Used a coravin to try something that I thought was probably past its prime, having been buried in the cellar for so long. Upon pouring in the glass, brickish coloring and sort of murky, indicating its age. Color could also be connected to being unfiltered at bottling. Bouquet was a little muted, but some promising dark red berry notes were still there. Taste was a little like pruned cherries and figs, with perhaps a note of red licorice. This was fun, but my expectations were low so maybe I was just surprised. Either way, I enjoyed sipping on it.
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Holding in cellar for 5.5 years has paid off. Color is bricking slightly. Nose of lavender, garrique, leather, cedar, mushrooms. Very nice on the palate with bold food (steak, etc.) A steal at $12 in 2011.
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finay this once hot miserable wine is finally enjoyable. Good fruit with easy to enjoy background notes of herbs de Provence, mushroom, green peppercorn and black tea. Maybe a touch of black I've brine. Sad that my dog knocked the bottle over as he went berserk over something. I know am left with just a bit to enjoy. Last bottle.
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Not drinking that well. Not sure how it scored 92 points on WS. Good thing I didn't serve this to guests. Everyday drinking wine that's barely drinkable.
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Russk. Nice and easy now, with a pleasant juiciness. Some slight fiz probably from secondary fermentation. Tar moving to the background. Tastes like a mature CdRhone with a decent dose of Morvedre.
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As others have noted, there is crazy bottle variation here. This was an outstanding bottle - much better than any of the others I've recently had. Dark, rich and smoky, both on the nose and palate. There's excellent depth and intensity to the tangy plum and blackberry fruit, along with a nice, lively acidity. Finishes long, with lingering notes of oak, smoke and spice. Lots of Languedoc terroir in this one. 50+5+11+16+8=90
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Full bodied and very tight. An initial tartness. Black fruit, then tobacco and dark chocolate. Medium finish. Great QPR. Many more years of drinkability.
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Loads of flavors, but the high ABV dominated things. A dark compote of fruit, with some acid and smooth tannin, this dark purple wine wasn't a pleasure to drink because of the immense heat. One more bottle that needs to sit, as I just don't get this wine.
I was not very fond of it at first. Very "tight", strong acidity and tannins. I decanted for about an hour and enjoyed it much more. Best with food, it developed a softer flavor with more fruit and some smoke. The tannins definitely mellowed! I am curious to try others after a bit more aging.
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decent qpr, but full of heat and a bit flabby. The fruit is a bit overwhelmed by the heat, but has a good acid tannin balance. Went well with roasted duck.
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This seemed better than my last bottle a month ago. Full-bodied, very smooth and quite refined for an under $12 Coteaux du Languedoc. Lots of fruit, spice and smokiness along with nice length on the finish. Not a blockbuster, but very satisfying and excellent QPR. 50+5+11+15+8=89
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Not as good as I remember from last time. Again, not showing much on the nose. The palate is medium-to-full bodied, but noticeably lacks the richness, depth and complexity of my previous bottle. Pleasant flavors of herbs, earth, spice and dark fruit lead to a moderately long, smoky finish. Not bad at all, just not as good as I remember. Still have almost a case of this remaining so there is plenty of opportunity for redemption. 50+5+11+14+7=87
OK The wine was peppery to much so. not bad with grilled meat dinner. but much better choices at this reasonable price point. did not hate it but would not buy again.
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May have drunk this too earlier. The palate is earthy, and fairly soft. The wine is made in a feminine style. A taste of herb and spice. Other than acid, nothing stood out. May have been a little better on day two. Overall disjointed. May rate 87 or 88 with time.
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A Tasting of Aged Old World Wines (Cambridge, MA): A hot climate red with a little redeeming earthiness. Currants and dark fruits, decent acidity, stringent tannins, and a medicinal note about which I'm not sure how I feel. Some intrusive heat on the nose.
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Nose has wood, earth and dark flavors. Palate is full. Low tannins suggest a short life, but fruit and wood and earth suggest a balanced wine that is big enough for red meat but soft enough for sipping by the pool. Buy this and enjoy it now and for the next couple of years!
