On PnP, at 59F, it's everything I like about a good wine from the 'doc - earthy, garrigue, scorched earth, herbs, etc. But the party is short-lived as it warms toward 65F in the glass. Gone - too quickly - are the beautiful parts, in their place an army of raisins, with some chocolate and fig tones to round things out - i.e. not in a good way. My last of a case purchased on release, and a sad end to the story. 14,5% (will never resolve).
Served non-blind across 2 nights; be sure to serve on the cool side.
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Consistent with prior bottles, really nice. The first half on night 1 was good, the rest, on night 2, very good. Excellent with and without food. Lovely drive, balance and flavors. Another 5 years ahead, easily. 14,5% (resolved), recommended
PnP, served non-blind.
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About 30 min decant. Nose of very ripe, warm fruit, smoke, herbs and some spice. A bit agressive with some volatility to it. On the palate a bit harsh and rough. Still lots of fruit, but it seems hollow and off balance somehow. Some heat and alcohol on the short to medium lenght finish. I'm not very impressed, but an ok wine for casual drinking.
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The last, and the best, of the 6 bottles I've had. This did take about 30 minutes to gain its composure, after starting out rather aggressive. Now, the aromas offer quite a bit of rotting plum notes, graphite, tobacco, tomato, and some other odd minerality. Upon inspection, the aromas are rather odd and quite unique... not what I'd usually seek out, that's for sure, and somewhat off putting, though they aren't particularly intense. Palate offers some slightly more vibrant fruit, some raspberries, but also that soft old plum. This is coupled with some nice acidity and moderate intensity and spice. Overall the palate is medium bodied and smooth on the tongue, with some slight tannins coming in on the backend. I like the way the spice builds. The finish first hits with the acid, and then slowly leaves the palate, revealing quite vibrant acidic red and purple fruit notions. From nose to finish this builds and gets better, and the lingering notes are quite good despite that funky nose. Overall it's a rather soft, smooth, enjoyable drink to throw back... just don't smell it. And while it is actually enjoyable to drink, it's also not particularly compelling or deep. In fact, when you pay attention to it you realize how the individual notes are kind of nasty. When I was just drinking it watching an episode of Top Gear, not thinking about it, I enjoyed it much more. After having written this, I went back and read my note from 4 years ago... amazing how the nose is so similar to my impression then. How often does one get tomato out of a wine?
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Dark ruby red. The bouquet is still a bit reticent, but there are some good dark cherries and herbs and spices. On the palate dark cherries, pleasant acidity, soft tannin and some heat from the alcohol. Concentrated and full bodied, easy going wine because of the soft tannin and sweetness. Ready now and this can easily last until 2015, although I am not sure it will really improve with more ageing.
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Again disappointed by this one. It is not a bad wine, but I'm missing something that makes it a bit special. I drank it over 3 days, it was at its best the second day, on the 3rd day (2 glasses left) it started to decline...
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Blandad mörk och ljus frukt. Nötter och garrigues. I munnen möts vi först av silkeslen frukt, sedan lite pepprighet från alkoholen och avslutningsvis en rejäl salmiaksälta.
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Interesting wine. It was good but not great at the start. Blame myself for not decanting ahead of time. It gained a lot of weight and aroma with air. Had some sour cherry, some leafy parts, and got meatier over time. I picked up a little funk--brett?--that I liked. I'm tempted to buy another bottle and give it some more time, if I can find one.
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PnP. Consistent tn's, but this was wound up a bit tighter than previous bottles; certainly a solid future here and I would not hesitate to hold another decade. But as previous notes show, this is very enjoyable now; be sure to decant at least two hours if opening before 2013. 14,5% abv, score: B+/A-
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This is a blend of Carignan and Cinsault with 14.5% alcohol and it is the entry level wine of La Peira winery. The wine has a deep dark red color. The nose is fresh, with hints of oak, dark cherry, a little bit of green pepper and cranberries. In the mouth the wine is medium plus body, with smooth texture, not very complex but with pure dark fruits flavors, slight hint of minerality and a medium acidity. There is a touch of heat as the alcohol is not completely balanced in the wine. The finish is medium with firm tannins and paired well with the rare beef we had. A wine without any particular complexity. Probably not buying more of this in the future.
