| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.8 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 33 notes) - hiding notes with no text |
| | Tasted by Neurowine1 on 3/9/2023: My second btl of this and consistent with the last. Great wine for an atmospheric river (what we used to call rain). Lots of iron, dark fruit, cola, tobacco. Remains spot-on and a screaming bargain at <$20. (249 views) |
| | Tasted by Neurowine1 on 12/10/2021: Screw top, $19. seriously? seriously good juice here. black cherry fruit, tar, wet leather, forest floor. Great on a cold gray Friday afternoon sans food, but this would really well on the grill. Not a vin de meditation and perhaps a bit heavy handed but no denying this is tasty. Has aged flawlessly. (584 views) |
| | Tasted by Anna@WineCellar on 8/2/2021 & rated 93 points: Aromatic nose, a tone of green herbs, a smoky note, complexity. Dry, high(-) acidity, medium(+) tannins polished to velvet, medium(+) body, 13,5%, excellent length. Concentration, balance, a tight silhouette. Red-blue fruitiness, slone, oak, complexity. Again the herbs/green touch especially in the aftertaste. A velvety, concentration, tight elegance. Fabulous.
Field blend of Touriga nacional, Tinta roriz and Sousão. 14 month on new barrels; 50% Portuguese, 30% French, 20% American. (The Portuguese oak has contributed with the seductive notes of green herbs, said the wine maker at our visit to the quinta.) (690 views) |
| | Tasted by Aparritz on 1/24/2021 & rated 90 points: 4 years later and up 3 points. This clearly improved with time. While I didn’t find anything particularly unique, this was an enjoyable 10 year old that went down easy. (750 views) |
| | Tasted by wayfarer on 9/22/2020 & rated 90 points: Pretty much as before, but all more integrated and smooth. Black cherry dominates, but with complexity of tobacco, earth. Time has been good thing here. (830 views) |
| | Tasted by Momus99 on 3/11/2020 & rated 89 points: Last of 3 bottles from Garagiste. Patience rewarded-This has continued to evolve in complexity and balance. Very dark red with no bricking. Nose of bing cherries, tobacco leaf, maybe a little bubble gum and pine sap. Palate is similar with sturdy tannins, decent body, but short finish. I’m not a Douro expert but couldn’t pick this out of a lineup of WA cabernets. Pleasant enough and I don’t rue spending $20 on it but not memorable or distinctive. (1013 views) |
| | Tasted by 1961Vintage on 1/7/2020 & rated 91 points: Very enjoyable great ptq. (911 views) |
| | Tasted by Aparritz on 3/4/2017 & rated 87 points: This may just be in an awkward place right now but it was good, not great. Easy drinking but single dimensional. Hoping the other bottle improves with a few more years. (2090 views) |
| | Tasted by RDHudak on 11/10/2016 & rated 91 points: Very nice wine. Tobacco, dried berries and leather. Medium finish. Seemed fresh, with no signs of decline. (2101 views) |
| | Tasted by Momus99 on 11/2/2016 & rated 89 points: Quite yummy. This seems to be coming into its own. Not a super buy at $20 though. (1880 views) |
| | Tasted by SexyEpicurean on 10/26/2016 & rated 88 points: Last bottle, still delicious. May last note on it was May 2014. I was thrilled by the racy acidity at that time--like a live wire. There is still a good acidity over 2 years later but it has definitely toned down and blended in smoothly with the other elements. The fruit is delicious and it is a wonderful wine still, great with food or as a compelling sipper on it's own. Very nice buy. (2051 views) |
| | Tasted by 1961Vintage on 1/31/2016 & rated 90 points: Nice positive surprise given the recent reviews. Very enjoyable both with and without food. (2255 views) |
| | Tasted by moonmountain on 8/3/2015 & rated 84 points: Vegetal flavors and drying tannins. Gave it a couple of days to see if it would improve with air. Did not enjoy. (1954 views) |
| | Tasted by wormfarmer on 6/24/2015 & rated 90 points: A delicious infanticide. Impressions ranged from 89-91 over the course of two hours. Will husband the second bottle for a few years -- wish I'd gotten more.
