This is still drinking really well. Deep ruby morphing into garnet. Black cherry, plums, chocolate, spice nose & palate. Full bodied, well integrated tannins, long finish. 15% abv. Syrah, petit syrah, grenache, cab sauv blend. Better now than 3 years ago. Given that improvement and current profile it should be fine for another 5-10 years.
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1 hour decant. Nose: milk chocolate, blackberries, cassis, smoke, salty meat, cellar dust. Palate: dark fruit, baking spices, dark chocolate, tobacco, blackberries. Full body but not over the top like other Phinney wines.
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High acidity and strong tanins. It's ok if you want something complex to contrast a steak or something but it's a little too bold for my tastes. Perhaps 2020 could have aged more
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Packed with big, peppery notes of black and blue fruit, asphalt, garrigue, and smoke. The palate is rather sumptuous considering how substantial it is. Plum skin acidity counters youthful tannin. Turns candied and succulent with air. Tasty.
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Grenache, Syrah, Petit syrah blended and 15.2% ABV. Dried plum, dark chocolate, vanilla. Hard to find the character of Grenache, but more delicious than other Cab based wines from Orin Swift.
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Outstanding new world grenache with all of the characteristics of a Dave Phinney wine. Dark plummy fruit, juicy, with hints of blueberry, saddle leather, and herbal notes. Silky tannins. A wine I will undoubtedly revisit!
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Opaque purple. Prominent fruity aroma of raspberry, candied cherry, and blueberry. On the palate the fruit is similar to the nose. Jammy character with medium + acidity and medium tannins. Dark chocolate on the finish.
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Just a real good drinking wine. Well balanced, good body, a little jammy but good tannin bite to balance it out. Need to decant. Still young, but good for a random Saturday night on the couch.
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Ce soir dans mon verre: Un vin de Napa à l’étiquette absolument incroyable!
*C’est quoi: Orin Swift,Abstract *Ça vient de où? Saint Helena, Napa, en Californie *C’est quelle année? 2018 *C’est quels cépages? Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache et Cabernet Sauvignon. *Ça sent quoi? Ça ne sens pas le gros Napa sucré. Franchement, un nez très européen. C’est tout de même un nez de compétition. Des fruits rouges partout! Comme des fraises, aussi des bleuets confiturés, même des prunes qui appraissent après une bonne heures de carafe. C’est très généreux! *Couleur? Un rouge ultra dense, franc. Pas de rose. De brun, d’orange, non, du rouge. *Carafe? Oui! 2 heures, MI-NI-MUM! *Ça goûte quoi? Beaucoup de subtilité et de finesse. D’entrée, le bois est là... C’est normal. Le vin est vieilli 8 mois en fûts de chêne dont une partie en fûts de chênes francais touts neufs... Les fruits, comme si quelqu’un s’amusait à nous mitrailler de bleuets, de mûres et de cerises... C’est hyper long en bouche. Il y a tout de même un petit côté animal, en rétro olfaction, en fond de bouche. Du cuir. *Tannins? Mince amertûme... Mais c’est balancé avec le reste. *C’est fort? 15,2%, un signe de son grand potentiel de garde. (Voir prochaine question) *Potentiel de garde: 5 à 10 ans, facile. *Prix? 55,75 *Fiche produit: https://www.saq.com/en/13914848 *Musique du moment? Pink Floyd, Live at Knebworth... https://youtu.be/uJezSFXOjHM
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Dark ruby, loads of black fruits (plums, cherries, berries) nose & palate. Plus some cooked fruits & cedar on the palate. Really well balanced with medium+ well integrated tannins. Very good wine with 4/5+ years of drinking left.
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This wine has been fantastic previously, but this bottle carries a hint of corkyness on the nose and it has impacted the overall quality of the wine’s taste and most definitely its nose.
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PnP then tasted again next day. Love the aubergine colour even more than the label that I probably paid extra for. Black cherry, raspberry, rhubarb and pepper notes. Fresh acidity with cherry jam and licorice all-sorts, dried herbs, light smoke and oak in the mouth. Polished tannins with medium-long finish. Drink or hold. Agree with previous reviewer: I'll look forward to my next bottle on the patio with a burger (and some friends finally). How much you enjoy this wine might depend on how much you paid for it - like the wine but not the retail value.
