Popped and poured tonight. 20 yrs of bottle age. Very nice, subdued but ripe dark and red fruit present, acid balanced, fairly long clean finish. Glad I saved this for all this time.
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Part of a tasting with 40ish wines so not the best notes.
Decanted for an hour then back to bottle for another 6h.
Still a massive wine with tons of structure and primary fruit. Similar to my experience with the 2002, this easily needed another 3-4h of decanter time to open up.
This bottle would have gone another 10 years easy.
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Some wines poured blind (Maison Cafe in Dana Point, CA): Poured blind, alongside the 2001. Some at the table suggested the 2003 had some TCA showing, which I didn't agree with. I do think that the 2003 is showing some higher alcohol and ripeness, which is intruding into the aromatics. Found some brewed coffee in the aromatic, too. The 2003 just seems bigger to me, and doesn't have the lovely balance and youth of the 2001.
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Pours bright and young looking, no sign of bricking. The nose shows loads of blackberry and cassis but also has notes of animal fur and pencil shavings and graham cracker. The mouth is equally gorgeous, rich with black fruit, intensely sweet-toned and juicy, and then the tannins grip down on the finish, giving the juicy blackberry flavors wonderful persistence.
The last and best of eight bottles. I wish I had eight more to drink over the next eight to ten years. It ought to last that that long.
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An amazingly example of aged CA Syrah. Great balance of red fruit with savory underpinnings. Fine integrated tannins. Medium body with + finish and acidity.
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Had stared with the '04 and with no more bottles left we ended up with '03. The restaurant (Bymark in Toronto) decanted and served. It was quite good. Again more old world in flavor where you get a bit more of the savory in addition to the fruit. I enjoyed it.
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The cork came out in hundreds of pieces. Decanted as a result, 1 hour before pairing with braised chicken thighs with olives, garlic and basil. Again, an opaque ruby in the glass, with slow-forming legs. The nose features blackberry, black currant, black olive, and a touch of roasted meat. Excellent intensity and concentration, with ample acidity. This is at peak now, not likely to get any better. Beautiful, and hope to visit them again soon!
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This wine is absolutely amazing as it sits right now. If you still have any enjoy over the next couple of years. Sadly, my last bottle of this vintage.
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Very enjoyable. A little firmer, less vibrant than previous bottle I drank a year ago. In a very good spot now, needs about 45 mins to flourish. One of 3 wines in the evening, best one by far. You must decant, a whole lot of fruit and density comes out after you let it open up, medium to full body. Excellent!
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Very good, but continues to look and drink young. This stuff seems bullet-proof, aging like a classic Hermitage, I'm gonna put the last two away and wait another 10 yrs or so, I think there is the structure and stuffing there to pay off handsomely. Medium deep ruby w purple highlights still - fruity, open nose, but palate is still clenched- black and red fruit , still tannins pushing thru - good balance and length. Lots more to give than what is showing now.
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Pop and pour and tasted with some food (cheese and pita chips, in case you were wondering). Dark deep purple color. Nose of black cherries and some soy and prunes. Big, rich bold flavor of dark fruits, some raisin and black cherries. While this shows a bit of port like characteristics, it is quite enjoyable. Re-corked with a vacu-vin and also filled a 375 ml bottle and recorked; I will revisit again.
Tasted the following day, without food. Remains a robust, rich wine with black fruits and a nice black pepper note. The cough syrup richness (port like notes) have dissipated, and the wine improved. Enjoyable.
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Opened 3 hours before pairing with our last grilled Santa Maria Tri-tip roast for this year. An opaque brilliant ruby in the glass with edges just starting to thin, the nose beckoning with a mix of red, blue and black fruits, roasted meat, mushroom, thyme and some soil. Very good intensity and concentration leading to a 20+ second finish. Very nice, and at 13 years of age seems to be about halfway through its maturity. Drink now or hold.
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If you are a lover of Syrah, you NEED to be drinking your Lagier Meredith Syrahs with a little age on them, like this - fantastic stuff. Such a pure, elegant yet masculine expression of Syrah, perfectly balanced, complex, and great acidity. Grip is excellent and the finish is long. If a mini vertical is ever again offered on BerserkerDay, I'm getting more.
Popped and poured. This is a deep red wine with notes of blackberry and pepper on the nose. In the mouth, this is lush yet rustic – it reminds me of a dense fruit pie – and leaves a chewy finish. Overall, this is a dark but pure wine. Nevertheless, I am not blown away. Perhaps this is a year or two past its prime. 90 points.
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PnP and the wine was tasting great right out of the bottle. The nose was very expressive with notes of dark fruit and earthy notes. Open on the palate, but gave it a toss in the decanter and the wine was just awesome. This wine was in a good spot and got better over the next couple of hours. Dana called dibs on the remaining third of the bottle and enjoyed this a lot.
What a gorgeous nose, the bouquet was deep and rich, showing baked blackberry, black cherry sauce, sweet herbs, birch, sage, and crushed stone. On the palate, it displayed silky textures with medium weight, showing savory and sweet notes of black fruit, amazing minerality (almost salty, in the best possible way), herbs, dark soil and violet floral tones. The finish was dry with minerals and black fruit coating the senses. The first hour after pop and pour this drank so easily that we could have finished it on the spot, but I’m so glad that we took our time, because it opened up beautifully over time.
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Pnp'ed although found a very nice evolution throughout the night so might have been a bit better with a starting decant. At first it was a touch closed down, but as it opened up got some nice black fruit and a touch of forest floor. Nice easy drinking wine that paired well with Cuban food.
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impressive. first experience w her syrah. love the blend of old and new world character. impressive amount of fruit but great balance, texture and secondary flavors. enjoyed.
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Deep red color. Aromas of black fruits, coffee and wood spices. Ripe, nicely integrated fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and length. Very suave and juicy on the palate. Delicious with the mixed grill at Effie's Restaurant. In sweet spot of drinking maturity.
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This remains very old world in styling with reserved darker fruits and tapenade and a floral edge. This never quite busted out...maybe it will on night 2
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Bright acidity and cherry fruit. I would love to hold onto one of these (maybe a 2002) and just leave it for another 5 years. These take forever to age.
