Much better than the bottle I had two years ago. We slow ox'd for 3 hours prior to dinner which consisted of ribs and sausage on the grill with grilled corn and a caesar salad. The nose was all dark fruit the palate was dark berries, pipe tobacco, smoke and licorice. The finish was moderate to long and very lush. Totally enjoyable and such a great QPR
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Smoke and tar with ripe fruit. Very structured and intense. Drinking well now, but has another 3-5 years of life before it starts to decline. Excellent QPR from Garagiste at $24.
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Not had this wine before, nor am I familiar with it, so there was no real expectations. However, safe to say, I was impressed. Intense and ripe. Showing only a little bricking - does not show like a 2005 wine. Palate is ripe and intense without being overblown, nice balance with soft tannins. Mainly dark plum, some currant fruit, dry, good acidity, still slightly tannic finish. Maybe slightly dusty, complex finish. Overall impression with and without food, excellent wine.
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Similar to my notes of this past April, dark fruit on the nose, the palate is dark berries, rhubarb and licorice. Hints of thyme on the smooth finish. A really nice wine. Great QPR
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Very enjoyable wine. Reminds me of some of the higher end Shiraz wines from the 90s in terms of the bold power. The nose is of dust and some soy sauce. There is still some heat on the pallet with a lot of acid. I get some burnt rhubarb notes. Very good with homemade pasta and gravy.
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Popped and poured. No formal notes. A bit on the one dimensional side but definitely a tasty wine that would easily please a crowd. Surprising life in this. Would buy again if I could find more. Drink now.
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Lovely as always. Tasted alongside a beautiful Terlan Lagrein Riserva fro '12. The Shardana had a more tannic profile, a bit more piercing but still so well balanced. Lovely at the price. There is a volcanic soil tone that is very welcome.
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One of the best, most interesting wines I've come across at this pricepoint. There's something uncanny about this wine, especially at this lovely mature stage of its development. There's a significant smoke and tobacco note but it's so perfectly integrated with the fruit so there's nothing awry. Very distinctive and delicious. This is a welcome change from other wines that while nice I get a bit bored with. This is anything but boring.
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Popped and poured. Black cherry, black pepper, anise. Still fresh and powerful, there is nothing reticent here, while it is still overall nicely balanced. Great pizza wine tonight, sensational value wine.
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Wow, very ripe, but also loads of structure to support it. Nose of ripe blackberry and french oak. Rich mid palate. Good grip on the finish. Reminds a bit of some of the better Chilean cabs. Not my favorite wine style, but done well for the price range, and to accompany rich stews, this is what is needed. Did best out of a big Riedel Bordeaux glass (smaller glasses created to much focus on the alcohol and ripeness). Held up well to very rich braised beef shank.
P.S. Wow again as I look through the community notes, which are all over the place. It looks like so many bottles were flawed or cooked. I find ripeness, but nothing stewed or candied in my sample, and the ripeness is supported by some moderate acidity and a heavy doss of wood tannins. I also have the impression this bottle could have been held another 3 years easily.
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Very sweet, red-brick and bright red fruit tones. Light to medium-bodied, some sulphur and light spice. This is stunningly good for the price; drinking great now. Drink now.
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Very interesting wine. Started a bit slow on PnP, but after being upon about an hour, really hit its stride. Good to start on night #2, but faded. A lot of different aromas and flavors evolving and devolving over two nights.
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Decanted for sediment. The nose evolved over the course of being open for about 30 mins with the last few sips being the best. Nose showed a bit of smoke and meat mixed with iron/mineral notes, dried red fruits and some menthol cough drop. On the palate the wine showed dried plum and black cherry, slightly raisiny fruit, some sweet spice and a bit of oak on the back end. Good acidity but tannins are mostly faded and sweet. Nice finish. A really different and well made wine.
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Decanted. Dark ink in the glass. Nose of cocoa, spice, menthol, and blueberry all follow through on the palate. Palate is dense and complex with eucalyptus, black currant, coffee, chocolate, and tar. Big and bold. Tannins have sweetened considerably. Very enjoyable.
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Bright and delicious! A said there is a lot of spearmint on the tip of your tongue. I think she it sensing the acid. The wine is still very young even though my cork was wet to the top.
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My two most recent bottles have been oxidized. Cork soaked almost all the way through. These were sent straight from the bottle shop to a cellar so I can't fault the storage. Disappointing, as the wine was once magnificent.
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Cork had bled through; wine hadn't oxidized, but there was something nasty on the nose. Was going to take to a restaurant, decided against it. Upon return found that some of the funk had blown off, but by then we weren't interested (and it still wasn't good). Not going to ask Rimmerman for a refund, but I sure ain't batting well with Garagiste of late, despite all their hype of perfect provenance, etc. I'd estimate that whereas my "flawed" rate for other stores/wineries is x < 1%, Garagiste bottles are around 5% or so.
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Dark red; Vibrant nose of berries plums and herbs; Ripe, rich, dark berries, licorice, very good acidity, somewhat hollow on the mid palate; long savory finish with plenty of tannin. Good, best on day 2 - needs a few more years.
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May have screwed this one up. Popped and sipped -- it was tight and (overly) bright, with blowsy levels of alcohol. Decanted, re-corked, took to restaurant -- only to find that 3 out of 4 adults present weren't drinking this eve. No problem, I thought, based on notes here indicating Day 2 would be glorious -- but it isn't. It's diffuse and unstructured and just a bunch of gloppy red fruit. May use in Greek pork stew, may dump. Have one more bottle and won't wait a day on it.
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A bit better on day 2, the tannins have really softened, still has a bit more raisin then I generally like but it's a classic Italian profile and is a pretty good overall value.
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A bit advanced but the cork was very soaked. Rasins, damp earth, medium red fruit, medium acidity and alcohol. Overall it's nice but probably not the best example.
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I'm with Bevetroppo this time: age has not been kind to this. Could be my palate's moved as much as the wine, but this is showing - to me - as overripe and disjointed. Though it''s still got decent acidity, that seems somehow out of sync with the high alcohol and the somewhat pruney fruit, so it doesn't gracefully balance so much as wobble around as each element in turn starts to topple the tower over in its direction. Glad this was my last.
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The warm climate shows here with an upfront concord grapiness, blackberry compote, licorice, soap, tanned leather, EtOH, somewhat stewy, very dark. Muscular, raspy tannin adds a bitterness to the sweet cooked fruit with dark cocoa, black pepper, and a mineral sense not that different from some Aglianico. Not short on character, but a little lacking in charm, this was good with a sausage/white bean/kale stew, but is too rustic to enjoy much on its own.
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What was I thinking when I bought this? I must have been in an exploratory mindframe, but then, I shouldn't have shoved it onto an inaccessible shelf where I wouldn't find it for 8 years or whatever.
If it was ever any good, it's now weary, stale and unprofitable. Ponderous, syrupy, and dull. It's not BAD, per se, just a thick mass of faded prune-like brambly fruit that breaks down in the mid-palate on its way to a weak yet hot finish. Could be my fault entirely cause who knows how long this is supposed to last? I may have to get a jump on spring cleaning my cellar, or perhaps the more appropriate term is winter pruning?
Update: for those of you who may not have seen my notes before-I never look at any other notes before tasting and recording my own. But I was struck by two things after I made my initial posting. First, the community seems to love this wine, so maybe I just got an off bottle. I don't recognize it from any of the 90 or so other mostly positive notes. Second, the wildly favorable "professional" review is from Gary Vaynerchuk. As my father used to say, "you pays your money, you takes your chances."
Deep rich red, need to decant at least one hour to open up. Flavors intensify with dark red fruits, acidic, well rounded tannins .great qpr. Tobacco, leather, graphite. Little rough on the edges.
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Tuesday Night Double Blind <$30 (Bin 75): Medium density, dark core with crimson rim; dill, eucalyptus, Ricola, dark fruit with red mixed in; tart, rough hewn, tannic, green notes with ripe notes to go along; confusing, looks like it has age but a youthful feel to it.
