January 20, 2024 - PnP and consumed over 2 hours with dinner. Beautiful aromas of dark plums, blackberries, and traces of herbs, tobacco, smoked meat and olives. Took 30 minutes to open up in the glass. Full bodied with a long slightly tannic mineral tinged finish. Great balance without being full-blown over the top new world Syrah. Early maturity and ageing gracefully.
December 11, 2023 - This wine has matured at near perfection. The beautiful Hermitage-like bouquet of smoked meat, bloody iron and sweet black fruits laced with rose floral notes and hint of cigar. The flavor profile has ripe prune fruit and savory with black olive tapenade and grilled mushroom. The texture is suave and silky with ultra-fine tannin.
This is our 3rd bottle over last 6 years and this wine has continue to evolve and improve. The second bottle we had last year and we thought the aromatics was intoxicating with rose floral notes with burgundian texture (as in 2014 or 2019). We are glad that this 3rd bottle is back to a balance between a hermitage syrah with great burgundian pinot.
I think the wine-making style for 2012 vintage has become more finesse than its boldacious and delicious 2007 and 2008 vintages; and the wine-making style has continue to refine to the point I find its 2014 vintages had become more Burgundian in style with less extracted fruit profile and has leaner structure with brighter acidity.
This 2012 Royal City is definitely a step up over its siblings 2012 Cattle King, Hidden and Klein (all rated 97-99).
We just enjoyed swirling the wine glasses for its beautiful bouquet unfurling out. Opulent and intoxicating enjoyment!
Rating: 97-100; 98-99
December 10, 2023 - Still silky smooth, wonderfully aromatic Syrah, but less appealing than the last time I had it. It has an intensely perfumed nose of black fruits, violets, rocks, smoked meat, lilacs, minerals, but now with some "interesting" secondary aromatics. Like iron, petrol and, as my partner pointed out, "fresh plastic". Reminiscent of the plastic from model cars when I was a kid. Plus the whiff of glue that went along with it. On the palate it is all silk and velvet with sweet tannins. The vaguely petrochemical notes come back on the finish. I wonder if this is simply an odd bottle. I've noticed considerable bottle variation is some WA State wines (I'm looking at you, No Girls) or maybe it's just a characteristic of WA state Syrahs to develop these funky secondary notes. I'm very familiar with WA "Rocks funk", but this was unexpected after having several bottles of the 2012 in the past that were quite muted. We'll see how the rest develop.
July 5, 2023 - Wine of the night from a blind tasting of 9 syrahs (including No Girls, MTR, Cayuse, Betz, The Walls, Bedrock, B Leighton and Reynvaan). A crowd favorite with most using the descriptors powerful and all out syrah. Drinking beautifully after a 3 hour decant. I want more!!!
May 28, 2023 - Opened for an hour, recorked and took to the club for the Memorial Day BBQ - Dark fruit on the nose with a hint of spice. The palate was dark berries, smoke, meat and spices with just a hint of cigar coming through on the finish which was moderate to long. Went very well with the food that was being served.
February 19, 2023 - Fruitier than I remember
February 17, 2022 - Pop and pour. This is right in the zone with mild barnyard, spit-roasted pig skin, saucy dried berries, lots of punch yet precariously balanced on the palate. Love this style or hate it, this is a top-shelf example.
November 13, 2021 - Silky smooth, absolutely gorgeous, wonderfully aromatic Syrah. This wine is special. A captivating nose of black fruits, violets, rocks, smoked meat, maybe some lilac, spice, minerals, smoke, honeysuckle, more wet rocks... you get the idea. Silk smooth and lush, with sweet but solid tannins and a solid core of black and red raspberries, pepper, olives and more gamey meat flavours. The finish on this baby goes on and on. One of the best Syrahs I have had. It may be at its peak, but it should maintain this level for another 5 years or so.
October 23, 2021 - consistent with notes of 7/29/2017
August 5, 2021 - Brought to group function, only had 2 small pours, but it was silky smooth, lush and delicious. Classic WA State Syrah with a depth that seemed bottomless. Drinking really well now, it will last a while but may not improve much.