Tasted over 2 hrs -opaque dark red purple -faint dark berry olive brine -med+/hi acidity, med weight med+ concentration sour tart blackberry, med tannins -very high acidity for its weight knocks it out of balance, this has not positively evolved over 4 years so not so optimistic about its future
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This was drinking really well - super savory and dark fruited - much more Northern Rhone in style than California. Medium weight, long finish - enjoyed!
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Very nice low alcohol Syrah. This just seems to have a little bit of everything going on. There’s plenty of tart red berries, but also a faint hint of sweetness to the fruit. Some herbal notes that include spearmint and thyme, and a bit of freshly ground white peppercorn. There’s a kind of meaty Syrah note. And, possibly (though I’m not sure) a very faint barrel note? In any case, light and low alcohol, but with a density that comes with the varietal. All in all a fun wine to parse. No rush; does need to be decanted for sediment.
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Defective bottle! Unpleasant volatile acidity. Sharp sour fruit like cranberry juice, with nail polish remover overtones. For a limited production, higher end wine, this was a disappointment.
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Deep opaque garnet color. Evocative aromatics - crunchy blueberry & plum, fresh garrigue, iron, blood sausage, tapenade, cracked peppercorn, bay leaf. Succulent and crunchy black fruit on the palate, crushed mineral, dried violet, peppercorn and black tea depth - terrific flavor development. Lean and austere structurally at first, filling out somewhat in the mid palate with air. Sharp acidity, with thick grainy tannins, and tart juicy lingering fruit on the finish. Would love to see a smidgeon more phenolic ripeness on this but compelling nonetheless. Drink/hold.
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Excellent nose, but on palate was harsh, acid and lacked much fruit. Decanted about 2 hours before we drank, perhaps it needed more time or was a defective bottle. I've had better from AR
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This is a tale of two wines, but they were both in the same bottle. When I opened this wine it was undrinkable. Heavy sour cherry, mouth puckering, enamel stripping acidity. It improved a touch on day two but not enough so I left it under corkfor three days and revisited it then.it reallyneeded all that time. The sour palate calmed down, the dark fruit emerged, the acidity softened and the grippy tannins took over. Very enjoyable after 6 days open but that time and the grip keeps it laying on its side for at least another 5 years before I take another bottle out.
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PnP. 1/2019. Color - deep purple, lovely Nose - big raspberry, blackberry, cherry Taste - A lot of fruit (similar to the nose), but enough acidity to balance out, minimal peppery note.
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PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs -opaque very dark red almost black stains the glass -lifted sour dark berry violet whiff of black pepper -med+ to high acid gives a sour almost citrusy topnote to the med- weight dark berry earthy mid-palate of average complexity and better than average depth, med dusty tannins -very much an A-R profile with the dark fruit higher acid and lighter weight though might have a little more depth (not sure if this is an Alder Springs effect, or the vintage)
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I've enjoyed some of the Arnot-Roberts Syrahs in the past, but this struck me as rather one-note and uninteresting. It's nicely balanced with a bright acid spine that gives it a nice sense of freshness, but there isn't much depth to the aromatics or palate beyond some pepper-tinged red fruit and some faint reductive notes that never really seem to clear with air.
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Very much like my initial bottle. It does not have much in the way of fruit, but has lots of meat, leather and bright acidity. It is very austere, but at the core expresses Syrah in a very loud voice. Going to let my last bottle sit for a good long while just to see what happens.
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Very high toned cranberry fruit with lots of verve on the palate. One could argue a bit too much verve. Still and all and all, hold itself together in a brilliant, forceful and clean way. Destined for the cellar.
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Was hoping for a bit more black pepper and spice but that was only because of a food pairing that I was tempting. Otherwise juicy and clear and fresh and ready.
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Wow is this good. Meaty, peppery, leathery - it's packed with all sorts of deep Syrah elements that harken to the Northern Rhone. It's not remotely fruity. It does have a bit of an acidic edge, but that resolves itself with about an hour of air, leaving a bright but silky Syrah treasure. Fantastic wine.
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This wine is unbelievably tart. I've had more complex Odwalla juices. This tasted like a cross between grapefruit and pomegranate juice. The trouble is, it's a $50 poorly made juice which is just infuriating. I wouldn't wish this wine on my worst enemy. It's just too cruel. I suppose if there were any silver lining, it's good to occasionally taste bad wines like this which make me truly appreciate the stellar efforts of talented winemakers.