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PnP'd one glass. Nice bright, zesty Italian. No score tonight. More later. Day two: Deep dark wine with lots of acid. This paried well with prime ribeyes on the grill. The wine is heavy so it needs food. Long, long finish. Some stewed fruit which isn't my fav but I can see how it evolves. Good but not great for my tastes.
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One of my favorite wines at this pricepoint. So balanced, lively, somewhat unique taste profile - burned fruit, tobacco. The tanins are so well integrated.
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Dark. Outstanding wine! Allowed three hours in decanter before this expressed true character. Earthy, blueberry & spice nose. Finish has so much acidity that I found myself licking my teeth after each sip.
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Expressive nose of dark fruit, eucalyptus and tar. Full bodied wine with mouth coating dark cherry and plum flavors dominating. All kept alive with ripping tart acidity on the excellent finish. Balanced in a bombastic way. I was looking for more secondary characteristics to give it a higher score, but a great wine.
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Great chalky, robust aromatics of dark berries, tomato vine, and bay leaf. The palate is similarly rustic, boasting ripe, fresh dark cherries over sundried tomato and dried green herbs. Firm tannins characterize the finish, later adding cedar and hints of aged tobacco. Though this should continue to integrate over time, its inherent rusticity adds to the appeal. R&M 88+
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Nothing to complain about here. Thsi wine is a genuine expression of Cannonau, powerful, concentrated and intense. The oak seems to have integrated completely, but there is no reason to rush. I love the jammy fruit balancing with the menthol and smoke. The medium finish is satisfying in all respects.
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This really is an over-achiever and under-the-radar wine. Amazing balance and concentration, some sweet, sandy spice notes, sunburned. Reminds me of an elegant, well-aged good super-Tuscan. Really quite a find and it has quite a fresh and unexpected personality.
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Decanted. Tasted over two days. Dark crimson in the glass. Nose of eucalyptus and pine with high-toned red fruit and asphalt. Palate is bold with extracted, jammy black and blue fruits, tart cassis, blackberry, tar, diesel, coffee, cocoa, and some forest floor. Also a little Robitussin at the end. Very firm tannins. Medium to medium-long. Dense, dense core. Really, I'm pretty impressed and geeking out on this wine. Although it has some hugely extracted fruit, it manages to stay in balance. I would say this could use a few more years in the cellar, but not bad right now. Excellent beast of a wine. One extra point for originality.
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PnV. Deep opaque crimson purple from core to rim. Soy sauce dried sour cherry and earth on the nose. Medium(+) with grippy but plush tannins. Fruit leather cherry juice bried meat and raspberry flavours. Ripe with a lingering and refreshing red fruit acidity on the finish. Still love this wine not sure if this bottle is tired or just needs more air - initially stewed and flabby but after it had been opened for three hours when this note was written it had gained freshness and structure. Amazing stuff.
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PnVnD let air for 1hr. Crimson purple almost saturated with a crimson rim. Fresh dark fruit fig charcoal and dark chocolate on the nose. Medium weight with grippy black tea and cherry skin tannin. Big ripe but fresh black fruit flavors with a touch of anise coffee and dark chocolate with a bit of herbs and minerals. Fresh on the finish with lingering notes of espresso and blackberry ganache (really!). Love this wine for its exhuberent fruitiness but with balance and complexity.
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This wine is crimson in color. The Legs are slow and this wine coats the glass when poured. The nose was a bit closed at first, but opened up after an our. What an amazingly balanced wine. A little sweet at first, but after opening up the flavor over powered the sugars.
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Wow, this one was singing, enjoyed much more than 6 months ago. Acidity is still there, but the charcoal and smoky oak from last time is gone; instead lots of spicy, scrumptious fruit.
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Wow - this was fantastic. Took an hour or two to open up, but then was truly wonderful. A little baked bread on the nose, full body with a palate reminiscent of a really nice malbec (in my wife's opinion), but with incredible depth. Second night: even smoother now, with raspberries, smoke and wood. Long, long finish. One of my new favorites.
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My goodness! I hadn't read GV's review in a long time but boy did he nail this when he said it's an imaginary blend of a CdP and Italy. This was the last wine of the night and it pretty much ripped everyone's face off. I let the Som try it and he couldn't get over how well this was drinking given it's backbone and potential for ageing. This has the deliciousness to keep all my aussie 'big wine drinker' friends happy and the complexity to keep old world drinkers intrigued. Outstanding. Everything I love about wine.
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Oh yeah! This delighted and impressed me far more than a bottle six months ago: now I get it. Bold and beautiful, synergy of masculine and feminine; tar and blackberry, with some sweet blueberry and a little tangy raspberry and some soy sauce umami; silky medium body, Really reflects Sardinia's geographical location, inside a triangle described by Tuscany, Sicily, and the French Rhone: IMO this has elements of the reds of those regions.
As others have noted, 2/3 the length of the cork was stained; but plainly this bottle did not suffer for it.
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Excellent again. Big delicious factor, with balancing freshness from the acidity. Plum and pomegranate, as well as some grape juice flavors on the palate. Balanced across the palate from beginning to end with a medium finish. Really nice, and sad this was my last bottle.
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This wine was definitely aromatically closed on day 1, but on day 2 it's really strutting it's stuff. Tar/asphalt is the keystone in an arching bouquet of incense, black plum, dried violets and, dare I say,... opium? This is a bottomless pit of dark scents. The palate maintains structure, though, amidst all these weighty notes. The tannins are velvety and there's a soft wave of gentle acidity in the mid-palate to give it form. Shardana is definitely a food wine and was absolutely pitch perfect with a beef and wild mushroom stew I previously made. I can't wait to see what bottle #2 will do in a few years from now.
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Bigger wine, although not huge for my palate. Dark fruits, nice tannin structure. Great with food. The bottle faded a bit after being opened for about an hour. My guess is that it's not fading but rather, entering into a "dumb phase." My other bottle will remain unopened for at least a couple of years.
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Very structured for Carignane and somewhat tightly wound at this stage. Nice black fruits, rosemary and tar, all playing the low end of the register. I disagree with many other tasters that this is mature, I think it is a bit closed and needs some time to develop, and the score will go higher. 90+.
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PnV let air for 0.5hr. Consistent with previous note especially with regard to drinking up as I think it is fading a bit now and losing some of the length on the finish. Still love it and would definitely buy more recent vintages. Digging carignane these days.
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Cork soaked through almost to the very end. Initial concerns over oxidation. Popped and got a big hit of funk, tasty if unimpressive on the palate. With air and on the second day it started to come alive. Nose: Grapey, Welch's grape juice, touch of leather, rich aromas of dark fruit. On the palate, it's big, juicy, grapey and dark fruit again. Big concentration on fruit flavors, but great leathery ripe tannin and surprisingly good acid. Great concentration on mid, resolved to a lengthy finish of delicious ripe tannin. Delicious city with surprisingly good tannic and acidic structure. 91/92
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I’ve been on a good role lately with my Garagiste purchases from unknown and exotic lands, and this here Sardinian Carignane continues the streak. On the riper edge of the fruit spectrum, I think a good analogy would be if someone took quality Grenache and then made in a Ripassa style ala the Veneto. Ripe fig and tobacco flavors, I know Parker uses this term a lot, but ‘beef blood’ really seemed a good descriptor, both in flavor and to assign an adjective to the textural component. A bit of vanilla, but not too much shows some new oak, but a terrific thrust of acidity keeps everything fresh and very Italian. After a cold shoulder treatment from the 96 Pichon Baron earlier in the week, this was like a hug from an old friend.
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Big bruiser of a wine for those who like to go big or go home! Cork one hour before serving...keep it a little below room temp for optimal drinking. Cellarworthy and certainly an interesting wine for the adventurous wine types.
