2/8/2022 - mrgarreth Likes this wine:

This wine has gorgeous complexity, with notes of red cherry, strawberry, raspberry, black pepper, dried herbs, smoke, cedar, charred wood, sour cherry, toast, figs, and tobacco. There is good balance, with more than enough flavour concentration alongside the high acidity and grippy tannins. The alcohol (14%) is barely noticeable. It will age beautifully as those tannins soften. Lovely.

12/19/2021 - Delli Likes this wine:

Drinking well. Purple body with a crimson edge. More opaque than I’d expect a 13% alcohol cab franc. Floral nose with blue fruit. The plate is red fruit it’s a cranberry finish. Modest acidity. Good structure. Mouthfeel suggests more than 13% alcohol. 5+13+16+8=92

10/20/2020 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine:

Retail $70. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Carménère. Really Big Ass Bottle. When will these heavy bottles disappear? The wine should speak for itself, and this wine does, it is gorgeous. Dark in the glass with enticing aromas of ripe plum, blackberry, cassis, and hints of fresh mint, this is a beauty even before the first sip. That first taste, though? Yowza. Fruity, certainly, but incredibly balanced with a rich and full mouthfeel. That balance comes from a vibrant acidity that keeps the fruit in check and begs for food. The finish reveals some tannins, but they are mostly integrated and while there might be some improvement in the short-term, this is largely a wine for the now. Whoa. Excellent. thedrunkencyclist.com

4/29/2020 - ryynoo wrote:

This was my second try at this wine and 3rd or 4th from this Vineyard. My impression didn't improve.

Opened and did not decant, but I did aerate the wine.

Appearance - lighter than I would expect, a little more rust colored than I would expect for a Bordeaux grape.

Nose - Booze, Booze and Cherry, little else.

Note: I initially ate this with dinner, then had another glass an hour later.

Initial impression, super dry on the front end, huge cherry and booze bomb in the middle only to disappear on the finish. Very little complexity, not picking up any mineral, forest or tobacco. Very disappointing. The weird thing was all the dryness up front with little tannin in the finish. Perhaps I waited too long to drink but to think I was at the end of a Bordeaux grape only 8 years from the vintage is surprising. Not a good match with a garlicky red wine sauce with Italian sausage and capers.

2nd impression. Had a glass an hour or so later. The dryness was completely gone, now just a fruit and booze bomb. Alcohol was only 14.4 so not sure how it got so boozy buy maybe some juice or high residual sugars.

10/3/2019 - Delli wrote:

The wine is clear with deep concentration. The color is purple with a red rim it’s a nice gran selezione but suspect there is a lot of Cabernet in the blend. The wine is medium straining with heavy tearing.

The nose is powerful and developing. The red and black fruit is lively dominated by crunchy red cherries, vanilla, cassis, blackberry and licorice. There might also be a hint of green bell pepper and dark earth.

The wine is dry and the fruit on the palate is consistent with the nose. Then fruit is ripe and pops. The medium plus tannins are nicely rounded and my favorite feature of this a-typical Chianti. Acid is high, alcohol is surprisingly high, the body is full, the texture is round and the finish is round and the wine is at least medium plus complexity.

Excellent value and a pleasant surprise in spite expectations.

5+12+17+8=92

12/6/2014 - Delli Likes this wine:

Interestingly the winery does not disclose the blend for this wine; so I'll give it a shot.

The wine is purple and opaque with transparency only at the very edge of the glass. The nose is floral with a green earthiness; notes of both vanilla and sage. Delicate mouth feel with modest structure and fruit (plumbs, blackberries, currant). Some earthy minerality manifests on the finish. Nice wine that is a reasonable value. 5+12+15+8=90

My guess: Mostly merlot and cab franc given the nose and earthy notes. Some cab sav creating the mid palate and a touch of petit verdot given the color and minerality in the young wine. Wonder if I'll ever know how I did with my guess.

2/21/2015 - Pascal_2088 Does not like this wine:

Average GSM nothing special to offer.

4/11/2015 - sailincarib Does not like this wine:

Not a long finish. A bit severe. Wont' buy again

4/27/2013 - betocr wrote:

The wine looks Violet colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Coffee, and Raspberry. The body is Light/Medium. The wine has Satin-like texture. The wine finishes Medium.

1/31/2014 - Delli Likes this wine:

A huge surprise at this price point. Tried to find more but Ontario is sold out. Purple and opaque. Nose of dark fruit, and tobacco. Sour cherries on the palate and strong in the finish. Plumbs, round tannins and hint of minerality deliver a generous mouth feel and smooth lingering finish. 5+12+17+8=92 (I wonder if the this bottle was an outlier).

3/4/2012 - Delli Likes this wine:

Classic opaque color with long legs. The nose is suprisingly fresh for a Shiraz with earthy dark plumbs, mild sage, saddle wood and heat. Refreshing and sweet palate that is dominated by sweet red cherries. The tannins have started to round and dominate the finish but still need some more time. Will likely wait a few more years before trying another bottle. Anyone else find screw tops completely unfulfilling? 5+12+16+7=90

7/11/2012 - Delli Likes this wine:

A great expression of Sangiovese. Classic crimson coloring with a transparent edge. Nose is of round sweet fruit with cherries, plumbs and Tuscan minerality being the most pronounced. Palate is presently sweet with a very round and velvety finish. 5+13+17+8=93