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I am never ready to call a Lagier Meredith Syrah mature, but this is as close as I have ever gotten. Deep berry, soy, earth and warm herbs were all in evidence from the first sniff/sip. On the palate the tannins were gentle and integrated, making the wine very easy to drink. There's still plenty of fruit, so I think the plateau of maturity is goi g to be quite long. Enjoy. Wait. Entirely up to you.
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Very likable, masculine, well balanced acidity and fruit... Had this side by side with a 97' grand cru, interesting pair up. It made a very amzing grand cru a bit sweet for me. First world problems ;) I would drink this again for sure.
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Nose of spice, pepper, raisins and a nice perfume. Palate is a bit rustic without seamless texture, or would have had higher score. Not quite northern rhone Syrah, but delicious wine and drinking well. Also not showing secondary at this point, which is surprising. Would it be more complex with some additional age? Maybe...
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Spectacular. Still young. Very dry. Beautiful sweet Syrah nose. Complex dark stone fruit on the palate. Reminded me of eating dark chocolate covered cherries. Long finish. As good a Syrah as I've ever had.
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Wow, just completely outstanding in ever way! I bought some after tasting some a year ago that was excellent, but this one is off the charts. Expansive and enveloping nose with violets, Asian spices, cured meats, blueberry, red and black currants, heather, herbs, campfire. Plush mouthfeel that is rich and ripe and exudes enormous secondary aromatics in the mouth. Northern Rhonish crunchy texture underneath the roundness of the fruit. Ripe tannins are abundant enough to have a ways to go yet. Okay, maybe a touch warm on the finish, but overall just a big and gloriously delicious experience.
(Ignore the community window of 2007-2013.)
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Lagier Meredith Vertical (1999 thru 2010) + (Loren's Home): Purple in color. The nose shows some spice and black raspberries. Luxurious texture. Very rich. Lots of fruit. For some reason I was thinking this should be hot, but it is not and right in line. Lots of fruit although perhaps not as juicy as some vintages. Really enjoyable.
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This wine is so inconsistent with most previous tasting notes as we tasted. No nose at all. We started to wonder and expected it to get better over time. Three hours, five hours...., and nose is still muted. Flavors are light and not impressive. Finish is at most medium. Acidity is therebut does not balance with other flavors. Very disappointed. Drank again on the second night. Nose never opened up. Flavors did get more complex on the palate and are balanced. But I most likely won't spend another $50 on this wine again.
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Reddish purple in color. Decanted for ~3 h. Dark mixed berry compote, white pepper, meat juices and licorice greet the nose. The palate has good textural impact with deep layers of dark berry fruit, black olive tapenade, and a nice savory and peppery finish.
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Decanted. Still gobs of fruit and structure in this. I expect it has many more years of life ahead. I really enjoyed the hints of asian spice mixed with brambly fruit.
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Not decanted, consumed over 2 1/2 hours. Restrained on the nose, but with hints of the profile that came out later on the palate. Dark berry fruit, some meaty and peppery notes, maybe a whiff of black licorice. Forward acid but not out of whack. Tannins were smooth but somewhat drying at the end. Even after a good amount of air time in the glass, this never did fully open up, which was a little disappointing. No reason to rush on these. 90-91.
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I liked this. Not a big overripe bomb. High acid with plenty of red fruit. Edit - 30 minutes in decanter did wonders for this wine. Really opened up with delicious gamy notes, smoothed out tannins and beautiful balance. What's not to like. 93 pts.
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Wonderful; decanted over 2 hours based on others' comments. Enjoyed with a beef tenderloin and I look forward to when I enjoy the other bottle in my cellar
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Very good, but at the same time a little dissapointing. I decanted this wine for at least 2 hours prior to drinking but the nose never really opened up. The flavor profile was revealed lots of dark fruit with soft tannins, but it just didn't seem to be all that complex, and a bit hollow on the mid-pallet. A nice wine, but I probably would not spend $50 on it again (howeve I still have a 2007 in my cellar).
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Dark berry, baking spices, light pepper on the nose. Fruit is ever so slightly more receded from the bottle I had last year, but the savory acidity and well-integrated tannins are still present. Not complex but focused and quite enjoyable.
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Packed with sweet fruit, boysenberry jam and cherry. Heady aromas of fruit and a bit of exotic spice. The wine is very plush and even explosive in the mouth. Lacking some of the Northern Rhone complexity that I usually expect of the Lagier Meredith wines, but this was another nice bottle altogether.
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The L-M wines require patience, and very few Cali wines are begging patience right now quite like the 03 Napa Syrahs. Whether it's Paloma, Colgin, Lewis...or Lagier-Meredith, these wines just want you to wait, and I FIRMLY believe that.
There is alot of promise here. Dark, dark, dark syrah to the core in appearance, aroma and palate. This wine draw you with a nose that can only be Syrah. Bringing my lips to the glass, the promise was nerve-wracking in its breadth.
Rats! Palate completely tight and unforgiving. Hinting at the violet-y, feral, Cornas-goodness that lies ahead, but is not quite there yet. This wine is going to be one of the all-time greats, I promise. Hang in there. Check in in 18-24 months, or more. Drink your 04s in the meantime.
Awwwwrwwwrwww, Syrah goodness.
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This wine is hitting on all cylinders right out of the gate. On a pop n pour after a high end brunello and napa cab, this was the wotn for all. My wino friend was floored at the value in this wine and started to try and find it online. Such a nose, first off, blackberry pie, cassis, some all spice and then the first taste matches the nose, so full and wonderful without being cloying. So much balance on backend that it is remarkable how good this wine is. 2 more bottles left. Very happy.
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Dark purple, near opaque. Light kir, menthol with blooms of juicy blackberry that lead to a mouth-filling wash of dark fruit balanced by tangy acidity and silky tannins. Finish is a tad short and the overall experience is a bit simple but pure. Just on the downside of its mature plateau. Looking forward to my last bottle.
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After 15 min of air, this was singing. White pepper and blackberry fruit with an incredibly long finish. Wish we finished the rest then. Left it for 2.5 hours and it changed to reveal flavors of earth, meat and dark berry with a shorter finish, but still very good.