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No detailed notes, but over 24 hours this went from ho hum to huge, full, silky goodness. I so want to drink more, but these are staying in a social place in the cellar for at least a couple of years.
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Very dusty in a good way, feels like you are drinking it on a Sardinian beach... Good acidity and minerality with tasty black and blue fruits. Medium bodied, not very concentrated (both good things), yet a bit too much smokey, toasty oak, that sometimes overwhelms what else is there... it is unfortunate that is there at all. Good, especially for the price.
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Quite nice, but hard to reconcile with GV's notes and those of some others. Decanted about 90 minutes then drank over 2 hours. Seemed pretty classically Southern Italian to me, not terribly new-world, with that bracing Italian aciditym, medium body, not to me a huge wine or very viscous. Bright and dusty plum and pomegranate. Not super tannic. Very food friendly (hardly a surprise for an Italian wine) - absolutely perfect with pasta with Sardinian meat sauce: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/cavatelli-with-sardinian-meat-sauce Fair value but I don't get the raves.
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One of the most unusual and striking wines I've had in a long time, similar to the first time I've tried this. It's so effortlessly smooth. It doesn't have a ton of concentration or extraction, but it's no lightweight either.
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Very nice! Tried this on Parker's 94 rating and was not disappointed. First time trying Carignano (apparently this varietal has various spellings, even different names). Nice nose showing spice and fruit, lots of character. Front end mouth filling dark fruit, black licorice. Soft, non-offensive tannins on the back end. This is one of the most intense European wines I have ever had and onenof the very few able to pair well with steak. Not sure if this varietal is always made in this style, but I will certainly be looking for more examples. This might benefit from a bit more age, but I enjoyed it and look forward to my next bottle.
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A really terrific, well-made specimen. I didn't take full notes, but can say with confidence that this is the first wine I've ever actually tasted a distinct "black tea" component. The unique dustiness, integrated tannins, unshakable balance, and perfect mouthfeel on this wine were really tremendous as well. I'd rate it even higher, but unfortunately, I was a tad disappointed - based on the previous notes and GV's review, I expected this wine to absolutely explode with flavor, and while it was certainly complex, it seems tightly wound and just a bit empty in places (maybe not empty, but closed) - the next bottle will definitely get a rigorous aeration treatment. Overall, though, really, really good stuff.
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Decanted for about 30 minutes. This wine had that "delicious" factor to it. Dark fruit, spice, and smoke. Medium length finish, and soft tannins. If tasting blind, I would have guessed this to be a Syrah. Lost some luster on day-2. This is ready to drink now.
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Popped and run through an aerator. Pretty intense nose of red fruit, some earth, smells pretty ripe. Lots of red fruit on the palate, kirsch flavors dominating, and while its pretty ripe and extracted it has some nice acidity to keep it fresh.
For those keeping track, my cork was stained 2/3 of the way up as well. One has to wonder about the provenance of the shipment of this wine to the US....on the plus side, it doesn't seem to have affected the quality of the wine.
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Wow I've been on a roll. I was surprised at the red fruited nature of the wine, with funky pomegranate and not so tangy raspberry on a base of leather, plum, and soy. The nose is sweeter than the palate. Rustic but not simple.
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Gingerbread spice on the nose with blackberry, blueberry and rustic, earthy, sun dried undertones.
The palate is thick lots blackberry and black current on the front with an iron-clay smooth tannin that sits on the front palate for a lingering finish and persistent acidity.
This wine is drinking well now but could cellar a couple of years.
Tasted with JDL.
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Drank half on New Year's Eve and the rest a few days later after vacuum sealing and refrigerating. Impressed by this. Nice full body with smooth tannins. Closer to New World than Old but not over the top. Good QPR at $25.
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Opened 2 hours before first pour, 1/2 bottle consumed, vacuvined with second half consumed on day 2 - note from day 2. Pretty consistent with day 1. Nose: Expressive - showing dark fruit, black berry, concord grape and floral scents - very Cabernet like. Palate: Full bodied, great mouth feel and well balanced with dark fruit up front, fades a little through the mid-palate, but finishes strong with dark fruit and peppery sensations which dominate through a lengthy finish. In a blind tasting I would have guessed this to be a blend of Napa Cabernet (80%) and Central Coast Syrah (20%) or a similar Aussy blend.
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Brought to neighbor's Holiday party because I knew it would be outstanding, but at the same time it was a shame because it was not aerated like I would do at home, and it was gone before it had a chance to show all of its beauty. Medium red color with some black hues, medium body. Medium bouquet is dense with black plums and cherries, some of which are candied, licorice, desert sage, road tar, and a grapey note. Capturing the dregs from the decanter after an hour, there are aromas of violets, and occasional hints of maple smoked jerky both of which went well with the bacon wrapped scallops that were baking in the oven. Hits the palate big rich dark fruit that carries some inner sweetness, potting soil, floral notes lending perfume, licorice and tobacco intermixed with doses of herbs. Medium-plus acid, and fairly big tannins remind me of Galloni's review saying wait 1-2 years. Overall, I really enjoyed this, as did everyone who tried it. It's not something I would recommend for a party because it will never be given the proper attention it deserves, but in this case I knew it would be of interest to a nerdy wine crowd. Outstanding value for what it delivers at 25. Sadly I only have one left.
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Crimson, cloudy color. Very interesting nose of dried red fruits, minerals, a bit of earthy funk. Continued to evolve over the course of the night. Plums, dried cherries, sweet spices on the palate with a touch of oak. Strong acid. Silky mouthfeel and long finish. Really interesting and enjoyable.
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All three bottles of this wine that I have consumed have shown significantly stained corks close to seepage so I decided to drink up. Really a great bottle - lovely mix of new and old world. Very ripe plums and cherries on the nose mixed with some soil and funk. Nice balance of ripe fruit on the palate with a rustic edge. Structure is there for ageing but I wouldn't risk it.
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Opened the bottle and gave 2+ hours of air. Paired with Kogi Truck food. Great nose. Intense on the palate with nice spice and roasted cherries. Long on the finish. Really enjoyed it although not a repeat purchase.
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Good wine, not my style nor does it seem like an Italian wine. The cork was completely stained and on the verge of seepage. Very fruity and more new-world but a good wine nonetheless and people will like it, just not me.
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Aromas of candied ripe fruit, red licorice, a little grapey. Full, rich mouthfeel. Ripe plum and other dark fruit but firm tannin. Great deliciousness but the structure and acidity to keep things interesting. Ripe tannin keeps a firm grip on the good length finish. The nose warned that this might've been a little over the top, but this is a nice and delicious drink without being cloying.
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Plums, black cherries, red cherries, blackberries, some earthiness and mild oak and tannins. This wine has a solid backbone of acidity that pairs oh so well with tomato sauce. This tames the acidity considerably, giving the wine a sweet fruit profile. Drank with pizza on day one, and spaghetti & meatballs on day two. This is an outstanding QPR daily drinker with tomato-based sauces. It should go well with BBQ sauce too.
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Tasted over two days: Whoahh, superripe PORT, raspberry, cherry aromas. In the mouth, there's loads of charcoal, leather, and chalky/dusty/cloudy tannins providing loads of grip and structure to compliment the fruit. It may seem that this all about ripeness and grip, but there's superb acidity carrying it all through the big, turbulent, layered finish. Oustanding.
Drink now or hold another three years. 91+ -JRS
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Plum and blackberry notes with a seeming inflection of sunlight (more the oak and cinnamon spice, actually); the oak is noticeable, but I don't think will be off-putting except to anti-oak purists; appreciable structure, fine out of the bottle, just a hair simple after tannins aerate away. 50/5/11/17/8
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The majority of the reviews are spot on. After a pop and pour, a half hour of air in the glass released powerful aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, a little earth, and lovely floral notes. Deeply concentrated fruit favors glide across the palate and leave hints of dirt and mushrooms. Also tons of cinammon spice on both the nose and palate. Love this style - I get the Italian terrior with lush, upfront fruit. Juicy acidity leads into a lengthy finish. Love it.
