Community Tasting Notes 79

• Fractalage Likes this wine:

  February 3, 2024 - Slow-oxed for 4 days, then decanted.
  There was lots of sediment. Good thing I had let rest standing in cellar for 5 months.
  This was in a perfect drinking spot, very floral, copious violets with meats.
  
  Palate was excellent, clean, round, liquid violets, great balance, touches of bacon, which I believe will come more forward with age, meats and fine teas.
  
  I will keep my other bottles in cellar for 5 more years.

  1 person found this helpful Comment

• Fractalage Likes this wine:

  January 31, 2024 - Slow-oxed for a full day.
  
  Fresh pour:
  Nose of round cola, teas, fresh tart berry.
  Palate of excellent fruit, round with stringency of tannins that need to resolve, good grip, bitter, violets, flowers, and depths of tars. cooling menthol of tobacco.
  
  Back palate bitter, elderberry, citrus, and tars.
  Really good wine.

  1 person found this helpful Comment

• Fractalage Likes this wine:

  January 30, 2024 - Despite my cellar holdings I bought a couple more at auction. Such quality and terroir in my own backyard cannot be passed up. And it was a bonus to have such age that I did not have to endure.
  
  I poured off 1 glass, then put the open bottle back into 59 degree cellar to rest for 3 days.
  
  This glass held nose of pungent juice with teas. Fantastic round nose with excellent fruit.
  This is getting to that plateau point, as this is open upon first pour.
  
  It was pure, clean, full of fresh spanking lively berry.
  Palate tasted clean and had that ever so luscious grip of tannin. There was length, spices, real - meaning natural, not manipulated tastes. I love this wine.
  It still needs more time tho.
  I would say another 5 years.
  
  I'm sure the slow oxed bottle at 58 degrees over 3 days will turn out very well.
  
  In the glass, more and more violets showed up. It was a very floral wine.

  1 person found this helpful Comment

• Ben Christiansen wrote:

  May 19, 2023 - Smells like cardamom. Spicy black pepperiness. And very quick on the palate. But has enough mid palate fruit that its not harsh or shrill.

  1 person found this helpful Comment

• BHP1994 Likes this wine: 92 points

  July 7, 2022 - Double decanted to separate out a tremendous amount of sediment then 30 min. of air. Dark violet. Spice, floral, and leather on the nose. Very smooth on entry with deep berry flavors with savory meaty notes. Mature at this point but still bright enough to last several more years. An interesting and unique CA syrah for sure. Great with a basque flavored skirt steak entre last night.

  2 people found this helpful Comment

Pro Reviews 5

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2009
• Type Red
• Producer Rhys
• Varietal Syrah
• Designation n/a
• Vineyard Horseshoe Vineyard
• Country USA
• Region California
• SubRegion Santa Cruz Mountains
• Appellation Santa Cruz Mountains

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 10 (1%)
• In Cellars 437 (43%)
• Consumed 563 (56%)

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