I have been drinking Santa Ema Merlots for years. In the early 2000s their merlot had a very distinctive cocoa finish. It was delightful. In the last couple of years, I have been chasing that finish to no avail. But this 2007 Reserve has it! So delicious. Dark ripe fruit, leather, and a hint of wood smoke on the front, and dark chocolate and leather on the finish. I need more.
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clean violet color, sweet berries, spices and clove on the nose, very oaky, full bodied, oaky, creamy mouthfeel, this is like biting into a strawberry cream pie, also flavors of blackberry, and black currants, red fruit linger on the finish, overall decent but too much oak for me, these are the types of wines I personally pass on for that reason
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An OK wine which would have been much better if there wasn't so much sweet vanille in the nose. Also a bit too "creamy" in the mouth. Apart from that, good fruit, nice acidity (it even surprised me to be honest), but all of that was a bit overpowered by the creamy vanilla. A pity...
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Have drank nearly a case of this over the past year and would consistently rate this at 89 points, but the bottle I had this night was "off". Ruby red color with a nose that was void of the dark fruit or vanilla aromas that I had remembered. Medium body with a tart note that ran through and cut out any richness in the fruit. This wine typically has an almost sweet caramel type finish, I'm hoping the bottle was bad and not that this wine is past it's peak. Should still be drinking fine this year. I have two more bottles and will be sure to open one more this year to confirm that this bottle was oxidized. Cork broke when opening as well, perhaps was allowing too much air to seep through?
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not bad, not great, not complex; what i would call an 'obvious' wine. Letting it breathe for two hours did not alter it's properties in any significant way. Cherry on the nose, oak quite obvious on the nose - like carmelized sugar with a hint of vanilla, medium weight. Balance of fruit, aciditiy and tannin was good. Just didn't have any grab you and wow you quality about it. Palate was mostly cherry, hint of darker fruit -- like a black cherry, and then a little vanilla from the oak. Tannins were moderate.
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Discovering Wine: A violet-purple wine with a medium body. The nose has black cherry, oak and a strong note of dark chocolate. Soft and smooth in the mouth, with tastes of oak and blackberry that has very good depth. The finish has intense blackberry, oak and a hint of mint. Very solid, nice balance. The chocolate nose takes awhile to evolve but is very intense. It's very obvious when you smell an emptied glass.
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Decanted for a couple of hours. Fruity nose - blackberries, blueberries and vanilla; nice dark fruit flavors (blackberries, blueberries, black cherries), with some vanilla and a touch of mocha; decent tannins, and a good bright fruity finish, ending in black cherries. Liked this better than the '06, and a great qpr.
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Glass staining ruby. Nose of cherry and candle wax. Palate quite green with primarily red cherries on day one. A little darker fruit on day 2 with some blackberry notes, but still plenty of young tannins. Lively acidity is nice. Short-med finish. If I drank it blind would never have pegged it as merlot.. Lean and green. But I do like it.
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My initial impression is that it is a very nice wine, but closed. Interested to see how it's evolved on Day 2. There is some blackberry, vanilla, and mocha. Nice, balanced wine.
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Can you say mellow? Fruit is coming out nicely, blackberry like base, still some smoke, something "chewy" like mushroom. Give it a day to open and you will be pleased.
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Nose - cherry, boysenberry, reminiscent of cream sickle, vanilla, caramel. Very nice nose. Palate - the cream, vanilla, caramel is noted on the front of the palate, then gives way to spice and heat on the mid-palate and finishes with warmth and dark fruit/violets on the lengthy finish.
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Had this wine at Red Tomato restaurant in Bethesda Maryland with Pizza. It was dark, thick and went well with my food. I would order this again and will look for it. Nice finish.
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Simple and delicious. Some oak. Tons of vanilla and chocolate. A little tart cherry. but, basically all vanilla and chocolate. I would have guessed american oak but no, French. Good glass for $14 a bottle. I know you can get it cheaper but bought it out of the restaurant, Chef and the Farmer.
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By the glass at The Chef and the Farmer. Lots of oak and vanilla w/ a long finish. Bright fruit w. a big nose. I got bright cherry, cranberry and chocolate on the nose and palette. Enjoyed it. $8 / glass but $14 per bottle. Picked up 2.