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No score... This bottle is somewhat tasty, I get spice and dirt and earth on the nose and kind of a roasted spice note on the palate. No fruit, brownish color. Nothing by way of tannins. This tastes like old/maybe even a little over the hill wine. So while its still drinkable (I'd probably go mid/high 80s), I think I got a bad enclosure and premox.
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Dense ruby. Fragrant blackberry, dusty, deep, dark, and focused.A hint of vanilla bean and black pepper. Solid blackberry on the palate with with a great core of flavor and some burnt brambles.Very good balance with juicy acidity followed by dusty tannins and a long finish.
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Dark purple; thick fruity nose; vibrant, jam, blackberry; you can drink it now, but some time in he bottle will calm this big one down. Great with BBQ, steak, salami.
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PnV. Super dark and dense to the rim. Huge chrstmas pudding and licorice aromas. Very mouth filling and elagant wonderfully complex. Long spice and licorice finish. Beautiful!
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Really liked this. I agree wtih the previous reviewer - this was powerful yet elegant. Quite unusual, in a good way. It had that Italian profile and sense of place that I'm familiar with but was missing some bite and pucker which I normally get with Italian wines and am generally not so fond of. This was quite a find.
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Powerful yet elegant. This wine has a lot going on. Fabulous aromas of cherry, fresh rose, blackberry, plum, vanilla and hints of asphalt. Full-bodied, with layers fresh fruit and big chewy tannins. Very, very long. So powerful and rich, yet racy and beautiful. This is going to be hard to wait on, but still needs some time. (Best from 2012-2021) - JD92
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85% Carignana and 15% Syrah. And, for all its oaked up glory it does work. Apperently its got 94 ppoints parker. The Red is a Phenociena (sp?) S? So Neil Empson's idea was to add in the Syrah because he is from the land down under.
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3/19/2023 - IndyTom Likes this wine: 89 Points
Still big, chunky. Dark fruit, pepper. Pretty much a heavy weight that needs to be paired with some red meat.
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5/20/2020 - Frijole wrote:
dark burgundy red, little clarity, ruby hue
Nose: cassis, cranberry, bitter chocolate, cigar, tobacco, dirt, green pepper, dirt, herbs, oak
Pal: cassis, plum, cranberry, chocolate, cigar, tobacco, fennel, minerals, dirt, scrub, black pepper, vanilla, herbs, oak
Feel: full, round, savory, acidic
Finish: medium, long
T9
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2/20/2020 - Big Dog wrote: 92 Points
Nice bottle of wine from garagiste. Wish I had a couple of more. Nice dusty red fruits that really opened after a couple of hours.
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9/7/2019 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much better than the bottle I had two years ago. We slow ox'd for 3 hours prior to dinner which consisted of ribs and sausage on the grill with grilled corn and a caesar salad. The nose was all dark fruit the palate was dark berries, pipe tobacco, smoke and licorice. The finish was moderate to long and very lush. Totally enjoyable and such a great QPR
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8/5/2019 - benny wrote: 94 Points
This is really an outstanding wine. One of the great buys from Jon R.
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7/28/2019 - jayw Likes this wine:
Smoke and tar with ripe fruit. Very structured and intense. Drinking well now, but has another 3-5 years of life before it starts to decline. Excellent QPR from Garagiste at $24.
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2/1/2019 - geexploitation Likes this wine:
Spice, smoke, and earth on the nose. Rich fruits and even some tannic group (still, at this stage). Lengthy finish. What a nice surprise of a bottle!
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7/13/2018 - thebonnydooner wrote: 93 Points
Not had this wine before, nor am I familiar with it, so there was no real expectations. However, safe to say, I was impressed. Intense and ripe. Showing only a little bricking - does not show like a 2005 wine. Palate is ripe and intense without being overblown, nice balance with soft tannins. Mainly dark plum, some currant fruit, dry, good acidity, still slightly tannic finish. Maybe slightly dusty, complex finish. Overall impression with and without food, excellent wine.
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11/24/2017 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
A physiologically ripe pure Carignan that's tongue-staining and masculine with flowers, creosote, brownie crust, smokey herbs, and just enough zing.
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10/26/2017 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Deep flavor, has an almost Amarone tone - a volcanic dryness. A real over-achiever.
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8/4/2017 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points
Dark and smokey; signifcant structure remains.
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7/26/2017 - markcic Likes this wine: 90 Points
Similar to my notes of this past April, dark fruit on the nose, the palate is dark berries, rhubarb and licorice. Hints of thyme on the smooth finish. A really nice wine. Great QPR
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7/24/2017 - cobystilp wrote: 92 Points
Very enjoyable wine. Reminds me of some of the higher end Shiraz wines from the 90s in terms of the bold power. The nose is of dust and some soy sauce. There is still some heat on the pallet with a lot of acid. I get some burnt rhubarb notes. Very good with homemade pasta and gravy.
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4/22/2017 - markcic Likes this wine: 90 Points
Well made wine not showing its age. Dark fruit on the nose, the palate is dark berries, a touch licorice and a hint of thyme. Nice smooth finish.
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12/28/2016 - thesternowl Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. No formal notes. A bit on the one dimensional side but definitely a tasty wine that would easily please a crowd. Surprising life in this. Would buy again if I could find more. Drink now.
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10/30/2016 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Lovely as always. Tasted alongside a beautiful Terlan Lagrein Riserva fro '12. The Shardana had a more tannic profile, a bit more piercing but still so well balanced. Lovely at the price. There is a volcanic soil tone that is very welcome.
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8/24/2016 - Quarked wrote:
Cork was 90% soaked through, and wine was over the hill. No review.
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8/4/2016 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Lovely, open, rich with a facinating smoakey volcanic tone. Likely at its peak, drink now.
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7/21/2016 - John McCabe wrote: 94 Points
One of the best, most interesting wines I've come across at this pricepoint. There's something uncanny about this wine, especially at this lovely mature stage of its development. There's a significant smoke and tobacco note but it's so perfectly integrated with the fruit so there's nothing awry. Very distinctive and delicious. This is a welcome change from other wines that while nice I get a bit bored with. This is anything but boring.
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2/28/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Black cherry, black pepper, anise. Still fresh and powerful, there is nothing reticent here, while it is still overall nicely balanced. Great pizza wine tonight, sensational value wine.
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11/24/2015 - juffer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wow, very ripe, but also loads of structure to support it. Nose of ripe blackberry and french oak. Rich mid palate. Good grip on the finish. Reminds a bit of some of the better Chilean cabs. Not my favorite wine style, but done well for the price range, and to accompany rich stews, this is what is needed. Did best out of a big Riedel Bordeaux glass (smaller glasses created to much focus on the alcohol and ripeness). Held up well to very rich braised beef shank.
P.S. Wow again as I look through the community notes, which are all over the place. It looks like so many bottles were flawed or cooked. I find ripeness, but nothing stewed or candied in my sample, and the ripeness is supported by some moderate acidity and a heavy doss of wood tannins. I also have the impression this bottle could have been held another 3 years easily.
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8/30/2015 - BrunelloBob wrote: 89 Points
Big, thick, almost overwhelming. Dark, port like flavors with a touch of red fruit. I might have called this blind as Portugeese. Fun bottle.
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6/3/2015 - davidspieker wrote: 89 Points
Brickish color. Red fruit and spice aromas with consistent flavors. Medium body with good balance and nice finish.
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5/6/2015 - ravbik wrote: 88 Points
Last bottle. Some seepage with soaked cork. First day bitter and tannic but fruits came out and tannins dissipated on day 2. Would buy again
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3/29/2015 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Very sweet, red-brick and bright red fruit tones. Light to medium-bodied, some sulphur and light spice. This is stunningly good for the price; drinking great now. Drink now.
