A syrah with some class and age, this wine starts off with dark fruit and bittersweet cocoa dust, then slowly picks up more classic aged-syrah profile of choco-covered raisins, balanced nicely against some spice. I didn't get the vegetal streak or excessive alcohol other notes have mentioned. I was hoping for something with a bit more subtlety with some more savory flavors, given my prior experience with Penner Ash wines, but this was nevertheless a fine syrah, safely back from the ripeness edge that Cali tends to push for.
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Tight for the first two hours but opened up to reveal aromas of smoke and blackberry. The palate has solid black fruit a hint of acid an spice which gives way to a raisiny finish with a hint of sweet tart At the end.
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A very nice wine. Dark purple, med - full body. Cola on the nose, a hint of spice. Pronounced oak, firm yet smooth tannins. Dark berries and plenty of fruit.
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I bought this because I've always enjoyed Lynn's Pinots & wanted to see what she & Oregon could do with Syrah. Lots of jammy plum fruit but had a mean green streak running through the mid palate & the finish. A little too much ying/yang going on in this.
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Popped and poured, drank over 2 nights. Black cherries and cola on the nose. Dark fruit on the palate. A bit tart on the finish, which distracts. Not bad, though.
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2 Days in the Valley- Day 1 (Willamette Valley, OR): Nose: There are very good tones of black fruits, spice tones, black cherries, and a touch of floral tones. Good balance, but on a slightly more forward side.
Taste: Full bodied with chewy tannins and medium acidity. Well balanced with tones of black fruits, spice tones, black cherries, and a slight bit of liqueur on the back end.
Overall: This could use a few years to fully come around. The tannins are pretty big and on the hard side.
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Ordered off the wine list at "M" last night with Liz and Kevin (Kevin's choice). No formal notes. Excellent, fruit-forward syrah with lots of structure and personality to balance the delicious fruit.
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Decanted for 3 hours. Bright ruby hues. Medium body, medium acidity. Nice legs. Alcohol comes through minimally on Nose and Palette but is still somewhat distracting. Dark berries, spice, and cinnamon on the nose. Plum, chocolate, and tabacco on the palate. Decent structure, but somewhat lacking. Smooth silky and medium finish. Paired well with spicy corn relish and saffron vinaigrette marinated pork loin. The spice overpowered the alcoholic edge. Perhaps too young - Hold for some time.
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Well, it's better than the last vintage I had of it. The aromas are very large and spicy; like macerated dark berries. The texture on the palate is soft and smooth, with deep berries present. Chocolate liqueur, spice, and alcohol. The finish is tart and tannic, with a bitter funkiness.
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4/22/2017 - BadOyster wrote: 91 Points
A syrah with some class and age, this wine starts off with dark fruit and bittersweet cocoa dust, then slowly picks up more classic aged-syrah profile of choco-covered raisins, balanced nicely against some spice. I didn't get the vegetal streak or excessive alcohol other notes have mentioned. I was hoping for something with a bit more subtlety with some more savory flavors, given my prior experience with Penner Ash wines, but this was nevertheless a fine syrah, safely back from the ripeness edge that Cali tends to push for.
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10/20/2016 - JMFWC wrote: 88 Points
Tight for the first two hours but opened up to reveal aromas of smoke and blackberry. The palate has solid black fruit a hint of acid an spice which gives way to a raisiny finish with a hint of sweet tart At the end.
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11/9/2014 - 4mentor Likes this wine: 91 Points
A very nice wine. Dark purple, med - full body. Cola on the nose, a hint of spice. Pronounced oak, firm yet smooth tannins. Dark berries and plenty of fruit.
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9/22/2013 - ed-d wrote: 87 Points
I bought this because I've always enjoyed Lynn's Pinots & wanted to see what she & Oregon could do with Syrah. Lots of jammy plum fruit but had a mean green streak running through the mid palate & the finish. A little too much ying/yang going on in this.
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8/7/2013 - The Wine Write wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured, drank over 2 nights. Black cherries and cola on the nose. Dark fruit on the palate. A bit tart on the finish, which distracts. Not bad, though.
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6/23/2013 - eeeeeradicator wrote: 88 Points
Started to open up after about half an hour. Not as compelling as Penner-Ash's pinots, but smooth and well-integrated.
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1/16/2013 - KeithAkers wrote: 88 Points
2 Days in the Valley- Day 1 (Willamette Valley, OR): Nose: There are very good tones of black fruits, spice tones, black cherries, and a touch of floral tones. Good balance, but on a slightly more forward side.
Taste: Full bodied with chewy tannins and medium acidity. Well balanced with tones of black fruits, spice tones, black cherries, and a slight bit of liqueur on the back end.
Overall: This could use a few years to fully come around. The tannins are pretty big and on the hard side.
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1/12/2013 - Wink wrote: 91 Points
Ordered off the wine list at "M" last night with Liz and Kevin (Kevin's choice). No formal notes. Excellent, fruit-forward syrah with lots of structure and personality to balance the delicious fruit.
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9/29/2012 - Beaudreaux wrote: 92 Points
Great compliment w steak. Fruitful, peppery, little cinnamon. Vanilla finish.
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6/27/2012 - Iamnietzsche wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Bright ruby hues. Medium body, medium acidity. Nice legs. Alcohol comes through minimally on Nose and Palette but is still somewhat distracting. Dark berries, spice, and cinnamon on the nose. Plum, chocolate, and tabacco on the palate. Decent structure, but somewhat lacking. Smooth silky and medium finish. Paired well with spicy corn relish and saffron vinaigrette marinated pork loin. The spice overpowered the alcoholic edge. Perhaps too young - Hold for some time.
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4/7/2012 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 83 Points
Well, it's better than the last vintage I had of it. The aromas are very large and spicy; like macerated dark berries. The texture on the palate is soft and smooth, with deep berries present. Chocolate liqueur, spice, and alcohol. The finish is tart and tannic, with a bitter funkiness.
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