Two bottles pulled from the same row in my cellar and as different as could be. One a closed, kinda old weird red that was still drinkable, and the other a plush, fruity delight. Both left sediment in the paper filter and were decanted identically. In any case, the first was okay for the Poker game and the other was worth going back to - and I have another case left in the cellar to explore... ASAP
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Root Day - Decanted off a small amount of sediment. Pours translucent garnet into the glass with browning edge. Nose of crushed leaves and herbs with leather and tobacco, some acetic acid, dust and a light touch of dried black fruit. Very complex and interesting nose. On the palate it’s still got some light ripe tannins giving it life along with medium plus acidity. Flavours are red and black fruit with some acetic acid but it smooths out showing garrigue on the back palate. The finish is long with tobacco, dried fruit, herbs and leather. The acetic acid appears to be building with subsequent sips. Going to see where it goes over the next couple of hours. Next Day - Root Day - it has not changed (only a glass left for today) and is delightful. Silky smooth on the palate with the tobacco, garrigue, dried fruit all still present and fully appreciated.
Oops - didn’t realize this was still in my cellar. Still a lovely clear claret colour in the glass. Nose of spice and rubbing alcohol (?) with hint of blueberry. Not particularly full bodied. Initial blue fruit but quickly fades to residual tannins. Past it’s prime but still drinkable.
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I mean that 88 in a good way. A very solid bottle, even still, although far from peak. One of the best QPR ever in its prime at $10. Only one more bottle left that should be consumed soon.
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Paper filtered and decanted leaving a heavy sediment in the filter and yielding a brilliant garnet liquor with spicey aromas and a full rich flavor profile. This wine had layers of flavor when "chewed" and a lingering and complex finish. Blue fruit and an almost cinnamon aroma made this a wonderful, although somewhat light, wine.
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Juicy red, no signs of its nine years of age. A little tight at first. Decanted for about two hours. Strawberries, very fresh. Like a baby chateauneuf. Good stuff.
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Clear garnet with little to no browning - smoke, earth and complex spice aromas on the nose. On the palate the Syrah is showing first then the Grenache. Dry but with fully melded flavours. Very tasty with complexity and smoke - almost a Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Can drink now or cellar for up to 5 years.
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took about 1-1.5 hours to open up, delicious once it did esp. for the price. really like the mouthfeel, that great grenache/syran mouthfeel with a pretty short finish. pencil lead nose came the 2nd day. didn't notice a taste of cola on the 2nd day, but it was definitely flatter and at peak on the first day of drinking for me.
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Still going strong, complex tertiary aromas, tobacco and a sort of earthy funk along with the berry fruit. I thought it might be slightly corked but it's just the earthiness showing through.
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Opened with just a touch of barnyard on the nose, which blew off after about 15 minutes. Translucent deep ruby...beautiful color. Scents of dark fruit juice, lavender, and dried herb. Palate is lively, with black currant, rubbed sage, and a faint black olive note. Has a nice salinity that I haven't noticed in previous bottles (8 of them?). Medium bodied, with a medium length, slightly peppery finish.
This is still one of my all-time favorite QPRs and, to me, the best of the '04, '05, '06 trio. Haven't had the '07 yet, but I hope it lives up to this delicious wine.
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Decanted for at least an hour before drinking. Decent wine, but I still don't know what the fuss is about. Maybe I will leave one open for a week as I did the first one I drank.
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Always a great value year over year; balanced middleweight with an expressive nose and a classical provencal profile on the palate: dusty red fruits, herbs and pepper on a cool acidic spine. Absolutely no evident heat from the 14% alcohol. Not profound, just really terrific wine at a great price.
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Last bottle of two cases, and this one showed very well. I wouldn't say this is showing any signs of age, other than being fully open on the nose and palate. Experience was the same as I have indicated previously, with perhaps the exception that there was beautiful cracked black pepper more noticeable in the bouquet and finish of this bottle that goes so nicely with the raspberry, plum, and minerally profile. Just a very nice Rhone for a great price. One bottle left of the '05, which we will drink tonight, and then sadly I do not know what my go-to wine will be.
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Garnet colored, light-medium bodied wine. Needed about 30 minutes to open up. Bouquet of red fruits, berries, spice, and a little pepper on the tongue, nice acidity, and decent finish. Definitely excellent food wine for $12.
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Should have bought more of this. Drinking nicely. Pleasant, with good fruit and spice. Taste was even better. Berries, smooth tannins - nicely balanced. Great QPR.
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very pungent nose of currant, hint of chocolate; very complex flavors, with black and red currant, black licorice at the midpalate, long peppered finish - great QPR
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Hadn't had this in a number of months. Fortunately this was not corked like a number of others, and showed quite well. Perhaps some slight signs of age on the previously described fruit profile. Looking forward to receiving back order of '05 so can compare to last remaining bottle of '04.
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Fine dark red color. Not much of a nose, just hints of minerality and a bit of fruit. Much nicer in the mouth - a good balance and mouthfeel. Fruitiness, tannins, acidity, and some earthy tones combine nicely. A pleasant sipping wine.
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Nice nose of spice and red fruits that says new world. Medium bodied with dark fruits, black pepper and a touch of licorice. Finish was a bit short but overall a great value. Drink now.
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Corked. Our of about 4 bottles of this that I have had this is the 2nd one to be off. When its good its very good, but there seems to be a lot of variability with this one.
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Bought 2 cases of this because of the value, and now near the end with two bottles left. Note that 7 or 8 of the bottles were corked(!!) - have never experienced so many for one vintage/bottling/producer, and all confirmed independently by spouse who is sensitive to TCA. I can only surmise that it was bad luck of the draw for a mini-lot of bad corks. Score is therefore the average across non-corked bottles. Dark red, medium body. Nose is beautiful and characteristic with concentrated raspberry, earth, bit of pepper, and at times for some bottles a little meaty, which is nice. Full dark fruit on the palate with raspberries and blackberries, spice and some plum action. Finish is dry and earthy and the tannins are rather firm with a few rough edges that sometimes attract attention. Overall this pairs quite nicely with a variety of foods.
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2 hour decant. Lovely wine! Cherry, black currant, with nice earthy, herbal nature - forest floor. Also tobacco, and toast/smoke. Medium bodied, medium acid. Still med-high tannins, but soft, not aggressive. Med-long finish. We both loved this wine.
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Nose: initially sour cherry and spice, later the sour fades and behind is left nice cherries, licorice, and spice (warmer spices maybe cummin or curry) Taste: cherries and a ton of spice, medium body and fairly prominant acidity a great food wine. Near the end of the meal alcohol really started to come out and I thought the wine was falling down a bit, I really think this is drinking about as good as you could hope for now. I enjoyed very much and the star pairing was with a morbier cheese, the spice and cherries went with the funky cheese very well.
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Decanted in the glass for 2 hours Dried fruit and some smoke on the nose. Cherry, plum and spice and silky tannins on the palate. Good length and delightfully smooth and sippable. I agree with other notes that this wine has some great aging potential Compared the decanted wine with some straight from the bottle - a totally different experience!