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Hasn't fallen off much at all. Picked this out because the drinkability report says it's due, but while it's not as fresh and youthful as it was in 2009, this is nowhere near over the hill. More dense and integrated than prior bottles, this is showing more earth and stones than iron and meat, but still rich blackberry and cassis fruit, ample pepper, and with leather particulary on the finish. No rush drinking the last two, they'll last another 5 to maybe even 10 years.
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Dark purple color. Aromas of black earth with a dominating earth backbone. Tastes of blackberry, raspberry, leather, earth, tobacco with some nice notes of black pepper. Well balanced. Fine grained tannins. Full bodied but not over the top. Powerful finish with nice depth and length. 770 cases produced. Drink or hold. 14.5% alcohol.
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San Antonio Wine Geeks - Going Blind (Turquoise Grill): Wine #5 This was obviously a Cali syrah, everyone got this one right. Deep dark profile on the nose, with fantastic meat and cracked pepper. Palate was round with mostly integrated tannin and flowed seamlessly into a lengthy finish of scorched earth, mocha and coffee notes. With time, showed a little citrus on the nose. Complex and seamless. Initially I thought this was my Lucia syrah, but it seemed more integrated and older than I expected. I recognized the Lucia after tasting the next wine. My WOTN.
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After a weekend of underperforming wines, what a breath of fresh air! Serious deep nose of dark fruit and a hint of underbrush. On the palate red and dark fruits, pepper, and a bit of tar. Nice medium-long finish. Maybe a bit of heat. Very enjoyable and great with asian marinated bbq'd duck breast.
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Celebration for the CHaIR Lab (Our house. Denver, CO): Decanted 3 hours (opened considerably during 1st hour). Aromas of black fruits, flowers, soot and a litght dose of peppery spice. Palate is very nicely balanced from entry to finish. Layers build into midpalate, giving a full silky texture that has a focused acid spine. Decent length and complexity. Still has many years.
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I really enjoy this wine. I am a sucker for floral elements in my wines, especially syrah. Blackberry and plum fruit with notes of flowers and pepper. Outstanding syrah.
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Still lots of life and would be interesting to see this in 5 years. Dark fruits and floral components. Lithe on the palate. Would love to drink side-by-side with a northern rhone.
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Boerne Wine Club - Syrah and Zinfandel (Scenic Loop Cafe): This really changed over the course of the evening. At first has a strong candied, cola nose and palate that I found off-putting and one dimensional . 88 After being open a couple hours, the candied red fruit remained, but was not as prominent allowing nice charcoal, scorched earth, and coffee flavors to emerge, coupled with a nice acidic zip, fine tannins, and lengthy finish, really came together as a strong candidate for WOTN by the end. 91 My #3 Group # 6
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surprisingly under performer tonight. the balance, fruit, and tannins just didn't resonate like a previous bottle. Don't know if it was just me, but beyond a little earth it was hard to pull much else from the dark fruit. Perhaps an off bottle. only GOOD.
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Popped and poured. Inky purple in the glass. Nice bouquet of kirsch. Dark fruits, white pepper and potent tannins on the palate with a lengthy finish. Fruit-driven but resembling a Northern Rhone more than a Napa syrah (could it be the cool Mt. Veeder air?). Improved somewhat the second day in the refrigerator and even more the third day, leading me to believe that it will age gracefully for at least another 10 years. Wonderful effort.
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Ordered from the list at Charile Palmer, $85. What a great, subtle Syrah. Not your typical CA Syrah, very balanced and ready to drink now w/o decanting.
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This is syrah! A room-filling aroma upon pouring. Blackberry syrup, pepper, and a sanguine, saline streak on the nose. More blackberry, with a juicy profile in the mouth, sweet-toned, but with lots of nice brown spice and pepper. Surprisingly, it adds floral notes on the finish. This is the best bottle yet, and I'm liking it more and more for its elegant all-about-the-syrah style that really puts the varietal forward. Adding a point to my previous scores but thinking it might even deserve two. 93-94.
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Notes consistent with my 2/9/08 bottle: meaty, but with clean and pure syrah fruit. White pepper, and just a little herbal/minty notes in there, too. Very classy stuff, and not in a typical CA style.
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FOr some reason, this bottle came off as a bit acidic, at least to me. Olive on the nose and rich fruit, but not quite coming together. Hard to say why. Not decanted, but tannin was not an issue. Off night for me? Others seemed quite pleased.
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14.5% alcohol. 770 cases made. not decanted. jeez, this can run with any of their vintages. there is an underlying thread to this if you've been lucky enough like me to be on board the train since the first station. nice and peppery, a noticable firm spine, a powerful finish that isn't overstated, rich fruit. there are syrahs from napa that maybe are more compelling, e.g. colgin, but of course, this is about 25% of the price. truly a fab wine.
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This was fantastic. After 1/2 hour in the glass the bouquet filled the room with an enticing aroma. Thats when company arrived and couldn't pay attention. The mouthfeel was one of the best I've had and the balance exciting. This really hit a sweet spot. The last glass was finished the following evening and it was less impressive. V.V. Good
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Decanted for 3 hours. This allowed a wonderful bouquet of violets to emerge. Crisp black and blueberry fruit is buttressed by good minerality and floral qualities. The vibrant acidity on the finish bodes well for 5-10 years of aging.
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One of the most elegant expressions of Syrah I have ever tasted; dark, complex, but subtle enough for all of the complex fmavors and aromas to emerge; delicious!
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Enjoyed over a two hour meal at a local BYO restaurant. This started off as a medium bodied, nicely framed Syrah with a nice blend of red fruits and some earthy notes on both the nose and palate. After an hour, everything blossomed. The nose brought on some floral elements and the fruit was lifted significantly. White pepper was brought out on the palate and the wine picked up significant body. The finish was very very long.
This wasn't as fruit "sweet" as my last taste of the 2002. Clearly, this wine will appreciate another 5 years in the cellar.
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Initially, extremely sanguine on the nose. It took a little time for notes of white pepper and juniper spice to show up, like ingredients to marinate the meat, along with wild berries. Tasty in the mouth, adding cassis, with powerful and fine tannins giving this syrah a nice structure.
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Decanted an hour to 1.5 hours before dinner. Very nice mix of old world and new w/ the smoke, meat and olives but substantial fruit. No obtrusive tannin. Medium long finish and very nice wine. This should be able to age well.