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2/19/2015 - Bumbanian wrote:
last bottle. delicious.
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2/9/2015 - carlsport Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very interesting wine. Started a bit slow on PnP, but after being upon about an hour, really hit its stride. Good to start on night #2, but faded. A lot of different aromas and flavors evolving and devolving over two nights.
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2/7/2015 - TheBosWineGuy wrote: flawed
Four of my last 6 bottles were oxidized, corks soaked all the way through. Too bad
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11/8/2014 - Rich S Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for sediment. The nose evolved over the course of being open for about 30 mins with the last few sips being the best. Nose showed a bit of smoke and meat mixed with iron/mineral notes, dried red fruits and some menthol cough drop. On the palate the wine showed dried plum and black cherry, slightly raisiny fruit, some sweet spice and a bit of oak on the back end. Good acidity but tannins are mostly faded and sweet. Nice finish. A really different and well made wine.
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11/3/2014 - BigWineMan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted. Dark ink in the glass. Nose of cocoa, spice, menthol, and blueberry all follow through on the palate. Palate is dense and complex with eucalyptus, black currant, coffee, chocolate, and tar. Big and bold. Tannins have sweetened considerably. Very enjoyable.
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9/14/2014 - ravbik wrote: 92 Points
Similar to last note. Still tasting great
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9/3/2014 - cobystilp wrote: 91 Points
Bright and delicious! A said there is a lot of spearmint on the tip of your tongue. I think she it sensing the acid. The wine is still very young even though my cork was wet to the top.
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9/1/2014 - TheBosWineGuy wrote: flawed
My two most recent bottles have been oxidized. Cork soaked almost all the way through. These were sent straight from the bottle shop to a cellar so I can't fault the storage. Disappointing, as the wine was once magnificent.
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8/23/2014 - wormfarmer wrote: flawed
Cork had bled through; wine hadn't oxidized, but there was something nasty on the nose. Was going to take to a restaurant, decided against it. Upon return found that some of the funk had blown off, but by then we weren't interested (and it still wasn't good). Not going to ask Rimmerman for a refund, but I sure ain't batting well with Garagiste of late, despite all their hype of perfect provenance, etc. I'd estimate that whereas my "flawed" rate for other stores/wineries is x < 1%, Garagiste bottles are around 5% or so.
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6/26/2014 - Baggio wrote: 94 Points
Very good. Complex and balanced. Much sediment.
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6/3/2014 - Quarked wrote: 90 Points
Raspberries with a burnt sugar overtone. Not at all like my previous bottle in 2011.
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5/14/2014 - ron m wrote:
Dark red; Vibrant nose of berries plums and herbs; Ripe, rich, dark berries, licorice, very good acidity, somewhat hollow on the mid palate; long savory finish with plenty of tannin. Good, best on day 2 - needs a few more years.
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5/2/2014 - KSWinegeek wrote: 91 Points
Lots of sediment.
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4/29/2014 - wormfarmer wrote:
May have screwed this one up. Popped and sipped -- it was tight and (overly) bright, with blowsy levels of alcohol. Decanted, re-corked, took to restaurant -- only to find that 3 out of 4 adults present weren't drinking this eve. No problem, I thought, based on notes here indicating Day 2 would be glorious -- but it isn't. It's diffuse and unstructured and just a bunch of gloppy red fruit. May use in Greek pork stew, may dump. Have one more bottle and won't wait a day on it.
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4/15/2014 - pakabear Likes this wine: 91 Points
A bit better on day 2, the tannins have really softened, still has a bit more raisin then I generally like but it's a classic Italian profile and is a pretty good overall value.
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4/13/2014 - pakabear wrote:
A bit advanced but the cork was very soaked. Rasins, damp earth, medium red fruit, medium acidity and alcohol. Overall it's nice but probably not the best example.
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3/9/2014 - Charlie Pendejo Does not like this wine:
I'm with Bevetroppo this time: age has not been kind to this. Could be my palate's moved as much as the wine, but this is showing - to me - as overripe and disjointed. Though it''s still got decent acidity, that seems somehow out of sync with the high alcohol and the somewhat pruney fruit, so it doesn't gracefully balance so much as wobble around as each element in turn starts to topple the tower over in its direction. Glad this was my last.
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2/25/2014 - andtheodor wrote: 88 Points
The warm climate shows here with an upfront concord grapiness, blackberry compote, licorice, soap, tanned leather, EtOH, somewhat stewy, very dark. Muscular, raspy tannin adds a bitterness to the sweet cooked fruit with dark cocoa, black pepper, and a mineral sense not that different from some Aglianico. Not short on character, but a little lacking in charm, this was good with a sausage/white bean/kale stew, but is too rustic to enjoy much on its own.
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1/19/2014 - r&j wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for three hours. Great nose, black berry/cherry, licorice some leather and spice. Went great with filet on the grill.
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1/13/2014 - bevetroppo Does not like this wine: 85 Points
What was I thinking when I bought this? I must have been in an exploratory mindframe, but then, I shouldn't have shoved it onto an inaccessible shelf where I wouldn't find it for 8 years or whatever.
If it was ever any good, it's now weary, stale and unprofitable. Ponderous, syrupy, and dull. It's not BAD, per se, just a thick mass of faded prune-like brambly fruit that breaks down in the mid-palate on its way to a weak yet hot finish. Could be my fault entirely cause who knows how long this is supposed to last? I may have to get a jump on spring cleaning my cellar, or perhaps the more appropriate term is winter pruning?
Update: for those of you who may not have seen my notes before-I never look at any other notes before tasting and recording my own. But I was struck by two things after I made my initial posting. First, the community seems to love this wine, so maybe I just got an off bottle. I don't recognize it from any of the 90 or so other mostly positive notes. Second, the wildly favorable "professional" review is from Gary Vaynerchuk. As my father used to say, "you pays your money, you takes your chances."
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1/1/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 89 Points
Rustic with raspberry; deep; nice finish.
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9/24/2013 - ravbik wrote: 92 Points
Deep rich red, need to decant at least one hour to open up. Flavors intensify with dark red fruits, acidic, well rounded tannins .great qpr. Tobacco, leather, graphite. Little rough on the edges.
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8/27/2013 - Bumbanian wrote: flawed
Corked
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8/13/2013 - Rezy13 wrote:
Tuesday Night Double Blind <$30 (Bin 75): Medium density, dark core with crimson rim; dill, eucalyptus, Ricola, dark fruit with red mixed in; tart, rough hewn, tannic, green notes with ripe notes to go along; confusing, looks like it has age but a youthful feel to it.
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5/21/2013 - cobystilp wrote: 89 Points
PnP'd one glass. Nice bright, zesty Italian. No score tonight. More later. Day two: Deep dark wine with lots of acid. This paried well with prime ribeyes on the grill. The wine is heavy so it needs food. Long, long finish. Some stewed fruit which isn't my fav but I can see how it evolves. Good but not great for my tastes.
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5/2/2013 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
One of my favorite wines at this pricepoint. So balanced, lively, somewhat unique taste profile - burned fruit, tobacco. The tanins are so well integrated.
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4/4/2013 - KSWinegeek wrote: 92 Points
Dark. Outstanding wine! Allowed three hours in decanter before this expressed true character. Earthy, blueberry & spice nose. Finish has so much acidity that I found myself licking my teeth after each sip.
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4/1/2013 - Number51 wrote: 90 Points
This dark brooding wine with dark ripe berries, asphalt, and licorice is pleasantly full bodied without syrup.
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2/18/2013 - Charlie Pendejo wrote: flawed
Corked. Extremely. Bah!
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2/11/2013 - davidspieker wrote: 89 Points
Consumed at a dinner party. No notes, but well received.
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1/6/2013 - SCMeyer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Expressive nose of dark fruit, eucalyptus and tar. Full bodied wine with mouth coating dark cherry and plum flavors dominating. All kept alive with ripping tart acidity on the excellent finish. Balanced in a bombastic way. I was looking for more secondary characteristics to give it a higher score, but a great wine.
