Community Tasting Note

Frank Murray III wrote:

Wednesday, March 12, 2014 - This is my last bottle and it's worth mentioning that my previous bottle was last tasted and chronicled in October 2011. I opened this about an hour ago. This has evolved further since my last note, directionally this for me is starting to show some 2ndary features. Where I see this is through a roasted quality, with it seeming to show some hints of tobacco leaf. It won't blow the palate away like an aged bordeaux but for me it's starting to age past the expected richness and flavor profile of a mid-decade James Berry and so this aging quality is cool to see in the wine. The flavors are getting more earthy in tone too, akin to the aging comment--black cherry, loamier black raspberry. Then, as is my usual custom with wine I have at home, I let the bottle slow ox overnight. With additional air, a few things change. First, the comment about 2ndary features. I believe this was related to the wine being shut down when first opened, as now I don't get much of those notes. What does emerge is the whole cluster, both in the aromatic and palate, adding the usual garrigue notes that are hard to miss. There is a sweet edge to the fruit, which some other CT tasters have mentioned, kind what I sometimes call 'soy', a quality I find in some of the SLH plots like Garys' and Rosella's. As to where the fruit stands, I do find it similar to y/day, both black and red, with the soy edge and stemmy note framing it. There is still for me enough spine in this wine, tightening up the palate so there's no need to rush and drink it. However, I will say in fairness that the sweet edged fruit and the whole cluster does butt up against each other so your own palate will have to be the judge as to whether this works or not. For me, I'll take the 2007 version of this wine hands down, as the whole cluster in that is pulled back and the wine is a long ager, with balance. This 2005 is my last bottle and it's part of an era, an evolution for Wells and his syrah journey. I prefer the new era better.

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