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Like a Cote Rotie - medium to full bodied, with aromas of licorice, berries, and black pepper. More old world without over the top earthiness. Still, there is substantal fruit in this wine. Gained complexity over 4 hours - this could age well for another 5 years or so, but drinking well now.
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The 2003 is very different than any other Lagier Meredith vintage. It has more of a high tone, red fruit profile. Lots of pastille, juicy red fruits, a pronounced menthol note on the nose, scorched earth and a touch of white pepper. Very nice balance and brightness on the palate.
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Opulent fruit is well balanced by pepper and fresh soil notes. Showing nice richness and density on the palate, this finishes with fine, gritty, mouth-coating tannins that are mostly concealed beneath glycerin. This manages to remain fresh and light on its feet despite its considerable weight.
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Decanted for 40 minutes. Medium-bodied wine that is dark ruby/magenta in color. On the nose, bright and creamy berry fruit, flowers, and light smoke. On the palate, silky black raspberries and blueberries with an extremely long, black pepper-tinged, 40+ second finish. Elegant package tied together by sweet, grippy tannins...very, very nice Syrah here that reminds me of Radio Coteau and Peay Vineyards. Lovely stuff...my first Lagier Meridith and surely not my last! P.S.: Just checked out the RP review on this one, and our TN's were amazingly similar...guess even amateurs get it right once in awhile.
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A very restrained and beautiful California Syrah, very Rhone like. At first, very tight with just a bit a fruit and white pepper. After a couple of hours, this wine really started to open up with enough fruit to really balance the peppery finish. One of the better California Syrahs I've had.
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Critics Choice - 90+ Point (Farpointe Cellar): This was an ok Syrah. I liked the aromas and flavors, but the finish was a little short. The nose was dominated by the smell of sweaty socks. Underneath this was some oak, cherry, pepper, and vanilla. The palate had more fruit upfront, mainly cherry, mixed with oak, vanilla, and just a touch of pepper. The tannins were very soft.
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This is a very suave, and Northern Rhone-like wine, but I feel it currently lacks the complexity of the '02. It's still delicious, and maybe it will eventually develop a bit more nuance, but I think the '02 is the better wine.
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4/15/2023 - texaswinelover wrote:
Popped and poured tonight. 20 yrs of bottle age. Very nice, subdued but ripe dark and red fruit present, acid balanced, fairly long clean finish. Glad I saved this for all this time.
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2/22/2023 - Rbhan12 wrote:
Part of a tasting with 40ish wines so not the best notes.
Decanted for an hour then back to bottle for another 6h.
Still a massive wine with tons of structure and primary fruit. Similar to my experience with the 2002, this easily needed another 3-4h of decanter time to open up.
This bottle would have gone another 10 years easy.
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3/19/2020 - redz wrote: 91 Points
Very nice, but wouldn't hold it a lot longer.
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10/10/2019 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Some wines poured blind (Maison Cafe in Dana Point, CA): Poured blind, alongside the 2001. Some at the table suggested the 2003 had some TCA showing, which I didn't agree with. I do think that the 2003 is showing some higher alcohol and ripeness, which is intruding into the aromatics. Found some brewed coffee in the aromatic, too. The 2003 just seems bigger to me, and doesn't have the lovely balance and youth of the 2001.
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9/15/2019 - pgm Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pours bright and young looking, no sign of bricking. The nose shows loads of blackberry and cassis but also has notes of animal fur and pencil shavings and graham cracker. The mouth is equally gorgeous, rich with black fruit, intensely sweet-toned and juicy, and then the tannins grip down on the finish, giving the juicy blackberry flavors wonderful persistence.
The last and best of eight bottles. I wish I had eight more to drink over the next eight to ten years. It ought to last that that long.
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8/10/2019 - PMJak11 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Would not have guessed USA if tasting this blind. Nice balance of fruit and earth. Wine has character and good depth. Enjoyed it!
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8/10/2019 - PSUSteve Likes this wine: 93 Points
Slow ox for 30-40 minutes. Does not show its age at all. Palate has reserved red fruit in the forefront with layers of savory aspects on the backend.
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6/4/2018 - jhemming wrote: 93 Points
An amazingly example of aged CA Syrah. Great balance of red fruit with savory underpinnings. Fine integrated tannins. Medium body with + finish and acidity.
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1/17/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Had stared with the '04 and with no more bottles left we ended up with '03. The restaurant (Bymark in Toronto) decanted and served. It was quite good. Again more old world in flavor where you get a bit more of the savory in addition to the fruit. I enjoyed it.
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1/1/2018 - wicozani Likes this wine: 92 Points
The cork came out in hundreds of pieces. Decanted as a result, 1 hour before pairing with braised chicken thighs with olives, garlic and basil. Again, an opaque ruby in the glass, with slow-forming legs. The nose features blackberry, black currant, black olive, and a touch of roasted meat. Excellent intensity and concentration, with ample acidity. This is at peak now, not likely to get any better. Beautiful, and hope to visit them again soon!
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6/24/2017 - vinomex wrote: 91 Points
Last bottle. Consistent with my previous bottle. Let it open for about 45 mins for the wine to fully come together
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6/9/2017 - King of all vines wrote: 92 Points
This wine is absolutely amazing as it sits right now. If you still have any enjoy over the next couple of years. Sadly, my last bottle of this vintage.
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5/17/2017 - vinomex Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very enjoyable. A little firmer, less vibrant than previous bottle I drank a year ago. In a very good spot now, needs about 45 mins to flourish. One of 3 wines in the evening, best one by far. You must decant, a whole lot of fruit and density comes out after you let it open up, medium to full body. Excellent!
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2/15/2017 - hsacks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar to the 9/18/15 bottle and still very fresh and delicious with the kabobs at Kanella Grill.
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1/26/2017 - winot Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good, but continues to look and drink young. This stuff seems bullet-proof, aging like a classic Hermitage, I'm gonna put the last two away and wait another 10 yrs or so, I think there is the structure and stuffing there to pay off handsomely. Medium deep ruby w purple highlights still - fruity, open nose, but palate is still clenched- black and red fruit , still tannins pushing thru - good balance and length. Lots more to give than what is showing now.
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12/7/2016 - t_moderne wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour and tasted with some food (cheese and pita chips, in case you were wondering).
Dark deep purple color. Nose of black cherries and some soy and prunes.
