Oh dear. Hugely acidic and went down the drain. This acidity will be put to good effect to marinate my next coq au vin. Hope it was just a one off bottle or my palate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2nd bottle from a half case. RP gave this 95 points. Big smoky nose of grilled herbs and blackcurrant. Fruit has lightened surprisingly over the last two years. Now medium weight yet balanced with plentiful soft tannins that are a little drying on the long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The 2016 Domaine de Bila-Haut L'Esquerda has found a perfect place. It's smokey and deep with masses of plum sauce, violette pastille and grilled sage. This flows like cashmere across the palate, perfumed and pleasing to all that it touches with ripe mineral-tinged dark fruits, black tea and sweet lavender tones. There isn't a hard edge in sight, as the 2016 finishes potent and classically dry, leaving just a hint of mocha and salted licorice to linger on. This is pure class.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Must have been flawed... we bought this bottle in Oradea, Romania in Summer 2018 because the CT scores were so high (90+). Home in our luggage, cellered since. But geez, it's NOWHERE near these reviews. A harsh, grungy nose, a funk of motor oil, burnt toast, and cigarette butts. Ugh and ugly.
Tell us, that's a flawed bottle, right? We had such high hope all this time...
Well, we'll dump it, and go CRACK SOME OTHER BOTTLE! yeah!!!
Here's to the next one...
No, we'll vacu-vin and try it tomorrow. We'll see...
We started buying Bila-Haut wine because their entry-level bottles were inexpensive enough to cook with but also surprisingly good. Their higher-level bottles, like this one, are pretty nice too. Cassis and dark fruit, pepper and herbs, and it tastes like it's been aging a while, there's nothing young and fruity about it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Final bottle of 6. Same feeling after each: a great bottle for $22. This is a big, rich, full-flavored Rhone blend that, due to its fruit-forward profile, does not require food to be best enjoyed. One definitely feels the weight of the 60% Syrah. Lacks ultimate harmony, but for simple pleasure, this will please almost any drinker.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ready for business with some air in the glass. Beautiful dark fruit, touch of spice and leather. Nicely balanced, can drink with or without food. Held up over 3 days.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
1st bottle from a half case. RP gave this 95 points. It's a cut above the Occ. Lapidem and refreshingly a degree of alcohol less at 14.5. Nose of hot stones and lavender; Blackberry on the palate. Loads of fruit, well balanced with plentiful soft tannins. Although drinking now this will be at it's best in a couple more years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
1st bottle from a half case. RP gave this 95 points. It's a cut above the Occ. Lapidem and refreshingly a degree of alcohol less at 14.5. Nose of hot stones and lavender; Blackberry on the palate. Loads of fruit, well balanced with plentiful soft tannins. Although drinking now this will be a couple more years before it's at it's best.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a very well-made Côtes du Roussillon, polished and indeed quite elegant, not surprising given that it was made by Chapoutier. A blend of mostly Syrah along with Grenache and Carignan, it's a "villages" expression of the region, from Lesquerde, just west of Maury. It offers notes of blackberry, blueberry, cured meat, black pepper, violets, and minerals, as one would expect from a Syrah-driven wine from southern France, but those Syrah aromas and flavours, which can tend to be too meaty and too peppery, are nicely balanced by soft (but not sweet) berry fruit, a certain earthiness on the palate, moderate acidity, and a soft, supple texture and structure held up by chalky tannins. There's a lot to like, but it may be a bit too polished, as there just isn't the wildness and energy one often finds in the region (the sun-baked fruit, the garrigue, the rockiness, etc.). Is that a flaw? Maybe not, as this is still very much a regional expression, but it does lack a certain potency regardless, complexity and depth, and that keeps it in the 88-89 range, not higher.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I enjoyed this bottle. It's a slightly sweet syrah with a modern profile. It has a touch of earthy funk and a medium finish. Drinks well by itself and with food but its not overly complex. It has no hard edges. A great mid week wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A really enjoyable bottle of wine on a pnp and an awesome QPR. This wine is open for business within a half hour of opening with a palate of plums, strawberries, dried leaves and white pepper. A smooth finish of moderate length.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark and pretty in the glass; complex nose; good smooth mixed wild berry, modest acidity and some slightly green tannin on the finish. Could easily hold this for a bit
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great qpr. Nice balance between fruit and earthiness. Slightly tannic and a nice finish. Great all around wine that won’t disappoint. Give it 30-45 minutes of air to reach its potential.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
