Brought to Duke's Chophophouse in Hickory NC. Highly recommend this right now, very good QPR wine and in a beautiful spot with several more anticipated good years with proper cellaring - drink or hold but likely not much upside left with further cellaring. Paired well with both veal osso bucco and spicy escargot pizza. Held up well following a stunning '16 Dunn cabernet. Mouth feel softening, now quite well balanced and integrated with the grippy and jammy unctiousness now all gone, well balanced oak present and tannins soft but present. Very dark purple, peripheral bricking starting, full bodied and with a beautiful surprisingly soft long lingering aftertaste. Warm aromatic dark nose with plum, black cherry, blackberry, coffee and a definite hint of mint or eucalyptus. Flavor profile of controlled oak and dark stone fruit up front with a much earthier mid- and late palate of blackberry, black pepper, stone, leather and coffee and a spicy finish of baking spices.
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Well made, round, rich mouthfeel, dark fruits, good acidity and mild grain tannins, a bit too much oak perhaps - some vanilla and spice - but a very nice wine for the price. Consistent with other vintages.
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Despite the twist off top this wine far surpasses the two buck chuck. I would prefer one of these vs 25 of the two bucks. The grandson Collin should be proud. Great viscosity. The deep tannins produce a luscious taste with plenty of fruit notes and body. The depth of the blackberry richness is worth those extra dollars. The finish is like licking a velvet robe. Highly recommend.
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Drinking well right now. Dark fruits and graphite up front, well balanced. Tannins and acidity remain strong, but have relaxed sufficiently to allow the fruit to emerge.
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P: MF, poss Med, body; Rndish, almost swtish frt met by some mid-P pucker, this pretty much resolving by the LONG, pleasant, ult very slightly bitterSWT choc finish. Approachable NOW, & should hold through the end of the decade, I'd imagine. 14% ABV. 95 pts James Halliday & The Wine Front, 94 WA, & 92 wineandoak. [Tasted @ $38.95, as of mid-June 2018 this vendor shows $46.95, which is still $3 < than anyone else on wine-searcher.]
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Has really settled since I had it earlier this year, a really nice wine. Good representation of McLaren Vale, good intensity and fruit while still having that grainy tannic structure that the region has.
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4/9/2022 - ikkaariainen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brought to Duke's Chophophouse in Hickory NC. Highly recommend this right now, very good QPR wine and in a beautiful spot with several more anticipated good years with proper cellaring - drink or hold but likely not much upside left with further cellaring. Paired well with both veal osso bucco and spicy escargot pizza. Held up well following a stunning '16 Dunn cabernet. Mouth feel softening, now quite well balanced and integrated with the grippy and jammy unctiousness now all gone, well balanced oak present and tannins soft but present. Very dark purple, peripheral bricking starting, full bodied and with a beautiful surprisingly soft long lingering aftertaste. Warm aromatic dark nose with plum, black cherry, blackberry, coffee and a definite hint of mint or eucalyptus. Flavor profile of controlled oak and dark stone fruit up front with a much earthier mid- and late palate of blackberry, black pepper, stone, leather and coffee and a spicy finish of baking spices.
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5/31/2020 - despore Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still great a year on, well made, need to get more.
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10/24/2019 - despore wrote: 90 Points
Well made, round, rich mouthfeel, dark fruits, good acidity and mild grain tannins, a bit too much oak perhaps - some vanilla and spice - but a very nice wine for the price. Consistent with other vintages.
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5/26/2019 - JMay13 Likes this wine:
Despite the twist off top this wine far surpasses the two buck chuck. I would prefer one of these vs 25 of the two bucks. The grandson Collin should be proud. Great viscosity. The deep tannins produce a luscious taste with plenty of fruit notes and body. The depth of the blackberry richness is worth those extra dollars. The finish is like licking a velvet robe. Highly recommend.
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3/6/2019 - 422dbowlsby Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking well right now. Dark fruits and graphite up front, well balanced. Tannins and acidity remain strong, but have relaxed sufficiently to allow the fruit to emerge.
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7/22/2017 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [3 Whites & 6 Reds] from 07/21/17 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): N: Ripe, vanilla slightly atop berries
P: MF, poss Med, body; Rndish, almost swtish frt met by some mid-P pucker, this pretty much resolving by the LONG, pleasant, ult very slightly bitterSWT choc finish. Approachable NOW, & should hold through the end of the decade, I'd imagine. 14% ABV. 95 pts James Halliday & The Wine Front, 94 WA, & 92 wineandoak. [Tasted @ $38.95, as of mid-June 2018 this vendor shows $46.95, which is still $3 < than anyone else on wine-searcher.]
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9/10/2016 - DanCulpitt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Has really settled since I had it earlier this year, a really nice wine. Good representation of McLaren Vale, good intensity and fruit while still having that grainy tannic structure that the region has.
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