On the nose, smoke, tar, and concentrated black fruit. On the palette, more smoke, liquorice, bitter chocolate, black pepper, and still some black fruit. Certainly mainly tertiary and definitely way on to the back nine but what a performance from the appellation by Saint Cosme.
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From magnum. Good plummy fruit with a touch of graphite shows it's maturity, and it's on the edge of, but not quite into, oxidation. Definitely time to drink up.
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Low acidity, but I think it came that way (not just age). No detectable barnyard, unlike other tasters. A little thin in the mouth, maybe the Grenache heavy blend. Medium level tannins, no finish to speak of. Maybe drinkable for the uninitiated. clay dust on the nose. some red fruit. some cocoa powder.
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Still great. Great combination of still powerfull, slightly warm fruit and some development with light smoke, black pepper, truffle salami and olives in brine. Medium lengt to the spicy finish.
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From magnum. Cork easily removed; barely stained. Pretty, medium red color. Very nice texture, still lots of fruit, not overly extracted. Carries the extra alcohol very well. Very drinkable and what an incredible bargain for what it delivers.
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A deep, dark cherry-skin red colour. Reductive, slow to open, even after 2 hours in the decanter, but when it does, it shows very dark fruit, especially very dark cherry. Quite animally, though. Full body. Slightly tannic. Grenache generosity and structure. A little short of a good length, but with nice sweet fruit. The tannins persist. While this wine is very good, it is a bit on the rustic side at this stage.
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This is very reduced and difficult to clear but it's critical because the fruit underneath the reduction is very nice. I used about 3-4 minutes of copper after decanting and it changed dramatically but I didn't realize until after maybe another 30 minutes when it blossomed again that initially I didn't give it enough time with a penny. Dark syrah fruit notes with some floral red that shows up after the reduction is completely clear, licorice, smoke but integrating compared to its youth. Big and ripe feel but a persistent, not completely negative, especially with food, light green tannin on the finish. Very enjoyable and good QPR.
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Sista flaskan är fortfarande härlig att dricka en sommarkväll på gården till grillningen. Packad med mogen frukt och syrah-köttighet, skön doft och munkänsla.
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Rich, ripe fruit and plenty of it still. There is also a strong dose of slightly green tannin. Those things plus the tar and deep color make me think this has a lot of Syrah in it. There is a touch of spice in the background that I would hope would come out more with more time. No rush to drink this and I honestly wished I had waited longer. Still rich and tannic on night two. Solid and a good example of what can be had at a good price from CdR.
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Garnet color and aromas of tobacco and soy sauce and has flavours of smokey, hazelnut, dusty and tobacco - I would have liked a little more fruit. Dark coffee, not a lingering wine, tobacco on the nose.
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Ruby with a garnet rim. Ripe plums and raspberries, blueberries, violets and an edge of garrigue herbs. Very smooth, good dark fruits on medium + bodied palate. Ultra smooth tannins and medium acidity form the edges to this lovely CDR.
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My last bottle, with my last tasting being a year ago. The extraction and tarry notes from earlier bottles are completely gone now, but so is the fruit intensity. Still a pretty bright red fruit profile with medium plus acidity, but a fairly short finish. A nice match with pork roast, but I would drink these soon.
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Still needs considerable time in the decanter and generally better on day 2 and even day 3. Big, rich, concentrated. Fruit dominated, and while good on that front, lakcs elsewhere. Very good structure for a lowly cdr. After enough air, this is quite good. But it does need that air.
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An excellent value for money wine. Deep ruby with a narrow rim. Expressive and juicy with plums, charcoal, liquorice, milk chocolate and some reductiveness. Broad in palate with medium - acidity and supple ripe and clay textured tannins that balance warm alcohol and medium full body. Satisfactory length with chocolatey and nutty aftertaste. Rich and mouthfilling with no hard edges.
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This wine is still very young, no real change in the last 12 months. Very dark, sexily smooth and very fruity - blackberry comport and with a sweet front end but a nice savoury finish. Great CdR - I think I will leave it another year before trying again.
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Blackish eggplant color. Sassafras and pitchblende nose. Over-ripe raspberry flavor. Acidity is not quite right. I don't see a reason to hold this, fruit is starting to fade.
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Muted aromatics but lovely palate. Rich, smooth texture, good intensity if not terribly complex. A really nice syrah for every day drinking. Can age for a bit yet.
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I still love this wine. For QPR it always delivers and a lot better than a lot of syrah from other regions. The nose has ripe raspberry, dark fruit, garrigue, with a hint of river stone. The palate is a bit chalky with red fruit, mineral, good acid with a med finish. Last bottle...sad.
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Terrific bottle. This time, pop and pour and a lot warmer than usual. A little funk on initial opening, but that blew off quickly. Violets, blueberries, earth, a little barnyard, deli, and plum candy on the nose. Lovely palate of dark berries, licorice, minerals, and earth. Fairly rich, but nice acidity. Great mouth feel. Medium/long finish. Happy this was so awesome, sad that there's only one bottle left. 90-91
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Dark crimson/purple color. Starts out a little grapey, almost syrupy. As it breathes, notes of incense, herbs and spices appear. Flavors of dark fruit, raspberry liqueur, clove and garrigue. Tannins are just a bit chalky, but supported by a wealth of rich fruit. Nice finish. A terrific "burger wine".
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Deep ruby colour. Nose is very reductive and has barnyard aromas. With some airing reduction recede without ever disappearing completely. Yet the wine has such nice depth behind the reduction that it almost doesn't matter. Spicy red and black fruit along with violets mostly. In the palate it is substantial without being heavy, it has refreshing acidity, freshness of fruit, good length and good intensity. Despite the reduction 92 point for the sheer pleasure it gives. Next day unhappily the wine was oxidized and the fruit was more raisiny.
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This was my 11th bottle (still have one more) and one of the best to date, although it started with intense funk/reduction that used almost 3 hours in the decanter to disappear completely. After this, lovely syrah aromatics took over, with violets, dark berries and spices. Med+ bodied and perfectly balanced with rich fruit, silky tannins and balancing acidity. Long finish. The dusty/loamy element I noticed at the previous bottle was absent here. My friend with whom I shared it could hardly believe this is a less than 15 Euros bottle of wine!
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Not that appealing right on opening, but much better with food. Earthiness mixes with the fruit, with minerals that are different than I'm used to in other Rhones. Can't quite put my finger on the difference. WS says iron notes, which could be what I'm tasting vs. the more typical (to me) clay & limestone.
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Dark garnet. Coffee, black pepper, violets and dark berries on the nose. Almost full-bodied, dense with rich, ripe fruit, velvety tannins and a medium+, loamy finish. Signs of overmaturity are just starting to appear.
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Getting better. Popped and poured. Practically black, cherries galore and stinky horses arse. Sweet but also savory, powerful but doesn't hit you on the head. Nice finish.
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One of the good bottles, without funk and with sufficient acidity (which, as I have noticed, is remarkably higher in "clean" bottles than in those with funky aromas). Paired nicely with a heavily sauced wild boar during New Year's eve dinner. Still have one left. Best value red for 2010 without any doubt, despite bottle variation.
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Gave this bottle a 30 minute decant (you must decant this wine at least 30 minutes). There was such a strong brett-y smell that it took nearly 4 more hours for enough to burn off. Underneath the brett there was really nice blackberry, licorice, leather, earth...good complexity. Unfortunately, the brett was too much for me. 87-89
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Clearly some bottle variation in this. Same rich nose of dark berries, tar and licorice but a bit metallic and musty. Palate was more one-dimensional before, all about layers of fruit but lacking freshness and no savoury notes. Finshed sweet and syrupy.
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Strong sweaty sock brett on the nose with some boysenberry and cassis underneath. Some greenish woody notes also that come into the palate as well. The brett is confirmed with a metallic feel on the finish. The fruit is wide open and rich and there is strong late tannin. The brett put a damper on an otherwise good wine. Its just a bit too strong. Otherwise this is still on its way up.
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Freaking fruit bomb. Where is it from? Spain, Australia, South America? Well honestly, it could be from any of those places. Only dark fruits, tarry with alcohol. One glass and it went down the sink. This is way over extracted.
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When opened, it showed like a decent French table red, but over 2-3 hours it turned into another beast altogether - deep rich fruit with solid flavors and finish. A huge hit at the event I brought it to.
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Deep red colour, dark brooding glass of young red wine, with beatifully sweet fruit escaping from the glass. Lots of dense strong berry fruit, a bit of leather and spice. Palate shows no heat and great balance, primary fruit but backed up with silky tannic structure and a lovely savoury medium-long finish. There can't be many better value red wines around than this. Will continue to improve for 2-3 at least.
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Dark red/purple. Forward nose of ripe jammy dark berries, herbs, tar, less funk than prior bottles. Full-bodied, rich ripe fruit good balance, some complexity, medium-long finish, excellent.
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Spritzy as the previous one, blew off after 30 min or so. Deep red, dark fruit, nice acids and a savage character. Pleasant finish. Went very well with the braised pork belly. Nice wine, better showing than last.
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definitely coats the tongue with smooth fruit. the initial finish - far back on the tongue - has nice acidity, then finishes again with soft fruit. excellent quality for price
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Wow, quite an improvement from the last 2 bottles I had 6 and 12 months ago! Amazing nose (91-92-pts), nice nice palette (89 pts), but somewhat short finish (86 pts) with still a fair amount of heat. Drank better at cooler temperature (~60C). Definitely a great experience for the $15 I paid! Test again in 6 and 12 months.
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Alcohol : 14% Dark core with purplish core. Perfumy dark fruits with ash, smoke, floral and peppery spice that is very welcoming. Med body palate that is quite sappy with good richness and finishing with ash and mineral spiciness. This pair really well with the steak that bring out more sweet fruits and rounder mouth feel. Have drank this several times and this did not disappointed for what it is. Buy - No.
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Decanted for over 1 hour. Color was deep, dark purple. The nose was earthly, like fresh soil. Oddly enough I also got the aroma of mustard. Medium body, nice balance, leaning towards the dry side. Tannins were apparent on the finish. Overall a nice enjoyable wine. 50,5,12,16,6=89
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Hmm, this was not as good as the previous two. Spritzy on opening, mellowed down over an hour or so but still showed dilute and rough. It was much better with the grilled flank, but still not a good showing. With 9 to go, I hope this was a random flaw.
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Drank a couple days ago, so no formal notes, but among the dozens of 2007 CDRs that I've consumed over the past year+, this continues to be one of the best and certainly one of the best values. Even better than it was upon last drinking, 6 months ago.
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dark purple, smoke and tar on nose, maybe a hint of floral as others have noted, med body, balanced, consistent plumminess (?), nice finish, little spice and minor metallic notes; probably about as good as it gets for $14
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This time there were no funky/reductive aromas and this bottle was my best to date. Very dark ruby-purple as usual. Remarkably improved nose with garrigue, violets, blackberries and black pepper. Mid+ bodied and round with silky tanins, opulent fruit and balancing acidity. Med+ finish. Extremely savoury and great QPR.
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Tar, stems, iron and animals after opening, a little disjoined. After ~2 hours in a glass this really opens up and the nose fill up with more fruit, licorice, dust, smoke and leather. On the palate this has sweet dark fruit (cherries and prunes), leather and meat and only a bit of iron note. it finishes with good acidity, mild tannins and some tarry bitterness that provide a nice refreshment. Very dark and dense. Right out of the bottle 86-87, after it opens 89-90. This was excellent on the fourth night (under vacuvin), and showed more floral side on the nose and much more prominent tannins on the finish.
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I am a Rhone Lover, so somewhat biased. Dark Color, nearly opaque. Day one lots of cherry ant Tar. Day two the fruit and floral character more prominent. Medium bodied, smooth, but a mouth coating plush feel. It overs lots of sour-patch Cherry. Some lighter tones of herb, but not overly green. Would buy again, and very food friendly!!!
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was a little ragged at first but gathered its legs after about 30-45 minutes. [one person really liked it right after opening.] pretty smooth was light finish.
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Very dark ruby. Reductive aromas that fade away after aeration. Meat, berries, violets and some black pepper. Mid-full bodied and round with very soft tanins. rich fruit and balancing acidity. Fairly long finish. Close to its prime, has mellowed signifficantly since last tasting.
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Maybe it's April Fool's but although still quite acidic, this was almost devoid of barnyard after a 2 hour decant. Very pleasant, but not as disitinctive as earlier. This may also be starting its descent.
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Magnum. Surprisingly less dense in both color and feel than previous bottles. More airy with a mixture of fruit rather than all blackberry compote. This bottle also had a violet florality which I had not found before. I like the way this evolved over the past year. It does not seem as extracted and overwhelming in its current state.
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I was thrilled to find this one at Costco here, but I would caution that it needs some serious air before becoming pleasant. Popped and poured, this wine is inky purple/black and possesses considerable weight on the palate. The tannins were just dominant at first and felt as if they were attacking my tongue. After about 45 minutes, the wine calmed down a bit and offered dark fruits, a noticeable gamey quality, and a spicey finish. After a year or two this wine might show more, but right now it's very primary. That is not to say that it isn't a fantastic QPR and a real pleasure to drink.***1/2
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Dark crimson. Wild berries and a meaty smell on the nose, followed by a soft, full and well balanced palate with sweet dark fruit and a hint of herbs. Harmonious and pleasing, very nice drink! Ready now. Good Value. 14% alc.
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Couldn't find anything to decant into (thought I had something, but may have got lost in a move and didn't want to buy another). Day 1 had a glass through a vinturi, it was a bit funky with a lot of red to dark fruit and quite a bit of black pepper, nice aroma, but was a bit tight. Left to sit for about a day and a half down to the middle of the shoulder. Opened a bit more on day 2 and was a lot more fruity, but lost its funk, not too exciting and still pretty tight. Left it for another 2 days about half full. Day 4 is a lot of buttered popcorn, with the fruit taking a back seat now, but regained a little funkiness that the fruit was covering and has just a tiny bit of spice on it too. Feel is spot on now, quite balanced now and just a tad on the drying side, but very enjoyable. Good long finish. Sadly, I can only compare this to new world syrahs, all of the Rhones I've had as grenache based, but this trumps any syrah I've had. I did really enjoy the last couple glasses. Guess I'll have to buy a new decanter so I can enjoy this one a little quicker next time haha. Definitely worth the price of admission.
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I really enjoy this wine. Nice nose of dark fruits and a chalk like minerality. Excellent balance. Fruit tastes of blueberries with a bit of earth and a dustiness. This wine is very elegant and layered. I like CA Syrah but this blows away the CA Syrah I had yesterday at twice the price.
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Not as inky or tarry as I remember. Last sample was 5 months ago. This still showed extremely well. A horsey, leathery scent wafts from the glass, but there is ample dark fruit and licorice in the mix as well. Only drank a bit; saving the majority of the wine for day two, where I'm sure it will be better. UPDATE: As expected, the fruit was stronger, sweeter and fuller on the second day.
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Full throttle CdR. Rich nose of blackberry, raspberry, tar and lashings of licorice. Palate more savoury but very full bodied, a tarry richness and melted licorice; hints of herbs. Good length.
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Poured into a decanter and let it sit for 60 minutes before the first glass and 4 hours total. (You MUST give this wine at least 30 minutes of air...I've had 4 bottles, and they've all needed lots of air.) I love this wine. It's like a very pure blackberry liquor, followed by some earthiness, leather, and licorice. Lovely balance of fruit against darker elements and acidity that's just right. Only 3 bottles left...sigh. 89-90.
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I forget how nice this wine is and amd reminded each time I drink it. Each time I have also just had an out of control CDR, so it also suffers in comparison. I do not look forward to when I have ot think back longingly to 2007.
