Unfortunately, this auction purchase was full of VA that never really blew off. I could glimpse the fruit underneath, but the VA was just too off putting to really enjoy the wine at all. It was the same or worse on day 2, so down the drain it went. Life is too short to dillydally with flawed wine. Onward! NR.
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Popped and poured, funneled half the bottle off into a 375ml immediately for day 2. First impression is "wow!" At 15 years past vintage, this is singing...cassis and black cherry fruits, earthy oak and vanilla. VERY enjoyable drink, and it was all I could do to NOT drink the rest of the bottle that first night. Day 2: Popped the 375ml and consumed post haste. Still singing! Has even put on more weight than the night before. Ample tannin structure is apparent, acid is perfect. Fruit has receded just slightly, but still ripe with currants and cherries. Notes of leather are now showing, with the same vanilla finish as yesterday. All in all, VERY impressed with this wine! Happy I scored another from WineBid, and look forward to popping it in the near future. If you have any, I'd pop one now to see how it's doing. I think you can continue to enjoy this through 2025 at least. Drink now - 2025+.
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Note: I used a scale on which 85 represents a very good wine.
Excellent bottle, just shy of the magical 90.
Similar to the bottle I had a few years ago (Jan '15), but fuller and richer -- more smoothed out. As others have noted, a little taste of mocha, but nothing too at all too strong. No reason to hold, but no reason to panic.
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Big, bruising wine. Thick. Hard to believe it's 12 years old - the color looked like a barrel sample. Blueberries and chocolate, framed by pepper and spice. Slightly hot finish.
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90-91. In excellent shape. Mocha, some not-at-all-unpleasant vegetal aromatics (ones I associate with aged Merlot), lots of still-present red fruit. Rich, delicious, not at all tired or unbalanced.
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2nd of 2. Cork snapped towards the bottom and had to pour through a paper towel into a decanter. It's showing aged for sure (as was the last one a few years ago), and I'd definitely drink up if I had any more, but it's not showing cooked or faulty or anything. Dense garnet coloring with light bricking at the edges. Aromas of fresh and dried dark and dark red fruits, dark chocolate, green pepper, radish, earthy funk, some subtle potpourri, cinnamon, and graphite minerality. Medium body and acid, medium(+) finish, and flavors of primarily dark but also dark red fruits, dark chocolate, radish, and minerals. 88-89
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Opaque garnet with slight bricking on the meniscus. Smoky dark chocolate cherry on the nose. Very fine sediment in the glass. Soft tannins with balancing acidity. Medium bodied. Medium finish w/ some dryness. I think I'll be drinking my other bottles near time as fruit seems to be fading.
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Followed a natty-ass, unfiltered "Capitalisme Rouge" by Brendan Tracey -- if I've ever presented two wines further from one another on the spectrum, I can't recall when. Still, both wines delighted and both made sense. This was to go with my friend's beef cheek stew, and while it struck me as a bit over-produced after the Tracey, this was very fun with the stew: chocolate-covered dark cherries, some dark spice notes, but mostly just mocha mocha mocha. Still in fantastic shape now.
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The lush, merlot lead fruit shows itself here, as compared to the Michele that came before it. Not as complex or enjoyable as that bottling. Deep crimson color. Aromas of dark fruit and earthy funk. Flavors of black and blue fruits and minerals.
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My first bottle from this house. First, the wine opened up meaningfully over time, and particularly after I put 2/3 of the bottle in a decanter. A little dry for me, although not terribly so. I have one one more and I am going to let it sit for a while to see if the tannins soften a bit.
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Drank next to a low end napa cab. This wine was bigger in flavors profile. Nose restrained, but nice dark fruits. Min sed. P n P. Tannins still present. Nice weight in mouth. Solid wine. I think the other on I gave will last for several years.
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Well balanced big wine....i let it breath in the bottle the whole day i was at work and it was fantastic when i got home. Great the next day as well. Good with a steak. Big and dark but not overbearing. Great aroma.
PnP. Very drinkable. Good cork. Opened right up. Not the most complex wine but great value. Nice, heavy bottle and presentation. Feels much more expensive than the $17 I paid. Fantastic QPR.
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What a delicious wine. Dark and opaque, showing just a hint of brick on the dark cherry rim. Ripe and interesting nose, maybe beginning to break apart a bit. Palate is sweet and ripe, pretty soft with sweet dark cherry fruit, low tannins and mild acidity. I would say this is mature, drinking well, but will get no better. (note after about 1 hour opened). The more you analyze this the worse it seems, but the initial reaction is "very tasty".