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Vinturi-aerate to decanter, serve. Color red with lots of black hues, opaque with fine sediment, inky, medium-full body. Big bouquet of brazil nuts, potting soil, notes of grilled meat, and black olive on a broad backdrop of blackberries and plums. On the palate there is rich plum sauce, concentrated blackberry mash mixed with rich earth, licorice, and some bitter herbs especially in the mid and finish. Medium-low acidity, fairly high tannins bringing considerable tightness into the finish - this could have used perhaps another year sideways. Big wine with obvious Rhone smells and flavors that make this decidedly more savory than fruity. OK value.
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Fairly unusual flavor profile likely give its Cinsault content. Big and fruity, nearly the proverbial "fruit bomb". There is a lot of complexity in this for a $20 bottle of wine. Can't wait to try its big brother.
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Vinturi decanted. Dark ruby core with an effusive nose that offers up kirsch, candied strawberry, dried herbs and cocoa crusted coffee bean. This wine evolves every few minutes, but offers up plenty of acidity to counter the weight of the full bodied fruit and slightly alcoholic bent. Another year or two and this should be in a perfect place. Delicious, 91+.
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A bit dissapointed by this one to be honest. Aromatically challenged, lacked a bit on the middle palate, the alcohol came a bit through. Certainly not a bad wine but it did not seem to connect to me. Will not touch my other bottles for some time...
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Drank over 2 nights, with night 2 showing more balance and pleasure. Deep ruby toward plum core. It's been in the cellar now for 4 months after shipping and has settled down and filled out. Aromas of kirsch, dried herbs and a touch of brett that's folded into a somewhat medicinal cherry cough syrup base. With notes of garrigue to spare, the glass left by itself offers up some milk chocolate and melted black licorice. Medium-bodied, this effort gushes with acidity and above average tannic structure. The nose of herbs draws you in, the mid-palate definition hooks you and the lingering finish is a tidy, welcome close. Recommended. Drink thru 2019, 14,5% abv.
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Powerful but not overwhelming. Abundance of garrique, kirsch and strawberries fading out into flint and refreshing salmiac. Tad high on the alcohol warmth at the moment but I'm looking forward to try this again after some cellartime.
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Slow ox for 2 hours. Opens with a nose of forest floor, dried brush, herbs and a touch of reduction on the red and black berries. Medium bodied palate with vibrant acidity and a modest tannic frame. There is a lingering herbal finish that I rather appreciated. A great mid-week quaff, I don't see the structure for extended cellaring. I tried this with prime rib and also with roast leg of lamb and the lamb was a much, much better pairing. Drink thru 2014.
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In glass 30 minutes. I get very light aromas of deep, dark soft plums, some tomato, dough, and some very slight graphite. The wine enters the palate full bodied, a little gritty at first, but with additional time in glass it smooths out. On the palate it's expressing flavors of dark, extracted fruit juice with some alcohol poking through. Firm tannins (and spice from the alcohol) hold strong on the palate. Finish begins building with some acid and alcoholic burn that turns into pleasing spiced blackberries and not much other depth. This wine goes terribly with food, as the alcohol cuts straight through it. Before and after my meal it was much better alone. Going on two hours in glass this wine became really boring... not what I would call shut down, just incredibly soft. Luckily some of the alcohol left it as well, as it became a round ball of little structure. I have noticed great bottle variation with the 2006, seemingly noticing a downward trend with them only to have had a delicious bottle a couple months back (that I didn't note). This isn't showing the same structural breakdowns as I noted in the lesser bottles of 2006, but I'll be curious to see how the other bottles drink over time. This one isn't too appealing at present. I came back to this after 24 hours and found it similar. 48 hours later it became a little more interesting, with more dried plummy flavors, but the same overall character.
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A blend of Syrah and Grenache which is inoffensive but unremarkable. Minimal finish. Not my style or liking. Hard to fault it, but equally hard to laud it. Price isn't too bad for a not too bad wine.
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Garnet colored, medium to light bodied for varietal, somewhat muted nose with a bit of heat initially. Again, medium to light in the mouth. Hard to pick up flavors; very muted. Either I have a cold that I don't know about or this is really different from an earlier bottle with much more pronounced fruit. No score given
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Very focused wine, great depth, length and energy. The base is solid and full with a sharp rising plateau or power that hits you. It's delicious and easy to drink without even coming close to being a fruitbomb.
