Still closed on P&P, decanted thru Vinturi into decanter, and after 90 minutes it started to sing to all 6 tasters present. The earlier hidden fruit was lovely on the nose and palate, finish was very soft and fairly long. A good buy at $17 back in 2012.
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Rich, balanced, and enjoyable. Upon initial opening the fruit was somewhat muted, but after aeration and sitting in the decanter for 1-2 hours a nice array of fruits became more prominent. The tannin and acidity balance were quite level and what one would expect from a Howell Mountain blend. We consumed alongside Guilliams 2006 Spring Mountain Cab & both paired excellently with the Belgian beef and red wine stew dinner we ate. The Ilona was more rounded and a tad softer than the Guilliams, but the Ilona has more Merlot in it. I would purchase this wine again since it drank well after over 10 years.
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Same tasting notes as before. Although, left 1/2 bottle for 3 days and still drank well with better secondary flavors than I thought so i rated this a point higher.
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At P&P, kind of closed, but over a couple of hrs opened up with much more fruit, chocolate on the nose. Smooth on the palate,enjoyable but no more than a 90 IMHO.
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This is the second bottle I have had in the last 2 weeks. The first bottle got me worried that this wine is hitting the end of its drinking window. The acid came through much more strongly (I had always associated this wine with its smoothness), and it had more of an aged taste. After opening another bottle, I am afraid that it does not look like bottle variation. Still a very nice wine, but it's time to drink up... Edit: I raised this from an 88 to a 90 because this became significantly more balanced on day 2. Excellent. I still say drink now, but give it some air.
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I waited two years since last bottle to open...This wine is singing...smooth mouth coating balanced wine! Wow very enjoyable...double poured decant...seved 15 minutes later. Last bottle
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Smooth, yet still has enough tannic backbone. Seems to be merlot dominated. Excellent wine. Very different from the '04 and '05, which seem to be more structured and cab-like.
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Second bottle of the batch and I am giving this one a slightly better score.. paired with london broil, held up well.. Probably would have scored higher, except it ha a slight truncated finish.
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Clear, pretty ruby red. Blackberry, bramble, cinnamon spice, and leather on the nose. Cherries for days, a green streak, integrated oak and tannins, chocolate, and a pleasant, long finish. Very balanced, with a smooth mouthfeel. Well done.
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Darker fruit / cocoa profile on the nose as this came up to room temp. Seems to be in a slightly off balanced place right now compared to my last bottle.. a little heat on the back end. Needs more time.
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Popped and poured. Deep garnet red, medium bodied, the nose is rather subtle and hides the prominent vanilla taste, along with blackberries and cherries. Good to drink by itself but excellent with food of all kinds.
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Popped and poured; lots of dark cherry, vegetable and cocoa on the nose. Taste definitely exhibits lots of oak. Good mouth-feel but a bit chewy. Tannins are still present and need to mellow and integrate more. Balance is still a bit "clunky." Give this another few years of cellar time; good wine, but not great.
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Bottle had a saw dust or ply wood smell to it after opening. Also smelt sour cherries and leather. Finish right our of bottle was very dry and very full. Decanted to taste every hour. 1st hour: smelled of rubber and blackberries. Taste was still a bit immature and you could definitely taste the alcohol After 2 hours: Shared with my fiance, she loved it. Smelled more like a full mature wine with hints of licorice. Tasted much fuller and really enjoyed. Next day: MUCH more mature and had a smoother finish. Would really recommend decanting for some time if able.
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Suprisingly simple for a Burgess product. It started out a little green on the nose but that blew off. Then it became a simple quaffable glass of cherry/rasberry juice. No structure or complexity to speak of. I like the Enveiere product by Burgess much, much better.
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Very pleasant nose of dark cocoa with a hint of berries. Good fruit with subtle hint of vanilla, balanced on the palate front to back, pleasantly coating the mouth. Medium length on the finish with soft tannins and slight earthiness. Nice find and a well balanced wine.
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89-90. Pretty elegant and medium bodied. Needed air. A bit red fruit and not as much depth upon open. Better Day 2 and 3 and pretty nice. Merlot blend with some nice elegance.
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Popped and poured. Nice juice, but this thing is tighter than a tennis racket. Fairly open nose, with deep black fruit, licorice, and a bit of herbs and chocolate prunes. On the palate, a little black raspberry truffle, still fairly fruit-driven. Super tannic, quite acidic, with a generous body. Balanced ripeness. A noticeable dose of oak, but not overblown. It opens up very nicely, I should have decanted this. I'd love to try this in 10 years - this isn't in its prime yet. $20 @ WTSO
Second night: bumped this up a point. This really loosened up.
