November 16, 2018 - Greeted by the complex nose of sweet gamey red fruits with a touch of cedarwoods and lots of minerals once pulling the cork, still dark red in colour! The palate is still very refreshing thou I reckon it is a bit one dimensional with the acidity is a bit high! Stunning nose, triumphant! And fully mature!
June 30, 2011 - Phewwee - what a nose on this. Can only describe the whiff on opening as a child's nappy full of poop after having a dicky tummy. It does blow off after a quarter of an hour or so, but still has that "farmyard" pong. There is not much fruit left, the wine is garnet turning burnt orange and is showing its age. Having said all that, it's not bad once it has settled down a little. Lots of tobacco notes, tart, toasted cherries, a little mouth puckering.
March 6, 2011 - Napa Offline and a whole bunch of wine, mostly Syrah (Napa Valley Wine & Cigar): This was fully mature. The oak seems mostly resolved and what is there isn't going anywhere. Ruby in color, perhaps a bit dull. The nose is raspberries, black raspberries, slight floral note and spice. Layered, soft and complex on the palate. Dark cherries and smoke. Not a fruit bomb in any way. I really enjoyed it for its maturity.
March 30, 2010 - Yuck
February 15, 2009 - Conrad’s: Lite spice, touch of age, pot pouri; touch tar, but elegant, tangy fin., grt bal. This was fair, but was not special. A bit thin for Hermitage I think, too.
April 15, 2008 - Spltff! (Or whatever it sounds like when you spit). Either fading badly, just never had it, or likely a combination of the two. Not much left on the nose--faint tobacco & black olives. If there was ever any fruit in the bottle it has disappeared (remnants of strawberry?). I have to agree with the other members. This one is not worth the space it's taking in your cellar.
May 5, 2007 - Jesus, what happened with this one?
This is the worst bottle of wine I've had so far this year. We only managed to drink half of the bottle and used the rest for cooking.
March 28, 2007 - Acidic black cherry nose; thin mouthfeel with little fruit, burnt rubber in the finish. Disappointing.
September 15, 2006 - Guigal's CdR had better extraction and dimensions than this. Very simple, thin, and almost insipid. Some black cherry fruit and roasted meat characteristic on nose. Palate was weak with acidic cherries and that's about it. Short, acidic finish with medium body and no grip. Very disappointed
March 12, 2006 - Pretty one dimensional - dark, but no fruit flavor. Didn't like very much.