It is difficult to believe you can buy wine this good, for such little money. But this delivers the goods for about $22. Dark in color, the earthy, smoky, jammy strawberry, pepper, flint, plum and garrigue are open with pop and pour. Supple, plush and generous, the sweet, fruity, herbal finish tastes and feels great. Drink it before it reaches 5-7 years of age and enjoy it for its easy drinking pleasure.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
For the cost it's hard to find fault. The wine had structure, fruit concentration and balance. It was powerful and full of fragrance of berries. I've had quite a few Rhone's but not many from Roussillon. It had a difficult to describe fruit palate with a distinctive regional spice so it's not quite a substitute for a Southern Rhone if that's what your heart is set on. I admit I had to try it given it's rating and price but that spice/character makes it hard for me to want more. Just not my palate. I'd highly recommend you try it though.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. Saturated dark red. Colored legs. Smoldering smoky nose. Bacon fat and charcoal. Soy sauce. Creme de cocoa. Big and bold in the mouth, young and a little savage. Tannic, but approachable. For true enjoyment, pair it with a juicy steak. Good value. 5-13-16-8: 92/100.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blackberry, wild mushroom, zoo, turkey jerky, crumbleded rock and white pepper. The entry is bold, yet she trails off in a lithe and gliding manner. A mineral palate, with structure and accessibility. A stunning value from a historic region, by a prodigious producer. So much purity. Drink now - 2031.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The nose was dark, rich and brooding, displaying crushed stone minerality and moist earth up front, giving way violet-tinged blackberry and currants, with savory wild herbs and hints of game. On the palate, I found velvety, yet lifted textures as a wave of juicy black fruit and liquid-purple florals swept across the senses, guided by zesty acids and minerals. It finished long and grippy, with fine tannin settling in as violet florals resonated over saline-minerality. I must say that this is a welcome change of pace from the usual Chapoutier Roussillon.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep purple color. Dark and saucy black currants, juicy black cherries, along with complex elements roasted herbs, cracked black pepper, leather, cocoa. Plump and juicy with medium tannins and medium-low acidity. Black cherries, black currants, roasted fig, the fruit mixes with spicy black pepper, sage, grilled rosemary, with deeper notes of dark chocolate, espresso, vanilla and scorches earth. Put together so well, this should age nicely, too, but ready to go now. Syrah, Grenache and Carignan from a single vineyard, 40- to 60-year-old vines.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The nose is a bit reserved and with hints of funkiness (perhaps generously described as garrigue). Big and rich and concentrated red and dark fruits in the mouth are much more powerful than the nose would suggest. Finished with some nice tannic tugs that coat the mouth.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice mid weight wine with balance, fruit and spice and a touch of garrigue. Drinks well day 2. Drinks well now but I will wait to see if some mid term complexity develops in 2 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
9/11/2023 - wineforth wrote: flawed
Oh dear. Hugely acidic and went down the drain. This acidity will be put to good effect to marinate my next coq au vin. Hope it was just a one off bottle or my palate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2022 - MSheridan Likes this wine: 92 Points
sitting nicely in its drinking window. plenty of time left but this is in a good place to enjoy now
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2022 - wineforth Likes this wine: 91 Points
2nd bottle from a half case. RP gave this 95 points. Big smoky nose of grilled herbs and blackcurrant. Fruit has lightened surprisingly over the last two years. Now medium weight yet balanced with plentiful soft tannins that are a little drying on the long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2022 - Eric Guido Likes this wine:
The 2016 Domaine de Bila-Haut L'Esquerda has found a perfect place. It's smokey and deep with masses of plum sauce, violette pastille and grilled sage. This flows like cashmere across the palate, perfumed and pleasing to all that it touches with ripe mineral-tinged dark fruits, black tea and sweet lavender tones. There isn't a hard edge in sight, as the 2016 finishes potent and classically dry, leaving just a hint of mocha and salted licorice to linger on. This is pure class.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/2022 - Bin707LoversDetroit wrote: flawed
Must have been flawed... we bought this bottle in Oradea, Romania in Summer 2018 because the CT scores were so high (90+). Home in our luggage, cellered since. But geez, it's NOWHERE near these reviews. A harsh, grungy nose, a funk of motor oil, burnt toast, and cigarette butts. Ugh and ugly.