Even more pronouced on day two. And the acidity is a bit more integrated. Stemmy tannins Nate notes. One day one the acidity was almost prickly. Now a bit more mellowed down but still crazy. Time to let them go for a couple of years. Its pretty killer, just needing time.
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High pitched cherry and cranberry on the nose with black pepper spice, barnyard funk, maybe VA, but in a word -- complex. Palate sings with acidity. Very lively indeed. As good as I remember it being from barrel.
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(A-R open house) Dead ringer for a Northern Rhone wine, or at least I'd mistake it for one. Aromas of lily, leather, and olive. All that and a touch of iron and pepper complements the dark fruit on the palate. Hard to believe this is from California. Oozes finesse yet makes an impression. Remarkable.
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(From a tasting at Chambers St. Wines) This was my favorite of the lineup. Revelatory for a California syrah. Detailed and pure on the nose and on the palate, all sorts of pepper and bacon notes intermingled with the fruit. Really nice impact on the palate too... this makes you stand up and take notice. So balanced and delicate, but with such impact on the palate. This is absolutely worth trying. I would say that this is a wine to drink on the younger side... maybe a bit of time to integrate in the bottle, but I don't see the need for extended cellaring.
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10/14/2022 - Rieslingfan wrote:
So acidic as to be undrinkable
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9/13/2022 - Cote d'Or wrote:
Tasted over 2 hrs
-opaque dark red purple
-faint dark berry olive brine
-med+/hi acidity, med weight med+ concentration sour tart blackberry, med tannins
-very high acidity for its weight knocks it out of balance, this has not positively evolved over 4 years so not so optimistic about its future
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1/8/2022 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still amazing.
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12/21/2021 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
This was drinking really well - super savory and dark fruited - much more Northern Rhone in style than California. Medium weight, long finish - enjoyed!
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7/2/2021 - jjct Does not like this wine:
This bottle was dried out. All disjointed tannins and acid, with no fruit. Guess I waited too long.
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8/9/2020 - winchester-xi Likes this wine:
Very nice low alcohol Syrah. This just seems to have a little bit of everything going on. There’s plenty of tart red berries, but also a faint hint of sweetness to the fruit. Some herbal notes that include spearmint and thyme, and a bit of freshly ground white peppercorn. There’s a kind of meaty Syrah note. And, possibly (though I’m not sure) a very faint barrel note? In any case, light and low alcohol, but with a density that comes with the varietal. All in all a fun wine to parse. No rush; does need to be decanted for sediment.
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4/6/2020 - papabluez wrote: 75 Points
Defective bottle! Unpleasant volatile acidity. Sharp sour fruit like cranberry juice, with nail polish remover overtones. For a limited production, higher end wine, this was a disappointment.
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10/26/2019 - MattMauldin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep opaque garnet color. Evocative aromatics - crunchy blueberry & plum, fresh garrigue, iron, blood sausage, tapenade, cracked peppercorn, bay leaf. Succulent and crunchy black fruit on the palate, crushed mineral, dried violet, peppercorn and black tea depth - terrific flavor development. Lean and austere structurally at first, filling out somewhat in the mid palate with air. Sharp acidity, with thick grainy tannins, and tart juicy lingering fruit on the finish. Would love to see a smidgeon more phenolic ripeness on this but compelling nonetheless. Drink/hold.
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10/2/2019 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 94 Points
PnP with steak. Still in its prime. Still effervescent.
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6/16/2019 - toddvh wrote:
Excellent nose, but on palate was harsh, acid and lacked much fruit. Decanted about 2 hours before we drank, perhaps it needed more time or was a defective bottle. I've had better from AR
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1/21/2019 - River Rat wrote:
This is a tale of two wines, but they were both in the same bottle. When I opened this wine it was undrinkable. Heavy sour cherry, mouth puckering, enamel stripping acidity. It improved a touch on day two but not enough so I left it under corkfor three days and revisited it then.it reallyneeded all that time. The sour palate calmed down, the dark fruit emerged, the acidity softened and the grippy tannins took over. Very enjoyable after 6 days open but that time and the grip keeps it laying on its side for at least another 5 years before I take another bottle out.
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1/16/2019 - BigEast55 wrote: 93 Points
PnP. 1/2019.
Color - deep purple, lovely
Nose - big raspberry, blackberry, cherry
Taste - A lot of fruit (similar to the nose), but enough acidity to balance out, minimal peppery note.