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12/22/2012 - Rob and Meg wrote: 88 Points
Great chalky, robust aromatics of dark berries, tomato vine, and bay leaf. The palate is similarly rustic, boasting ripe, fresh dark cherries over sundried tomato and dried green herbs. Firm tannins characterize the finish, later adding cedar and hints of aged tobacco. Though this should continue to integrate over time, its inherent rusticity adds to the appeal. R&M 88+
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11/28/2012 - LoireFan wrote: 91 Points
Great value.
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11/20/2012 - JonnyG wrote: 91 Points
Nothing to complain about here. Thsi wine is a genuine expression of Cannonau, powerful, concentrated and intense. The oak seems to have integrated completely, but there is no reason to rush. I love the jammy fruit balancing with the menthol and smoke. The medium finish is satisfying in all respects.
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11/16/2012 - John McCabe wrote: 94 Points
This really is an over-achiever and under-the-radar wine. Amazing balance and concentration, some sweet, sandy spice notes, sunburned. Reminds me of an elegant, well-aged good super-Tuscan. Really quite a find and it has quite a fresh and unexpected personality.
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11/15/2012 - BigWineMan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted. Tasted over two days. Dark crimson in the glass. Nose of eucalyptus and pine with high-toned red fruit and asphalt. Palate is bold with extracted, jammy black and blue fruits, tart cassis, blackberry, tar, diesel, coffee, cocoa, and some forest floor. Also a little Robitussin at the end. Very firm tannins. Medium to medium-long. Dense, dense core. Really, I'm pretty impressed and geeking out on this wine. Although it has some hugely extracted fruit, it manages to stay in balance. I would say this could use a few more years in the cellar, but not bad right now. Excellent beast of a wine. One extra point for originality.
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11/6/2012 - paulst wrote: 88 Points
Earthy cherry-raisen; harsh tannins; shiraz characteristics; softens with rich cow cheese.
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8/24/2012 - Old Vino wrote: 89 Points
Dark bold. Primal fruits. Tannins integrated. Medium finish. Needs food.
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7/11/2012 - LoireFan wrote: 91 Points
Maybe 92. Very pleasing.
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7/4/2012 - NathanT wrote: 91 Points
PnP: Flavorful, grainy. Core of dark fruit mixed with a good dose of tannins. Medium to full bodied. Good concentration.
About 5 hours: Faded a little bit. Flavor did not last as long on the palate.
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6/12/2012 - jonphillips wrote: 91 Points
Well made, still tannic ... Yet not totall yummy.
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5/11/2012 - df1962 wrote: 92 Points
PnV. Deep opaque crimson purple from core to rim. Soy sauce dried sour cherry and earth on the nose. Medium(+) with grippy but plush tannins. Fruit leather cherry juice bried meat and raspberry flavours. Ripe with a lingering and refreshing red fruit acidity on the finish. Still love this wine not sure if this bottle is tired or just needs more air - initially stewed and flabby but after it had been opened for three hours when this note was written it had gained freshness and structure. Amazing stuff.
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4/26/2012 - df1962 wrote: 92 Points
PnVnD let air for 1hr. Crimson purple almost saturated with a crimson rim. Fresh dark fruit fig charcoal and dark chocolate on the nose. Medium weight with grippy black tea and cherry skin tannin. Big ripe but fresh black fruit flavors with a touch of anise coffee and dark chocolate with a bit of herbs and minerals. Fresh on the finish with lingering notes of espresso and blackberry ganache (really!). Love this wine for its exhuberent fruitiness but with balance and complexity.
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4/19/2012 - benny wrote: 93 Points
Very original wine. Outstanding. Nose evolved. Palate was the high...finish was medium long. Will still develop.
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3/16/2012 - redfeet wrote: 92 Points
This wine is crimson in color. The Legs are slow and this wine coats the glass when poured. The nose was a bit closed at first, but opened up after an our. What an amazingly balanced wine. A little sweet at first, but after opening up the flavor over powered the sugars.
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2/18/2012 - Vinacull wrote: 91 Points
Nothing to add over previous note. Very good complexity. Outstanding quality at an excellent price.
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2/3/2012 - fluddy wrote: 93 Points
Surprising.
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12/12/2011 - cadamson wrote: 93 Points
Wow, this one was singing, enjoyed much more than 6 months ago. Acidity is still there, but the charcoal and smoky oak from last time is gone; instead lots of spicy, scrumptious fruit.
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11/28/2011 - Quarked wrote: 93 Points
Wow - this was fantastic. Took an hour or two to open up, but then was truly wonderful. A little baked bread on the nose, full body with a palate reminiscent of a really nice malbec (in my wife's opinion), but with incredible depth. Second night: even smoother now, with raspberries, smoke and wood. Long, long finish. One of my new favorites.
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11/3/2011 - Bumbanian wrote: 90 Points
Full, rich, and silky smooth. This was very enjoyable and an excellent wine, but I didn't find the level of complexity I was hoping for.
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11/1/2011 - TheBosWineGuy wrote: 95 Points
My goodness! I hadn't read GV's review in a long time but boy did he nail this when he said it's an imaginary blend of a CdP and Italy. This was the last wine of the night and it pretty much ripped everyone's face off. I let the Som try it and he couldn't get over how well this was drinking given it's backbone and potential for ageing. This has the deliciousness to keep all my aussie 'big wine drinker' friends happy and the complexity to keep old world drinkers intrigued. Outstanding. Everything I love about wine.
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10/31/2011 - Charlie Pendejo wrote: 92 Points
Oh yeah! This delighted and impressed me far more than a bottle six months ago: now I get it. Bold and beautiful, synergy of masculine and feminine; tar and blackberry, with some sweet blueberry and a little tangy raspberry and some soy sauce umami; silky medium body, Really reflects Sardinia's geographical location, inside a triangle described by Tuscany, Sicily, and the French Rhone: IMO this has elements of the reds of those regions.
As others have noted, 2/3 the length of the cork was stained; but plainly this bottle did not suffer for it.
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10/30/2011 - dk0s0v3c wrote: 92 Points
Excellent again. Big delicious factor, with balancing freshness from the acidity. Plum and pomegranate, as well as some grape juice flavors on the palate. Balanced across the palate from beginning to end with a medium finish. Really nice, and sad this was my last bottle.
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10/5/2011 - Zmoss wrote:
This wine was definitely aromatically closed on day 1, but on day 2 it's really strutting it's stuff. Tar/asphalt is the keystone in an arching bouquet of incense, black plum, dried violets and, dare I say,... opium? This is a bottomless pit of dark scents. The palate maintains structure, though, amidst all these weighty notes. The tannins are velvety and there's a soft wave of gentle acidity in the mid-palate to give it form. Shardana is definitely a food wine and was absolutely pitch perfect with a beef and wild mushroom stew I previously made. I can't wait to see what bottle #2 will do in a few years from now.
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9/28/2011 - KyleMittskus wrote: 88 Points
Bigger wine, although not huge for my palate. Dark fruits, nice tannin structure. Great with food. The bottle faded a bit after being opened for about an hour. My guess is that it's not fading but rather, entering into a "dumb phase." My other bottle will remain unopened for at least a couple of years.
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9/19/2011 - graphite wrote: 90 Points
Very structured for Carignane and somewhat tightly wound at this stage. Nice black fruits, rosemary and tar, all playing the low end of the register. I disagree with many other tasters that this is mature, I think it is a bit closed and needs some time to develop, and the score will go higher. 90+.
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9/14/2011 - df1962 wrote: 91 Points
PnV let air for 0.5hr. Consistent with previous note especially with regard to drinking up as I think it is fading a bit now and losing some of the length on the finish. Still love it and would definitely buy more recent vintages. Digging carignane these days.
