Had this with some spicy sausage grilled over open fire and it was amazing again. Still has life in it and it's so balanced right now. I wish I had another case of this sitting in my cellar for the next 5 years. The black pepper like spiky spiciness of the previous bottles gave way to a much muted but balanced mild peppers.
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Last in '14, eh? Well, this is definitely seeming "drink up" at this point, but not unenjoyable. Medium (+) ruby color, veering towards crimson. Aromas of dark and dark red fruits, dried meat, mint, and a touch of oxidation. Medium (+) body, acid, and finish, with flavors of dark and dark red fruits, meat, and mineral.
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First I've had of these; it's a nice wine. Dense crimson color. Aromas and flavors of black and dark red fruits, dried flowers, cedar, and garrigue. Balanced, but with power, and pretty good length. Better after an hour or so in the decanter.
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Unfortunately this was oxidized to the point of not being pleasant to drink. I could tell there was some nice dark fruit underneath, but never made it past the oxidative flavors.
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Much better since my last tasting note last year. Aromas of dark berries and black peppers. More integrated since last year and showing its ripeness with the black sour cherries, plums, and some spices; tannins have softened a bit. Wish I have another bottle or two to try in a year, but alas, this is my last one.
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The wine opened up really nicely. Nice spices and fruit aromas all in harmony. Very nice subtle but pronounced finish. Will age it even longer and see what happens as we move along. I think it will only get better with a couple of years under its belt.
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Well balanced with robust yet restrained fruit. Hose nose of cedar, plum and dark berries. The spiciness of the cedar continues on the palate. Tannins are firm but just right. Long finish. Has more character and ability to pair with food than most US cabs.
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Open and drinking well now... Popped, poured and decanted over a 4 hour period... best after an hour or two open... Big, ripe, and modern, with concentrated fruit.. surprisingly reminiscent of some big, ripe, fruit forward Napa/Sonoma Cabs or Port... Rather simple, with concentrated black cherry liqueur, dried black currant, intermingled with dark chocolate, black licorice and spice... Delicious and enjoyable, if your in the mood for a big, ripe, fruit-forward wine... I was this evening and enjoyed it without food.. Well balanced for size... Full-bodied and mouth-coating, with dusty tannins, decent acid, and a lingering finish of dried currants, black licorice, chocolate and spice. No complaints, this was exactly what I had expected... Great QPR! Will probably be enjoyable for another couple years, though no need to wait.
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Nice mouthfeel, very flavorful medium body and full of fruit. Decanted for a couple of hours. Spice is evident but well balanced. Long finish. Much better and balanced than my last bottle a year ago. Shared with friends and they preferred it to a 1990 Modavi Reserve Cab.
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Aromas of licorice and mint, which continue onto the palate along with notes of cherries and spice. Good tannin/acid balance, and the lack of oak makes it quite pure.
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Decanted for an hour. Dark ruby in color. Beautiful on the nose -- floral with sweet red fruits like cherries and plums. Some blackberries and eucalyptus as well. Spicy, hot and dry on the mouth accompanied by dark red fruits; but they get along so well. Noticed the tannins as well. Wonder what another year or two would bring to this?
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Lots of red fruit, initially a bit muted but opened up some after an hour. Nice mouthfeel, sweet cherry on the front palate that changes to sour cheries on the mid palate and then there is a long spicy finish. But the spice hits hard - makes the wine almost hot. Wasn't sure if the finish was alcohol hot or just very spicy. Some tannins evident on the finish but well balanced. Excellent for those who like very spicy wines. I would have preferred a bit less spice. Very good wine otherwise. Let's see what day two brings.
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Just fabulous, again. Ready to drink now. Might cellar ok for 2-3 more yrs. Wine has some of the best, most complex balanced and strong spice profile I've ever experienced: in the mouth spices of cardamom, ginger, anise, and a bit of cinnamon that seem to surf forward on smooth, drying tannins and dry smooth even creamy dark fruit (plum, cherry, fig). It's hard to stop drinking it (in 1 oz increments, mind you). I opened it because "gee its 6 yrs old now" and now I'm so sorry I could not share with several other people tonight. As before, benefits from some air time, decant it about an hour. Wine has strong nose similar in aroma to a port or amaretto. 15% abv (wow). Body medium plus, acid medium plus, tannin medium, maybe lower. 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, Carignan 5%, Cinsault 5%. Very tasty. Excellent QPR as tested at USD 15.
