Served blind. Full, pure nose of youthful orchard fruit, baked bread and mineral. Delicious and vibrant on the palate with loads of acid and effervescence. Round and rich throughout. I love this wine every time that I have it. Need to buy more.
Served blind. Medium nondescript nose of melon, apricot with some wax. The palate is round and oily. Not a ton of acid or energy, so it falls pretty flat. Pretty clearly old world given the restrained fruit. Guessed N. Rhone. I've yet to find an aged Viognier that I've enjoyed.
Served blind. Huge nose of ripe black fruit, asphalt and new wood toast. The palate is rich with primary black fruit, but has a fair bit of underlying structure. More vanilla toast than I'd like. Perhaps the wood integrates with the rich fruit. If so, this has a couple points of upside. I much preferred the blind '05 version of the same wine served immediately after this.
Served blind. Delicious aromas of plum, black cherry, smoke and old leather. Definitely a good deal of funk, which I really like. Concentrated and rich on the palate with a nice rusticity to the fruit. Plenty of acidity and firm tannin to balance things out. This seems like Cali to me, but someone like a Thackery that brings the earth/funk. Very surprised to see this was Araujo, particularly following a more modern and oaky 2012 Araujo syrah.
Served blind. Big nose of candied, rich black fruit and vanilla toast. The palate is super candied with forward, rich tooty-fruity black fruit. There is brightness and freshness to the wine despite it's candied style. Well-made in the style, I suppose, but well outside of my current strike zone. No typical Syrah notes to be found (meat, olive, etc.) Mid 80s for me, perhaps mid 90s for a fan of the style.
Served blind. I really like this nose of savory, funky black fruit with game, blood and black pepper. Nicely layered and complex aromas. The palate however is light, thin and watery with a rustic quality that just doesn't work. 90+ point aromas, but not a complete wine.
Served blind. Pretty tight and brooding nose. Very big and rich on the palate. Loads of black fruit and not much subtlety or complexity. Good balancing structure. In the end, pretty simple and brutish.
Served blind. Lots of red cherry, some funk and some VA on the nose. Palate is moderately concentrated with mature tiring fruit. Not a lot going on here.
Served blind. Full nose of dusty black fruit and pepper. The palate has bright, rich and suave black fruit. Pepper and herbs add complexity. Excellent balancing freshness and lift. I guessed a traditional Cali producer. A very compelling nearly 20-year old Cali syrah. Should continue to hold.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Served blind. Full and complex nose has aromas of dried black fruit, meat, olive, black pepper and old leather. The palate is savory and meaty yet fresh and dense. Excellent and should hold, but seems to be in a peak window.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Served blind, and paled in comparison to a '98 VT CdP served blind side-by-side. The nose here is ripe sweet cherry fruit. The palate is plummy and fruity, but lacks complexity or nuance. Seems flat and lacking structure. Bad bottle? Mid 80s showing.
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
Served blind. Inky black color. Gorgeous nose of sexy black fruit with asian spice and brown sugar. A hedonistic mouthful of rich, decadent fruit with good balancing acids. Dark chocolate accents to the spicy fruit. Somehow retains a bright, even elegant, quality. Was guessing SQN all the way. Apparently made by a former SQN assistant winemaker, hence the resemblance. SQN lovers would probably score this 3-5 points higher.
Tasted blind alongside a blind '06 Chave. Full, but somewhat brooding nose, of black fruit, meat and leather. The palate has savory, concentrated black fruit with plenty of underlying structure. Good tension and length. Delicious, but in need of time to fully blossom. I preferred the '06 as it was more forward and giving today.
Tasted blind alongside a blind '01 Chave. Full booming nose has layer upon layer of black fruit, black pepper, smoked meat and black olive. Savory, peppery black fruit that is lush and refined at the same time. The fruit is forward, but there is real structure too. Delicious.