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9/7/2011 - DRod wrote: 91 Points
Cork soaked through almost to the very end. Initial concerns over oxidation. Popped and got a big hit of funk, tasty if unimpressive on the palate. With air and on the second day it started to come alive. Nose: Grapey, Welch's grape juice, touch of leather, rich aromas of dark fruit. On the palate, it's big, juicy, grapey and dark fruit again. Big concentration on fruit flavors, but great leathery ripe tannin and surprisingly good acid. Great concentration on mid, resolved to a lengthy finish of delicious ripe tannin. Delicious city with surprisingly good tannic and acidic structure. 91/92
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8/20/2011 - andtheodor wrote: 88 Points
Dark, grapey, muscular and a bit rough. Pepper, chewy licorice, primal fruit. Some minerality here. Pretty good.
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8/3/2011 - silton wrote: 92 Points
Same as previous note. Wish I had ordered a half-case, as this is an epic QPR.
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7/23/2011 - Dale M wrote: 92 Points
I’ve been on a good role lately with my Garagiste purchases from unknown and exotic lands, and this here Sardinian Carignane continues the streak. On the riper edge of the fruit spectrum, I think a good analogy would be if someone took quality Grenache and then made in a Ripassa style ala the Veneto. Ripe fig and tobacco flavors, I know Parker uses this term a lot, but ‘beef blood’ really seemed a good descriptor, both in flavor and to assign an adjective to the textural component. A bit of vanilla, but not too much shows some new oak, but a terrific thrust of acidity keeps everything fresh and very Italian. After a cold shoulder treatment from the 96 Pichon Baron earlier in the week, this was like a hug from an old friend.
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7/17/2011 - Al-Vino wrote: 90 Points
Big bruiser of a wine for those who like to go big or go home! Cork one hour before serving...keep it a little below room temp for optimal drinking. Cellarworthy and certainly an interesting wine for the adventurous wine types.
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7/12/2011 - dk0s0v3c wrote: 92 Points
Really enjoyed this. No formal notes, but need to seek out more.
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5/31/2011 - nschmidt wrote: 90 Points
Drank at Kushner's BBQ. Full mouth feel with slight edge to it. Enjoyable.
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5/23/2011 - Bumbanian wrote:
No detailed notes, but over 24 hours this went from ho hum to huge, full, silky goodness. I so want to drink more, but these are staying in a social place in the cellar for at least a couple of years.
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5/17/2011 - df1962 wrote: 92 Points
PnVnD let air for 2hrs. Consistent with previous note. Drying out a bit on the finish will drink up the last two bottles by the end of the year.
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5/17/2011 - cadamson wrote: 90 Points
Very dusty in a good way, feels like you are drinking it on a Sardinian beach... Good acidity and minerality with tasty black and blue fruits. Medium bodied, not very concentrated (both good things), yet a bit too much smokey, toasty oak, that sometimes overwhelms what else is there... it is unfortunate that is there at all. Good, especially for the price.
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5/15/2011 - Charlie Pendejo wrote: 89 Points
Quite nice, but hard to reconcile with GV's notes and those of some others. Decanted about 90 minutes then drank over 2 hours. Seemed pretty classically Southern Italian to me, not terribly new-world, with that bracing Italian aciditym, medium body, not to me a huge wine or very viscous. Bright and dusty plum and pomegranate. Not super tannic. Very food friendly (hardly a surprise for an Italian wine) - absolutely perfect with pasta with Sardinian meat sauce: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/cavatelli-with-sardinian-meat-sauce Fair value but I don't get the raves.
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5/11/2011 - mikeaukenbals wrote: 91 Points
Drink now.
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4/22/2011 - CdP in NYC wrote: 91 Points
Another fantastic bottle
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4/18/2011 - mikeaukenbals wrote: 91 Points
agree with GV on everything but the score (really 91 or so).
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4/3/2011 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
One of the most unusual and striking wines I've had in a long time, similar to the first time I've tried this. It's so effortlessly smooth. It doesn't have a ton of concentration or extraction, but it's no lightweight either.
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3/24/2011 - Wop wrote: 94 Points
Simply awesome. GV and AG's notes nail it.
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3/20/2011 - laxman wrote: 91 Points
Very nice! Tried this on Parker's 94 rating and was not disappointed. First time trying Carignano (apparently this varietal has various spellings, even different names). Nice nose showing spice and fruit, lots of character. Front end mouth filling dark fruit, black licorice. Soft, non-offensive tannins on the back end. This is one of the most intense European wines I have ever had and onenof the very few able to pair well with steak. Not sure if this varietal is always made in this style, but I will certainly be looking for more examples. This might benefit from a bit more age, but I enjoyed it and look forward to my next bottle.
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3/19/2011 - jsimmons wrote: 91 Points
A really terrific, well-made specimen. I didn't take full notes, but can say with confidence that this is the first wine I've ever actually tasted a distinct "black tea" component. The unique dustiness, integrated tannins, unshakable balance, and perfect mouthfeel on this wine were really tremendous as well. I'd rate it even higher, but unfortunately, I was a tad disappointed - based on the previous notes and GV's review, I expected this wine to absolutely explode with flavor, and while it was certainly complex, it seems tightly wound and just a bit empty in places (maybe not empty, but closed) - the next bottle will definitely get a rigorous aeration treatment. Overall, though, really, really good stuff.
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3/17/2011 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for about 30 minutes. This wine had that "delicious" factor to it. Dark fruit, spice, and smoke. Medium length finish, and soft tannins. If tasting blind, I would have guessed this to be a Syrah. Lost some luster on day-2. This is ready to drink now.
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3/14/2011 - Grape_ape wrote: 91 Points
Popped and run through an aerator. Pretty intense nose of red fruit, some earth, smells pretty ripe. Lots of red fruit on the palate, kirsch flavors dominating, and while its pretty ripe and extracted it has some nice acidity to keep it fresh.
For those keeping track, my cork was stained 2/3 of the way up as well. One has to wonder about the provenance of the shipment of this wine to the US....on the plus side, it doesn't seem to have affected the quality of the wine.
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3/8/2011 - silton wrote: 92 Points
Wow I've been on a roll. I was surprised at the red fruited nature of the wine, with funky pomegranate and not so tangy raspberry on a base of leather, plum, and soy. The nose is sweeter than the palate. Rustic but not simple.
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2/16/2011 - 4iron wrote: 88 Points
classic southern italy, dry, earthy. just not quite impressive enough to warrant a higher score.
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2/9/2011 - flywineguy wrote: 89 Points
Gingerbread spice on the nose with blackberry, blueberry and rustic, earthy, sun dried undertones.
The palate is thick lots blackberry and black current on the front with an iron-clay smooth tannin that sits on the front palate for a lingering finish and persistent acidity.
This wine is drinking well now but could cellar a couple of years.
Tasted with JDL.
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1/30/2011 - paulst wrote: 89 Points
Earthy raisen; straw; acidic; smooth finish.
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1/15/2011 - ravbik wrote: 92 Points
Dark full bodied soft tannins explosive fruits mostly blueberry.
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1/5/2011 - murphone wrote: 90 Points
Nice wine. Lovely dark fruits almost cab like. Punches above it's weight in terms of qpr. Drinking well now. Recommend.
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1/5/2011 - nschmidt wrote: 91 Points
Drank half on New Year's Eve and the rest a few days later after vacuum sealing and refrigerating. Impressed by this. Nice full body with smooth tannins. Closer to New World than Old but not over the top. Good QPR at $25.
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1/4/2011 - prasm wrote: 91 Points
Opened 2 hours before first pour, 1/2 bottle consumed, vacuvined with second half consumed on day 2 - note from day 2. Pretty consistent with day 1. Nose: Expressive - showing dark fruit, black berry, concord grape and floral scents - very Cabernet like. Palate: Full bodied, great mouth feel and well balanced with dark fruit up front, fades a little through the mid-palate, but finishes strong with dark fruit and peppery sensations which dominate through a lengthy finish. In a blind tasting I would have guessed this to be a blend of Napa Cabernet (80%) and Central Coast Syrah (20%) or a similar Aussy blend.
