Qupe, USA, California, Santa Barbara County, Santa Maria Valley (4/30/2004)
A really elegant and delightful bottle of wine. It has a dark purple-red color, not quite opaque. The nose shows ripe bing cherries, chocolate, oak, and brown sugar. On the palate, the wine is smooth like a cashmere sweater with a satisfying and interesting mid-palate. It has a medium body and a lingering finish of creamy cherries jubilee with soft and sweet tannins. It struck me as much more of a Northern Rhone wine than a CA Central Coast one. Some might complain about too much oak, or not being good for long-term aging, but in terms of drinking at the right time and being a pleasure to drink, this was a very enjoyable and I certainly wish I had more. (92 pts.)
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