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Day 1 - Poured off a few glasses and decanted for an hour. Nose of sweet cherries jumps from the glass. On the palate, the fruit is overwhelmed by earth, earth and more earth but that is not necessarily a bad thing. VinVac and opened two nights later. Still sweet cherry on the nose but a more interesting palate dominated by black fruits with the earth in the background. had the rest of my wife's glass two hours later and after the air, much more of the earth was in the forefront.
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Poured through Vinturi. Nose was initially closed but with some time, sweet, red fruit comes out. On the palate, it is a smooth and balanced wine with a mix of earth and fruit. A very dry but lingering finish.
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This wine is dark dark dark. Inky dark red color. The nose is peaty with dark red fruits. The palate is earthy with dark plums, dark cherries, blackberries and hints of tobacco and leather. Just opened this bottle. The alcohol is a little disjointed but that should integrate with an hour or two of air.
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Inky dark red color. Nose of peat and dark fruits. Earthy on the palate with dark red plums, cherries and blackberries. Just opened. The disjointed alcohol should resolve after an hour or two of air.
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PnP - muted nose with some heat. A little thin. After 2 hours, it's really singing. Big time sweet nose of blackberry liquour, cigar smoke, and gingerbread. Some chocolate and orange peel. Drying tannins on the finish. Very interesting wine. Even better on night 2. It picked up weight and wasn't as dry. I think this will age for 5 more years easy.
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Decanted for 2 hours and drank over the course of dinner. Earthy with dark fruit-figs, plums are predominant. Some smoke, tobacco and leather. Great bottle-well balanced. Drink now with decant but don't cellar for too long.
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NC Cindy Tasting. Still the same translucent red as the previous wines, but a trace darker and without bricking, the nose on this wine is decidedly New World - sweet, and blackfruit. Lots of blackberry and dark black cherries dominate this very aromatic wine. Those same flavors carry through on the palate, and it is the polar opposite of the Chateau des Tours. There is not a trace of funk here, and this is all about the extracted fruit and candy. This is not liqueur, though, as it contains the 15% alcohol quite well. There are not too many secondary flavors, yet, and this has years left on it. It does gain some additional depth with air time. I like this a lot, although it maybe isn't quite up to the 91 Parker score. Still, it is well worth the $26 after-tax price, as long as you are feeling for an Aussie-like wine from southern France. This is a nice effort, although I think I liked it considerably more than most of the other folks at the table.
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V. interesting wine; felt v. closed, especially on the nose, yet it still showed excellent structure, despite a stated 15% alcohol; no clue what to make of the wine, but I have three more, and I don't foresee trying another for a year or so, even though it's enjoyable now -- it's just so thick and dense that it seems to hold the promise of something far more intriguing
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Aromas of dark berries and a little cocoa powder. Very dry but sweet black fruit on the palate. The full bodied mouth feel envelops the entire palate. Bone dry finish.
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Eureka! We have found it! This is a wonderful blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Cinsault all working seamlessly to produce a wine flush with spice and tremendous character. Philippe Gimel has done a wonderful job blending this nearly opulent wine. And for the price, there is no question that this is a taste experience you owe yourself. Certainly not everyone's cup of tea, so to speak, but my bet is that paired with well-chosen foods, you'll find yourself fascinated with the complexity of this lovely effort. Well done Mssr. Gimel and we look forward to experiencing this wine with many meals in the future.
http://fearnowine.com
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Medium dark red. Milky choccolate aromas despite having no new oak upbringing. Also some mint and thyme. Sweet attack and easy, sexily low acid stylings.
