Intended to enjoy this wine with a nice filet on Christmas eve; had a bottle with a great resteraunt meal in the summer of '09. Unfortunately, this bottle was a disappointment. Little in the way of nose and tepid in the mouth with little finish. Not holding my last bottle for anything special.
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I really enjoyed this wine last night. It was one of those crazy weeks getting ready for Christmas and we had some rare down time but I didn't want to pop any of the big guns in my cellar so I reached for this which always is a safe bet. The color was a dark brick red showing a bit of age. The nose was caramel and toasty oak but not in an overpowering way. Some nice dark fruits on the palate with ripe plum notes and smooth tannins. Paired nicely with a grilled sirloin.
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Had a 375ml bottle out at a restaurant yesterday. Cherries, vanilla, plum partnered with mild oak and faint tannins. This is a medium bodied easy drinker and always a safe bet. Recommended.
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I've upgraded my previous rating to 87. I think the bottle I had may have been off a bit as I've had this wine previously and thought it was a wine that rated at least a very good designation. The nose was typical black fruit/jammy. Not overly complex, but a good solid wine.
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Jammy nose with undercurrents of dark fruits and tobacco. Taste is dark plum, black cherry a slight bitterness. Tannins are pleasant, fulfilling but can't completely mask the alcohol.
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Popped and poured. Medium-plus garnet hue. Aromas of ripe red and black fruits, burnt sugar, licorice, and earth. Medium-plus body. The fruit really pops on the palate, with plum, black cherry, and ripe black currant flavors framed in toasted oak. Just a touch of green adds complexity. Tannins are round and smooth on the moderate finish.
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Nose: Currant, dark berries, mild oak, little butter, hint of caramel. Palate: More currant, dried fruit, little tobacco & a hint of green herbs. Pretty much perfectly balanced fruit, tannins, and alcohol in proportion. Great finish showing some smoke/toast and a little butter, maybe a hint of spice or pepper.
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Pop & Pour nose: the unmistakeable aroma of salted caramels fills the glass. I love it! palate: a bit dry an austere at pop and pour. Biting tannin, almost. But not totally unfriendly...there is some blackberry fruit that emerges at the midpalate/finish. here's to hoping this opens with air time.
After some air time (about 1 hour) the aromas had morphed to dusty earthen tones with a tiny bit of greenness - more like previous notes described below. On the palate, some of the bitterness of tannins had been tamed, but there was still a bit of an astringent bite to it. Blackberry fruit has turned to sour cherry and plum. I'm not not feeling it, but I'm also not feeling it.
2nd day: same beautiful nose. The bitterness and astringency has dissipated somewhat today, but I still find the wine in total to be a tad unbalanced and 'just OK' in terms of flavor. Not a finish to write home about, either. And yet....I have no problem finishing the bottle. 87-88 pts
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Garnet color. Deep nose of blackcurrant (slightly "pruny"), cherry jam, generous vanilla (creamed corn?), a little bell pepper, and smoky oak. Palate: bright core of cherry tart with some redcurrant and bitter-sweet chocolate. Somewhat simplistic. A little graphite and a slightly vegetal note on the finish. Moderate length. Light tannins. Tastes, well, a bit awkward...not enough foundation. It's still good and drinkable, but overall unimpressive at this pricepoint.
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Tight nose - hint of green pepper and teak. Starts off slow, then strawberry comes mid-palate and sour cherries come a little later. Black pepper on the finish. Nice mouth feel and smooth tannin.
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very nice bordeaux blend that can be your QPR, however due to its extreme youth it should be decanted at least 2 hours so you can fully appreciate it dark and red fruit.
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Nice complexity with depth and flavors of cassis. Excellent with grilled steak. Medium to full body with a decent aftertaste and loaded with fruit. Drink now-2015
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More ruby in appearance this time, but same flavor profile of dark fruit and anise. Just a really nice wine. And at this price I'll just keep buying it on a regular basis. Becoming my "go to" wine.
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P&P. Crimson red with purple hue. From the glass jumps aromas of fresh bell pepper, cherries and berries. Largely the same on the palate, with forward berry fruit, a little spice, and smokey oak coming to the fore in the finish. It's been a few years since I've had one of these, and this is more oak than I remember - not a welcome change. Fairly smooth mouthfeel, medium-low acidity, mild tannins. Pleasant albeit boring. Not recommended given price point of about 24.
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Initial taste at opening was a little hot, smell of fruit but not much taste of it. After an hour the heat was mostly dissipated and taste was more flavorful. Second day tasted very good with heat gone. Very good for the price.
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First night this was a bit closed, unfocused, and a bit hot. On the second evening this wine impoved remarkably. Dark fruits on the nose, the alcohol seems to have blown off overnight. Nice, palate coating mouthfeel, rich with blackcurrant and plum notes. Still a bit hot on the finish. Next bottle I will decant for several hours before serving, as a pop and pour this doesn't make the grade. NOTE- Score is based on *second* day tasting, on the first evening this bottle would have generated no better than an 80
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Viscous, youthful color. Nose was a tad sharp, somewhat alcholic with little fruit. Not bad though. On the palate, a reasonable tasting red. It did not strike me as very Bordeaux-like. Not too complex at this stage. I will taste it again in a day or two, then re-edit my notes. 9/17/08: 2 days later, re-poured the wine after sitting at room temp, simply re-corked. The bouquet still a bit hot, and still not very much fruit on the palate. Basically un-changed. Overall, this red is a very drinkable Meritage. My brother and I finished it in 2 sittings.
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Opened second bottle after finishing first: consistent with first bottle on first and second nights. Had some left over on third night which was its finest showing. Smooth, consistent, no burn, and lengthy finish, if not a bit thin. I'm sorry I only have one bottle left, but would not go out and buy more.
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Pleasent nose, with hints of cherry. Early, cherry and vanilla, opeining to more uniform fruit. Blackberry and bittersweet on finish. A bit too much heat, even after two hours. Will sit on this one for a couple years.
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color is dark inky purple. nose is black fruit, but not particularly expressive. Palate shows black fruit and loads of anise. Very clean and pure flavors. Second time we've had this wine and I'm again impressed at just how good this is at this price point. May have to go out and get another couple of bottles to have on hand.
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Very intriguing vintage of this wine. The fruit is slightly covered by an overwhelming smell of new baseball glove leather. It's a nice smell accompanied by raspberries and other dark red berries. Nice round finish. This vintage is the first to include malbec in the blend I believe.
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8/6/2019 - vinhonotte Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cellaraid Discovery Box; 5/19/2017-5/26/2021 (Delivered to Home): Deep, somewhat garnet hue. Coffee, cocoa, smoke, grilled meats, soy, and leaves on nose and palate. Intense, tannic, weighty and high alcohol. Quite powerful
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9/24/2016 - Mokikki Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is very good even beyond drinking window
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6/17/2013 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is a really nice wine. Everything fits.
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8/27/2011 - Nedder_travels_the_world wrote: 90 Points
delicious!
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12/31/2010 - cmiller wrote: 85 Points
Intended to enjoy this wine with a nice filet on Christmas eve; had a bottle with a great resteraunt meal in the summer of '09. Unfortunately, this bottle was a disappointment. Little in the way of nose and tepid in the mouth with little finish. Not holding my last bottle for anything special.
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12/23/2010 - Arch57 wrote: 89 Points
I really enjoyed this wine last night. It was one of those crazy weeks getting ready for Christmas and we had some rare down time but I didn't want to pop any of the big guns in my cellar so I reached for this which always is a safe bet.
The color was a dark brick red showing a bit of age. The nose was caramel and toasty oak but not in an overpowering way. Some nice dark fruits on the palate with ripe plum notes and smooth tannins. Paired nicely with a grilled sirloin.
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11/7/2010 - wine4me2 wrote: 89 Points
Had a 375ml bottle out at a restaurant yesterday. Cherries, vanilla, plum partnered with mild oak and faint tannins. This is a medium bodied easy drinker and always a safe bet. Recommended.
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6/17/2010 - TwistedArmadillo wrote: 87 Points
I've upgraded my previous rating to 87. I think the bottle I had may have been off a bit as I've had this wine previously and thought it was a wine that rated at least a very good designation. The nose was typical black fruit/jammy. Not overly complex, but a good solid wine.
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5/30/2010 - sully13 wrote: 89 Points
Drank at a restaurant. A nice bottle with dinner. Well balanced without overpowering the food.
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4/18/2010 - JDavidAllen wrote: 85 Points
Smooth, balanced, yum. Had at Schula's in Tampa in 2009
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4/11/2010 - Quarked wrote: 88 Points
A very pretty Bordeaux blend, that opened up nicely after a couple hours, with pleasant fruits and oak. However, I spent too much on this.
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2/25/2010 - HOS wrote: 86 Points
Well received at a dinner. Easy drinking.
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11/16/2009 - Halvo wrote: 82 Points
over the top w/ oakiness
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10/9/2009 - Bellissimo wrote: 88 Points
Jammy nose with undercurrents of dark fruits and tobacco. Taste is dark plum, black cherry a slight bitterness. Tannins are pleasant, fulfilling but can't completely mask the alcohol.
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10/1/2009 - *Vine* wrote: 87 Points
Popped and poured. Medium-plus garnet hue. Aromas of ripe red and black fruits, burnt sugar, licorice, and earth. Medium-plus body. The fruit really pops on the palate, with plum, black cherry, and ripe black currant flavors framed in toasted oak. Just a touch of green adds complexity. Tannins are round and smooth on the moderate finish.
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6/13/2009 - MisterA wrote: 86 Points
drinkable, but nothing special
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4/20/2009 - strikingvisage wrote: 88 Points
Nose: Currant, dark berries, mild oak, little butter, hint of caramel. Palate: More currant, dried fruit, little tobacco & a hint of green herbs. Pretty much perfectly balanced fruit, tannins, and alcohol in proportion. Great finish showing some smoke/toast and a little butter, maybe a hint of spice or pepper.
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3/8/2009 - tarheel17 wrote: 87 Points
Pop & Pour
nose: the unmistakeable aroma of salted caramels fills the glass. I love it!
palate: a bit dry an austere at pop and pour. Biting tannin, almost. But not totally unfriendly...there is some blackberry fruit that emerges at the midpalate/finish. here's to hoping this opens with air time.
After some air time (about 1 hour) the aromas had morphed to dusty earthen tones with a tiny bit of greenness - more like previous notes described below.
On the palate, some of the bitterness of tannins had been tamed, but there was still a bit of an astringent bite to it. Blackberry fruit has turned to sour cherry and plum. I'm not not feeling it, but I'm also not feeling it.
2nd day: same beautiful nose. The bitterness and astringency has dissipated somewhat today, but I still find the wine in total to be a tad unbalanced and 'just OK' in terms of flavor. Not a finish to write home about, either. And yet....I have no problem finishing the bottle. 87-88 pts
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2/17/2009 - jsums wrote: 85 Points
Garnet color. Deep nose of blackcurrant (slightly "pruny"), cherry jam, generous vanilla (creamed corn?), a little bell pepper, and smoky oak. Palate: bright core of cherry tart with some redcurrant and bitter-sweet chocolate. Somewhat simplistic. A little graphite and a slightly vegetal note on the finish. Moderate length. Light tannins. Tastes, well, a bit awkward...not enough foundation. It's still good and drinkable, but overall unimpressive at this pricepoint.
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2/1/2009 - umazz wrote: 85 Points
good wine. medium body. not too dry.
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1/27/2009 - Nesto wrote: 88 Points
Tight nose - hint of green pepper and teak. Starts off slow, then strawberry comes mid-palate and sour cherries come a little later. Black pepper on the finish. Nice mouth feel and smooth tannin.
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1/26/2009 - marcellevi wrote: 88 Points
I'd give it more credit than prior ratings. Nicely balanced in the mouth and finish. An easy-drinking red table wine.
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1/13/2009 - Champagneinhand wrote: 90 Points
very nice bordeaux blend that can be your QPR, however due to its extreme youth it should be decanted at least 2 hours so you can fully appreciate it dark and red fruit.
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1/13/2009 - jakob.krummenacher@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
Nice complexity with depth and flavors of cassis. Excellent with grilled steak. Medium to full body with a decent aftertaste and loaded with fruit. Drink now-2015
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12/28/2008 - lano wrote: 90 Points
More ruby in appearance this time, but same flavor profile of dark fruit and anise. Just a really nice wine. And at this price I'll just keep buying it on a regular basis. Becoming my "go to" wine.
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12/25/2008 - EaglesWin wrote: 83 Points
Disappointing compared to Estancia Meritage from a few years ago. Not much fruit, not much of a finish. Avoid.
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12/20/2008 - Vinacull wrote: 86 Points
P&P. Crimson red with purple hue. From the glass jumps aromas of fresh bell pepper, cherries and berries. Largely the same on the palate, with forward berry fruit, a little spice, and smokey oak coming to the fore in the finish. It's been a few years since I've had one of these, and this is more oak than I remember - not a welcome change. Fairly smooth mouthfeel, medium-low acidity, mild tannins. Pleasant albeit boring. Not recommended given price point of about 24.
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12/2/2008 - SirWinesALot wrote: 89 Points
Initial taste at opening was a little hot, smell of fruit but not much taste of it. After an hour the heat was mostly dissipated and taste was more flavorful. Second day tasted very good with heat gone. Very good for the price.
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11/23/2008 - Exdamyankee wrote: 88 Points
First night this was a bit closed, unfocused, and a bit hot. On the second evening this wine impoved remarkably. Dark fruits on the nose, the alcohol seems to have blown off overnight. Nice, palate coating mouthfeel, rich with blackcurrant and plum notes. Still a bit hot on the finish. Next bottle I will decant for several hours before serving, as a pop and pour this doesn't make the grade. NOTE- Score is based on *second* day tasting, on the first evening this bottle would have generated no better than an 80
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11/11/2008 - bigdogflow wrote: 87 Points
Medium color. Taste was closed in the beginning, but opened up after 20 minutes and got a little better. Not too bad.
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9/15/2008 - mplsbruin wrote:
Viscous, youthful color.
Nose was a tad sharp, somewhat alcholic with little fruit. Not bad though.
On the palate, a reasonable tasting red. It did not strike me as very Bordeaux-like. Not too complex at this stage. I will taste it again in a day or two, then re-edit my notes.
9/17/08: 2 days later, re-poured the wine after sitting at room temp, simply re-corked. The bouquet still a bit hot, and still not very much fruit on the palate. Basically un-changed.
Overall, this red is a very drinkable Meritage. My brother and I finished it in 2 sittings.
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9/12/2008 - don Pablo wrote: 89 Points
Opened second bottle after finishing first: consistent with first bottle on first and second nights. Had some left over on third night which was its finest showing. Smooth, consistent, no burn, and lengthy finish, if not a bit thin. I'm sorry I only have one bottle left, but would not go out and buy more.
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9/11/2008 - don Pablo wrote: 89 Points
Pleasent nose, with hints of cherry. Early, cherry and vanilla, opeining to more uniform fruit. Blackberry and bittersweet on finish. A bit too much heat, even after two hours. Will sit on this one for a couple years.
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7/22/2008 - lano wrote: 91 Points
color is dark inky purple. nose is black fruit, but not particularly expressive. Palate shows black fruit and loads of anise. Very clean and pure flavors. Second time we've had this wine and I'm again impressed at just how good this is at this price point. May have to go out and get another couple of bottles to have on hand.
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2/18/2008 - beezer6 wrote: 88 Points
Very intriguing vintage of this wine.
The fruit is slightly covered by an overwhelming smell of new baseball glove leather.
It's a nice smell accompanied by raspberries and other dark red berries.
Nice round finish. This vintage is the first to include malbec in the blend I believe.
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