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7/24/2015 - Tim Heaton wrote:
On PnP, at 59F, it's everything I like about a good wine from the 'doc - earthy, garrigue, scorched earth, herbs, etc. But the party is short-lived as it warms toward 65F in the glass. Gone - too quickly - are the beautiful parts, in their place an army of raisins, with some chocolate and fig tones to round things out - i.e. not in a good way. My last of a case purchased on release, and a sad end to the story. 14,5% (will never resolve).
Served non-blind across 2 nights; be sure to serve on the cool side.
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11/5/2014 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Consistent with prior bottles, really nice. The first half on night 1 was good, the rest, on night 2, very good. Excellent with and without food. Lovely drive, balance and flavors. Another 5 years ahead, easily. 14,5% (resolved), recommended
PnP, served non-blind.
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9/20/2014 - matage wrote: 88 Points
Very tight - to the extent that I suspected a flawed bottle. Opened up 2 days later!
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7/18/2014 - Puteljen! wrote: 85 Points
About 30 min decant. Nose of very ripe, warm fruit, smoke, herbs and some spice. A bit agressive with some volatility to it. On the palate a bit harsh and rough. Still lots of fruit, but it seems hollow and off balance somehow. Some heat and alcohol on the short to medium lenght finish. I'm not very impressed, but an ok wine for casual drinking.
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3/25/2014 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 86 Points
The last, and the best, of the 6 bottles I've had. This did take about 30 minutes to gain its composure, after starting out rather aggressive. Now, the aromas offer quite a bit of rotting plum notes, graphite, tobacco, tomato, and some other odd minerality. Upon inspection, the aromas are rather odd and quite unique... not what I'd usually seek out, that's for sure, and somewhat off putting, though they aren't particularly intense. Palate offers some slightly more vibrant fruit, some raspberries, but also that soft old plum. This is coupled with some nice acidity and moderate intensity and spice. Overall the palate is medium bodied and smooth on the tongue, with some slight tannins coming in on the backend. I like the way the spice builds. The finish first hits with the acid, and then slowly leaves the palate, revealing quite vibrant acidic red and purple fruit notions. From nose to finish this builds and gets better, and the lingering notes are quite good despite that funky nose. Overall it's a rather soft, smooth, enjoyable drink to throw back... just don't smell it. And while it is actually enjoyable to drink, it's also not particularly compelling or deep. In fact, when you pay attention to it you realize how the individual notes are kind of nasty. When I was just drinking it watching an episode of Top Gear, not thinking about it, I enjoyed it much more. After having written this, I went back and read my note from 4 years ago... amazing how the nose is so similar to my impression then. How often does one get tomato out of a wine?
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9/1/2013 - ADiamond wrote: 88 Points
A little light for my taste, but pleasant nonetheless. Pale colored, nice cherry, with soft tannins and mild acidity.
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8/10/2013 - ADiamond Likes this wine: 88 Points
A little light for my taste, but pleasant nonetheless. Pale colored, nice cherry, with soft tannins and mild acidity.
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4/21/2013 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
Dark ruby red. The bouquet is still a bit reticent, but there are some good dark cherries and herbs and spices. On the palate dark cherries, pleasant acidity, soft tannin and some heat from the alcohol. Concentrated and full bodied, easy going wine because of the soft tannin and sweetness. Ready now and this can easily last until 2015, although I am not sure it will really improve with more ageing.
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4/6/2013 - aekenback wrote: 87 Points
Inte riktigt min stil.
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3/10/2013 - Biglama Likes this wine: 91 Points
mooie volle wijn, veel inhoud, aantrekkelijk drinkbaar, easy zachtaardig
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12/27/2012 - cadel Likes this wine: 90 Points
Superlekkere wijn met een prchtig okkernotenaroma
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12/4/2012 - NCO wrote:
Again disappointed by this one. It is not a bad wine, but I'm missing something that makes it a bit special. I drank it over 3 days, it was at its best the second day, on the 3rd day (2 glasses left) it started to decline...
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7/26/2012 - Biglama wrote: 91 Points
lekker glas, sappig, donker, warmte, kruidig. kan nog rustig een paar jaar mee, intense wijn
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5/9/2012 - linuhage wrote: 90 Points
Blandad mörk och ljus frukt. Nötter och garrigues. I munnen möts vi först av silkeslen frukt, sedan lite pepprighet från alkoholen och avslutningsvis en rejäl salmiaksälta.