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To me this came off as very closed initially, but opened fairly dramatically after an hour in the glass. Shows potential I think to be a very good value for a $10 bottle. Tannins were pretty pronounced on the finish.
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Aired for about 40 minutes.Oak on the nose.Hardly any fruit. Vanilla and dark cherry on the palette. Mild acid and tannin.O.K. finish. Had with steak and Lobster. Can't go wrong for the price. Will buy again.
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Tastes like a wine flavored oak drink to me. The predominant flavor is caramel/vanilla from the oak treatment. Fruit is there, but takes a backseat causing my overall impression of the wine to be that it tastes very fake. Funny thing is I tried a different vintage of this wine 7-8 years ago before drinking a lot of wine and I remember liking it a lot probably because that oak/vanilla taste was appealing to me at the time. Not that it is wrong to like this, but just not what I enjoy about wine today.
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Unfortunately this followed an amazing Bordeaux so it paled in comparison. I'll have to try it again on its own. A pleasant inexpensive merlot. Aerated straight from the bottle.
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This wine drinks like a high end Meritage. I was amazed at the depth, bouquet, & finish. Dark fruit, silky mouth, and a long satisfying finish. Just bought another case.
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Pop and pour. Bright purple, translucent appearance. Big nose with cherries, blueberries, vanilla, cedar and a touch of pepper. Good fruit from beginning to end. Some oak on the finish, but not overbearing. Very smooth with very light tannins. Quite tasty.
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An intriguing wine I found challenging to describe. Nose of creamy shredded vegetables, sweet compost, and "frosted fruit cookies". On the attack same frosted cookies and wood. In the mouth a smooth mix of chemical, spicy sweet peppers (like sauteed bell peppers, mild cumin, and mild sugar), and more fruit. Finish of fruit similar to the cookies. What did I just drink?
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Good purple black color. Interesting nose that is more caramel vanilla and smoke than fruit. Very simple tasting no middle and no finish. Disappointing compared to the 2006 vintage.
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Once opened, I adore the powdered chocolate on the nose. Worth the $9 on that alone. Has typical Chilean terrior of slight green peppers along with ripe black cherry and some plum. Soft tannins and moderate finish.
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Very nice sub $10 merlot. Nice fruit nose upon opening with strawberry and red fruit on the nose. Put the aerator to it and the cherries came out and the finish had a smoother edge than after first opening. Enjoyed it with burgers and dogs on the grill in mid march 2010.
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Very good value. Dark and Dry. But slightly too acidic for my taste. Nice to have this with smoked cheese though. Still very good on third evening. Aromatic.
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A very pleasant inexpensive merlot. The French oak provided a strong nose of vanilla/white chocolate. Medium bodied and not too alcoholic, with red berry flavors. This is a simple wine but the contrast between the nose and the taste makes it rather entertaining for a cheapie. Aerated with the Rabbit aerator. Drank it with a Costco prime ribeye (if the wine and the steak are from the same place, isn't it like French gastronomy?). Seriously, $10 prime steak and $10 wine, what's not to love?
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This wine has been really consistent from bottle to bottle. Medium dark garnet in the glass. Rather distinctive and expressive aromatics of mocha, something like powdered sugar, and a high toned watermelon rind/weedy note. Medium to full bodied with good red currant and red cherry fruit. Finishes a bit short with a slight metallic edge. A good value.
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I enjoyed this. Nice dark, almos purple color. The nose has black cherry, current and wonderful chocolate. Not very complex on the palate but very efficient at what it is. Soft tannins. I'll get a couple more.($9.50)
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Sharp cedar note dominated smell and even the taste of the wine on the first evening. This dissipated on the 2nd night but it showed no new aromatics. It revealed a nice cherry taste then. A nice one-dimensional wine on the 2nd evening. I have 3 more bottles and that is fine, but I do not intend to buy any more.
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Opened for family and had a couple sips - Medium dark garnet in the glass. Mocha, a touch of powdered sugar and a weedy element on the nose. Medium bodied with fairly ripe red currant and red cherry fruit with a return of the green quality that reminds me of watermelon rind.