Big, rich bold flavor of dark fruits, some raisin and black cherries.
While this shows a bit of port like characteristics, it is quite enjoyable.
Re-corked with a vacu-vin and also filled a 375 ml bottle and recorked; I will revisit again.
Tasted the following day, without food. Remains a robust, rich wine with black fruits and a nice black pepper note. The cough syrup richness (port like notes) have dissipated, and the wine improved. Enjoyable.
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10/23/2016 - wicozani Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened 3 hours before pairing with our last grilled Santa Maria Tri-tip roast for this year. An opaque brilliant ruby in the glass with edges just starting to thin, the nose beckoning with a mix of red, blue and black fruits, roasted meat, mushroom, thyme and some soil. Very good intensity and concentration leading to a 20+ second finish. Very nice, and at 13 years of age seems to be about halfway through its maturity. Drink now or hold.
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10/12/2016 - DaButtah wrote:
More fruit forward than the last bottles...kind of odd.
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10/3/2016 - budman wrote:
This stayed fairly muted from the first glass on... nothing like the last bottle.
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8/7/2016 - Birorganic Likes this wine: 93 Points
My birthday wine choice from hundreds of bottles. Beautiful big chewy Syrah. Plenty of life left.
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6/20/2016 - budman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent, with years to go!!
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6/13/2016 - Todd French Likes this wine:
If you are a lover of Syrah, you NEED to be drinking your Lagier Meredith Syrahs with a little age on them, like this - fantastic stuff. Such a pure, elegant yet masculine expression of Syrah, perfectly balanced, complex, and great acidity. Grip is excellent and the finish is long. If a mini vertical is ever again offered on BerserkerDay, I'm getting more.
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2/4/2016 - vinomex wrote: 92 Points
Anything Goes When Thai Food and Wine Collide - NYC Wine Tasting Group (Kuma Inn, NY, NY): Continues to impress. Not as elegant as previous bottle, but remains youthful and rich. Glad I have one more bottle. Enjoy!
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1/30/2016 - whitmanlholt wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. This is a deep red wine with notes of blackberry and pepper on the nose. In the mouth, this is lush yet rustic – it reminds me of a dense fruit pie – and leaves a chewy finish. Overall, this is a dark but pure wine. Nevertheless, I am not blown away. Perhaps this is a year or two past its prime. 90 points.
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1/17/2016 - Mike Stoneking Likes this wine:
PnP and the wine was tasting great right out of the bottle. The nose was very expressive with notes of dark fruit and earthy notes. Open on the palate, but gave it a toss in the decanter and the wine was just awesome. This wine was in a good spot and got better over the next couple of hours. Dana called dibs on the remaining third of the bottle and enjoyed this a lot.
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11/28/2015 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a gorgeous nose, the bouquet was deep and rich, showing baked blackberry, black cherry sauce, sweet herbs, birch, sage, and crushed stone. On the palate, it displayed silky textures with medium weight, showing savory and sweet notes of black fruit, amazing minerality (almost salty, in the best possible way), herbs, dark soil and violet floral tones. The finish was dry with minerals and black fruit coating the senses. The first hour after pop and pour this drank so easily that we could have finished it on the spot, but I’m so glad that we took our time, because it opened up beautifully over time.
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11/24/2015 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Pnp'ed although found a very nice evolution throughout the night so might have been a bit better with a starting decant. At first it was a touch closed down, but as it opened up got some nice black fruit and a touch of forest floor. Nice easy drinking wine that paired well with Cuban food.
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10/21/2015 - JBVino wrote:
impressive. first experience w her syrah. love the blend of old and new world character. impressive amount of fruit but great balance, texture and secondary flavors. enjoyed.
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9/18/2015 - hsacks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep red color. Aromas of black fruits, coffee and wood spices. Ripe, nicely integrated fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and length. Very suave and juicy on the palate. Delicious with the mixed grill at Effie's Restaurant. In sweet spot of drinking maturity.
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7/16/2015 - Mr T wrote:
This remains very old world in styling with reserved darker fruits and tapenade and a floral edge. This never quite busted out...maybe it will on night 2
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7/11/2015 - Meneley wrote:
Spice box, floral notes, dried berries and black pepper. Mouth coating, plush tannins. A very elegant Syrah. LO
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7/3/2015 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Bright acidity and cherry fruit. I would love to hold onto one of these (maybe a 2002) and just leave it for another 5 years. These take forever to age.
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6/28/2015 - Rieslingfan wrote:
I am never ready to call a Lagier Meredith Syrah mature, but this is as close as I have ever gotten. Deep berry, soy, earth and warm herbs were all in evidence from the first sniff/sip. On the palate the tannins were gentle and integrated, making the wine very easy to drink. There's still plenty of fruit, so I think the plateau of maturity is goi g to be quite long. Enjoy. Wait. Entirely up to you.
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5/23/2015 - vinomex wrote: 92 Points
Elegant, structured, well rounded, remains vibrant with a refined body and soft edges. Excellent.
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5/21/2015 - Namaste Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very likable, masculine, well balanced acidity and fruit... Had this side by side with a 97' grand cru, interesting pair up. It made a very amzing grand cru a bit sweet for me. First world problems ;) I would drink this again for sure.
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1/24/2015 - Sixchips600 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of spice, pepper, raisins and a nice perfume. Palate is a bit rustic without seamless texture, or would have had higher score. Not quite northern rhone Syrah, but delicious wine and drinking well. Also not showing secondary at this point, which is surprising. Would it be more complex with some additional age? Maybe...
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12/25/2014 - Birorganic Likes this wine: 93 Points
Spectacular. Still young. Very dry. Beautiful sweet Syrah nose. Complex dark stone fruit on the palate. Reminded me of eating dark chocolate covered cherries. Long finish. As good a Syrah as I've ever had.
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12/7/2014 - River Rat Likes this wine:
Big, rich, meaty, savory, tannic, just loaded and still drinking like a baby. No rush whatsoever here. Just wow.
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11/23/2013 - birdiefour wrote: 90 Points
Very tasty syrah. Still lots of fruit, mild tannins. Went well with prime rib roast.
