Medium garnet color with cherry, pomegranate, subtle smoked meat, floral and dried herb aromas. On the palate, it’s medium bodied with bright acidity and velvety tannins with black and red cherry, pomegranate, and a kiss of savory spice flavors. Very satisfying finish. The blend is 65% Carignane and 35% Mataro from old vine vineyard in Contra Costa. 12.9% abv
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Very tart on PnP. But after an hour, started to smooth out, giving flavors of cranberry, tart cherries, and minerals. Nice change of pace; better on day two. Just seems to take my palate a glass just to recalibrate how good wine should taste, as so many or too big now a days.
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Violet with transparent tinge. Nose dark fruited with a forest floor note. Palate red fruited, a savory note with some earth. Satisfying and tasting more resolved than prior.
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I really enjoy Sandlands' table wines, often times more than the single variety bottlings truth be told. Nice depth, complexity, and drinkability. A very good value, particularly for California.
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Crimson in color. 12.9% ABV. 65% Carigane and 35% Mataro from a Costra County Vineyard that dates back to the 1920's. Pretty nose of red fruits, iron, earth and flowers. Light to medium body with nice acidity. Fresh and crisp with tart fruits. Cherry, cranberry, pomegranate and minerals on the palate. Medium length on the finish. Delicious and exceedingly easy to drink. Ready now.
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Took to a BYOB place in Martha’s Vineyard. Tasty, tart fruits, light tannins, zingy acidity - great with wifey’s steak and my halibut all at the same time. Wish I had more of this one.
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Purity, purity, purity. Red fruit, green herbs and warm earth with almost no distractions. The structure pokes through in the mid-palate, so a few more years of age could be really good. I kept sipping, and enjoying, then most of the bottle was gone. Managed to save a glass for tomorrow, but it wasn’t easy. Always nice when a wine is like that.
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Brighter red fruit, easy to drink, but enough going on to keep things interesting. Not sure if this would improve with age but it was in a fine spot right out of the bottle.
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65% Carignane and 35% Mataro. Basic wine. Red. Some flavor, not much, mute as in 'not calling me' to sip again. Best thing is the 12.9% alcohol. Won't buy again. After reading the Cellartracker wine ratings guide, I'm a bit confused by the different criteria listed by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and the Wine Spectator. If I were to use Parker's scoring system, this would be a 78 which is a solid average wine. 78 seems low because we are all fans and predisposed to grade favorably on a curve, but 78 is what this deserves using Parker's system.
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This bottle was darker on the nose to start though hits the flavors other reviewers have noted on the palate - crunchy red berry fruit, crushed rocks, subtle note of cracked pepper. Fresh, bright, really enjoyable. Drank over two nights, stood up just fine after a night in the fridge.
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Intensely grapey, mineral-laden nose, accented by asphalt and eucalyptus. Starts out with abundant red fruit flavors of currant, cranberry and pomegranate, juicy and lively on the midpalate, with a bit of sweet tarts (the candy) and piercing acidity. This was really tight upon opening and needs a lot of air right now. I like high acid wines so its freshness appeals to me, but others may find it too caustic or shrill. Others have compared this to cru beaujolais and I agree. Pretty tight right now, even after being open for three days. Needs time I suspect.
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God I love their Chenin from Amadou county but this one is very basic... not bad but that’s pretty much a $15 wine priced twice as much hence the disappointment. There’s much better options out there for the price (try olga raffault chinon les picasses in the same style/price) Juicy red fruit, spicy red currant. Juicy and fresh overall thanks to an elevated, salivating acidity but finish falls short. Noticeable tannins, medium body, intensity and color... no ageing potential.
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PNP. Crunchy red fruit, red currant, sour cherry, black raspberry. A little mint. Some dusty, rustic tannins and sharp acidity, nice tension. Medium body. 12.9% ABV. Drink now and over the medium term.
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Beautiful medium purple color, cranberry raspberry red fruits galore. Maybe a little dusty rocky quality that I like quite a bit. Super tasty. Super happy with this bottle.
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12.9% abv. Medium ruby, plus aromatics. The label is vague as to the varieties, I suspect a Carignane Mataro blend. On the palate, rose petals, raspberry, red cherry, baking spice and mint. Extremely pretty and appealing now and over the next to medium term.
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Simple red fruit. Impressively light weight. A cross between a watered-down rosso di Montalcino and red raspberry Cool Aid.The Beaujolais comparison is apt. 88-89
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Love the remarkable low-for-Cali ABV yet ripe fruit balance that Sandlands often achieves. Luminescent ruby red. Ripe fruit and white flower aromatics, but restrained on the palate with a strong wet stone/saline component. Bit of an aspartame stemmy finish. Smooth tannin, high acid, medium bodied.