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Sorry to see my last bottle go. This was a good one. Nice dark fruit, smooth, dry but restrained, soft tannins, balanced acidity, some vegetal notes. Very nice wine. Excellent with food.
Had this with manicotti & meat sauce at Bon Gusto in Huntington Beach….big bold lots of fruit, the tannins are softening not overpowering even with PNP.
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Halfway through the case this wine is coming into its stride. The fruit in you face has come into balance. Good tannins, a little cocoa and earth. It tastes older than it is which is to my liking.
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Similar to last note but fruit in this bottle was a bit more muted than previous. All other characteristics the same. Still delicious, but a heavy wine.
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Amazing bottle! Loads of dark fruit,dusty cellar, chocolate covered cherry,earth and spice. Evolved over 2 hours. Very well balanced with lots of full bodied fruit. Mile long finish with tertiary flavors coming through. 94+ and maybe a 95.
Very nice. Dark fruit, smooth mouthfeel, soft tannins, chocolate notes with slight vegetal finish. Very balanced and delicious. Smoother than the last bottle I had a year ago.
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Wow what a change a little bit of time and a long decant made on this wine. My last botte tasted like an ashtray after about 30 minute decant. This, my last bottle I gave a 5 hour decant. The win is almost black. Nice dark plum, berry and earthy. The biggest change was the mouthcoating mouthfeel and super integrated fruit on the finish. Very good!
Great bouquet on the nose, fruity, floral and ripe. I get Blackberry fruit, pencil shavings and spice. Tannins are still there to add a bit of an edge. Very good for the money.
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Quite dark visually, with a bit of cloudiness that is my fault - grabbed this from a case that was stored upside down so I'm sure the sediments are causing this. On the nose, no green this time around. Some tar and oak against a relatively perfumed set of dark red fruits. A masculine rendition. All this carries to the palate, which smooths out after 15 minutes open. Great fruit depth and a decent finish. Tannic, but then again that could be a function of my poor bottle treatment. In any event, this is quite pleasant, quite different from my last outing, and at this point in its life a very nice QPR @ $17. 90 points on the pop. Update: this does a bit of a crash and burn with more time in the glass. The richness starts to fade, replaced by a disjointedness referenced by others. A bit more green coming into focus, and a bit of that ashtray note I found last time around, along with a somewhat stringent high note approaching the finish. Still better than last time around, but I was hoping for more the way this performed for the first 5 minutes
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Very dark color. Nose of cassis, herbs and black pepper. P: Black cherry, butterscotch, black pepper and some heat. Medium bodied. F: Black cherry, alcoholic heat, herbs and some earthiness. Noticeable tannins and decent acidity. This seemed a bit disjointed overall and not as well made as other NC products, although it has only been opened 20 minutes and not decanted.This may have been an off bottle, but I cannot put my finger on any specific flaws. 86.
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PnP through Nuance Wine Finer. Dark purple color. Big nose of dark berries, currant, and some other spice. On the palate, dark berries, spice, but nicely balanced. Thick and juicy mouthfeel. 90 pts. Aloha!
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Full bodied, very dark colored. Black cherry, licorice, some spice and a touch of smoke. Some sediment on the cork. Suggest decanting for an hour or two - fruit flavors more evident, a bit muted initially. Chewy tannins, but fairly smooth and heavy mouth feel. I really liked it. The 2003 seems more fruity and more balanced from the outset than the 2005, but both are excellent wines. 90+
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Dark fruit and cinnamon on the nose. Followed by flavors dark fruit, subtle cherry,earth and oak. Nice balanced tannins. Lots of layers and a long finish with good fruit and tannins. This is tasting terrific.
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Should have read the other reviews before opening...this needed a decant, or more time in the cellar. That being said, with an hour or two of and and after clearing out a lot of sediment, the wine performed quite well. Deep dark color, rich mouthfeel with structure and noticable tannins. The Cab portion seemed to dominate the merlot and other grapes. Very nice.
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A touch of dark cherry and paired well with grilled steaks. Still fruit forward but much better than last year. Some may like it now but I'll wait another year for the next one.
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Day 1: Decanted 30 min and enjoyed solo over the next hour. Very fruit forward, showing cassis and black cherry, coffee and vanilla. Creamy texture, but with decent structure. Very tasty! Funneled into a 375ml for later. Day 3: After letting this sit in the wine fridge for a couple days, I popped the 375 to finish it off. Things had not gone well over that time, as the wine displayed that oxidized plummy smell and flavor. Nowhere near the level it had been 2 days prior. We poured it out. Score based on prior day's notes, minus a couple points for falling apart so quickly.
