Popped and poured to enjoy after dinner with Ali. Perfect cork demonstrating that the wine was cared for well before getting to my cellar. This wine retains a core of sweet fruit like a modern Pomerol. Fully resolved tannin and velvety in the mouth. Good concentration. Great QPR.
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At thirteen years this is nearing the end of its prime drinking window as the fruit is starting to lose its bright vibrancy and take on a more intense raisiny tone, which wife Linda actually likes.
Dark ruby red color, medium bodied, moderately complex, rather intense blackberry, black cherry with a layer of leather, tobacco and spice turning to full but approachable firm tannins and well balanced acidity on the lingering finish.
In Virginia for Christmas. Lovely showing of this wine with beautiful perfume and elegant. At the Hart's before Christmas dinner. On its own. Wanted to show Christian how this wine ages: very well, indeed. Very good QPR for $20 plus shipping, etc.
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Lovely wine. Fruit, spice and leather. Tannins blowing off to reveal lovely perfume. Excellent with hanger steak (marinaded in mustard, garlic, thyme for 4 hours), Long Island blue potatoes and bok choy (with garlic, ginger and soy). With Pam, Justyna and Jen in Sea Bright.
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Deep red color. Aromas of dark red fruits, mocha and wood spices. Ripe, nicely extracted fruit in the mouth with very good depth and length and well-integrated tannins. Still very fresh and somewhat suave on the palate. This was the best bottle I have had of this underrated wine and was delicious with a fine NY strip steak.
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Much improved from Feb 2013. Lovely red fruit, some spice and some secondary notes of leather. Less spice than Feb 2013, but also fewer tannins and drinking much better now. We had this with dry-aged strip steak and blue Yukon potatoes from Long Island: it was a good pairing. Very good QPR for our $20 sale price; glad we have 4 more. Drink now. (With Monica Smith, Jen and Tash in Princeton, NJ)
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Very strange. Decanted for an hour. Heavy acetone nose and a hint of being maderized. It dissipated a little of the next couple hours but was very distracting. Still fruit up front, decent mid-palate and a long finish. End note was slightly bitter. On second day the acetone and maderization was completely gone and this tasted more like a right bank Bordeaux.
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DRC Tasting Group (Cafe Veloce): Tasted blind. Spicy, funky, stinky, smoky nose. Body is huge and rich, with lots of spice and dark fruits. I thought this had to be Syrah; shocked to find out it's a Merlot dominant blend! Drinking quite well. 91+
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Good, spicy fruit but quite tannic on the finish. The drinking window (ending 2012) is obviously wrong for this wine, as it could have aged (and improved) for a couple of years more. But unfortunately, that was our last bottle. We had it with lamb and with visiting grad student Soudeh.
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No detailed notes. Nice wine with some good age on it. Might never be outstanding (lacks some depth / complexity as compared to another btl open tonight), but seems to have some life left to it. Medium weight, a little tight on the finish with some tannins still making an appearance. My last bottle, but I would think these could last for another 5+ years, assuming the fruit holds up and it develops some secondary character which is not it evidence today.
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What a nice wine. So, the 2010 end-of-drinking window is simply wrong: wine has lots more life to it. Upon opening has a lovely aroma and nice red fruit, cassis and a bunch of fine/refined tannins. Drank well for a few hours. Didn't get the chocolate notes (like the 1998 vintage), but still a very nice wine.
We were suppost to have this with roast New Zealand rack of lamb, but we ended up having leftovers (lamb curry, stuffing, cod and more), so didn't make a perfect pairing, but elegant on its own.
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Wow, this wine looks great. Still raelly young and tight. Needs a least another few years. This wine was great young and it is looking great now. Really bright acidity allong with some suave tannins.
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Needed 45 mins of air to blow off and open. mint, cherry, nicely integrated underpronounced fruit. a bit of raisen and soft tannins. nice bordeaux representation...but not worth $45.
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65 Merlot, 30 cab franc, 5 PV. Open for two hours, not decanted. Brilliant dark red color, still a bit cloudy, medium body. Aroma still has plenty of perfume, some roses, not a whole lot of fruit. Palate is real fleshy, raspberry, some menthol, good dose of tannin, just a hint of pepper. Subtle finish gains power, good length. This one can still age for a bit. Nice example of Walla Walla fruit blends.
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Popped/poured. Initially, didn't get much from the nose. Over time (3-4 hours), it develops a sweet perfumed character. Dark berries, hints of menthol and pepper on a fairly traditional palate. Medium heavy body, with acidity and tannins for structure. Comes together and gains a bit of fruit weight and elegance after some time open. Either a couple of years, or a brisk decant would help this along.