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Popped and poured. For me this was a bit disappointing - I found this simultaneously jammy (on the nose) and then too much acidity on the palate. Could just be the placement at the end of the evening - but this was not doing it for me.
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Great stuff here! Bright purple. A: iron, black raspberry, herbal note. F: nicely concentrated deep red fruits, then salted plum and mulberries, lifted finish with fine tannins and great persistence.
Just had a 2014 carignane, and this has all those positive qualities but with a bit more grip. Maybe slightly more youthful. Either way, really liked them both.
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Popped and poured. Very pretty floral and red fruit nose. The palate is just delicious crunchy raspberry, cranberry, and spices. There is wonderful balance and energy here with a strong backbone of acidity. This is meant to drink young as there isn’t a lot of structure or tannin to indicate long term aging.
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A tooth-stainer. Decanted 1 hr ahead off of a bit of sediment. Purple color, very deep. Cranberry, pomegranate, herbs, earthy notes. Bright and fresh on the palate with brisk acidity. ABV is an unbelievable 12.9% and when did you last see that. Grippy finish w tannins. This needs time and I am going to give it a few. Carignane + Mataro.
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Popped and poured. Bright ruby color. Nose of black cherry, a bit of smoky/mineral/graphite type note and a little bit of sweet oak in the background. Not sure what kind of oak this wine sees but it had a touch of caramel on the palate which surprised me a bit. Still, lots to love here with vibrant, juicy fruit, good acidity and structure and a pleasant finish.
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Not sure what grapes actually went into this wine. From memory. Decanted. Bright blackberry and pomegranate flavors with a nice minerality and moderate tannins. A little weightier with a bit less acid than 2016 Contra Costa Mataro but still very lively. Very tasty.
30m decant. Crisp, fresh fruit: cranberry, cherry. Acid. Structure on the finish of a young mataro. Absolutely delicious with a bit of air and served with food. Lots of acid to sip on its own, but just juicy enough.
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from release email: "a blend of 65% Carignane and 35% Mataro from the same vineyard in Contra Costa that which we have made wine since 2010."
Light violet with some translucence. Nose red fruited, violets, some garrigue. Palate grapey, red cherries, lightly chalky tannins. Opens up with time but still supremely young, would wait at least another 1-2 years before opening again, but does offer some pleasure now especially with a splash decant. 91 pts
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Splash decanted. If I had to use one word to describe this wine it would be "fresh". Everything about it projects freshness. As I poured this into the decanter, I was immediately struck by how energetic and alive this wine looked. Very expressive on the nose with a fantastic combination of red and blue fruits and the smell of spring air. On the palate: red and blue fruits and a sort of chalky, mineral-like thing that was almost electric. I thought the tannins were relatively low and the acid relatively high but nothing at all overbearing. This would be sublime with a wide range of foods and even worked tonight with our salmon risotto. The 2017 Red Table Wine is exactly as advertised. It was freaking delicious from the first glass to the last. More wines should be made like this. No fuss. Honest. Fresh. Quaff-able. Drink now with a splash decant and over the next 5-7 years.
Beautiful bright ruby red color, great long legs. Strong acidity with a nicely balanced amount of tannins.
I opened it soon after receiving my order because I had to see what it was like. Someone else commented that they would love to be able to drink this on a regular basis - I concur with the caveat that this seems to need several years of cellaring before the flavors come together.
On opening, the acid was really overpowering, and the fruit was tight, hiding behind the acid. We drank this over 4 nights to see how it opened - and boy did it. Sweet, clear fruit flavors, with a nice balance against the acid. The tannins were there providing a nice backbone.
Passelaqua did a fine job with this one!
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65% carignane and 35% mataro from 1920s vines. This is just about the perfect country wine - in an ideal world, this is what every Cotes du Rhone would taste like. It has a similar heartiness, but so much more clarity. It combines an almost Beaujolais-like energy and wild-berry zing with a darker, denser base of fruit but not so dense as to weigh it down, and a gauze of tannin just rustic enough to give it some chew but not so much as to make it harsh or edgy. The drinkability factor is off the charts; you can absolutely guzzle this. Open it with a crusty baguette, runny cheese, and cured meat and be happy.
Wanted to try this, so I opened it on arrival, although it actually would benefit from a year or two in the cellar. A cotes du Rhône style red, from a field blend but one that to me tastes very much like a Grenache/Syrah/Carignan mix. The wine is very deep purple in color, with red raspberry and spice, sage, then just the barest hint of musk. Flavorful and mouthfilling. Great price, too. This would definitely be my choice for a table wine if I had enough!