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Doesn't show much else on the nose aside from an intensely peppery aroma, but on the palate this really shows its stuff. Flavors of smoke and spice firmly wrapped around a core of dark ripe fruit. Finishes long, with hints of roasted meat and baker's chocolate. Lots of Languedoc terroir here. If you've ever been to Le Pays Cathare and hiked to the mountaintop redoubts, you can taste that in this wine. Excellent QPR at around $11 and this will only get better with a year or two of bottle age. 50+5+11+16+8=90
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This typical southern blended red has all the right ingredients, but is clearly in need of some cellar time so that it can pull out of its awkward stage that it is currently in. Big fruit combined with smoke meat and black tea, provincial herbs with tarragon really standing out. This tasted much better on its second day as it pulled itself together to make a nice pairing with any red meat or game. Good tannins and decent acidity. A medium finish with the fruit and tarragon lingering.
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Bought some of these after tasting at Century. Great nose and smooth fruit, spices and earth. Can't wait to get a couple years in the cellar on these bottles. Definitely over-priced compared to the rest of CT, but languedoc is a rare thing up here
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Gorgeous purple color. Nose of blackberry jam with herbs and a hint of vanilla. Taste has similar notes, but strong tannins mute the fruit, so the taste is herb dominated.
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Pleasant floral aromas. Medium body, smooth, with slightly tart finish. Flavors of dried fruit and a certain je ne sais quoi. Good value table wine. Went well with dinner of pasta with homemade tomato sauce and italian sausage.
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Again just a really nice everyday drinking wine. For the price you cannot beat it. I decanted it early as I needed a little for my marinade - got around drinking it about and hour and a half later - flavors of tobacco, dried currents and spices - the airing did it well as it had a smoother finish.
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Opened slow and after an hour the wine showed lovely fruits, cherry and ripe berries, nice lingering taste on the palate. In this pirce range one of the nicest wines that I have tasted in a while.
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Notes of Cherry, sage, mineral and meaty characteristics. Medium-full body with soft tannins and a fleshy finish. Serviceable, but not memorable. (Drink 2011 - 2014) - JD
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Did not enjoy when pop and poured yesterday but blossomed today. Expressive nose. Dark plum with a touch of grape juice on the palate. Short but juicy finish. Solid everyday wine that should last a few years. Good QPR.
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Sun-dried tomatoes, swiss cheese, dried raspberry, kombucha nose. Soil, swiss chard, ambiguous dark dried fruits, peach skin/fuzz. Leather dominates the finish. Nose is beautiful but flavors are a little cramped.
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A solid everyday drinking wine. Opens nice with hints of berries (not overpowering like a pinot noir) tobacco and licorice. Nice finish. Definite value for your money.
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This gets better with time. Delicious fruit and mouthfeel. Fantastic QPR at $9. I am getting more excited about the 09 vintage in France with every bottle like this.
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Has a very fragrant nose of mostly garrigue. After some air, there's a nice tart cherry that also comes out on the nose. A very Chianti style dry when it first hits the palate, but there's more to it as it transitions into a nice mouth coating feel full of the garrigue herbs and the tart cherry. Not quite the WS92, but it has enough going on to make it to make it an outstanding QPR at $9.
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For $9 at Costco, this is a good everyday wine. It is best when decanted. The Syrah's blueberry overtones are prevalent.I get an herbal mix, as well. Nice tannins and finish.
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Raspberry, plum, and leather on the nose. Took a lot of effort for the bottle to breath. Hard to keep alcohol burn off of the back of throat, but after awhile, became much easier to drink. Can't give this bottle any type of 90 rating, but still better then many others at the same price.
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I opened 2 bottles of this tonight both PnP (bottles 4 & 5 out of 6 all purchased from the same store: Gary's Wine). #4 was OK just like #1, #2 and #3i, but this 5th one warrants a solid 91. Good earthniness with strong fruit. A very good CdR. Could be the taster, but I think there is bottle variation. Reminds me more of a nice Gigondas than a CdR. Finally close to with the WS score (92).
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Agree with food wine comments – holds up well to pasta with heavy dose of red pepper seeds. Viscous and interesting initial mouth feel. OK after that. Second 6-bottle purchase – so actions speak! Sad to see - but $4 more at the neighborhood store vs Costco.
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The Chemin Olivettes in 2009 is gorgeous. The wine starts with a fabulously saturated purple and gives off layer upon layer of fresh fruit aromas, underbrush, a hint of coco and is reminiscent of a splendid Cote du Rhone. Hailing from the Languedoc, the Olivettes is round with a medium plus body and predominantly displays the syrah with its blueberries and ripe tannins. Not only is this a great everyday drinker, this would do well at the table as it offers up balance, abundance of flavor, and no heat. A complete wine. Not to be aged more than a couple of years. All for $9 at Costco. Unbelievable. 35% carignan, 30% grenache, 20% syrah, and 15% mourvedre.