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Still holding a dark ruby red color, clear and great intensity. Plenty of blackberry, black cherry and spice on the nose. Lots of tannins exist with great acidity, keeping this wine well balanced. Finish lingers.
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Just starting to come into it's own. Great nose, good fruit bouquet with a hint of herb. Tannins starting to integrate. I'd say another two years it should be near it's peak.
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Cardinal Sept Wine Tasting (Cardinal Liquors and Wine, Crystal Lake, IL): A much younger version of the elegant and rich 2000 vintage. Big, ripe fruit is a bit over shadowed by big tannins and lots of acidity. Once tannins calm down, I suspect this will become an elegant, ripe and rich wine the the '00. 900 cases made.
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11/29/2015 - EhrlichDY Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured to enjoy after dinner with Ali. Perfect cork demonstrating that the wine was cared for well before getting to my cellar. This wine retains a core of sweet fruit like a modern Pomerol. Fully resolved tannin and velvety in the mouth. Good concentration. Great QPR.
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8/7/2015 - TashNYC wrote:
Cellar clean-up
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7/25/2015 - TashNYC wrote: 91 Points
Still delicious! Drink now. Great with lamb
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7/1/2015 - rmcnees wrote: 89 Points
At thirteen years this is nearing the end of its prime drinking window as the fruit is starting to lose its bright vibrancy and take on a more intense raisiny tone, which wife Linda actually likes.
Dark ruby red color, medium bodied, moderately complex, rather intense blackberry, black cherry with a layer of leather, tobacco and spice turning to full but approachable firm tannins and well balanced acidity on the lingering finish.
http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/07/uriah-spring-valley-red-blend-2002.html
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2/15/2015 - TashNYC wrote: 92 Points
Very tasty wine, especially with our grilled Australian lamb loin chops. Red fruit, spice, leather and a hint of chocolate. Great qpr for $20
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12/25/2014 - TashNYC wrote: 93 Points
In Virginia for Christmas. Lovely showing of this wine with beautiful perfume and elegant. At the Hart's before Christmas dinner. On its own. Wanted to show Christian how this wine ages: very well, indeed. Very good QPR for $20 plus shipping, etc.
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12/20/2014 - TashNYC wrote: 92 Points
Lovely wine. Fruit, spice and leather. Tannins blowing off to reveal lovely perfume. Excellent with hanger steak (marinaded in mustard, garlic, thyme for 4 hours), Long Island blue potatoes and bok choy (with garlic, ginger and soy). With Pam, Justyna and Jen in Sea Bright.
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12/12/2014 - hsacks wrote: 92 Points
Deep red color. Aromas of dark red fruits, mocha and wood spices. Ripe, nicely extracted fruit in the mouth with very good depth and length and well-integrated tannins. Still very fresh and somewhat suave on the palate. This was the best bottle I have had of this underrated wine and was delicious with a fine NY strip steak.
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12/6/2014 - TashNYC wrote: 91 Points
Much improved from Feb 2013. Lovely red fruit, some spice and some secondary notes of leather. Less spice than Feb 2013, but also fewer tannins and drinking much better now.
We had this with dry-aged strip steak and blue Yukon potatoes from Long Island: it was a good pairing. Very good QPR for our $20 sale price; glad we have 4 more. Drink now. (With Monica Smith, Jen and Tash in Princeton, NJ)
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5/10/2014 - pedlund wrote: 85 Points
Very strange. Decanted for an hour. Heavy acetone nose and a hint of being maderized. It dissipated a little of the next couple hours but was very distracting. Still fruit up front, decent mid-palate and a long finish. End note was slightly bitter.
On second day the acetone and maderization was completely gone and this tasted more like a right bank Bordeaux.
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6/3/2013 - dpolivy wrote: 91 Points
DRC Tasting Group (Cafe Veloce): Tasted blind. Spicy, funky, stinky, smoky nose. Body is huge and rich, with lots of spice and dark fruits. I thought this had to be Syrah; shocked to find out it's a Merlot dominant blend! Drinking quite well. 91+
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2/3/2013 - TashNYC wrote: 90 Points
Good, spicy fruit but quite tannic on the finish. The drinking window (ending 2012) is obviously wrong for this wine, as it could have aged (and improved) for a couple of years more.
But unfortunately, that was our last bottle. We had it with lamb and with visiting grad student Soudeh.