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12/29/2011 - Not647f wrote: 89 Points
Interesting wine. It was good but not great at the start. Blame myself for not decanting ahead of time. It gained a lot of weight and aroma with air. Had some sour cherry, some leafy parts, and got meatier over time. I picked up a little funk--brett?--that I liked. I'm tempted to buy another bottle and give it some more time, if I can find one.
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10/7/2011 - Tim Heaton wrote:
PnP. Consistent tn's, but this was wound up a bit tighter than previous bottles; certainly a solid future here and I would not hesitate to hold another decade. But as previous notes show, this is very enjoyable now; be sure to decant at least two hours if opening before 2013. 14,5% abv, score: B+/A-
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9/30/2011 - NCO wrote:
Much better then previous bottle - Decanted for about 4 hours: dark fruit, licquour touches, enough acidity and long, intense aftertaste. Very good!
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8/28/2011 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 93 Points
Nice meaty, olive, smoky, savory flavors intermingled with ripe fruit. Destroyed a well known Cali syrah in a head to head comparison.
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5/20/2011 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Consistent notes. This wine shows well after 2-3 hours of aeration, before that, not nearly as well. Serve just above cellar temp. 14,5% abv.
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1/6/2011 - cosmin_grozea wrote: 85 Points
This is a blend of Carignan and Cinsault with 14.5% alcohol and it is the entry level wine of La Peira winery. The wine has a deep dark red color. The nose is fresh, with hints of oak, dark cherry, a little bit of green pepper and cranberries. In the mouth the wine is medium plus body, with smooth texture, not very complex but with pure dark fruits flavors, slight hint of minerality and a medium acidity. There is a touch of heat as the alcohol is not completely balanced in the wine. The finish is medium with firm tannins and paired well with the rare beef we had. A wine without any particular complexity. Probably not buying more of this in the future.
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11/16/2010 - Vinacull wrote: 89 Points
Vinturi-aerate to decanter, serve. Color red with lots of black hues, opaque with fine sediment, inky, medium-full body. Big bouquet of brazil nuts, potting soil, notes of grilled meat, and black olive on a broad backdrop of blackberries and plums. On the palate there is rich plum sauce, concentrated blackberry mash mixed with rich earth, licorice, and some bitter herbs especially in the mid and finish. Medium-low acidity, fairly high tannins bringing considerable tightness into the finish - this could have used perhaps another year sideways. Big wine with obvious Rhone smells and flavors that make this decidedly more savory than fruity. OK value.
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10/25/2010 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 90 Points
Really easy wine to enjoy. Very modern in style but still has lots of typicity.
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10/15/2010 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 88 Points
Fairly unusual flavor profile likely give its Cinsault content. Big and fruity, nearly the proverbial "fruit bomb". There is a lot of complexity in this for a $20 bottle of wine. Can't wait to try its big brother.
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10/14/2010 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Vinturi decanted. Dark ruby core with an effusive nose that offers up kirsch, candied strawberry, dried herbs and cocoa crusted coffee bean. This wine evolves every few minutes, but offers up plenty of acidity to counter the weight of the full bodied fruit and slightly alcoholic bent. Another year or two and this should be in a perfect place. Delicious, 91+.
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9/17/2010 - NCO wrote:
A bit dissapointed by this one to be honest. Aromatically challenged, lacked a bit on the middle palate, the alcohol came a bit through. Certainly not a bad wine but it did not seem to connect to me. Will not touch my other bottles for some time...
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9/5/2010 - Wising wrote: 89 Points
Bright red fruit, garrigue notes. Still young and a bit tight but a lovely bottle. Sadly my only one.
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8/24/2010 - benny wrote: 92 Points
If you enjoy Cinsault this is outstanding. Great price and wonderful for a change in pace. Plum, kirsh and most of all garrigue.
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8/15/2010 - SanFranSoxFan04 Likes this wine: 91 Points
It tastes like Rose, and Violet.