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EXCELLENT Bordering on Outstanding. Loaded with a flavor profile that can only be described as Strawberry Jam on Toasted whole wheat bread. Good tannins and decent finish. QPR steal at $10
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Decanted 2 days in a closed decanter (Okay, so I was distracted and busy). Foral and fruit smells on the nose, but all quite muted. The palate show violets, plums cherries and tobacco. Also I noticed some exotic but hard to place Indian spices - perhaps fennel, coriander and fennelgreek. But smooooth. The tanic bite comes in on the mid palate with tastes of lemon and mango. The finish is dry showing the tanic structure is nice and strong. I would not have wanted to taste this wine on opening. I think the tanins would have overwhelmed it and made it unpleasent. The wine has serious aging potential in my estimation. I will leave this alone for 3 years before trying it again, but expect I good things then. In a few years it could be that holy grail of the inexpensive fantastic wine.
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Decanted 1 hour. Deep garnet, big bouquet of red fruits, palate with red fruit, spice, a little pepper, balanced with nice acidity, medium tannins, and a medium finish. Very good food wine and not a bad sipper on its own. Great juice for $10. I have some 05's but will look for more of the 04.
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Deep ruby color with very nice red fruit and spice aromas. On the first night we had this, with pork tenderloins, it was adequate and tasty but a less-than-perfect match. In addition, it was a little closed down with not much spice showing. However, on night two (was Vacu-vinned) with spaghetti and Italian sausage this wine really sang! It smoothed out, broadened its nose, and flashed much more fruit and peppery spice. It was a really excellent match, and if I was blindfolded I might have mistaken for a good Chianti Classico (Riserva).
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Clear, clean and a bit light. Tobacco, plum fruit. Long finish. Lacks mid-palate punch, but has good wide flavors. Somewhat old styled, good for the money. B--
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parker is right on this one. a great qpr, lush, full bodied, blackberry and cassis. the only thing it lacks is tends towards the lush side and gets a little one dimensional over time. but at this price... it worth a case purchase
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Characteristics consitent with earlier bottles. Just not to quite the same degree. Might have been the particular bottle or just me in a less enthusiastic phase.
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Certainly an enjoyable bottle. I was excited to try this one, I had heard such great things. decanted and left to aerate for 2.5 hrs. Nose was tight at initial pouring, but showed some truffle, oregano/vegetal notes and bell pepper. That all blew off relatively quickly, leaving definite tea leaves and floral notes with subtle hints of Oak. Overall the nose was very tame. After some air, the tea leaves were prevalent and the oak much stronger. On the palate licorice, blackberry, and more oak. After more air, black pepper notes come through on the nose and palate. An incredibly complete transformation, it really develops and changes over time to an amazing degree. Every 15 minutes it is a totally different experience.
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Fuscia color like the Quintessence. Cherries and strawberries on the nose with a little licorice and tobacco. Vanilla cherry taste with a nice dry crispness. Light bodied. 88-89.
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Lesser-Known Rhone Appl.: HAHAHAHAHA - we all felt this was corked... quess what? a week later this was singing. Tea leaves, red berries, ripe and juicy middle.. delicious. no formal notes as its wasnt a formal situation but i loved it. perhaps the QPR of the DAY
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Much better than my last bottle. Plenty of red fruits from the grenache with some more hidden darker fruit nuances emerging from the syrah. Decent structure here too that will reward a year in the cellar.
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Very good wine and awesome QPR. Grenache 70% and Syrah 30%. Nose is dominated by the grenache with lots of spice and cherry. Good balance, well defined tannins and structure, lots of provencal herbs, dark and red cherry, blackberry and pepper. medium body and very good finish.
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A solid mid week Ventoux, good Qpr here in Vancouver and food friendly. Went well with a chicken pesto pizza. Good fruit, mild fine grained tannins, smoke and spice. Will buy again.
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blijft eerlijk en heerlijk; genieten !!! Mijn huiswijn. (vroeger Caillou, garrigue) Prijs kwaliteit onklopbaar. Toch nog een lichte voorkeur voor de 2003.
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Clear, dark cherry core that leads out to a medium thin ruby rim with a white edge. Wine shows little maturity. The nose is clean and very flamboyant. Plump plum, earth, sweat and sage show well but its the massive oak notes that dominate. On the the palate this wine is dry with high acid and medium tight tannins. Big Malo notes, strawberry, raspberry, plum, leather, rosemary and big oak flavors again. Sweet vanilla with a bit of bitter. High alc, medium body with a long malo oaky finnish. Good quality, the alc is a bit heavy though. Drinking well now (decanting recomended) but will be best if held for 2-6 years.
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This one needs time in the bottle - came off as rather dumb although some nice fruit flavors trying to poke through. seems lighter in body and less concentrated than the 03. Will be interesting to see how it develops.
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Dark purple, big nose of vanilla, black and white pepper, spice, rich and savory red fruit with hints of earth and mushroom, palate is a little more understated with candied apple and brown sugar but also loads of alcohol, biting finish, this is my second bottle, other bottle tasted much better
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Great, full nose with blackberry, spice, and smoke. Bright, full palate has both dark, plummy fruit and bright red fruit. Great breadth in the palate will tons of fruit underlined with spice, smoke, and coffee notes. Very vibrant and bright. A touch of heat, and a slight lack of depth keep this from being truly outstanding, but it's still extremely good.
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Beautiful nose on this one. Takes a little while to open up, so decanting is adviced. When it does it's a wonderful bouquet of red cherries, green olives, garrigue and just a hint of white pepper. The taste doesn't quite live up to the promise of the nose, but it's an easy drinker, with a fairly short aftertaste. Not terribly concentrated but the substance is there. Sweetness and acidity nicely balanced. Tannins smooth. As everyone else has already told you - great QPR. Should drink well for the next 2-3 years.
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Ever so mildly corked, but get this, the fruit is so fun and up front that we drank it anyway! That may be a first in this household... down the gullet instead of down the drain. Great QPR, great stuff.
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A little more complex than I gave it credit for the first time around. Oak not as influential as I first noted. Definitely getting more dirt, leather, and garrigue than before, which I like. Still sticking with the 89 pt rating.
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Simple but enjoyable. On the nose, leather, spice and cherries. On the palate, on the light side of medium-bodied, with plenty of cherry, a touch of blackberry or black cherry, and bits of leather, finishing rather short with some spice on the end. Nice quaffer, nothing fancy but enjoyable.
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I was a bit disappointed in this wine. It was pretty acidic and tannic with little fruit to back it all up. The 2001 version performed like this for awhile - maybe this wine has entered a dumb phase. Will check back in 6 - 9 months on this one.
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lovely notes of leather and spice on the nose followed by a lovely full and round mouthfeel, tannins well integrated, nice notes of ripe cherry overall great QPR and quite enjoyable on its own or with a meal
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Cherry and blackberry flavors on a medium bodied frame with a finish that has a nice touch of oak. Fairly New World style for a CdR with less earthiness than most others. A terrific value that matches well with many food dishes and drinks well alone.
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CTS DMin Happy Hour; 6/18/2007-6/28/2007 (Atlanta, GA): Nice surprise! Deep ruby color. Had to open up a bit, but soon the nose exploded with cherries, plum, cedar and leather. Ripe cherry, strawberry, and blackberry flavors with a nice mouthfeel. The tannins are smooth. There were hints of some stems and earth on the finish, but in a quizical new-world style. Nicely balanced and very interesting. A terrific wine from southern Rhone.