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Dark, thick, heavy and brooding. This is a new world wine. I get the plum notes in the WS review. I got a lot of vanilla and kick on the end. Grab a few more bottles at $8.99 from Costco. It will be interesting to see how this handles down the road.
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Good QPR for $8.99, with loads of character...dark blackberry (and maybe some blueberry) fruit, loads of herbal complexity (most noteably anise, eucalyptus/menthol, and a hint of green tobacco leaf), with a rustic somewhat "grapey" (i.e. grape soda) as well as grippy (tannic) finish. Good balance of ripe fruit with earth and character. Food wine, for sure...I'll finish the bottle with dinner tonight to see whether this might be a wine I'd want to have more of around.
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RUSSK nice earthy nose. Rustic. a pleasant bitterness in the finish. chianti classico meets the rhone valley . should buy more at 8 dollars a bottle.90+
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Need 30 minutes to open...a lot of cherry and very long finish. Still a little bit tannic but a year or two will definitely make it more pleasant. Great wine at this price.
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Appears to have a narrow window. Started out lifeless, became interesting after 2 hrs with some good earthiness and tobacco flavors. Dead as dead on day 2. Overall great value for 9 bucks just drink it from hr 2 to 4
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Nice layers of fruit on the nose which invites you in. Once there you get a medium bodied, somewhat rustic wine that is earthy and tannic. The fruit definitely plays second to the terroir. Well made though not very domesticated.
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Smoky, earthy, a little green and bitter with drying tannins and good acidity. Nice dark fruit underneath it all. New world enthusiasts won't be getting into this but I did. A good and interesting companion to a weekday meal. I think this will settle and improve over the next couple of years.
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13% d'alcool, Grenache 30%, Syrah 20%, Mourvèdre 15%, Carignan 35% Vin élevé en cuves inox, macération en grappes entières (sans erraflage, donc). Œil : rouge grenat relativement profond, sans opacité, forte viscosité en parois. Nez : projection d'intensité moyenne, austère à l'ouverture, 30 à 60 minutes d'aération l'aura rendu plus charmant, frais, beaucoup de fruits, la macération avec râfle se sent et apporte un côté vert et séveux bien présent, fumé, minéral, un brin poivré et une légère touche animale, avec petit quelque chose de musqué. Un nez qui nous a laissé un peu tiède à l'ouverture, mais avec l'aération, le fruit et l'éventail aromatique s'est développé favorablement. Bouche : sec, ample, tannins jeunes, charnus et de grain moyen, astringence modérée, petite sensation métallique, belle acidité rafraîchissante qui fait vibrer l'ensemble, rétro minérale, séveuse, animale et pointe métallique. Conclusion : frais, jeune, nez intéressant, pas du tout raccoleur en bouche mais intéressant malgré tout. Ceux pour qui la macération avec râfle rebute devraient éviter ce produit. Sera intéressant de le voir évoluer sur 2-3 ans. Note perso : 86-87 actuellement, et bien que ce soit un solide RQP, on est loin des 92 points accordés par Kim Markus (WineSpectator). Peut-être se bonifiera-t-il avec le temps...(?)
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3/31/2022 - BuckeyeBenS wrote: 87 Points
Used a coravin to try something that I thought was probably past its prime, having been buried in the cellar for so long. Upon pouring in the glass, brickish coloring and sort of murky, indicating its age. Color could also be connected to being unfiltered at bottling. Bouquet was a little muted, but some promising dark red berry notes were still there. Taste was a little like pruned cherries and figs, with perhaps a note of red licorice. This was fun, but my expectations were low so maybe I was just surprised. Either way, I enjoyed sipping on it.
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10/1/2019 - maxima wrote: 87 Points
Fumée et poivronné, champignons et terre
avec peu de fruit. Finale courte et amère.
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2/19/2017 - gcarl wrote:
Did not get to sample at my blind tasting of 20+ wines from my cellar, but it was all consumed by attendees.
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8/16/2016 - gcarl wrote: 89 Points
Holding in cellar for 5.5 years has paid off. Color is bricking slightly. Nose of lavender, garrique, leather, cedar, mushrooms. Very nice on the palate with bold food (steak, etc.) A steal at $12 in 2011.
