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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.4 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 52 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Crimson&Blue on 7/11/2018: We really liked this one. Teresa gave this a big thumbs up. (2144 views) | | | Tasted by Alro on 12/27/2017 & rated 90 points: its definitely time for this one....still drinking beautifully! (1981 views) | | | Tasted by sbern on 11/20/2017 & rated 91 points: Still drinking really well at this stage. Rich dark purple color. Black fruits and minerals abound, and the tannins are smooth and silky. It's not getting weary at all. I think this wine still has a few good years ahead of it, but why not enjoy it now? (2190 views) | | | Tasted by americanstorm on 2/11/2017 & rated 91 points: Absolutely fabulous nose, one of the best I have ever experienced but, while good, I don't think the wine lived up to the nose. If I had to separate the scores I would give the nose a 95 and the flavor a 89--90. Still a solid wine and very well liked by the crowd. The bottle emptied very fast. (3020 views) | | | Tasted by Ecb1456 on 12/9/2016 & rated 91 points: Tabacco and dark fruit in the nose with a little smokiness. Big bold fruit in in the font with mid-high tannins to finish. Just a wee bit of spiciness on the very end. Extremely drinkable. Still some life left but not a lot. (2941 views) | | | Tasted by Ecb1456 on 9/17/2016 & rated 90 points: Needs decant. 1 hour. Acidic nose at first turns into leather, black cherries, and booze. Blackberry, cherries, and smoke. Drier than dry. Tannins linger with hints of mint and tart fruit. Delightful. (1719 views) | | | Tasted by TwoSmoochies on 3/25/2016 & rated 91 points: Excellent aged wine. (1962 views) | | | Tasted by Ron&nina on 1/14/2016 & rated 85 points: Seemed a little old and tired to us. Not really what we were expecting from a wine at this level. Liked it much better when we first bought it. Probably waited too long. (2040 views) | | | Tasted by Cole_SM15 on 12/1/2015 & rated 91 points: Still plenty of dark fruit, black currant and macerated cherries. Cedar and mint coming out big time as it opens. Oak and tannins are well integrated. I'd be happy to let this sit another 2-5 years if I had anymore. (1393 views) | | | Tasted by Coachron13 on 11/15/2015 & rated 89 points: Verified that my 7/4/15 note was not bottle variation but rather this vintage tiring out. Fruit is fading, earthiness is on display. Drink up if you have them. (1150 views) | | | Tasted by Coachron13 on 7/4/2015 & rated 89 points: Unless this was bottle variation, this has changed a lot since our last bottle late last year. Less fruit, more muted, earthiness starting to show. No reason to wait any longer on these. (1257 views) | | | Tasted by Coachron13 on 12/24/2014 & rated 93 points: Another example of a very well made Cyrus. Definitely sitting right at its peak drinking time now. (1520 views) | | | Tasted by TSTEW22 on 12/20/2012 & rated 89 points: Deep, inky purple in the glass. Very unique flavor complex. Drinking well and should continue to cellar well. Will try the other bottle in about a year or so. (6650 views) | | | Tasted by jwalt on 8/23/2012 & rated 85 points: I didn't pickup any fruit. Dark earth and menthol on the nose; hot on the palate, dominated by what I'll call licorice. Hard to believe this was the same wine that others are rating so well. Drank the 2007 the night before and it was hands down the winner. (4472 views) | | | Tasted by RussK on 8/19/2012 & rated 92 points: RussK. City Hall dinner with Pablo, Eddie and wives Nice. Big nose and taste of American oak. Thought it was Spanish or a Ripasso. Deep dark sweet liquid fruit. Surprisingly little tannin. It would be hard to guess blind that this was 75% cab. 92- (4005 views) | | | Tasted by tshepard on 7/2/2012 & rated 91 points: Drank a little more Old World. Decanted foe two hours. Softer than most Cyrus, layers of flavor are not fully developed. (4085 views) | | | Tasted by amwood34 on 4/17/2012 & rated 92 points: This has been a very interesting bottle of wine. Let me first say that I am a huge fan of Cyrus. This bottle perplexed me a little having just drank a 2000 three weeks ago. The 2000 was seamless, fully