Popped and poured, dark purple/ruby. Forward nose of fresh cherries, raspberry leather, herbaceous accents and hints of vanilla spice. Medium-light body. Palate of vibrant red fruits, stone fruits and a distinct impression of chalky minerals. Fine-grained, chewy tannins are somewhat astringent on the deceptively lengthy close - perfectly structured to accompany a meal. Already delicious, should only smooth out with a bit of time in the cellar.
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12/29/2023 - Martin Redmond wrote: 91 Points
Medium garnet color with cherry, pomegranate, subtle smoked meat, floral and dried herb aromas. On the palate, it’s medium bodied with bright acidity and velvety tannins with black and red cherry, pomegranate, and a kiss of savory spice flavors. Very satisfying finish. The blend is 65% Carignane and 35% Mataro from old vine vineyard in Contra Costa. 12.9% abv
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1/20/2022 - Dine&Vine Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very tart on PnP. But after an hour, started to smooth out, giving flavors of cranberry, tart cherries, and minerals. Nice change of pace; better on day two. Just seems to take my palate a glass just to recalibrate how good wine should taste, as so many or too big now a days.
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11/27/2021 - fred o. Likes this wine: 91 Points
Violet with transparent tinge.
Nose dark fruited with a forest floor note.
Palate red fruited, a savory note with some earth. Satisfying and tasting more resolved than prior.
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10/18/2021 - Enfant sauvage Likes this wine:
I really enjoy Sandlands' table wines, often times more than the single variety bottlings truth be told. Nice depth, complexity, and drinkability. A very good value, particularly for California.
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9/10/2021 - Beezc wrote: 92 Points
Similar to the last bottle. Bright cherry and raspberry. More cedar notes on day 2.
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8/20/2021 - tomlee wrote: 90 Points
Crimson in color. 12.9% ABV. 65% Carigane and 35% Mataro from a Costra County Vineyard that dates back to the 1920's. Pretty nose of red fruits, iron, earth and flowers. Light to medium body with nice acidity. Fresh and crisp with tart fruits. Cherry, cranberry, pomegranate and minerals on the palate. Medium length on the finish. Delicious and exceedingly easy to drink. Ready now.
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7/26/2021 - Adventr.us Likes this wine: 91 Points
Took to a BYOB place in Martha’s Vineyard. Tasty, tart fruits, light tannins, zingy acidity - great with wifey’s steak and my halibut all at the same time. Wish I had more of this one.
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7/23/2021 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Purity, purity, purity. Red fruit, green herbs and warm earth with almost no distractions. The structure pokes through in the mid-palate, so a few more years of age could be really good. I kept sipping, and enjoying, then most of the bottle was gone. Managed to save a glass for tomorrow, but it wasn’t easy. Always nice when a wine is like that.
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7/20/2021 - RichEB1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Brighter red fruit, easy to drink, but enough going on to keep things interesting. Not sure if this would improve with age but it was in a fine spot right out of the bottle.
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4/29/2021 - Vas19 Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Ripe dark fruits and some barrel notes. Not my style.
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3/18/2021 - der Schmecker wrote: 83 Points
65% Carignane and 35% Mataro. Basic wine. Red. Some flavor, not much, mute as in 'not calling me' to sip again. Best thing is the 12.9% alcohol. Won't buy again. After reading the Cellartracker wine ratings guide, I'm a bit confused by the different criteria listed by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and the Wine Spectator. If I were to use Parker's scoring system, this would be a 78 which is a solid average wine. 78 seems low because we are all fans and predisposed to grade favorably on a curve, but 78 is what this deserves using Parker's system.
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2/1/2021 - Ewhite30 Likes this wine:
This bottle was darker on the nose to start though hits the flavors other reviewers have noted on the palate - crunchy red berry fruit, crushed rocks, subtle note of cracked pepper. Fresh, bright, really enjoyable. Drank over two nights, stood up just fine after a night in the fridge.
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1/24/2021 - GrapeScott wrote: 90 Points
Intensely grapey, mineral-laden nose, accented by asphalt and eucalyptus. Starts out with abundant red fruit flavors of currant, cranberry and pomegranate, juicy and lively on the midpalate, with a bit of sweet tarts (the candy) and piercing acidity. This was really tight upon opening and needs a lot of air right now. I like high acid wines so its freshness appeals to me, but others may find it too caustic or shrill. Others have compared this to cru beaujolais and I agree. Pretty tight right now, even after being open for three days. Needs time I suspect.
