declassified the grapes, so they used the Aquillon bottles for some of the regular bottling in 2003. I got some of each bottle type.
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WOTN. Notes of cherry, cinnamon, cedar, burned rubber (pinotage-like) and dark sugar on the nose. On the full, velvety palate, explosive flavors of raspberries, more cedar, bittersweet chocolate and spice. Oak and alcohol are certainly present but skillfully integrated with surgical precision. The finish isn't too long but there's no heat either and at over 16% you can't ask for much more. Fruit, earth and balance, what a combo! Great job!
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This put on weight and came together nicely in a year. Certainly a tad overoaked for my tastes, but with such great material, balance and extract, it's forgivable. Seems to have the acidity and tannic structure to evolve over a few more years too.
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No formal notes taken. It was remarkably better on the second night which is reflected in the score. The combination of flavors is a great mix between new world and old world. It has the fruity sweet character of the new world, and the funky earth funk of the old world. I really liked this wine a whole lot, and it is one of my favorites from this summer. I can't wait to try the '04.
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Excellent. Up front fruit on the nose with cherry, fresh raspberry and hint of spice. Medium-light red color. Medium bodied and well-rounded body with a pa late that was fruit-forward yet restrained. The slightly sweet raspberry and cherry flavors were rich but still balanced by some chocolate and earthy tones. Medium long finish with very muted fruits and a touch of oak. Very well balanced and imminently drinkable. Superb.
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This was the highest rated and most recommended wine of the night I tasted it, and somehow the first all three of us didn't want to keep in the glass. To me it was way over the top and unbalanced... too jammy, too hot, too fruity...just a little too much. It had some nice hints of chocolate and cinammon... a sort of Ibarra-like flavor I've noticed before but have enjoyed more in other wines given all the other things going on in this one. When did Australia annex Spain?
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Light-medium red. Entirely fresh cherry fruit nose accented with some pleasant floral suggestion, with the vanillin oak well in the background and some meaty nuance lurking around as well. Round and fairly rich palate feel, with attractively sweet cherry fruit and no heat despite being served at a higher than optimal temperature. Quite a bit more restrained in the extraction, oak, alcohol, and sweetness departments than I expected. Outstanding underlying material, and handled very well.
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A fun and off-the-beaten-path wine. Nose somewhat reticent, dark rasberry, cherry notes mid-palate. Did show a touch of heat, which caused me to double-check alcohol content -- a whopping 16.5% !!! Remarkably velvety given that level. Oak was not as noticeable as expected given Tanzer's notes. A very good value, deftly crafted. Would certainly buy again.
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Fabulously smooth and elegant with an abundance of cherry fruit, underlaid with some peppery spice and chocolate notes. The wine came with a reputation which appears well deserved.
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A solid wine with big upfront fruit, some earth, and balanced tannins. Perhaps a bit heavy on the alcohol which is obvious on the finish. A good value.
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Color: Dark purple Nose: Scorched earth, oak, raspberries, spices Taste: Heat evident but died down over a few days with rapsberries, oak, earth, vanilla, spices Finish: Medium and powerful. This is a wine to cellar. Evaluation: Not as good as the 04 tried side by side but solid. 90 points
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One of the best Grenache's I've ever had. Lot's of nuance and bright fruit. This is way to young though. It will be fun to watch this evolve over the next several years.
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Medium-bodied wine that is dark magenta in color. On the nose, bright black raspberries and floral notes. On the palate, dark cherries and black raspberries with a very long 30+ second finish. This wine shows its high alcohol a bit.
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This was the most powerful of the wines of the evening. Fruits very forward. Flavors of black cherry and chocolate. Interestingly, this wine had the significantly higher alcohol than any other, but this didn’t seem to impact the flavors – maybe this was the reason why we all thought it was so powerful. This wines consistency was also the most velvety compared to the rest of the group. The group noted that this wine would have been best served with appetizers and cheeses which would have complemented the flavors of the wine.
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Sledge hammer of a wine. Very good fruit with less evident oak than the Veraton. Decently well balanced, mouthfeel. Stands up to relatively spicey food.