In line with other notes here. (1714 views) |
| | Tasted by wayfarer on 4/20/2015 & rated 90 points: Pretty impressive and enjoyable. Drank most split between two nights, with final taste on night three. Very good all three nights, perhaps best with airtime on second night. Other recent tasting notes sum up well. Rich red in glass, with expressive nose of red fruit, mineral, earth, some spice, leather. Picked up more cherry/hints of raspberry as time went on as spice and earth mellowed. Quite an acid cut with tannins that also smoothed out over time. I get the bordeaux/cab franc analogy a bit, but my mind trended to Italy. Nice finish. Very good with grilled marinated london broil on night 1, and with grilled salmon the next night... (1738 views) |
| | Tasted by Vinsant on 3/18/2015: Dusty new world fruit with old world structure. Red and blue fruit, dirt, black tea, leather, ink, and lead. Oak in check. Decent acids and nicely structured. Paired well with a juicy rib eye. (2140 views) |
| | Tasted by Motz on 1/9/2015 & rated 91 points: Bouquet of earth, assorted teas, ink, and gravel. Balanced palate, medium plus acid, high-pitched. Red fruits and berries, dust, minerals, resin, and teas throughout, substantive finish. It might pass for a Right Bank blend with a heavy proportion of Cabernet Franc in a blind tasting, perhaps more specifically a wine from Fronsac. Pleasant and enjoyable. (2094 views) |
| | Tasted by Yannisf on 1/4/2015 & rated 87 points: Better the next day (1390 views) |
| | Tasted by Snoski62 on 11/28/2014 & rated 88 points: Nice hearty red. Took a while to get a feel for this wine. I think I would open the next one a bit earlier. Nothing special, but a nice drinking red with some cheese and crackers late in the evening... (1366 views) |
| | Tasted by wineretriever on 11/15/2014 & rated 90 points: Ruby in color. Aromas and flavors of tart red berries, spice box, and tobacco leaves. Medium in body, medium plus acidity, and very long finish. A nice wine. (1458 views) |
| | Tasted by wgmccallum on 8/27/2014 & rated 91 points: Dark ruby. Chocolate, brambles and plums on the nose. Deep tannic concentrated fruit on the palate with a long finish. Poweful and authentic wine. 55+12+16+8. (1575 views) |
| | Tasted by rpk99 on 8/11/2014 & rated 84 points: many others compete with this at this same price point. fairly average, nothing stood out as impressive. (1416 views) |
| | Tasted by srdzak on 6/8/2014 & rated 92 points: Wamrod was right on the money with this wine. The nose is smokey and sweet and the ripe plum and blackberry flavors of this wine create a long and savory finish that doesn't stop. Decided to make it a Portugal night with a pork tenderloin medallion with madeira mushroom sauce and then finished it with a flourless chocolate dessert. This wine complemented both main and dessert. Highly recommended and will hold my remaining for at least 2 years so it can integrate more. (1620 views) |
| | Tasted by SexyEpicurean on 5/5/2014 & rated 88 points: I have been drinking a lot of Portuguese wines lately so I hope I am remembering this one correctly...if it is the one I think it is, I loved it. Very racy acidity was my favorite part, light to med body with a tangy fruit. Great food wine to make your mouth water. Good choice with tomato sauce dishes, but a very compelling sipper just on it's own. This could be a house wine for me. (1586 views) |
| | Tasted by Wamrod on 2/7/2014 & rated 91 points: Dense dark ruby,light to medium legs, consistent with stated 13.5 % alcohol
Fruity nose with blackberry, floral notes, BBQ pork, creosote, eucalyptus and pimento
On palate, a seemingly shy initial attack is almost instantaneously followed by fireworks. Tannins, as would be expected, are still quite rough, but acidity is good, and the flavors are plush and meaty, with a surprising complexity that evolves over a 10 to 20 second period.
Finish is FAR longer than expected, pushing the 30 second mark
After an hour of air, oak becomes a little more apparent, but in harmony.
I'll give it 3 to 5 years before I try the next bottle (2016 views) |
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