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Big and rich with red berries, black cherry, clove & cinnamon spices along with hazel nut leading to a tart spiced finish.
Two days later the nose is black dark and full of licorice, cocoa and dark black cherry. The palate shows black cherry and clove spices that are full on to the finish.
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The nose has character of sour currant, herbs, green pepper and walnut. The palate also shows currant, green pepper and hazel nut that lingers on to a slightly nutty, tart spiced finish.
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Great QPR at $16 and change. Color starting to show some age and a lot of sediment left in the bottle when I decanted. Nose is very inviting. Starts thick and rich then tannins and oak take over. Close to being great and then trips at the finish line over an astringent green pepper.
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This bottle was similar to what I remember having about a year ago. A nice nose of red fruit, some damp earth and pepper. The taste was well rounded, full in the mouth and very enjoyable.
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Opened this and thick ink like substance spewed off the cork and all over my counter and me. This wine stank like rot and did not taste much better. I emailed the fols at Garagiste and they refunded me the price of the bottle without any fuss. I have one other bottle so we will see.
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Probably could use some more time in the cellar. Definitely benefited from being decanted, drank even better the next day. Lush and chewy mouth feel. Rich dark fruits. 14.6% abv.
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Pop/pour. Initially on the nose, a combination of green pepper, tar, oak and tobacco. The green pepper fades pretty quickly while the other components remain. On the palate, medium bodied and relatively lush mouthfeel. A hint of astringency from mid palate through finish keeps my score down. A reasonable QPR at $17, and better than that if this improves with decant and/or time. Update: 4 hours later, this has not come together, and may have actually declined. The "ashtray" note mentioned by a prior reviewer is spot on and more noticeable now....something that seems to come about via a combination of the green, oak and astringent notes that dominate this. I initially rated this "88", but would have to take it down 2-3 points as it's drinking right now. And damn, now I can't get that ashtray note out of my head as I try to evaluate the finish on this. If I were logged into the "beta" site, I would click the "Don't Like" button.
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Decanted 2 hours. Initial nose of green pepper with raspberry fruit gave way to full, rich blackberries, with a touch of dirt. A tad stemmy at first, I thought this really hit on all cylinders around the 4 hour mark. Creamy mouthfeel, very rich and silky with a lot of fruit, and well-integrated tannins. Had this with some spicy chicken and it was not a great pairing, but decent. Much better on its own.
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This is not a pop and pour wine. Once decanted and it sits for awhile this really opens up nicely. Perfect blend of old world new world. For the price I paid ridiculous.
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Odd nose of old leather, green bell pepper, sandalwood and spice, with a candied floral lilt. More of same on palate, with chocolate, plum, coffee and tobacco. Thick texture, with lots of sediment. Dry tannic finish.
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I know this wine takes a long decant. Even after 3 hours this still had a strong tar/tobacco and disjointed feel to it. Too much like a dirty ashtray for me. I guess I am not that patient but I was a little dissapointed.
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Thick, chocolate, espresso, blueberry. High-toned enough to avoid being fatiguing but the oak lends a lot of toothpaste to the dense berry palate. These wines are just so far out of whack they're barely enjoyable despite being concentrated and technically well-made.
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Pop and pour. Very deep purple color. Cherry and vanilla on the nose. Good fruit flavors, black cherry seems dominant. Nicely balanced, very well made. Slightly tannic finish that could benefit from a little more time but it is drinking well now.
1 hour later - very smooth, almost creamy on the palate. Very nice.
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Solid again, dark red color, vanilla and oak, good balance. A little sediment flows throughout that leaves dusty taste in mouth. But still very good for the price.
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Well made wine. At pour nice clean fruit with sweet grainy dry tannins. Nice finish. Excelllent value. Held well over the 5 hours after opening. The 2004 is preferred over the this.
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Dark, opaque, ruby red in the glass. Popped and poured, let sit in the glass for a while. Vanilla on the nose. Still very big, has lots of potential. Fruit is nicely balanced with oak and tannin. Great value at $16, should get better in the bottle. Nicely made.
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Very ripe nose, dark plums and spice, rich, but the palate had a very hard lined vitamin profile that I had a hard time getting past, it eventually blew off, good enough wine for the discounted price, I think I like the 04 a bit more.