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12/31/2020 - Monsieur Grenache wrote: 88 Points
God I love their Chenin from Amadou county but this one is very basic... not bad but that’s pretty much a $15 wine priced twice as much hence the disappointment. There’s much better options out there for the price (try olga raffault chinon les picasses in the same style/price)
Juicy red fruit, spicy red currant. Juicy and fresh overall thanks to an elevated, salivating acidity but finish falls short. Noticeable tannins, medium body, intensity and color... no ageing potential.
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12/15/2020 - SacFrench Likes this wine: 90 Points
Red berry fruit, tart and light in body. Perfect daily drinker.
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11/7/2020 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful, balanced, poised red fruit. Aromatic and delicious!
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10/17/2020 - Maphill01 Likes this wine:
PNP. Crunchy red fruit, red currant, sour cherry, black raspberry. A little mint. Some dusty, rustic tannins and sharp acidity, nice tension. Medium body. 12.9% ABV. Drink now and over the medium term.
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10/15/2020 - jjct Likes this wine:
Agree with previous notes. Delicious and pure.
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8/6/2020 - BillyOsh Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful medium purple color, cranberry raspberry red fruits galore. Maybe a little dusty rocky quality that I like quite a bit. Super tasty. Super happy with this bottle.
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7/24/2020 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 94 Points
12.9% abv. Medium ruby, plus aromatics. The label is vague as to the varieties, I suspect a Carignane Mataro blend. On the palate, rose petals, raspberry, red cherry, baking spice and mint. Extremely pretty and appealing now and over the next to medium term.
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6/27/2020 - Beezc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Red cherries and notes of cedar. Light on its feet and tasty. Don’t be afraid to drink now or hold.
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4/1/2020 - adnorthup Likes this wine: 93 Points
Agree with a lot of the notes here. Delicious, very easy to drink.
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3/20/2020 - Broch6833 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Red fruit, clean finish. Lighter, easy. I could drink this regularly.
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2/29/2020 - Andyofoto wrote:
Cool crunchy red and blue fruits. crushed flowers, rustic tannins, midline acidity. Understated. Still has time. I would wait another few years.
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1/30/2020 - BrunelloBob wrote: 89 Points
Simple red fruit. Impressively light weight. A cross between a watered-down rosso di Montalcino and red raspberry Cool Aid.The Beaujolais comparison is apt. 88-89
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1/13/2020 - rama wrote:
Love the remarkable low-for-Cali ABV yet ripe fruit balance that Sandlands often achieves. Luminescent ruby red. Ripe fruit and white flower aromatics, but restrained on the palate with a strong wet stone/saline component. Bit of an aspartame stemmy finish. Smooth tannin, high acid, medium bodied.
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1/9/2020 - retired_and_roving wrote:
Popped and poured. For me this was a bit disappointing - I found this simultaneously jammy (on the nose) and then too much acidity on the palate. Could just be the placement at the end of the evening - but this was not doing it for me.
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12/21/2019 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great stuff here! Bright purple. A: iron, black raspberry, herbal note. F: nicely concentrated deep red fruits, then salted plum and mulberries, lifted finish with fine tannins and great persistence.
Just had a 2014 carignane, and this has all those positive qualities but with a bit more grip. Maybe slightly more youthful. Either way, really liked them both.
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12/20/2019 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Very pretty floral and red fruit nose. The palate is just delicious crunchy raspberry, cranberry, and spices. There is wonderful balance and energy here with a strong backbone of acidity. This is meant to drink young as there isn’t a lot of structure or tannin to indicate long term aging.
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9/3/2019 - Rich S Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistent with previous bottle. Just juicy and vibrant and delicious. Would absolutely buy again.
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8/2/2019 - VeniceCalif wrote: 89 Points
A tooth-stainer. Decanted 1 hr ahead off of a bit of sediment. Purple color, very deep. Cranberry, pomegranate, herbs, earthy notes. Bright and fresh on the palate with brisk acidity. ABV is an unbelievable 12.9% and when did you last see that. Grippy finish w tannins. This needs time and I am going to give it a few. Carignane + Mataro.
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7/21/2019 - Rich S Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Bright ruby color. Nose of black cherry, a bit of smoky/mineral/graphite type note and a little bit of sweet oak in the background. Not sure what kind of oak this wine sees but it had a touch of caramel on the palate which surprised me a bit. Still, lots to love here with vibrant, juicy fruit, good acidity and structure and a pleasant finish.
