93
High-end wine at half the price that’s elegant and delicious
Description: Medium dark ruby in colour with a medium to medium+ intense nose. This complex wine features oak, blackberry, dark cherry, black currants, raspberry, turmeric, cinnamon, anise, cassis, dry herbs, espresso and leather. Medium+ body and tannins with good acidity and a long length.
Negatives: None
Interesting Note: Still young but drinking well now. If you can, buy several and cellar them.
Drink now or in the next 15 years on its own or pair it with pan seared butter-basted rib eye steak.
Tasted: 27 April 2015
Top Pick
Score: 9.5/10, Value: 9+/10 Total: 18.5+/20
Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5
92
This is a lovely red blend from the Pacific north west. Generous notes of red and dark fruit, herbs, menthol, new oak (vanilla, spices, chocolate). The palate offers good acidity and ripe tannins in a balanced frame to the fruit and integrated oak. Medium-full bodied. Excellent length. Really good value here. July, 2015.
91
91
91
90
90
90
Very smooth with no unwanted tastes. That brings it to 90. But I did not feel a unity, it seems more like a mixture of different types of wine rather than a blend. It just did not deliver what the reviewers promised. My significant other says this is one of the best wines she has had in a long while, so maybe it is just me. But I write the review, so this is my opinion.
90
89
Medium ruby, just starting to fade. Ripe nose with penetrating cedar and spice. Very nice entry, with the fruit still quite ripe and lots of complexity. A bit hot, however on the finish and final oak notes a bit heavy for my palette. Not a finesse wine, and as such not much to my taste. Purchased on its first Vintages appearance for quite a bit less than the $40 of the second release.
89
February 2022