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Very unusual. Worth a try for price as tested, in the mid teens. Paired very well with a Herbs-de-Provence chicken pasta (basil, onion, garlic, thyme, olive oil) and also well with special Indian dishes (Madras lentils featuring ginger). Benefits from some air time, decant it about an hour. Wine has strong nose similar in aroma to a port or amaretto and in the mouth spices of cardamom, ginger, anise, and a bit of cinnamon that seem to surf forward on smooth, drying tannins and dry smooth fruit. One person remarked the wine had a gingerbread flavor. Hints of citrus with dark creamy smooth and hard-to-identify dark fruit flavors (plum is one) under the spices. Body medium, acid medium, tannin medium or lower. 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, and the remainder Carignan and Cinsault. Very tasty.
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6/20/2021 - Mossrose wrote: 92 Points
At 16 years of age this wine was drinking very well! Some fruit and tannins left, can age longer.
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9/16/2018 - vsirvanci Likes this wine: 91 Points
Had this with some spicy sausage grilled over open fire and it was amazing again. Still has life in it and it's so balanced right now. I wish I had another case of this sitting in my cellar for the next 5 years. The black pepper like spiky spiciness of the previous bottles gave way to a much muted but balanced mild peppers.
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1/28/2018 - studleytrey wrote: 89 Points
Last in '14, eh? Well, this is definitely seeming "drink up" at this point, but not unenjoyable. Medium (+) ruby color, veering towards crimson. Aromas of dark and dark red fruits, dried meat, mint, and a touch of oxidation. Medium (+) body, acid, and finish, with flavors of dark and dark red fruits, meat, and mineral.
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10/25/2014 - ctbob wrote:
As before
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10/4/2014 - studleytrey Likes this wine: 91 Points
First I've had of these; it's a nice wine. Dense crimson color. Aromas and flavors of black and dark red fruits, dried flowers, cedar, and garrigue. Balanced, but with power, and pretty good length. Better after an hour or so in the decanter.
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1/18/2014 - ctbob Likes this wine:
Drinking so well right now -- lean, but in a v. good way
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12/15/2013 - jfarley3 wrote: 90 Points
Holding up well. Well rounded, good acidity, full flush robust dark red fruit, moderate tannins and a nice finish. Good value.
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12/15/2013 - ctbob Likes this wine:
Group's #1, my #2 in a blind flight of any S. Rhones... Fully ready, mid-weight, with v. sound structure; drink up
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12/2/2012 - BuffaloLou wrote: flawed
Bottle tastes like it 'cooked' in the hot Sun. Still a lot of fruit, but there's an oxidized taste to it. Not rating; entering as flawed.
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12/2/2012 - David_T wrote: flawed
Unfortunately this was oxidized to the point of not being pleasant to drink. I could tell there was some nice dark fruit underneath, but never made it past the oxidative flavors.
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11/19/2012 - AMC Eagle wrote: 93 Points
Much better since my last tasting note last year. Aromas of dark berries and black peppers. More integrated since last year and showing its ripeness with the black sour cherries, plums, and some spices; tannins have softened a bit. Wish I have another bottle or two to try in a year, but alas, this is my last one.
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10/19/2012 - vsirvanci wrote: 91 Points
The wine opened up really nicely. Nice spices and fruit aromas all in harmony. Very nice subtle but pronounced finish. Will age it even longer and see what happens as we move along. I think it will only get better with a couple of years under its belt.
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7/6/2012 - jfarley3 wrote: 90 Points
Well balanced with robust yet restrained fruit. Hose nose of cedar, plum and dark berries. The spiciness of the cedar continues on the palate. Tannins are firm but just right. Long finish. Has more character and ability to pair with food than most US cabs.
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6/20/2012 - Personal Opinion wrote:
Open and drinking well now... Popped, poured and decanted over a 4 hour period... best after an hour or two open... Big, ripe, and modern, with concentrated fruit.. surprisingly reminiscent of some big, ripe, fruit forward Napa/Sonoma Cabs or Port... Rather simple, with concentrated black cherry liqueur, dried black currant, intermingled with dark chocolate, black licorice and spice... Delicious and enjoyable, if your in the mood for a big, ripe, fruit-forward wine... I was this evening and enjoyed it without food.. Well balanced for size... Full-bodied and mouth-coating, with dusty tannins, decent acid, and a lingering finish of dried currants, black licorice, chocolate and spice. No complaints, this was exactly what I had expected... Great QPR! Will probably be enjoyable for another couple years, though no need to wait.