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Fantastic wine. Never had single Granache varietal before; this wine is very tasty/yummy. Loads of cherry and plum. Jammy but smooth with balanced tannins. Honey overtone. Vegetal but just the right amount. Fantastic sexy wine!!!
Entry on 2/5/2007: I've had quite a bit of wine since my first impression of the Alto Moncayo and I have to rev ise my rating. I feel that the wine is very sexy and alluring but it lacks a certain finesse and the notes are a bit candied and somewhat artificial. It's still very enjoyable, but I give it a 88 this time around. It's sexy NOT refined.
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Well balanced and integrated tannins/fruit. Velvety smooth; not as dense as I'd hoped. Gained complexity and structure after an hour's decanting. Should cellar for another year.
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Tasted June 30, 2006 at a retail tasting. Opened and served immediately in a Riedel tasting glass. Garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of cinnamon, potpourri, mahogany, (nose keeps changing!), laquer (not bad), black berries and burnt sugar. Flavors of red berries, toast, spices, a mix of berries and a touch of mocha on the finish. Well integrated tannins with medium acidity. Medium to full bodied. This wine really coats the mouth. Can be drank now with a little decanting but should age well for five years ore more. Based on the local retail price of $32.29 I’d say the value here is highly recommended. I picked up a few bottles for the cellar to see where this one goes.
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2/22/2022 - crewald wrote:
Beautiful. Had with pulled pork. Still going strong. Red fruit, spice, plump.
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6/9/2016 - Knicksfan wrote: 93 Points
In great shape for a 13-year old; still a winner with rich fruit and spice.
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5/19/2016 - kenv Does not like this wine:
WCC Grenache Blind (Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY): Tart, tannic, out of balance to me. May resolve with more time.
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5/24/2015 - AlexHop wrote: 94 Points
beautiful. Silly and elegant over a core of graphite and spice.
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2/13/2015 - Julius. Likes this wine:
I seem to have been drinking a very different wine than some who have previously posted notes.
Color is a deep garnet as expected from a wine with over a decade of age. But as for the nose and palate features, it belies its age. This was BIG in its youth and it hasn't diminished overly so at this point. It fills the room and coats the palate with rich dark chocolate covered cherries and licorice. Tannins have mellowed but maintain enough structure for the wine last for another five years or more. Acidity is medium and the finish is medium(++). I also found it to be food friendly, especially with a spicy dish. There's no doubt this is a Chris Ringland wine. Excellent.
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5/25/2012 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 85 Points
I get the same port-like aromas others have noted. Initially very ripe, fruit forward. Not much underlying structure either through tannins or acidity. Either my palate grew tired of this over my 3-4 hours drinking this, or the wine deteriorated. Drink up.
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1/5/2012 - drummer wrote: 90 Points
excuse pop & pour: very hot alcohol on the onset , a bit of brown rim , otherwise nice garnet color....calmed into balance 60-90 min, very nice nose of dark cherry, raspberry ...initially strong rotten fruit on the palate ...but mellows into the hour as the tannins wane (strong initially )and the raspberry and black cherry fruit blossomed ... into hr 3...wife long asleep....nose & palate starts to thin but still very nice...I had this 3 yr ago and was nothing like this, my comment was " I need to be alone with this."......wish I had shared this last bottle....overall, I see 250 bottles in community stock.....I say" boys rev your engines and drink this now" ....even the best cellars won't preserve this....but what do I know...some stubborn will still be popping this 3-5yr only to pour the garbolator the final opinion, my friend already had to pour one out...
capped the last 1/4, opened 48 hr (stayed chilled)....pretty much lost everything, flat, charred twice lit cigar on the palate with hint of blueberry on top, finish nonexistent, ...recommend consume all when opened
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11/20/2011 - clindyrun wrote:
Painfully alcoholic; the fire literally burned brighter when this was poured into it. Raspberry cordial, acceptable--but notable--level of VA, some black fruits, and that burning sensation on nose and palate.
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9/3/2011 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
What a difference a day makes. Tonight this has cherry and red fruit notes without the hot overly alcoholic aromas from last night. Still fairly ripe on the palate, with raisin, cherry and red fruit flavors.
