| Rating |
Wine |
Date
|
| 90 |
|
11/04/08 |
|
$23.00 at Woodlands Market
I help import this wine and I was initially turned off by the label. But on tasting the wine such superficial concerns disipated - the first wine the 07 non-crianza was green and not very appealing; the 06 Crianza wowed with lovely fruit, plushness, earthy complexity and extra points for varietal veracity and expression. There was a velvety array of ripe Rhone/Mediterranean fruit (garrigue?) with tapenade, licorice, blackberry in a brocade of balanced body and blossoming black olive bouquet. November 4 is the day in 1999 the company was started in western Valecia - along with election day in 2008 - so get ye to Swirl on Castro or Woodlands in Kentfield for a living souvenir of this momentous day. Syrah 56% Grenache 30, Carignane 14% in 50/50 French/US new & 1 yr barrels. Win or lose - drink up- with braised lamb or beef or fowl or BBQ or picnics or lunch!
I've always known what it was, but I would love to play stump the chump with this one in a sud de France competition.
0/0 users found this review helpful.
 Read other reviews |  Find where to buy: All Vintages, 2006
|
|
| 82 |
|
4/12/07 |
|
$13.99 at Trader Joe's
Green, immature, unripe. Surprisingly different on the palate. Almost seems cool-climate fruit. Much higher acidity - disconnect betwen nose and palate. Tasted blind -- Oz??
2/2 users found this review helpful.
Read other reviews | Find where to buy: All Vintages, 2004
|
|
| 88 |
|
4/12/07 |
|
$7.99 at Trader Joe's
Again top marks for bouquet -- really inviting, plum, mint, herbaceous. Good fruit, mild spicey lift on the palate. Finishes tad dilute.
2/2 users found this review helpful.
Read other reviews | Find where to buy: All Vintages, 2004
|
|
| 86 |
|
4/12/07 |
|
$18.99 at Costco
Faint nose, should be more expressive. Good PG characteristics + ripe fruit. Clean finish, bracing acidity. Tasted blind -- Italian??
1/1 users found this review helpful.
Read other reviews | Find where to buy: All Vintages, 2005
|
|
| 91 |
|
4/12/07 |
|
$6.89 at Costco
Sexy complex nose; deep and inviting. Really exciting, great additional complexity. Stimulating rewarding palate. Top drop!
1/1 users found this review helpful.
Read other reviews | Find where to buy: All Vintages, 2004
|
|
| 82 |
|
4/12/07 |
|
$5.99 at Trader Joe's
Good nose, lovely crisp acidity. Ripe fruit, reasonable concentration.
1/1 users found this review helpful.
Read other reviews | Find where to buy: All Vintages
|
|
| 88 |
|
4/12/07 |
|
$8.99 at Trader Joe's
Nice citrusy nose. Hint of classic PG "smoke". Good full flavors, good balance, clean finish and length.
2/2 users found this review helpful.
Read other reviews | Find where to buy: All Vintages, 2005
|
|
| 79 |
|
4/12/07 |
|
$6.99 at Costco
Subtler, softer nose, brighter color. Lighter dilute palate, would say it was overcropped. A fair rendition but way below the Clos du Bois tasted initially. Tasted blind -- Italian??
2/2 users found this review helpful.
Read other reviews | Find where to buy: All Vintages, 2005
|
|
| 89 |
|
4/12/07 |
|
$13.99 at Costco
Lovely seductive nose; mint and eucalyptus hints. Good fruit, tad dilute but nice tannins give food a call - braised lamb.
2/2 users found this review helpful.
Read other reviews | Find where to buy: All Vintages, 2003
|
|
| 80 |
|
4/12/07 |
|
$7.99 at Costco
Tad overblown nose. Not as dilute on the palate as one would expect, needs more press wine to add structure.
3/4 users found this review helpful.
Read other reviews | Find where to buy: All Vintages, 2004
|
|
| 92 |
|
4/12/07 |
|
This may be damning with faint praise, but I used to sell and have had Hillside a few times & can't recall the exact vintage(s?) - a thing of magisterial beauty - but must confess I prefer their Relentless - by far the most impressive California syrah (20%petit?). How aptly named, how deliciously powerful. 96+, especially at a fraction of the HS price!
3/3 users found this review helpful.
Read other reviews | Find where to buy: All Vintages, 2000
|
|
| 90 |
|
4/12/07 |
|
$17.00 at Trader Joe's
Wow - after only seeing Italian varietals from MW- I was quite, almost mightily, impressed by the Jacks Ranch Edna Valley 05 - the purety of flavor is certainly the envy of many a Burgundy in the same range- elegant red fruits, sappy spiciness, cherry & the odd hint of cran - beautifully knit together - relatively weightless for a red wine but flavor trumps body. Have had this wine twice - with consistent results , perhaps with only a minor case of disappointment, known as second bottle syndrome...would love to know the clones at play here. Would be very happy to make this. 90+
2/2 users found this review helpful.
Read other reviews | Find where to buy: All Vintages, 2005
|
|