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Medium dark garnet in the glass. Fairly expressive aromatics of some spice and mocha along with a high toned watermelon rind/weedy note. Medium to full bodied with fairly ripe red currant and red cherry fruit. Finishes slightly metallic with a return of the somewhat weedy green note. The slightly green note aside, this strikes me as pretty good value.
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Deeply colored. Spicy nose of cedar, clove spice, mocha, and some slate. Medium-full bodied with red currant fruit up front turning tangy cranberry in the finish. At times a little bit too tangy. Also, there is an underlying slightly metallic weedy element across the palate. All in all, a pretty good value at $9.
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10/5/2020 - Leejgreen wrote:
Drinking nicely. Good color, nice fruit and very smooth. Decanted 45 minutes. Very enjoyable with cheese and salami.
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3/30/2017 - Seanwsmithm3 wrote: flawed
Nose of alchohol, brett and smoke. Taste better than it smells. past its prime.
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7/11/2015 - Pat Morabito wrote:
Cooking
Decant
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11/26/2012 - tmrebell wrote:
had 2008 and it was good, 2007 better
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5/6/2012 - durango95 wrote: 87 Points
Dark cherry,smoke and woodsy on the nose. Medium red color. A smooth red with sweet red cherry and spice flavors. Good Value
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5/2/2012 - gemeinschaft79 wrote: 88 Points
I have been drinking Santa Ema Merlots for years. In the early 2000s their merlot had a very distinctive cocoa finish. It was delightful. In the last couple of years, I have been chasing that finish to no avail. But this 2007 Reserve has it! So delicious. Dark ripe fruit, leather, and a hint of wood smoke on the front, and dark chocolate and leather on the finish. I need more.
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2/8/2012 - whits wrote: 80 Points
clean violet color, sweet berries, spices and clove on the nose, very oaky, full bodied, oaky, creamy mouthfeel, this is like biting into a strawberry cream pie, also flavors of blackberry, and black currants, red fruit linger on the finish, overall decent but too much oak for me, these are the types of wines I personally pass on for that reason
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12/12/2011 - NCO wrote:
An OK wine which would have been much better if there wasn't so much sweet vanille in the nose. Also a bit too "creamy" in the mouth. Apart from that, good fruit, nice acidity (it even surprised me to be honest), but all of that was a bit overpowered by the creamy vanilla. A pity...
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9/13/2011 - John O' wrote: 81 Points
drank 1/2 on day 1, opened something else on day 2 rather than finish it.
Not awful, just mehhhhhhh......
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6/10/2011 - rehiltz wrote: flawed
Have drank nearly a case of this over the past year and would consistently rate this at 89 points, but the bottle I had this night was "off". Ruby red color with a nose that was void of the dark fruit or vanilla aromas that I had remembered. Medium body with a tart note that ran through and cut out any richness in the fruit. This wine typically has an almost sweet caramel type finish, I'm hoping the bottle was bad and not that this wine is past it's peak. Should still be drinking fine this year. I have two more bottles and will be sure to open one more this year to confirm that this bottle was oxidized. Cork broke when opening as well, perhaps was allowing too much air to seep through?
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5/8/2011 - njmays wrote: 86 Points
not bad, not great, not complex; what i would call an 'obvious' wine. Letting it breathe for two hours did not alter it's properties in any significant way. Cherry on the nose, oak quite obvious on the nose - like carmelized sugar with a hint of vanilla, medium weight. Balance of fruit, aciditiy and tannin was good. Just didn't have any grab you and wow you quality about it. Palate was mostly cherry, hint of darker fruit -- like a black cherry, and then a little vanilla from the oak. Tannins were moderate.
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5/6/2011 - VineDawg1 wrote: 89 Points
Nice everyday
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4/27/2011 - The Kokopelli wrote: 88 Points
Discovering Wine: A violet-purple wine with a medium body. The nose has black cherry, oak and a strong note of dark chocolate. Soft and smooth in the mouth, with tastes of oak and blackberry that has very good depth. The finish has intense blackberry, oak and a hint of mint. Very solid, nice balance. The chocolate nose takes awhile to evolve but is very intense. It's very obvious when you smell an emptied glass.
