Stephen Tanzers International Wine Cellar - www.wineaccess.com

2005 Roxo Port Cellars Magia Preta Paso Robles

Opaque purple. Explosively perfumed bouquet of raspberry, cherry compote, Asian spices and gingerbread, with deeper sultana and licorice notes coming up with air. Deeply concentrated and very sweet but lively, offering spicy red and dark berry liqueur and dried cherry flavors and a hint of candied licorice. Exotic and very seductive sweet wine, finishing with strong thrust and lingering spiciness.

 

2006 Roxo Port Cellars Ruby Tradicional Paso Robles

Dark purple color. Spicier than the Paso Melange, with scents of cracked pepper and mace complementing deep dark berry and cherry-cola. More tangy red berry qualities arrive on the palate, adding tang to the deeper boysenberry and blueberry flavors. Creamy and sweet but in no way loose or overly warm. Manages to be both rich and nervy, and finishes with strong sweetness and an exotic note of spearmint.
 

2006 Roxo Port Cellars Paso Melange Paso Robles

Inky purple. Powerful, expressive aromas of boysenberry and blueberry compote, espresso and raisin, with a zesty, peppery overtone. Palate-coating dark berry flavors are extremely sweet but surprisingly energetic, with zesty minerality adding lift. This is livelier than many ports and the finish is spicy, focused and long.

 

Wine Enthusiast - Buying Guide October 2009 - http://buyingguide.winemag.com

2006 Paso Melange - 90pts

"The grapes are Bordeaux varities, but this is a ruby Port-style dessert wine. It's sweet and decadent in chocolate, blackberry tart, vanilla and smoky caramel flavors. Feels rich and fine in the mouth."

 

2009 San Francisco International Wine Competition - www.sfwinecomp.com/results.html

2005 Magia Preta, Paso Robles - Silver Medal

2006 Negrette, Cienega Valley - Bronze Medal

2006 Barbera, Cienega Valley - Bronze Medal 

 

2009 Critic's Challenge, San Diego International Wine Competition

2006 Ruby Tradicional, Paso Robles - Silver Medal

 

Gerald D. Boyd-Wine Review Online - www.winereviewonline.com

2006 Ruby Tradicional, Roxo Port Cellars, Paso Robles - 94 Points

This is as close to a traditional Portuguese Ruby Porto I've tasted in a long time.  The blend of four Portuguese varieties, with Touriga Nacional dominating, is seamless and luscious.  The nose is deep set with dark chocolate, raspberry and sweet spice that follow through to the smooth and fruity flavors that also show subtle cedar notes.  The finish, at 18% alcohol, is long and sweet and balanced, leaving the sensation of sweetness without being cloying. 

2006 Barbera, Roxo Port Cellars, Cienega Valley  - 90 Points 

Sweet, ripe and delicious, the Barbera port is aged in semi-neutral French oak barrels that give the wine texture and structure, but no oak flavoring.  The nose carries layers of dark berries, black tea, minerals and hints of cedar.  The richly textured flavors are slightly raisiny with spice and cedar notes.  It finishes at 18% alcohol with nicely integrated spirit. 

2006 Paso Melange, Roxo Port Cellars, Paso Robles - 89 Points

Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape in this Bordeaux-style blend that also includes Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.  The finished blend was aged 12 months in semi-neutral oak.  The nose showed a subtle fruitiness with vanilla back notes, while the flavors were more forward, bright and fruity, with clearly defined choco-cherry notes and a hint of cedar.  This is a nice well-integrated blend, finished at 19% alcohol.
 

Anthony Dias Blue - www.bluelifestyle.com

2005 Magia Preta, Roxo Port Cellars, Paso Robles - 92 points

A Portuguese-method port from Paso Robles, made from 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Syrah; rich and dense with racy acidity and intense sweet berry and ripe fruit with notes of chocolate and cinnamon; silky, long and beautifully balanced.