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10/13/2018 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 94 Points
PnP. Just delightful. This bottle had some effervescence, which was not a bad thing. Still in its prime. 12%
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1/7/2018 - Cote d'Or wrote:
PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs
-opaque very dark red almost black stains the glass
-lifted sour dark berry violet whiff of black pepper
-med+ to high acid gives a sour almost citrusy topnote to the med- weight dark berry earthy mid-palate of average complexity and better than average depth, med dusty tannins
-very much an A-R profile with the dark fruit higher acid and lighter weight though might have a little more depth (not sure if this is an Alder Springs effect, or the vintage)
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8/21/2017 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Still a tart and tangy beast. Maybe it will open up someday?
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2/9/2017 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delightful northern Rhone style. 12%
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9/29/2015 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
THought it was corked last night and its corked.
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12/1/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Better on day two.
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8/2/2014 - salil wrote: 86 Points
I've enjoyed some of the Arnot-Roberts Syrahs in the past, but this struck me as rather one-note and uninteresting. It's nicely balanced with a bright acid spine that gives it a nice sense of freshness, but there isn't much depth to the aromatics or palate beyond some pepper-tinged red fruit and some faint reductive notes that never really seem to clear with air.
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8/2/2014 - Rieslingfan Likes this wine:
Very much like my initial bottle. It does not have much in the way of fruit, but has lots of meat, leather and bright acidity. It is very austere, but at the core expresses Syrah in a very loud voice. Going to let my last bottle sit for a good long while just to see what happens.
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12/13/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Opening up and more expressive on the nose then the 2012, but then that palate again, extremely tight. But just opened too.
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10/23/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Very high toned cranberry fruit with lots of verve on the palate. One could argue a bit too much verve. Still and all and all, hold itself together in a brilliant, forceful and clean way. Destined for the cellar.
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6/3/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Was hoping for a bit more black pepper and spice but that was only because of a food pairing that I was tempting. Otherwise juicy and clear and fresh and ready.
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5/10/2013 - atrox wrote: flawed
Spritzy and corked which is a shame as this went from the winery to me storage only to be pulled this week.
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3/30/2013 - Rieslingfan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wow is this good. Meaty, peppery, leathery - it's packed with all sorts of deep Syrah elements that harken to the Northern Rhone. It's not remotely fruity. It does have a bit of an acidic edge, but that resolves itself with about an hour of air, leaving a bright but silky Syrah treasure. Fantastic wine.
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12/22/2012 - Gestalted Does not like this wine: 70 Points
This wine is unbelievably tart. I've had more complex Odwalla juices. This tasted like a cross between grapefruit and pomegranate juice. The trouble is, it's a $50 poorly made juice which is just infuriating. I wouldn't wish this wine on my worst enemy. It's just too cruel. I suppose if there were any silver lining, it's good to occasionally taste bad wines like this which make me truly appreciate the stellar efforts of talented winemakers.
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8/24/2012 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Still tasty after being open for four days. Man do I need to stop drinking these and just let them sit for a while in the cellar.
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8/21/2012 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Even more pronouced on day two. And the acidity is a bit more integrated. Stemmy tannins Nate notes. One day one the acidity was almost prickly. Now a bit more mellowed down but still crazy. Time to let them go for a couple of years. Its pretty killer, just needing time.
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7/18/2012 - DaddyNeedsPow wrote: 91 Points
Waterford tasting. "Nose: barnyard; menthol/bayleaf; ganache; black pepper. Built for the long haul." Huge potential, IMO.
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6/19/2012 - mmurry Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cranberry and cherry on the nose, with spice and game at the end. Cherry and game on the palate, with hints of spice and game on the finish.
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6/5/2012 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
High pitched cherry and cranberry on the nose with black pepper spice, barnyard funk, maybe VA, but in a word -- complex. Palate sings with acidity. Very lively indeed. As good as I remember it being from barrel.
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5/5/2012 - slanum wrote:
(A-R open house) Dead ringer for a Northern Rhone wine, or at least I'd mistake it for one. Aromas of lily, leather, and olive. All that and a touch of iron and pepper complements the dark fruit on the palate. Hard to believe this is from California. Oozes finesse yet makes an impression. Remarkable.
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3/21/2012 - Chris Newport wrote:
(From a tasting at Chambers St. Wines) This was my favorite of the lineup. Revelatory for a California syrah. Detailed and pure on the nose and on the palate, all sorts of pepper and bacon notes intermingled with the fruit. Really nice impact on the palate too... this makes you stand up and take notice. So balanced and delicate, but with such impact on the palate. This is absolutely worth trying. I would say that this is a wine to drink on the younger side... maybe a bit of time to integrate in the bottle, but I don't see the need for extended cellaring.
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