A few wines with friends (The Baxters): Nice wine. This seems to be about as good as this is going to get though no hurry. Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, blueberries, some charcoal, spice and slight earthiness. On the palate, it is fresh with good acidity. Some complexity. Black raspberries, not super ripe. Nice texture. Good finish. Actually went quite well with a variety of Indian Foods.
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4th Saturday Group brown bagger (Sue & Mike's): Inky crimson color, darkest of the flight. Notes of blackberry, chocolate and vanilla with subtle meaty undertones. Fairly well-integrated tannins with a velvety mouthfeel and flavors of black fruit. Nice finish. Not as tannic as one might expect from a PS at this stage. Showing very well right now. I figured this was ours, so no guess needed. Drink over the short term.
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Evidently, my last bottle, roughly a year ago, was a bad bottle. This one was pretty damned tasty. Plenty of black and blue fruits, along with some spices. Very rich, plush texture and a fairly lengthy finish. A lot more polished than what you'd expect for a petite sirah in this price range. A remarkably reliable wine, year in and year out. I hope Girard forgives me for doubting them.
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4th Saturday Group brown bagger (Mike & Cyndi's): Inky crimson color. Notes of black fruit and herbs with a meaty undertone. Full-bodied. Plum, blackberry, roasted meat and vanilla flavors. Chewy tannins; medium+ finish.
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Inky dark. Some menthol, herbs, matches on nose. Some berry fruit, tannin and acid to extend it. But not a lot there. Enjoyable but nothing to make it interesting.
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OK, I surrender. Two years ago, this wine was borderline awful. By about six months ago, the ugly caterpillar had evolved into something pretty damned attractive. Now, it's morphed into something way less alluring. I think there may have been some fruit in the glass (after over an hour of air), but it was overwhelmed by the tannins. I don't want to over-think this (it is, after all, a sub-$30 wine), but I suspect that the tannins have not receded as much as everything else. In another year or so, it MAY get itself back into some semblance of balance, but I'm not opening another one without a good backup at the ready.
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Wow! First bottle of this in almost exactly one year, and it's continued to improve. Fruity, spicy nose. Terrific spices and blackberry on the palate - almost jammy. Rich, plush mouthfeel and a long, full finish. Drank at a small party with all kinds of other wines open. Several (myself included) declared this to be their favorite of the night.
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Great nose of blackberry, blueberry and vanilla. Maybe slightly stemmy. Not too tanic and wonderful acidity. Very balanced BUT also a little jammy. On night two it showed more tar and dried black fruit. Should age well for another few years at least. Nice value for a Napa red.
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The menthol, pepper and alcohol nose is deceptive. Blackberry and cranberry highlight the flavors. Thick jammy tannins are ever present and linger in the mouth. Nicely balanced and somewhat complex, this beauty became smoother around the edges on day two, but retained significant tannins and fruit.
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Much better than a bottle I had a few months ago, which evidently was in a dumb phase. Inky, with dark fruit. Tannic and somewhat closed, but it improved significantly over the course of a couple hours. Seems to be coming into its own.
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Drunk way too late into the evening and so, although clearly enjoyable, couldn't begin to comment in any detail nor provide a rating. I can say that I've had past vintages and they were very enjoyable and well made wines (in the 88-90 range). This one, like a WA92 and so, I'm sure it was in line with that.
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Deep color. Weird nose - reminded several of us of popcorn - but the weirdness blew off. A lot of spice, but not much fruit. Rich mouthfeel, however, and a pretty good finish.
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Beautiful nose, full of blueberries and a richness. Great fruit on the palate, with a medium+ body. Quite smooth. Doesn't have that rugged petite quality I like, but this is a pretty tasty bottle of wine.
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Deep, dark inky color. The finish is smooth and not tannic. This wine is in its prime. The finish is dark, spicy, rich strawberries and blackberries. A slight hint of black cherry and currant.
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Thick deep ruby purple color. Big fruit forward blueberry aromas, with some vanilla cream. Opens to express blackberry. Great entry, with a full body. Smooth mouth coating tannin, oak, pepper, and liquorice on the palate. Slightly hot, but it blows off with a couple hours decanting.
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Deep nose of blueberry and blackberry. Dark fruit on the palate with some baked dessert flavors. Smooth and not very tannic. I would agree that this is a good one to drink young.
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Let it sit for an hour and wasn't very good on first taste. Not much bouquet, not much fruit. Drank much better once it sat open in decanter for 24 hours. Nose still tight - blueberrys. Flavors better on 2nd taste, but still rather one-dimensional - blueberrys and sour cherrys came through, tannins softened. Not a screaming buy, but could improve with age.
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The color of Ocean Spray Cran-Blueberry, has great floral and blueberry aromas with soft oak, no noticeable heat. On the mouth, viscous, blueberries, vanilla. Very soft tannins that still need time to come together. Very delicious and well-structured, but medium-bodied, not full.
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Made from 110 year old vines that yield 1/2 a ton per acre. Inky purple color, opaque at the center. Aromas of dark fruit and blackberry with a faint meaty undertone. NIce cassis, blackberry and red currant flavors. Young and focused, with fine-grained, sweet tannins.
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Club Tasting: Summer Chef Tour,Brandy Fernow (Gibby's): Opaque. Aromas of cassis, blackberry and blueberry with a hint of mineral. Firmly tannic and massive, as expected, with black and blue fruit and a touch of brown sugar. Better than the 2004. 90-92.
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4/24/2023 - kbratt wrote:
Nothing
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4/24/2023 - kbratt wrote:
Na
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4/24/2023 - kbratt wrote:
Yummy
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4/1/2017 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
A few wines with friends (The Baxters): Nice wine. This seems to be about as good as this is going to get though no hurry. Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, blueberries, some charcoal, spice and slight earthiness. On the palate, it is fresh with good acidity. Some complexity. Black raspberries, not super ripe. Nice texture. Good finish. Actually went quite well with a variety of Indian Foods.
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7/27/2013 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
4th Saturday Group brown bagger (Sue & Mike's): Inky crimson color, darkest of the flight. Notes of blackberry, chocolate and vanilla with subtle meaty undertones. Fairly well-integrated tannins with a velvety mouthfeel and flavors of black fruit. Nice finish. Not as tannic as one might expect from a PS at this stage. Showing very well right now. I figured this was ours, so no guess needed. Drink over the short term.
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7/27/2013 - thelostverse wrote: 90 Points
4th Saturday group. Grapes notes with cherry and red fruits. Guesses South American Cab.
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11/25/2012 - Night Train wrote: 91 Points
Evidently, my last bottle, roughly a year ago, was a bad bottle. This one was pretty damned tasty. Plenty of black and blue fruits, along with some spices. Very rich, plush texture and a fairly lengthy finish. A lot more polished than what you'd expect for a petite sirah in this price range. A remarkably reliable wine, year in and year out. I hope Girard forgives me for doubting them.
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11/24/2012 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
4th Saturday Group brown bagger (Mike & Cyndi's): Inky crimson color. Notes of black fruit and herbs with a meaty undertone. Full-bodied. Plum, blackberry, roasted meat and vanilla flavors. Chewy tannins; medium+ finish.
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4/10/2012 - Doblk wrote: 85 Points
Inky dark. Some menthol, herbs, matches on nose. Some berry fruit, tannin and acid to extend it. But not a lot there. Enjoyable but nothing to make it interesting.
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11/6/2011 - Night Train wrote: 85 Points
OK, I surrender. Two years ago, this wine was borderline awful. By about six months ago, the ugly caterpillar had evolved into something pretty damned attractive. Now, it's morphed into something way less alluring. I think there may have been some fruit in the glass (after over an hour of air), but it was overwhelmed by the tannins. I don't want to over-think this (it is, after all, a sub-$30 wine), but I suspect that the tannins have not receded as much as everything else. In another year or so, it MAY get itself back into some semblance of balance, but I'm not opening another one without a good backup at the ready.
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9/22/2011 - snaff wrote: 89 Points
Drinking great now. Bright red cherry, with some dried blueberry and spices on the finish.
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4/8/2011 - Night Train wrote: 92 Points
Wow! First bottle of this in almost exactly one year, and it's continued to improve. Fruity, spicy nose. Terrific spices and blackberry on the palate - almost jammy. Rich, plush mouthfeel and a long, full finish. Drank at a small party with all kinds of other wines open. Several (myself included) declared this to be their favorite of the night.
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1/8/2011 - snaff wrote: 88 Points
Softening nicely, especially on the 2nd night. More complex blackberry and blueberry with a cedary overtone.
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10/30/2010 - ckeilah wrote: 89 Points
Wish I had more. sigh. This was very good. Even better after a few hours breathing.
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9/16/2010 - Patches wrote: 91 Points
Great nose of blackberry, blueberry and vanilla. Maybe slightly stemmy. Not too tanic and wonderful acidity. Very balanced BUT also a little jammy. On night two it showed more tar and dried black fruit. Should age well for another few years at least. Nice value for a Napa red.
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4/18/2010 - agebob wrote: 88 Points
The menthol, pepper and alcohol nose is deceptive. Blackberry and cranberry highlight the flavors. Thick jammy tannins are ever present and linger in the mouth. Nicely balanced and somewhat complex, this beauty became smoother around the edges on day two, but retained significant tannins and fruit.
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4/2/2010 - Night Train wrote: 90 Points
Much better than a bottle I had a few months ago, which evidently was in a dumb phase. Inky, with dark fruit. Tannic and somewhat closed, but it improved significantly over the course of a couple hours. Seems to be coming into its own.
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8/22/2009 - golfwine wrote:
Drunk way too late into the evening and so, although clearly enjoyable, couldn't begin to comment in any detail nor provide a rating. I can say that I've had past vintages and they were very enjoyable and well made wines (in the 88-90 range). This one, like a WA92 and so, I'm sure it was in line with that.
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8/14/2009 - Night Train wrote: 85 Points
Deep color. Weird nose - reminded several of us of popcorn - but the weirdness blew off. A lot of spice, but not much fruit. Rich mouthfeel, however, and a pretty good finish.
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3/2/2009 - HappyWineGuy wrote: 89 Points
I agree with the recent descriptions. This wine is a champ.
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2/7/2009 - hutch wrote: 88 Points
Beautiful nose, full of blueberries and a richness. Great fruit on the palate, with a medium+ body. Quite smooth. Doesn't have that rugged petite quality I like, but this is a pretty tasty bottle of wine.
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11/30/2008 - ey1294 wrote: 90 Points
Deep, dark inky color. The finish is smooth and not tannic. This wine is in its prime. The finish is dark, spicy, rich strawberries and blackberries. A slight hint of black cherry and currant.
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10/12/2008 - Patches wrote: 91 Points
Thick deep ruby purple color. Big fruit forward blueberry aromas, with some vanilla cream. Opens to express blackberry. Great entry, with a full body. Smooth mouth coating tannin, oak, pepper, and liquorice on the palate. Slightly hot, but it blows off with a couple hours decanting.
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9/1/2008 - gmbdds wrote: 89 Points
Deep nose of blueberry and blackberry. Dark fruit on the palate with some baked dessert flavors. Smooth and not very tannic. I would agree that this is a good one to drink young.
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3/19/2008 - jnastynebr wrote: 84 Points
Nice ripe berry with some spice notes, but a little one dimensional. Refined tannins with dark fruit on the short, dry finish. Ready to drink.
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2/22/2008 - EMichels wrote: 90 Points
Red Carpet Wine Tasting: Ripe fruit, butter nose; Good blackberry, bramble fruit; Solid; Long finish; Good structure; I'd drink near term
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2/5/2008 - Nesto wrote: 88 Points
Let it sit for an hour and wasn't very good on first taste. Not much bouquet, not much fruit. Drank much better once it sat open in decanter for 24 hours. Nose still tight - blueberrys. Flavors better on 2nd taste, but still rather one-dimensional - blueberrys and sour cherrys came through, tannins softened. Not a screaming buy, but could improve with age.
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1/18/2008 - Loweeel wrote: 90 Points
The color of Ocean Spray Cran-Blueberry, has great floral and blueberry aromas with soft oak, no noticeable heat. On the mouth, viscous, blueberries, vanilla. Very soft tannins that still need time to come together. Very delicious and well-structured, but medium-bodied, not full.
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12/29/2007 - Squeeze wrote: 87 Points
Nice blueberry notes on the nose; okay fruit, decent length, okay complexity; good wine, but not an amazing QPR.
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11/5/2007 - lkatz wrote: 88 Points
very nice as usual
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10/20/2007 - EvanJB wrote: 90 Points
Really enjoyed, going to pick up some more, I think it will be even nicer as it ages. Had w Ron and Lori, a solid 90
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9/24/2007 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Made from 110 year old vines that yield 1/2 a ton per acre. Inky purple color, opaque at the center. Aromas of dark fruit and blackberry with a faint meaty undertone. NIce cassis, blackberry and red currant flavors. Young and focused, with fine-grained, sweet tannins.
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8/23/2007 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Club Tasting: Summer Chef Tour,Brandy Fernow (Gibby's): Opaque. Aromas of cassis, blackberry and blueberry with a hint of mineral. Firmly tannic and massive, as expected, with black and blue fruit and a touch of brown sugar. Better than the 2004. 90-92.
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8/21/2007 - lkatz wrote: 88 Points
very nice drinker...had with steak from the grill
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7/4/2007 - Mlawrence wrote: 85 Points
slight floral, decent fruit, fairly one dimensional.
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6/17/2007 - LSKIII wrote: 91 Points
Medium bodied sirah with lots of fruit, a strong and complex midpalate and gravely tannins. Should improve over the next 5-7 years.
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5/13/2007 - snaff wrote: 85 Points
Cedar, and some blueberry, but a bit harsh on the finish without much else to offer.
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5/4/2007 - lkatz wrote: 90 Points
very enjoyable
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3/19/2007 - lkatz wrote: 93 Points
Very good...light body with great taste..highly recomment
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