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9/2/2011 - AllRed wrote:
Filling in w/the Friday Brown Bag Group (Rich & Dana's): Garnet color. This smelled like a young port- hot & alcoholic. It smelled like brandy. The palate is almost as bad, though there were some underlying raisin and raspberry qualities discernable underneath the alcohol.
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3/12/2011 - jcp0a0 wrote:
too much alcohol, tannins fading away, def a tasting wine not recommended w\ food
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12/10/2010 - jaymeplace wrote: 93 Points
Wow!
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11/23/2010 - Winekrupt wrote: 93 Points
Caramel and red fruit nose, cinnamon, nutmeg...high alc. SMOOTH mouth feel, probably the most agreable characteristic of the wine, which is not to say the rest falls short... fruit, spice, caramel across the palate with a long silky finish. Very good now, but I wouldn't wait longer.
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11/19/2010 - timewithwine wrote:
A deep, but not inky red plum color. An expressively floral Grenache with orange zest, cinnamon, cherry pits, ripe cherries, some cigar ash, cedar, rich balsamic vinegar all wrapping around the olfactory sensors and holding them tight. The palate is rich and satisfying with fresh fruit driven by loads of cherry, but also lengthy layers of blueberry and coffee on the mid-palate and a mocha finish delivering a meaty mouthfeel. Balanced, satisfying, complex but not inscrutable; a wine that tops off a good week. Not a speck of sediment until the very last pour when previously unseen sediment poured out in chunks. 16% alc. With rosé salumi, blue cheese and crusty bread along with a walnut-arugala pesto for JFO. Highly Recommended.
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5/30/2010 - Knicksfan wrote: 92 Points
Big as ever - grenache, oak, butterscotch you name it. Pretty intense - which I know about this wine and I like
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5/10/2010 - Primordialsoup wrote: 92 Points
Still plenty of oak, but well integrated as vanilla with some caramel undertones. Sexy new world style. Drinking well now. Not sure if it will improve any more than this, but who knows.
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4/3/2010 - J @ y H @ c k wrote: 93 Points
This is a great bottle of pure grenache with a wonderful WOW as you take your first whiff and swallow of smooth creamy grenache with raspberry and spice. have a lot of Moncayo grenache, from the entry level Veration to the top end Aquillon. They are a linear walk up the staurs, each one excellent in its own right, but each step up bringing you to a higher, more pure, level of flavor and aroma.
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2/17/2010 - pepeelvis wrote:
fruit has pairedback a bit, making the vanilla come through even stronger. I am not sure if this wine needs time to resolve itself or is past its peak
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1/24/2010 - Paul Lin wrote: 88 Points
Opened this up over a week ago but it was too aggressively New World so I put the cork back in and sort of forgot about it until now. Much to my surprise it's still very much alive, which I think bodes relatively well for its aging potential. Notes of wild berries, black cherries, black plums, baking spices and menthol. Ripe on the palate to be sure, but after being open for a week, the flavors have become much more mellow and balanced. Decanting is well advised.
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1/2/2010 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Notes consistent with prior bottle, except a much stronger plum component this time.
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11/16/2009 - psirah wrote: 90 Points
Pop-n-Pour. Medium ruby color, with quite a nice bouquet of cherries and cranberries with orange honey? I liked the nose a lot. On the palate the sour cherry/cranberry flavors are huge. The tannins are ripe, and probably all coming from the huge oak treatment. Surprisingly, the oak did not bother me, and in fact seemed balanced because of the brightness of the fruit. I did notice some heat on the tail end, but the finish was all raspberry liquer, and was great.
50+4+13+16+7
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9/12/2009 - peternelson wrote: 88 Points
Hiro’s: This had cassis, some tabacco, and prune notes along w/some slite red frts; mth was HOT, port-like; Mth had some slight spice notes, bark, with a sweet core--almost thot T. National, the Malbec, then P Verdot! Ringer for Garnacha--missed this. 2006 clearly better I think.
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8/30/2009 - CTSV157 wrote: 90 Points
Big ripe flavors in this new world bomber. Although the flavors are powerful there is a nice balancing act going on with oak winning out.
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7/17/2009 - leekallman wrote:
really great deep red fruits, some caramel and vanilla in the background, really good tannins, great nose. three thumbs up.