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Some funk, lots of oak, balance is not great. Red fruit and oak, but not enough fruit to balance the oak and alchohol. Overall very good and drinkable, but nothing I would seek out.
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Decant for an hour. Cranberry color with some faint bricking at the edges. Nose is initially funky barnyard, but gives way to red fruits, vanilla and cocoa. This wine is light, smooth and elegant on entry, but has plenty of power and structure on the back end for a full, extended finish. A great Howell Mountain value. Drink now or hold several more years.
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12/10/2015 - gcarl wrote: 91 Points
Still closed on P&P, decanted thru Vinturi into decanter, and after 90 minutes it started to sing to all 6 tasters present. The earlier hidden fruit was lovely on the nose and palate, finish was very soft and fairly long. A good buy at $17 back in 2012.
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1/12/2014 - TXtasteABL wrote: 91 Points
Rich, balanced, and enjoyable. Upon initial opening the fruit was somewhat muted, but after aeration and sitting in the decanter for 1-2 hours a nice array of fruits became more prominent. The tannin and acidity balance were quite level and what one would expect from a Howell Mountain blend. We consumed alongside Guilliams 2006 Spring Mountain Cab & both paired excellently with the Belgian beef and red wine stew dinner we ate. The Ilona was more rounded and a tad softer than the Guilliams, but the Ilona has more Merlot in it. I would purchase this wine again since it drank well after over 10 years.
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11/12/2012 - Jzez1998 wrote: 92 Points
Really hitting its stride with 30 minute decant. Glad I have 2 more!!
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11/10/2012 - floating_cellar wrote: 88 Points
Same tasting notes as before. Although, left 1/2 bottle for 3 days and still drank well with better secondary flavors than I thought so i rated this a point higher.
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10/13/2012 - gcarl wrote: 90 Points
At P&P, kind of closed, but over a couple of hrs opened up with much more fruit, chocolate on the nose. Smooth on the palate,enjoyable but no more than a 90 IMHO.
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9/6/2012 - floating_cellar wrote: 87 Points
One dimensional and flat. Opened up a bit over an hour, but I definitely time to clear out of the cellar.
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7/29/2012 - Dar3 wrote: 90 Points
The last of my batch. A sad day...
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7/4/2012 - Dar3 wrote: 90 Points
This is the second bottle I have had in the last 2 weeks. The first bottle got me worried that this wine is hitting the end of its drinking window. The acid came through much more strongly (I had always associated this wine with its smoothness), and it had more of an aged taste. After opening another bottle, I am afraid that it does not look like bottle variation. Still a very nice wine, but it's time to drink up...
Edit: I raised this from an 88 to a 90 because this became significantly more balanced on day 2. Excellent. I still say drink now, but give it some air.
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1/8/2012 - redman77 wrote: 91 Points
I waited two years since last bottle to open...This wine is singing...smooth mouth coating balanced wine! Wow very enjoyable...double poured decant...seved 15 minutes later. Last bottle
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1/6/2012 - GasRN wrote: 91 Points
Very smooth and full. Blackberry dominant. Opened up with 2 hours decanting.
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11/19/2011 - Dar3 wrote: 92 Points
Smooth, yet still has enough tannic backbone. Seems to be merlot dominated. Excellent wine. Very different from the '04 and '05, which seem to be more structured and cab-like.
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11/21/2010 - TCKM wrote: 91 Points
Best bottle of the lot. Great value.
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11/11/2010 - boreddoughboy wrote: 91 Points
didnt dissapoint
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10/9/2010 - TCKM wrote: 90 Points
Consistent
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5/24/2010 - winegr wrote: 89 Points
Pretty good stuff. Nice soft howell mountain. Deep cherry, some chocolate and licorce. Nicely balanced. 89+. Nothing special though.
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5/23/2010 - kvswine wrote: 89 Points
Second bottle of the batch and I am giving this one a slightly better score.. paired with london broil, held up well.. Probably would have scored higher, except it ha a slight truncated finish.
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5/1/2010 - merryberry wrote: 89 Points
Clear, pretty ruby red. Blackberry, bramble, cinnamon spice, and leather on the nose. Cherries for days, a green streak, integrated oak and tannins, chocolate, and a pleasant, long finish. Very balanced, with a smooth mouthfeel. Well done.
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4/12/2010 - Dasher wrote: 88 Points
Needs some time. Dark with a little fruit on the noise.
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4/10/2010 - kvswine wrote: 88 Points
Bright, clear ruby color. Very little structure and very smooth weak tannin. Very approchable and fruit foward style but nothing exceptional.
