Typical Dusi over-the-top jamberry fruit + alcohol + sweet finish. Had I tasted it blind, I might have guessed it an Amarone, except for its being less raisiny. A style one either loves or not. Tho I'm not a fan of the style, I recognize this wine as one at its peak.
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42nd Annual Zinfandel Retrospective - the 2015s (R&D's): Blind. Notes of clay, boysenberry and beef jerky spices- meaty. Flavors of raspberry, boysenberry and pepper. Develops a chocolate note with air. Raspberry and spice rub elements in the finish. (R&D)
My #7, Domino's #8 Group #9, 66 pts
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This had its usual port-like qualities. Jam, sweet, probably best as an after dinner drink. Maybe some spicy BBQ could cut the sweetness. Mouthfeel kinda light for how dark it is.
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We Coravin poured a glass of this tonight as my wife wanted some Zin with the BBQ pork burgers. This was just too ripe and almost pruney. Neither of us could appreciate it as it’s a big departure from almost any of the many Ridge Zins we have enjoyed through the years
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We had this toward them end of an evening which was a good choice since this was more like port. Fun for sipping as it was lush and rich, but I wouldn’t pair with food. Interesting but I’m probably not a repeat buyer.
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Wow, this is a big wine. Viscous, glycerin. A tad sweet. I expected this from reading the label, but expected more structure from Ridge. Tasty? Sure. But I expect more at this price.
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I don't even know what to make of this wine. Perhaps it was opened too soon? I don't get what this is hoping to be. We opened it after another Ridge Zin (Boatman) much more enjoyable than this. Opened up again tonight and my wife suggested we use it for the sangria she's making this week.
Recommendation: Hold, because winemaker suggests a longer shelf life on the back label or simply dump out.
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Still far to primary and sweet for my taste. Just gobs and gobs of ripe ripe fruit. Hopefully will balance out a bit in a few years. But I'd definitely sit on this one for now.
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I was hoping the youthful enthusiasm of this wine would have calmed down a smidge since my last peek a few months ago. Alas, no. Still smells like a crazy dessert of molasses, bananas, blackberries, and fermenting gingerbread (Is there even such a thing??). Decidedly off-dry; like sacramental wine on steroids. And as soon as this freak show lands in your pie hole, your brain hits the wall-o-fruit. Maraschino cherry, mostly, but also cassis and blackberry. Think mountain ranges of fruity stuff. Thankfully, there is also a pleasant zing of acidity. And while the massive 15.5% alcohol is noticeable, it is (surprisingly) not distracting. This beast of a Zin truly is larger than life. I would be lying if I denied it was fun to drink, but who knows where it will go from here, particularly without even a hint of Petite Sirah to slap it down. Enjoy or hold.
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While still big, the expression has relaxed some. Dense in the midpalate and there is that sort of glycerin texture in that area. A nice pepper note at the finish. The fruit is quite impressive in a particular way here. Again, I see why they have a particularly long drinking aging window on the label. The concentration here is quite impressive. Especially given the ripeness level. Kudos to the wine making team for finding the good here rather than just pushing the envelope. Tasty full throttle Zin without all the extraction, sweetness or VA you might find in most others with the ripeness of this fruit. Saved some that drank pretty much the same on night four FWIW.
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Served with hamburgers and potato salad. Both of us had colds, noses and palate out of wack. Look: dark, dense, almost opaque crimson/ruby. Sniff: plums, blueberries, hint of yeast. Taste: big wine, big fruit, not quite balanced, high alcohol but no burn. Fruit density overcame elegance - needs time. Or perhaps we need to rid ourselves of this dastardly virus.
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Agree, not typical for Ridge but some typical excellent qualities. Blueberry and other fruits immediately on nose. Fruit forward with brambles on palate. Paso Robles fruit with Ridge touch, nice product. Very much enjoyed with flank steak!
