Community Tasting Notes 80

• J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine: 91 points

  March 8, 2024 - Bought almost 20 years ago. This was Kevin Harvey's first ever Syrah from Rhys or Alessia. Decant for an hour and then followed for a few more.
  
  Still on the upswing. No sign of 20 years of age. My wife suggested it showed about 10 years old and I agree. Dark red and black fruit, spicy acidity, a tiny bit of pepper. Years ago, I sent him an email asking for a tech sheet and he laughed (in an email) and said he had no such thing because he just made the wine in his garage. Anyone who says that Cali Syrah is too ripe and will fall apart is 100% full of you know what. No sign at all. My guess is that this wine will not peak for 5 more years because it continued to improve for at least an hour in the glass after the decant. If Irate this based upon what I expected versus what I actually got, this gets a few more points. patience is a virtue. Bravo.

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• GrapeScott wrote: 85 points

  February 25, 2023 - This is probably the first wine I bought from Rhys off their mailing list, back in September 2006. It had sat undisturbed in my parents' Massachusetts cold underground cellar for the last 17 years until I grabbed a few cases to take home to NC a few weeks ago. So pretty good provenance here. Can't recall where exactly the fruit came from for these early blends (Falstaff, Adler Springs?), but these early Alesia wines are a bit of a mixed bag. I had a pretty excellent '06 Green Valley pinot a few nights ago, but this is not quite in the same league. Lots of red berry aromas on the nose, with a bit of mulling spices and stewed plum. If I hadn't read the label, I never would never have guessed syrah, as this shows more of a zin-like flavor profile. In any case, it's clearly Californian and missing the bacon/game/tapenade notes I admire in syrah. Fully evolved and a bit tired, this is pleasant, but nothing more.

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• fredb Likes this wine:

  April 16, 2020 - Medium-dark red color with limited transparency. Aromas of red fruit, smoke, and tar. Palate is full of red fruit with a hint of meatiness that carries into a medium finish. This is fully integrated and seems younger tasting than I would have expected. My last bottle and best showing. Really nice red wine with Syrah typicity and lovely balance.

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• WetRock wrote:

  November 9, 2019 - I had been looking for an excuse to mix this in with some Rhys wines. The big blind tasting at Frank's was the excuse I needed. Rubbery, tar nose. Sweet fruit that is comes off younger than I might have guessed. This may never reach anything better but judging by this bottle there's plenty of time to try.

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• Alex H wrote: 88 points

  July 10, 2015 - Aromatic nose of graphite, coal and crayons crushed with bramble cherries. Seamless flowing delicious sweet black currants and touch of thyme. Full bodied yet balanced.

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Wine Definition

• Vintage 2003
• Type Red
• Producer Rhys Alesia
• Varietal Syrah
• Designation n/a
• Vineyard n/a
• Country USA
• Region California
• SubRegion Sonoma County
• Appellation Sonoma Coast

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 0 (0%)
• In Cellars 82 (24%)
• Consumed 259 (76%)

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