The winemaker says this wine should be drunk within 5 years, but here we are. And we don’t regret it. Decanted off of a bit of sediment. Medium garnet color, fading toward the edge, with just a shade of orange. Does not look aged, in other words. Nice but shy nose of cherry, red licorice, sweet, candied aromas. Light-bodied on the palate, showing pomegranate, breezy cherry, with good acid balance. Finishes with tangerine, light dusty tannins. Not likely to improve further. Drink up.
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Klezman's mention of reductive qualities is true. It's a little rubber/burning/damp earth. It went away pretty quick and presented as a better bottle than previous ones.
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The reductive note was back, but this is still a great wine and consistent with the prior bottles. I'm not sure it's going to get a whole lot better, but it's probably going to stay near peak for a few years.
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Decanted off of a bit of sediment. Deep garnet color with no brick or rust. Wonderful spice bouquet alongside red fruits such as ripe strawberry and cranberry, and a touch of ink. Medium-bodied, which counts as deeper than some producers who source from this vineyard. Polished and elegant from bottle age, with a drying finish. Excellent.
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The rubber/reductive note was still apparent, but much more integrated this time and added complexity rather than taking it over. This bottle really did give me the impression - especially toward the end of the bottle - that this is Lodi's Pinot Noir.
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Second tasting note. Onesta Cinsault 2013 is grapey and delicious. My experience tasting wine, in this case the same wine, differs from bottle to bottle, and although I wouldn't revise my previous tasting note, I would recommend more strongly that you try this and other Cinsaults. It's worthwhile.
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Kevin Phillips, owner of Michael David winery, describes Cinsault from the Bechtold Vineyard as "Lodi’s version of Pinot Noir.” To me, it's more like a cousin of Petite Syrah in that even though the wine is medium weight with lift, it's nonetheless deceptively concentrated. You can smell the aroma of the wine from a distance: it's a significant, dense wine although the taste is not heavy nor overbearing, and offers a tinge of bitterness. Onesta does a good job with Cinsault, but other varietal grapes are more pleasing.
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Had people over to taste wines that I selected for their upcoming wedding. Everyone liked this wine. Medium body and balanced with a nice level of spice and fruit - strawberry, cranberry, and rhubarb. My son also tasted minerality and soil. We tried the wine with just some of the food that will be served at the wedding catered by Old Carolina...pulled pork, brisket, pulled chicken, mac n' cheese, and green beans. This wine was overwhelming chosen to go to the wedding!! Thanks Jillian for an easy pick!!
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Medium magenta. Ripe strawberry, spice, and a bit of dirt on the nose. Light to medium bodied, cranberries, raspberries, almonds, a touch of soy sauce, soft tannins, good acid, a medium length cherry finish. Really really nice.
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12/21/2022 - VeniceCalif wrote: 90 Points
The winemaker says this wine should be drunk within 5 years, but here we are. And we don’t regret it. Decanted off of a bit of sediment. Medium garnet color, fading toward the edge, with just a shade of orange. Does not look aged, in other words. Nice but shy nose of cherry, red licorice, sweet, candied aromas. Light-bodied on the palate, showing pomegranate, breezy cherry, with good acid balance. Finishes with tangerine, light dusty tannins. Not likely to improve further. Drink up.
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8/11/2021 - VeniceCalif wrote: 92 Points
Fragrant. Medium body. Cherries, herbs. Love this wine.
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4/11/2021 - radiolysis wrote:
Klezman's mention of reductive qualities is true. It's a little rubber/burning/damp earth. It went away pretty quick and presented as a better bottle than previous ones.
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2/7/2021 - klezman wrote:
The reductive note was back, but this is still a great wine and consistent with the prior bottles. I'm not sure it's going to get a whole lot better, but it's probably going to stay near peak for a few years.
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7/29/2020 - InFrom/HF Likes this wine: 90 Points
In a great place. Lots of ripe cherries. Great with pizza.
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3/21/2020 - VeniceCalif wrote: 90 Points
Decanted off of a bit of sediment. Deep garnet color with no brick or rust. Wonderful spice bouquet alongside red fruits such as ripe strawberry and cranberry, and a touch of ink. Medium-bodied, which counts as deeper than some producers who source from this vineyard. Polished and elegant from bottle age, with a drying finish. Excellent.
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1/21/2020 - qwerty2 wrote: 90 Points
The best thing in life is to be able to afford good wine. This one is just so excellent, and it makes me happy.
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1/13/2020 - klezman wrote:
The rubber/reductive note was still apparent, but much more integrated this time and added complexity rather than taking it over. This bottle really did give me the impression - especially toward the end of the bottle - that this is Lodi's Pinot Noir.
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12/12/2019 - qwerty2 wrote: 90 Points
It's an interesting wine. As another reviewer mentioned, it's most like a Petite Sirah (which I like), and is full-bodied and worth drinking.
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11/16/2019 - der Schmecker Likes this wine: 89 Points
Second tasting note. Onesta Cinsault 2013 is grapey and delicious. My experience tasting wine, in this case the same wine, differs from bottle to bottle, and although I wouldn't revise my previous tasting note, I would recommend more strongly that you try this and other Cinsaults. It's worthwhile.
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3/19/2019 - der Schmecker Likes this wine: 89 Points
Kevin Phillips, owner of Michael David winery, describes Cinsault from the Bechtold Vineyard as "Lodi’s version of Pinot Noir.” To me, it's more like a cousin of Petite Syrah in that even though the wine is medium weight with lift, it's nonetheless deceptively concentrated. You can smell the aroma of the wine from a distance: it's a significant, dense wine although the taste is not heavy nor overbearing, and offers a tinge of bitterness. Onesta does a good job with Cinsault, but other varietal grapes are more pleasing.
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2/7/2019 - klezman wrote:
Seriously earthy at first, and a reductive note - almost rubbery. Interesting wine, for sure.
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1/3/2019 - radiolysis wrote:
Fantastic on pop-n-pour. Good acid with a touch of bitterness that was interesting. After a few hours it got 'dusty' which i didn't like as much.
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12/21/2018 - maxmanx wrote:
Enjoyed this but preferred the Tercero Cinsault. Not exactly a fair comparison since this is a 2013 and the Tercero is a 2016, but still...
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11/19/2018 - boatman72 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Had people over to taste wines that I selected for their upcoming wedding. Everyone liked this wine. Medium body and balanced with a nice level of spice and fruit - strawberry, cranberry, and rhubarb. My son also tasted minerality and soil. We tried the wine with just some of the food that will be served at the wedding catered by Old Carolina...pulled pork, brisket, pulled chicken, mac n' cheese, and green beans. This wine was overwhelming chosen to go to the wedding!! Thanks Jillian for an easy pick!!
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1/10/2018 - merryberry Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium magenta. Ripe strawberry, spice, and a bit of dirt on the nose. Light to medium bodied, cranberries, raspberries, almonds, a touch of soy sauce, soft tannins, good acid, a medium length cherry finish. Really really nice.
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