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12/22/2012 - vanpe003 wrote: 90 Points
No detailed notes. Nice wine with some good age on it. Might never be outstanding (lacks some depth / complexity as compared to another btl open tonight), but seems to have some life left to it. Medium weight, a little tight on the finish with some tannins still making an appearance. My last bottle, but I would think these could last for another 5+ years, assuming the fruit holds up and it develops some secondary character which is not it evidence today.
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11/5/2012 - JRagsdale wrote: 91 Points
This wine still has many years of life remaining. Suggest to decant for 1 hr. very nice wine.
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10/12/2011 - TashNYC wrote: 91 Points
Very nice. Lots of spicy fruit
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8/24/2011 - MeMyself&I wrote: 89 Points
Still very nice!! Some tannins remain but good fruit on the nose as well as the tongue.
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11/10/2010 - KC Bloodlines wrote: 93 Points
Very nice. Tons of graphite and loads of black fruits. The Cabernet Franc really shines in this wine.
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9/3/2010 - TashNYC wrote: 92 Points
What a nice wine. So, the 2010 end-of-drinking window is simply wrong: wine has lots more life to it. Upon opening has a lovely aroma and nice red fruit, cassis and a bunch of fine/refined tannins. Drank well for a few hours. Didn't get the chocolate notes (like the 1998 vintage), but still a very nice wine.
We were suppost to have this with roast New Zealand rack of lamb, but we ended up having leftovers (lamb curry, stuffing, cod and more), so didn't make a perfect pairing, but elegant on its own.
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8/15/2010 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 92 Points
Wow, this wine looks great. Still raelly young and tight. Needs a least another few years. This wine was great young and it is looking great now. Really bright acidity allong with some suave tannins.
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4/2/2010 - golfhawk wrote: 90 Points
Took an hour to show itself. It had some nice fruit that had a touch of mint. It went well with the lamb but was a little green on it's own.
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4/13/2009 - DesMarteau wrote: 91 Points
Needed 45 mins of air to blow off and open. mint, cherry, nicely integrated underpronounced fruit. a bit of raisen and soft tannins. nice bordeaux representation...but not worth $45.
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1/20/2009 - CP wrote: 89 Points
65 Merlot, 30 cab franc, 5 PV. Open for two hours, not decanted. Brilliant dark red color, still a bit cloudy, medium body. Aroma still has plenty of perfume, some roses, not a whole lot of fruit. Palate is real fleshy, raspberry, some menthol, good dose of tannin, just a hint of pepper. Subtle finish gains power, good length. This one can still age for a bit. Nice example of Walla Walla fruit blends.
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12/21/2008 - MeMyself&I wrote: 88 Points
Just as impressive as the first time we tried this. Very hearty, good fruit and still plenty of tannins. Sorry that I don't have any more...
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6/19/2008 - rumpole wrote: 90 Points
Very smooth and good expression of red fruit in this bordeaux blend; oak influence is in the background now.
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3/27/2008 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
Popped/poured. Initially, didn't get much from the nose. Over time (3-4 hours), it develops a sweet perfumed character. Dark berries, hints of menthol and pepper on a fairly traditional palate. Medium heavy body, with acidity and tannins for structure. Comes together and gains a bit of fruit weight and elegance after some time open. Either a couple of years, or a brisk decant would help this along.
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8/9/2007 - Tom_B wrote: 93 Points
Still holding a dark ruby red color, clear and great intensity. Plenty of blackberry, black cherry and spice on the nose. Lots of tannins exist with great acidity, keeping this wine well balanced. Finish lingers.
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6/9/2007 - lorenzo wrote: 89 Points
Red rasberries, Spicy. Chocalate. lively acidity
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10/3/2006 - MeMyself&I wrote: 88 Points
Just starting to come into it's own. Great nose, good fruit bouquet with a hint of herb. Tannins starting to integrate. I'd say another two years it should be near it's peak.
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9/24/2006 - GolferChris wrote: 90 Points
Cardinal Sept Wine Tasting (Cardinal Liquors and Wine, Crystal Lake, IL): A much younger version of the elegant and rich 2000 vintage. Big, ripe fruit is a bit over shadowed by big tannins and lots of acidity. Once tannins calm down, I suspect this will become an elegant, ripe and rich wine the the '00. 900 cases made.
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3/31/2006 - DaveArsenault wrote: 88 Points
I wasn't that impressed. Maybe it needs to wait another year or so. It's good, but not something that I'm going to rush out to buy more of.
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12/7/2005 - Wusman wrote: 88 Points
Sweet. Red fruits. Coffee and mocha on the nose. Nice
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12/16/2004 - krsfrogg wrote:
Very tightly wound at this point. Needs time.
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