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9/1/2015 - Champagneinhand wrote: 89 Points
finay this once hot miserable wine is finally enjoyable. Good fruit with easy to enjoy background notes of herbs de Provence, mushroom, green peppercorn and black tea. Maybe a touch of black I've brine. Sad that my dog knocked the bottle over as he went berserk over something. I know am left with just a bit to enjoy. Last bottle.
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8/29/2015 - quanmeister wrote: 87 Points
Not drinking that well. Not sure how it scored 92 points on WS. Good thing I didn't serve this to guests. Everyday drinking wine that's barely drinkable.
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3/27/2015 - millesime66 wrote: 88 Points
Très bon, assez long et tout en fruit (prune, groseille). Dépôt assez solide donc à décanter.
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8/30/2014 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
Russk. Even better on day 2. Co2 blown off. Appreciate the loer alcohol. 91-
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8/28/2014 - RussK wrote: 90 Points
Russk. Nice and easy now, with a pleasant juiciness. Some slight fiz probably from secondary fermentation. Tar moving to the background. Tastes like a mature CdRhone with a decent dose of Morvedre.
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8/7/2014 - patsox wrote: 85 Points
Energetic, bitter black fruits.
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8/30/2013 - Bam_Man Likes this wine: 90 Points
As others have noted, there is crazy bottle variation here. This was an outstanding bottle - much better than any of the others I've recently had. Dark, rich and smoky, both on the nose and palate. There's excellent depth and intensity to the tangy plum and blackberry fruit, along with a nice, lively acidity. Finishes long, with lingering notes of oak, smoke and spice. Lots of Languedoc terroir in this one.
50+5+11+16+8=90
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7/26/2013 - Frogstachio wrote: 89 Points
Full bodied and very tight. An initial tartness. Black fruit, then tobacco and dark chocolate. Medium finish. Great QPR. Many more years of drinkability.
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7/1/2013 - Champagneinhand wrote: 86 Points
Loads of flavors, but the high ABV dominated things. A dark compote of fruit, with some acid and smooth tannin, this dark purple wine wasn't a pleasure to drink because of the immense heat. One more bottle that needs to sit, as I just don't get this wine.
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2/3/2013 - km5 wrote:
Very nice dark inky colors, medium body wine and goes well duck and cheese really well!
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1/29/2013 - steve2 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely wine.Lots of bitter chocolate on the nose.Needs some air.Medium to full body and smooth tannins.
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12/9/2012 - Cheers99 Likes this wine: 88 Points
I was not very fond of it at first. Very "tight", strong acidity and tannins. I decanted for about an hour and enjoyed it much more. Best with food, it developed a softer flavor with more fruit and some smoke. The tannins definitely mellowed! I am curious to try others after a bit more aging.
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10/3/2012 - wineOK wrote: 87 Points
Red fruit. Cherries and red berries with alot of spice and pepper. Smooth tannins.
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9/30/2012 - Champagneinhand wrote: 86 Points
decent qpr, but full of heat and a bit flabby. The fruit is a bit overwhelmed by the heat, but has a good acid tannin balance. Went well with roasted duck.
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9/30/2012 - cobystilp wrote: 85 Points
Just not my cup of tea.
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9/10/2012 - shank wrote: 89 Points
Great bottle for the price. I expect a little more time in the bottle will help.
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8/13/2012 - Bam_Man wrote: 89 Points
This seemed better than my last bottle a month ago. Full-bodied, very smooth and quite refined for an under $12 Coteaux du Languedoc. Lots of fruit, spice and smokiness along with nice length on the finish. Not a blockbuster, but very satisfying and excellent QPR.
50+5+11+15+8=89
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7/10/2012 - Bam_Man wrote: 87 Points
Not as good as I remember from last time. Again, not showing much on the nose. The palate is medium-to-full bodied, but noticeably lacks the richness, depth and complexity of my previous bottle. Pleasant flavors of herbs, earth, spice and dark fruit lead to a moderately long, smoky finish. Not bad at all, just not as good as I remember. Still have almost a case of this remaining so there is plenty of opportunity for redemption.
50+5+11+14+7=87
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7/3/2012 - leesullivan wrote: 83 Points
OK The wine was peppery to much so. not bad with grilled meat dinner. but much better choices at this reasonable price point. did not hate it but would not buy again.
