This one has gotten a bit long in the tooth. Maroon to purple. Soft and somewhat sweet, with plums, old leather and berry juice. Always a value wine, but the interest factor has diminished in the past 20 months. Medium to short finish. Still for $10 not bad at all.
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Drank this at a clean-out-the-wine-cellar party. It did not show well compared to the other cotes-du-rhones. It's probably an okay wine, but I probably would not buy again.
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NOSE: the bouquet is nice but not complex; primary aromas of bramble and raspberry work well together and a secondary hint of pepper keeps this wine's bouquet from being boring. Typical CdR.
BODY: lots of fine particulate matter are suspended in the wine; mahogany color of moderate depth; medium bodied.
TASTE: this is a juicy fruit-forward Cotes-du-Rhone. Plenty of red fruits on the front and mid palates with a supporting element of sandalwood spice. Some restrained notes of sweet leather emerge with some air. The rear palate is horribly hollow, and the finish is hot and short (15 sec.). Not a great wine, but a good daily drinker.
B: 50, 5, 12, 14, 6 = 87
EDIT: Day 3: a pronounced soy element comes forward on the palate, and the red fruits have fallen away.
Lovely syrah nose. Medium body with black cherry, herb and a grapey freshness. Terrific acidity and a bit of tannin on the finish. Can not ask for more in a $10 wine.
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Dark red, almost purple color. After airing out it had plenty of jammy fruit and some peppery notes. Good stuff. Nice southern rhone blend and very good value @ $10.
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good bottle for the price. Great with food and enough there to think about a little. Technically I feel the heat overpowered the fruit, but for the price it's still very nice. Some nice dark cherry and tobacco notes in the mid-palate. I may buy a few more and see how they develop.
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Part of the ongoing seach for good $10 bottles and this one fits the bill. Plum purple. Nice nose but for a little too much alcohol coming through (the bottle is 14.5%). Otherwise pepper, blackberries and burnt wood on the nose with an unusual finish that has leather plum and berries but a touch of sour apple and stout tannins.
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Faint black fruit and oak on the nose (an unexciting promise), but somewhat redeemed by the taste. Soft tannins, but not velvety - it has a bit of backbone. In all rather unexciting - there's much better you can get for the price.
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Dark concentrated blackberries, herbaceous, and woody. Bid firm tannins. Decanted for 1 hour Would be much better in 3-5 years ... But quite an impressive wine for less than $10 dollars
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Had a glass of this at a wine bar with a burger. Big thick blend of Grenache and Syrah, nice dark berry, maybe black raspberry flavor. Old world style with enough fruit to make it tasty. Lots of tannins almost puckered the mouth ...paid too much at the wine bar at $8 per glass, but a good effort at the price I have seen it in stores...good stuff call it 87-88
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One of the reasons I enjoy this Côtes du Rhône is because it is 100% tank fermented. So it is nice and juicy and friendly. A Grenache, Syrah blend, this wine is affordable and great for a party where there is a variety of food and as well as a variety of wine-knowledged people. An easy crowd pleaser. 14.5% alco. (D 5.5, F 6; Cent; ES)
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Nice. A little gamy. Moderate tannins, spicy blueberries, earth. Started out a little too hot, but has gotten smoother as the evening wears on. Mildly astringent finish. I think this bottle might have been very slightly heat damaged. I would buy again, and I also wouldn't hesitate to let it sit in the cellar for a year or two. Good, not great.
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Decent everyday dry red wine. My wine contact at Binny's recommended it and it was a good value. Interestingly enough, it got better the next day. Not strong enough to stand on its own, it is much better paired with food.
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On the nose, plenty of blackberry, black cherry and earth. On the palate, medium to full-bodied and somewhat jammy with more black fruits, a silky mouthfeel, and some pepper and moderate tannins on the medium length finish. Primary and youthful, but a very nice value with room for improvement over time.