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6/26/2013 - MindMuse wrote: 95 Points
Wow, just completely outstanding in ever way! I bought some after tasting some a year ago that was excellent, but this one is off the charts. Expansive and enveloping nose with violets, Asian spices, cured meats, blueberry, red and black currants, heather, herbs, campfire. Plush mouthfeel that is rich and ripe and exudes enormous secondary aromatics in the mouth. Northern Rhonish crunchy texture underneath the roundness of the fruit. Ripe tannins are abundant enough to have a ways to go yet. Okay, maybe a touch warm on the finish, but overall just a big and gloriously delicious experience.
(Ignore the community window of 2007-2013.)
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6/9/2013 - cweiner wrote: 90 Points
Still has life
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5/3/2013 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
Lagier Meredith Vertical (1999 thru 2010) + (Loren's Home): Purple in color. The nose shows some spice and black raspberries. Luxurious texture. Very rich. Lots of fruit. For some reason I was thinking this should be hot, but it is not and right in line. Lots of fruit although perhaps not as juicy as some vintages. Really enjoyable.
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4/14/2013 - wcchang wrote: 88 Points
This wine is so inconsistent with most previous tasting notes as we tasted. No nose at all. We started to wonder and expected it to get better over time. Three hours, five hours...., and nose is still muted. Flavors are light and not impressive. Finish is at most medium. Acidity is therebut does not balance with other flavors. Very disappointed.
Drank again on the second night. Nose never opened up. Flavors did get more complex on the palate and are balanced. But I most likely won't spend another $50 on this wine again.
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2/3/2013 - Spencer wrote:
This is ageing very well. Much more complex and interesting now than mylast bottle in 2006. At peak I think, but no rush to drink it.
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1/18/2013 - devraj Likes this wine: 92 Points
Reddish purple in color. Decanted for ~3 h. Dark mixed berry compote, white pepper, meat juices and licorice greet the nose. The palate has good textural impact with deep layers of dark berry fruit, black olive tapenade, and a nice savory and peppery finish.
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11/19/2012 - rcurlee wrote: 92 Points
Decanted. Still gobs of fruit and structure in this. I expect it has many more years of life ahead. I really enjoyed the hints of asian spice mixed with brambly fruit.
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10/27/2012 - bretrooks wrote: 91 Points
Not decanted, consumed over 2 1/2 hours. Restrained on the nose, but with hints of the profile that came out later on the palate. Dark berry fruit, some meaty and peppery notes, maybe a whiff of black licorice. Forward acid but not out of whack. Tannins were smooth but somewhat drying at the end. Even after a good amount of air time in the glass, this never did fully open up, which was a little disappointing. No reason to rush on these. 90-91.
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10/6/2012 - texaswinelover wrote: 93 Points
I liked this. Not a big overripe bomb. High acid with plenty of red fruit. Edit - 30 minutes in decanter did wonders for this wine. Really opened up with delicious gamy notes, smoothed out tannins and beautiful balance. What's not to like. 93 pts.
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9/24/2012 - GEDC wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 30 minutes. Nice fruit and spices. Balanced wine. Does improve with time. I would like to try this again after a 2 hour decant.
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6/15/2012 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 90 Points
Deep purple garnet. Nose was grapey with a rose edge to it. Interesting. Big mouthfilling load of berries, slight pepper. Good.
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3/31/2012 - mavericksane wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with previous notes.
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3/11/2012 - NavyVet6874 wrote: 90 Points
Wonderful; decanted over 2 hours based on others' comments. Enjoyed with a beef tenderloin and I look forward to when I enjoy the other bottle in my cellar
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2/25/2012 - ogres3 wrote:
Decanted about 90 minutes. Not much nose, decent fruit but not memorable. A good but not great wine.
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2/6/2012 - corka wrote: 88 Points
Very good, but at the same time a little dissapointing. I decanted this wine for at least 2 hours prior to drinking but the nose never really opened up. The flavor profile was revealed lots of dark fruit with soft tannins, but it just didn't seem to be all that complex, and a bit hollow on the mid-pallet. A nice wine, but I probably would not spend $50 on it again (howeve I still have a 2007 in my cellar).
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2/2/2012 - dekay wrote: 92 Points
Dark berry, baking spices, light pepper on the nose. Fruit is ever so slightly more receded from the bottle I had last year, but the savory acidity and well-integrated tannins are still present. Not complex but focused and quite enjoyable.
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12/30/2011 - mavericksane wrote: 92 Points
Stunning, but needs at least 2 hours to open up after decanting.
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8/11/2011 - pgm wrote: 91 Points
Packed with sweet fruit, boysenberry jam and cherry. Heady aromas of fruit and a bit of exotic spice. The wine is very plush and even explosive in the mouth. Lacking some of the Northern Rhone complexity that I usually expect of the Lagier Meredith wines, but this was another nice bottle altogether.
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5/22/2011 - Why Yes wrote:
The L-M wines require patience, and very few Cali wines are begging patience right now quite like the 03 Napa Syrahs. Whether it's Paloma, Colgin, Lewis...or Lagier-Meredith, these wines just want you to wait, and I FIRMLY believe that.
There is alot of promise here. Dark, dark, dark syrah to the core in appearance, aroma and palate. This wine draw you with a nose that can only be Syrah. Bringing my lips to the glass, the promise was nerve-wracking in its breadth.
Rats! Palate completely tight and unforgiving. Hinting at the violet-y, feral, Cornas-goodness that lies ahead, but is not quite there yet. This wine is going to be one of the all-time greats, I promise. Hang in there. Check in in 18-24 months, or more. Drink your 04s in the meantime.
Awwwwrwwwrwww, Syrah goodness.
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4/10/2011 - lolo66 wrote: 94 Points
This wine is hitting on all cylinders right out of the gate. On a pop n pour after a high end brunello and napa cab, this was the wotn for all. My wino friend was floored at the value in this wine and started to try and find it online. Such a nose, first off, blackberry pie, cassis, some all spice and then the first taste matches the nose, so full and wonderful without being cloying. So much balance on backend that it is remarkable how good this wine is. 2 more bottles left. Very happy.
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3/16/2011 - dwbumsted wrote: 90 Points
Wonderfully balanced with dark fruit and some pepper
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3/9/2011 - dekay wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple, near opaque. Light kir, menthol with blooms of juicy blackberry that lead to a mouth-filling wash of dark fruit balanced by tangy acidity and silky tannins. Finish is a tad short and the overall experience is a bit simple but pure. Just on the downside of its mature plateau. Looking forward to my last bottle.