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3/24/2010 - TCKM wrote: 90 Points
Darker fruit / cocoa profile on the nose as this came up to room temp. Seems to be in a slightly off balanced place right now compared to my last bottle.. a little heat on the back end. Needs more time.
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3/19/2010 - paindude wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Deep garnet red, medium bodied, the nose is rather subtle and hides the prominent vanilla taste, along with blackberries and cherries. Good to drink by itself but excellent with food of all kinds.
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2/7/2010 - gallen1119 wrote: 89 Points
Very dark purple. Dark cherry, raspberry, and a hint of vanilla. Not terribly complex but still very good. Not sure how long it hold up in the cellar.
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1/30/2010 - malbecgal wrote: 89 Points
Just a classic Cali Cab on the nose and on the palate. Very good. I would buy more.
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1/25/2010 - Jeffreyo wrote: 89 Points
Not very complex, a bit singular noted, slight fruit, good drinking without food, or desert
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1/25/2010 - ThirdBottle wrote: 90 Points
Liked this one a lot. Thought it had the right combination of full flavor,oak and a generous aroma.
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1/24/2010 - Colia wrote: 86 Points
Great rose petal, spice and fruit. Earthy, with violets and rosemary.
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1/22/2010 - Fozziedoggie wrote: 86 Points
Popped and poured; lots of dark cherry, vegetable and cocoa on the nose. Taste definitely exhibits lots of oak. Good mouth-feel but a bit chewy. Tannins are still present and need to mellow and integrate more. Balance is still a bit "clunky." Give this another few years of cellar time; good wine, but not great.
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12/29/2009 - sweeedfish wrote: 89 Points
Liked this one a little more than the last one. Really was digging the dark fruit, cocoa on the nose and it had a longer finish than the last one.
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12/27/2009 - grantmchamberlain wrote: 86 Points
Bottle had a saw dust or ply wood smell to it after opening. Also smelt sour cherries and leather. Finish right our of bottle was very dry and very full. Decanted to taste every hour. 1st hour: smelled of rubber and blackberries. Taste was still a bit immature and you could definitely taste the alcohol After 2 hours: Shared with my fiance, she loved it. Smelled more like a full mature wine with hints of licorice. Tasted much fuller and really enjoyed. Next day: MUCH more mature and had a smoother finish. Would really recommend decanting for some time if able.
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12/13/2009 - bwillia wrote: 87 Points
Suprisingly simple for a Burgess product. It started out a little green on the nose but that blew off. Then it became a simple quaffable glass of cherry/rasberry juice. No structure or complexity to speak of. I like the Enveiere product by Burgess much, much better.
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12/7/2009 - redman77 wrote: 87 Points
I should have decanted longer or waited a few more years. Complex calif blend with great potential. My remaining bottle will be around til 2012.
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12/3/2009 - sweeedfish wrote: 88 Points
Solid, good QPR. Little better on day 2.
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11/10/2009 - branman1986 wrote: 85 Points
Pretty generic, needed some complexity
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10/17/2009 - Winestache wrote: 90 Points
Very pleasant nose of dark cocoa with a hint of berries. Good fruit with subtle hint of vanilla, balanced on the palate front to back, pleasantly coating the mouth. Medium length on the finish with soft tannins and slight earthiness. Nice find and a well balanced wine.
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10/9/2009 - winegr wrote: 89 Points
89-90. Pretty elegant and medium bodied. Needed air. A bit red fruit and not as much depth upon open. Better Day 2 and 3 and pretty nice. Merlot blend with some nice elegance.
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10/7/2009 - joshwoodward wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Nice juice, but this thing is tighter than a tennis racket. Fairly open nose, with deep black fruit, licorice, and a bit of herbs and chocolate prunes. On the palate, a little black raspberry truffle, still fairly fruit-driven. Super tannic, quite acidic, with a generous body. Balanced ripeness. A noticeable dose of oak, but not overblown. It opens up very nicely, I should have decanted this. I'd love to try this in 10 years - this isn't in its prime yet. $20 @ WTSO
Second night: bumped this up a point. This really loosened up.
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8/15/2009 - KWC3141 wrote: 87 Points
Some funk, lots of oak, balance is not great. Red fruit and oak, but not enough fruit to balance the oak and alchohol. Overall very good and drinkable, but nothing I would seek out.
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7/19/2009 - TCKM wrote: 91 Points
Decant for an hour. Cranberry color with some faint bricking at the edges. Nose is initially funky barnyard, but gives way to red fruits, vanilla and cocoa. This wine is light, smooth and elegant on entry, but has plenty of power and structure on the back end for a full, extended finish. A great Howell Mountain value. Drink now or hold several more years.
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