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Decanted for two hours before drinking. Plenty of sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Rich nose of lavender, cherry, blueberry and vanilla. Smooth, rich mouthfeel, coating the palate with black cherry, slight black pepper, and boysenberry. Medium acid and smooth refined tannins make this a real winner. Drink now through 2015 or so. Not sure it'll last much longer than that.
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Dark inky purple, red fruits, cherries & oak nose. One hour open to start, fruit over powered by the oak. 4 hours later the fruit is starting to come through, still pretty tight with a tannic finish. Needs more cellar time, revisit in a year, should age well. Night two, red and blue fruits on the nose, very diminished oak, strong fruit with slightly harsh tannins and a hint of bitter, long bell pepper finish. Up one point. It is getting better day by day. I opened much too early. Day 3, roses on the nose and still tight. Drinking with sharp cheddar, good combo. Still a little bitter on the finish. Losing harshness in the glass with air. If the bitter and tannins integrate, a couple more points are within reach. Cellar for several more years. Night four, beautiful nose, cherries, cassis, bitterness gone, tannins still prevalent on the finish.
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This bottle requires at least 5 hours decanting. Still tastes very primary. After 5 hours started to come together and integrate through the palate. Nice soft nose of floral, baking spice and dark fruit. Needs time.
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12/24/2021 - RPerro wrote: flawed
Unfortunately, this auction purchase was full of VA that never really blew off. I could glimpse the fruit underneath, but the VA was just too off putting to really enjoy the wine at all. It was the same or worse on day 2, so down the drain it went. Life is too short to dillydally with flawed wine. Onward! NR.
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11/20/2020 - RPerro Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured, funneled half the bottle off into a 375ml immediately for day 2. First impression is "wow!" At 15 years past vintage, this is singing...cassis and black cherry fruits, earthy oak and vanilla. VERY enjoyable drink, and it was all I could do to NOT drink the rest of the bottle that first night.
Day 2: Popped the 375ml and consumed post haste. Still singing! Has even put on more weight than the night before. Ample tannin structure is apparent, acid is perfect. Fruit has receded just slightly, but still ripe with currants and cherries. Notes of leather are now showing, with the same vanilla finish as yesterday. All in all, VERY impressed with this wine! Happy I scored another from WineBid, and look forward to popping it in the near future. If you have any, I'd pop one now to see how it's doing. I think you can continue to enjoy this through 2025 at least. Drink now - 2025+.
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12/25/2019 - kakpoo wrote: 93 Points
Tasted about 9 months ago. Delicious, wish I had more...
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11/14/2019 - John Nezlek wrote: 89 Points
Note: I used a scale on which 85 represents a very good wine.
Excellent bottle, just shy of the magical 90.
Similar to the bottle I had a few years ago (Jan '15), but fuller and richer -- more smoothed out.
As others have noted, a little taste of mocha, but nothing too at all too strong.
No reason to hold, but no reason to panic.
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8/27/2019 - niwotcellar wrote:
Unbalanced. Has degraded.
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3/12/2018 - festiva Likes this wine: 90 Points
Big, bruising wine. Thick. Hard to believe it's 12 years old - the color looked like a barrel sample. Blueberries and chocolate, framed by pepper and spice. Slightly hot finish.
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9/22/2017 - wormfarmer Likes this wine: 91 Points
90-91. In excellent shape. Mocha, some not-at-all-unpleasant vegetal aromatics (ones I associate with aged Merlot), lots of still-present red fruit. Rich, delicious, not at all tired or unbalanced.
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7/24/2017 - studleytrey wrote: 89 Points
2nd of 2. Cork snapped towards the bottom and had to pour through a paper towel into a decanter. It's showing aged for sure (as was the last one a few years ago), and I'd definitely drink up if I had any more, but it's not showing cooked or faulty or anything. Dense garnet coloring with light bricking at the edges. Aromas of fresh and dried dark and dark red fruits, dark chocolate, green pepper, radish, earthy funk, some subtle potpourri, cinnamon, and graphite minerality. Medium body and acid, medium(+) finish, and flavors of primarily dark but also dark red fruits, dark chocolate, radish, and minerals. 88-89
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6/8/2017 - NuTricks wrote: 90 Points
Opaque garnet with slight bricking on the meniscus. Smoky dark chocolate cherry on the nose. Very fine sediment in the glass. Soft tannins with balancing acidity. Medium bodied. Medium finish w/ some dryness. I think I'll be drinking my other bottles near time as fruit seems to be fading.
