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2001
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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.7 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 38 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by dbuck on 12/26/2023 & rated 91 points: Enjoyed this bottle with our Grandson Cyrus. Cellared very well. (127 views) | | | Tasted by drycreekwhine on 12/26/2018 & rated 91 points: Very fine and a nice California contrast to an excellent 2005 Pomerol Bordeaux on 12/25/18. (1048 views) | | | Tasted by winepaw on 11/4/2016 & rated 92 points: Still drinking very well. Great balance of dark fruit flavors with soft tannins, and nice acidity. (1644 views) | | | Tasted by winepaw on 12/25/2013 flawed bottle: Bottle was corked. Not drinkable. (3210 views) | | | Tasted by djthiel on 12/7/2013 & rated 93 points: Very good. Not past it's prime. Great with a filet. (2995 views) | | | Tasted by jjh49 on 5/30/2013: ready to drink now, not past (3277 views) | | | Tasted by Barry Notes on 1/14/2013 & rated 91 points: PnP w/45 min decant. Clear, deep/dark purple color, no red edge/bricking. Wonderful/proper nose. This wine drank well. Ideal time window, med/full body, perfect balance, nice acid, integrated tannins, med-long finish. Not over the top at all. If properly stored, it's got some years yet. Med/long finsh. Nothing off. Gift. (3079 views) | | | Tasted by marka on 4/14/2012 & rated 88 points: This bottle had a year or two to go. I think/hope I have at least another. Acidity was there, it took some time to open, nice fruit, balance. Very nice balance. (2908 views) | | | Tasted by marka on 1/17/2012 & rated 89 points: - Aromas of tobacco, black currant and licorice anise and has flavours of black currant. (1759 views) | | | Tasted by Bobo N on 2/8/2010 & rated 92 points: Superbowl Party WOTN. Could tell upon first smell that this wine is peaking now -- waves of dark fruit, chocolate, tar, and cigar box. Full bodied, with fruit continuing thru mid palate, rounded tannins, with long finish. Drinking great right now. (2560 views) | | | Tasted by wineshaman on 2/7/2010 & rated 90 points: Popped and poured, plum, smoke, tobacco and earth in the nose. Dark currants, plum, cassis, chocolate and earth on the palate. Smoother than the last bottle 4/08, old world components, and still a little tannic. Based on the last two bottles, plenty of life left. (2216 views) | | | Tasted by BRSAustinTex on 6/13/2009 & rated 92 points: Decanted an hour. Drinking perfectly right now but not sure how much more potential it has. Also got chocolate, a bit of leather, some cherry and a long, very well balanced finish. I have another bottle of this and will try to get to it within the year. (2214 views) | | | Tasted by LegendaryL on 5/26/2009 & rated 90 points: Still drinking well, but probably at or just past peak now. Lot's of depth and dark fruit with silky tanins and a moderate finish. Drank with grilled ribeyes with a pepper rub, scrumptious. (2293 views) | | | Tasted by lawdog85 on 2/14/2009 & rated 92 points: Tremendous! The fruit filled the room upon opening. Decanted about an hour, and with a Porterhouse it was perfect. Chocolate, tar, some light hints of smoke and leather. Very smooth and drinkable. I'm not going to leave my last one in the cellar much longer. Not sure it can get any better. (2470 views) | | | Tasted by higap on 11/23/2008 & rated 90 points: Good structure, plenty of tannins but not as pronounced as last year. Fruit is more balanced with a fabulous mouth feel. This wine is in its prime now. (2549 views) | | | Tasted by vintage72 on 9/12/2008 & rated 88 points: This wine is fading. Drink up. (2377 views) | | | Tasted by marka on 7/25/2008 flawed bottle: Cooked (not by me). (2369 views) | | | Tasted by wineshaman on 4/5/2008 & rated 88 points: In the nose this wine reminded me of a barolo with smoke, tar, leather and plums, on the palate was chocolate, plums and dark fruits, however the finish was short and tannic. Old world style, I will hold my remaining bottle for a year or two. (2294 views) | | | Tasted by vintage72 on 1/5/2008 & rated 90 points: Has turned old world in the last year. Pronounced merlot and sonoma qualities. Will drink the rest in the next year. (2539 views) | | | Tasted by lawdog85 on 12/10/2007 & rated 90 points: A great blend. As good as many wines that cost twice as much. (2643 views) | | | Tasted by vintage72 on 12/30/2006 & rated 90 points: Never really opened up. (2842 views) | | | Tasted by jcurl on 11/24/2006 & rated 93 points: I had another bottle of this and I still don't get the WS review of this wine. I really like it, found it very complex with lots of fruit and good tannis and structure. Nice nose. Finish not as long as I'd like but I don't understand their 81 rating for this wine. (2973 views) | | | Tasted by jcurl on 7/29/2006 & rated 93 points: I like this one a lot, I tend to favor the Meritage/Bordeaux Blends over the Cabs and this one is exceptional. Current and Cherry up front, good solid tannin structure, should lay down nicely for a few years, good finish. (3099 views) | | | Tasted by bunches on 12/23/2005: Cellar Notes:
Displaying rich, concentrated fruit, spicy oak, a velvety mouth feel, and a lasting finish, the 2001 Cyrus is a testament to estate grown Alexander Valley grapes and fine winemaking. The 2001 CYRUS is composed of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc. You will experience intense aromas of black cherry, plum, cassis and chocolate. Firm tannins and a long finish balance the full mouth feel. Balanced to drink now, but long aging will be rewarded.
Best of Class - Gold Medal - 2005 Sonoma County Harvest Fair
Best American Red Wine - 2005 Atlanta Wine Summit
Best of Class - Gold Medal - 2005 Long Beach Grand Cru
Gold Medal - 2005 Pacific Rim International Wine Competition
Gold Medal - 2005 Hilton Head Wine Fest
Silver Medal - 2005 Dallas Morning News Wine Competition
Silver Medal - 2005 San Francisco International Wine Competition
The Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine rates the wine at 90 points: “This meritage-style blend from Alexander Valley Vineyards has been a perennial winner with CGCW and it latest incarnation wins applause again for its depth, fruity richness and fine sense of complexity. Loaded with creamy oak, but underpinned with plenty of well-ripened, black cherry fruit, it is a sturdy, well-filled offering with room for growth.” April 2005
Tastings.com rates it at 93 Points• Alexander Valley Vineyards 2001 Cyrus, $50. "Brilliant ruby red-violet hue. Black cherry, black currant, plum, licorice and iris aromas. Medium-full with excellent concentration and a beautifully proportioned mid-palate. Long, nicely structured finish with great fruit persistence, lively acidity, youthful tannins and well-integrated oak. Complete with layers of flavor. Ripe and rich, but never over the top. Beautiful harmony.” (3461 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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