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3/14/2011 - wahoo70 wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for a couple of hours. Fruity nose - blackberries, blueberries and vanilla; nice dark fruit flavors (blackberries, blueberries, black cherries), with some vanilla and a touch of mocha; decent tannins, and a good bright fruity finish, ending in black cherries. Liked this better than the '06, and a great qpr.
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3/5/2011 - MtStPipier wrote: 89 Points
Smokey aroma. Good body and color. Multiple flavors. Green vegetable quickly followed by oak, tannins, vanilla on the finish. Surprisingly good!
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2/17/2011 - dkoontz wrote: 87 Points
Glass staining ruby. Nose of cherry and candle wax. Palate quite green with primarily red cherries on day one. A little darker fruit on day 2 with some blackberry notes, but still plenty of young tannins. Lively acidity is nice. Short-med finish. If I drank it blind would never have pegged it as merlot.. Lean and green. But I do like it.
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2/13/2011 - dchorton wrote: 90 Points
One of the best $10 wines I can ever remember drinking.
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2/5/2011 - Coleman wrote: 89 Points
My initial impression is that it is a very nice wine, but closed. Interested to see how it's evolved on Day 2.
There is some blackberry, vanilla, and mocha. Nice, balanced wine.
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1/14/2011 - pavinee.paulsness@gmail.com wrote: 85 Points
too late
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1/8/2011 - absolutvodka wrote: 90 Points
berries, opened up nicely after an hour, QPR is out of this world!
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12/4/2010 - BravoPapa wrote: 91 Points
Red tea (Rooibos) and vanilla on the nose. Fruit, vanilla, mocha, and some smoke on the palette. Smooth tannins.
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11/22/2010 - Crystal wrote: 88 Points
Can you say mellow? Fruit is coming out nicely, blackberry like base, still some smoke, something "chewy" like mushroom. Give it a day to open and you will be pleased.
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11/17/2010 - LadyE wrote: 91 Points
Nose - cherry, boysenberry, reminiscent of cream sickle, vanilla, caramel. Very nice nose. Palate - the cream, vanilla, caramel is noted on the front of the palate, then gives way to spice and heat on the mid-palate and finishes with warmth and dark fruit/violets on the lengthy finish.
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11/14/2010 - Mucklemomo wrote: 90 Points
Very pleasant, with a pronounced chocolate flavor
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11/12/2010 - Moniki wrote: 94 Points
Elaine mags randy
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11/11/2010 - Moniki wrote: 96 Points
Mags Randy Elaine
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11/10/2010 - Gngrg wrote: 82 Points
A little bite. Tastes of fruit.
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11/6/2010 - mrpalmer wrote: 88 Points
Opaque, nicely balanced, some finish. Excellent value!
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10/30/2010 - Zinlady wrote: 87 Points
Had this wine at Red Tomato restaurant in Bethesda Maryland with Pizza. It was dark, thick and went well with my food. I would order this again and will look for it. Nice finish.
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10/28/2010 - Tuffdawg wrote: 89 Points
Rich and creamy. Loads of vanilla and dark fruits. No hard edges and very smooth. Simple but delicious. Great QPR.
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10/24/2010 - WineTime10 wrote: 86 Points
It was just "okay," and I'm not quite sure how Robert Parker could give this 90 points.
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10/14/2010 - hutch wrote: 86 Points
Rich. Some mocha overtones. Hints of sweetness. Eh? 85-87
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10/5/2010 - mclgreenville wrote: 89 Points
More of the same. See the last note. I will say, drink bottle in one night. Falls to pieces on day 2.
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10/5/2010 - mclgreenville wrote: 89 Points
Simple and delicious. Some oak. Tons of vanilla and chocolate. A little tart cherry. but, basically all vanilla and chocolate. I would have guessed american oak but no, French. Good glass for $14 a bottle. I know you can get it cheaper but bought it out of the restaurant, Chef and the Farmer.
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9/19/2010 - mclgreenville wrote: 88 Points
By the glass at The Chef and the Farmer. Lots of oak and vanilla w/ a long finish. Bright fruit w. a big nose. I got bright cherry, cranberry and chocolate on the nose and palette. Enjoyed it. $8 / glass but $14 per bottle. Picked up 2.
