Not surprisingly, the youthful Mourvèdre component dominated over everything else. The mid and back end were especially bitter and immediately clamped down on any other identifiable flavors. It was…
Super young and wrapped up, with primary notes of black raspberry, tart blackberry, brush, herbs, and some pumice. Mid-palate was thin and linear, but likely has the potential to broaden its profile…
Good for what it is. Started off the L'Aventure lineup as expected, with a refreshing kick of strawberry, watermelon, and hints of citrus and minerality. A little more body than a lot of wines in its…
I always have to ask myself if I should assess this as a Syrah or a Cabernet/BDX. The Syrah component definitely stood out over any other flavor profile. Round and rich blackberry and vanilla…
Unfortunately I am growing more and more bored on this wine. I popped it along with a number of other FAR superior wines. The Club QPR of the Optimus is indeed decent, but at some point it doesn't…
High-pitched and almost undrinkable at first. Needed about an hour in the decanter before it was ready. Previous tasting notes apply. A 2012 Hartwell Cabernet totally destroyed this wine when served…
Similar to my notes from a year ago except that this only took about 30 minutes in the decanter to really fan out. The Syrah component was dominant (which wasn't a bad thing). Full of blackberry…
Same as all my previous notes. Good enough. Not amazing. The Estate Cuvee is far superior. Decent QPR on the mailing list, but I'm becoming a little bored with the Optimus.
Same as my notes from 3/4/2016. Anyone with remaining bottles should hold until late 2017 at minimum. Still very tight, with a total of four hours of air in a wide-bottomed decanter still not helping…
92 points this showing. A little short and clipped on the finish, with a thinner mid-palate. This wine was not decanted and was served out of the bottle at a restaurant; it could have used just a…
Performing as it has been over the course of the last year, the Estate Cuvee displayed its typical electric purple color; immediately accessible on the first sips. Notes of dark purple and black…
It's been almost a year since l had this at the winery. It has certainly improved, especially with some air. PnP was just a little tight, with higher-toned red berry, currant, and spice notes. Two…
Same as all my other previous notes. Good stuff. No decant. Served at a cooler 54 degrees, which I preferred (an earlier pour made it to room temperature, but I found that a little too warm). The…
Nearly identical to my notes on 8/23/2015. A little smoother and rounder than I remember from almost a year ago, especially after a two hour decant. Has notable finesse and depth that made me keep…
Same notes as last month. Always a crowd pleaser, a great QPR, and ready to drink now. A little air always helps, but it's smooth and lush with a bit of swirling in the glass after a PnP.
PnP with notes of red and purple berry fruit, kirsch, red and black cherry, plum, cured meat (like peppered salami), and limestone. A couple of hours in the decanter helped to broaden out the…
PnP with notes of rich black and purple berry fruit, dark chocolate, Oreo (the black cookie part), black and red licorice, ripe raspberry, vanilla bean, and alcohol (which initially was enveloping…
Same as my CT notes from 12/10/2015. Really good QPR for what's in the bottle. Great crowd pleaser and WOTN. PnP with a little swirling in the glass worked fine. An hour slow O2 helped even more.
As others have mentioned, the Optimus is clearly not in the same league as the Estate Cuvée, but at only $45, the Optimus delivers way above its price point. What a great QPR!
PnP with initial notes of black and purple berry fruit. Blackberry, blueberry, black raspberry, red currant, cacao nibs, red licorice, and slate. The Syrah definitely filled in mid-palate, with what…
Same note as 3 days ago. Couldn't wait until after the holidays. Absolutely fantastic. Gave it even more time with air. Continued to improve. Slow O2 for two hours. Near-perfect all the way around!
PnP with explosive notes of blackberry liqueur, blueberry, black raspberry, charcoal, tar, and some baking spice. A total hedonistic and voluminous mouthfeel, with dark berries and cacao on the…