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Very bright and youthful looking (which it is). Super rich and fruit-laden, doesn't seem like it's quite turned into wine yet. The alcohol is high however, so it must be wine! Very smooth texture. Everything well integrated, so liked it without analyzing it. Think it will be better in a year or two.
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Big fruity Dusi zin. Fruit immediately recognizable as Dusi Ranch. Suggest decanting. Ready now or will age. Fruit bomb better with after dinner cheese plate or by itself for desert.
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This needs to breathe...a lot. Probably didn’t need to open this quite yet but nevertheless I did. This zin is quite ripe and coats the tongue more than any other Ridge zin I have enjoyed. I’d wait for at least five years before opening another bottle. This wine needs bold, cold weather comfort food. Chile Colorado, Red beans and Rice, Frito Pie with lots of BBQ sauce, empanadas with a fair amount of spice. A unique wine that is probably more assertive than most in the Ridge lineup but well done.
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Extremely sweet & syrupy as a PnP. Tried again the next night and still way, way too syrupy. Not what I look for in a Ridge Zin and definitely will not buy another Dusi Ranch....
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No score attached as the wine was simply not to my style. Candied fruit and some heat. Not a subtle wine. Usually a fan of Ridge, but this was a little over-the-top for me. Wine was drank over the course of two hours and the wine did show improvement with the last glass. This lends credence to Ridge's 10-12 year drinking window. If you're a fan of big, fruity zins drink now; otherwise wait a decade and see what happens.
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Dark violet color. Jammy blackberry, cherry, black raspberry, vanilla, spice. Medium-full body. Moderate amount of heat on the finish. Moderate acidity and tannins. I agree with others that this is definitely a fruit bomb. It went well with chili and would go well with BBQ even if it's not the style of wine a generally prefer.
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This Zin cannot be accused of subtlety. It's big, purple, boozy, and packed with more fruit than Carmen Miranda's hat. The nose evokes baked bread, alcohol, blackstrap molasses, and raspberry coulis. The attack is off-dry, and the wonderfully pure fruit (raspberry, blackberry, and just about any other berry you can think of) knocks you down at the door like a lovable, slobbering St. Bernard. The oak is well under control, the acidity is balanced, the wine bears its massive alcoholic weight surprisingly well, and the length is impressive. But is it good? Well, if this note appeals to you so far, then yes, by all means, back up the truck. On the other hand, if this makes you cringe, then please go out and buy some Cornas. As for me, there's definitely a place in my heart for this type of big, in-your-face Zin, if I'm in the right kind of mood. And tonight I am.
Gluey nose of vanilla, caramel, glue, blueberry syrup, alcoholic heat. On the palate jammy with a bit more clarity than the nose and some redeeming acids. Not my style at all.
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Big sweet flavored, jammy Zin. Speaks clearly of Paso. The kind of wine you are bit surprised Ridge would still make. There is a bit of warmth but not as much as you would expect for a wine labeled at a strong 15.5%. The fruit is rich and fairly dense. Light tannin. On the label they call out this as a ten year wine which is a good deal longer than they typically put on the Zin descriptions. Even for the big boys like the Geyserville and Lytton Springs. That probably speaks to the richness of the fruit. This was clearly a strong vintage for this vineyard. That being said I do not see that this would improve with age. It might given a very long aging curve when you could get to some tertiary notes. For me this is a drink with five years kind of wine. Sort of that classic California summer BBQ party type of wine. If you want to know what a full throttle pure Paso Zin is like, this is it. Not something I personally want a lot of but sometimes it fits the mood dead solid perfect.
CMMATTHEWS' note below hits the nail on the head. This is a unique wine in the Paso style, offering tons of rich, decadent dark fruit with glass-coating glycerin. Plush and not nearly as grippy as most young Ridge reds, it's ready to drink now.
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A very sweet, rich, jammy Zin. Lots of blackberry and dense fruit...almost like someone strained preserves in to the wine. Not entirely my style but very typical of Paso.
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15.5% abv. Dark ruby, very expressive aromas. Cherries, cassis and a sweet blue streak. Very pure, rich and grippy. Lingering after-taste. A delicious wine to enjoy over the next several years.
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Lots of spicy red fruits, strawberry rhubarb, juicy, cherry fruits; 14 mo. American oak, silky, a bit hot (14.8%) and not sweet. Pure and quite good. At winery with Israel.
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2/8/2024 - oakville72 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Typical Dusi over-the-top jamberry fruit + alcohol + sweet finish. Had I tasted it blind, I might have guessed it an Amarone, except for its being less raisiny. A style one either loves or not. Tho I'm not a fan of the style, I recognize this wine as one at its peak.
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1/13/2024 - miwine2018 wrote:
Exceptional. Loved this
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1/13/2024 - miwine2018 Likes this wine:
Fantastic. fruity & smooth
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5/28/2023 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
42nd Annual Zinfandel Retrospective - the 2015s (R&D's): Blind. Notes of clay, boysenberry and beef jerky spices- meaty. Flavors of raspberry, boysenberry and pepper. Develops a chocolate note with air. Raspberry and spice rub elements in the finish. (R&D)
My #7, Domino's #8
Group #9, 66 pts
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11/17/2022 - gudetama Likes this wine: 89 Points
So much fruit, not a lot of tannin. I know the label says 10-12 years of aging, but I'm questioning that the way this bottle is currently drinking.
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4/11/2022 - guitar guy Likes this wine: 90 Points
I agree with most of the comments below. It is definitely jammy . Reminds me of a late harvest Zin. Still very enjoyable.
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4/4/2022 - wchrisw Likes this wine:
This had its usual port-like qualities. Jam, sweet, probably best as an after dinner drink. Maybe some spicy BBQ could cut the sweetness. Mouthfeel kinda light for how dark it is.
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8/26/2021 - rlsimon wrote: 90 Points
when first opened, notes of black raspberry (not blackberry) at the backend, these transitioned to very ripe plum/pluot notes.
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3/8/2021 - Djfermentation wrote: 83 Points
We Coravin poured a glass of this tonight as my wife wanted some Zin with the BBQ pork burgers. This was just too ripe and almost pruney. Neither of us could appreciate it as it’s a big departure from almost any of the many Ridge Zins we have enjoyed through the years
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11/29/2020 - WineJ2019 Likes this wine: 89 Points
We had this toward them end of an evening which was a good choice since this was more like port. Fun for sipping as it was lush and rich, but I wouldn’t pair with food. Interesting but I’m probably not a repeat buyer.
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10/28/2020 - wirelesswine wrote: 86 Points
Wow, this is a big wine. Viscous, glycerin. A tad sweet. I expected this from reading the label, but expected more structure from Ridge. Tasty? Sure. But I expect more at this price.
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5/25/2020 - rbfleming Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fruit!
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5/17/2020 - ncostanzo Does not like this wine: 85 Points
I don't even know what to make of this wine. Perhaps it was opened too soon? I don't get what this is hoping to be. We opened it after another Ridge Zin (Boatman) much more enjoyable than this. Opened up again tonight and my wife suggested we use it for the sangria she's making this week.
Recommendation: Hold, because winemaker suggests a longer shelf life on the back label or simply dump out.
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2/26/2020 - rbfleming wrote: 92 Points
Spectacular!
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12/27/2019 - VinCrush wrote: 86 Points
Still far to primary and sweet for my taste. Just gobs and gobs of ripe ripe fruit. Hopefully will balance out a bit in a few years. But I'd definitely sit on this one for now.
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9/10/2019 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Still pretty young, benefits from air. Hopefully will be as good as the '13.
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2/22/2019 - Guy Des Rosiers Likes this wine: 87 Points
I was hoping the youthful enthusiasm of this wine would have calmed down a smidge since my last peek a few months ago. Alas, no. Still smells like a crazy dessert of molasses, bananas, blackberries, and fermenting gingerbread (Is there even such a thing??). Decidedly off-dry; like sacramental wine on steroids. And as soon as this freak show lands in your pie hole, your brain hits the wall-o-fruit. Maraschino cherry, mostly, but also cassis and blackberry. Think mountain ranges of fruity stuff. Thankfully, there is also a pleasant zing of acidity. And while the massive 15.5% alcohol is noticeable, it is (surprisingly) not distracting. This beast of a Zin truly is larger than life. I would be lying if I denied it was fun to drink, but who knows where it will go from here, particularly without even a hint of Petite Sirah to slap it down. Enjoy or hold.
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1/16/2019 - WetRock wrote:
While still big, the expression has relaxed some. Dense in the midpalate and there is that sort of glycerin texture in that area. A nice pepper note at the finish. The fruit is quite impressive in a particular way here. Again, I see why they have a particularly long drinking aging window on the label. The concentration here is quite impressive. Especially given the ripeness level. Kudos to the wine making team for finding the good here rather than just pushing the envelope. Tasty full throttle Zin without all the extraction, sweetness or VA you might find in most others with the ripeness of this fruit.
Saved some that drank pretty much the same on night four FWIW.
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12/27/2018 - EFrohmader Likes this wine: 89 Points
Candied raspberry, cherries, spice, chocolate. Medium-plus body. Medium acidity. Medium-plus finish. Quite the fruit bomb. Went well with sloppy joes.
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5/28/2018 - bjschmitt wrote:
Served with hamburgers and potato salad.
Both of us had colds, noses and palate out of wack.
Look: dark, dense, almost opaque crimson/ruby.
Sniff: plums, blueberries, hint of yeast.
Taste: big wine, big fruit, not quite balanced, high alcohol but no burn. Fruit density overcame elegance - needs time. Or perhaps we need to rid ourselves of this dastardly virus.
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5/27/2018 - rbfleming Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fruit bomb! Earthy nose, with yeast. Big jammy taste with lots of fruit. Significant backbone. Should age well.
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5/6/2018 - fattunesy Likes this wine: 88 Points
Could use more cellar time.
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4/11/2018 - ralstenm Likes this wine: 90 Points
Agree, not typical for Ridge but some typical excellent qualities. Blueberry and other fruits immediately on nose. Fruit forward with brambles on palate. Paso Robles fruit with Ridge touch, nice product. Very much enjoyed with flank steak!
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2/22/2018 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Very bright and youthful looking (which it is). Super rich and fruit-laden, doesn't seem like it's quite turned into wine yet. The alcohol is high however, so it must be wine! Very smooth texture. Everything well integrated, so liked it without analyzing it. Think it will be better in a year or two.
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2/5/2018 - Birorganic Likes this wine: 90 Points
Big fruity Dusi zin. Fruit immediately recognizable as Dusi Ranch. Suggest decanting. Ready now or will age. Fruit bomb better with after dinner cheese plate or by itself for desert.
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1/24/2018 - mseeber wrote: 87 Points
This needs to breathe...a lot. Probably didn’t need to open this quite yet but nevertheless I did. This zin is quite ripe and coats the tongue more than any other Ridge zin I have enjoyed. I’d wait for at least five years before opening another bottle. This wine needs bold, cold weather comfort food. Chile Colorado, Red beans and Rice, Frito Pie with lots of BBQ sauce, empanadas with a fair amount of spice. A unique wine that is probably more assertive than most in the Ridge lineup but well done.
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1/14/2018 - psundberg Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Extremely sweet & syrupy as a PnP. Tried again the next night and still way, way too syrupy. Not what I look for in a Ridge Zin and definitely will not buy another Dusi Ranch....
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1/6/2018 - firenzecole wrote:
No score attached as the wine was simply not to my style. Candied fruit and some heat. Not a subtle wine. Usually a fan of Ridge, but this was a little over-the-top for me. Wine was drank over the course of two hours and the wine did show improvement with the last glass. This lends credence to Ridge's 10-12 year drinking window. If you're a fan of big, fruity zins drink now; otherwise wait a decade and see what happens.
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12/15/2017 - EFrohmader wrote: 88 Points
Dark violet color. Jammy blackberry, cherry, black raspberry, vanilla, spice. Medium-full body. Moderate amount of heat on the finish. Moderate acidity and tannins. I agree with others that this is definitely a fruit bomb. It went well with chili and would go well with BBQ even if it's not the style of wine a generally prefer.
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12/14/2017 - Renzloh Likes this wine: 89 Points
A somewhat luscious wine.
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12/10/2017 - caldocane wrote: flawed
Flawed. Wine has gone through secondary fermentation in bottle.
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12/6/2017 - Guy Des Rosiers Likes this wine: 88 Points
This Zin cannot be accused of subtlety. It's big, purple, boozy, and packed with more fruit than Carmen Miranda's hat. The nose evokes baked bread, alcohol, blackstrap molasses, and raspberry coulis. The attack is off-dry, and the wonderfully pure fruit (raspberry, blackberry, and just about any other berry you can think of) knocks you down at the door like a lovable, slobbering St. Bernard. The oak is well under control, the acidity is balanced, the wine bears its massive alcoholic weight surprisingly well, and the length is impressive. But is it good? Well, if this note appeals to you so far, then yes, by all means, back up the truck. On the other hand, if this makes you cringe, then please go out and buy some Cornas. As for me, there's definitely a place in my heart for this type of big, in-your-face Zin, if I'm in the right kind of mood. And tonight I am.
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11/23/2017 - wgmccallum Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Gluey nose of vanilla, caramel, glue, blueberry syrup, alcoholic heat. On the palate jammy with a bit more clarity than the nose and some redeeming acids. Not my style at all.
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11/22/2017 - WetRock wrote:
Big sweet flavored, jammy Zin. Speaks clearly of Paso. The kind of wine you are bit surprised Ridge would still make. There is a bit of warmth but not as much as you would expect for a wine labeled at a strong 15.5%. The fruit is rich and fairly dense. Light tannin. On the label they call out this as a ten year wine which is a good deal longer than they typically put on the Zin descriptions. Even for the big boys like the Geyserville and Lytton Springs. That probably speaks to the richness of the fruit. This was clearly a strong vintage for this vineyard. That being said I do not see that this would improve with age. It might given a very long aging curve when you could get to some tertiary notes. For me this is a drink with five years kind of wine. Sort of that classic California summer BBQ party type of wine. If you want to know what a full throttle pure Paso Zin is like, this is it. Not something I personally want a lot of but sometimes it fits the mood dead solid perfect.
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11/22/2017 - Renzloh wrote: 88 Points
Little too sweet, surprisingly.
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11/18/2017 - PNIELSEN Likes this wine:
CMMATTHEWS' note below hits the nail on the head. This is a unique wine in the Paso style, offering tons of rich, decadent dark fruit with glass-coating glycerin. Plush and not nearly as grippy as most young Ridge reds, it's ready to drink now.
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11/11/2017 - cmmatthews Likes this wine: 89 Points
A very sweet, rich, jammy Zin. Lots of blackberry and dense fruit...almost like someone strained preserves in to the wine. Not entirely my style but very typical of Paso.
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10/31/2017 - Cmainardi wrote: 92 Points
Excellent wine. Earthier than the Kite Hill. Tones of tobacco and cedar.
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10/6/2017 - yaya wrote:
It tastes like strawberry, raspberry and cherry.
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10/5/2017 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 93 Points
15.5% abv. Dark ruby, very expressive aromas. Cherries, cassis and a sweet blue streak. Very pure, rich and grippy. Lingering after-taste. A delicious wine to enjoy over the next several years.
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7/25/2017 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Lots of spicy red fruits, strawberry rhubarb, juicy, cherry fruits; 14 mo. American oak, silky, a bit hot (14.8%) and not sweet. Pure and quite good. At winery with Israel.
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4/29/2017 - winetastingnote Likes this wine: 92 Points
Liked it a bit more than the paso
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