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8/28/2016 - cobystilp wrote:
Cork crumbled and it was stewed.
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7/1/2016 - Atlantean Likes this wine: 90 Points
Got the last of the earthiness, dust and pepper. Paired with steak and risotto dinner at anchor in puget sound
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4/4/2016 - wormfarmer Likes this wine:
Followed a natty-ass, unfiltered "Capitalisme Rouge" by Brendan Tracey -- if I've ever presented two wines further from one another on the spectrum, I can't recall when. Still, both wines delighted and both made sense. This was to go with my friend's beef cheek stew, and while it struck me as a bit over-produced after the Tracey, this was very fun with the stew: chocolate-covered dark cherries, some dark spice notes, but mostly just mocha mocha mocha. Still in fantastic shape now.
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11/18/2015 - DrX wrote: 82 Points
If you still have a bottle, you missed it. Earth and pepper but the fruit is gone. Extremely flat, dumped it.
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3/28/2015 - jayw Does not like this wine:
Too austere. Earth, smoke, and peppery finish, but not much fruit and overly hot.
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2/7/2015 - studleytrey wrote: 88 Points
The lush, merlot lead fruit shows itself here, as compared to the Michele that came before it. Not as complex or enjoyable as that bottling. Deep crimson color. Aromas of dark fruit and earthy funk. Flavors of black and blue fruits and minerals.
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1/31/2015 - John Nezlek wrote: 88 Points
My first bottle from this house. First, the wine opened up meaningfully over time, and particularly after I put 2/3 of the bottle in a decanter. A little dry for me, although not terribly so. I have one one more and I am going to let it sit for a while to see if the tannins soften a bit.
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8/18/2014 - Whine-oh Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drank next to a low end napa cab. This wine was bigger in flavors profile. Nose restrained, but nice dark fruits. Min sed. P n P. Tannins still present. Nice weight in mouth. Solid wine. I think the other on I gave will last for several years.
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4/26/2014 - hcnate wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 30 min. Well integrated and very much a Columbia Valley style. Subtle smokiness and earth.
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3/26/2014 - pipedream wrote: 92 Points
Well balanced big wine....i let it breath in the bottle the whole day i was at work and it was fantastic when i got home. Great the next day as well. Good with a steak. Big and dark but not overbearing. Great aroma.
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1/28/2014 - cobystilp Likes this wine: 89 Points
PnP. Very drinkable. Good cork. Opened right up. Not the most complex wine but great value. Nice, heavy bottle and presentation. Feels much more expensive than the $17 I paid. Fantastic QPR.
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12/28/2013 - RDHudak wrote: flawed
Corked. Dang it, it was my last bottle!
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12/21/2013 - thebonnydooner wrote: 90 Points
What a delicious wine. Dark and opaque, showing just a hint of brick on the dark cherry rim. Ripe and interesting nose, maybe beginning to break apart a bit. Palate is sweet and ripe, pretty soft with sweet dark cherry fruit, low tannins and mild acidity. I would say this is mature, drinking well, but will get no better. (note after about 1 hour opened). The more you analyze this the worse it seems, but the initial reaction is "very tasty".
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12/19/2013 - Kentw Likes this wine: 91 Points
Sorry to see my last bottle go. This was a good one. Nice dark fruit, smooth, dry but restrained, soft tannins, balanced acidity, some vegetal notes. Very nice wine. Excellent with food.
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9/18/2013 - team-blackburn wrote: 90 Points
Had this with manicotti & meat sauce at Bon Gusto in Huntington Beach….big bold lots of fruit, the tannins are softening not overpowering even with PNP.
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9/3/2013 - team-blackburn wrote: 88 Points
Solid QPR well balanced.
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8/10/2013 - gph Likes this wine: 91 Points
Halfway through the case this wine is coming into its stride. The fruit in you face has come into balance. Good tannins, a little cocoa and earth. It tastes older than it is which is to my liking.
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6/4/2013 - Kentw Likes this wine: 90 Points
Similar to last note but fruit in this bottle was a bit more muted than previous. All other characteristics the same. Still delicious, but a heavy wine.
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3/30/2013 - RDHudak wrote: 94 Points
Amazing bottle! Loads of dark fruit,dusty cellar, chocolate covered cherry,earth and spice. Evolved over 2 hours. Very well balanced with lots of full bodied fruit. Mile long finish with tertiary flavors coming through. 94+ and maybe a 95.