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5/11/2009 - ob2s wrote: 92 Points
A very good example of a re-engineered spanish wine with smooth tannins, big fruit and balanced oak. A style I enjoy every once in a while, but not every week.
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2/9/2009 - rsepulve wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour. Consumed over 4 hours. Bright red fruits with oak influences but the oak seemed well integrated. Full-bodied and dense but sufficiently acidic to give it some energy. A touch of that 16% alcohol shows on the finish. Normally not a style of wine I enjoy but I was in the mood for something big last night and this fit the bill.
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1/13/2009 - DesMarteau wrote: 94 Points
awesome....violets and perfume nose. huge range....plums, rasberries, spice, flowers....wish i had more
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12/27/2008 - WagesOfZin wrote: 94 Points
decanted for an hour. no off putting heat despite 16.5%. there is no doubt this is a ringland wine. ruby red in color. i got cherries and red raspberries on the nose w/ a slight touch of toffee. the oak treatment was not overly done. just a bit of spice and earth as well. raspberry, kirsch, a touch of cranberry and a cocoa like aspect on the palate. this was like liquid velvet in the mouth. the tannins were completely integrated, making the finish a silky slingshot. i mentioned that i could drink this until i fell flat on the floor. extremely impressive wine.
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9/13/2008 - bubbachumps wrote: 94 Points
What a wine! So much character, I could sniff this all night. On the nose, very rustic in a barnyard way (it was very pleasing but hard to characterize) with notes of dark chocolate covered raspberries, scorched earth cassis and a touch of plum. Very concentrated nose. Well integrated in the mouth with a long finish and a touch of black pepper spiciness. When I poured this into the glass, it could easily have been mistaken for cali pinot (without sniffing or tasting it of course), lighter in color, but packs a punch. I need to buy this wine every year. Have had this and the '04 and I think its one of the best qpr's out there.
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8/24/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
No written notes. Still a great wine. Big on the nose and palate as it's always shown. Lovely dark fruits. Can still be held over the medium term if you'd lile. Wish I had more. I might go try to find more on the after market.
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7/25/2008 - pgm wrote: 91 Points
This wine seems to have more in common with zinfandels than with grenache: peppery spices and raspberry-cherry fruit (and lots of it). Delicious overall, with no overt oak, and a full, creamy mouthfeel. The tannins seem to be resolved already, and I'd recommend drinking this by 2010.
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7/4/2008 - LC17SMP wrote: 94 Points
Opened and double decanted. Drank over 3hrs. Wonderful nose that filled the room. Tons of fruit. Seems to have a lot of time ahead of it.
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2/24/2008 - danseng wrote:
This type of wine is usually right up my alley, but I could not find a way to enjoy it. Too much alcohol even after 2-3 hours of decanting. We had the Veraton a few months ago and really enjoyed it, but this is a much worse wine for more money.
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2/6/2008 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
Initially it was as I expected: tons of delicious and dense fruit with a little heat (as you would expect from 16% alc.). With about an hour in the glass, it began to unwind and settle down into something more: clearly delineated raspberry supported by mixed berry compote, a bit of cinnamon and chocolate, and a creamy mouthfeel progressing to a balanced, lingering, and tasty finish. The heat receeded entirely. Nice value, highly enjoyable.
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12/16/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
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12/16/2007 - Smyrna Vinings wrote: 90 Points
very enjoyable
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11/9/2007 - duchamp wrote: 91 Points
Dark rich purple, zin/port like on the nose with boysenberry, red currant, vanilla and spice, rich extracted fruit, very oaked, lots of heat and burn on the palate, very young and awkward, acidic and biting finish, big wine but inelegant, will get better, good deal if you like big extracted wines
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10/13/2007 - J @ y H @ c k wrote: 92 Points
WOW! This was a real surprise. I had the 2004 at a tasting and really liked it but decided that it needed years in the cellar. Today at Zachy's, my good friends from Tempranillo distributors were pouring the 2003 along with some other wines. This wine had a nice fruit bouquet and a dark color, but it was the palate (as it should be) that really impressed. Rasberries, sweet cream and vanilla. NO, it was not oaky. There was no noticeable wood and the tannins had really softened. Very easy to drink. No bitterness. A bit of spice with the rasberry, but mostly sweet and supple. I think I have a few bottles already in the cellar but I bought three more. The importer also tells me that the price of the 2005 is going to go way up and that the 2004s are all gone. Oh well. I have 03 and 04. I guess that means my verticle stops at two years. Note that they did not make the Aquillon (their top of the line) in 2003 so they blended those grapes in with the rest for the regular cuvee, which may explain the really great taste. Interestingly, they had already bought the Aquillon bottles before they declassified the grapes, so they used the Aquillon bottles for some of the regular bottling in 2003. I got some of each bottle type.
