2003 Marquis-Philips Sarah's Blend

[newsguy]

($14.99, blend of predominantly shiraz, with cabernet sauvignon and merlot) blackish garnet, nearly opaque. full, sweet nose of cream, cherry, blackberry, with blueberry lurking. similar flavors, with black pepper and spice leading the way to the fruit. very good entry, midpalate and finish. good acidity; no tannins noticed.

also noted is a slight, persistent bitter note in the finish and the fact that black pepper became more prominent over time -- neither of which i liked. also, this wine seemed disjointed, and this issue did not resolve with time (neither after spending the night with the vacuvin and then 2 further hours decanting). while this wine is very young, i don't know that it will ever quite come together. there's all the concentration you expect from a MP wine, but this doesn't measure up to their shiraz. 88+


[This message has been edited by newsguy (edited 07-28-2004).]