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One word...Decant. I was a bit nervous about some of the "funk" and "Reductive" notes others had posted, and having held these bottles for over a year I have seen opinions all over the map on this wine. I had a magnum which I decided to pair with a Coq au vin dinner, and I made the wise choice to open the bottle at noon and pour off about 1/2 glass worth. I was not impressed by the flavor on initial open, had a medicinal-strawberry type taste that I really do not like, but the nose wasn't too out of line for a CdR. Came back to the bottle 8 hours later and it was entirely transformed. Palate had settled into a wonderful Syrah profile with lots of the dark berry, herbs, forest, bit of tar that I would expect. Paired very well with the Coq, sure a nice Burg might have been better but the whole table thought it went perfect. Can't say how the 750's are but from Magnum this was very nice juice and I would not consider drinking another without at least a 6-8 hour decant, might even go 12 on my next bottle. (87-89)
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Excellent wine, amazing value for money. Opaque black with purple rim. It needed decanting to shed off the reductive aromas. When these disappeared the wine was clean. Not very expressive nose, black fruit, peper, leather were the main aromas. In the mouth it is rather full, very flavourfull, very good structure, drinking very well now can last for at least 4-5 years. Good aftertaste, very pleasing! An amazing wine at 10euros. Thank you Saint-Cosme!
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I bought a case of this wine last November and this was the last bottle. The first 11 I consumed prior to 2/09 so I was curious to see what a year would do for this wine. Perhaps this was a bad bottle because I got the funky components that I remembered from last year but there was no fruit. All acidity, oak, funk and alcohol. Quite terrible, actually. One of the very few wines I encounter that I simply can not drink or cook with and must go down the sink. One of my favorites of 2008 and least favorites of 2009. FWIW the wine was properly stored in my off-site, temperature controlled wine storage locker.
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Decanted approx. 30 minutes before drinking. There was a funk on the nose as other tasters have noted. Excellent flavours; berries, and spice at the back-end. Excellent QPR.
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Buttered popcorn, barnyard, and oak funk on the nose along with sweet plummy fruit, with the funkiness blowing off after a bit. This wine really evolved as we drank it. Although it had an interesting savory tinge, it seemed somewhat cloying and flat on the palate at first. But later, it lengthened and gained an awesome pseudo-effervescence and stoniness, and its acid tang seemed to make it fresher. By the end of the bottle, it was an excellent QPR. Solid.
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I liked this quite a bit, but be warned it's a total stink-bomb. Heavy wallop of barnyard on the nose and on the palate, with the signature pepperiness from the syrah. Impressive concentration at this price point. Would buy again.
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Very consistent from bottle to bottle. Dark red/purple to rim. Rich nose of blackberries, tar, herbs, red meat, hint of reduced funk. Full-bodied, rich dense ripe fruit on the palate with flavors following the nose, nice balancing acidity, some nice complexity, and a medium long finish. Excellent-outstanding.
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What's not too like? If you, like me, find you like this, also try out the St. James Basket Press. Very similar, with at least some of the time the Basket being better for me. Apart from that, same as other notes. but Iadmit, there are times when I'd like from this. THen I remeber what I paid.
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More barnfunk than previously and ultimately I find his wine lacking a little depth. At the price level though. +++ (But do remember to decant. Friends do not let friends pop'n'pour.)
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COLOR: Inky purple. NOSE: Funky. Blew off slowly to reveal dog poop. Sorry, but that's what it smelled like. TASTE: Sweet. Smoother and less tannic than the last bottle. Nice moderately long finish. OVERALL: Nice weekenight wine. The nose was interesting. I would not call it off. (3+11+16+7)
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I can't say anything more about this wine then I already have. At $11, fantastic qpr for what it delivers. A textbook case in varietal correctedness in the hands of a skilled producer. It has it all: loads of dark fruit tempered by tar, leather, licorice, and herbs, all in harmony. It is extremely heartening that wine of this caliber is being offered for this very fair price. May make this my house red assuming enough is out there.
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Decanted 1.5 hours, enjoyed over 4. Smoky, earthy nose, floral, a little funky. Such nice balance, fruit understated, showing classic blackberry flavors with crisp acidity. Paired with lamb sliders, goat cheese, grilled onions and kalamata olives. Delicious and my QPR of 2009.
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Dark red/purple to rim. Rich funky nose of blackberries, tar, herbs, red meat, and a bit of reduced funk typical of some 100% Syrahs - the Tardieu Laurent Eremites and the Rayas Fonsalette Cuvee Syrah come to mind. Full-bodied, rich dense ripe fruit on the palate with flavors following the nose, nice balancing acidity keeps it from getting blowsy, some nice complexity, and a medium long finish. Excellent-outstanding. Next day the fruit has faded some but still a decent drink, this should last a few years but not likely to be a long-term ager.
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Worth drinking on a nice night on the patio by the yacht club of Lake City, MN. Better than the food we had. Rich notes of tar and plum. Possibly a bit young.
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A bit of brett on this one, but not too much. Still loaded with inky black fruits, tar, blood and a bit of herbs. Mouthfilling, generous and accessable.
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Inky purple in the glass, dark berries on the nose. Big mouth feel with dark berries, spice and tanginess. QPR Rhone strikes again. Although professionally rated the same as the Deux Albion, it is not quite the same, and that one has a bit more fruit and complexity. Having said that, for a 100% syrah, this has amazing depth. The acidity is asking for some food, but this is such a nice weekday sipper, that I barely get there.
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Amazing value, but then the 07 vintage is churning out lots of affordable and great wines like this. Big, great fruit (dark with just a touch of jamminess), good complexity, structure and finish; opens ~45 minutes
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Dark purple. Red and black fruits, grilled meats, herbs and pepper on the nose, with a bit of sharp sulfite which might contribute to the "medicinal" character some note in this wine. Medium body, cherries and pepper on the palate, acids and tannins nicely balancing the fruit and alcohol, medium to long finish. Should last at least a few years and may improve as the sulfites are absorbed. Great value. Very good-excellent.
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Good Syrah-based CdR, with rich fruit combined with a distinct herbaceous character. Some black pepper, dark cherry, licorice and other "medicinal" herbs.
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Dark purple. Gorgeous syrah nose with blackberry, violets, black pepper and herbs. Mid-bodied and round, with firm tannins of much better quality than the 2006 (which were dusty) and high acidity. Fairly long spicy finish. Excellent food wine at great QPR. The quality of the vintage shines here. I will look for more bottles...
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Love this wine, it has such a great QPR. Color this is about as purple as it gets. Sour cherry, cranberry and minerally ( almost cement like) on the nose. The palate is earthy with a nice hit of pepper and santa rosa tart plums. Tannins are grippy and this has just enough acidity that makes it great with food.
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Consistent with previous notes. Intense for a CdR, with some tannins (now smoothing out) and a little glycerin, and fairly big red fruit. More age should improve it. Needs about an hour of air to show its best. Matched well with a roast pork tenderloin stuffed with cranberry stuffing.
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A little disappointing and basic. Certainly not terrible, but no match for other CDRs.
On the nose, it's a little tight. Good sour cherry aromas, but smells a little hot. On the attack, this wine bursts onto the palate with sour cherry and cranberry. The fruit on this vintage is pretty incredible. These bright berries persist through the course of the experience, and are punctuated by decent tannins. Toward the tail end there is some green bell pepper that is very pretty. It's got good acidity, but very few secondary flavors. Overall disappointing, but I may have been expecting too much.
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Super extracted, dense and powerful. Very primary grapey and super clean red fruit that has balancing acidity and did not show much tannin. This is not a bad wine but not what I look for in a CDR.
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Color was deep blue purple that coats the glass. I didn't pick anything up distinctive on the nose maybe red berry and some plum. Coats the mouth but not in a heavy way, kind of dances around all over (nice) and then dries up, boom, pucker, pop. Fun for the price, where are my car keys, I'm going to the wine store.
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Meaty on the nose with some perfumed red fruit and a hint of blueberry. Very pretty. Full bodied on the palate with lots of forward fruit. Some grippy tannins and acidity on the back end, but just a little. Very nice and a great value.
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Deep, deep purple color. Lots of meatiness on the initial attack but that faded. A clear Syrah nose. Peppery spice. The palate on this is SOOOO silky and sexy even. Loads of blackberries. But still restrained with earthy minerality and acidity. Lots of iron elements on the palate. Loved it.
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This one was a bit odd. Lots of bubbles when poured into the glass (unresolved CO2?). Fortunately the fizz did not make it self known on the palate. Black fruits, tar and raw meats. Not deep, but true to its origins and quite tasty.
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Casual night @ PMC's (Franklin, MA): Beautifully dark in the glass. This CdR shows attractive and polished notes of black fruits, smoke, dried leaves and roast meat. In the mouth it shows considerable heft with smooth tannins and concentrated flavors of sweet plums, black cherry and peppery spice. Very nice.....I still prefer the Garrigue Romaine though.
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Popped and poured. Very nice wine with red and dark berry, earth, spice, leather, herbs and pepper flavors. Rich and flavorful with good balance and a medium-long, smooth finish.
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Wow! Decanted for an hour. Went perfect with the grilled pork shoulder. Smoke, minerals, and dirt shown through. Velvety mouth feel and a long finish that increased the dirt and leather aroma. St. Cosme impressed.
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Still way too young to really know how this is going to develop. Running very hot and tight. I opened it for a solid 5 hours (not decanted though) and still it was not smooth drinking. It has substantially mellowed since I first tasted in Nov. of 08, but needs at least another year. Lots of fruit on the palate. Very dark ruby color. Beautiful thick legs.
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Foul. Smelled and tasted like composted cow manure. And no, I have not eaten composted cow manure. Disappointing, as previous bottles of this were very good.
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Dark purple, pleasing red fruiit on the nose and developing some meaty characteristics after a few hours. Medium bodied, nicely flowing through the mid palate. Finishes nicely in waves. Not bad.
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A: A Bic pen exploded in my glass. N: Musty ancient old granny panties. Green vine pepper very light. Pulled this wine out of old box in the an attic. T: Coco = very elegant and jammy. High in the Alcohol. F: Very earthy and a bit oily. Small and tart. Overall: It was ok. Not my bag but did get better with time. A bit rough and earthy. V: 3/5
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Tasted blind from two different bottles - one PnP, one decanted. Notes are a summation of both. 90% opaque ruby. A modest, balanced nose reveals French oak, roasted nut, and flowers. A very easy-to-like, broad palate with a little mint on the ending. (5+9+16+8) = 88
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A rich purple colour, looks great in the glass. Nose is a bit bretty. Tannins quite firm, this might need a bit of swirling to open up. Taste is herbal with a touch of red fruit. OK but not great.
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Virtual Community Tasting Event (VCTE) IV; 4/1/2009-5/7/2009 ((I've Been) All Around This World): Tasted as part of VCTE IV. Aerated in bottle for three hours. COLOR: Rich purple. NOSE: Pepper and some fruit. Over time it became meatier. It wasn't unpleasant, but it certainly wasn't enticing, either. TASTE: Moderate tannins and acidity. Well balanced. Plums, blackberries and some herbal notes. The finish was smooth and may have been the best part of the wine. OVERALL: I was not impressed. jhannah is right that the La Garrigue is better. The color and the nose on this were average and the taste was not enough to make me want more. (3+12+16+6)
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OC Poker for Wine II/CT Virtual Tasting IV (Wine Cellar Club, Irvine, CA): I brought two bottles to the tasting, and as an exercise in aeration, one was popped and sat in the bottle over 24 hours and the other was popped when I arrived at the venue. I have had this wine enough to know immediately which was which in the tasting as the second in the line up showed so much more depth of flavor and softer edges. But, as I have said previously, I would be happy drinking this in either scenario, as I also love the freshness of the fruits at the pop and pour.
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Magenta-purple color of deep depth, and a moderate amount of superfine particulate matter. Somewhat tight bouquet was a tad funky and featured dark berries (blackberries and blueberries). Full bodied on the palate; Flavors of blackberries, oak, and a hint of pine. A bit hot, and a bit on the tannic side of well-balanced. This came across as somewhat simple, but very good for what it is. Given my impressions of the pop-and-pour bottle that was also included in this tasting, I would recommend decanting this wine before drinking.
B: 50,5, 12, 15, 8 = 90
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Purple color of medium-deep depth, and a little superfine particulate matter suspended in the wine. Interesting bouquet: I enjoyed the sandalwood/raspberry/cranberry/meaty interplay, but somehow the bouquet came across as somewhat Pop-Tarty. Medium bodied. Very simple on the palate, with nothing besides raspberries to note. Medium-length finish. Another bottle of the same was in this blind lineup, with the only difference being that this bottle was a pop-and-pour, whereas the other bottle received a 24 hour decant -- I preferred the one on the decant.
B: 50, 5, 11, 15, 6 = 87
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CT Virtual Tasting IV (Virtual): Tasted as part of the CT Virtual Tasting IV. Intense purple color. On the nose it is spicy, and it displays raspberry, red plum, flowers, pepper, and roasted meat. On the palate it is dry, with good acidity and a medium body. The finish is pleasant and it evolves after aeration to display some chocolate and herbs. Nice basic CdR, with a good QPR. Give it another year in the bottle and drink it by 2013.
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Nice stuff. Pure purple color with blackberries singing on the nose with a little melted beef fat drippings that are somehow fresh and inviting. Easy, open palate with an uncomplicated but moderate and honest finish.
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Smoky cassis on the nose, with rich smoke, earth and black fruit flavors. Full-bodied, smooth tannins, but the acidity a bit harsh on the back palate. Otherwise a reasonable finish. A great value, very tasty with my rosemary lamb chops.
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A fantastic value, this is ripe, expressive, and meaty, offering beefy aromas of red and black plums, raspberry liqueur, baked earth, dried flowers and tallow. Medium to full bodied, with low acidity, and more alcoholic heat than tannic structure, this narrowly avoids being 'hot' on the palate, simply because its fruit and earth flavors are so bright.
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Same score as previous. This bottle showed much more smoked venison and bacon fat on the nose and the palate than the previous bottle I had. The fruit is still the star of this wine, though. It is so ripe and lush. Still not as hot on this one as I am the Domaine La Garrigue, but this is definitely tasty for the price tag.
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Developed over three nights. Not much more I could ask for on a CdR. It tipped the scales to the new world a bit more than the 04, 05, and 04 Les duex. Fresh fruit, touches of garrique and stems. Little tannins on the finish noticable. Very enjoyable. Great BBQ wine with class. 89.
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At first I thought it was a bit sweet. but the flavors developed, nice red fruite, very intense flavors, and by the time I was enjoying it with a bit of cheese at the end of a meal, I felt this was a great bargain. If an ordinary Cotes du Rhone is this good in 2007, go out and find the even better...
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Incredible and what a bargain. This was popped (but not poured) and let air for one hour. Nice aromas of earth and tobacco, unfoding into dark berries. This had silky tannin and a nice noticeable acid. There were flavors of blackberry, casis and black pepper. Again, this was just terrific and I would definately buy this again.
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Pretty purple color. Nose is especially nice at this price point, smells of tilled earth, smokey meats, and musty barnyard. Palette shows hints of fruit up front and smoothly transitions to a meaty mid-palette, hints of dark berries, and a well integrated dryness. Charred meats and blackberries, follow all the way through it's 5-10 second finish. Overall, this is a great value at $10-$14. Good QPR.
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Harsh tannins and bitterness on the finish in the beginning. After it was poured through an aerator, the wine softened up revealing a nose of barnyard followed by garrigue. On the palate, this is dry and tannic, leaving your mouth pucker. There's also some spiciness that fades out with time. Mostly though, this wine is VERY ACIDIC, which overwhelms the palate stripping it of any flavors. The finish is nonexistent. Because of the high acidity, this will go well with food, but, considering all other glowing reviews, this was quite a disappointment for an '07 CdR. 82-84
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Black fruit and tobbaco on the nose with a palate of cinnamon toast, fennel and fruit. Nice finish. Fantastic bargain at price point. Drank from a magnum
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The wine was opened and poured. It showed as expected based on others' tasting notes. The aromatics show black fruit, game and tar. The color is a dark ruby to purple. The medium/full bodied palate shows good depth, balance, length and complexity for a Cotes-du-Rhone. This is solid stuff that is a pleasure to drink now.
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Dark, dark, dark! Beautiful purple color. Tar, tree bark and earth with deep black fruit. Spicy garrigue. Great acidity balancing balck fruit from start to finish. Smokey and leathery. Even on Day 3, there was a riot of fruit and floral. Lots of "berry berry" on the palate with a LONG finish. The tannins had firmed up bit.