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4/13/2012 - Motz wrote: 86 Points
May have drunk this too earlier. The palate is earthy, and fairly soft. The wine is made in a feminine style. A taste of herb and spice. Other than acid, nothing stood out. May have been a little better on day two. Overall disjointed. May rate 87 or 88 with time.
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4/7/2012 - bpj87 wrote: 84 Points
A Tasting of Aged Old World Wines (Cambridge, MA): A hot climate red with a little redeeming earthiness. Currants and dark fruits, decent acidity, stringent tannins, and a medicinal note about which I'm not sure how I feel. Some intrusive heat on the nose.
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3/16/2012 - FredF wrote: 90 Points
Nose has wood, earth and dark flavors. Palate is full. Low tannins suggest a short life, but fruit and wood and earth suggest a balanced wine that is big enough for red meat but soft enough for sipping by the pool. Buy this and enjoy it now and for the next couple of years!
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2/29/2012 - Bam_Man wrote: 90 Points
Doesn't show much else on the nose aside from an intensely peppery aroma, but on the palate this really shows its stuff. Flavors of smoke and spice firmly wrapped around a core of dark ripe fruit. Finishes long, with hints of roasted meat and baker's chocolate. Lots of Languedoc terroir here. If you've ever been to Le Pays Cathare and hiked to the mountaintop redoubts, you can taste that in this wine. Excellent QPR at around $11 and this will only get better with a year or two of bottle age.
50+5+11+16+8=90
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2/20/2012 - Champagneinhand wrote: 84 Points
This typical southern blended red has all the right ingredients, but is clearly in need of some cellar time so that it can pull out of its awkward stage that it is currently in. Big fruit combined with smoke meat and black tea, provincial herbs with tarragon really standing out. This tasted much better on its second day as it pulled itself together to make a nice pairing with any red meat or game. Good tannins and decent acidity. A medium finish with the fruit and tarragon lingering.
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2/18/2012 - Champagneinhand wrote: 89 Points
Bought some of these after tasting at Century. Great nose and smooth fruit, spices and earth. Can't wait to get a couple years in the cellar on these bottles. Definitely over-priced compared to the rest of CT, but languedoc is a rare thing up here
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1/25/2012 - winelover1 wrote: 90 Points
Really nice and balanced with earthy undertones to let you know you are drinking french wine.
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1/22/2012 - pmilne wrote: 87 Points
Gorgeous purple color. Nose of blackberry jam with herbs and a hint of vanilla. Taste has similar notes, but strong tannins mute the fruit, so the taste is herb dominated.
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1/3/2012 - sieraski wrote: 90 Points
Earthy and rich
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1/2/2012 - dalenc wrote:
Always delicious and QPR is unbeatable
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12/6/2011 - Chefrf wrote: 87 Points
did not care for this wine a different blend of grape for me 35% Carignan 30% Grenache 20% syrah 5 % Moutvedre could have used more time in the bottle
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11/16/2011 - Johnny C NYC wrote: 90 Points
A little medicine, earth and Rhone inflection. Savory all the way. What a bargain. 50/5/12/16/7
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11/3/2011 - pgb67 wrote: 86 Points
Indistinctive on day 1, with a closed palate and reluctant nose. More fruit presented itself on day 2, so maybe hold onto it for a while.
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10/29/2011 - Billy Booze Bag Likes this wine:
good value
very drinkable
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10/20/2011 - greenwalter wrote: 89 Points
Great QPR. Soft but balanced. Earthy nose. Dark fruit and meat. A bit short.
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9/28/2011 - Soprano955 Likes this wine: 85 Points
Pleasant floral aromas. Medium body, smooth, with slightly tart finish. Flavors of dried fruit and a certain je ne sais quoi. Good value table wine. Went well with dinner of pasta with homemade tomato sauce and italian sausage.
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9/25/2011 - markcic wrote: 86 Points
Again just a really nice everyday drinking wine. For the price you cannot beat it. I decanted it early as I needed a little for my marinade - got around drinking it about and hour and a half later - flavors of tobacco, dried currents and spices - the airing did it well as it had a smoother finish.
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9/16/2011 - markcic wrote: 86 Points
Opened slow and after an hour the wine showed lovely fruits, cherry and ripe berries, nice lingering taste on the palate. In this pirce range one of the nicest wines that I have tasted in a while.