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5/28/2012 - Kentw wrote: 91 Points
Nice mouthfeel, very flavorful medium body and full of fruit. Decanted for a couple of hours. Spice is evident but well balanced. Long finish.
Much better and balanced than my last bottle a year ago. Shared with friends and they preferred it to a 1990 Modavi Reserve Cab.
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12/5/2011 - David_T wrote: 89 Points
Aromas of licorice and mint, which continue onto the palate along with notes of cherries and spice. Good tannin/acid balance, and the lack of oak makes it quite pure.
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10/15/2011 - Muchacho wrote: 90 Points
We really liked this again. Nice spice, fruit, and Rhone funk (although the funk is pretty mild).
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10/14/2011 - AMC Eagle wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. Dark ruby in color. Beautiful on the nose -- floral with sweet red fruits like cherries and plums. Some blackberries and eucalyptus as well. Spicy, hot and dry on the mouth accompanied by dark red fruits; but they get along so well. Noticed the tannins as well. Wonder what another year or two would bring to this?
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8/29/2011 - ecola Likes this wine: 90 Points
Aromas and flavors of dark berries, a little sawdust, black pepper, and black tea. Medium to full body. Very dry yet sweet tannins.
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8/19/2011 - Kentw wrote: 89 Points
Lots of red fruit, initially a bit muted but opened up some after an hour. Nice mouthfeel, sweet cherry on the front palate that changes to sour cheries on the mid palate and then there is a long spicy finish. But the spice hits hard - makes the wine almost hot. Wasn't sure if the finish was alcohol hot or just very spicy. Some tannins evident on the finish but well balanced. Excellent for those who like very spicy wines. I would have preferred a bit less spice. Very good wine otherwise. Let's see what day two brings.
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8/14/2011 - dynowine wrote: 91 Points
Just fabulous, again. Ready to drink now. Might cellar ok for 2-3 more yrs. Wine has some of the best, most complex balanced and strong spice profile I've ever experienced: in the mouth spices of cardamom, ginger, anise, and a bit of cinnamon that seem to surf forward on smooth, drying tannins and dry smooth even creamy dark fruit (plum, cherry, fig). It's hard to stop drinking it (in 1 oz increments, mind you). I opened it because "gee its 6 yrs old now" and now I'm so sorry I could not share with several other people tonight. As before, benefits from some air time, decant it about an hour. Wine has strong nose similar in aroma to a port or amaretto. 15% abv (wow). Body medium plus, acid medium plus, tannin medium, maybe lower. 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, Carignan 5%, Cinsault 5%. Very tasty. Excellent QPR as tested at USD 15.
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8/14/2011 - PSUSteve Likes this wine: 91 Points
Day 1 - Poured off a few glasses and decanted for an hour. Nose of sweet cherries jumps from the glass. On the palate, the fruit is overwhelmed by earth, earth and more earth but that is not necessarily a bad thing. VinVac and opened two nights later. Still sweet cherry on the nose but a more interesting palate dominated by black fruits with the earth in the background. had the rest of my wife's glass two hours later and after the air, much more of the earth was in the forefront.
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7/13/2011 - PSUSteve Likes this wine: 91 Points
Poured through Vinturi. Nose was initially closed but with some time, sweet, red fruit comes out. On the palate, it is a smooth and balanced wine with a mix of earth and fruit. A very dry but lingering finish.
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6/23/2011 - Greginnd wrote: 90 Points
This wine is dark dark dark. Inky dark red color. The nose is peaty with dark red fruits. The palate is earthy with dark plums, dark cherries, blackberries and hints of tobacco and leather. Just opened this bottle. The alcohol is a little disjointed but that should integrate with an hour or two of air.
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6/23/2011 - Greginnd wrote: 90 Points
Inky dark red color. Nose of peat and dark fruits. Earthy on the palate with dark red plums, cherries and blackberries. Just opened. The disjointed alcohol should resolve after an hour or two of air.
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5/23/2011 - scotty_b wrote: 91 Points
PnP - muted nose with some heat. A little thin. After 2 hours, it's really singing. Big time sweet nose of blackberry liquour, cigar smoke, and gingerbread. Some chocolate and orange peel. Drying tannins on the finish. Very interesting wine. Even better on night 2. It picked up weight and wasn't as dry. I think this will age for 5 more years easy.