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This wine is simply fantastic, and should be a template for CdRs. Nose blasts forth with garrigue, tobacco, and a funk that can only be described as a cross between aged beef and roses. Initial taste is of sweet, black fruit, mostly blackberry with some blueberry, licorice, a little tar and some smoke. Every steakhouse worth its salt should be required to carry this wine, but won't because the profit margin simply is too low. So buy all you can find while it lasts. I know I will.
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Similar to the first bottle. Some blood and meat on the nose, along with a fair amount of fruit. In the mouth, great dark blue/red fruit, wonderful balance. Some oak -- but I am not getting any brett. I am not particularly sensitive to brett -- but I think some of this must be a crapshoot. Lucky so far.
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This bottle was on the low side of good, but better than average. I'm a tough point giver. Loats of brett when warmed up, I'd serve this chilled. A decent value at $15.
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Must... stop... drinking... this. At the price, this is becoming my go-to, guilt-free, house wine. More black fruits, pepper and a bit of game mixed in.
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My experience was identical to Elise; Blackberry liqueur, plum, blueberry, a touches of smoke, meat, and lavender. Rich mouthfeel and solid if not long finish. Extremely well-made wine but lacking somewhat in the personality that is often present in even the most humble examples of this AOC. That said, it's an extremely young wine, though I'm not sure I'd give it the decade some say (the drinking window given here seems appropriate). But for $12, worth a look no doubt.
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Color: Nearly opaque inky purple that stains the glass Nose: smoky, tobacco leaf, faint floral components Palette: well integrated but substantial tannins for a Cotes du Rhone, medium body, plummy, blueberries, touch of minerality, lingering finish of smoky blueberries
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This was nice and much better integrated than the previous bottles. Smooth, blueberry, blackberry, tar and earthy peppery tannic finish. Nice 88-89. Good value.
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Another nice, ripe, plush showing. Black fruits and spice... a tad lighter than my last bottle, but still a great value that is way too easy to gulp down.
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Really outstanding and something I plan to drink a ton of in the coming months. Deep, dark berry and spice aromas and then the strongest, purest blackberry flavor on the palate. This has the stuffing to evolve, but is terrific now. Drinks well beyond its tariff.
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The deep purple color still amazes. This is all blackberry now, and it has taken a turn toward camphor, mint, tar, and smoke. Building tannic finish but really nice, full mouth feel with crisp acids and not showing the slightest hint of overripeness or overconcentration. Hell of a lot of wine for this level.
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My first bottle of St.-Cosme and I am impressed. Dark ruby with red berry and pepper/spice and herb nose. A bit tight at first, but opened up and developed more structure and body after about 30-60 minutes. Dense and rich with red berry/cherry, tar, mineral , wood and pepper flavors. Very smooth and balanced for a young wine - just slightly tannic (as expected in a young wine) but not tart, flabby or cloying.
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The best bottle so far. The earth / funk character was toned down significantly. The wine was full of dark berry fruit with notes of flowers and leather. Had a nice been of minerality / acidity that didn't allow it to weigh down the palate (wasn't flabby). Still tannic but excellent. Now I get the fuss.
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Obviously very tight, but what potential. 100% syrah, showing off pepper, raspberry, tar and spice notes on a tart, tight frame. For a cdr, built for the long haul.
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Intense almost black-purple color, violets and dark fruit on the nose - some wood notes too. Smooth velvety earthy mineral and meaty taste. Will buy more.
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Stunning quality for the price. Has a real "Northern Rhone"-Syrah character to it, if perhaps slightly leaning towards the new world. Ripe blackberries, minerals, violets and a delightful "bloody raw meat" character. The 2007 Rhones, on the cheap end, are looking very attractive indeed. I will be stocking up on this one.
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Got better as the night went on and was even better on day 2. Tastes of black currant and minerals. A little harsh on the finish. Terrific for the price.
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Reduced right out of the bottle but clears after about five minutes with copper. The fruit displays spearmint, violets and blackberry. This is very dense, ripe tasting syrah but it's all in balance. There is some tannin on the palate but given its youth that's not unexpected. Overall, round, big and delicious with enough complexity to keep it interesting. Match with flavorful foods. Inexpensive.
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3rd Annual Wine Tasting Party (Our house): Second wine of our wine tasting. All preferred this to the Guigal C-H. For all the praise this wine has been receiving I was a bit underwhelmed. I would like to revisit in a year or longer to taste again.
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Wine Marketing pours some wines: This tasted kind of hot for me. Very ripe and extracted. tannic. Nothing like what is expected from a cotes du rhone. This is more massive then most CDP's. A little overdone in my opinion. 86-87
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Bottle too cold on opening. Decanted and poured. After a while cherries and dark berries on the nose. Still tannic but balancing the tastes of blueberries, butterscotch, tobacco and buttermilk very well. Graphite on the 10-15 second finish. Fantastic wine at the price, BUY MORE WHILE YOU CAN!
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Deep garnet core turning to purple at the rim with medium thin legs in the glass. Aromas of raspberry, blackberry, plum, slate, and mint, offering a nose that is very delicate but quite seductive. The flavors are big and ripe but very fresh, consisting of licorice, blackberry, pepper, and earth. The tannins are firm but this remains surprisingly elegant, balanced, and complex through the finish. This is 100% Syrah so quite unusual for a Côtes du Rhône but it is a very good wine and an exceptional value.
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Bright ruby color, medium bodied, ripey-cherry but ultimately simple and not enough tannins. Yeah I'm not really getting much stuffing here, the fruit is nice and round but there's not much complexity, didn't really get any smoke or peppers. After 4 hours it lost what little complexity it had and became really boring. Is this really the same bottle that others have been tasting? I'll hopefully get to retry this just to make sure as my experience seems like an outlier, but as it currently this is not a buy for me.
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This is something that surpirsed me, even though I have heard nothing but amazing things abot the 07 vintage. 100% Syrah, this showed off the peppery, black berry, cranberry flavors that really are my favorite aspects of the varietal. While 100% of any varietal is out of the ordinary in a CdR, I really think they hit the nail on the head with the pure, ripe, and simple fruit flavors. I really had the impression that these grapes were well attended to. Although it may not be the most perfect expression of a CdR, it is really an impressive effort that deserves the accolades it has been receiving from the pros.
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This showed much better on day 2. Initially somewhat tight nose showing some burnt scrub and a bit of brett with the palate on the austere side with a medium body. Day 2 brings out some slightly fat dark berries on the nose along with the garrigue and brett again. Palate has gained some weight especially in the midpalate where the fruit is somewhat generous. Decent acidity and a long building grip. This clearly needs some time but patience will easily pay off the $13 this is. Hold or decant.
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Dark red, big nose of blueberries, green tea, alcohol and ripe red fruit, sweet and smooth on the palate without any traces of the burnt fruit characteristic of this level wine, just sweet and rich all the way through to the long finish, not super complex but at $12, it leaps out of its category
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Another fabulous QPR winner from the Rhone in 2007. Decanted one hour, the palate picked up weight and texture. Nose still reticent, but the palate delivered with dark raspberry / blackberry fruit nestled in a syrah context of pepper and earthy elements, all with a proper structural balance of acid and tannin. More than a decent finish. And all this for $13??!! Back up the truck, I'm getting another case! We could drink this stuff for a few years.
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Dark garnet color with a viscous ruby rim. Aromas of assertive red cherry and sweet wild blackberry surrounded by funky damp leather, a little sage, and some smoky cedar. Massive loads of intense crushed blackberry and currant on the palate along with powdered stone, coffee, and a bit of cream. Moderate chalky tannins and focused acidity provide a nice structure. Hot peppercorn and some walnut linger with the fruit for a long while. Tastes very similar to a good Crozes-Hermitage. Primary, intense, and satisfying. Killer barbecue wine.
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Dark magenta color; spicy berry, cherry and plum nose; tasty, garrigue, tart black fruit, herbs and charcoal palate; short-medium finish (at $13, a great value)
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100% Syrah, which I believe is non-standard for CdR. Very dark and dense purple-red color with some olive and green pepper notes mixed with a hint of Provencal herbs. Smooth and mouth-coating with decent dark berry flavors and an abbreviated finish. A decent value at $15 but if you have the choice, choose the 2007 Domaine La Garrigue Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Romaine instead. From what I have been told, look for the Gigondas bottling from Saint Cosme instead.
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The wine was dark and tannic with strong earth and herbal notes. Black fruit evolved along with spice cake flavors. Very good. The second day the wine was showing nice plum fruit and earth notes. Tannins did turn a touch bitter the second day.
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Glad to say that a newer bottle with St Cosme in red on the capsule was as good as previous bottles with gold logo on capsule. This needs about 45 min to an hour of air to be at its best.
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I've had a few better experiences with this wine lately so I wanted to update my note. For a base cdr this is really a nice value. Gobs of pure dark fruit, the nose and the front end is really where this wine shines, really nice. There seems like a little hole in the middle, but its really hard to knock this wine for what it brings @$12. Looking foward to more 07 Rhone values.
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I should have decanted as this was a big CDR. Dark fruits and meat flavors dominated the nose and palate. This bottle felt very primary so I would recommend cellaring for the short term.
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Color - Very opaque purple. Very young looking. Nose - Smoked meat, purple fruit, coffee Palate - Medium bodied, tart. Purple fruited, good length and balance.
I purchased a case of this last month and have been enjoying it thoroughly. A great value @ 12.99.
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Decanted one hour. Initially, this wine scares me a bit... very dark purpley colored. Looks extracted. SMELLS it, too... huge jammy nose with just the slightest bit of gravel. But it's basically just generic, artificially flavored fruit jam aromas. Some spiciness on the mid-palate, but mainly big fruit on a soft frame. Finish is very soft and mellow, and transitions towards flavors of, this time real, strawberry and blueberry jam, accented with some charcoal flavors. I really don't care for the nose here as it smells too much like a fruit bomb Spanish wine, the flavors on the back end of the finish make it more enjoyable to taste. However, going on my second glass it's becoming quite tiring to drink... just too modern an interpretation to me, as the subtlety on the finish just winds up getting overpowered by the goopiness. A shame, as I was really thinking I'd like this one.
The more I drank this bottle the worse it got. Going on 4-5 hours open it developed a very strong rubbing alcohol component on the finish and was just not enjoyable at all. Held back a glass in the bottle, corked, for two days to see if it smoothed out... a bit, but it's still astringent. Started at 86 on opening, went to 84 with second glass, then straight down the tube from there. There's no "flaws" to this bottle. The wine just has no focus. Hopefully there's bottle variation, otherwise I'm not sure what to do with my magnums.
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This wine resembled a gamay to me--fruity and round (very little tannin). Not what I expected from a CdR. Not a bad wine but not what I expect out of a CdR either.
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Decanted for a couple of hours which seemed to really open up the party. What a great little value here, as we are treated to a more than ample nose of blackberry and garrigue. Snappy red currant jelly and pepper on the palate and very fresh. I never would have guessed that this was 100% Syrah. Uncomplicated and Delicious!
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This bottle was less structured, intense, and tannic than my previous two bottles and has a different capsule than my earlier bottles that says Saint Cosme in red rather than a gold logo as seen in the picture above. Makes me wonder whether later lots are inferior, or this is just an off bottle, as I am actually being generous on the score. I still have 2 bottles of the original and 3 of the newer one, so I will see if there is any consistent difference.
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Upon opening the bottle, black fruit aromas filled the room. It was mostly blackberries, but also some tobacco and prunes. Definitely earthy. To me, it also had a slight h2s smell. Lots of dark coffe on the palate. It is very big and juicy, but there is a disctinct old world earthyness and tannic quality to it too. This wine is vey accessable and somewhat complex, and likely to please a variety of palates. Drinks pretty well now with an hour of decanting, but I think it would be worth giving it 6 months or more in the cellar.
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Popped and poured this CdR and drank over about a two hour period. After reading glowing remarks about previous vintages of this wine, it seemd a no-brainer to give this a go @ $13. Very hard out of the gate. Not much at all on the nose and fairly tannic. After some vigorous swirling (wonder if wine carpal tunnel is covered by my insurance?) I finally coaxed some black fruit, spice, and flowers out of this stingy baby. At this point it became clear that it needs 2-3 years to really integrate its components and become a completely enjoyable wine, but the goods are there and I'll unquestionably pick up a few more bottles and a magnum I saw at a local wine shop for $27.
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Inky and dark. Nose of rubber with fruit that transitions to dirty vegetable funk and grilled rare steak. Begins with a definite earth and plum and transitions to mulberries on the mid-palate. Finish lasts ~10 seconds. Goes great with winter fare. Going to buy 2 or 3 more bottles. At $20 CAD, a bargain.
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Dark colored. Dark fruit, mineral,tar, bretty, animale nose with orange blossoms. The palate has dark fruit, minerals, and orange as well. There is plenty of tannic backbone, but the finish is a little short.
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This is different than any CDR I've had before. Huge extraction. Coffee, bay leaf, blackberries and a dash of pepper on the nose. Taste of blackberries, again coffee, earth and lots of tar. Juicy full bodied, tarry. This would deserve 90 pts, but finish was short-to-medium which took the point off: 89+. Very nice value. On third night it was still going strong and it paired quite well with oven baked steak.
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what a terrific value! This is exactly what Cotes du RHone ought to be: tasty, balanced, lovely fruit with a bit of intrigue but not a fruitbomb, and well-priced.
I'm heading back to the store this week to buy 6 more.
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Dinner Oregon visit Pam et al at "42nd Street Bistro"-- more sufury fuminess this time, but still a great valve CdR loaded with ripe juicy fruit and earth.
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Very powerful and deep for a Cote du Rhone. I could smell the aroma of cassis from across the table. On the palate, solid earthy cherry fruit with waves of flavor. Not too complex. Well balanced. Very big. Unlike any other vintage of this cuvee I have had. Long finish with very ripe tannins. Drink now and over the next 3yrs for the fruit. Has to be the best they have ever made. 2007 Rhone is Like 2005 Bordeaux and Burgundy. The top Rhone wines should blow us away......
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This is a great vintage for the basic CdR. Juicy, with prominent notes of charcoal, fennel seed/Italian sausage, red and black fruits, and just a hint of spice. Good stuff, and a killer deal for $12.
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Darker color than expected, but I found that didnt necesarily transfer to the palate as its more medium bodied wine. Seems like some nice pieces are here but its really not giving much up right now. Would buy more at $10 but $16 to the door with shipping is a bit of a stretch I think. Hopeful that there is more to come with this one though.
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St Cosme tasting (Wine What Else, Singapore): This was an excellent Cotes du Rhone. Really darkly purple in colour, it had a nice clean feel to it, both on the nose and the palate. I had accents of flowers and bramble on the nose. On the palate, clean acid, pure cherries, savoury meat, and black olives along with smoky charcoal, all very clean and pure flavours wrapped up in an elegant structure. Simple, but weighty for a CdR. Lovely.
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Beautiful dark color, Aromas of Dark Cherries, raspberries, Lavender, Asian Spices, some Black Licorice as well. Nice Firm tannins, with lingering spices and fruit on the finish. Great Value. (Best after 2009) - JD 90
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This bottle took a lot longer to get going. Opened an hour before dinner, had a glass with dinner, then drank the rest after the twins were put to bed. The bottle was probably open for 3 to 4 hours before it really started to sing -- when it finally hit that first note, the aromas and flavors were consistent with the last tasting note - cassis, blackberry, dried herbs, and a bit of sweetness that was nicely balanced with some acid. Maybe decant next time?
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A bigger CdR than most with forward flavors of blackberry with a hint of sour cherry as the wine was more tannic than most CdR's and had some nice balancing acidity, but not in a too obvious way. Little earth or garrigue, almost in a style of a dialed back CA Rhone Ranger at a price they couldn't fathom as I got this for $9. Much better than previous vintages I have had, and a great value. Needs some air (45 min -1hr) to show its best right now.
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Opened and served right away. Garnet colour and clear throughout. Medium nose of dark berries. Flavours of sour dark fruit. Medium acidity, medium to short finish. This tastes more like an Australian shiraz then a Cotes du Rhone.