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12/23/2010 - Vinacull wrote: 91 Points
Brought to neighbor's Holiday party because I knew it would be outstanding, but at the same time it was a shame because it was not aerated like I would do at home, and it was gone before it had a chance to show all of its beauty. Medium red color with some black hues, medium body. Medium bouquet is dense with black plums and cherries, some of which are candied, licorice, desert sage, road tar, and a grapey note. Capturing the dregs from the decanter after an hour, there are aromas of violets, and occasional hints of maple smoked jerky both of which went well with the bacon wrapped scallops that were baking in the oven. Hits the palate big rich dark fruit that carries some inner sweetness, potting soil, floral notes lending perfume, licorice and tobacco intermixed with doses of herbs. Medium-plus acid, and fairly big tannins remind me of Galloni's review saying wait 1-2 years. Overall, I really enjoyed this, as did everyone who tried it. It's not something I would recommend for a party because it will never be given the proper attention it deserves, but in this case I knew it would be of interest to a nerdy wine crowd. Outstanding value for what it delivers at 25. Sadly I only have one left.
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12/23/2010 - Rich S wrote: 92 Points
Crimson, cloudy color. Very interesting nose of dried red fruits, minerals, a bit of earthy funk. Continued to evolve over the course of the night. Plums, dried cherries, sweet spices on the palate with a touch of oak. Strong acid. Silky mouthfeel and long finish. Really interesting and enjoyable.
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12/19/2010 - pete s. wrote: 91 Points
All three bottles of this wine that I have consumed have shown significantly stained corks close to seepage so I decided to drink up. Really a great bottle - lovely mix of new and old world. Very ripe plums and cherries on the nose mixed with some soil and funk. Nice balance of ripe fruit on the palate with a rustic edge. Structure is there for ageing but I wouldn't risk it.
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12/12/2010 - the godfather wrote:
really interesting and nice
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12/12/2010 - JOsgood wrote: 91 Points
Opened the bottle and gave 2+ hours of air. Paired with Kogi Truck food. Great nose. Intense on the palate with nice spice and roasted cherries. Long on the finish. Really enjoyed it although not a repeat purchase.
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12/4/2010 - truthseekder1 wrote: 93 Points
Plums and smoke on the nose. Sweet dark frut acidic start with a relatively long finish. Aeration took the edge of the tannins.
(RP94)
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11/30/2010 - Jack O'Brien wrote:
Good wine, not my style nor does it seem like an Italian wine. The cork was completely stained and on the verge of seepage. Very fruity and more new-world but a good wine nonetheless and people will like it, just not me.
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11/29/2010 - RDHudak wrote: flawed
Leaking cork. Oxidized, but smelled like it may have had some potential. I will try another bottle.
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11/23/2010 - CdP in NYC wrote: 91 Points
Consistent w/ prior note
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11/19/2010 - DRod Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aromas of candied ripe fruit, red licorice, a little grapey. Full, rich mouthfeel. Ripe plum and other dark fruit but firm tannin. Great deliciousness but the structure and acidity to keep things interesting. Ripe tannin keeps a firm grip on the good length finish. The nose warned that this might've been a little over the top, but this is a nice and delicious drink without being cloying.
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11/10/2010 - suttonri wrote: 92 Points
Plums, black cherries, red cherries, blackberries, some earthiness and mild oak and tannins. This wine has a solid backbone of acidity that pairs oh so well with tomato sauce. This tames the acidity considerably, giving the wine a sweet fruit profile. Drank with pizza on day one, and spaghetti & meatballs on day two. This is an outstanding QPR daily drinker with tomato-based sauces. It should go well with BBQ sauce too.
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11/2/2010 - CdP in NYC wrote: 91 Points
Tasted over two days: Whoahh, superripe PORT, raspberry, cherry aromas. In the mouth, there's loads of charcoal, leather, and chalky/dusty/cloudy tannins providing loads of grip and structure to compliment the fruit. It may seem that this all about ripeness and grip, but there's superb acidity carrying it all through the big, turbulent, layered finish. Oustanding.
Drink now or hold another three years. 91+ -JRS
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10/22/2010 - Johnny C NYC wrote: 91 Points
Plum and blackberry notes with a seeming inflection of sunlight (more the oak and cinnamon spice, actually); the oak is noticeable, but I don't think will be off-putting except to anti-oak purists; appreciable structure, fine out of the bottle, just a hair simple after tannins aerate away. 50/5/11/17/8
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10/21/2010 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
pete s.'s notes are spot on. This is an incredibly complex and pure wine for just $25. Wow.
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10/20/2010 - pete s. wrote: 93 Points
The majority of the reviews are spot on. After a pop and pour, a half hour of air in the glass released powerful aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, a little earth, and lovely floral notes. Deeply concentrated fruit favors glide across the palate and leave hints of dirt and mushrooms. Also tons of cinammon spice on both the nose and palate. Love this style - I get the Italian terrior with lush, upfront fruit. Juicy acidity leads into a lengthy finish. Love it.
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10/14/2010 - oog wrote:
No score... This bottle is somewhat tasty, I get spice and dirt and earth on the nose and kind of a roasted spice note on the palate. No fruit, brownish color. Nothing by way of tannins. This tastes like old/maybe even a little over the hill wine. So while its still drinkable (I'd probably go mid/high 80s), I think I got a bad enclosure and premox.
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10/7/2010 - Frijole wrote:
dark plum red, medium clarity, ruby hue
Nose: earth, tobacco, espresso, cola, oak, smoke, pepper, plum
Pal: earth, cola, espresso, smoke, white pepper, full berries, oak, tobacco, some acidity, complex
Feel: full, round, savory, acidic
Finish: long
TC9
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9/24/2010 - Bob Fyke wrote: 92 Points
Dense ruby. Fragrant blackberry, dusty, deep, dark, and focused.A hint of vanilla bean and black pepper. Solid blackberry on the palate with with a great core of flavor and some burnt brambles.Very good balance with juicy acidity followed by dusty tannins and a long finish.
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9/23/2010 - Steve Brickley Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark purple; thick fruity nose; vibrant, jam, blackberry; you can drink it now, but some time in he bottle will calm this big one down. Great with BBQ, steak, salami.
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9/23/2010 - df1962 wrote: 92 Points
PnV. Super dark and dense to the rim. Huge chrstmas pudding and licorice aromas. Very mouth filling and elagant wonderfully complex. Long spice and licorice finish. Beautiful!
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9/22/2010 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Really liked this. I agree wtih the previous reviewer - this was powerful yet elegant. Quite unusual, in a good way. It had that Italian profile and sense of place that I'm familiar with but was missing some bite and pucker which I normally get with Italian wines and am generally not so fond of. This was quite a find.
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9/18/2010 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 92 Points
Powerful yet elegant. This wine has a lot going on. Fabulous aromas of cherry, fresh rose, blackberry, plum, vanilla and hints of asphalt. Full-bodied, with layers fresh fruit and big chewy tannins. Very, very long. So powerful and rich, yet racy and beautiful. This is going to be hard to wait on, but still needs some time. (Best from 2012-2021) - JD92
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8/19/2010 - Jasper Hofman wrote: 90 Points
geur koffie, choco, laurier, drop, iig secundaire geuren + donker rijp fruit. rijpe tannines, zuren en prima lengte.
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7/12/2010 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
85% Carignana and 15% Syrah. And, for all its oaked up glory it does work. Apperently its got 94 ppoints parker. The Red is a Phenociena (sp?) S? So Neil Empson's idea was to add in the Syrah because he is from the land down under.
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4/8/2010 - Alcide23 wrote: 89 Points
Nice bottle but not up to the 2004
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