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5/23/2011 - Eugene wrote: 90 Points
This wine drinks like really nice Cdp.
Decanted for 2 hours and drank over the course of dinner.
Earthy with dark fruit-figs, plums are predominant.
Some smoke, tobacco and leather.
Great bottle-well balanced.
Drink now with decant but don't cellar for too long.
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5/21/2011 - Phredd wrote: 90 Points
NC Cindy Tasting. Still the same translucent red as the previous wines, but a trace darker and without bricking, the nose on this wine is decidedly New World - sweet, and blackfruit. Lots of blackberry and dark black cherries dominate this very aromatic wine. Those same flavors carry through on the palate, and it is the polar opposite of the Chateau des Tours. There is not a trace of funk here, and this is all about the extracted fruit and candy. This is not liqueur, though, as it contains the 15% alcohol quite well. There are not too many secondary flavors, yet, and this has years left on it. It does gain some additional depth with air time. I like this a lot, although it maybe isn't quite up to the 91 Parker score. Still, it is well worth the $26 after-tax price, as long as you are feeling for an Aussie-like wine from southern France. This is a nice effort, although I think I liked it considerably more than most of the other folks at the table.
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4/13/2011 - ctbob wrote:
V. interesting wine; felt v. closed, especially on the nose, yet it still showed excellent structure, despite a stated 15% alcohol; no clue what to make of the wine, but I have three more, and I don't foresee trying another for a year or so, even though it's enjoyable now -- it's just so thick and dense that it seems to hold the promise of something far more intriguing
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4/12/2011 - ecola Likes this wine: 90 Points
Aromas of dark berries and a little cocoa powder. Very dry but sweet black fruit on the palate. The full bodied mouth feel envelops the entire palate. Bone dry finish.
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4/4/2011 - Muchacho wrote: 89 Points
Decanted ~ 1h. Well balanced, sweet and fruity. No overly sweet though. Went well with pork
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3/25/2011 - melody2120 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Mint on the nose. Dark fruit and plum on the palate, sweet & fruity with high tannin finish.
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8/9/2010 - vinblog wrote: 91 Points
A solid wine with good complexity and balance. It needs at least an hour in the decanter to fully evolve and unleash its sweet fruity potential.
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7/30/2010 - smokeshowing wrote: 93 Points
Eureka! We have found it! This is a wonderful blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Cinsault all working seamlessly to produce a wine flush with spice and tremendous character. Philippe Gimel has done a wonderful job blending this nearly opulent wine. And for the price, there is no question that this is a taste experience you owe yourself. Certainly not everyone's cup of tea, so to speak, but my bet is that paired with well-chosen foods, you'll find yourself fascinated with the complexity of this lovely effort. Well done Mssr. Gimel and we look forward to experiencing this wine with many meals in the future.
http://fearnowine.com
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7/15/2010 - tcfishler wrote:
Medium dark red. Milky choccolate aromas despite having no new oak upbringing. Also some mint and thyme. Sweet attack and easy, sexily low acid stylings.
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4/10/2010 - dynowine wrote: 91 Points
Very unusual. Worth a try for price as tested, in the mid teens. Paired very well with a Herbs-de-Provence chicken pasta (basil, onion, garlic, thyme, olive oil) and also well with special Indian dishes (Madras lentils featuring ginger). Benefits from some air time, decant it about an hour. Wine has strong nose similar in aroma to a port or amaretto and in the mouth spices of cardamom, ginger, anise, and a bit of cinnamon that seem to surf forward on smooth, drying tannins and dry smooth fruit. One person remarked the wine had a gingerbread flavor. Hints of citrus with dark creamy smooth and hard-to-identify dark fruit flavors (plum is one) under the spices. Body medium, acid medium, tannin medium or lower. 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, and the remainder Carignan and Cinsault. Very tasty.
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4/2/2010 - gjv115 wrote: 89 Points
Very good. Smooth, complex, ready
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3/1/2010 - hutch wrote: 87 Points
Headrick/European Cellars Portfolio Tasting (Boston): Super ripe. Too much.
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