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6/22/2019 - Grape_ape wrote:
Rich S nailed the notes... enjoyed it quite a bit
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6/22/2019 - Ticker tape guy wrote: 91 Points
very nice wine..cherry fruit smooth tannins nice lingering taste..paired well with several dishes
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5/12/2019 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 90 Points
Better bottle or just a different night?
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5/4/2019 - adnorthup Likes this wine: 92 Points
So very young but so very good. Drank over three nights and really hit its stride on the second and third night.
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4/28/2019 - James Kim Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not sure what grapes actually went into this wine. From memory. Decanted. Bright blackberry and pomegranate flavors with a nice minerality and moderate tannins. A little weightier with a bit less acid than 2016 Contra Costa Mataro but still very lively. Very tasty.
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4/15/2019 - JKIndy wrote: 91 Points
Bright ruby color. Cranberry nose. A lot of Beaujolais similarities. Lots of acid, very lively and medium finish.
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4/11/2019 - nickgorski Likes this wine:
30m decant. Crisp, fresh fruit: cranberry, cherry. Acid. Structure on the finish of a young mataro. Absolutely delicious with a bit of air and served with food. Lots of acid to sip on its own, but just juicy enough.
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3/29/2019 - fred o. Likes this wine:
from release email: "a blend of 65% Carignane and 35% Mataro from the same vineyard in Contra Costa that which we have made wine since 2010."
Light violet with some translucence. Nose red fruited, violets, some garrigue. Palate grapey, red cherries, lightly chalky tannins. Opens up with time but still supremely young, would wait at least another 1-2 years before opening again, but does offer some pleasure now especially with a splash decant. 91 pts
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3/28/2019 - thesternowl Likes this wine: 91 Points
Splash decanted. If I had to use one word to describe this wine it would be "fresh". Everything about it projects freshness. As I poured this into the decanter, I was immediately struck by how energetic and alive this wine looked. Very expressive on the nose with a fantastic combination of red and blue fruits and the smell of spring air. On the palate: red and blue fruits and a sort of chalky, mineral-like thing that was almost electric. I thought the tannins were relatively low and the acid relatively high but nothing at all overbearing. This would be sublime with a wide range of foods and even worked tonight with our salmon risotto. The 2017 Red Table Wine is exactly as advertised. It was freaking delicious from the first glass to the last. More wines should be made like this. No fuss. Honest. Fresh. Quaff-able. Drink now with a splash decant and over the next 5-7 years.
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3/27/2019 - Dbass1979 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful bright ruby red color, great long legs. Strong acidity with a nicely balanced amount of tannins.
I opened it soon after receiving my order because I had to see what it was like. Someone else commented that they would love to be able to drink this on a regular basis - I concur with the caveat that this seems to need several years of cellaring before the flavors come together.
On opening, the acid was really overpowering, and the fruit was tight, hiding behind the acid. We drank this over 4 nights to see how it opened - and boy did it. Sweet, clear fruit flavors, with a nice balance against the acid. The tannins were there providing a nice backbone.
Passelaqua did a fine job with this one!
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3/26/2019 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 89 Points
PnP. Good balance, but pretty simple. 12.9%
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3/23/2019 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 95 Points
65% carignane and 35% mataro from 1920s vines. This is just about the perfect country wine - in an ideal world, this is what every Cotes du Rhone would taste like. It has a similar heartiness, but so much more clarity. It combines an almost Beaujolais-like energy and wild-berry zing with a darker, denser base of fruit but not so dense as to weigh it down, and a gauze of tannin just rustic enough to give it some chew but not so much as to make it harsh or edgy. The drinkability factor is off the charts; you can absolutely guzzle this. Open it with a crusty baguette, runny cheese, and cured meat and be happy.
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3/20/2019 - KPB wrote: 88 Points
Wanted to try this, so I opened it on arrival, although it actually would benefit from a year or two in the cellar. A cotes du Rhône style red, from a field blend but one that to me tastes very much like a Grenache/Syrah/Carignan mix. The wine is very deep purple in color, with red raspberry and spice, sage, then just the barest hint of musk. Flavorful and mouthfilling. Great price, too. This would definitely be my choice for a table wine if I had enough!
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3/18/2019 - *Vine* wrote:
Popped and poured, dark purple/ruby. Forward nose of fresh cherries, raspberry leather, herbaceous accents and hints of vanilla spice. Medium-light body. Palate of vibrant red fruits, stone fruits and a distinct impression of chalky minerals. Fine-grained, chewy tannins are somewhat astringent on the deceptively lengthy close - perfectly structured to accompany a meal. Already delicious, should only smooth out with a bit of time in the cellar.
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