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2/16/2013 - Kentw wrote: 91 Points
Very nice. Dark fruit, smooth mouthfeel, soft tannins, chocolate notes with slight vegetal finish. Very balanced and delicious. Smoother than the last bottle I had a year ago.
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12/27/2012 - enjoyvino wrote: 92 Points
Wow what a change a little bit of time and a long decant made on this wine. My last botte tasted like an ashtray after about 30 minute decant. This, my last bottle I gave a 5 hour decant. The win is almost black. Nice dark plum, berry and earthy. The biggest change was the mouthcoating mouthfeel and super integrated fruit on the finish. Very good!
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11/22/2012 - PBG wrote: 90 Points
Needs to breathe for a few hours but then it opens up nicely. Drinking very well and we really enjoyed it.
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10/19/2012 - Nbkat8 wrote: 90 Points
Great bouquet on the nose, fruity, floral and ripe. I get Blackberry fruit, pencil shavings and spice. Tannins are still there to add a bit of an edge. Very good for the money.
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10/9/2012 - vanpe003 wrote: 87 Points
Quite dark visually, with a bit of cloudiness that is my fault - grabbed this from a case that was stored upside down so I'm sure the sediments are causing this. On the nose, no green this time around. Some tar and oak against a relatively perfumed set of dark red fruits. A masculine rendition. All this carries to the palate, which smooths out after 15 minutes open. Great fruit depth and a decent finish. Tannic, but then again that could be a function of my poor bottle treatment. In any event, this is quite pleasant, quite different from my last outing, and at this point in its life a very nice QPR @ $17. 90 points on the pop. Update: this does a bit of a crash and burn with more time in the glass. The richness starts to fade, replaced by a disjointedness referenced by others. A bit more green coming into focus, and a bit of that ashtray note I found last time around, along with a somewhat stringent high note approaching the finish. Still better than last time around, but I was hoping for more the way this performed for the first 5 minutes
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9/26/2012 - JasonA wrote: 92 Points
Really enjoyed this. Decanted 45 mins and got sediment out. Still good 4 days later
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8/31/2012 - RDHudak wrote: 86 Points
Very dark color. Nose of cassis, herbs and black pepper. P: Black cherry, butterscotch, black pepper and some heat. Medium bodied. F: Black cherry, alcoholic heat, herbs and some earthiness. Noticeable tannins and decent acidity. This seemed a bit disjointed overall and not as well made as other NC products, although it has only been opened 20 minutes and not decanted.This may have been an off bottle, but I cannot put my finger on any specific flaws. 86.
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8/4/2012 - bg3034 wrote: 90 Points
PnP through Nuance Wine Finer. Dark purple color. Big nose of dark berries, currant, and some other spice. On the palate, dark berries, spice, but nicely balanced. Thick and juicy mouthfeel. 90 pts. Aloha!
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7/29/2012 - Kentw wrote: 90 Points
Full bodied, very dark colored. Black cherry, licorice, some spice and a touch of smoke. Some sediment on the cork. Suggest decanting for an hour or two - fruit flavors more evident, a bit muted initially. Chewy tannins, but fairly smooth and heavy mouth feel. I really liked it. The 2003 seems more fruity and more balanced from the outset than the 2005, but both are excellent wines. 90+
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7/28/2012 - blabbott wrote: 90 Points
Dark fruit and cinnamon on the nose. Followed by flavors dark fruit, subtle cherry,earth and oak. Nice balanced tannins. Lots of layers and a long finish with good fruit and tannins. This is tasting terrific.
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6/30/2012 - BuffaloLou wrote: 90 Points
C: dark ruby
N: black fruits, anise, vanilla, hint of tobacco
P: black and red berries, cherry cola, spice, sour cherry on the finish
F: medium
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6/26/2012 - Mastermugu wrote: 85 Points
The wine was a major disappointment. It did not align to the other reviews. I had one glass and poured the rest down the sink.
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5/23/2012 - Cow Town wrote: 92 Points
Should have read the other reviews before opening...this needed a decant, or more time in the cellar. That being said, with an hour or two of and and after clearing out a lot of sediment, the wine performed quite well. Deep dark color, rich mouthfeel with structure and noticable tannins. The Cab portion seemed to dominate the merlot and other grapes. Very nice.
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5/23/2012 - gph wrote:
A touch of dark cherry and paired well with grilled steaks. Still fruit forward but much better than last year. Some may like it now but I'll wait another year for the next one.