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Cherry red with mahogany hues. Cherry and cedar nose at first but after a few minutes out came cloves and spice and a touch of earthiness. Light to medium body with light tannins. Cherry and cloves and pepper on the pallet. Short finish. All in all a very nice wine for the price.
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CB: Drank as part of winodepot.com's June Tasting With Friends.
It was extremely tight and actually not good at all at first, but be patient because this baby opens up! Nose showed very nice complexity, including some floral components at first. As time went on clove, cigar box, and licorice. Palate showed clove. Very well balanced wine, showing nice acidity with some tannic bite. Had a nice, enjoyable finish. When quizzed my husband on the price of this wine, he quoted almost double the actual cost. Fantastic wine for $12. Will definitely pick up more to have around the house and drink.
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TB: Drank as part of winodepot.com's June Tasting With Friends. Popped and poured. A little tight at first, so let sit about 15 minutes to a half hour. Nice maroon color and clear. Nose showed very nice complexity, including some floral components at first. As time went on clove, cigar box, licorice, and garrigue all peeked out. Palate showed clove and garrigue. Very well balanced wine, showing nice acidity with some tannic bite. It's just a bit thin on the mid-palate, but has a nice, enjoyable finish. This may be the QPR of the year so far. Definitely will pick up more.
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Clear ruby core (a little opaque) of mod intensity out to a red edge and thin watery rim - youthful. Clean and expressive nose of tar, dried cherries, garrigue (like it says on the back label), some allspice and deep red fruits of moderate+ intensity - youthful but very inviting. Dry wine with mod alcohol, body, tannin (soft) but with sufficient acid to make it interesting. Concentrated flavours of ripe fruit along with some herbal notes and a touch of vanilla. Delicious!! The finish is moderately long with spice, herbs (rosemary and sage) and a touch of rusticity that really adds to the flavour profile. Drink now or hold - it will improve in the near term - 5 years or so but it's also pretty tasty right now.
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A new world Rhone. A good dose of oak here that will seduce a lot of folks. Coupled with ripe cherry and strawberry flavors, it's hard not to like. Just of a touch of Rhone character keeps it honest. An excellent value, likely to please new world fans and some old world fans as well. On second night cola appears.
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Deep ruby color. Alluring nose of strawberries and blackberries, spice, bacon fat, floral perfume and a little heat. On the palate it has good grip and presence with youthful tannin. Yummy wine and fine QPR.
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Passed it's prime? The color was beautiful and the nose was fruity - black and red berries and leather. But the palate was strange. Fuity but also with a strange pointy feeling - almost as if it was sparkling, but it wasn't. Almost sour. Drink now.
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Dark brigt ruby. Aromas of dark, smoky fruit; infused with savoury herb and asian spice; carry through to the medium to full-bodied palate on a well-balanced acidity and soft tannin, making for a medium-length finish. Stood up very well when drunk over 5 nights. Great QPR
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Blind, I might have thought this was an Aussie GSM fruit bomb. Southern Rhone -- 70% Grenache 30% Syrah -- gobs of fruit -- and just a little bit of mineral/earth to bring it back to France. Well-made, nice QPR, but I have to hope that this develops some secondary notes over time. Currently, a little too "ripe" for me.
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Dark ruby color. Decanted for 1 hour. Ripe fruits and Coke on the nose. Big fruits on the palate with a medium finish. Very acidic and tannic. Only allocated one but will definitely seek out more.
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Dark ruby color. On a pop and pour, the nose has a bit of alcohol heat. Gives way to some candied strawberry and white pepper. Nice red berry fruit, good tannic structure that actually seems to increase with time. Earthy, slightly herbal finish, with a bit of iron added to the mix the longer its open. Very good QPR.
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Good value here, Medium bodied, good fruit for sure but not a bomb. Pretty good finish and I bet it will be better in a year or two. An excellent daily drinker.
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Started out as one of the spiciest wines I've had--the combination of acidity, fine grainy tannin and spice was like rolling a teaspoon of ground chilis in your mouth (but without the pepper flavor). As the spice faded, a very pleasant strawberry side developed. Some sweet oak. Very nice, but needs either time or a decanter (unless you like vin au poivre).
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Don't know what all the buzz was for. Certainly a reasonable wine, but not really a 90 pointer (from RP), or even vaguely close in my mind. I bought a few of these, and I will let the others rest a bit. Maybe they will gain some distinctiveness over time. This bottle was simply not noteworthy -- despite this note :-)
I tasted the same bottle described above after it had been sitting for a WEEK, yes 7 days. I had a meaningful part of the bottle left (I had tried a small glass 1 and 3 days after opening it). I was going to cook with it or whatever. Just for the hell of it, I poured the last glass and it was simply delicious. Smooth, no bite, seamless, flavors well integrated. I was so shocked that I asked a friend to taste it (he has a pretty good palate), and he found it delicious. In fact, when he read the above, he could not believe it was the same wine (neither could I).
I am not certain how to interpret this. The bottle could not have been bad -- it would not have magically gotten better. My guess is that the wine needs a few years to smooth out.
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Brief note: cleaner than the '03. Seems to have just a touch of oak - would love to know if it saw any... Light earth, dusty red / black fruit, and some spice. More interesting than most $13 Cotes du Rhones, IMO. Held itself together for a couple days after opening, which bodes well. IMO, a solid value at $12.99 retail, before any discount.
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Medium garnet color. The aroma contains earth, smoke, just a touch of oak and a hint of vanilla, but is primarily covered with typical garrigue herb smells. The taste begins with a very soft attack of dark fruit but evolves with luscious mouthfeel, good acidity, and soft tannins. The finish is moderately long and leaves you with spicy garrigue and pepper flavors. Overall, a superb wine that has plenty of fruit but is not driven in that direction. Very likely this would be an even more distinctive Ventoux with an additional year or two in the bottle.
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Decanted about 45 mins. before first glass. Dirty plum bouquet, with just a wisp of cinnamon. Tasting notes of plum and cherry, with a peppery finish. Nicely balanced, integrated tannins make this a smooth easy drinker.
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No real notes, but an exceptional drinker for the price. Popped and poured at the end of the evening, but I expect that the remainder (gave it to a friend) will be better tomorrow. Lush fruit, some pretty floral notes on the nose. It was blind guessed as a new world syrah.
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Paid $16.99 here in Vancouver where the government takes its share so the QPR is outstanding! I am for the most part partial to Italian wine and certainly have more experience with its bounty. I do, however, amongst other wines, like a good Cotes du Rhone and Chateauneuf-du-pape and therefore the impetis to purchase this. As many have mentioned with previous vintages it gets better with a few hours but a wine that I would blind taste up against some $60-70 bottles. It is really well made and I suspect hold well and may improve in the short term. It lacks that special something to be a show stopper but difficult to find much fault. Plate a stilton, blue brie and aged fontina and you are set for happy times.
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First taste. Decanting. Serving with pepper steak Bright reddish purple colors Blackberry cobbler and earthy wet stone aromas big wine with meaty flavors and pepper spice and. this is not a fruit driven wiine. Nice balance of acidity and big tannins and a very long finish. This is an exceptional wine
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Decanted for one hour, dark ruby/purple color, intense spicy nose of black currant, plum and smoke, this full bodied wine has very nice palate of dark fruit with mouth coating tannins, good acidity and a nice lingering finish. This is a great food wine. On it's own the tannins may be a little much for some but when paired with food the tannins appear more integrated. Once again this region just screams QPR with this $10 beauty. 89
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4/10/2024 - EbbeJ4 wrote: 88 Points
Over the top, but still some life left actually. Was surprised how well it still holds up. Considering the price at release it's impressive.