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This bottle is a bit off versus earlier bottles. It opened up with some mustiness but that has blown off. Nice medium red profile on the nose - a bit tart on the palate with a short finish. Still very nice QPR.
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Garnet in color. Casual, soft and round like lots of other Cotes du Rhones. You don't have to think about it, or even discuss it, negating the legitimacy even of this very description. Nonetheless, not too heavy, not too light, good for food if you like but not so exclusive you can't just sit and enjoy it when you come home mostly drunk from a night out. Little bit of cherry, little bit of sawdust.
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Full bodied but not a lot of fruit to balance the fairly strong tannins. Tasted Rhonish, and was somewhat subtle and restrained, to its credit. No obviousl bottle flaws but still seemed a little flat. Maybe need to try it again.
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Serious Cotes-du-Rhone. Rich, peppery dark fruits; nice texture. Big, but not over the top; it maintains a certain elegance. Hopefully this is a harbinger of the other 2005 Rhones!
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Unsure of the cuvee for this new vintage...some Grenache in the last bottling - needless to say a majority Syrah...rich youthful fruit on the nose with really silky texture, dark fruit, chocolate. This one has it all. Could be another "ager".
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11/13/2010 - smphelps wrote: 86 Points
This one has gotten a bit long in the tooth. Maroon to purple. Soft and somewhat sweet, with plums, old leather and berry juice. Always a value wine, but the interest factor has diminished in the past 20 months. Medium to short finish. Still for $10 not bad at all.
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3/9/2009 - KristinL wrote:
Drank this at a clean-out-the-wine-cellar party. It did not show well compared to the other cotes-du-rhones. It's probably an okay wine, but I probably would not buy again.
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10/16/2008 - jonr wrote: 79 Points
To old - kept under wrong warm livingroom. Startig going sour.
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9/22/2008 - grafstrb wrote: 87 Points
-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind --
NOSE: the bouquet is nice but not complex; primary aromas of bramble and raspberry work well together and a secondary hint of pepper keeps this wine's bouquet from being boring. Typical CdR.
BODY: lots of fine particulate matter are suspended in the wine; mahogany color of moderate depth; medium bodied.
TASTE: this is a juicy fruit-forward Cotes-du-Rhone. Plenty of red fruits on the front and mid palates with a supporting element of sandalwood spice. Some restrained notes of sweet leather emerge with some air. The rear palate is horribly hollow, and the finish is hot and short (15 sec.). Not a great wine, but a good daily drinker.
B: 50, 5, 12, 14, 6 = 87
EDIT: Day 3: a pronounced soy element comes forward on the palate, and the red fruits have fallen away.
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8/19/2008 - bhardie wrote: 90 Points
Lovely syrah nose. Medium body with black cherry, herb and a grapey freshness. Terrific acidity and a bit of tannin on the finish. Can not ask for more in a $10 wine.
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2/4/2008 - tuscanbob wrote: 86 Points
Dark red, almost purple color. After airing out it had plenty of jammy fruit and some peppery notes. Good stuff. Nice southern rhone blend and very good value @ $10.
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2/1/2008 - CAP wrote: 87 Points
good bottle for the price. Great with food and enough there to think about a little. Technically I feel the heat overpowered the fruit, but for the price it's still very nice. Some nice dark cherry and tobacco notes in the mid-palate. I may buy a few more and see how they develop.
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1/22/2008 - smphelps wrote: 88 Points
Part of the ongoing seach for good $10 bottles and this one fits the bill. Plum purple. Nice nose but for a little too much alcohol coming through (the bottle is 14.5%). Otherwise pepper, blackberries and burnt wood on the nose with an unusual finish that has leather plum and berries but a touch of sour apple and stout tannins.
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1/21/2008 - terranwannabe wrote: 86 Points
Faint black fruit and oak on the nose (an unexciting promise), but somewhat redeemed by the taste. Soft tannins, but not velvety - it has a bit of backbone. In all rather unexciting - there's much better you can get for the price.