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Tasted blind. One of two bottles of the same wine at today's tasting. The first bottle was much less interesting. The nose has ripe, simpler black fruit. On the palate this is bordering prune-like albeit with some good fresh acids. Seems to have declined quite a bit since some thrilling bottles tasted a few years after release.
Tasted blind. A big and dense nose with loads of black fruit and some tell-tale American Oak. The palate is ripe and large scaled but there is a bright coolness that keeps the wine fresh and interesting. 25+ years old and the tannins are still quite firm. Super classy. I guessed Grange blind ... given the quality and playing the player a bit.
Tasted blind (and ironically immediately following a blind '92 Grange). Aromas here are also big and dense with herb-infused black fruit for days. Also pick up a tad of American Oak, taking me straight to Oz. Rich and lush, with good balancing freshness. Just a smidge less refined than the '92 Grange served before, but this is of a very high quality and pedigree.
Served blind to a large group -- most accurately called as N Rhone from a more modern producer. Good ripe fruit with lots of black pepper. Polished black fruit with lots of black pepper and olive. Good.
Tasted blind. Decidedly old world aromas of leather, smoked game, bacon and black pepper. Medium bodied with a smooth, inviting texture. Old world refinement.
Served blind along side a blind '14 Jamet. A wow nose of smoked meat for days, then bacon for days, then black pepper for days, all interwoven with savory black fruit. the palate is delicious already with rich black fruit and juicy acids. More meat and black pepper. Hard to ask for more, but I bet this gets better and more refined with time.
Served blind along side a blind '07 Jamet. A baby, but similar to the '07 the nose is ridiculously loaded with smoked meat, black pepper and olive. There is a musky note here that wasn't in the '07. Very young on the palate with ripe lush fruit that is inviting but a bit unruly right now. The best is yet to come.
Served blind. Gorgeous clearly old world nose of dried black fruit, beef jerky and pepper. The palate is showing it's age with moderate concentration and dried fruit but there is so much Northern Rhone goodness with bacon, pepper and olive. Good polished finish.
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Served blind. Once upon a time, this was totally my cup of tea. Aromas of polished ripe black fruit with some black pepper. Ripe and round on the palate with good fresh acids. And some interesting meat and pepper notes. But the fruit is just a bit too sweet and candied. New world, for sure.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Served blind. Boy oh boy, this wine never disappoints ... and served blind, I scored it even higher then when non-blind. An insane amount of black pepper and spice woven into lush black fruit. Big, rich and chewy black fruit but with the structure to support. Unending amounts of black pepper. So good. Called as new world and even wagered a guess of Pax Castelli-Knight.
Served blind. Liqueur-like black fruit with lots of black pepper -- pretty similar to the Pax Castelli served just before. Good ripe, lush black fruit held together with bright, lively acids. Lifted, peppery finish.
Tasted blind. Wow, a massive black fruit, asphalt and pepper nose. The palate is rich, lush and loaded with liqueur-like black fruit. Pretty over the top, and no longer in my wheelhouse. Hedonistic.
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Served blind to a large group, and ironically after another bottle of the same wine had been opened at the tasting. This second bottle was better and holding up nicely. Rich and decadent, but with good structure and closer to what this was like on release. I don't think aging helps these wines ... so drink up.
2004 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 94 Points
France, Champagne
Served blind. Full, pure nose of youthful orchard fruit, baked bread and mineral. Delicious and vibrant on the palate with loads of acid and effervescence. Round and rich throughout. I love this wine every time that I have it. Need to buy more.
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2002 Château-Grillet (Neyret-Gachet) Château-Grillet 86 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Château-Grillet
Served blind. Medium nondescript nose of melon, apricot with some wax. The palate is round and oily. Not a ton of acid or energy, so it falls pretty flat. Pretty clearly old world given the restrained fruit. Guessed N. Rhone. I've yet to find an aged Viognier that I've enjoyed.