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2/25/2011 - Spookey wrote:
After 15 min of air, this was singing. White pepper and blackberry fruit with an incredibly long finish. Wish we finished the rest then. Left it for 2.5 hours and it changed to reveal flavors of earth, meat and dark berry with a shorter finish, but still very good.
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2/18/2011 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
Hasn't fallen off much at all. Picked this out because the drinkability report says it's due, but while it's not as fresh and youthful as it was in 2009, this is nowhere near over the hill.
More dense and integrated than prior bottles, this is showing more earth and stones than iron and meat, but still rich blackberry and cassis fruit, ample pepper, and with leather particulary on the finish.
No rush drinking the last two, they'll last another 5 to maybe even 10 years.
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2/8/2011 - kstoddard Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark purple color. Aromas of black earth with a dominating earth backbone. Tastes of blackberry, raspberry, leather, earth, tobacco with some nice notes of black pepper. Well balanced. Fine grained tannins. Full bodied but not over the top. Powerful finish with nice depth and length. 770 cases produced. Drink or hold. 14.5% alcohol.
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1/22/2011 - rmodak wrote: 91 Points
Still young, but delicious with white pepper and violet to punctuate the cool blackberry fruit. Tannins softened with air time.
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10/7/2010 - clarktoews wrote: 92 Points
very close to the '02 but you could tell it was a bit younger. will be better in an yr but was excellent.
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9/10/2010 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
San Antonio Wine Geeks - Going Blind (Turquoise Grill): Wine #5
This was obviously a Cali syrah, everyone got this one right. Deep dark profile on the nose, with fantastic meat and cracked pepper. Palate was round with mostly integrated tannin and flowed seamlessly into a lengthy finish of scorched earth, mocha and coffee notes. With time, showed a little citrus on the nose. Complex and seamless.
Initially I thought this was my Lucia syrah, but it seemed more integrated and older than I expected. I recognized the Lucia after tasting the next wine. My WOTN.
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4/4/2010 - mattowan wrote: 93 Points
After a weekend of underperforming wines, what a breath of fresh air! Serious deep nose of dark fruit and a hint of underbrush. On the palate red and dark fruits, pepper, and a bit of tar. Nice medium-long finish. Maybe a bit of heat. Very enjoyable and great with asian marinated bbq'd duck breast.
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2/13/2010 - jnanz wrote:
See previous
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2/13/2010 - thomaskeil wrote: 92 Points
Celebration for the CHaIR Lab (Our house. Denver, CO): Decanted 3 hours (opened considerably during 1st hour). Aromas of black fruits, flowers, soot and a litght dose of peppery spice. Palate is very nicely balanced from entry to finish. Layers build into midpalate, giving a full silky texture that has a focused acid spine. Decent length and complexity. Still has many years.
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12/29/2009 - jnanz wrote: 92 Points
I really enjoy this wine. I am a sucker for floral elements in my wines, especially syrah. Blackberry and plum fruit with notes of flowers and pepper. Outstanding syrah.
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12/20/2009 - glg wrote: 92 Points
Still lots of life and would be interesting to see this in 5 years. Dark fruits and floral components. Lithe on the palate. Would love to drink side-by-side with a northern rhone.
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10/4/2009 - Nutty08 wrote: 91 Points
Boerne Wine Club - Syrah and Zinfandel (Scenic Loop Cafe): This really changed over the course of the evening. At first has a strong candied, cola nose and palate that I found off-putting and one dimensional . 88
After being open a couple hours, the candied red fruit remained, but was not as prominent allowing nice charcoal, scorched earth, and coffee flavors to emerge, coupled with a nice acidic zip, fine tannins, and lengthy finish, really came together as a strong candidate for WOTN by the end. 91 My #3 Group # 6
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9/19/2009 - chapel hill wino wrote:
surprisingly under performer tonight. the balance, fruit, and tannins just didn't resonate like a previous bottle. Don't know if it was just me, but beyond a little earth it was hard to pull much else from the dark fruit. Perhaps an off bottle. only GOOD.
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9/16/2009 - clarktoews wrote: 93 Points
great wine! beautiful dark colour. nice spice on the palate but not overpowering. great depth and full bodied.
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4/18/2009 - fisk15 wrote:
Not as good as the previous bottle, but may be sue to being stored at a warm liquor store since release. Score withheld.
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3/20/2009 - pgm wrote: flawed
Corked.
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3/11/2009 - WetRock wrote:
Old School Wineauxs do Rhones (The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch): Bright ripe nose of boysenberries. Plenty more boysenberry on the palate that is on the tart side with tons of grip. A good Syrah if a bit one dimensional.
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2/19/2009 - Dagalaifus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Inky purple in the glass. Nice bouquet of kirsch. Dark fruits, white pepper and potent tannins on the palate with a lengthy finish. Fruit-driven but resembling a Northern Rhone more than a Napa syrah (could it be the cool Mt. Veeder air?). Improved somewhat the second day in the refrigerator and even more the third day, leading me to believe that it will age gracefully for at least another 10 years. Wonderful effort.
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2/13/2009 - fisk15 wrote: 93 Points
Ordered from the list at Charile Palmer, $85. What a great, subtle Syrah. Not your typical CA Syrah, very balanced and ready to drink now w/o decanting.
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1/31/2009 - pgm wrote: 93 Points
This is syrah! A room-filling aroma upon pouring. Blackberry syrup, pepper, and a sanguine, saline streak on the nose. More blackberry, with a juicy profile in the mouth, sweet-toned, but with lots of nice brown spice and pepper. Surprisingly, it adds floral notes on the finish.
This is the best bottle yet, and I'm liking it more and more for its elegant all-about-the-syrah style that really puts the varietal forward. Adding a point to my previous scores but thinking it might even deserve two. 93-94.
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12/17/2008 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
Notes consistent with my 2/9/08 bottle: meaty, but with clean and pure syrah fruit. White pepper, and just a little herbal/minty notes in there, too. Very classy stuff, and not in a typical CA style.