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7/25/2022 - arp46 wrote: 91 Points
Two bottles pulled from the same row in my cellar and as different as could be. One a closed, kinda old weird red that was still drinkable, and the other a plush, fruity delight. Both left sediment in the paper filter and were decanted identically. In any case, the first was okay for the Poker game and the other was worth going back to - and I have another case left in the cellar to explore... ASAP
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3/26/2022 - biggie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Root Day - Decanted off a small amount of sediment. Pours translucent garnet into the glass with browning edge. Nose of crushed leaves and herbs with leather and tobacco, some acetic acid, dust and a light touch of dried black fruit. Very complex and interesting nose. On the palate it’s still got some light ripe tannins giving it life along with medium plus acidity. Flavours are red and black fruit with some acetic acid but it smooths out showing garrigue on the back palate. The finish is long with tobacco, dried fruit, herbs and leather. The acetic acid appears to be building with subsequent sips. Going to see where it goes over the next couple of hours.
Next Day - Root Day - it has not changed (only a glass left for today) and is delightful. Silky smooth on the palate with the tobacco, garrigue, dried fruit all still present and fully appreciated.
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11/10/2021 - biggie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Root day - it is simply brilliant
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9/10/2021 - Myownscale wrote: 83 Points
Nose:
gravel, wood, some fruits
Palate:
dry, tannic, fruitb
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5/8/2020 - Chelsea Mike wrote:
Oops - didn’t realize this was still in my cellar. Still a lovely clear claret colour in the glass. Nose of spice and rubbing alcohol (?) with hint of blueberry. Not particularly full bodied. Initial blue fruit but quickly fades to residual tannins. Past it’s prime but still drinkable.
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1/15/2015 - Barbotus wrote: 88 Points
I mean that 88 in a good way. A very solid bottle, even still, although far from peak. One of the best QPR ever in its prime at $10. Only one more bottle left that should be consumed soon.
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3/17/2014 - FPK wrote: 84 Points
Past its prime
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6/29/2013 - arp46 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Paper filtered and decanted leaving a heavy sediment in the filter and yielding a brilliant garnet liquor with spicey aromas and a full rich flavor profile. This wine had layers of flavor when "chewed" and a lingering and complex finish. Blue fruit and an almost cinnamon aroma made this a wonderful, although somewhat light, wine.
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1/2/2013 - showard Likes this wine: 91 Points
Juicy red, no signs of its nine years of age. A little tight at first. Decanted for about two hours. Strawberries, very fresh. Like a baby chateauneuf. Good stuff.
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11/19/2012 - biggie Likes this wine: 90 Points
Clear garnet with little to no browning - smoke, earth and complex spice aromas on the nose. On the palate the Syrah is showing first then the Grenache. Dry but with fully melded flavours. Very tasty with complexity and smoke - almost a Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Can drink now or cellar for up to 5 years.
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10/12/2012 - SoundinBetween wrote: 89 Points
took about 1-1.5 hours to open up, delicious once it did esp. for the price. really like the mouthfeel, that great grenache/syran mouthfeel with a pretty short finish. pencil lead nose came the 2nd day. didn't notice a taste of cola on the 2nd day, but it was definitely flatter and at peak on the first day of drinking for me.
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4/28/2012 - leloupedevin wrote: 89 Points
Probably right at peak. Aroma of cooked plums. Palate has good fruit, blueberry, some cigar box, even cedar, soft tannins, very opulent for the price.
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11/20/2011 - florida wine guy wrote: 91 Points
I have been hanging on to this for a while. It was great out out the bottle with minimal air time. Great flavor & nice finish.
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11/5/2011 - John Nezlek wrote: 91 Points
I guess all things come to he who waits. I had two of these a while back, and I was not that impressed.
This bottle however, was silky smooth. Not a rough edge in sight. Just delicious. Seems to be at its peak.
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10/14/2011 - bottlestopper wrote: 89 Points
delicious. Unusual but very pleasing flavors
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6/20/2011 - DHJ1968 wrote:
Consistent with earlier notes, this is a perennial overachiever for the appelation.
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12/18/2010 - paulst wrote: 88 Points
Nice richness with some sharp edges; mocha.
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11/1/2010 - biggie wrote: flawed
Corked!
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9/16/2010 - DHJ1968 wrote:
Still cruising along in great form. Won't get any better than this, so drink 'em if ya got 'em. . .
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8/28/2010 - paulst wrote: 89 Points
Rich cherry blueberry nose; follows through with balance fruit and texture.
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6/13/2010 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
RUSSK Dinner in the Catskills outside. Very nice nose, smooth, easy drinking. Want more. Paid $14.
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6/2/2010 - dpeters99 wrote:
Left at Rachels.
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5/5/2010 - DHJ1968 wrote:
Still drinking very well from my perspective, bit of VA but otherwise another great bottle.
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5/3/2010 - EMTAME wrote: 88 Points
This is starting to move past peak. Better 6 months ago. If you have some left, it's time to drink them.
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3/2/2010 - paulst wrote: 92 Points
3 hr decant; flowery earthy nose; spicey blackberry-cherry with some raisen; length; balance; nice finish.
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2/17/2010 - dougsmith wrote: 90 Points
Still going strong, complex tertiary aromas, tobacco and a sort of earthy funk along with the berry fruit. I thought it might be slightly corked but it's just the earthiness showing through.
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1/1/2010 - EMTAME wrote: 90 Points
Opened with just a touch of barnyard on the nose, which blew off after about 15 minutes. Translucent deep ruby...beautiful color. Scents of dark fruit juice, lavender, and dried herb. Palate is lively, with black currant, rubbed sage, and a faint black olive note. Has a nice salinity that I haven't noticed in previous bottles (8 of them?). Medium bodied, with a medium length, slightly peppery finish.
This is still one of my all-time favorite QPRs and, to me, the best of the '04, '05, '06 trio. Haven't had the '07 yet, but I hope it lives up to this delicious wine.
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7/19/2009 - John Nezlek wrote: 87 Points
Decanted for at least an hour before drinking. Decent wine, but I still don't know what the fuss is about. Maybe I will leave one open for a week as I did the first one I drank.
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3/23/2009 - DHJ1968 wrote:
Always a great value year over year; balanced middleweight with an expressive nose and a classical provencal profile on the palate: dusty red fruits, herbs and pepper on a cool acidic spine. Absolutely no evident heat from the 14% alcohol. Not profound, just really terrific wine at a great price.
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2/3/2009 - dougsmith wrote: 90 Points
Showing some tertiary aromas now, a touch of tobacco leaf, and pepper on the palate along with the good berry fruit. Good stuff.
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1/21/2009 - bccdavid wrote: 90 Points
Lots of fruit, well balanced and medium finish. Nice wine for the price.