Tell us, that's a flawed bottle, right? We had such high hope all this time...
Well, we'll dump it, and go CRACK SOME OTHER BOTTLE! yeah!!!
Here's to the next one...
No, we'll vacu-vin and try it tomorrow. We'll see...
Be well, all.
Bin707Lovers
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/7/2021 - Wildgrant Likes this wine:
We started buying Bila-Haut wine because their entry-level bottles were inexpensive enough to cook with but also surprisingly good. Their higher-level bottles, like this one, are pretty nice too. Cassis and dark fruit, pepper and herbs, and it tastes like it's been aging a while, there's nothing young and fruity about it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2021 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 88 Points
Final bottle of 6. Same feeling after each: a great bottle for $22. This is a big, rich, full-flavored Rhone blend that, due to its fruit-forward profile, does not require food to be best enjoyed. One definitely feels the weight of the 60% Syrah. Lacks ultimate harmony, but for simple pleasure, this will please almost any drinker.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2020 - mpsocal wrote: flawed
Corked. What a shame.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/20/2020 - mpsocal Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistently good. Great balance of fruit and earthiness.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2020 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ready for business with some air in the glass. Beautiful dark fruit, touch of spice and leather. Nicely balanced, can drink with or without food. Held up over 3 days.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2020 - mpsocal Likes this wine: 91 Points
There is a little ripe strawberry flavor with tiny bit of tannins on the finish. It’s a delicious drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/13/2020 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 88 Points
Excellent bottle for the price. Can't argue that it's 90+, but for $22, it delivers great QPR.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/15/2020 - wineforth Likes this wine: 93 Points
1st bottle from a half case. RP gave this 95 points. It's a cut above the Occ. Lapidem and refreshingly a degree of alcohol less at 14.5. Nose of hot stones and lavender; Blackberry on the palate. Loads of fruit, well balanced with plentiful soft tannins. Although drinking now this will be at it's best in a couple more years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/15/2020 - wineforth Likes this wine: 93 Points
1st bottle from a half case. RP gave this 95 points. It's a cut above the Occ. Lapidem and refreshingly a degree of alcohol less at 14.5. Nose of hot stones and lavender; Blackberry on the palate. Loads of fruit, well balanced with plentiful soft tannins. Although drinking now this will be a couple more years before it's at it's best.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2020 - mjwstickings Likes this wine: 89 Points
This is a very well-made Côtes du Roussillon, polished and indeed quite elegant, not surprising given that it was made by Chapoutier. A blend of mostly Syrah along with Grenache and Carignan, it's a "villages" expression of the region, from Lesquerde, just west of Maury. It offers notes of blackberry, blueberry, cured meat, black pepper, violets, and minerals, as one would expect from a Syrah-driven wine from southern France, but those Syrah aromas and flavours, which can tend to be too meaty and too peppery, are nicely balanced by soft (but not sweet) berry fruit, a certain earthiness on the palate, moderate acidity, and a soft, supple texture and structure held up by chalky tannins. There's a lot to like, but it may be a bit too polished, as there just isn't the wildness and energy one often finds in the region (the sun-baked fruit, the garrigue, the rockiness, etc.). Is that a flaw? Maybe not, as this is still very much a regional expression, but it does lack a certain potency regardless, complexity and depth, and that keeps it in the 88-89 range, not higher.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2020 - chanote44 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I enjoyed this bottle. It's a slightly sweet syrah with a modern profile. It has a touch of earthy funk and a medium finish. Drinks well by itself and with food but its not overly complex. It has no hard edges. A great mid week wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2019 - GattopardoDiCefalu Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Vin trop brutal, manquant de rondeur et de finesse
Peut etre a garder davantage
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2019 - markcic Likes this wine: 91 Points
A really enjoyable bottle of wine on a pnp and an awesome QPR. This wine is open for business within a half hour of opening with a palate of plums, strawberries, dried leaves and white pepper. A smooth finish of moderate length.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2019 - wabi47 wrote:
Dark and pretty in the glass; complex nose; good smooth mixed wild berry, modest acidity and some slightly green tannin on the finish. Could easily hold this for a bit
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2019 - pfisher17 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Was hoping for more. Decanted. Enjoyed. But flat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2019 - mpsocal Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great qpr. Nice balance between fruit and earthiness. Slightly tannic and a nice finish. Great all around wine that won’t disappoint. Give it 30-45 minutes of air to reach its potential.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/2/2019 - soyhead wrote:
Brambleberry, dry, mineral, refined. Almost like a mellow zin
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2019 - mpsocal Likes this wine: 92 Points
I really enjoyed this wine . It had some nice fruit and it was well balanced. Pretty amazing qpr.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
It is difficult to believe you can buy wine this good, for such little money. But this delivers the goods for about $22. Dark in color, the earthy, smoky, jammy strawberry, pepper, flint, plum and garrigue are open with pop and pour. Supple, plush and generous, the sweet, fruity, herbal finish tastes and feels great. Drink it before it reaches 5-7 years of age and enjoy it for its easy drinking pleasure.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/24/2019 - ben2e wrote: 90 Points
For the cost it's hard to find fault. The wine had structure, fruit concentration and balance. It was powerful and full of fragrance of berries. I've had quite a few Rhone's but not many from Roussillon. It had a difficult to describe fruit palate with a distinctive regional spice so it's not quite a substitute for a Southern Rhone if that's what your heart is set on. I admit I had to try it given it's rating and price but that spice/character makes it hard for me to want more. Just not my palate. I'd highly recommend you try it though.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/6/2018 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Saturated dark red. Colored legs. Smoldering smoky nose. Bacon fat and charcoal. Soy sauce. Creme de cocoa. Big and bold in the mouth, young and a little savage. Tannic, but approachable. For true enjoyment, pair it with a juicy steak. Good value. 5-13-16-8: 92/100.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2018 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 93 Points
Blackberry, wild mushroom, zoo, turkey jerky, crumbleded rock and white pepper. The entry is bold, yet she trails off in a lithe and gliding manner. A mineral palate, with structure and accessibility. A stunning value from a historic region, by a prodigious producer. So much purity. Drink now - 2031.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2018 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
The nose was dark, rich and brooding, displaying crushed stone minerality and moist earth up front, giving way violet-tinged blackberry and currants, with savory wild herbs and hints of game. On the palate, I found velvety, yet lifted textures as a wave of juicy black fruit and liquid-purple florals swept across the senses, guided by zesty acids and minerals. It finished long and grippy, with fine tannin settling in as violet florals resonated over saline-minerality. I must say that this is a welcome change of pace from the usual Chapoutier Roussillon.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/19/2018 - maxima wrote: 89 Points
Bu en succ.
Beau RQP pour ce style, gorgé de
fruits noirs, d`épices et d`herbes.
Belle petite finale sur les fleurs.
Très bon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2018 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 90 Points
Deep purple color. Dark and saucy black currants, juicy black cherries, along with complex elements roasted herbs, cracked black pepper, leather, cocoa. Plump and juicy with medium tannins and medium-low acidity. Black cherries, black currants, roasted fig, the fruit mixes with spicy black pepper, sage, grilled rosemary, with deeper notes of dark chocolate, espresso, vanilla and scorches earth. Put together so well, this should age nicely, too, but ready to go now. Syrah, Grenache and Carignan from a single vineyard, 40- to 60-year-old vines.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2018 - Jzizzle Likes this wine: 90 Points
The nose is a bit reserved and with hints of funkiness (perhaps generously described as garrigue). Big and rich and concentrated red and dark fruits in the mouth are much more powerful than the nose would suggest. Finished with some nice tannic tugs that coat the mouth.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2018 - ephorn Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice mid weight wine with balance, fruit and spice and a touch of garrigue. Drinks well day 2. Drinks well now but I will wait to see if some mid term complexity develops in 2 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment