Nice Zin, but needs 60 minutes in the bottle (less in decanter) to open up. A little lighter than most Cali Zins, but still nice. Better choices at this price point though.
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One of my favorite weekday zins. Popped and poured. Nice purple with garnet on the rim. Blackberries with a little spice on the nose and palate, balanced with nice acidity and fine to medium tannins. Short/medium finish. Will buy again if on sale.
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Raspberry jam, medium mouth feel, good finish that lasted surprisingly long. Tannins a little harsh. Drank without food and was fine. I think this would be a good burger wine. A nice Zin for $10.
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consumed over 2 days. 14.% alcohol. deep dark purple garnet color. nose of berries, straw. and rasp., cherry, plum, spicy epper, vanilla, oak, hint of tamarind on the finish. med. to full bodied. nice balance, structure, ripe tannins and nice finish.
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Nose full of blackberry, spice and floral notes. Simple profile with round juicy fruits and toasty vanilla lying beneath. Tannins are grainy in the finish. Still going strong on day two. Solid value at ten bucks.
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14.6% alcohol... Quite the surprise here... Super Zinberry, black pepper on the nose, very flirtatious, loads of spice and very forward - I often wish Zin was this upfront on many higher end cuvees... Delicious, very unctuous raspberry, blackberry, loads of spice and once again appearing upfront and ready to please - dynomite with pizza and football on Sunday nite.
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If you like Zin this wine is GREAT for the price point. Blackberry, dark plum, baked cherries, black currant, spice, dark chocolate, toasted marshmellows, cola. The wine is a little hot but seemed to get better as the evening went on and it opened more, smooth finish. Definitely worth getting as an every day drinker that won't break the bank.
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Nice straight forward zin. Good purple color, fruit/spice on the nose and palate. Nice acidity and tannins. Occasional touch of heat but not detracting. Good weekday wine and would buy again if onsale.
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still drinking nice. a great"go to" valued zin. Aromas of red licorice, cherry, plum, berries, peppery spice, a mineral note,and nuances of oak and vanilla cola. med. to full bodied. balanced, polished fruit, ripe tannins.
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A very closed nose when first opened but started to reveal a bit of brambly fruit and jam on the nose. Coarse on the palate without much depth and a bit hot in alcohol. Pretty disappointing.
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Perfectly pleasant every day drinker- nice nose, full bodied and good with food. Good value. I haven't heard any of the hype and was unaware of it. Would I seek it out ? No. Would I drink it again....yes.
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Great for the price. Certainly not worth all the hype. Kind of a sour finish that stays with you for a while. More than one glass might be too much at one sitting. Didn't get any heat and the up front fruit was quite good.
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Not as alcoholic or hot as other reviewers would have you believe. Lots of depth here in this wine if you look hard enough. Very good to excellent. Subtle levels. Lighter fruits. Still the spice you would expect from a Zin.
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Decanted and poured immediately, I didn't notice excessive heat others have mentioned. Very nice Zin for the price, would certainly buy again. Some thick plum and berry flavors, not really jammy but definitely present.
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clear deep garnet / ruby color. aromas of berries, plum, dark cherry, peppery spice, vanilla, oak, dark cocoa, and cola. nice mouthfeel, good balance of ripe fruit, tamarind, plum, smooth tannins, and a creamy vanilla finish. hide the 14.6% alcohol pretty well.
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Strawberry jam and smoke on the nose. Quite acidic with soft tannins which makes the high alcohol level bearable. Not unpleasant but nothing to write home about.
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clear garnet / purple color. aromas of berries, strawberry and cherry preserves, black currant, plum, and spicy black pepper. decent mouthfeel with soft but bitter tannins. the 14.6% alcohol seemed pretty well intergrated with ripe spicy fruit flavors and lingering vanilla oak.
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1/20/2013 - BuffaloLou wrote: 87 Points
Nice Zin, but needs 60 minutes in the bottle (less in decanter) to open up. A little lighter than most Cali Zins, but still nice. Better choices at this price point though.
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4/21/2010 - babnik Likes this wine: 82 Points
Kirsch, grape jelly, sweet. Thin middle. Not a bad value for a weekday wine though (~11 bucks).
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2/8/2010 - liberati wrote:
Possibly a little cooked?
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6/14/2009 - Cobbster wrote: 88 Points
A little spice on the nose, spicy fruit palate. Hot, toasty oak finish.
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11/27/2008 - herberto wrote: 87 Points
Very solid for the price.
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7/31/2008 - decaturwinedude wrote: 84 Points
Perhaps its just me, but this was a freaking oaksicle. Some red fruit and spicy pepper too, bout too much oak.
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7/2/2008 - Wolfgang wrote: 88 Points
After funk blew off, a delicious dark chocolate and kirsch nose appeared.
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6/5/2008 - wayne47 wrote:
Not again
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5/26/2008 - Tyler wrote: 90 Points
Excellent Zin
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4/27/2008 - herberto wrote: 91 Points
Wow what a great little wine for twelve bucks. Spicy and sweet. Delicious.
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3/24/2008 - jp_howell wrote: 88 Points
Great, smooth zin. bright red berries. Black cherry.
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1/12/2008 - nickelb wrote: 88 Points
typical cali zin,smooth not as earthy as klinker brick
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1/3/2008 - alandf wrote: 87 Points
Better now than a few months ago, and better the second day. Nice fruit with touch of spice. Characteristic and decent value.
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12/30/2007 - jjlobi wrote: flawed
Just awful, must assume it was corked. Wine seepage to top of cork.
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12/17/2007 - wcacern wrote: 89 Points
ripe delicious dark and red fruit. vanilla, and oak nuances. polished tannins. nice structure and good finish.
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12/14/2007 - green-steve wrote: 85 Points
One of my favorite weekday zins. Popped and poured. Nice purple with garnet on the rim. Blackberries with a little spice on the nose and palate, balanced with nice acidity and fine to medium tannins. Short/medium finish. Will buy again if on sale.
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12/13/2007 - kcsteve wrote: 87 Points
Raspberry jam, medium mouth feel, good finish that lasted surprisingly long. Tannins a little harsh. Drank without food and was fine. I think this would be a good burger wine. A nice Zin for $10.
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11/26/2007 - wcacern wrote: 88 Points
consumed over 2 days. 14.% alcohol. deep dark purple garnet color. nose of berries, straw. and rasp., cherry, plum, spicy epper, vanilla, oak, hint of tamarind on the finish. med. to full bodied. nice balance, structure, ripe tannins and nice finish.
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11/17/2007 - Nanda wrote: 87 Points
Nose full of blackberry, spice and floral notes. Simple profile with round juicy fruits and toasty vanilla lying beneath. Tannins are grainy in the finish. Still going strong on day two. Solid value at ten bucks.
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11/14/2007 - rumpole wrote: 87 Points
Good, enjoyable QPR.
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11/4/2007 - pgamble wrote: 88 Points
An uncomplicated Zin with nice flavor and a good value, to boot.
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10/28/2007 - mdefreitas wrote: 85 Points
Simple jammy, ripe, berry-dominated zin. A bit thin on the palate and a bit short. Not bad for that it is... a $10 zin.
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10/28/2007 - bobfrank wrote: 88 Points
Good match with home made chili.
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10/21/2007 - CO CHRIS wrote: 89 Points
14.6% alcohol...
Quite the surprise here...
Super Zinberry, black pepper on the nose, very flirtatious, loads of spice and very forward - I often wish Zin was this upfront on many higher end cuvees...
Delicious, very unctuous raspberry, blackberry, loads of spice and once again appearing upfront and ready to please - dynomite with pizza and football on Sunday nite.
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10/15/2007 - wcacern wrote: 87 Points
consistent with previous tastings. becoming a favorite for valued zin.
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10/12/2007 - play36 wrote: 87 Points
Great QPR. Dark Berries and Jam. At first could smell and taste the alcohol but it eventually blew off. Great pizza wine!
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10/8/2007 - Foster wrote:
Nice QPR. I liked this best on opening. Extended air time brought out some harsh flavors as the fruit faded a bit. Good for what it is.
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10/3/2007 - wcacern wrote: 88 Points
nice plum, berries, spicy pepper, and vanilla on the nose and palate. great balance, nice firm tannins, and a tasty finish.
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9/28/2007 - Kellious wrote: 87 Points
If you like Zin this wine is GREAT for the price point. Blackberry, dark plum, baked cherries, black currant, spice, dark chocolate, toasted marshmellows, cola. The wine is a little hot but seemed to get better as the evening went on and it opened more, smooth finish. Definitely worth getting as an every day drinker that won't break the bank.
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9/16/2007 - dwm613 wrote: 87 Points
A nice bottle of wine. OK nose, good flavors (bit of spice), with an OK finish. Would buy again, especially given it's $12 price.
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9/12/2007 - jjlobi wrote: 86 Points
Not bad for every day. Liked it better after it opened up.
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9/10/2007 - MBrown wrote: 86 Points
Solid everyday type of wine. Nice rasberries some oaky vanilla and a bit of spice. 14+% so not too hot or out of balance. Great price point.
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8/28/2007 - green-steve wrote: 84 Points
Nice straight forward zin. Good purple color, fruit/spice on the nose and palate. Nice acidity and tannins. Occasional touch of heat but not detracting. Good weekday wine and would buy again if onsale.
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8/20/2007 - wcacern wrote: 88 Points
still drinking nice. a great"go to" valued zin. Aromas of red licorice, cherry, plum, berries, peppery spice, a mineral note,and nuances of oak and vanilla cola. med. to full bodied. balanced, polished fruit, ripe tannins.
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8/15/2007 - Gotwine1969 wrote: 83 Points
A very closed nose when first opened but started to reveal a bit of brambly fruit and jam on the nose. Coarse on the palate without much depth and a bit hot in alcohol. Pretty disappointing.
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7/30/2007 - wcacern wrote: 87 Points
a solid bottle of wine. nice example of a dry cali. zin. with good spicy fruit and a nice balanced finish.
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7/29/2007 - oaxaca90049 wrote:
Perfectly pleasant every day drinker- nice nose, full bodied and good with food. Good value. I haven't heard any of the hype and was unaware of it. Would I seek it out ? No. Would I drink it again....yes.
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7/22/2007 - danseng wrote:
Great for the price. Certainly not worth all the hype. Kind of a sour finish that stays with you for a while. More than one glass might be too much at one sitting. Didn't get any heat and the up front fruit was quite good.
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7/19/2007 - ptheimer wrote: 85 Points
Not sure why all the hype, tastes fake, fruit punch with a weak finish; fortunately, I didn't pay much for it
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7/13/2007 - AllRed wrote: 87 Points
Gibby's Midsummer Nights' Dream Tasting (Geneva, IL): Bright ruby color. Brambly blueberry, herb and earthy notes. Peppery red currant, slightly jammy, with a nice round finish.
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7/13/2007 - docmckay wrote: 87 Points
Not as alcoholic or hot as other reviewers would have you believe. Lots of depth here in this wine if you look hard enough. Very good to excellent. Subtle levels. Lighter fruits. Still the spice you would expect from a Zin.
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7/12/2007 - jp_howell wrote: 86 Points
Decanted and poured immediately, I didn't notice excessive heat others have mentioned. Very nice Zin for the price, would certainly buy again. Some thick plum and berry flavors, not really jammy but definitely present.
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7/11/2007 - wcacern wrote: 88 Points
clear deep garnet / ruby color. aromas of berries, plum, dark cherry, peppery spice, vanilla, oak, dark cocoa, and cola. nice mouthfeel, good balance of ripe fruit, tamarind, plum, smooth tannins, and a creamy vanilla finish. hide the 14.6% alcohol pretty well.
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7/10/2007 - jvalanti wrote: 84 Points
I found this thin, with heat showing after about 1/2 hour in the glass. Not great. I will try again tonight and see if it has improved.
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7/7/2007 - tcfishler wrote: 87 Points
Features Presentation at Wine Exchange (Orange, CA): Medium red with a salmon rim. Burnt briar and ripe but restrained fruit on the nose. Nicely dry, with a decent midpalate. Very serviceable Zin.
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7/6/2007 - Zinor wrote: 84 Points
Strawberry jam and smoke on the nose. Quite acidic with soft tannins which makes the high alcohol level bearable. Not unpleasant but nothing to write home about.
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7/3/2007 - alandf wrote: 82 Points
Thin - no backbone. Better on day two, but not by much. Not horrible, but not special.
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6/27/2007 - Hi-Ho-Silver wrote: 84 Points
Not nearly as good (today) as the 2004. A bit hot.
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6/19/2007 - wcacern wrote: 87 Points
clear garnet / purple color. aromas of berries, strawberry and cherry preserves, black currant, plum, and spicy black pepper. decent mouthfeel with soft but bitter tannins. the 14.6% alcohol seemed pretty well intergrated with ripe spicy fruit flavors and lingering vanilla oak.
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6/1/2007 - yui wrote: 84 Points
berries stand out, too much heat, soulless, but not too bad either.
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5/29/2007 - mreinitz wrote: 88 Points
Good wine for the money. Nice mouthfeel, and enough acid to balance the fairly big fruit.
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