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1/1/2009 - Vinacull wrote: 90 Points
Last bottle of two cases, and this one showed very well. I wouldn't say this is showing any signs of age, other than being fully open on the nose and palate. Experience was the same as I have indicated previously, with perhaps the exception that there was beautiful cracked black pepper more noticeable in the bouquet and finish of this bottle that goes so nicely with the raspberry, plum, and minerally profile. Just a very nice Rhone for a great price. One bottle left of the '05, which we will drink tonight, and then sadly I do not know what my go-to wine will be.
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12/31/2008 - Armando B wrote: 88 Points
Consistent with prior notes, although not as good as a number of previous bottles. This was my last bottle. Too bad. Maybe my favorite QPR wine ever.
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11/5/2008 - paulst wrote: 86 Points
Peppery raisen blackberry.
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10/29/2008 - jim dixon wrote: 90 Points
This is, like folks have said, a terrific value. While I prefer their syrah blend, for $11 this can't be beat.
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10/22/2008 - Armando B wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with most recent bottle. One of the my best QPRs ever.
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9/3/2008 - green-steve wrote: 88 Points
Garnet colored, light-medium bodied wine. Needed about 30 minutes to open up. Bouquet of red fruits, berries, spice, and a little pepper on the tongue, nice acidity, and decent finish. Definitely excellent food wine for $12.
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8/30/2008 - gordoyflaca wrote: 89 Points
fruity dark fruits, with a touch of pepper.
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8/29/2008 - sarciero wrote: 90 Points
Should have bought more of this. Drinking nicely. Pleasant, with good fruit and spice. Taste was even better. Berries, smooth tannins - nicely balanced. Great QPR.
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8/22/2008 - Louisiana George wrote: 89 Points
very pungent nose of currant, hint of chocolate; very complex flavors, with black and red currant, black licorice at the midpalate, long peppered finish - great QPR
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8/5/2008 - pkbackman wrote: 90 Points
Consistent notes, except this one seemed to integrate it's flavors even more than I remember. No edges on this.
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8/4/2008 - Rex66 wrote: 89 Points
Deep ruby red, spicy, earthy nose, cherry and cranberry on the palate. OK but short finish with a little heat.
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7/21/2008 - vinole wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with previous notes.
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7/21/2008 - TonyH wrote: 89 Points
Rich and tasty and great with a grill out
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7/12/2008 - Vinacull wrote: 89 Points
Hadn't had this in a number of months. Fortunately this was not corked like a number of others, and showed quite well. Perhaps some slight signs of age on the previously described fruit profile. Looking forward to receiving back order of '05 so can compare to last remaining bottle of '04.
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7/8/2008 - dougdell wrote: 89 Points
Fine dark red color. Not much of a nose, just hints of minerality and a bit of fruit. Much nicer in the mouth - a good balance and mouthfeel. Fruitiness, tannins, acidity, and some earthy tones combine nicely. A pleasant sipping wine.
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7/3/2008 - jbeauprez wrote: 90 Points
it keeps getting better; this is an absolute steal at the price. wish I had more - down to my last bottle.
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6/25/2008 - TonyH wrote: 89 Points
dark and rich
nice fruit with a delicate earthiness. very tasty. best bottle so far.
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6/14/2008 - thijsseg wrote: 91 Points
PQ my best wine, it's much better than 2005.... (86 points).
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6/8/2008 - ml1 wrote: 89 Points
Nice nose of spice and red fruits that says new world. Medium bodied with dark fruits, black pepper and a touch of licorice. Finish was a bit short but overall a great value. Drink now.
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6/6/2008 - NuTricks wrote: 89 Points
6/6 bottles and not a hint of TCA(which I'm sensitive to).
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5/28/2008 - vinole wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with pevious note.
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5/27/2008 - florida wine guy wrote: 85 Points
Was not that impressed with the wine. Normally a fan of this type.
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4/27/2008 - Grape_ape wrote: flawed
Corked. Our of about 4 bottles of this that I have had this is the 2nd one to be off. When its good its very good, but there seems to be a lot of variability with this one.
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4/27/2008 - jjlobi wrote: 88 Points
Still can't believe it's French. Likeable, not earthy. Smooth, very nice.
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4/12/2008 - Vinacull wrote: 89 Points
Bought 2 cases of this because of the value, and now near the end with two bottles left. Note that 7 or 8 of the bottles were corked(!!) - have never experienced so many for one vintage/bottling/producer, and all confirmed independently by spouse who is sensitive to TCA. I can only surmise that it was bad luck of the draw for a mini-lot of bad corks. Score is therefore the average across non-corked bottles. Dark red, medium body. Nose is beautiful and characteristic with concentrated raspberry, earth, bit of pepper, and at times for some bottles a little meaty, which is nice. Full dark fruit on the palate with raspberries and blackberries, spice and some plum action. Finish is dry and earthy and the tannins are rather firm with a few rough edges that sometimes attract attention. Overall this pairs quite nicely with a variety of foods.
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4/7/2008 - walkers wrote: 90 Points
2 hour decant. Lovely wine! Cherry, black currant, with nice earthy, herbal nature - forest floor. Also tobacco, and toast/smoke. Medium bodied, medium acid. Still med-high tannins, but soft, not aggressive. Med-long finish. We both loved this wine.
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4/5/2008 - familydoc wrote: 89 Points
Nose: initially sour cherry and spice, later the sour fades and behind is left nice cherries, licorice, and spice (warmer spices maybe cummin or curry) Taste: cherries and a ton of spice, medium body and fairly prominant acidity a great food wine. Near the end of the meal alcohol really started to come out and I thought the wine was falling down a bit, I really think this is drinking about as good as you could hope for now. I enjoyed very much and the star pairing was with a morbier cheese, the spice and cherries went with the funky cheese very well.
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3/20/2008 - noseb4palate wrote: 90 Points
Decanted in the glass for 2 hours Dried fruit and some smoke on the nose. Cherry, plum and spice and silky tannins on the palate. Good length and delightfully smooth and sippable. I agree with other notes that this wine has some great aging potential Compared the decanted wine with some straight from the bottle - a totally different experience!
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3/13/2008 - EhrlichDY wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with previous notes
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3/12/2008 - pkbackman wrote: 89 Points
EXCELLENT
Bordering on Outstanding. Loaded with a flavor profile that can only be described as Strawberry Jam on Toasted whole wheat bread. Good tannins and decent finish. QPR steal at $10
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3/12/2008 - paulst wrote: 87 Points
Decent fruit with smooth finsh and some length.
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3/9/2008 - fred3f wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 2 days in a closed decanter (Okay, so I was distracted and busy). Foral and fruit smells on the nose, but all quite muted. The palate show violets, plums cherries and tobacco. Also I noticed some exotic but hard to place Indian spices - perhaps fennel, coriander and fennelgreek. But smooooth. The tanic bite comes in on the mid palate with tastes of lemon and mango. The finish is dry showing the tanic structure is nice and strong. I would not have wanted to taste this wine on opening. I think the tanins would have overwhelmed it and made it unpleasent. The wine has serious aging potential in my estimation. I will leave this alone for 3 years before trying it again, but expect I good things then. In a few years it could be that holy grail of the inexpensive fantastic wine.
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3/7/2008 - green-steve wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Deep garnet, big bouquet of red fruits, palate with red fruit, spice, a little pepper, balanced with nice acidity, medium tannins, and a medium finish. Very good food wine and not a bad sipper on its own. Great juice for $10. I have some 05's but will look for more of the 04.