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8/27/2011 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 84 Points
Notes of Cherry, sage, mineral and meaty characteristics. Medium-full body with soft tannins and a fleshy finish. Serviceable, but not memorable. (Drink 2011 - 2014) - JD
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8/23/2011 - PlanetX wrote: 88 Points
Did not enjoy when pop and poured yesterday but blossomed today. Expressive nose. Dark plum with a touch of grape juice on the palate. Short but juicy finish. Solid everyday wine that should last a few years. Good QPR.
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8/16/2011 - crux wrote: 91 Points
Sun-dried tomatoes, swiss cheese, dried raspberry, kombucha nose. Soil, swiss chard, ambiguous dark dried fruits, peach skin/fuzz. Leather dominates the finish. Nose is beautiful but flavors are a little cramped.
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8/6/2011 - markcic wrote: 86 Points
A solid everyday drinking wine. Opens nice with hints of berries (not overpowering like a pinot noir) tobacco and licorice. Nice finish. Definite value for your money.
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7/2/2011 - chanote44 wrote: 90 Points
This gets better with time. Delicious fruit and mouthfeel. Fantastic QPR at $9. I am getting more excited about the 09 vintage in France with every bottle like this.
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6/27/2011 - pmilne wrote: 89 Points
Has a very fragrant nose of mostly garrigue. After some air, there's a nice tart cherry that also comes out on the nose. A very Chianti style dry when it first hits the palate, but there's more to it as it transitions into a nice mouth coating feel full of the garrigue herbs and the tart cherry. Not quite the WS92, but it has enough going on to make it to make it an outstanding QPR at $9.
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6/15/2011 - HarryWHoover wrote: 87 Points
For $9 at Costco, this is a good everyday wine. It is best when decanted. The Syrah's blueberry overtones are prevalent.I get an herbal mix, as well. Nice tannins and finish.
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6/12/2011 - jayflan wrote: 87 Points
Raspberry, plum, and leather on the nose. Took a lot of effort for the bottle to breath. Hard to keep alcohol burn off of the back of throat, but after awhile, became much easier to drink. Can't give this bottle any type of 90 rating, but still better then many others at the same price.
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5/31/2011 - maxmanx wrote: 91 Points
I opened 2 bottles of this tonight both PnP (bottles 4 & 5 out of 6 all purchased from the same store: Gary's Wine). #4 was OK just like #1, #2 and #3i, but this 5th one warrants a solid 91. Good earthniness with strong fruit. A very good CdR. Could be the taster, but I think there is bottle variation. Reminds me more of a nice Gigondas than a CdR. Finally close to with the WS score (92).
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5/24/2011 - CheapAndBest Likes this wine: 88 Points
Agree with food wine comments – holds up well to pasta with heavy dose of red pepper seeds. Viscous and interesting initial mouth feel. OK after that. Second 6-bottle purchase – so actions speak! Sad to see - but $4 more at the neighborhood store vs Costco.
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5/21/2011 - Philly NQ King wrote: 88 Points
A bit thin, but amazing juice for the money. Very good CdR-styled wine...
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5/14/2011 - kanjimoti wrote: 89 Points
The Chemin Olivettes in 2009 is gorgeous. The wine starts with a fabulously saturated purple and gives off layer upon layer of fresh fruit aromas, underbrush, a hint of coco and is reminiscent of a splendid Cote du Rhone. Hailing from the Languedoc, the Olivettes is round with a medium plus body and predominantly displays the syrah with its blueberries and ripe tannins. Not only is this a great everyday drinker, this would do well at the table as it offers up balance, abundance of flavor, and no heat. A complete wine. Not to be aged more than a couple of years. All for $9 at Costco. Unbelievable. 35% carignan, 30% grenache, 20% syrah, and 15% mourvedre.
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5/5/2011 - maxmanx wrote: 87 Points
Can't understand the 92 point WS score. Maybe I have a bad batch, but this is a simple, CdR to me. Not offensive, but boring.
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4/23/2011 - Serge Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Not a successful effort. Overripe fruit. Might work ok as a cooking wine. Not recommended even at $9 a bottle.
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4/11/2011 - cobystilp wrote: 90 Points
Dark, thick, heavy and brooding. This is a new world wine. I get the plum notes in the WS review. I got a lot of vanilla and kick on the end. Grab a few more bottles at $8.99 from Costco. It will be interesting to see how this handles down the road.