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5/19/2012 - luchavino wrote: 88 Points
Medium bodied with cherries and all apice
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4/23/2012 - RPerro wrote: 89 Points
Day 1: Decanted 30 min and enjoyed solo over the next hour. Very fruit forward, showing cassis and black cherry, coffee and vanilla. Creamy texture, but with decent structure. Very tasty! Funneled into a 375ml for later.
Day 3: After letting this sit in the wine fridge for a couple days, I popped the 375 to finish it off. Things had not gone well over that time, as the wine displayed that oxidized plummy smell and flavor. Nowhere near the level it had been 2 days prior. We poured it out. Score based on prior day's notes, minus a couple points for falling apart so quickly.
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4/21/2012 - luchavino wrote: 88 Points
Big and rich with red berries, black cherry, clove & cinnamon spices along with hazel nut leading to a tart spiced finish.
Two days later the nose is black dark and full of licorice, cocoa and dark black cherry. The palate shows black cherry and clove spices that are full on to the finish.
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4/18/2012 - devman wrote:
Still going quite strong. Took a while to open up. Not quite as good as the '04, but still very nice.
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3/28/2012 - luchavino wrote: 87 Points
The nose has character of sour currant, herbs, green pepper and walnut. The palate also shows currant, green pepper and hazel nut that lingers on to a slightly nutty, tart spiced finish.
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3/25/2012 - kas wrote: 89 Points
thick, spicy and sweet, but I liked it
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3/14/2012 - redrhonewine wrote: 93 Points
Gorgeous on the palate with dark smoke-tinged cherries, slightly sweet and slightly tart with pine in the background, fine nicely integrated tannins.
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3/12/2012 - yayin wrote: 91 Points
Great value. Dark color. Lots of oak - almost too much but settles down after an hour. Very enjoyable for the price.
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3/11/2012 - hcnate wrote: 88 Points
Excellent blend. Strong oak. High sedimentation. Got some pepper on the front end.
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3/11/2012 - team-blackburn wrote: 88 Points
Solid QPR should of bought a case.
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3/9/2012 - SGates wrote: 88 Points
Great QPR at $16 and change. Color starting to show some age and a lot of sediment left in the bottle when I decanted. Nose is very inviting. Starts thick and rich then tannins and oak take over. Close to being great and then trips at the finish line over an astringent green pepper.
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1/1/2012 - awilliamson4 wrote: 88 Points
This bottle was similar to what I remember having about a year ago. A nice nose of red fruit, some damp earth and pepper. The taste was well rounded, full in the mouth and very enjoyable.
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12/21/2011 - awilliamson4 wrote: flawed
Opened this and thick ink like substance spewed off the cork and all over my counter and me. This wine stank like rot and did not taste much better. I emailed the fols at Garagiste and they refunded me the price of the bottle without any fuss. I have one other bottle so we will see.
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12/9/2011 - gregoryheller wrote: 91 Points
Probably could use some more time in the cellar. Definitely benefited from being decanted, drank even better the next day. Lush and chewy mouth feel. Rich dark fruits. 14.6% abv.
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12/5/2011 - vanpe003 wrote:
Pop/pour. Initially on the nose, a combination of green pepper, tar, oak and tobacco. The green pepper fades pretty quickly while the other components remain. On the palate, medium bodied and relatively lush mouthfeel. A hint of astringency from mid palate through finish keeps my score down. A reasonable QPR at $17, and better than that if this improves with decant and/or time. Update: 4 hours later, this has not come together, and may have actually declined. The "ashtray" note mentioned by a prior reviewer is spot on and more noticeable now....something that seems to come about via a combination of the green, oak and astringent notes that dominate this. I initially rated this "88", but would have to take it down 2-3 points as it's drinking right now. And damn, now I can't get that ashtray note out of my head as I try to evaluate the finish on this. If I were logged into the "beta" site, I would click the "Don't Like" button.
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11/27/2011 - RPerro wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Initial nose of green pepper with raspberry fruit gave way to full, rich blackberries, with a touch of dirt. A tad stemmy at first, I thought this really hit on all cylinders around the 4 hour mark. Creamy mouthfeel, very rich and silky with a lot of fruit, and well-integrated tannins. Had this with some spicy chicken and it was not a great pairing, but decent. Much better on its own.
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10/8/2011 - pinotwinelover wrote: 92 Points
This is not a pop and pour wine. Once decanted and it sits for awhile this really opens up nicely. Perfect blend of old world new world. For the price I paid ridiculous.