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9/8/2010 - Crystal wrote: 90 Points
can't wait for this one to get some age. love the cinnamon spice.
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9/6/2010 - frockaloid wrote: 86 Points
To me this came off as very closed initially, but opened fairly dramatically after an hour in the glass. Shows potential I think to be a very good value for a $10 bottle. Tannins were pretty pronounced on the finish.
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9/5/2010 - Mythlogic wrote: 87 Points
Aired for about 40 minutes.Oak on the nose.Hardly any fruit. Vanilla and dark cherry on the palette. Mild acid and tannin.O.K. finish. Had with steak and Lobster.
Can't go wrong for the price. Will buy again.
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9/4/2010 - dblbogey wrote: 90 Points
Delicious wine.
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8/25/2010 - bothellwineguy wrote:
Color was a nice deep rich ruby
Nose had lots of alcohol at first, but yielded to mocha, vanilla, cherries and some hints of cloves
Taste was moderately tannic up front, followed by fruit that was medium bodied, though a bit tart and dry
Finish was gradual with a mild oak and cherry fade
Overall, this was relatively good for the price, but not outstanding. Great QPR and and I would recommend as a daily drinker
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8/2/2010 - MODELL wrote: 89 Points
This one just like the first. Good value!
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7/10/2010 - Eckerman wrote: 91 Points
Costco purchase. Strong vanilla and oak. Good stuff.
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7/6/2010 - Nursing a Hangover wrote: 89 Points
Great QPR. This had fruit and oaky vanilla on the nose. Cherry and spices on the palate with good acidity/tannins.
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7/5/2010 - MODELL wrote: 89 Points
Lots of forward fruit, a slight hint of raisin. good finish. Good QPR.
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5/14/2010 - Ben Frost wrote: 81 Points
Tastes like a wine flavored oak drink to me. The predominant flavor is caramel/vanilla from the oak treatment. Fruit is there, but takes a backseat causing my overall impression of the wine to be that it tastes very fake. Funny thing is I tried a different vintage of this wine 7-8 years ago before drinking a lot of wine and I remember liking it a lot probably because that oak/vanilla taste was appealing to me at the time. Not that it is wrong to like this, but just not what I enjoy about wine today.
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5/13/2010 - Twalk76 wrote: 89 Points
Very good - great value
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5/2/2010 - mrpeabody69 wrote: 85 Points
Unfortunately this followed an amazing Bordeaux so it paled in comparison. I'll have to try it again on its own. A pleasant inexpensive merlot. Aerated straight from the bottle.
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4/29/2010 - Johnrfox wrote: 83 Points
Must be too fresh, overnight may mellow it.
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4/14/2010 - Spospichel wrote: 90 Points
Very good
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4/5/2010 - TedH wrote: 92 Points
This wine drinks like a high end Meritage. I was amazed at the depth, bouquet, & finish. Dark fruit, silky mouth, and a long satisfying finish. Just bought another case.
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3/31/2010 - awinejourney wrote: 89 Points
Pop and pour. Bright purple, translucent appearance. Big nose with cherries, blueberries, vanilla, cedar and a touch of pepper. Good fruit from beginning to end. Some oak on the finish, but not overbearing. Very smooth with very light tannins. Quite tasty.
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3/30/2010 - dynowine wrote: 89 Points
An intriguing wine I found challenging to describe. Nose of creamy shredded vegetables, sweet compost, and "frosted fruit cookies". On the attack same frosted cookies and wood. In the mouth a smooth mix of chemical, spicy sweet peppers (like sauteed bell peppers, mild cumin, and mild sugar), and more fruit. Finish of fruit similar to the cookies. What did I just drink?
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3/30/2010 - df1962 wrote: 82 Points
Good purple black color. Interesting nose that is more caramel vanilla and smoke than fruit. Very simple tasting no middle and no finish. Disappointing compared to the 2006 vintage.
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3/26/2010 - ras2006 wrote: 83 Points
Immediately after opening bottle and trying: a definite vanilla (and perhaps too much of that) taste - I'll try the same bottle tomorrow night
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3/25/2010 - Tuffdawg wrote: 87 Points
Once opened, I adore the powdered chocolate on the nose. Worth the $9 on that alone. Has typical Chilean terrior of slight green peppers along with ripe black cherry and some plum. Soft tannins and moderate finish.