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9/13/2007 - Frodnesor wrote: 90 Points
Super sweet fruit, raspberry, kirsch, hint of licorice and tobacco, good bit of oak on the finish.
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9/1/2007 - DoubleMagnum wrote: 93 Points
WOTN. Notes of cherry, cinnamon, cedar, burned rubber (pinotage-like) and dark sugar on the nose. On the full, velvety palate, explosive flavors of raspberries, more cedar, bittersweet chocolate and spice. Oak and alcohol are certainly present but skillfully integrated with surgical precision. The finish isn't too long but there's no heat either and at over 16% you can't ask for much more. Fruit, earth and balance, what a combo! Great job!
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8/19/2007 - paulst wrote: 85 Points
Heavy tannic fruity raspberry tart with acidic undertones.
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7/15/2007 - danibus wrote: 91 Points
This put on weight and came together nicely in a year. Certainly a tad overoaked for my tastes, but with such great material, balance and extract, it's forgivable. Seems to have the acidity and tannic structure to evolve over a few more years too.
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7/9/2007 - junglejuice wrote: 92 Points
No formal notes taken. It was remarkably better on the second night which is reflected in the score. The combination of flavors is a great mix between new world and old world. It has the fruity sweet character of the new world, and the funky earth funk of the old world. I really liked this wine a whole lot, and it is one of my favorites from this summer. I can't wait to try the '04.
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5/16/2007 - organicveggie wrote: 93 Points
Excellent. Up front fruit on the nose with cherry, fresh raspberry and hint of spice. Medium-light red color. Medium bodied and well-rounded body with a pa late that was fruit-forward yet restrained. The slightly sweet raspberry and cherry flavors were rich but still balanced by some chocolate and earthy tones. Medium long finish with very muted fruits and a touch of oak. Very well balanced and imminently drinkable. Superb.
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5/12/2007 - philhh wrote: 84 Points
This was the highest rated and most recommended wine of the night I tasted it, and somehow the first all three of us didn't want to keep in the glass. To me it was way over the top and unbalanced... too jammy, too hot, too fruity...just a little too much. It had some nice hints of chocolate and cinammon... a sort of Ibarra-like flavor I've noticed before but have enjoyed more in other wines given all the other things going on in this one. When did Australia annex Spain?
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4/28/2007 - tcfishler wrote: 91 Points
Light-medium red. Entirely fresh cherry fruit nose accented with some pleasant floral suggestion, with the vanillin oak well in the background and some meaty nuance lurking around as well. Round and fairly rich palate feel, with attractively sweet cherry fruit and no heat despite being served at a higher than optimal temperature. Quite a bit more restrained in the extraction, oak, alcohol, and sweetness departments than I expected. Outstanding underlying material, and handled very well.
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4/1/2007 - LJV wrote: 90 Points
A fun and off-the-beaten-path wine. Nose somewhat reticent, dark rasberry, cherry notes mid-palate. Did show a touch of heat, which caused me to double-check alcohol content -- a whopping 16.5% !!! Remarkably velvety given that level. Oak was not as noticeable as expected given Tanzer's notes. A very good value, deftly crafted. Would certainly buy again.
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4/1/2007 - oaxaca90049 wrote:
part of our wine club Spanish wine tasting of reds rated 90 or above. Don't remember being very impressed.
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3/16/2007 - Dulcie and Aylwin wrote:
Fabulously smooth and elegant with an abundance of cherry fruit, underlaid with some peppery spice and chocolate notes. The wine came with a reputation which appears well deserved.