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12/14/2008 - Mr T wrote:
FOr some reason, this bottle came off as a bit acidic, at least to me. Olive on the nose and rich fruit, but not quite coming together. Hard to say why. Not decanted, but tannin was not an issue. Off night for me? Others seemed quite pleased.
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12/14/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 93 Points
14.5% alcohol. 770 cases made. not decanted. jeez, this can run with any of their vintages. there is an underlying thread to this if you've been lucky enough like me to be on board the train since the first station. nice and peppery, a noticable firm spine, a powerful finish that isn't overstated, rich fruit. there are syrahs from napa that maybe are more compelling, e.g. colgin, but of course, this is about 25% of the price. truly a fab wine.
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8/15/2008 - chapel hill wino wrote:
This was fantastic. After 1/2 hour in the glass the bouquet filled the room with an enticing aroma. Thats when company arrived and couldn't pay attention. The mouthfeel was one of the best I've had and the balance exciting. This really hit a sweet spot. The last glass was finished the following evening and it was less impressive. V.V. Good
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6/15/2008 - rmodak wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. This allowed a wonderful bouquet of violets to emerge. Crisp black and blueberry fruit is buttressed by good minerality and floral qualities. The vibrant acidity on the finish bodes well for 5-10 years of aging.
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6/1/2008 - sdatl wrote: 92 Points
One of the most elegant expressions of Syrah I have ever tasted; dark, complex, but subtle enough for all of the complex fmavors and aromas to emerge; delicious!
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4/1/2008 - ken-yyz wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed over a two hour meal at a local BYO restaurant. This started off as a medium bodied, nicely framed Syrah with a nice blend of red fruits and some earthy notes on both the nose and palate. After an hour, everything blossomed. The nose brought on some floral elements and the fruit was lifted significantly. White pepper was brought out on the palate and the wine picked up significant body. The finish was very very long.
This wasn't as fruit "sweet" as my last taste of the 2002. Clearly, this wine will appreciate another 5 years in the cellar.
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3/30/2008 - Mr T wrote:
More reserved tonight as popped and poured at dinner with mostly shellfish and lobster. Actually paired OK but never seemed to fully open
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2/9/2008 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
Initially, extremely sanguine on the nose. It took a little time for notes of white pepper and juniper spice to show up, like ingredients to marinate the meat, along with wild berries. Tasty in the mouth, adding cassis, with powerful and fine tannins giving this syrah a nice structure.
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12/21/2007 - Mr T wrote:
Decanted an hour to 1.5 hours before dinner. Very nice mix of old world and new w/ the smoke, meat and olives but substantial fruit. No obtrusive tannin. Medium long finish and very nice wine. This should be able to age well.
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11/10/2007 - EhrlichDY wrote: 94 Points
High toned fruit with a nice acidic finish. Very nice Syrah drinking well right out of the bottle.
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10/14/2007 - NittanyLion wrote:
Surprisingly drinking well right out of the bottle. Very nice, balanced.
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6/24/2007 - mas01950 wrote: 92 Points
Like a Cote Rotie - medium to full bodied, with aromas of licorice, berries, and black pepper. More old world without over the top earthiness. Still, there is substantal fruit in this wine. Gained complexity over 4 hours - this could age well for another 5 years or so, but drinking well now.
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4/20/2007 - krsfrogg wrote:
Explosive nose of cracked white pepper, flowers, blueberry, and raw meat...deft, delicate mouthfeel with a fleeting finish...very impressive.
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3/9/2007 - pgordon62 wrote: 92 Points
The 2003 is very different than any other Lagier Meredith vintage. It has more of a high tone, red fruit profile. Lots of pastille, juicy red fruits, a pronounced menthol note on the nose, scorched earth and a touch of white pepper. Very nice balance and brightness on the palate.
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2/5/2007 - ths wrote: 90 Points
Earthy, pepper nose. Rich mouthfeel with fine tannins and nice acidity combining for a nice finish. Elegant, very nice, but for the price?. 5+11+16+8
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1/1/2007 - jbposell wrote:
Still think this needs more time or a really extended decant. Seemed pretty shut down to us...
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11/28/2006 - jwwinec wrote: 92 Points
Opulent fruit is well balanced by pepper and fresh soil notes. Showing nice richness and density on the palate, this finishes with fine, gritty, mouth-coating tannins that are mostly concealed beneath glycerin. This manages to remain fresh and light on its feet despite its considerable weight.
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11/27/2006 - Cheryl wrote:
Peppery, good. This was also enjoyed by the table.
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11/18/2006 - ScottS wrote: 90 Points
50+5+13+15+7= 90 pts
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10/29/2006 - DFC wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 40 minutes. Medium-bodied wine that is dark ruby/magenta in color. On the nose, bright and creamy berry fruit, flowers, and light smoke. On the palate, silky black raspberries and blueberries with an extremely long, black pepper-tinged, 40+ second finish. Elegant package tied together by sweet, grippy tannins...very, very nice Syrah here that reminds me of Radio Coteau and Peay Vineyards. Lovely stuff...my first Lagier Meridith and surely not my last! P.S.: Just checked out the RP review on this one, and our TN's were amazingly similar...guess even amateurs get it right once in awhile.
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10/28/2006 - TomTom wrote: 93 Points
A very restrained and beautiful California Syrah, very Rhone like. At first, very tight with just a bit a fruit and white pepper. After a couple of hours, this wine really started to open up with enough fruit to really balance the peppery finish. One of the better California Syrahs I've had.
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10/25/2006 - A&B wrote: 91 Points
A delicouis Syrah, couldn't detect much pepper, but it had nice in smoth tannins and rich mothfeel
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10/7/2006 - mmurry wrote: 89 Points
Critics Choice - 90+ Point (Farpointe Cellar): This was an ok Syrah. I liked the aromas and flavors, but the finish was a little short. The nose was dominated by the smell of sweaty socks. Underneath this was some oak, cherry, pepper, and vanilla. The palate had more fruit upfront, mainly cherry, mixed with oak, vanilla, and just a touch of pepper. The tannins were very soft.
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3/11/2006 - Spencer wrote: 92 Points
This is a very suave, and Northern Rhone-like wine, but I feel it currently lacks the complexity of the '02. It's still delicious, and maybe it will eventually develop a bit more nuance, but I think the '02 is the better wine.
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