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Had at a restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden. Was a big fruity wine with only a bit of tannins. I did not ask what the vintage was, and it was not on the wine list, so it being a 2007 was a bit of a surprise. I think the wine was too young right now, it was big on fruit, dark plums, and spicey on the palate, but I would think that in a couple of years this would be even better. In any case it complemented the wood pigeon quite nicely.
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Inky color. Exciting nose of blackberry, grilled meat, sandalwood, and dark flowers. Big wine but much simpler and monochromatic then when first tasted over the summer with dark, blackberry fruit and more obvious tannin. As was the case with the '06 version, a few months have really brought out the Syrah character of this wine. I am still very impressed with the material, but this seems to be going into a shell right now.
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Excellent Syrah. Opened about an hour before dinner (no decanting) and drank over the course of four hours. Rich nose of cassis with black berries and dried herbs - at one point, dried sage seemed to dominate. Lush mouth feel without going over the top, enough crisp acid for this wine to go with many dishes despite the sweetness of its flavors. Light tannins started to melt over time, allowing some milk chocolate to emerge on both the palate and the nose. I have drunk a lot of shiraz trying to find something this good in this price range without going over the top on ripeness - I guess I can stop looking.
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Is this CdR really just $14?? What an amazing QPR. It's rich, brooding, and clearly 100% syrah. Very fruit forward, lush, and great acidity for near term drinking. I think this must be one of the greatest values I've had in a while!!!
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Very dark purple color. Nose does not give up much. Due to some (my) poor planning this was tasted after 2005 Novy syrah which had a much brighter fruit flavor and I think that some of the subtleties in this wine were lost as a results. That being said, this is still a fairly fruit forward wine, dark berry flavors, nice minerality and firm tannins that stay with you through a solid, but not long finish. I think this is a steal for $13 and will definitely be picking up a lot more. I can't wait for other 2007 rhones.
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Southern French Values with a Mediterranean Meal: Deep purple. Bright, lively nose with violets, lavender, red fruit and blueberry, bacon, chocolate, and spice. Terrific ripe fruit with real zing and sap. Another dynamic, delicious winner from St. Cosme. I like this even more than the '06 version. This is a lot of wine and just unbelievable complexity for the level and price. Very promising introduction to 2007 southern Rhones; maybe the early hype will turn out to be justified.
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Intriguing black fruit, plum and charcoal nose; tasty, spicy, plum and black fruit palate with charcoal, a touch of licorice, peppercorn and spice palate; medium-plus finish (profound for this price point)
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Dinner with John and AC at Tomatina -- AMAZING deal, drink it in its exuberant unctuous juicy heady youth. Oozing with molten black cherry, red licorice and blackberry. GREAT!
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Chateau St. Cosme Tasting (Beltramo's in Menlo Park, California): Black red color; Necco wafer, berry, dried berry and savory herbs (classic Cotes du Rhone) nose; tasty, tight but good, tart, savory, minerally black fruit, with good acidity; medium finish 91+ pts.
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Dark red moving to purple on the rim. Sweet and deep dark red berries on the nose with hints of spices. Soft and sweet fruit on the palate, actually it gets too soft and the smooth tannins makes it a bit dull in the mouth. Slightly hot on the finish. Nice, but I don't think I will get more of this. The Capcanes Mas Collet performed lots better tonight.
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Vinarius wine tasting: Almost purple color. Very nice CdR aroma of dark red berries and spices. Nice and soft on the palate with good fruitiness. Warm finish. A very enjoyable and drinkable wine that offers excellent QPR!
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10/26/2023 - Amberissey Likes this wine: 88 Points
On the nose, smoke, tar, and concentrated black fruit. On the palette, more smoke, liquorice, bitter chocolate, black pepper, and still some black fruit. Certainly mainly tertiary and definitely way on to the back nine but what a performance from the appellation by Saint Cosme.
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4/8/2023 - danstrings Likes this wine: 89 Points
Still holding up great at 15+ years! Youthful, supple fruit, earthiness
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12/30/2019 - Neecies Likes this wine:
From magnum. Good plummy fruit with a touch of graphite shows it's maturity, and it's on the edge of, but not quite into, oxidation. Definitely time to drink up.
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12/6/2018 - Neecies Likes this wine: 90 Points
From magnum. Excellent maturity in bottle--peppery red fruit, some leather notes, long finish.
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11/25/2018 - SeattlePaul wrote:
Low acidity, but I think it came that way (not just age). No detectable barnyard, unlike other tasters. A little thin in the mouth, maybe the Grenache heavy blend. Medium level tannins, no finish to speak of. Maybe drinkable for the uninitiated. clay dust on the nose. some red fruit. some cocoa powder.
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10/31/2015 - Puteljen! Likes this wine: 89 Points
Still great. Great combination of still powerfull, slightly warm fruit and some development with light smoke, black pepper, truffle salami and olives in brine. Medium lengt to the spicy finish.
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8/23/2015 - Puteljen! Likes this wine: 89 Points
An old favourite. Holding up well. No hurry to drink up, but will not improve.
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3/21/2015 - VoVo wrote: 89 Points
Deep color. Barnyard on the nose, but this dissipated over time. Typical granache-based Rhone. Lovely!
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3/21/2015 - VoVo wrote: 89 Points
Deep color. Barnyard on nose to begin, but this dissipated with aeration. Typical granache-based Rhone. Lovely!
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11/25/2014 - Cote d'Or wrote:
Ripe, lower acidity, some heat but not as much as some other '07 CdRs. OK.
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8/16/2014 - Italiana Likes this wine:
From magnum. Cork easily removed; barely stained. Pretty, medium red color. Very nice texture, still lots of fruit, not overly extracted. Carries the extra alcohol very well. Very drinkable and what an incredible bargain for what it delivers.
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8/8/2014 - Puteljen! wrote: 88 Points
Se previous note
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7/5/2014 - Poisey wrote: 87 Points
Figs, wood smoke and vanilla notes. Easy drinking. A little hot on the finish and dimensional. Drink up. Good Coat du Rhone.
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5/14/2014 - Puteljen! wrote: 89 Points
Fresh as a daisy with just a hint of maturity. Some darkish fruit mixed with red currants, good structure, medium acidity. Goes down in a flash!
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11/2/2013 - 1800kidney wrote: 90 Points
solid, amazing QPR!
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7/20/2013 - MedocMad wrote: 90 Points
Great similar to my last bottle
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5/3/2013 - linuhage wrote: 90 Points
Vi hittade en flaska till och det var tur för det kan ha varit den bästa hittills. Mogen Syrah är mums.
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3/4/2013 - 560 B&W wrote: 89 Points
Tannins still fairly dominant and not sure fruit will be there when they soften in 1-2 years
Retasted May 19, 2013 -- better second day and seems it might come together in another year.
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12/31/2012 - Ingmars wrote:
A deep, dark cherry-skin red colour. Reductive, slow to open, even after 2 hours in the decanter, but when it does, it shows very dark fruit, especially very dark cherry. Quite animally, though. Full body. Slightly tannic. Grenache generosity and structure. A little short of a good length, but with nice sweet fruit. The tannins persist. While this wine is very good, it is a bit on the rustic side at this stage.
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11/16/2012 - elise wrote: 86 Points
On the downhill side now but still relatively tasty with red berries and iron minerality
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9/9/2012 - esb wrote:
This is very reduced and difficult to clear but it's critical because the fruit underneath the reduction is very nice. I used about 3-4 minutes of copper after decanting and it changed dramatically but I didn't realize until after maybe another 30 minutes when it blossomed again that initially I didn't give it enough time with a penny. Dark syrah fruit notes with some floral red that shows up after the reduction is completely clear, licorice, smoke but integrating compared to its youth. Big and ripe feel but a persistent, not completely negative, especially with food, light green tannin on the finish. Very enjoyable and good QPR.
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7/16/2012 - linuhage wrote: 90 Points
Sista flaskan är fortfarande härlig att dricka en sommarkväll på gården till grillningen. Packad med mogen frukt och syrah-köttighet, skön doft och munkänsla.
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7/13/2012 - Magnolian wrote: 87 Points
From magnum. Tasty and chewy fruit and earth notes but not as polished as I remember. Still a bargain.
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6/4/2012 - WetRock wrote:
Rich, ripe fruit and plenty of it still. There is also a strong dose of slightly green tannin. Those things plus the tar and deep color make me think this has a lot of Syrah in it. There is a touch of spice in the background that I would hope would come out more with more time. No rush to drink this and I honestly wished I had waited longer. Still rich and tannic on night two. Solid and a good example of what can be had at a good price from CdR.
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5/2/2012 - linuhage wrote: 89 Points
Den här flaskan kändes oväntat ung. Dominerad av frukt.
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4/13/2012 - tall2002 wrote: 87 Points
Garnet color and aromas of tobacco and soy sauce and has flavours of smokey, hazelnut, dusty and tobacco - I would have liked a little more fruit. Dark coffee, not a lingering wine, tobacco on the nose.
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4/1/2012 - KostaKats wrote: 88 Points
Ruby with a garnet rim. Ripe plums and raspberries, blueberries, violets and an edge of garrigue herbs. Very smooth, good dark fruits on medium + bodied palate. Ultra smooth tannins and medium acidity form the edges to this lovely CDR.
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3/25/2012 - vinole wrote: 88 Points
My last bottle, with my last tasting being a year ago. The extraction and tarry notes from earlier bottles are completely gone now, but so is the fruit intensity. Still a pretty bright red fruit profile with medium plus acidity, but a fairly short finish. A nice match with pork roast, but I would drink these soon.
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1/26/2012 - ron m wrote:
Still needs considerable time in the decanter and generally better on day 2 and even day 3. Big, rich, concentrated. Fruit dominated, and while good on that front, lakcs elsewhere. Very good structure for a lowly cdr. After enough air, this is quite good. But it does need that air.
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12/26/2011 - Dokken wrote: 89 Points
An excellent value for money wine. Deep ruby with a narrow rim. Expressive and juicy with plums, charcoal, liquorice, milk chocolate and some reductiveness. Broad in palate with medium - acidity and supple ripe and clay textured tannins that balance warm alcohol and medium full body. Satisfactory length with chocolatey and nutty aftertaste. Rich and mouthfilling with no hard edges.
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11/19/2011 - Nohedes wrote: 88 Points
This wine is still very young, no real change in the last 12 months. Very dark, sexily smooth and very fruity - blackberry comport and with a sweet front end but a nice savoury finish. Great CdR - I think I will leave it another year before trying again.
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9/28/2011 - ron m wrote:
Team meeting at work. Big, extracted, intense, black. OK I suppose but still not digging it too much.
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9/24/2011 - zovizule wrote:
Good - still a little bit fruity for (maybe more out of 1.5?) - no hurry to drink for me
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9/22/2011 - Lukeout wrote:
still fresh and yummy.
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9/13/2011 - sweaty wrote: 89 Points
Blackish eggplant color. Sassafras and pitchblende nose. Over-ripe raspberry flavor. Acidity is not quite right. I don't see a reason to hold this, fruit is starting to fade.
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8/10/2011 - ron m wrote:
Used in marinade. Small taste indicates this is still going strong. Ripe, saturated, dark.
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8/6/2011 - Sellar Rat Likes this wine: 89 Points
Muted aromatics but lovely palate. Rich, smooth texture, good intensity if not terribly complex. A really nice syrah for every day drinking. Can age for a bit yet.
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7/24/2011 - Sellar Rat wrote: flawed
Corked! AAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH.....
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7/19/2011 - mulder wrote: 91 Points
I still love this wine. For QPR it always delivers and a lot better than a lot of syrah from other regions. The nose has ripe raspberry, dark fruit, garrigue, with a hint of river stone. The palate is a bit chalky with red fruit, mineral, good acid with a med finish. Last bottle...sad.
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7/12/2011 - rmh66 wrote: 91 Points
Terrific bottle. This time, pop and pour and a lot warmer than usual. A little funk on initial opening, but that blew off quickly. Violets, blueberries, earth, a little barnyard, deli, and plum candy on the nose. Lovely palate of dark berries, licorice, minerals, and earth. Fairly rich, but nice acidity. Great mouth feel. Medium/long finish. Happy this was so awesome, sad that there's only one bottle left. 90-91
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6/27/2011 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Dark crimson/purple color. Starts out a little grapey, almost syrupy. As it breathes, notes of incense, herbs and spices appear. Flavors of dark fruit, raspberry liqueur, clove and garrigue. Tannins are just a bit chalky, but supported by a wealth of rich fruit. Nice finish. A terrific "burger wine".
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6/20/2011 - Stefanos T. wrote: 92 Points
Deep ruby colour. Nose is very reductive and has barnyard aromas. With some airing reduction recede without ever disappearing completely. Yet the wine has such nice depth behind the reduction that it almost doesn't matter. Spicy red and black fruit along with violets mostly. In the palate it is substantial without being heavy, it has refreshing acidity, freshness of fruit, good length and good intensity. Despite the reduction 92 point for the sheer pleasure it gives. Next day unhappily the wine was oxidized and the fruit was more raisiny.
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6/20/2011 - Yiannis wrote: 91 Points
This was my 11th bottle (still have one more) and one of the best to date, although it started with intense funk/reduction that used almost 3 hours in the decanter to disappear completely. After this, lovely syrah aromatics took over, with violets, dark berries and spices. Med+ bodied and perfectly balanced with rich fruit, silky tannins and balancing acidity. Long finish. The dusty/loamy element I noticed at the previous bottle was absent here. My friend with whom I shared it could hardly believe this is a less than 15 Euros bottle of wine!
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6/8/2011 - GGinSF wrote: 86 Points
Not that appealing right on opening, but much better with food. Earthiness mixes with the fruit, with minerals that are different than I'm used to in other Rhones. Can't quite put my finger on the difference. WS says iron notes, which could be what I'm tasting vs. the more typical (to me) clay & limestone.
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5/29/2011 - VinoKep wrote: 90 Points
dark fruits permeate. very well made wine. great food wine. this is a winner for the price
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5/4/2011 - linuhage wrote: 90 Points
Riktigt skön drickfas.
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4/26/2011 - gbauer wrote:
A little funk on the nose, but drinking very nicely. As usual, performs well above its price.
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4/26/2011 - Yiannis wrote: 88 Points
Dark garnet. Coffee, black pepper, violets and dark berries on the nose. Almost full-bodied, dense with rich, ripe fruit, velvety tannins and a medium+, loamy finish. Signs of overmaturity are just starting to appear.
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4/22/2011 - dke wrote:
This was the last and one of the less exciting bottles from the 8 bottles I purchased.
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4/1/2011 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 90 Points
Great, classic, intense, funky CDR
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3/23/2011 - vinole wrote: 88 Points
More extracted and tarry than some of the other bottles, and also darker fruit. Still needs a half hour to fully open.
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2/26/2011 - ron m wrote:
Getting better. Popped and poured. Practically black, cherries galore and stinky horses arse. Sweet but also savory, powerful but doesn't hit you on the head. Nice finish.
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2/24/2011 - AllRed wrote: 87 Points
Dark fruit, subtle meaty note. Dark fruit, raspberry liqueur, spice flavors. A bit thin through the midpalate and finish though.
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12/31/2010 - Yiannis wrote: 91 Points
One of the good bottles, without funk and with sufficient acidity (which, as I have noticed, is remarkably higher in "clean" bottles than in those with funky aromas). Paired nicely with a heavily sauced wild boar during New Year's eve dinner. Still have one left. Best value red for 2010 without any doubt, despite bottle variation.
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12/16/2010 - rmh66 wrote: 87 Points
Gave this bottle a 30 minute decant (you must decant this wine at least 30 minutes). There was such a strong brett-y smell that it took nearly 4 more hours for enough to burn off. Underneath the brett there was really nice blackberry, licorice, leather, earth...good complexity. Unfortunately, the brett was too much for me. 87-89
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12/16/2010 - mattwoolley wrote: 84 Points
Clearly some bottle variation in this. Same rich nose of dark berries, tar and licorice but a bit metallic and musty. Palate was more one-dimensional before, all about layers of fruit but lacking freshness and no savoury notes. Finshed sweet and syrupy.
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12/14/2010 - WetRock wrote:
Strong sweaty sock brett on the nose with some boysenberry and cassis underneath. Some greenish woody notes also that come into the palate as well. The brett is confirmed with a metallic feel on the finish. The fruit is wide open and rich and there is strong late tannin. The brett put a damper on an otherwise good wine. Its just a bit too strong. Otherwise this is still on its way up.
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12/3/2010 - europat55 wrote: 86 Points
No as good as the last bottle...
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11/27/2010 - Nohedes wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with previous bottle. VG.
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11/27/2010 - french16 wrote:
Freaking fruit bomb. Where is it from? Spain, Australia, South America? Well honestly, it could be from any of those places. Only dark fruits, tarry with alcohol. One glass and it went down the sink. This is way over extracted.
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11/24/2010 - Lukeout wrote: 92 Points
When opened, it showed like a decent French table red, but over 2-3 hours it turned into another beast altogether - deep rich fruit with solid flavors and finish. A huge hit at the event I brought it to.
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11/14/2010 - Nohedes wrote: 89 Points
Deep red colour, dark brooding glass of young red wine, with beatifully sweet fruit escaping from the glass. Lots of dense strong berry fruit, a bit of leather and spice. Palate shows no heat and great balance, primary fruit but backed up with silky tannic structure and a lovely savoury medium-long finish. There can't be many better value red wines around than this. Will continue to improve for 2-3 at least.
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11/4/2010 - dbg wrote:
Dark red/purple. Forward nose of ripe jammy dark berries, herbs, tar, less funk than prior bottles. Full-bodied, rich ripe fruit good balance, some complexity, medium-long finish, excellent.
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10/10/2010 - ron m wrote:
Spritzy as the previous one, blew off after 30 min or so. Deep red, dark fruit, nice acids and a savage character. Pleasant finish. Went very well with the braised pork belly. Nice wine, better showing than last.
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10/8/2010 - Armando B wrote: 89 Points
Very nice. Red fruit with some pepper. Good balance. Outrageous QPR for $10.
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10/6/2010 - jonb72 wrote: 89 Points
definitely coats the tongue with smooth fruit. the initial finish - far back on the tongue - has nice acidity, then finishes again with soft fruit. excellent quality for price
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9/25/2010 - Meerlust wrote:
This bottle was similar to the last and is one of the best values out there right now.
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9/24/2010 - khmark7 wrote: 87 Points
Same as previous note.
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9/23/2010 - europat55 wrote: 89 Points
Wow, quite an improvement from the last 2 bottles I had 6 and 12 months ago! Amazing nose (91-92-pts), nice nice palette (89 pts), but somewhat short finish (86 pts) with still a fair amount of heat. Drank better at cooler temperature (~60C). Definitely a great experience for the $15 I paid! Test again in 6 and 12 months.
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9/17/2010 - bowempe wrote: 89 Points
Decanted a couple of hours and the wine opened up nicely revealing good fruit and some pepper meatiness
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9/17/2010 - Sleepy Dave wrote:
Alcohol : 14%
Dark core with purplish core. Perfumy dark fruits with ash, smoke, floral and peppery spice that is very welcoming. Med body palate that is quite sappy with good richness and finishing with ash and mineral spiciness. This pair really well with the steak that bring out more sweet fruits and rounder mouth feel. Have drank this several times and this did not disappointed for what it is. Buy - No.
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9/13/2010 - jtt300 wrote: 89 Points
Deep color. Nice cherries that last. Great value
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9/11/2010 - rodsjuice wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for over 1 hour. Color was deep, dark purple. The nose was earthly, like fresh soil. Oddly enough I also got the aroma of mustard. Medium body, nice balance, leaning towards the dry side. Tannins were apparent on the finish. Overall a nice enjoyable wine. 50,5,12,16,6=89
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9/11/2010 - rodsjuice wrote:
De
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9/3/2010 - McBenalds wrote: 90 Points
As always, nice on the acid but with impressive depth for a Cotes du Rhone. Wish I had more of this--for the price, it's a steal.
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8/30/2010 - ron m wrote:
Hmm, this was not as good as the previous two. Spritzy on opening, mellowed down over an hour or so but still showed dilute and rough. It was much better with the grilled flank, but still not a good showing. With 9 to go, I hope this was a random flaw.
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8/2/2010 - viadomitia wrote: 89 Points
Cherries, cherries, cherries! Still full of life, not overly complex but great QPR. After a whole case, only one more to go.
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7/29/2010 - khmark7 wrote: 87 Points
Ripe bouquet and a nice light mouthfeel. Well balanced if not a little simple. Short finish.
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7/18/2010 - ScottGoodwin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Iron. Meatiness. Lots of black and red berries. Earth. Dried herbs. Mediumweight. Silky. Satisfying finish. Wonderfully round and balanced.
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7/7/2010 - ghood wrote: 90 Points
Drank a couple days ago, so no formal notes, but among the dozens of 2007 CDRs that I've consumed over the past year+, this continues to be one of the best and certainly one of the best values. Even better than it was upon last drinking, 6 months ago.
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7/1/2010 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
Superb, intense, dense, tasty
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5/9/2010 - JohnSh wrote: flawed
Bretty - not a nice palate here with very stripped flavours and way too much brett.
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5/4/2010 - envirovino wrote: 89 Points
dark purple, smoke and tar on nose, maybe a hint of floral as others have noted, med body, balanced, consistent plumminess (?), nice finish, little spice and minor metallic notes; probably about as good as it gets for $14
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5/2/2010 - pjb1955 wrote: 88 Points
Took a little time to open up but was very nice after an hour.
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4/28/2010 - rwstorer wrote: 90 Points
Boo Hoo - I'm so sad to come to the end of my four bottles. This is such an amazing BARGAIN!
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4/26/2010 - Yiannis wrote: 91 Points
This time there were no funky/reductive aromas and this bottle was my best to date. Very dark ruby-purple as usual. Remarkably improved nose with garrigue, violets, blackberries and black pepper. Mid+ bodied and round with silky tanins, opulent fruit and balancing acidity. Med+ finish. Extremely savoury and great QPR.
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4/25/2010 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Paella, Cava and other Spanish Delights (Chez Christianne, San Francisco, CA): Opaque purple red violet color; pepper, tart red fruit, smoke, oak nose; tasty, tangy, tart black fruit, herbal, garrigue, anise palate; medium-plus finish
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4/23/2010 - dke wrote: 89 Points
Tar, stems, iron and animals after opening, a little disjoined. After ~2 hours in a glass this really opens up and the nose fill up with more fruit, licorice, dust, smoke and leather. On the palate this has sweet dark fruit (cherries and prunes), leather and meat and only a bit of iron note. it finishes with good acidity, mild tannins and some tarry bitterness that provide a nice refreshment. Very dark and dense. Right out of the bottle 86-87, after it opens 89-90. This was excellent on the fourth night (under vacuvin), and showed more floral side on the nose and much more prominent tannins on the finish.
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4/21/2010 - mpricher wrote: 89 Points
I am a Rhone Lover, so somewhat biased. Dark Color, nearly opaque. Day one lots of cherry ant Tar. Day two the fruit and floral character more prominent. Medium bodied, smooth, but a mouth coating plush feel. It overs lots of sour-patch Cherry. Some lighter tones of herb, but not overly green. Would buy again, and very food friendly!!!
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4/11/2010 - pnwsun wrote:
was a little ragged at first but gathered its legs after about 30-45 minutes. [one person really liked it right after opening.] pretty smooth was light finish.
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4/7/2010 - Yiannis wrote: 90 Points
Very dark ruby. Reductive aromas that fade away after aeration. Meat, berries, violets and some black pepper. Mid-full bodied and round with very soft tanins. rich fruit and balancing acidity. Fairly long finish. Close to its prime, has mellowed signifficantly since last tasting.
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4/1/2010 - Lessthanzero wrote: 88 Points
Maybe it's April Fool's but although still quite acidic, this was almost devoid of barnyard after a 2 hour decant. Very pleasant, but not as disitinctive as earlier. This may also be starting its descent.
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3/12/2010 - europat55 wrote: 86 Points
Very good wine, but a little bit too unidimentional to me...
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3/10/2010 - aof wrote: 90 Points
Ripe, voluptuous, yet structured. Quite a turn-around from the grapey, but quaffable state it was last year. Fantastic buy at $15.
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3/9/2010 - drwine2001 wrote:
Magnum. Surprisingly less dense in both color and feel than previous bottles. More airy with a mixture of fruit rather than all blackberry compote. This bottle also had a violet florality which I had not found before. I like the way this evolved over the past year. It does not seem as extracted and overwhelming in its current state.
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3/8/2010 - jbposell wrote:
Great QPR, definitely drank better after a few hours in a decanter.
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3/1/2010 - polimeri wrote: 89 Points
Always enjoyable and cannot beat the QPR.
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3/1/2010 - D@vidsWine wrote:
I was thrilled to find this one at Costco here, but I would caution that it needs some serious air before becoming pleasant. Popped and poured, this wine is inky purple/black and possesses considerable weight on the palate. The tannins were just dominant at first and felt as if they were attacking my tongue. After about 45 minutes, the wine calmed down a bit and offered dark fruits, a noticeable gamey quality, and a spicey finish. After a year or two this wine might show more, but right now it's very primary. That is not to say that it isn't a fantastic QPR and a real pleasure to drink.***1/2
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3/1/2010 - Patches wrote: 87 Points
Good, but not as good as it was in the past. It was a little flat this time and very funky.
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2/19/2010 - Lessthanzero wrote: 89 Points
As before. QPR heaven, and quite consistent.
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2/16/2010 - Jools wrote: 87 Points
Dark crimson. Wild berries and a meaty smell on the nose, followed by a soft, full and well balanced palate with sweet dark fruit and a hint of herbs. Harmonious and pleasing, very nice drink! Ready now. Good Value. 14% alc.
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2/13/2010 - dbg wrote:
Another good showing, similar to last few bottles. Excellent, and excellent QPR.
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2/2/2010 - Dinovino wrote: 91 Points
Aromatic, plum, garrique, sandalwood,cocoa.Soft and ripe, silky smooth melt in the mouth texture.
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1/26/2010 - ironmics wrote: 89 Points
Couldn't find anything to decant into (thought I had something, but may have got lost in a move and didn't want to buy another). Day 1 had a glass through a vinturi, it was a bit funky with a lot of red to dark fruit and quite a bit of black pepper, nice aroma, but was a bit tight. Left to sit for about a day and a half down to the middle of the shoulder. Opened a bit more on day 2 and was a lot more fruity, but lost its funk, not too exciting and still pretty tight. Left it for another 2 days about half full. Day 4 is a lot of buttered popcorn, with the fruit taking a back seat now, but regained a little funkiness that the fruit was covering and has just a tiny bit of spice on it too. Feel is spot on now, quite balanced now and just a tad on the drying side, but very enjoyable. Good long finish. Sadly, I can only compare this to new world syrahs, all of the Rhones I've had as grenache based, but this trumps any syrah I've had. I did really enjoy the last couple glasses. Guess I'll have to buy a new decanter so I can enjoy this one a little quicker next time haha. Definitely worth the price of admission.
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1/25/2010 - Brsed wrote: 92 Points
I really enjoy this wine. Nice nose of dark fruits and a chalk like minerality. Excellent balance. Fruit tastes of blueberries with a bit of earth and a dustiness. This wine is very elegant and layered. I like CA Syrah but this blows away the CA Syrah I had yesterday at twice the price.
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1/25/2010 - yui wrote: 88 Points
loved the funk. overall, great wine, but not that interesting
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1/24/2010 - mdefreitas wrote: 89 Points
Not as inky or tarry as I remember. Last sample was 5 months ago. This still showed extremely well. A horsey, leathery scent wafts from the glass, but there is ample dark fruit and licorice in the mix as well. Only drank a bit; saving the majority of the wine for day two, where I'm sure it will be better. UPDATE: As expected, the fruit was stronger, sweeter and fuller on the second day.
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1/9/2010 - chd850 wrote:
N: not fruity, rather smoke, barnyard, dirt... very intense and concentrated
M: spicy, good amount of tannin.
decanted 6 hours before serving made it smoother. A bottle with character.
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1/7/2010 - mattwoolley wrote: 89 Points
Full throttle CdR. Rich nose of blackberry, raspberry, tar and lashings of licorice. Palate more savoury but very full bodied, a tarry richness and melted licorice; hints of herbs. Good length.
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1/4/2010 - smokie wrote: 90 Points
the best 2007 CDR I have had yet. No spoofulation detectable.
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1/3/2010 - rmh66 wrote: 90 Points
Poured into a decanter and let it sit for 60 minutes before the first glass and 4 hours total. (You MUST give this wine at least 30 minutes of air...I've had 4 bottles, and they've all needed lots of air.) I love this wine. It's like a very pure blackberry liquor, followed by some earthiness, leather, and licorice. Lovely balance of fruit against darker elements and acidity that's just right. Only 3 bottles left...sigh. 89-90.
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12/22/2009 - Lessthanzero wrote: 89 Points
I forget how nice this wine is and amd reminded each time I drink it. Each time I have also just had an out of control CDR, so it also suffers in comparison. I do not look forward to when I have ot think back longingly to 2007.
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12/20/2009 - Hollowine wrote: 88 Points
One word...Decant. I was a bit nervous about some of the "funk" and "Reductive" notes others had posted, and having held these bottles for over a year I have seen opinions all over the map on this wine. I had a magnum which I decided to pair with a Coq au vin dinner, and I made the wise choice to open the bottle at noon and pour off about 1/2 glass worth. I was not impressed by the flavor on initial open, had a medicinal-strawberry type taste that I really do not like, but the nose wasn't too out of line for a CdR. Came back to the bottle 8 hours later and it was entirely transformed. Palate had settled into a wonderful Syrah profile with lots of the dark berry, herbs, forest, bit of tar that I would expect. Paired very well with the Coq, sure a nice Burg might have been better but the whole table thought it went perfect. Can't say how the 750's are but from Magnum this was very nice juice and I would not consider drinking another without at least a 6-8 hour decant, might even go 12 on my next bottle. (87-89)
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12/16/2009 - Stefanos T. wrote: 90 Points
Excellent wine, amazing value for money. Opaque black with purple rim. It needed decanting to shed off the reductive aromas. When these disappeared the wine was clean. Not very expressive nose, black fruit, peper, leather were the main aromas. In the mouth it is rather full, very flavourfull, very good structure, drinking very well now can last for at least 4-5 years. Good aftertaste, very pleasing! An amazing wine at 10euros. Thank you Saint-Cosme!
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12/16/2009 - Atomic Punk wrote: 87 Points
Too ripe.
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12/7/2009 - Zinny wrote:
I bought a case of this wine last November and this was the last bottle. The first 11 I consumed prior to 2/09 so I was curious to see what a year would do for this wine. Perhaps this was a bad bottle because I got the funky components that I remembered from last year but there was no fruit. All acidity, oak, funk and alcohol. Quite terrible, actually. One of the very few wines I encounter that I simply can not drink or cook with and must go down the sink. One of my favorites of 2008 and least favorites of 2009. FWIW the wine was properly stored in my off-site, temperature controlled wine storage locker.
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12/6/2009 - 9jrl1 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted approx. 30 minutes before drinking. There was a funk on the nose as other tasters have noted. Excellent flavours; berries, and spice at the back-end. Excellent QPR.
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12/2/2009 - rhit wrote: 90 Points
Buttered popcorn, barnyard, and oak funk on the nose along with sweet plummy fruit, with the funkiness blowing off after a bit. This wine really evolved as we drank it. Although it had an interesting savory tinge, it seemed somewhat cloying and flat on the palate at first. But later, it lengthened and gained an awesome pseudo-effervescence and stoniness, and its acid tang seemed to make it fresher. By the end of the bottle, it was an excellent QPR. Solid.
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11/18/2009 - DRod wrote: 89 Points
I liked this quite a bit, but be warned it's a total stink-bomb. Heavy wallop of barnyard on the nose and on the palate, with the signature pepperiness from the syrah. Impressive concentration at this price point. Would buy again.
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11/10/2009 - dbg wrote:
Very consistent from bottle to bottle. Dark red/purple to rim. Rich nose of blackberries, tar, herbs, red meat, hint of reduced funk. Full-bodied, rich dense ripe fruit on the palate with flavors following the nose, nice balancing acidity, some nice complexity, and a medium long finish. Excellent-outstanding.
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11/8/2009 - Eugene wrote: 89 Points
Very good. Great concentration and acidity. Well balanced but needs some more time
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11/6/2009 - Lessthanzero wrote: 89 Points
What's not too like? If you, like me, find you like this, also try out the St. James Basket Press. Very similar, with at least some of the time the Basket being better for me. Apart from that, same as other notes. but Iadmit, there are times when I'd like from this. THen I remeber what I paid.
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11/3/2009 - gordoyflaca wrote: 89 Points
smooth raisins and cherries. Easy drinking.
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11/1/2009 - Lessthanzero wrote: 91 Points
As before. Slight bottle variation as I'm enjoying this more than I remembered.
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10/29/2009 - aof wrote: 88 Points
grapey, young but quaffable.
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10/21/2009 - Lessthanzero wrote: 89 Points
More barnfunk than previously and ultimately I find his wine lacking a little depth. At the price level though. +++ (But do remember to decant. Friends do not let friends pop'n'pour.)
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10/19/2009 - vinole wrote: 88 Points
Consistent with note of 7/24.
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10/16/2009 - gbm wrote: 87 Points
COLOR: Inky purple. NOSE: Funky. Blew off slowly to reveal dog poop. Sorry, but that's what it smelled like. TASTE: Sweet. Smoother and less tannic than the last bottle. Nice moderately long finish. OVERALL: Nice weekenight wine. The nose was interesting. I would not call it off. (3+11+16+7)
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10/11/2009 - ProfessorHTF wrote: 90 Points
I can't say anything more about this wine then I already have. At $11, fantastic qpr for what it delivers. A textbook case in varietal correctedness in the hands of a skilled producer. It has it all: loads of dark fruit tempered by tar, leather, licorice, and herbs, all in harmony. It is extremely heartening that wine of this caliber is being offered for this very fair price. May make this my house red assuming enough is out there.
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9/28/2009 - bweimer wrote: flawed
corked
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9/22/2009 - bsapot wrote:
Nothing special, there are many other 07 CDRs that blow this away.
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9/14/2009 - Lessthanzero wrote: 90 Points
as before
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9/7/2009 - Lukeout wrote:
Brought to a labor day event, where it was enjoyed by all. A real accessible dark flavor profile wine. Great value.
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9/5/2009 - blondon wrote:
Decanted 1.5 hours, enjoyed over 4. Smoky, earthy nose, floral, a little funky. Such nice balance, fruit understated, showing classic blackberry flavors with crisp acidity. Paired with lamb sliders, goat cheese, grilled onions and kalamata olives. Delicious and my QPR of 2009.
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9/2/2009 - dbg wrote:
Dark red/purple to rim. Rich funky nose of blackberries, tar, herbs, red meat, and a bit of reduced funk typical of some 100% Syrahs - the Tardieu Laurent Eremites and the Rayas Fonsalette Cuvee Syrah come to mind. Full-bodied, rich dense ripe fruit on the palate with flavors following the nose, nice balancing acidity keeps it from getting blowsy, some nice complexity, and a medium long finish. Excellent-outstanding. Next day the fruit has faded some but still a decent drink, this should last a few years but not likely to be a long-term ager.
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8/26/2009 - mdefreitas wrote: 90 Points
Black tarry fruits, licorice, meats... consistent showing. Delicious.
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8/24/2009 - gt1485a wrote: 87 Points
Pleasent, nothing overwhelming or complex. From magnum.
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8/22/2009 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 87 Points
Worth drinking on a nice night on the patio by the yacht club of Lake City, MN. Better than the food we had. Rich notes of tar and plum. Possibly a bit young.
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8/20/2009 - mdefreitas wrote: 89 Points
A bit of brett on this one, but not too much. Still loaded with inky black fruits, tar, blood and a bit of herbs. Mouthfilling, generous and accessable.
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8/18/2009 - Lessthanzero wrote: 89 Points
Inky purple in the glass, dark berries on the nose. Big mouth feel with dark berries, spice and tanginess. QPR Rhone strikes again. Although professionally rated the same as the Deux Albion, it is not quite the same, and that one has a bit more fruit and complexity. Having said that, for a 100% syrah, this has amazing depth. The acidity is asking for some food, but this is such a nice weekday sipper, that I barely get there.
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8/17/2009 - EMichels wrote: 89 Points
Quite good; Nice dark flavors; Good length; A bit of spice
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8/17/2009 - Happybob wrote: 90 Points
Amazing value, but then the 07 vintage is churning out lots of affordable and great wines like this. Big, great fruit (dark with just a touch of jamminess), good complexity, structure and finish; opens ~45 minutes
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8/13/2009 - gbauer wrote:
Didn't show as well as previous bottles, though not bad. Don't know if it was the bottle or the other 20 wines that night...
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8/12/2009 - JOsgood wrote: 86 Points
From magnum. Light and smooth. Not much depth to this. Acid on the finish.
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8/12/2009 - dbg wrote:
Dark purple. Red and black fruits, grilled meats, herbs and pepper on the nose, with a bit of sharp sulfite which might contribute to the "medicinal" character some note in this wine. Medium body, cherries and pepper on the palate, acids and tannins nicely balancing the fruit and alcohol, medium to long finish. Should last at least a few years and may improve as the sulfites are absorbed. Great value. Very good-excellent.
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8/12/2009 - Employee500 wrote: 88 Points
Good Syrah-based CdR, with rich fruit combined with a distinct herbaceous character. Some black pepper, dark cherry, licorice and other "medicinal" herbs.
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8/4/2009 - ScottG wrote: 87 Points
Solid cotes du rhone. structured enough to age a couple of years.
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8/2/2009 - Yiannis wrote: 90 Points
Dark purple. Gorgeous syrah nose with blackberry, violets, black pepper and herbs. Mid-bodied and round, with firm tannins of much better quality than the 2006 (which were dusty) and high acidity. Fairly long spicy finish. Excellent food wine at great QPR. The quality of the vintage shines here. I will look for more bottles...
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7/31/2009 - mulder wrote: 90 Points
Love this wine, it has such a great QPR. Color this is about as purple as it gets. Sour cherry, cranberry and minerally ( almost cement like) on the nose. The palate is earthy with a nice hit of pepper and santa rosa tart plums. Tannins are grippy and this has just enough acidity that makes it great with food.
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7/24/2009 - vinole wrote: 88 Points
Consistent with previous notes. Intense for a CdR, with some tannins (now smoothing out) and a little glycerin, and fairly big red fruit. More age should improve it. Needs about an hour of air to show its best. Matched well with a roast pork tenderloin stuffed with cranberry stuffing.
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7/23/2009 - Dinovino wrote: 90 Points
Great nose acacia,spicy salami,black olives,great fruit,generous,ripe flavours.Yum!
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7/23/2009 - Lukeout wrote:
Sour cherry, tart. A good bit of fruit in there. medium weight overall though. Not my favorite wine, will try the next one in a year or so.
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7/18/2009 - eliotfagley wrote: 89 Points
A little disappointing and basic. Certainly not terrible, but no match for other CDRs.
On the nose, it's a little tight. Good sour cherry aromas, but smells a little hot. On the attack, this wine bursts onto the palate with sour cherry and cranberry. The fruit on this vintage is pretty incredible. These bright berries persist through the course of the experience, and are punctuated by decent tannins. Toward the tail end there is some green bell pepper that is very pretty. It's got good acidity, but very few secondary flavors. Overall disappointing, but I may have been expecting too much.
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7/17/2009 - CamWheeler wrote: 86 Points
Earth and cherried nose. Palate is medium bodied, very approachable.
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7/16/2009 - esb wrote: 88 Points
Tight. Reduced. Give this lots of time to unwind. Nice but simple fruit.
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7/10/2009 - Patches wrote: 91 Points
Rasberry, cherry and blackberry fruit. Earthy, peppery, herbaceous. Round and fruit forward.
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7/9/2009 - stercomm wrote:
Blacberry and cherry on the nose, some nice earthiness on the palate works well with the fruit. A nice Cotes du Rhone, a good value for the price
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7/9/2009 - bhardie wrote: 83 Points
Super extracted, dense and powerful. Very primary grapey and super clean red fruit that has balancing acidity and did not show much tannin. This is not a bad wine but not what I look for in a CDR.
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7/7/2009 - wfdeacon wrote: 89 Points
Color was deep blue purple that coats the glass. I didn't pick anything up distinctive on the nose maybe red berry and some plum. Coats the mouth but not in a heavy way, kind of dances around all over (nice) and then dries up, boom, pucker, pop. Fun for the price, where are my car keys, I'm going to the wine store.
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6/24/2009 - elise wrote: 88 Points
Starting to turn the corner - enjoy while it's still young.
I have no doubt that it will age for a few more years but its not getting better moving forward.
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6/20/2009 - AZVinoVeritas wrote: flawed
Corked
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6/16/2009 - bbrantley wrote: 89 Points
Meaty on the nose with some perfumed red fruit and a hint of blueberry. Very pretty. Full bodied on the palate with lots of forward fruit. Some grippy tannins and acidity on the back end, but just a little. Very nice and a great value.
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6/15/2009 - curtispomeroy wrote: 88 Points
Brought to the Cool Clean board dinner and the magnum was quickly drained. Very nice wine.
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6/13/2009 - ScottGoodwin wrote: 90 Points
Deep, deep purple color. Lots of meatiness on the initial attack but that faded. A clear Syrah nose. Peppery spice. The palate on this is SOOOO silky and sexy even. Loads of blackberries. But still restrained with earthy minerality and acidity. Lots of iron elements on the palate. Loved it.
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6/13/2009 - mdefreitas wrote: 88 Points
This one was a bit odd. Lots of bubbles when poured into the glass (unresolved CO2?). Fortunately the fizz did not make it self known on the palate. Black fruits, tar and raw meats. Not deep, but true to its origins and quite tasty.
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6/6/2009 - JorgeH wrote: 90 Points
Casual night @ PMC's (Franklin, MA): Beautifully dark in the glass. This CdR shows attractive and polished notes of black fruits, smoke, dried leaves and roast meat. In the mouth it shows considerable heft with smooth tannins and concentrated flavors of sweet plums, black cherry and peppery spice. Very nice.....I still prefer the Garrigue Romaine though.
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6/5/2009 - rickspicks wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Very nice wine with red and dark berry, earth, spice, leather, herbs and pepper flavors. Rich and flavorful with good balance and a medium-long, smooth finish.
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6/3/2009 - Penguin3200 wrote: 92 Points
Wow! Decanted for an hour. Went perfect with the grilled pork shoulder. Smoke, minerals, and dirt shown through. Velvety mouth feel and a long finish that increased the dirt and leather aroma. St. Cosme impressed.
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6/1/2009 - StreetWalkerD wrote: 87 Points
Still way too young to really know how this is going to develop. Running very hot and tight. I opened it for a solid 5 hours (not decanted though) and still it was not smooth drinking. It has substantially mellowed since I first tasted in Nov. of 08, but needs at least another year. Lots of fruit on the palate. Very dark ruby color. Beautiful thick legs.
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6/1/2009 - yui wrote: 86 Points
from memory . . .OK, some red fruits, bit boring
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5/30/2009 - T-Mac wrote: flawed
Foul. Smelled and tasted like composted cow manure. And no, I have not eaten composted cow manure. Disappointing, as previous bottles of this were very good.
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5/25/2009 - Dinovino wrote: 88 Points
Generous,lush,spicy,plump and ripe.
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5/23/2009 - peternelson wrote: 88 Points
Wine House: Wine House: Nice rich, black-blue frt, not bad, richer cdr
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5/23/2009 - ron m wrote:
Dark purple, pleasing red fruiit on the nose and developing some meaty characteristics after a few hours. Medium bodied, nicely flowing through the mid palate. Finishes nicely in waves. Not bad.
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5/18/2009 - vinole wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with previous notes.
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5/13/2009 - Dinovino wrote: 89 Points
Warm and spicy,generous plummy fruit,smooth soft finish.
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5/4/2009 - btennan1 wrote: 86 Points
A: A Bic pen exploded in my glass.
N: Musty ancient old granny panties. Green vine pepper very light. Pulled this wine out of old box in the an attic.
T: Coco = very elegant and jammy. High in the Alcohol.
F: Very earthy and a bit oily. Small and tart.
Overall: It was ok. Not my bag but did get better with time. A bit rough and earthy.
V: 3/5
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5/4/2009 - fingers wrote: 88 Points
Tasted blind from two different bottles - one PnP, one decanted. Notes are a summation of both. 90% opaque ruby. A modest, balanced nose reveals French oak, roasted nut, and flowers. A very easy-to-like, broad palate with a little mint on the ending. (5+9+16+8) = 88
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5/4/2009 - emo wrote: 83 Points
A rich purple colour, looks great in the glass. Nose is a bit bretty. Tannins quite firm, this might need a bit of swirling to open up. Taste is herbal with a touch of red fruit. OK but not great.
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5/3/2009 - gbm wrote: 87 Points
Virtual Community Tasting Event (VCTE) IV; 4/1/2009-5/7/2009 ((I've Been) All Around This World): Tasted as part of VCTE IV. Aerated in bottle for three hours. COLOR: Rich purple. NOSE: Pepper and some fruit. Over time it became meatier. It wasn't unpleasant, but it certainly wasn't enticing, either. TASTE: Moderate tannins and acidity. Well balanced. Plums, blackberries and some herbal notes. The finish was smooth and may have been the best part of the wine. OVERALL: I was not impressed. jhannah is right that the La Garrigue is better. The color and the nose on this were average and the taste was not enough to make me want more. (3+12+16+6)
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5/2/2009 - jhannah27 wrote:
OC Poker for Wine II/CT Virtual Tasting IV (Wine Cellar Club, Irvine, CA): I brought two bottles to the tasting, and as an exercise in aeration, one was popped and sat in the bottle over 24 hours and the other was popped when I arrived at the venue. I have had this wine enough to know immediately which was which in the tasting as the second in the line up showed so much more depth of flavor and softer edges. But, as I have said previously, I would be happy drinking this in either scenario, as I also love the freshness of the fruits at the pop and pour.
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5/2/2009 - grafstrb wrote: 90 Points
Cellar Tracker Virtual Tasting IV & OCP4W II (Wine Cellar Club in Irvine, CA): -- decanted for 24 hours before the event --
-- tasted blind: served 9th out of 11 --
Magenta-purple color of deep depth, and a moderate amount of superfine particulate matter. Somewhat tight bouquet was a tad funky and featured dark berries (blackberries and blueberries). Full bodied on the palate; Flavors of blackberries, oak, and a hint of pine. A bit hot, and a bit on the tannic side of well-balanced. This came across as somewhat simple, but very good for what it is. Given my impressions of the pop-and-pour bottle that was also included in this tasting, I would recommend decanting this wine before drinking.
B: 50,5, 12, 15, 8 = 90
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5/2/2009 - grafstrb wrote: 87 Points
Cellar Tracker Virtual Tasting IV & OCP4W II (Wine Cellar Club in Irvine, CA): -- popped and poured - I tasted this about 2 hours after it was opened --
-- tasted blind: served 6th out of 11 --
Purple color of medium-deep depth, and a little superfine particulate matter suspended in the wine. Interesting bouquet: I enjoyed the sandalwood/raspberry/cranberry/meaty interplay, but somehow the bouquet came across as somewhat Pop-Tarty. Medium bodied. Very simple on the palate, with nothing besides raspberries to note. Medium-length finish. Another bottle of the same was in this blind lineup, with the only difference being that this bottle was a pop-and-pour, whereas the other bottle received a 24 hour decant -- I preferred the one on the decant.
B: 50, 5, 11, 15, 6 = 87
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5/2/2009 - Maestro wrote: 87 Points
CT Virtual Tasting IV (Virtual): Tasted as part of the CT Virtual Tasting IV. Intense purple color. On the nose it is spicy, and it displays raspberry, red plum, flowers, pepper, and roasted meat. On the palate it is dry, with good acidity and a medium body. The finish is pleasant and it evolves after aeration to display some chocolate and herbs. Nice basic CdR, with a good QPR. Give it another year in the bottle and drink it by 2013.
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5/1/2009 - dannyk8232 wrote: 88 Points
Solid QPR, a bit tart
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4/30/2009 - gbauer wrote:
Continue to enjoy this very much.
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4/22/2009 - AdamWallstein wrote: 90 Points
Nice stuff. Pure purple color with blackberries singing on the nose with a little melted beef fat drippings that are somehow fresh and inviting. Easy, open palate with an uncomplicated but moderate and honest finish.
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4/20/2009 - mdefreitas wrote: 90 Points
Continues to impress with juicy black fruits, tar, violets and pepper. Good complexity for the price; very drinkable.
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4/16/2009 - winejnky wrote: 88 Points
Dark with classic Rhone flavors, plums, violets, rose petals, roasted meat ... great QPR and very satisfying.
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4/13/2009 - agnorger wrote: 89 Points
Loved it. it had complexity exceeding any other 07 cdrs I have had.
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4/11/2009 - larousse wrote: 89 Points
Smoky cassis on the nose, with rich smoke, earth and black fruit flavors. Full-bodied, smooth tannins, but the acidity a bit harsh on the back palate. Otherwise a reasonable finish. A great value, very tasty with my rosemary lamb chops.
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4/11/2009 - wino_tim wrote: 89 Points
A fantastic value, this is ripe, expressive, and meaty, offering beefy aromas of red and black plums, raspberry liqueur, baked earth, dried flowers and tallow. Medium to full bodied, with low acidity, and more alcoholic heat than tannic structure, this narrowly avoids being 'hot' on the palate, simply because its fruit and earth flavors are so bright.
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4/10/2009 - Dinovino wrote: 89 Points
Smooth,ripe,generous,well balanced.
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4/8/2009 - jhannah27 wrote:
Same score as previous. This bottle showed much more smoked venison and bacon fat on the nose and the palate than the previous bottle I had. The fruit is still the star of this wine, though. It is so ripe and lush. Still not as hot on this one as I am the Domaine La Garrigue, but this is definitely tasty for the price tag.
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4/7/2009 - polimeri wrote: 89 Points
Developed over three nights. Not much more I could ask for on a CdR. It tipped the scales to the new world a bit more than the 04, 05, and 04 Les duex. Fresh fruit, touches of garrique and stems. Little tannins on the finish noticable. Very enjoyable. Great BBQ wine with class. 89.
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4/7/2009 - wbq8f wrote: 88 Points
At first I thought it was a bit sweet. but the flavors developed, nice red fruite, very intense flavors, and by the time I was enjoying it with a bit of cheese at the end of a meal, I felt this was a great bargain. If an ordinary Cotes du Rhone is this good in 2007, go out and find the even better...
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4/6/2009 - rwstorer wrote: 90 Points
Same note as below.
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4/6/2009 - rwstorer wrote: 90 Points
Incredible and what a bargain. This was popped (but not poured) and let air for one hour. Nice aromas of earth and tobacco, unfoding into dark berries. This had silky tannin and a nice noticeable acid. There were flavors of blackberry, casis and black pepper. Again, this was just terrific and I would definately buy this again.
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4/4/2009 - greatnate wrote: 89 Points
Pretty purple color. Nose is especially nice at this price point, smells of tilled earth, smokey meats, and musty barnyard. Palette shows hints of fruit up front and smoothly transitions to a meaty mid-palette, hints of dark berries, and a well integrated dryness. Charred meats and blackberries, follow all the way through it's 5-10 second finish. Overall, this is a great value at $10-$14. Good QPR.
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4/3/2009 - joraesque wrote: 83 Points
Harsh tannins and bitterness on the finish in the beginning. After it was poured through an aerator, the wine softened up revealing a nose of barnyard followed by garrigue. On the palate, this is dry and tannic, leaving your mouth pucker. There's also some spiciness that fades out with time. Mostly though, this wine is VERY ACIDIC, which overwhelms the palate stripping it of any flavors. The finish is nonexistent. Because of the high acidity, this will go well with food, but, considering all other glowing reviews, this was quite a disappointment for an '07 CdR. 82-84
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3/29/2009 - cvvhrn wrote: 90 Points
Black fruit and tobbaco on the nose with a palate of cinnamon toast, fennel and fruit. Nice finish. Fantastic bargain at price point. Drank from a magnum
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3/23/2009 - sehill wrote: 90 Points
The wine was opened and poured. It showed as expected based on others' tasting notes. The aromatics show black fruit, game and tar. The color is a dark ruby to purple. The medium/full bodied palate shows good depth, balance, length and complexity for a Cotes-du-Rhone. This is solid stuff that is a pleasure to drink now.
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3/18/2009 - ScottGoodwin wrote: 90 Points
Dark, dark, dark! Beautiful purple color. Tar, tree bark and earth with deep black fruit. Spicy garrigue. Great acidity balancing balck fruit from start to finish. Smokey and leathery. Even on Day 3, there was a riot of fruit and floral. Lots of "berry berry" on the palate with a LONG finish. The tannins had firmed up bit.
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3/17/2009 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
Another wonderful showing of fleshy black fruits, spice and blood.
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3/17/2009 - ProfessorHTF wrote: 90 Points
This wine is simply fantastic, and should be a template for CdRs. Nose blasts forth with garrigue, tobacco, and a funk that can only be described as a cross between aged beef and roses. Initial taste is of sweet, black fruit, mostly blackberry with some blueberry, licorice, a little tar and some smoke. Every steakhouse worth its salt should be required to carry this wine, but won't because the profit margin simply is too low. So buy all you can find while it lasts. I know I will.
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3/15/2009 - mdefreitas wrote: 90 Points
Dark fruits, pepper and blood. Good syrah character here and excellent complexity for the price.
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3/14/2009 - gbauer wrote:
Similar to the first bottle. Some blood and meat on the nose, along with a fair amount of fruit. In the mouth, great dark blue/red fruit, wonderful balance. Some oak -- but I am not getting any brett. I am not particularly sensitive to brett -- but I think some of this must be a crapshoot. Lucky so far.
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3/10/2009 - Tpety wrote: 80 Points
This bottle was on the low side of good, but better than average. I'm a tough point giver. Loats of brett when warmed up, I'd serve this chilled. A decent value at $15.
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3/8/2009 - europat55 wrote: 86 Points
Good nose. Lots of berry flavor. Medium finish. Good QPR, but I don't feel the 89-90 pts that some have given to this wine. Tasted over 5 days.
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3/8/2009 - mdefreitas wrote: 90 Points
Must... stop... drinking... this. At the price, this is becoming my go-to, guilt-free, house wine. More black fruits, pepper and a bit of game mixed in.
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3/5/2009 - WagesOfZin wrote: 90 Points
lots of bang for the buck. completely agree with those that have mentioned the creaminess of this wine, especially with food. no brainer repurchase
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3/4/2009 - mdefreitas wrote: 90 Points
Blackberries and plums. A bit of brett this time around. Still a wonderful value.
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3/3/2009 - thirtyoneknots wrote:
My experience was identical to Elise; Blackberry liqueur, plum, blueberry, a touches of smoke, meat, and lavender. Rich mouthfeel and solid if not long finish. Extremely well-made wine but lacking somewhat in the personality that is often present in even the most humble examples of this AOC. That said, it's an extremely young wine, though I'm not sure I'd give it the decade some say (the drinking window given here seems appropriate). But for $12, worth a look no doubt.
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3/2/2009 - elise wrote: 92 Points
Color: Nearly opaque inky purple that stains the glass
Nose: smoky, tobacco leaf, faint floral components
Palette: well integrated but substantial tannins for a Cotes du Rhone, medium body, plummy, blueberries, touch of minerality, lingering finish of smoky blueberries
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2/27/2009 - peternelson wrote: 88 Points
Rosso: Very dark after Andieux CdR villages; richer t’s, blacker, bigger frt, see above notes at Palate. Very good for CdR.
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2/27/2009 - dke wrote: 88 Points
This was nice and much better integrated than the previous bottles. Smooth, blueberry, blackberry, tar and earthy peppery tannic finish. Nice 88-89. Good value.
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2/26/2009 - Dinovino wrote: 89 Points
Ripe blackberries,licorice,smokey spice.Rich,lush,fullbodied structure,quite creamy mid-palate,alot of value here.
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2/26/2009 - mdefreitas wrote: 89 Points
Another nice, ripe, plush showing. Black fruits and spice... a tad lighter than my last bottle, but still a great value that is way too easy to gulp down.
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2/26/2009 - rc@ughey wrote: 89 Points
Really outstanding and something I plan to drink a ton of in the coming months. Deep, dark berry and spice aromas and then the strongest, purest blackberry flavor on the palate. This has the stuffing to evolve, but is terrific now. Drinks well beyond its tariff.
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2/24/2009 - drwine2001 wrote:
The deep purple color still amazes. This is all blackberry now, and it has taken a turn toward camphor, mint, tar, and smoke. Building tannic finish but really nice, full mouth feel with crisp acids and not showing the slightest hint of overripeness or overconcentration. Hell of a lot of wine for this level.
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2/22/2009 - jnanz wrote: 90 Points
Same as previous, with a touch of smoked meat flavor (good). The barnyard element was a touch greater as well (hence 90 as opposed to 91).
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2/20/2009 - rickspicks wrote: 90 Points
My first bottle of St.-Cosme and I am impressed. Dark ruby with red berry and pepper/spice and herb nose. A bit tight at first, but opened up and developed more structure and body after about 30-60 minutes. Dense and rich with red berry/cherry, tar, mineral , wood and pepper flavors. Very smooth and balanced for a young wine - just slightly tannic (as expected in a young wine) but not tart, flabby or cloying.
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2/18/2009 - jnanz wrote: 91 Points
The best bottle so far. The earth / funk character was toned down significantly. The wine was full of dark berry fruit with notes of flowers and leather. Had a nice been of minerality / acidity that didn't allow it to weigh down the palate (wasn't flabby). Still tannic but excellent. Now I get the fuss.
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2/17/2009 - spacewrangler wrote: 90 Points
Obviously very tight, but what potential. 100% syrah, showing off pepper, raspberry, tar and spice notes on a tart, tight frame. For a cdr, built for the long haul.
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2/15/2009 - CTuttle wrote:
Funk on the nose to the point of distraction. Too barnyardy as they say. May be a bad bottle.
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2/14/2009 - wertyu wrote: 89 Points
Intense almost black-purple color, violets and dark fruit on the nose - some wood notes too. Smooth velvety earthy mineral and meaty taste. Will buy more.
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2/14/2009 - Halvo wrote: 79 Points
Surprisingly tart with overwhelming tannins that never opened up. Not impressed.
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2/8/2009 - peternelson wrote: 87 Points
Palate: Nice red/blue frt notes, very aromatic, rich palate, a bit teeth staining for CdR, black, full.Good nose, new world mth.
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2/8/2009 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
Stunning quality for the price. Has a real "Northern Rhone"-Syrah character to it, if perhaps slightly leaning towards the new world. Ripe blackberries, minerals, violets and a delightful "bloody raw meat" character. The 2007 Rhones, on the cheap end, are looking very attractive indeed. I will be stocking up on this one.
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2/8/2009 - Brsed wrote: 89 Points
Got better as the night went on and was even better on day 2. Tastes of black currant and minerals. A little harsh on the finish. Terrific for the price.
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2/8/2009 - zitarell wrote:
Rich, pure, dark fruit. Lovely.
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2/7/2009 - Rossodio wrote: 87 Points
Fluffy and round, with rich wood taste (not oaky, but woody) and a hint of spice picking up on the back end.
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2/7/2009 - esb wrote: 90 Points
Reduced right out of the bottle but clears after about five minutes with copper. The fruit displays spearmint, violets and blackberry. This is very dense, ripe tasting syrah but it's all in balance. There is some tannin on the palate but given its youth that's not unexpected. Overall, round, big and delicious with enough complexity to keep it interesting. Match with flavorful foods. Inexpensive.
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2/7/2009 - curtispomeroy wrote: 88 Points
3rd Annual Wine Tasting Party (Our house): Second wine of our wine tasting. All preferred this to the Guigal C-H. For all the praise this wine has been receiving I was a bit underwhelmed. I would like to revisit in a year or longer to taste again.
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2/6/2009 - hutch wrote: 86 Points
Wine Marketing pours some wines: This tasted kind of hot for me. Very ripe and extracted. tannic. Nothing like what is expected from a cotes du rhone. This is more massive then most CDP's. A little overdone in my opinion. 86-87
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2/6/2009 - Cellar Fiend wrote: 89 Points
Solid, young and raw. Delicous but needs time 90-92 in the future.
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2/6/2009 - Venezia wrote:
very earthy and typical for region. love it
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2/5/2009 - Dr. Rislin wrote: 90 Points
Bottle too cold on opening. Decanted and poured. After a while cherries and dark berries on the nose. Still tannic but balancing the tastes of blueberries, butterscotch, tobacco and buttermilk very well. Graphite on the 10-15 second finish. Fantastic wine at the price, BUY MORE WHILE YOU CAN!
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2/4/2009 - Badfish wrote: 91 Points
Deep garnet core turning to purple at the rim with medium thin legs in the glass. Aromas of raspberry, blackberry, plum, slate, and mint, offering a nose that is very delicate but quite seductive. The flavors are big and ripe but very fresh, consisting of licorice, blackberry, pepper, and earth. The tannins are firm but this remains surprisingly elegant, balanced, and complex through the finish. This is 100% Syrah so quite unusual for a Côtes du Rhône but it is a very good wine and an exceptional value.
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2/4/2009 - vinole wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with previous notes.
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2/3/2009 - chitowncdpguy wrote: flawed
Corked! Doh! Two in a row....
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2/1/2009 - jnanz wrote: 87 Points
See previous note. A big note of barnyard also noted.
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2/1/2009 - chitowncdpguy wrote: flawed
corked
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1/31/2009 - Hazeo wrote: 84 Points
Bright ruby color, medium bodied, ripey-cherry but ultimately simple and not enough tannins. Yeah I'm not really getting much stuffing here, the fruit is nice and round but there's not much complexity, didn't really get any smoke or peppers. After 4 hours it lost what little complexity it had and became really boring. Is this really the same bottle that others have been tasting? I'll hopefully get to retry this just to make sure as my experience seems like an outlier, but as it currently this is not a buy for me.
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1/30/2009 - jhannah27 wrote: 89 Points
This is something that surpirsed me, even though I have heard nothing but amazing things abot the 07 vintage. 100% Syrah, this showed off the peppery, black berry, cranberry flavors that really are my favorite aspects of the varietal. While 100% of any varietal is out of the ordinary in a CdR, I really think they hit the nail on the head with the pure, ripe, and simple fruit flavors. I really had the impression that these grapes were well attended to. Although it may not be the most perfect expression of a CdR, it is really an impressive effort that deserves the accolades it has been receiving from the pros.
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1/28/2009 - WetRock wrote:
This showed much better on day 2. Initially somewhat tight nose showing some burnt scrub and a bit of brett with the palate on the austere side with a medium body. Day 2 brings out some slightly fat dark berries on the nose along with the garrigue and brett again. Palate has gained some weight especially in the midpalate where the fruit is somewhat generous. Decent acidity and a long building grip. This clearly needs some time but patience will easily pay off the $13 this is. Hold or decant.
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1/28/2009 - duchamp wrote: 89 Points
Dark red, big nose of blueberries, green tea, alcohol and ripe red fruit, sweet and smooth on the palate without any traces of the burnt fruit characteristic of this level wine, just sweet and rich all the way through to the long finish, not super complex but at $12, it leaps out of its category
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1/27/2009 - TheOtherPoster wrote: 91 Points
Another fabulous QPR winner from the Rhone in 2007. Decanted one hour, the palate picked up weight and texture. Nose still reticent, but the palate delivered with dark raspberry / blackberry fruit nestled in a syrah context of pepper and earthy elements, all with a proper structural balance of acid and tannin. More than a decent finish. And all this for $13??!! Back up the truck, I'm getting another case! We could drink this stuff for a few years.
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1/25/2009 - jsums wrote: 88 Points
Dark garnet color with a viscous ruby rim. Aromas of assertive red cherry and sweet wild blackberry surrounded by funky damp leather, a little sage, and some smoky cedar. Massive loads of intense crushed blackberry and currant on the palate along with powdered stone, coffee, and a bit of cream. Moderate chalky tannins and focused acidity provide a nice structure. Hot peppercorn and some walnut linger with the fruit for a long while. Tastes very similar to a good Crozes-Hermitage. Primary, intense, and satisfying. Killer barbecue wine.
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1/24/2009 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Dark magenta color; spicy berry, cherry and plum nose; tasty, garrigue, tart black fruit, herbs and charcoal palate; short-medium finish (at $13, a great value)
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1/24/2009 - Rob MacKay wrote: 88 Points
100% Syrah, which I believe is non-standard for CdR. Very dark and dense purple-red color with some olive and green pepper notes mixed with a hint of Provencal herbs. Smooth and mouth-coating with decent dark berry flavors and an abbreviated finish. A decent value at $15 but if you have the choice, choose the 2007 Domaine La Garrigue Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Romaine instead. From what I have been told, look for the Gigondas bottling from Saint Cosme instead.
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1/24/2009 - Magnolian wrote: 89 Points
A cut above most CdR. Bright, expressive dark fruits and a silky body. Better on day 2.
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1/23/2009 - jnanz wrote: 88 Points
The wine was dark and tannic with strong earth and herbal notes. Black fruit evolved along with spice cake flavors. Very good. The second day the wine was showing nice plum fruit and earth notes. Tannins did turn a touch bitter the second day.
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1/19/2009 - dke wrote: 89 Points
Nice nose of tar and strawberries, less rich than previous bottles but quite smooth with good spicy finish. Went really well with lasagna bolognese.
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1/14/2009 - danstrings wrote: 90 Points
Cyn Joe etc dinner -- great as always, amazing value. Fresh, bright and lively.
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1/13/2009 - vinole wrote: 89 Points
Glad to say that a newer bottle with St Cosme in red on the capsule was as good as previous bottles with gold logo on capsule. This needs about 45 min to an hour of air to be at its best.
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1/11/2009 - Ekoostik wrote: 89 Points
I've had a few better experiences with this wine lately so I wanted to update my note. For a base cdr this is really a nice value. Gobs of pure dark fruit, the nose and the front end is really where this wine shines, really nice. There seems like a little hole in the middle, but its really hard to knock this wine for what it brings @$12. Looking foward to more 07 Rhone values.
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1/9/2009 - smorris291 wrote: 89 Points
Dark, almost opaque, purple. Dark fruits. Big for a CDR, really enjoyable.
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1/5/2009 - keelegl wrote: 89 Points
I should have decanted as this was a big CDR. Dark fruits and meat flavors dominated the nose and palate. This bottle felt very primary so I would recommend cellaring for the short term.
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1/3/2009 - Zinny wrote:
Color - Very opaque purple. Very young looking.
Nose - Smoked meat, purple fruit, coffee
Palate - Medium bodied, tart. Purple fruited, good length and balance.
I purchased a case of this last month and have been enjoying it thoroughly. A great value @ 12.99.
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12/30/2008 - danstrings wrote: 90 Points
Il Vicino Wichita Chris dad -- Awesome as always, what a steal! Loaded with inky juicy fruit!
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12/24/2008 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 78 Points
Decanted one hour. Initially, this wine scares me a bit... very dark purpley colored. Looks extracted. SMELLS it, too... huge jammy nose with just the slightest bit of gravel. But it's basically just generic, artificially flavored fruit jam aromas. Some spiciness on the mid-palate, but mainly big fruit on a soft frame. Finish is very soft and mellow, and transitions towards flavors of, this time real, strawberry and blueberry jam, accented with some charcoal flavors. I really don't care for the nose here as it smells too much like a fruit bomb Spanish wine, the flavors on the back end of the finish make it more enjoyable to taste. However, going on my second glass it's becoming quite tiring to drink... just too modern an interpretation to me, as the subtlety on the finish just winds up getting overpowered by the goopiness. A shame, as I was really thinking I'd like this one.
The more I drank this bottle the worse it got. Going on 4-5 hours open it developed a very strong rubbing alcohol component on the finish and was just not enjoyable at all. Held back a glass in the bottle, corked, for two days to see if it smoothed out... a bit, but it's still astringent. Started at 86 on opening, went to 84 with second glass, then straight down the tube from there. There's no "flaws" to this bottle. The wine just has no focus. Hopefully there's bottle variation, otherwise I'm not sure what to do with my magnums.
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12/23/2008 - Todd French wrote: 88 Points
Decent overall - great value, seems like 100% syrah
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12/23/2008 - dke wrote: 86 Points
Not as good as the previous bottle. Still rich and tarry but more hot a bit disjointed 86-87
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12/23/2008 - TLHWG wrote: 85 Points
This wine resembled a gamay to me--fruity and round (very little tannin). Not what I expected from a CdR. Not a bad wine but not what I expect out of a CdR either.
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12/20/2008 - Dale M wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for a couple of hours which seemed to really open up the party. What a great little value here, as we are treated to a more than ample nose of blackberry and garrigue. Snappy red currant jelly and pepper on the palate and very fresh. I never would have guessed that this was 100% Syrah. Uncomplicated and Delicious!
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12/18/2008 - vinole wrote: 88 Points
This bottle was less structured, intense, and tannic than my previous two bottles and has a different capsule than my earlier bottles that says Saint Cosme in red rather than a gold logo as seen in the picture above. Makes me wonder whether later lots are inferior, or this is just an off bottle, as I am actually being generous on the score. I still have 2 bottles of the original and 3 of the newer one, so I will see if there is any consistent difference.
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12/14/2008 - Patches wrote: 90 Points
Upon opening the bottle, black fruit aromas filled the room. It was mostly blackberries, but also some tobacco and prunes. Definitely earthy. To me, it also had a slight h2s smell. Lots of dark coffe on the palate. It is very big and juicy, but there is a disctinct old world earthyness and tannic quality to it too. This wine is vey accessable and somewhat complex, and likely to please a variety of palates. Drinks pretty well now with an hour of decanting, but I think it would be worth giving it 6 months or more in the cellar.
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12/9/2008 - gbauer wrote:
Good young CdR. Excellent QPR.
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12/8/2008 - Jared wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured this CdR and drank over about a two hour period. After reading glowing remarks about previous vintages of this wine, it seemd a no-brainer to give this a go @ $13. Very hard out of the gate. Not much at all on the nose and fairly tannic. After some vigorous swirling (wonder if wine carpal tunnel is covered by my insurance?) I finally coaxed some black fruit, spice, and flowers out of this stingy baby. At this point it became clear that it needs 2-3 years to really integrate its components and become a completely enjoyable wine, but the goods are there and I'll unquestionably pick up a few more bottles and a magnum I saw at a local wine shop for $27.
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12/7/2008 - vancouvermatt wrote: 89 Points
Herb and Garrigue notes, supported by fine tannins. On 2nd night, lots of charcoal and tar notes emerged. Nice cellar defender.
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12/4/2008 - vinole wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with previous note, but even better as the tannins were more subdued and the wine had more depth.
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12/2/2008 - kablerc wrote: 91 Points
Inky and dark. Nose of rubber with fruit that transitions to dirty vegetable funk and grilled rare steak. Begins with a definite earth and plum and transitions to mulberries on the mid-palate. Finish lasts ~10 seconds. Goes great with winter fare. Going to buy 2 or 3 more bottles. At $20 CAD, a bargain.
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11/30/2008 - Meerlust wrote:
Dark colored. Dark fruit, mineral,tar, bretty, animale nose with orange blossoms. The palate has dark fruit, minerals, and orange as well. There is plenty of tannic backbone, but the finish is a little short.
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11/29/2008 - dke wrote: 89 Points
This is different than any CDR I've had before. Huge extraction. Coffee, bay leaf, blackberries and a dash of pepper on the nose. Taste of blackberries, again coffee, earth and lots of tar. Juicy full bodied, tarry. This would deserve 90 pts, but finish was short-to-medium which took the point off: 89+. Very nice value. On third night it was still going strong and it paired quite well with oven baked steak.
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11/23/2008 - linserge wrote: 90 Points
what a terrific value! This is exactly what Cotes du RHone ought to be: tasty, balanced, lovely fruit with a bit of intrigue but not a fruitbomb, and well-priced.
I'm heading back to the store this week to buy 6 more.
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11/21/2008 - danstrings wrote: 89 Points
Dinner Oregon visit Pam et al at "42nd Street Bistro"-- more sufury fuminess this time, but still a great valve CdR loaded with ripe juicy fruit and earth.
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11/21/2008 - pawine wrote: 91 Points
Very powerful and deep for a Cote du Rhone. I could smell the aroma of cassis from across the table. On the palate, solid earthy cherry fruit with waves of flavor. Not too complex. Well balanced. Very big. Unlike any other vintage of this cuvee I have had. Long finish with very ripe tannins. Drink now and over the next 3yrs for the fruit. Has to be the best they have ever made. 2007 Rhone is Like 2005 Bordeaux and Burgundy. The top Rhone wines should blow us away......
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11/21/2008 - bknysak wrote: 90 Points
This is a great vintage for the basic CdR. Juicy, with prominent notes of charcoal, fennel seed/Italian sausage, red and black fruits, and just a hint of spice. Good stuff, and a killer deal for $12.
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11/19/2008 - Ekoostik wrote: 88 Points
Darker color than expected, but I found that didnt necesarily transfer to the palate as its more medium bodied wine. Seems like some nice pieces are here but its really not giving much up right now. Would buy more at $10 but $16 to the door with shipping is a bit of a stretch I think. Hopeful that there is more to come with this one though.
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11/14/2008 - Paul S wrote: 89 Points
St Cosme tasting (Wine What Else, Singapore): This was an excellent Cotes du Rhone. Really darkly purple in colour, it had a nice clean feel to it, both on the nose and the palate. I had accents of flowers and bramble on the nose. On the palate, clean acid, pure cherries, savoury meat, and black olives along with smoky charcoal, all very clean and pure flavours wrapped up in an elegant structure. Simple, but weighty for a CdR. Lovely.
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11/10/2008 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 90 Points
Beautiful dark color, Aromas of Dark Cherries, raspberries, Lavender, Asian Spices, some Black Licorice as well. Nice Firm tannins, with lingering spices and fruit on the finish. Great Value. (Best after 2009) - JD 90
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11/10/2008 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Not bad for $16.
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11/8/2008 - ron m wrote:
No note taken
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11/4/2008 - Cahill wrote: 90 Points
This bottle took a lot longer to get going. Opened an hour before dinner, had a glass with dinner, then drank the rest after the twins were put to bed. The bottle was probably open for 3 to 4 hours before it really started to sing -- when it finally hit that first note, the aromas and flavors were consistent with the last tasting note - cassis, blackberry, dried herbs, and a bit of sweetness that was nicely balanced with some acid. Maybe decant next time?
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10/29/2008 - vinole wrote: 89 Points
A bigger CdR than most with forward flavors of blackberry with a hint of sour cherry as the wine was more tannic than most CdR's and had some nice balancing acidity, but not in a too obvious way. Little earth or garrigue, almost in a style of a dialed back CA Rhone Ranger at a price they couldn't fathom as I got this for $9. Much better than previous vintages I have had, and a great value. Needs some air (45 min -1hr) to show its best right now.
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10/12/2008 - godx wrote: 87 Points
Opened and served right away. Garnet colour and clear throughout. Medium nose of dark berries. Flavours of sour dark fruit. Medium acidity, medium to short finish. This tastes more like an Australian shiraz then a Cotes du Rhone.
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10/9/2008 - NiklasW wrote: 85 Points
Had at a restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden. Was a big fruity wine with only a bit of tannins. I did not ask what the vintage was, and it was not on the wine list, so it being a 2007 was a bit of a surprise. I think the wine was too young right now, it was big on fruit, dark plums, and spicey on the palate, but I would think that in a couple of years this would be even better. In any case it complemented the wood pigeon quite nicely.
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10/3/2008 - drwine2001 wrote:
Inky color. Exciting nose of blackberry, grilled meat, sandalwood, and dark flowers. Big wine but much simpler and monochromatic then when first tasted over the summer with dark, blackberry fruit and more obvious tannin. As was the case with the '06 version, a few months have really brought out the Syrah character of this wine. I am still very impressed with the material, but this seems to be going into a shell right now.
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9/29/2008 - Cahill wrote: 90 Points
Excellent Syrah. Opened about an hour before dinner (no decanting) and drank over the course of four hours. Rich nose of cassis with black berries and dried herbs - at one point, dried sage seemed to dominate. Lush mouth feel without going over the top, enough crisp acid for this wine to go with many dishes despite the sweetness of its flavors. Light tannins started to melt over time, allowing some milk chocolate to emerge on both the palate and the nose. I have drunk a lot of shiraz trying to find something this good in this price range without going over the top on ripeness - I guess I can stop looking.
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9/18/2008 - shudave wrote: 91 Points
Is this CdR really just $14?? What an amazing QPR. It's rich, brooding, and clearly 100% syrah. Very fruit forward, lush, and great acidity for near term drinking. I think this must be one of the greatest values I've had in a while!!!
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9/14/2008 - jonb72 wrote: 88 Points
needs to be decanted 16 hrs before drinking and it will be much better than right after opening
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8/10/2008 - Zinny wrote:
Great CdR. Would buy again. For this $$ it smokes the 2005 Guigal CdR.
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8/8/2008 - peternelson wrote: 87 Points
Winery: simple red frt; little swt; good simple, frty, rich for a CdR, and 100% syrah! Grt deal!
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8/8/2008 - peternelson wrote: 87 Points
Winery: Floral, some glue, trop. notes; brite, pineapple, brite, good a’s, simple, gd char., dark.
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7/19/2008 - bilge316 wrote: 90 Points
Very dark purple color. Nose does not give up much. Due to some (my) poor planning this was tasted after 2005 Novy syrah which had a much brighter fruit flavor and I think that some of the subtleties in this wine were lost as a results. That being said, this is still a fairly fruit forward wine, dark berry flavors, nice minerality and firm tannins that stay with you through a solid, but not long finish. I think this is a steal for $13 and will definitely be picking up a lot more. I can't wait for other 2007 rhones.
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7/15/2008 - drwine2001 wrote:
Southern French Values with a Mediterranean Meal: Deep purple. Bright, lively nose with violets, lavender, red fruit and blueberry, bacon, chocolate, and spice. Terrific ripe fruit with real zing and sap. Another dynamic, delicious winner from St. Cosme. I like this even more than the '06 version. This is a lot of wine and just unbelievable complexity for the level and price. Very promising introduction to 2007 southern Rhones; maybe the early hype will turn out to be justified.
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7/1/2008 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Intriguing black fruit, plum and charcoal nose; tasty, spicy, plum and black fruit palate with charcoal, a touch of licorice, peppercorn and spice palate; medium-plus finish (profound for this price point)
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6/28/2008 - danstrings wrote: 90 Points
Dinner w/ Cyn -- Awesome value, loaded with excellent ripe round fruit and expressive inky spice.
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6/27/2008 - danstrings wrote: 91 Points
Dinner with John and AC at Tomatina -- AMAZING deal, drink it in its exuberant unctuous juicy heady youth. Oozing with molten black cherry, red licorice and blackberry. GREAT!
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4/30/2008 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Chateau St. Cosme Tasting (Beltramo's in Menlo Park, California): Black red color; Necco wafer, berry, dried berry and savory herbs (classic Cotes du Rhone) nose; tasty, tight but good, tart, savory, minerally black fruit, with good acidity; medium finish 91+ pts.
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4/25/2008 - arijus wrote:
Dark red moving to purple on the rim. Sweet and deep dark red berries on the nose with hints of spices. Soft and sweet fruit on the palate, actually it gets too soft and the smooth tannins makes it a bit dull in the mouth. Slightly hot on the finish. Nice, but I don't think I will get more of this. The Capcanes Mas Collet performed lots better tonight.
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4/20/2008 - arijus wrote:
Vinarius wine tasting: Almost purple color. Very nice CdR aroma of dark red berries and spices. Nice and soft on the palate with good fruitiness. Warm finish. A very enjoyable and drinkable wine that offers excellent QPR!
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