PnP. Big, lightly sweet wine with thick layers of fig, blueberry jam, and a mixed bag of chocolates. I know there's a crowd for this type of wine, but it's not in my wheelhouse. That said, at $32, there's a sea of wine(s) I'd rather be drinking. But, if you're a fan, this likely ticks all the boxes. Drink now. NR
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Grenache, Syrah and Petite Syrah blend that was ruby color in the glass with bold flavors of blackberry and red licorice. Finish was smooth and well-balanced tannins.
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Big and boozy...this wine was a peppery mix of blueberry and raisin. Uber rich and over the top. Would seem to accompany foods in the "outdoor eating" bracket.
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Excellent pairing for our Thanksgiving meal! Comfortably complimented the Turkey and Italian sausage stuffing..not too big nor too soft. Great fruit and structure with nose palate and finish all as previously noted by others. Decanted for an hour fifteen minutes and continued to develop as our meal was enjoyed...bravo!
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Like bumping into an old love decades later, nonplussed by their ordinariness, questioning the infatuation...
I drank this alongside the (much) less expensive Juan Gil Honoro Vera Monastrell.
Dark, unexpectedly opaque purple hued Grenache blend - additives? Stewed plums on the nose, with tiny hint of sickly sweet English boiled sweets (memories of nearly vomiting when I first tasted Caymus - again additives?) Nail polish remover fumes on top of the wine and I’m apprehensive about tasting this.
Plummy, red fruit on the palate, but my nose is still overpowered from the fumes. Agreeable tannins, low acidity, some heat. This has a superficial resemblance to the big fruit forward red wines I prefer - but I’m not loving it. Initially there’s a bitter aftertaste, that disappears after three hours. The disappointment remains. This aftertaste is sickly sweet and the wine seems unbalanced, manufactured. I don’t think it’s flawed - but I’m shocked that the $12 honora Vera tastes more like a “real wine” than this $42 bottle made by a super successful Californian winemaker. Not sure what to make of this. I had rated the 2011 vintage as 92. Perhaps it’s the residual sugar that offends? The reds I compared it with almost a decade ago - Ridge Geyserville and Mollydooker’s Boxer are fruit forward but lower in sugar than this and I still enjoy them.
I don’t want to finish the bottle - I think it’s sangria night tomorrow - coq au vin is too 1970s. Interested to read other notes on this vintage.
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Further to my Note of Aug 12, 2020: Held back some from the bottle that night and tried tonight so about 72 hours after opening; left simply with the cork re-inserted. Less brightness to the fruit so different but still tasty. Suggests to me that it might handle some aging well.
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Bought for 30 during wine half-price night at our neighborhood sidewalk bistro (wine list = 60; lowest Searcher Pro price = 28). Opened a half hour early, given its youth. Almost opaque purple; fragrant red fruit nose, some briar, some oak; fruit forward with big grenache, petite sirah; good mouthfeel. Lots of flavor, tasty, not quite delicious, not complex. Held back a glass to try in 48h--we'll see if it holds up. Would re-buy only at the restaurant at discount. My evaluation: For me, scores on a "100-point scale" are misleading. I use a 4-category scale (perhaps with +/-)--not including flawed--which runs outstanding/notable/drinkable/poor. This is notable+ when considering quality, age, and discounted restaurant price.
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Very enjoyable grenache blend. Decanted 1hrvand had with pizza but good all on it's own as well. Great typical floral grenache nose and soft tannins/low acidity.
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Really great. Full body, beautiful color. Dark fruit and mint nose. Flavor fills your whole mouth. Bold tannins, nice tartness. Peppery finish and tannins that linger. A real knockout.
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This deep purple wine has a nose that smells of strawberry jam, smoke, and a bit of plum. The taste is strawberries, tobacco leaf, and backend plum on the finish. Super enjoyable but tight. Another wine opened too soon - will purchase a couple more and lay them down for at least another year before revisiting. This might be an increased rating with time, but definitely see the potential now.
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5/4/2024 - foyfrcs Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is still drinking really well.
Deep ruby morphing into garnet.
Black cherry, plums, chocolate, spice nose & palate.
Full bodied, well integrated tannins, long finish.
15% abv.
Syrah, petit syrah, grenache, cab sauv blend.
Better now than 3 years ago. Given that improvement and current profile it should be fine for another 5-10 years.
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3/16/2024 - matiasox@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
1 hour decant. Nose: milk chocolate, blackberries, cassis, smoke, salty meat, cellar dust. Palate: dark fruit, baking spices, dark chocolate, tobacco, blackberries. Full body but not over the top like other Phinney wines.
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1/20/2024 - gtjrossi Does not like this wine: 87 Points
High acidity and strong tanins. It's ok if you want something complex to contrast a steak or something but it's a little too bold for my tastes. Perhaps 2020 could have aged more
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12/2/2023 - Wallgranger Likes this wine: 85 Points
Dark sumptuous, concentrated fruit, almost treacly. Nutty with a hint of liquorice and candid peel overtones
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2/11/2023 - Mathijs81 Likes this wine: 92 Points
At this stage, wine has softened down.
It remains very powerful, but the harshness has gone.
Then refined parts are coming in, much more depth.
Mathijs
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11/18/2022 - nocowine wrote:
Dark cherry with some leather tones. Consistently nice. Lacks complexity. Benefits from a little air.
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6/15/2022 - Baron Slick wrote: 91 Points
Packed with big, peppery notes of black and blue fruit, asphalt, garrigue, and smoke. The palate is rather sumptuous considering how substantial it is. Plum skin acidity counters youthful tannin. Turns candied and succulent with air. Tasty.
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5/8/2022 - nocowine Likes this wine:
Like this wine and would buy again. Fruit and earth tones. Decant not necessary but it does help.
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2/18/2022 - vigure wrote: 90 Points
Grenache, Syrah, Petit syrah blended and 15.2% ABV. Dried plum, dark chocolate, vanilla. Hard to find the character of Grenache, but more delicious than other Cab based wines from Orin Swift.
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1/31/2022 - Steeplechase Cellar wrote:
Bill’s Barkers birthday
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1/13/2022 - ManinWines Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fruit forward, light tanins. Paired with pizza.
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1/12/2022 - Nova5400 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Outstanding new world grenache with all of the characteristics of a Dave Phinney wine. Dark plummy fruit, juicy, with hints of blueberry, saddle leather, and herbal notes. Silky tannins. A wine I will undoubtedly revisit!
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1/8/2022 - Kevin86 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent ! 1h decant
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10/30/2021 - jcbphd Likes this wine: 91 Points
Color: Very deep red, opaque
Nose: Blackberry pie, cream, leather, beef jerky, slight smoke, earthy, licorice
Palate: blackberry forward, leather, licorice, cream, ash, graphite, Vanilla custard
Finish: Burnt blackberry pie, vanilla, custard, fine tannins, charred, spice
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8/13/2021 - Adam Benke Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great wine, full body, little dry, awesome. I’d Decant for 1 hour
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6/30/2021 - ralaspech wrote: 89 Points
Opaque purple. Prominent fruity aroma of raspberry, candied cherry, and blueberry. On the palate the fruit is similar to the nose. Jammy character with medium + acidity and medium tannins. Dark chocolate on the finish.
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6/12/2021 - Nati Winos wrote:
Nothing bad, just nothing particularly interesting. Decent fruit, just smooth and creamy.
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6/5/2021 - Rsokane Likes this wine: 90 Points
Just a real good drinking wine. Well balanced, good body, a little jammy but good tannin bite to balance it out. Need to decant. Still young, but good for a random Saturday night on the couch.
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4/20/2021 - The Cigar Baron Likes this wine: 95 Points
Ce soir dans mon verre: Un vin de Napa à l’étiquette absolument incroyable!
*C’est quoi: Orin Swift,Abstract
*Ça vient de où? Saint Helena, Napa, en Californie
*C’est quelle année? 2018
*C’est quels cépages? Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache et Cabernet Sauvignon.
*Ça sent quoi? Ça ne sens pas le gros Napa sucré. Franchement, un nez très européen. C’est tout de même un nez de compétition. Des fruits rouges partout! Comme des fraises, aussi des bleuets confiturés, même des prunes qui appraissent après une bonne heures de carafe. C’est très généreux!
*Couleur? Un rouge ultra dense, franc. Pas de rose. De brun, d’orange, non, du rouge.
*Carafe? Oui! 2 heures, MI-NI-MUM!
*Ça goûte quoi? Beaucoup de subtilité et de finesse. D’entrée, le bois est là... C’est normal. Le vin est vieilli 8 mois en fûts de chêne dont une partie en fûts de chênes francais touts neufs... Les fruits, comme si quelqu’un s’amusait à nous mitrailler de bleuets, de mûres et de cerises... C’est hyper long en bouche. Il y a tout de même un petit côté animal, en rétro olfaction, en fond de bouche. Du cuir.
*Tannins? Mince amertûme... Mais c’est balancé avec le reste.
*C’est fort? 15,2%, un signe de son grand potentiel de garde. (Voir prochaine question)
*Potentiel de garde: 5 à 10 ans, facile.
*Prix? 55,75
*Fiche produit: https://www.saq.com/en/13914848
*Musique du moment? Pink Floyd, Live at Knebworth... https://youtu.be/uJezSFXOjHM
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4/19/2021 - foyfrcs Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark ruby, loads of black fruits (plums, cherries, berries) nose & palate. Plus some cooked fruits & cedar on the palate.
Really well balanced with medium+ well integrated tannins.
Very good wine with 4/5+ years of drinking left.
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4/11/2021 - Chied Likes this wine: 89 Points
This wine has been fantastic previously, but this bottle carries a hint of corkyness on the nose and it has impacted the overall quality of the wine’s taste and most definitely its nose.
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3/18/2021 - Uncle Victor wrote: 89 Points
PnP then tasted again next day. Love the aubergine colour even more than the label that I probably paid extra for. Black cherry, raspberry, rhubarb and pepper notes. Fresh acidity with cherry jam and licorice all-sorts, dried herbs, light smoke and oak in the mouth. Polished tannins with medium-long finish. Drink or hold. Agree with previous reviewer: I'll look forward to my next bottle on the patio with a burger (and some friends finally). How much you enjoy this wine might depend on how much you paid for it - like the wine but not the retail value.
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2/9/2021 - Tim Heaton Does not like this wine:
PnP. Big, lightly sweet wine with thick layers of fig, blueberry jam, and a mixed bag of chocolates. I know there's a crowd for this type of wine, but it's not in my wheelhouse. That said, at $32, there's a sea of wine(s) I'd rather be drinking. But, if you're a fan, this likely ticks all the boxes. Drink now. NR
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1/28/2021 - WineSnob7 wrote: 92 Points
Im just a huge Dave Phinney fan
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12/25/2020 - 33Bob Likes this wine: 91 Points
Grenache, Syrah and Petite Syrah blend that was ruby color in the glass with bold flavors of blackberry and red licorice. Finish was smooth and well-balanced tannins.
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12/19/2020 - winoman1 Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Big and boozy...this wine was a peppery mix of blueberry and raisin. Uber rich and over the top. Would seem to accompany foods in the "outdoor eating" bracket.
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12/11/2020 - SPLJEG Does not like this wine: 89 Points
The wine looks purple colored. The body is full. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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12/10/2020 - Wine in the Woods with Beth Likes this wine:
Solidly delicious
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11/26/2020 - jw200 Likes this wine: 92 Points
excellent!
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11/26/2020 - Chied Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent pairing for our Thanksgiving meal! Comfortably complimented the Turkey and Italian sausage stuffing..not too big nor too soft.
Great fruit and structure with nose palate and finish all as previously noted by others.
Decanted for an hour fifteen minutes and continued to develop as our meal was enjoyed...bravo!
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11/26/2020 - jmoore431 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep, dark and delicious! Not over the top. 91+
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10/16/2020 - alohashirt wrote: 86 Points
Like bumping into an old love decades later, nonplussed by their ordinariness, questioning the infatuation...
I drank this alongside the (much) less expensive Juan Gil Honoro Vera Monastrell.
Dark, unexpectedly opaque purple hued Grenache blend - additives? Stewed plums on the nose, with tiny hint of sickly sweet English boiled sweets (memories of nearly vomiting when I first tasted Caymus - again additives?) Nail polish remover fumes on top of the wine and I’m apprehensive about tasting this.
Plummy, red fruit on the palate, but my nose is still overpowered from the fumes. Agreeable tannins, low acidity, some heat. This has a superficial resemblance to the big fruit forward red wines I prefer - but I’m not loving it. Initially there’s a bitter aftertaste, that disappears after three hours. The disappointment remains. This aftertaste is sickly sweet and the wine seems unbalanced, manufactured. I don’t think it’s flawed - but I’m shocked that the $12 honora Vera tastes more like a “real wine” than this $42 bottle made by a super successful Californian winemaker. Not sure what to make of this. I had rated the 2011 vintage as 92. Perhaps it’s the residual sugar that offends? The reds I compared it with almost a decade ago - Ridge Geyserville and Mollydooker’s Boxer are fruit forward but lower in sugar than this and I still enjoy them.
I don’t want to finish the bottle - I think it’s sangria night tomorrow - coq au vin is too 1970s. Interested to read other notes on this vintage.
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8/16/2020 - BlueMooseRun wrote: 92 Points
Very enjoyable Grenache blend. Fruit forward on the palate and a very floral nose. A bit of spice at the end. Great everyday wine. Would buy again.
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8/15/2020 - Oenecnist wrote:
Further to my Note of Aug 12, 2020: Held back some from the bottle that night and tried tonight so about 72 hours after opening; left simply with the cork re-inserted. Less brightness to the fruit so different but still tasty. Suggests to me that it might handle some aging well.
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8/12/2020 - Oenecnist wrote:
Bought for 30 during wine half-price night at our neighborhood sidewalk bistro (wine list = 60; lowest Searcher Pro price = 28). Opened a half hour early, given its youth. Almost opaque purple; fragrant red fruit nose, some briar, some oak; fruit forward with big grenache, petite sirah; good mouthfeel. Lots of flavor, tasty, not quite delicious, not complex. Held back a glass to try in 48h--we'll see if it holds up. Would re-buy only at the restaurant at discount. My evaluation: For me, scores on a "100-point scale" are misleading. I use a 4-category scale (perhaps with +/-)--not including flawed--which runs outstanding/notable/drinkable/poor. This is notable+ when considering quality, age, and discounted restaurant price.
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7/16/2020 - Wine Lover 1964 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very enjoyable grenache blend. Decanted 1hrvand had with pizza but good all on it's own as well. Great typical floral grenache nose and soft tannins/low acidity.
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7/14/2020 - DrLes Likes this wine: 89 Points
Complex throughout the experience - starts peppery, tastes sweet at first and then lingers dry. Classic Phinney, very much a pleasure.
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7/11/2020 - Mill3450 Likes this wine: 82 Points
Full, starts a little sweet but finishes dry. Would definitely drink again.
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6/26/2020 - rhg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Olives. Medium body. Smooth. Pluot and nectarine.
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5/14/2020 - Heydrew Likes this wine:
Great $35 bottle via costco
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5/8/2020 - Lwedekind Likes this wine:
Peppery. Bold.
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4/24/2020 - Casellar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really great. Full body, beautiful color. Dark fruit and mint nose. Flavor fills your whole mouth. Bold tannins, nice tartness. Peppery finish and tannins that linger. A real knockout.
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3/15/2020 - Chefcar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich, full bodied - lots of dark fruit balanced with pepper and some acidity. Glad I have three more!
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2/26/2020 - LCHammer wrote:
No real fruit and nothing else going on. Had it before and liked it. Probably a bad bottle but not corked so no rating
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2/16/2020 - farinas wrote: 92 Points
Purple and racy very spicy with a short to medium finish. Not excellent but a good quaffer
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1/30/2020 - jw200 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fantastic! Had with lunch at McCormick & Schmicks's
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1/12/2020 - Mot and Rob Likes this wine: 90 Points
This deep purple wine has a nose that smells of strawberry jam, smoke, and a bit of plum. The taste is strawberries, tobacco leaf, and backend plum on the finish. Super enjoyable but tight. Another wine opened too soon - will purchase a couple more and lay them down for at least another year before revisiting. This might be an increased rating with time, but definitely see the potential now.
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12/16/2019 - Ejhkrh Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good wine, would purchase again
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11/21/2019 - firstwefeast wrote: 90 Points
Wine could have sat another year. Still delightful. Very drinkable. some tannins. Smoky cherry fruit forward.
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