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3/4/2008 - EhrlichDY wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with previous bottles and previous notes
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3/2/2008 - wicozani wrote: 88 Points
Deep ruby color with very nice red fruit and spice aromas. On the first night we had this, with pork tenderloins, it was adequate and tasty but a less-than-perfect match. In addition, it was a little closed down with not much spice showing. However, on night two (was Vacu-vinned) with spaghetti and Italian sausage this wine really sang! It smoothed out, broadened its nose, and flashed much more fruit and peppery spice. It was a really excellent match, and if I was blindfolded I might have mistaken for a good Chianti Classico (Riserva).
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2/29/2008 - JWP wrote: 82 Points
Full-bodied, deep ruby-red coloured, strong tannins boarding on harsh, unremarkable finish.
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2/24/2008 - Armando B wrote: 91 Points
Wow. Delicious grenache-y red fruit. Nice syrah notes of meat and olive. Outstanding QPR.
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2/20/2008 - gbauer wrote:
Nice, showing clear Southern Rhone. Drinking well now. Unlikely to get any better.
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2/20/2008 - MRichman wrote:
Clear, clean and a bit light. Tobacco, plum fruit. Long finish. Lacks mid-palate punch, but has good wide flavors. Somewhat old styled, good for the money.
B--
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2/15/2008 - thijsseg wrote: 91 Points
what a great wine, PQ the best wine i know
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2/8/2008 - lolo66 wrote: 89 Points
parker is right on this one. a great qpr, lush, full bodied, blackberry and cassis. the only thing it lacks is tends towards the lush side and gets a little one dimensional over time. but at this price... it worth a case purchase
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2/5/2008 - paulst wrote: 88 Points
Wide blackbery with pepper on the finish.
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2/5/2008 - mptwitcher wrote: 88 Points
Excellent QPR, nose of leather and berries, strong taste of blackberries and spice. Would definitely buy again at this price.
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2/1/2008 - Armando B wrote: 87 Points
Characteristics consitent with earlier bottles. Just not to quite the same degree. Might have been the particular bottle or just me in a less enthusiastic phase.
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1/18/2008 - CaliCab wrote: 90 Points
Certainly an enjoyable bottle. I was excited to try this one, I had heard such great things. decanted and left to aerate for 2.5 hrs. Nose was tight at initial pouring, but showed some truffle, oregano/vegetal notes and bell pepper. That all blew off relatively quickly, leaving definite tea leaves and floral notes with subtle hints of Oak. Overall the nose was very tame. After some air, the tea leaves were prevalent and the oak much stronger. On the palate licorice, blackberry, and more oak. After more air, black pepper notes come through on the nose and palate. An incredibly complete transformation, it really develops and changes over time to an amazing degree. Every 15 minutes it is a totally different experience.
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1/18/2008 - thijsseg wrote: 91 Points
heerlijk en eerlijk.... bij eten, zomaar,... my best fried.
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1/12/2008 - pinoteer wrote: 89 Points
Fuscia color like the Quintessence. Cherries and strawberries on the nose with a little licorice and tobacco. Vanilla cherry taste with a nice dry crispness. Light bodied. 88-89.
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1/6/2008 - cormyr wrote: 89 Points
very good qpr. a sure winner.
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1/6/2008 - kampster wrote: 90 Points
Great stuff as usual. Consistent with previous notes.
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12/25/2007 - jbeauprez wrote: 89 Points
enjoyable; not quite as rich and inky (or interesting) as the 2003 but a GREAT house wine for the price.
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12/23/2007 - Mlermontov wrote: 89 Points
Lesser-Known Rhone Appl.: HAHAHAHAHA - we all felt this was corked... quess what? a week later this was singing. Tea leaves, red berries, ripe and juicy middle.. delicious. no formal notes as its wasnt a formal situation but i loved it. perhaps the QPR of the DAY
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12/21/2007 - EhrlichDY wrote: 88 Points
Awesome QPR. Great rhone blend for $10.
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12/18/2007 - Prego wrote: 90 Points
Excellent depth of flavor, blackberrys, coffee. Still a bit tannic and big. Would think this could last at least another 2-3 years.
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12/16/2007 - aof wrote: 91 Points
Less flamboyant, racier, and better stuffing and structure than the 2003. Excellent QPR.
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12/15/2007 - tgatesman wrote: 90 Points
Good wine on it's own; didn't really take time to evaluate but enjoyed.
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12/11/2007 - Julex wrote: 89 Points
Great QPR. Opened a little over the course of two hours to reveal some dark tar/smoke notes.
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12/2/2007 - JavaMonkey wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with my previous tasting.
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11/28/2007 - vinole wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with previous note.
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11/23/2007 - bound4er wrote: 89 Points
Much better than my last bottle. Plenty of red fruits from the grenache with some more hidden darker fruit nuances emerging from the syrah. Decent structure here too that will reward a year in the cellar.
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11/15/2007 - nubbin wrote: 89 Points
70% Grenache, 30% Syrah. Concentrated and rich blackberries, brambled. Full bodied. Quite nice! (D 7.5, F 6.5; Cent; E. Solomon)
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11/8/2007 - DRS-Inc wrote: 87 Points
Dinner @ Sagamore Trillium in Lake George, NY. This was better than 2003 vintage.
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11/7/2007 - french16 wrote: 90 Points
Very good wine and awesome QPR.
Grenache 70% and Syrah 30%.
Nose is dominated by the grenache with lots of spice and cherry.
Good balance, well defined tannins and structure, lots of provencal herbs, dark and red cherry, blackberry and pepper. medium body and very good finish.
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11/4/2007 - Grape_ape wrote: 89 Points
Strawberry and cherry with notes of white pepper and garrigue. A bit harsh on a pop and pour, better the second day.
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10/30/2007 - vinole wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with previous note, though picked up a little heat with this bottle.
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10/30/2007 - Noto Bene wrote: 89 Points
A solid mid week Ventoux, good Qpr here in Vancouver and food friendly. Went well with a chicken pesto pizza. Good fruit, mild fine grained tannins, smoke and spice. Will buy again.
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10/30/2007 - thijsseg wrote: 89 Points
blijft eerlijk en heerlijk; genieten !!! Mijn huiswijn. (vroeger Caillou, garrigue) Prijs kwaliteit onklopbaar. Toch nog een lichte voorkeur voor de 2003.
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10/23/2007 - Armando B wrote: 89 Points
Bright red fruit, bit of leather, garrigue, good acid. Very, very good for very little money. Thank you Eric Solomon.
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10/18/2007 - dre wrote:
Clear, dark cherry core that leads out to a medium thin ruby rim with a white edge. Wine shows little maturity. The nose is clean and very flamboyant. Plump plum, earth, sweat and sage show well but its the massive oak notes that dominate. On the the palate this wine is dry with high acid and medium tight tannins. Big Malo notes, strawberry, raspberry, plum, leather, rosemary and big oak flavors again. Sweet vanilla with a bit of bitter. High alc, medium body with a long malo oaky finnish.
Good quality, the alc is a bit heavy though.
Drinking well now (decanting recomended) but will be best if held for 2-6 years.
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10/5/2007 - Armando B wrote: 90 Points
Great QPR. Nice Nose. Red fruit, spice, iodine on the palate. Wow.
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9/26/2007 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Aromas of garrigue, spice and red fruit. Deep fruit accents spice and herb flavors. Nice food wine.
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9/23/2007 - Hi-Ho-Silver wrote: 88 Points
A very nice wine with earthy tones, spicy and medium body.
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9/22/2007 - jbeauprez wrote: 89 Points
This one needs time in the bottle - came off as rather dumb although some nice fruit flavors trying to poke through. seems lighter in body and less concentrated than the 03. Will be interesting to see how it develops.
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9/19/2007 - duchamp wrote: 87 Points
Dark purple, big nose of vanilla, black and white pepper, spice, rich and savory red fruit with hints of earth and mushroom, palate is a little more understated with candied apple and brown sugar but also loads of alcohol, biting finish, this is my second bottle, other bottle tasted much better
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9/19/2007 - JavaMonkey wrote: 90 Points
Great, full nose with blackberry, spice, and smoke. Bright, full palate has both dark, plummy fruit and bright red fruit. Great breadth in the palate will tons of fruit underlined with spice, smoke, and coffee notes. Very vibrant and bright. A touch of heat, and a slight lack of depth keep this from being truly outstanding, but it's still extremely good.
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9/15/2007 - kampster wrote: 88 Points
Beautiful nose on this one. Takes a little while to open up, so decanting is adviced. When it does it's a wonderful bouquet of red cherries, green olives, garrigue and just a hint of white pepper.
The taste doesn't quite live up to the promise of the nose, but it's an easy drinker, with a fairly short aftertaste. Not terribly concentrated but the substance is there. Sweetness and acidity nicely balanced. Tannins smooth.
As everyone else has already told you - great QPR. Should drink well for the next 2-3 years.
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9/14/2007 - robnmo wrote: 85 Points
Earthy with spice, and some cherries. The finish was a bit short. Was hoping for a bit more fruit.
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9/14/2007 - hwallace3000K wrote:
Opened for friends w/ burgers. Nice for $11.99. Don't remember much but it was enjoyable. Bought again.
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9/12/2007 - TheOtherPoster wrote: flawed
Ever so mildly corked, but get this, the fruit is so fun and up front that we drank it anyway! That may be a first in this household... down the gullet instead of down the drain. Great QPR, great stuff.
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8/28/2007 - jahlove wrote: 89 Points
A little more complex than I gave it credit for the first time around. Oak not as influential as I first noted. Definitely getting more dirt, leather, and garrigue than before, which I like. Still sticking with the 89 pt rating.
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8/26/2007 - JerzeyJohn wrote: 89 Points
earthy, with leather and spice....cherry and clove with good body. Great QPR
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8/24/2007 - SacredCow wrote: 88 Points
Simple but enjoyable. On the nose, leather, spice and cherries. On the palate, on the light side of medium-bodied, with plenty of cherry, a touch of blackberry or black cherry, and bits of leather, finishing rather short with some spice on the end. Nice quaffer, nothing fancy but enjoyable.
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7/22/2007 - bound4er wrote: 87 Points
I was a bit disappointed in this wine. It was pretty acidic and tannic with little fruit to back it all up. The 2001 version performed like this for awhile - maybe this wine has entered a dumb phase. Will check back in 6 - 9 months on this one.
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7/12/2007 - cab wrote: flawed
Mildly corked but we drank it anyway.
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7/11/2007 - RuralTom wrote: 87 Points
lovely notes of leather and spice on the nose followed by a lovely full and round mouthfeel, tannins well integrated, nice notes of ripe cherry overall great QPR and quite enjoyable on its own or with a meal
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7/4/2007 - jahlove wrote: 89 Points
Brought to 4th of July party. Big hit with the barbeque. Notes consistent with previous bottles.
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7/2/2007 - vinole wrote: 90 Points
Cherry and blackberry flavors on a medium bodied frame with a finish that has a nice touch of oak. Fairly New World style for a CdR with less earthiness than most others. A terrific value that matches well with many food dishes and drinks well alone.
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6/26/2007 - Armando B wrote:
Excellent QPR. Red fruit and meaty notes. Delicious. 90 points.
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6/24/2007 - docjavadude wrote: 91 Points
CTS DMin Happy Hour; 6/18/2007-6/28/2007 (Atlanta, GA): Nice surprise! Deep ruby color. Had to open up a bit, but soon the nose exploded with cherries, plum, cedar and leather. Ripe cherry, strawberry, and blackberry flavors with a nice mouthfeel. The tannins are smooth. There were hints of some stems and earth on the finish, but in a quizical new-world style. Nicely balanced and very interesting. A terrific wine from southern Rhone.
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6/21/2007 - staker wrote: 89 Points
Cherry red with mahogany hues. Cherry and cedar nose at first but after a few minutes out came cloves and spice and a touch of earthiness. Light to medium body with light tannins. Cherry and cloves and pepper on the pallet. Short finish. All in all a very nice wine for the price.
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6/20/2007 - drcbarroso wrote: 90 Points
CB: Drank as part of winodepot.com's June Tasting With Friends.
It was extremely tight and actually not good at all at first, but be patient because this baby opens up! Nose showed very nice complexity, including some floral components at first. As time went on clove, cigar box, and licorice. Palate showed clove. Very well balanced wine, showing nice acidity with some tannic bite. Had a nice, enjoyable finish. When quizzed my husband on the price of this wine, he quoted almost double the actual cost. Fantastic wine for $12. Will definitely pick up more to have around the house and drink.
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6/15/2007 - drcbarroso wrote: 90 Points
TB: Drank as part of winodepot.com's June Tasting With Friends. Popped and poured. A little tight at first, so let sit about 15 minutes to a half hour. Nice maroon color and clear. Nose showed very nice complexity, including some floral components at first. As time went on clove, cigar box, licorice, and garrigue all peeked out. Palate showed clove and garrigue. Very well balanced wine, showing nice acidity with some tannic bite. It's just a bit thin on the mid-palate, but has a nice, enjoyable finish. This may be the QPR of the year so far. Definitely will pick up more.
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6/14/2007 - biggie wrote: 89 Points
Clear ruby core (a little opaque) of mod intensity out to a red edge and thin watery rim - youthful. Clean and expressive nose of tar, dried cherries, garrigue (like it says on the back label), some allspice and deep red fruits of moderate+ intensity - youthful but very inviting. Dry wine with mod alcohol, body, tannin (soft) but with sufficient acid to make it interesting. Concentrated flavours of ripe fruit along with some herbal notes and a touch of vanilla. Delicious!! The finish is moderately long with spice, herbs (rosemary and sage) and a touch of rusticity that really adds to the flavour profile. Drink now or hold - it will improve in the near term - 5 years or so but it's also pretty tasty right now.
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6/13/2007 - jahlove wrote: 89 Points
A new world Rhone. A good dose of oak here that will seduce a lot of folks. Coupled with ripe cherry and strawberry flavors, it's hard not to like. Just of a touch of Rhone character keeps it honest. An excellent value, likely to please new world fans and some old world fans as well. On second night cola appears.
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5/31/2007 - dougsmith wrote: 89 Points
Deep ruby color. Alluring nose of strawberries and blackberries, spice, bacon fat, floral perfume and a little heat. On the palate it has good grip and presence with youthful tannin. Yummy wine and fine QPR.