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9/24/2011 - jayw wrote: 89 Points
Odd nose of old leather, green bell pepper, sandalwood and spice, with a candied floral lilt. More of same on palate, with chocolate, plum, coffee and tobacco. Thick texture, with lots of sediment. Dry tannic finish.
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8/29/2011 - enjoyvino wrote: 87 Points
I know this wine takes a long decant. Even after 3 hours this still had a strong tar/tobacco and disjointed feel to it. Too much like a dirty ashtray for me. I guess I am not that patient but I was a little dissapointed.
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8/25/2011 - jimmythesaint wrote:
Not bad but not real good.
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8/20/2011 - andtheodor wrote: 84 Points
Thick, chocolate, espresso, blueberry. High-toned enough to avoid being fatiguing but the oak lends a lot of toothpaste to the dense berry palate. These wines are just so far out of whack they're barely enjoyable despite being concentrated and technically well-made.
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8/5/2011 - bravenec wrote: 90 Points
Little tight on opening. Much longer finish on night 2.
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7/23/2011 - toddjerry wrote: 88 Points
Starting to feel a bit overdone. Big, deep, dark purple color. Sediment floating around. Good fruit, round in the mouth, lacks an edge.
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7/18/2011 - maxmanx wrote:
I preferred the 04, but still a nice wine and very good QPR.
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6/16/2011 - PBG wrote: 89 Points
Pop and pour. Very deep purple color. Cherry and vanilla on the nose. Good fruit flavors, black cherry seems dominant. Nicely balanced, very well made. Slightly tannic finish that could benefit from a little more time but it is drinking well now.
1 hour later - very smooth, almost creamy on the palate. Very nice.
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6/5/2011 - goodbertgrapes wrote: 88 Points
Big and fruity, but too much oak. Will let this mellow for a while, has potential with coffee and caramel undertones.
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5/30/2011 - WDK wrote: 89 Points
Nice rb blend. Good value from Garagiste.
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5/12/2011 - toddjerry wrote: 89 Points
Solid again, dark red color, vanilla and oak, good balance. A little sediment flows throughout that leaves dusty taste in mouth. But still very good for the price.
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5/7/2011 - whinenut wrote: 90 Points
Well made wine. At pour nice clean fruit with sweet grainy dry tannins. Nice finish. Excelllent value. Held well over the 5 hours after opening. The 2004 is preferred over the this.
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4/11/2011 - toddjerry wrote: 89 Points
Dark, opaque, ruby red in the glass. Popped and poured, let sit in the glass for a while. Vanilla on the nose. Still very big, has lots of potential. Fruit is nicely balanced with oak and tannin. Great value at $16, should get better in the bottle. Nicely made.
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3/27/2011 - Dale M wrote: 88 Points
Very ripe nose, dark plums and spice, rich, but the palate had a very hard lined vitamin profile that I had a hard time getting past, it eventually blew off, good enough wine for the discounted price, I think I like the 04 a bit more.
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3/10/2011 - devman wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for two hours before drinking. Plenty of sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Rich nose of lavender, cherry, blueberry and vanilla. Smooth, rich mouthfeel, coating the palate with black cherry, slight black pepper, and boysenberry. Medium acid and smooth refined tannins make this a real winner. Drink now through 2015 or so. Not sure it'll last much longer than that.
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11/7/2010 - dsgris wrote: 91 Points
Dark inky purple, red fruits, cherries & oak nose. One hour open to start, fruit over powered by the oak. 4 hours later the fruit is starting to come through, still pretty tight with a tannic finish. Needs more cellar time, revisit in a year, should age well. Night two, red and blue fruits on the nose, very diminished oak, strong fruit with slightly harsh tannins and a hint of bitter, long bell pepper finish. Up one point. It is getting better day by day. I opened much too early. Day 3, roses on the nose and still tight. Drinking with sharp cheddar, good combo. Still a little bitter on the finish. Losing harshness in the glass with air. If the bitter and tannins integrate, a couple more points are within reach. Cellar for several more years. Night four, beautiful nose, cherries, cassis, bitterness gone, tannins still prevalent on the finish.
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11/1/2010 - enjoyvino wrote: 89 Points
This bottle requires at least 5 hours decanting. Still tastes very primary. After 5 hours started to come together and integrate through the palate. Nice soft nose of floral, baking spice and dark fruit. Needs time.
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4/6/2008 - Ecbatana wrote: 90 Points
2008 Taste of Washington (Qwest Field Event Center, Seattle): Another stellar offering and vintage of Camille. Although I found this overshadowed by the new cab. dominated Nicholas Cole Michele.
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