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3/20/2010 - Brianodonnell77 wrote: 88 Points
Very nice sub $10 merlot. Nice fruit nose upon opening with strawberry and red fruit on the nose. Put the aerator to it and the cherries came out and the finish had a smoother edge than after first opening. Enjoyed it with burgers and dogs on the grill in mid march 2010.
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3/5/2010 - Fredhsu wrote: 85 Points
Very good value. Dark and Dry. But slightly too acidic for my taste. Nice to have this with smoked cheese though. Still very good on third evening. Aromatic.
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2/20/2010 - Vinpire wrote: 85 Points
A very pleasant inexpensive merlot. The French oak provided a strong nose of vanilla/white chocolate. Medium bodied and not too alcoholic, with red berry flavors. This is a simple wine but the contrast between the nose and the taste makes it rather entertaining for a cheapie. Aerated with the Rabbit aerator. Drank it with a Costco prime ribeye (if the wine and the steak are from the same place, isn't it like French gastronomy?). Seriously, $10 prime steak and $10 wine, what's not to love?
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2/16/2010 - OneLastSyrah wrote: 87 Points
This wine has been really consistent from bottle to bottle. Medium dark garnet in the glass. Rather distinctive and expressive aromatics of mocha, something like powdered sugar, and a high toned watermelon rind/weedy note. Medium to full bodied with good red currant and red cherry fruit. Finishes a bit short with a slight metallic edge. A good value.
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2/1/2010 - JoshA wrote: 90 Points
Dark, sweet fruit, mocha, and tar. Nice finish. Great value.
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1/26/2010 - Tuffdawg wrote: 88 Points
I enjoyed this. Nice dark, almos purple color. The nose has black cherry, current and wonderful chocolate. Not very complex on the palate but very efficient at what it is. Soft tannins. I'll get a couple more.($9.50)
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1/21/2010 - adk.dmn wrote: 81 Points
Good value, easy to drink. Solid house wine. One dimensional as others have said.
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1/18/2010 - ewisor wrote: 84 Points
Sharp cedar note dominated smell and even the taste of the wine on the first evening. This dissipated on the 2nd night but it showed no new aromatics. It revealed a nice cherry taste then. A nice one-dimensional wine on the 2nd evening. I have 3 more bottles and that is fine, but I do not intend to buy any more.
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1/17/2010 - OneLastSyrah wrote: 86 Points
Opened for family and had a couple sips - Medium dark garnet in the glass. Mocha, a touch of powdered sugar and a weedy element on the nose. Medium bodied with fairly ripe red currant and red cherry fruit with a return of the green quality that reminds me of watermelon rind.
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1/17/2010 - pavinee.paulsness@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
yummie
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1/8/2010 - bobbert wrote: 90 Points
What a gem. Soft balanced tannins, dark cherrry flavors and nose, lovely color. What a bargin at 10 bucks a bottle. Go buy some
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12/6/2009 - BuddyT wrote: 84 Points
Average easy drinking wine. Nice value
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11/30/2009 - bprosenberg wrote: 87 Points
Lots of dark fruit, and a bit candy-like -- too dense and one-dimensional for my taste.
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11/23/2009 - OneLastSyrah wrote: 87 Points
Medium dark garnet in the glass. Fairly expressive aromatics of some spice and mocha along with a high toned watermelon rind/weedy note. Medium to full bodied with fairly ripe red currant and red cherry fruit. Finishes slightly metallic with a return of the somewhat weedy green note. The slightly green note aside, this strikes me as pretty good value.
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11/23/2009 - mda7 wrote: 84 Points
Certainly not bad for the price, nice color, but not very interesting
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10/12/2009 - OneLastSyrah wrote: 87 Points
Deeply colored. Spicy nose of cedar, clove spice, mocha, and some slate. Medium-full bodied with red currant fruit up front turning tangy cranberry in the finish. At times a little bit too tangy. Also, there is an underlying slightly metallic weedy element across the palate. All in all, a pretty good value at $9.
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