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4/7/2011 - Employee500 wrote: 89 Points
Good QPR for $8.99, with loads of character...dark blackberry (and maybe some blueberry) fruit, loads of herbal complexity (most noteably anise, eucalyptus/menthol, and a hint of green tobacco leaf), with a rustic somewhat "grapey" (i.e. grape soda) as well as grippy (tannic) finish. Good balance of ripe fruit with earth and character. Food wine, for sure...I'll finish the bottle with dinner tonight to see whether this might be a wine I'd want to have more of around.
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3/27/2011 - RussK wrote: 90 Points
RUSSK Nice structure/fruit balance. I do sense the menthal but its not that apparent.
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3/13/2011 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
RUSSK
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3/12/2011 - RussK wrote: 90 Points
RUSSK nice earthy nose. Rustic. a pleasant bitterness in the finish. chianti classico meets the rhone valley . should buy more at 8 dollars a bottle.90+
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3/11/2011 - CGM wrote: 91 Points
Need 30 minutes to open...a lot of cherry and very long finish. Still a little bit tannic but a year or two will definitely make it more pleasant. Great wine at this price.
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2/23/2011 - jeremy_ross wrote: 87 Points
Very dark purple. Fresh blackberries, blueberries, black licorice, leather, med acid, grippy tannins on finish. Pretty interesting wine.. good value.
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2/21/2011 - Klensing wrote: 85 Points
Appears to have a narrow window. Started out lifeless, became interesting after 2 hrs with some good earthiness and tobacco flavors. Dead as dead on day 2. Overall great value for 9 bucks just drink it from hr 2 to 4
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2/20/2011 - JSHinson wrote: 79 Points
Bought at costco, due to high rating from WS, not very good, inky dark with nice nose...however funky weird menthol aftertaste....
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2/13/2011 - CGM wrote: 91 Points
Like the fruity and lingering finish. Still young but has the structure to further improve over a year or two. Great value.
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2/1/2011 - krmcgrath wrote: 88 Points
Nice layers of fruit on the nose which invites you in. Once there you get a medium bodied, somewhat rustic wine that is earthy and tannic. The fruit definitely plays second to the terroir. Well made though not very domesticated.
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1/27/2011 - ChinonRouge wrote: 80 Points
Decent flavor profile, but overly tannic. Not so good finish. Kind of a wierd after taste. Won't buy any more. Not recommended.
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1/16/2011 - TBA wrote: 84 Points
Decent but did not provide much to get excited about.
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1/16/2011 - krmcgrath wrote: 89 Points
Smoky, earthy, a little green and bitter with drying tannins and good acidity. Nice dark fruit underneath it all. New world enthusiasts won't be getting into this but I did. A good and interesting companion to a weekday meal. I think this will settle and improve over the next couple of years.
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12/7/2010 - fCOT wrote: 87 Points
God structure and concentration of red fruits.promising.still a bit young with dry tannins.
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12/2/2010 - yui wrote: 88 Points
Nice fruits, stiff tannic, dry, short finish. Enjoyed it a lot
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10/5/2010 - kosmik wrote: 87 Points
13% d'alcool, Grenache 30%, Syrah 20%, Mourvèdre 15%, Carignan 35%
Vin élevé en cuves inox, macération en grappes entières (sans erraflage, donc).
Œil : rouge grenat relativement profond, sans opacité, forte viscosité en parois.
Nez : projection d'intensité moyenne, austère à l'ouverture, 30 à 60 minutes d'aération l'aura rendu plus charmant, frais, beaucoup de fruits, la macération avec râfle se sent et apporte un côté vert et séveux bien présent, fumé, minéral, un brin poivré et une légère touche animale, avec petit quelque chose de musqué. Un nez qui nous a laissé un peu tiède à l'ouverture, mais avec l'aération, le fruit et l'éventail aromatique s'est développé favorablement.
Bouche : sec, ample, tannins jeunes, charnus et de grain moyen, astringence modérée, petite sensation métallique, belle acidité rafraîchissante qui fait vibrer l'ensemble, rétro minérale, séveuse, animale et pointe métallique.
Conclusion : frais, jeune, nez intéressant, pas du tout raccoleur en bouche mais intéressant malgré tout. Ceux pour qui la macération avec râfle rebute devraient éviter ce produit. Sera intéressant de le voir évoluer sur 2-3 ans.
Note perso : 86-87 actuellement, et bien que ce soit un solide RQP, on est loin des 92 points accordés par Kim Markus (WineSpectator). Peut-être se bonifiera-t-il avec le temps...(?)
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