Post-Metropolitan Museum Women of the Nile Event Dinner at the Afghan Kebab House (Afghan Kebab House, NYC, East Side): At the Afghan Kebab House, post-Met Women of the Nile Event (dinner with 11): This was a very good syrah. It had lots of dark fruit (blackberry, cherry), some chocolate, meat and spices on the finish. I do get a hint of alcohol on the finish (it is 15.3%) but still a very good wine. Excellent pairing with the spicy and bold Afghan food. And I loved Leslie G's explanation of the cult-bottle (thick, heavy) and its bottom indentation that accommodates 3 fingers, too. This was the last bottle. Great QPR for what we paid ($16 + $3.68 commission & tax = $19.70).
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A very nice wine. Initially sweet on the finish, resolving to blackberry fruit,tar & spices on the finish. Ok with the oh so rare buffalo burgers. If there were just a touch less alcohol this wine would be perfect.
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c- dark, concentrated purple black, very little rim variation for an almost 10yo. a- touch of oak, spice, dark fruit, meaty, and alcohol. f- meaty, dense, and chewy. dark fruits, smoky, oak. alcohol is present, but doesn't seem to detract. a pretty good bottle. i changed the drinking window as this still could easily go a few more years.
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This wine was received from tashNYC for the '11 CT SS game and drank 2 nights ago with good CT wine buddy neighborbill at a Christmas dinner at Lake Hickory CC. The bottle was not formally decanted but it was opened to breath almost 3 hours before consumption and was adequately aired although certainly a brief decant of an hour would not hurt this wine at all - I would NOT go as long as the 3 hours in the decanter suggested in a previous TN. Nose initially somewhat musty then opened up very nicely with dark fruit, mulling spices and almost a hint of burnt sugar. Big wine, full bodied, very dark purple, well balanced and complex with controlled alcohol and a long lingering aftertaste. Adequate fruit present with well balanced tannins - at least 3-5 more years of cellar life left. Primary flavors in a dark profile with dark fruit, mocha and a hint of black pepper late on the palate. A good QPR wine at this average CT price point, would definitely recommend this and again a big thanks to tashNYC for kindly sharing a bottle of this with us.
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Best showing yet for this wine / vintage. A good syrah. Decent fruit (cherry, blackberry) and a touch of syrup taste, when first open, resolved to a dense and dark fruit and a little chocolate on the finish. An excellent pairing with our grilled buffalo steak medallions, marinaded with olive oil, rosemary, garlic, black pepper and a touch of red wine vinaigrette. (I cut back on the vinaigrette to make the pairing). Best with the rare buffalo parts, where the buffalo and the wine shared a fruity sweetness. But this wine has a lot of alcohol.
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Opened up and decanted for 3 hours prior to serving. Still had some tannins, but the finish was light, think it was a bit past it's prime. If you have, don't wait, drink it up.
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Drinking window on this wine is wrong. wine is concentrated but closed; will drink better in another year. (the 2003, a lesser vintage, drink better, today)
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1/23/2013 - TashNYC wrote: 91 Points
Post-Metropolitan Museum Women of the Nile Event Dinner at the Afghan Kebab House (Afghan Kebab House, NYC, East Side): At the Afghan Kebab House, post-Met Women of the Nile Event (dinner with 11): This was a very good syrah. It had lots of dark fruit (blackberry, cherry), some chocolate, meat and spices on the finish. I do get a hint of alcohol on the finish (it is 15.3%) but still a very good wine. Excellent pairing with the spicy and bold Afghan food. And I loved Leslie G's explanation of the cult-bottle (thick, heavy) and its bottom indentation that accommodates 3 fingers, too. This was the last bottle. Great QPR for what we paid ($16 + $3.68 commission & tax = $19.70).
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8/24/2012 - TashNYC wrote: 90 Points
A very nice wine. Initially sweet on the finish, resolving to blackberry fruit,tar & spices on the finish. Ok with the oh so rare buffalo burgers. If there were just a touch less alcohol this wine would be perfect.
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4/29/2012 - arose13 wrote: 91 Points
c- dark, concentrated purple black, very little rim variation for an almost 10yo. a- touch of oak, spice, dark fruit, meaty, and alcohol. f- meaty, dense, and chewy. dark fruits, smoky, oak. alcohol is present, but doesn't seem to detract. a pretty good bottle. i changed the drinking window as this still could easily go a few more years.
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12/18/2011 - ikkaariainen wrote: 91 Points
This wine was received from tashNYC for the '11 CT SS game and drank 2 nights ago with good CT wine buddy neighborbill at a Christmas dinner at Lake Hickory CC. The bottle was not formally decanted but it was opened to breath almost 3 hours before consumption and was adequately aired although certainly a brief decant of an hour would not hurt this wine at all - I would NOT go as long as the 3 hours in the decanter suggested in a previous TN. Nose initially somewhat musty then opened up very nicely with dark fruit, mulling spices and almost a hint of burnt sugar. Big wine, full bodied, very dark purple, well balanced and complex with controlled alcohol and a long lingering aftertaste. Adequate fruit present with well balanced tannins - at least 3-5 more years of cellar life left. Primary flavors in a dark profile with dark fruit, mocha and a hint of black pepper late on the palate. A good QPR wine at this average CT price point, would definitely recommend this and again a big thanks to tashNYC for kindly sharing a bottle of this with us.
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10/1/2011 - TashNYC wrote: 91 Points
Best showing yet for this wine / vintage. A good syrah. Decent fruit (cherry, blackberry) and a touch of syrup taste, when first open, resolved to a dense and dark fruit and a little chocolate on the finish. An excellent pairing with our grilled buffalo steak medallions, marinaded with olive oil, rosemary, garlic, black pepper and a touch of red wine vinaigrette. (I cut back on the vinaigrette to make the pairing). Best with the rare buffalo parts, where the buffalo and the wine shared a fruity sweetness. But this wine has a lot of alcohol.
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9/23/2011 - W2WineGuy wrote: 89 Points
Opened up and decanted for 3 hours prior to serving. Still had some tannins, but the finish was light, think it was a bit past it's prime. If you have, don't wait, drink it up.
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3/23/2010 - TashNYC wrote: 89 Points
Drinking window on this wine is wrong. wine is concentrated but closed; will drink better in another year.
(the 2003, a lesser vintage, drink better, today)
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5/29/2009 - bsshipman wrote: 92 Points
CT drinking window completely wrong. Could go 5 more years. Powerful syrah. Drinking well now, but plenty left for years to come.
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