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5/23/2007 - nwinther wrote: 83 Points
Passed it's prime? The color was beautiful and the nose was fruity - black and red berries and leather. But the palate was strange. Fuity but also with a strange pointy feeling - almost as if it was sparkling, but it wasn't. Almost sour. Drink now.
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5/22/2007 - Patrick wrote:
Drinkable but a little corky I think...nothing like the others' notes in any case
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5/20/2007 - PeterC wrote: 88 Points
Dark brigt ruby. Aromas of dark, smoky fruit; infused with savoury herb and asian spice; carry through to the medium to full-bodied palate on a well-balanced acidity and soft tannin, making for a medium-length finish. Stood up very well when drunk over 5 nights. Great QPR
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5/18/2007 - gbauer wrote:
Blind, I might have thought this was an Aussie GSM fruit bomb. Southern Rhone -- 70% Grenache 30% Syrah -- gobs of fruit -- and just a little bit of mineral/earth to bring it back to France. Well-made, nice QPR, but I have to hope that this develops some secondary notes over time. Currently, a little too "ripe" for me.
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5/12/2007 - LesterKwong wrote: 89 Points
Dark ruby color. Decanted for 1 hour. Ripe fruits and Coke on the nose. Big fruits on the palate with a medium finish. Very acidic and tannic. Only allocated one but will definitely seek out more.
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5/6/2007 - Grape_ape wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby color. On a pop and pour, the nose has a bit of alcohol heat. Gives way to some candied strawberry and white pepper. Nice red berry fruit, good tannic structure that actually seems to increase with time. Earthy, slightly herbal finish, with a bit of iron added to the mix the longer its open. Very good QPR.
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5/1/2007 - Ekoostik wrote: 88 Points
Good value here, Medium bodied, good fruit for sure but not a bomb. Pretty good finish and I bet it will be better in a year or two. An excellent daily drinker.
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4/26/2007 - bknysak wrote: 89 Points
Started out as one of the spiciest wines I've had--the combination of acidity, fine grainy tannin and spice was like rolling a teaspoon of ground chilis in your mouth (but without the pepper flavor). As the spice faded, a very pleasant strawberry side developed. Some sweet oak. Very nice, but needs either time or a decanter (unless you like vin au poivre).
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4/19/2007 - lolo66 wrote:
89 - an excellent value. upon drinking the first bottle I purchased another 6 bottles. Vibrant fruit, no bitterness and a decent finish.
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4/8/2007 - gr8nrg wrote:
The wine is developing.enjoying it very much for the qpr.
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3/29/2007 - John Nezlek wrote:
Don't know what all the buzz was for. Certainly a reasonable wine, but not really a 90 pointer (from RP), or even vaguely close in my mind. I bought a few of these, and I will let the others rest a bit. Maybe they will gain some distinctiveness over time. This bottle was simply not noteworthy -- despite this note :-)
I tasted the same bottle described above after it had been sitting for a WEEK, yes 7 days. I had a meaningful part of the bottle left (I had tried a small glass 1 and 3 days after opening it). I was going to cook with it or whatever. Just for the hell of it, I poured the last glass and it was simply delicious. Smooth, no bite, seamless, flavors well integrated. I was so shocked that I asked a friend to taste it (he has a pretty good palate), and he found it delicious. In fact, when he read the above, he could not believe it was the same wine (neither could I).
I am not certain how to interpret this. The bottle could not have been bad -- it would not have magically gotten better. My guess is that the wine needs a few years to smooth out.
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3/28/2007 - Ben Andersen wrote:
Brief note: cleaner than the '03. Seems to have just a touch of oak - would love to know if it saw any... Light earth, dusty red / black fruit, and some spice. More interesting than most $13 Cotes du Rhones, IMO. Held itself together for a couple days after opening, which bodes well. IMO, a solid value at $12.99 retail, before any discount.
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3/23/2007 - TashNYC wrote:
at Jen and Tash wine tasting.
Needed a couple of hours of decanting, or 1-2 years of bottle age to be really good.
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3/21/2007 - bruceb wrote: 90 Points
Medium garnet color. The aroma contains earth, smoke, just a touch of oak and a hint of vanilla, but is primarily covered with typical garrigue herb smells. The taste begins with a very soft attack of dark fruit but evolves with luscious mouthfeel, good acidity, and soft tannins. The finish is moderately long and leaves you with spicy garrigue and pepper flavors. Overall, a superb wine that has plenty of fruit but is not driven in that direction. Very likely this would be an even more distinctive Ventoux with an additional year or two in the bottle.
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3/19/2007 - good old ludwig van wrote: 89 Points
Decanted about 45 mins. before first glass. Dirty plum bouquet, with just a wisp of cinnamon. Tasting notes of plum and cherry, with a peppery finish. Nicely balanced, integrated tannins make this a smooth easy drinker.
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3/16/2007 - jmikeska wrote: 89 Points
Good Rhone QPR. Better after being open for an hour.
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3/14/2007 - tskrueger wrote: 88 Points
No real notes, but an exceptional drinker for the price. Popped and poured at the end of the evening, but I expect that the remainder (gave it to a friend) will be better tomorrow. Lush fruit, some pretty floral notes on the nose. It was blind guessed as a new world syrah.
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3/11/2007 - wkhoward wrote: 89 Points
Delicious fruity tannic rhone wine. Bit of cats pee on the nose, but otherwise leans new world.
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3/5/2007 - jjlobi wrote: 87 Points
Had a BYOB for lunch. Light and smooth. More flavorful than a Napa Merlot we stopped drinking.
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3/2/2007 - TonyH wrote: 90 Points
Dark Red
Earthy spicy nose
Spicey pepper. tart with tangy tannins.
Very good
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2/10/2007 - gr8nrg wrote: 90 Points
Paid $16.99 here in Vancouver where the government takes its share so the QPR is outstanding! I am for the most part partial to Italian wine and certainly have more experience with its bounty. I do, however, amongst other wines, like a good Cotes du Rhone and Chateauneuf-du-pape and therefore the impetis to purchase this. As many have mentioned with previous vintages it gets better with a few hours but a wine that I would blind taste up against some $60-70 bottles. It is really well made and I suspect hold well and may improve in the short term. It lacks that special something to be a show stopper but difficult to find much fault. Plate a stilton, blue brie and aged fontina and you are set for happy times.
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2/3/2007 - TonyH wrote: 90 Points
First taste. Decanting. Serving with pepper steak
Bright reddish purple colors
Blackberry cobbler and earthy wet stone aromas
big wine with meaty flavors and pepper spice and. this is not a fruit driven wiine. Nice balance of acidity and big tannins and a very long finish. This is an exceptional wine
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1/25/2007 - baja wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for one hour, dark ruby/purple color, intense spicy nose of black currant, plum and smoke, this full bodied wine has very nice palate of dark fruit with mouth coating tannins, good acidity and a nice lingering finish. This is a great food wine. On it's own the tannins may be a little much for some but when paired with food the tannins appear more integrated. Once again this region just screams QPR with this $10 beauty. 89
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12/18/2006 - nwinther wrote: 89 Points
Purple inky color, a nice fruity bouquet and palate with a powerful aftertaste. Drink now.
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