integrated and showing beautifully. The 05 is clearly in its early 20's; old enough to drink, but not quite sure how to do it right. She showed signs of maturity, but she was all over the board with oak integration and acidity. The fruit held firm which gives me the promise of a solid future for my other four bottles. I will hold till 2015-17 and expect the deliciousness of past vintages at that age. Good effort to be sure! (3929 views) | | | Tasted by amwood34 on 4/17/2012 & rated 92 points: This has been a very interesting bottle of wine. Let me first say that I am a huge fan of Cyrus. This bottle perplexed me a little having just drank a 2000 three weeks ago. The 2000 was seamless, fully integrated and showing beautifully. The 05 is clearly in its early 20's; old enough to drink, but not quite sure how to do it right. She showed signs of maturity, but she was all over the board with oak integration and acidity. The fruit held firm which gives me the promise of a solid future for my other four bottles. I will hold till 2015 and expect the deliciousness of past vintages at that age. Good effort to be sure! (1971 views) | | | Tasted by jfaulk on 1/31/2012 & rated 91 points: Very good drinker. Full fruit up front Hints of licorice on the back (2419 views) | | | Tasted by BigBoy_Sonoma on 1/28/2012 & rated 91 points: Dark Fruit, spice, cassis, smokey cedar tobacco. nice length on the finish, has some pepper. A- (1878 views) | | | Tasted by jfaulk on 12/5/2011 & rated 91 points: This is a well balanced, red blend. Its fruit forward delicious taste is balanced by good acidity & tannins. A great drink now and I would imagine for a few years to come. (2557 views) | | | Tasted by ChadRS on 11/8/2011 & rated 92 points: What a tasty bottle of wine. Deep rich purple black color. Some menthol and tar on the nose, dark fruit and oak on the palate. Well integrated tannins, nicely layered wine. This one has been sitting in my cellar for a couple years, and no doubt it aged beautifully. (2775 views) | | | Tasted by The Wine Sherpa on 10/18/2011 & rated 86 points: Very underwhleming and unremarkable for me. I expected more at this price point. (2118 views) | | | Tasted by awineo on 8/21/2011 & rated 93 points: Cyrus always has it own unique taste to me. I drank this 2005 and a 1999 for comparison. The 2005 had more fruit, but still was very tannic. I like it but some people would think it was too tannic. (2073 views) | | | Tasted by petitblanc on 12/29/2010 & rated 91 points: Black cherry to crimson color. Superb, inviting nose of oak and menthol, with an undertone of sweet tobacco. Similar palate, with plummy fruit and a faint green note. Caressing tannins. The hot alcohol is obtrusive, but the oak treatment here really makes this an interesting wine. (3282 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Alexander Valley Vineyards Producer website
Alexander Valley Vineyards is owned and operated by the Harry Wetzel family. Founded in 1975, it is located on Cyrus Alexander's old homestead.
The Wetzel Family Estate now grows fourteen grape varieties, on diverse sites stretching from the banks of the Russian River up onto the hillsides. Each grape variety is matched to a specific soil type and exposure. Vineyard Manager Mark Houser and Winemaker Kevin Hall work as a team to maximize fruit flavor in the vineyard and to create balanced wines that capture the grapes’ varietal characteristics. Hank Wetzel oversees the vineyard and winery operations, and his wife Linda continues to oversee administration. Now the third generation of Wetzels has joined the winery. Harry Wetzel, IV is assistant winemaker while younger brother Robert is the National Sales Manager.
Alexander Valley Vineyards produces 100,000 cases annually, 17 varietal wines and proprietary blends. Seventy-five percent of AVV’s production is red wine. Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon constitute roughly half of total production. Other varietals include Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Gewurztraminer, Syrah, Sangiovese, Viognier, and Cabernet Franc.Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Sonoma CountyMendocino CountyAlexander Valley Alexander Valley Winegrowers Association | Wikipedia
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