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2012 Araujo Estate Syrah Eisele Vineyard 89 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Served blind. Huge nose of ripe black fruit, asphalt and new wood toast. The palate is rich with primary black fruit, but has a fair bit of underlying structure. More vanilla toast than I'd like. Perhaps the wood integrates with the rich fruit. If so, this has a couple points of upside. I much preferred the blind '05 version of the same wine served immediately after this.
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2005 Araujo Estate Syrah Eisele Vineyard 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Served blind. Delicious aromas of plum, black cherry, smoke and old leather. Definitely a good deal of funk, which I really like. Concentrated and rich on the palate with a nice rusticity to the fruit. Plenty of acidity and firm tannin to balance things out. This seems like Cali to me, but someone like a Thackery that brings the earth/funk. Very surprised to see this was Araujo, particularly following a more modern and oaky 2012 Araujo syrah.
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2008 Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard
USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
Served blind. Big nose of candied, rich black fruit and vanilla toast. The palate is super candied with forward, rich tooty-fruity black fruit. There is brightness and freshness to the wine despite it's candied style. Well-made in the style, I suppose, but well outside of my current strike zone. No typical Syrah notes to be found (meat, olive, etc.) Mid 80s for me, perhaps mid 90s for a fan of the style.
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1987 Sean Thackrey Syrah Orion 87 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Served blind. I really like this nose of savory, funky black fruit with game, blood and black pepper. Nicely layered and complex aromas. The palate however is light, thin and watery with a rustic quality that just doesn't work. 90+ point aromas, but not a complete wine.
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2001 Sean Thackrey Petite Sirah Sirius Eaglepoint Ranch 85 Points
USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
Served blind. Pretty tight and brooding nose. Very big and rich on the palate. Loads of black fruit and not much subtlety or complexity. Good balancing structure. In the end, pretty simple and brutish.
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NV Sean Thackrey Pleiades XVI Old Vines 80 Points
USA, California
Served blind. Lots of red cherry, some funk and some VA on the nose. Palate is moderately concentrated with mature tiring fruit. Not a lot going on here.
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1999 Lagier Meredith Syrah 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder
Served blind. Full nose of dusty black fruit and pepper. The palate has bright, rich and suave black fruit. Pepper and herbs add complexity.
Excellent balancing freshness and lift. I guessed a traditional Cali producer. A very compelling nearly 20-year old Cali syrah. Should continue to hold.
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1998 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 94 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Served blind. Full and complex nose has aromas of dried black fruit, meat, olive, black pepper and old leather. The palate is savory and meaty yet fresh and dense. Excellent and should hold, but seems to be in a peak window.
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1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Served blind, and paled in comparison to a '98 VT CdP served blind side-by-side. The nose here is ripe sweet cherry fruit. The palate is plummy and fruity, but lacks complexity or nuance. Seems flat and lacking structure. Bad bottle? Mid 80s showing.
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2013 Andremily Syrah No. 2 92 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
Served blind. Inky black color. Gorgeous nose of sexy black fruit with asian spice and brown sugar. A hedonistic mouthful of rich, decadent fruit with good balancing acids. Dark chocolate accents to the spicy fruit. Somehow retains a bright, even elegant, quality. Was guessing SQN all the way. Apparently made by a former SQN assistant winemaker, hence the resemblance. SQN lovers would probably score this 3-5 points higher.
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2001 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Tasted blind alongside a blind '06 Chave. Full, but somewhat brooding nose, of black fruit, meat and leather. The palate has savory, concentrated black fruit with plenty of underlying structure. Good tension and length. Delicious, but in need of time to fully blossom. I preferred the '06 as it was more forward and giving today.
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2006 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 96 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Tasted blind alongside a blind '01 Chave. Full booming nose has layer upon layer of black fruit, black pepper, smoked meat and black olive. Savory, peppery black fruit that is lush and refined at the same time. The fruit is forward, but there is real structure too. Delicious.
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2005 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley 88 Points
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Tasted blind. One of two bottles of the same wine at today's tasting. The first bottle was much less interesting. The nose has ripe, simpler black fruit. On the palate this is bordering prune-like albeit with some good fresh acids. Seems to have declined quite a bit since some thrilling bottles tasted a few years after release.
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1992 Penfolds Grange 95 Points
Australia, South Australia
Tasted blind. A big and dense nose with loads of black fruit and some tell-tale American Oak. The palate is ripe and large scaled but there is a bright coolness that keeps the wine fresh and interesting. 25+ years old and the tannins are still quite firm. Super classy. I guessed Grange blind ... given the quality and playing the player a bit.
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1992 Henschke Shiraz Mount Edelstone 94 Points
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley
Tasted blind (and ironically immediately following a blind '92 Grange). Aromas here are also big and dense with herb-infused black fruit for days. Also pick up a tad of American Oak, taking me straight to Oz. Rich and lush, with good balancing freshness. Just a smidge less refined than the '92 Grange served before, but this is of a very high quality and pedigree.
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2005 Domaine des Rémizières Hermitage Cuvée Émilie 91 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Served blind to a large group -- most accurately called as N Rhone from a more modern producer. Good ripe fruit with lots of black pepper. Polished black fruit with lots of black pepper and olive. Good.
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2004 Domaine Yves Cuilleron Côte-Rôtie Terres Sombres 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Tasted blind. Decidedly old world aromas of leather, smoked game, bacon and black pepper. Medium bodied with a smooth, inviting texture. Old world refinement.
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2007 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 96 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Served blind along side a blind '14 Jamet. A wow nose of smoked meat for days, then bacon for days, then black pepper for days, all interwoven with savory black fruit. the palate is delicious already with rich black fruit and juicy acids. More meat and black pepper. Hard to ask for more, but I bet this gets better and more refined with time.
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2014 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 94 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Served blind along side a blind '07 Jamet. A baby, but similar to the '07 the nose is ridiculously loaded with smoked meat, black pepper and olive. There is a musky note here that wasn't in the '07. Very young on the palate with ripe lush fruit that is inviting but a bit unruly right now. The best is yet to come.
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1992 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Served blind. Gorgeous clearly old world nose of dried black fruit, beef jerky and pepper. The palate is showing it's age with moderate concentration and dried fruit but there is so much Northern Rhone goodness with bacon, pepper and olive. Good polished finish.
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1997 Trevor Jones Shiraz Wild Witch Reserve Dry Grown 88 Points
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Served blind. Once upon a time, this was totally my cup of tea. Aromas of polished ripe black fruit with some black pepper. Ripe and round on the palate with good fresh acids. And some interesting meat and pepper notes. But the fruit is just a bit too sweet and candied. New world, for sure.
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2005 Pax Syrah Castelli-Knight Ranch 94 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Served blind. Boy oh boy, this wine never disappoints ... and served blind, I scored it even higher then when non-blind. An insane amount of black pepper and spice woven into lush black fruit. Big, rich and chewy black fruit but with the structure to support. Unending amounts of black pepper. So good. Called as new world and even wagered a guess of Pax Castelli-Knight.
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2006 Arcadian Syrah Hommage à Max 92 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
Served blind. Liqueur-like black fruit with lots of black pepper -- pretty similar to the Pax Castelli served just before. Good ripe, lush black fruit held together with bright, lively acids. Lifted, peppery finish.
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2006 Alban Vineyards Syrah Seymour's Vineyard 90 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
Tasted blind. Wow, a massive black fruit, asphalt and pepper nose. The palate is rich, lush and loaded with liqueur-like black fruit. Pretty over the top, and no longer in my wheelhouse. Hedonistic.
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2005 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley 90 Points
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Served blind to a large group, and ironically after another bottle of the same wine had been opened at the tasting. This second bottle was better and holding up nicely. Rich and decadent, but with good structure and closer to what this was like on release. I don't think aging helps these wines ... so drink up.
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