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3/11/2007 - zeke26 wrote: 88 Points
A solid wine with big upfront fruit, some earth, and balanced tannins. Perhaps a bit heavy on the alcohol which is obvious on the finish. A good value.
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2/23/2007 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Scorched earth, oak, raspberries, spices
Taste: Heat evident but died down over a few days with rapsberries, oak, earth, vanilla, spices
Finish: Medium and powerful. This is a wine to cellar.
Evaluation: Not as good as the 04 tried side by side but solid. 90 points
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2/3/2007 - tconcilio wrote: 92 Points
One of the best Grenache's I've ever had. Lot's of nuance and bright fruit. This is way to young though. It will be fun to watch this evolve over the next several years.
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1/12/2007 - RichardZula wrote:
Had at Cru, Ft Myers; delicious and unique.
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12/30/2006 - Garfield wrote: 95 Points
Opened at a party and it blew everyone away. If you like Grenache, you'll love this one.
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12/14/2006 - Ben Andersen wrote:
closed on the nose,with light rubber and spice notes. On the palate, quite spicy, with decent acidity. Obvious alcohol. Not much going on.
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11/19/2006 - DFC wrote: 91 Points
Medium-bodied wine that is dark magenta in color. On the nose, bright black raspberries and floral notes. On the palate, dark cherries and black raspberries with a very long 30+ second finish. This wine shows its high alcohol a bit.
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11/19/2006 - Eric wrote: 89 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does Priorat (Bellevue, WA): Peppery. Raspy note of brett. Coffee and toffee.
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11/12/2006 - agbailey wrote:
This was the most powerful of the wines of the evening. Fruits very forward. Flavors of black cherry and chocolate. Interestingly, this wine had the significantly higher alcohol than any other, but this didn’t seem to impact the flavors – maybe this was the reason why we all thought it was so powerful. This wines consistency was also the most velvety compared to the rest of the group. The group noted that this wine would have been best served with appetizers and cheeses which would have complemented the flavors of the wine.
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10/30/2006 - pepeelvis wrote:
berries, chocalate, leather. Delicious wine and a great deal at this price point. It is ready to drink now
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10/4/2006 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Big, sweet and dopey with lots of oaky elements.
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10/1/2006 - vy#10 wrote:
Sledge hammer of a wine. Very good fruit with less evident oak than the Veraton. Decently well balanced, mouthfeel. Stands up to relatively spicey food.
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9/14/2006 - rmaile wrote: 88 Points
Fantastic wine. Never had single Granache varietal before; this wine is very tasty/yummy. Loads of cherry and plum. Jammy but smooth with balanced tannins. Honey overtone. Vegetal but just the right amount. Fantastic sexy wine!!!
Entry on 2/5/2007: I've had quite a bit of wine since my first impression of the Alto Moncayo and I have to rev ise my rating. I feel that the wine is very sexy and alluring but it lacks a certain finesse and the notes are a bit candied and somewhat artificial. It's still very enjoyable, but I give it a 88 this time around. It's sexy NOT refined.
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7/24/2006 - danibus wrote: 90 Points
Well balanced and integrated tannins/fruit. Velvety smooth; not as dense as I'd hoped. Gained complexity and structure after an hour's decanting. Should cellar for another year.
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6/30/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93,PURPLE93,NOWA,NOWS
Tasted June 30, 2006 at a retail tasting. Opened and served immediately in a Riedel tasting glass. Garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of cinnamon, potpourri, mahogany, (nose keeps changing!), laquer (not bad), black berries and burnt sugar. Flavors of red berries, toast, spices, a mix of berries and a touch of mocha on the finish. Well integrated tannins with medium acidity. Medium to full bodied. This wine really coats the mouth. Can be drank now with a little decanting but should age well for five years ore more. Based on the local retail price of $32.29 I’d say the value here is highly recommended. I picked up a few bottles for the cellar to see where this one goes.
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6/24/2006 - ejca wrote:
Tasted at CDM Wine Gallery tasting, everytning you expect from a Grencha and then some.
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6/3/2006 - LC17SMP wrote: 93 Points
Poped and poured. Smooth tannins and well balanced wine.
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