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1/20/2008 - profiler54 wrote: 89 Points
Dark concentrated blackberries, herbaceous, and woody. Bid firm tannins. Decanted for 1 hour Would be much better in 3-5 years ... But quite an impressive wine for less than $10 dollars
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12/12/2007 - Coupe 60 wrote: 87 Points
Had a glass of this at a wine bar with a burger. Big thick blend of Grenache and Syrah, nice dark berry, maybe black raspberry flavor. Old world style with enough fruit to make it tasty. Lots of tannins almost puckered the mouth ...paid too much at the wine bar at $8 per glass, but a good effort at the price I have seen it in stores...good stuff call it 87-88
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11/22/2007 - nubbin wrote: 86 Points
One of the reasons I enjoy this Côtes du Rhône is because it is 100% tank fermented. So it is nice and juicy and friendly. A Grenache, Syrah blend, this wine is affordable and great for a party where there is a variety of food and as well as a variety of wine-knowledged people. An easy crowd pleaser. 14.5% alco. (D 5.5, F 6; Cent; ES)
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10/25/2007 - cab wrote:
Nice. A little gamy. Moderate tannins, spicy blueberries, earth. Started out a little too hot, but has gotten smoother as the evening wears on. Mildly astringent finish. I think this bottle might have been very slightly heat damaged. I would buy again, and I also wouldn't hesitate to let it sit in the cellar for a year or two. Good, not great.
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10/22/2007 - hld1970 wrote: 88 Points
Decent everyday dry red wine. My wine contact at Binny's recommended it and it was a good value. Interestingly enough, it got better the next day. Not strong enough to stand on its own, it is much better paired with food.
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10/3/2007 - chitowncdpguy wrote: 88 Points
Dark wine, a little heavier than medium bodied. Dark fruit on the nose and palate. Very smooth. Good syrah.
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8/26/2007 - poptart_nyc wrote: 86 Points
a lack of weight. good flavors f blackeberry and earth. a bit hot on finish.
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7/27/2007 - SacredCow wrote: 88 Points
On the nose, plenty of blackberry, black cherry and earth. On the palate, medium to full-bodied and somewhat jammy with more black fruits, a silky mouthfeel, and some pepper and moderate tannins on the medium length finish. Primary and youthful, but a very nice value with room for improvement over time.
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6/6/2007 - bound4er wrote: 85 Points
This bottle is a bit off versus earlier bottles. It opened up with some mustiness but that has blown off. Nice medium red profile on the nose - a bit tart on the palate with a short finish. Still very nice QPR.
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4/20/2007 - sourcherryfarm wrote: 79 Points
Garnet in color. Casual, soft and round like lots of other Cotes du Rhones. You don't have to think about it, or even discuss it, negating the legitimacy even of this very description. Nonetheless, not too heavy, not too light, good for food if you like but not so exclusive you can't just sit and enjoy it when you come home mostly drunk from a night out. Little bit of cherry, little bit of sawdust.
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2/20/2007 - Bruno Sangiovese wrote:
This is a great tasting wine!!!!
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2/15/2007 - cab wrote:
Full bodied but not a lot of fruit to balance the fairly strong tannins. Tasted Rhonish, and was somewhat subtle and restrained, to its credit. No obviousl bottle flaws but still seemed a little flat. Maybe need to try it again.
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1/12/2007 - bknysak wrote: 91 Points
Serious Cotes-du-Rhone. Rich, peppery dark fruits; nice texture. Big, but not over the top; it maintains a certain elegance. Hopefully this is a harbinger of the other 2005 Rhones!
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10/9/2006 - CO CHRIS wrote: 91 Points
Unsure of the cuvee for this new vintage...some Grenache in the last bottling - needless to say a majority Syrah...rich youthful fruit on the nose with really silky texture, dark fruit, chocolate. This one has it all. Could be another "ager".
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