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8/11/2010 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Drank over 2 nights, with night 2 showing more balance and pleasure. Deep ruby toward plum core. It's been in the cellar now for 4 months after shipping and has settled down and filled out. Aromas of kirsch, dried herbs and a touch of brett that's folded into a somewhat medicinal cherry cough syrup base. With notes of garrigue to spare, the glass left by itself offers up some milk chocolate and melted black licorice. Medium-bodied, this effort gushes with acidity and above average tannic structure. The nose of herbs draws you in, the mid-palate definition hooks you and the lingering finish is a tidy, welcome close. Recommended. Drink thru 2019, 14,5% abv.
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7/23/2010 - matage wrote: 92 Points
Powerful but not overwhelming. Abundance of garrique, kirsch and strawberries fading out into flint and refreshing salmiac. Tad high on the alcohol warmth at the moment but I'm looking forward to try this again after some cellartime.
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5/23/2010 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Slow ox for 2 hours. Opens with a nose of forest floor, dried brush, herbs and a touch of reduction on the red and black berries. Medium bodied palate with vibrant acidity and a modest tannic frame. There is a lingering herbal finish that I rather appreciated. A great mid-week quaff, I don't see the structure for extended cellaring. I tried this with prime rib and also with roast leg of lamb and the lamb was a much, much better pairing. Drink thru 2014.
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5/10/2010 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 84 Points
In glass 30 minutes. I get very light aromas of deep, dark soft plums, some tomato, dough, and some very slight graphite. The wine enters the palate full bodied, a little gritty at first, but with additional time in glass it smooths out. On the palate it's expressing flavors of dark, extracted fruit juice with some alcohol poking through. Firm tannins (and spice from the alcohol) hold strong on the palate. Finish begins building with some acid and alcoholic burn that turns into pleasing spiced blackberries and not much other depth. This wine goes terribly with food, as the alcohol cuts straight through it. Before and after my meal it was much better alone. Going on two hours in glass this wine became really boring... not what I would call shut down, just incredibly soft. Luckily some of the alcohol left it as well, as it became a round ball of little structure. I have noticed great bottle variation with the 2006, seemingly noticing a downward trend with them only to have had a delicious bottle a couple months back (that I didn't note). This isn't showing the same structural breakdowns as I noted in the lesser bottles of 2006, but I'll be curious to see how the other bottles drink over time. This one isn't too appealing at present. I came back to this after 24 hours and found it similar. 48 hours later it became a little more interesting, with more dried plummy flavors, but the same overall character.
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3/14/2010 - FredrikL wrote: 91 Points
Härlig sötfruktig doft av mörka bär. Örtigt med en touch av lakritsremmar.
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3/9/2010 - bmagic wrote: 92 Points
Incredibly unique. Tastes purple. Very fruity, hints of summer berries, pot pourri and jam. Smooth, almost creamy finish.
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3/8/2010 - NuTricks wrote:
This is a blend of Cinsault and Carignan and not Grenache & Syrah per last reviewer.
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2/9/2010 - ChinonRouge wrote: 87 Points
A blend of Syrah and Grenache which is inoffensive but unremarkable. Minimal finish. Not my style or liking. Hard to fault it, but equally hard to laud it. Price isn't too bad for a not too bad wine.
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2/2/2010 - Grapeskull wrote:
Lite mer tanniner hade varit önskvärt, mer bett. Hyfsad balans trots att alkoholen blir väl tydlig. Kraftpaket, en bomb.
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1/18/2010 - benny wrote: 92 Points
Very good with steak.
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11/26/2009 - Chrisinroch wrote: 89 Points
Fruit driven Rhone blend with minimal tannins. Not hot or jammy. Really nice fruit with a nice long pleasant finish.
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11/23/2009 - Chrisinroch wrote:
Garnet colored, medium to light bodied for varietal, somewhat muted nose with a bit of heat initially. Again, medium to light in the mouth. Hard to pick up flavors; very muted. Either I have a cold that I don't know about or this is really different from an earlier bottle with much more pronounced fruit. No score given
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11/14/2009 - benny wrote: 91 Points
Very unique. Great nose and the wine tastes just like the nose. Fruit come to the front and stays. I like this wine.
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10/27/2009 - AndersZ wrote: 92 Points
Very focused wine, great depth, length and energy. The base is solid and full with a sharp rising plateau or power that hits you. It's delicious and easy to drink without even coming close to being a fruitbomb.
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