With Valerie at home w casual fare...Last bottle from a batch bought at release. PnP, drank over 2 hours.
Notes from a couple years ago have held up: "Great red fruit nose, lavender and herbs, some heat (although this is a low ABV for a Syrah). Nose is quite sophisticated and unique...Palate is ripe red and black raspberry fruit, currant, herbs de Provence, black pepper, floral/lavender notes."
Spice and pepper on the nose is still note. Nice red fruit, plum, current that persists with the pepper and floral notes through the mid palate. Tannins still firm and a bit grippy, may be persisting from whole cluster. Medium body and finish.
Would be interesting to see if this evolves given tannins. Best guess is this is at its best over next couple years
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 3 1/2 hours. Pleasant dark garnet, inviting fruity nose. There is fruit, tannins & acidity, all the sensations you expect, however they’re totally out of kilter, truly unbalanced with a bitter predominance of tannins on the forward palate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs -nearly opaque dark red purple tinge no bricking -nicely expressive ripe berry plum violet stone -med acidity, med/med- weight, straight-forward dark berry juniper, chalky and slightly bitter med/med- tannins -very pretty aromatics, drinking well now
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was delicious. Quite stemmy, herby, peppery with terrific aromatics. Good mouthfeel and fruit but this is an acid-driven wine. The bouquet was quite similar to a Guigal La Mouline 2006 tasted next to it, though it lacked the depth of that wine. I really like and will look for more. Cool climate syrah in excellent form.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
In OCNJ with a casual dinner from Puccini's. Been a couple years since I visited this wine, bought direct. PnP and drank over 90 minutes.
From prior notes: "Great red fruit nose, lavender and herbs, some heat (although this is a low ABV for a Syrah). Nose is quite sophisticated and unique...Palate is ripe red and black raspberry fruit, currant, herbs de Provence, black pepper, floral/lavender notes."
What was more noticeable (from memory) this time was the herbal green notes when first opened. Assuming this was whole cluster when fermented. As we drank it the green/herbal notes subsided and the wine became richer and more luxurious and through the mid palate. Maybe experiencing exactly what the winemaker intended with use of stems/whole cluster here, which adds body/tannins/flavor through deliberate use vs. the green notes from more incidental use...best guess..:)
In a really good spot now. Interesting to see a Calif Syrah at 12.9 ABV (a first for me..) Give it some air time to come together...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Was reductive and disjointed upon opening but evolved very nicely with air over two days. Did not spritz on this occasion and has a more integrated profile than in July. Delicious red fruit, enjoyable herbal notes but what really stood out was the citrus like acidity which endured deep into the finish so you could focus on it for 20 seconds or so. I was not successful in finding the right paring for this wine and wonder if it is best consumed alone. Fun!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My second bottle in 6 months. I meant to open the 2013 to see how it was drinking young, but I opened this on accident. Oh well. This is drinking perfectly right now. Herbaceous, green pepper, olive, blackberry. 12.9%. Crackle and brambly and still has that gas. Better on day two. Drink or hold for five years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PNP and enjoyed over several days; turbid ruby with purple highlights; nose of raspberry and herbal notes; moderate acidity with average mouthfeel; palate evolved and was temperature and time sensitive; raspberry, herbals, smoke, a touch of cocoa, pepper, even a little green pepper. Got the same initial effervescence that many experienced. Moderate tannins that were enjoyable. I liked this wine more with each glass and especially when warm. Looking forward to next bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Did have some gas on this. Old skool. White pepper. Black pepper. Very low alc. Blackberries. Spicy. Really amazing wine for the price and blind tasters wouldn't know if this was new world or old. 2011 was cold and made many a napa fruit bomb manufacturer sad, but continues to make me happy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
On day two one taster notes that the nose is still rockin'. And frankly, I preferred to one of the big boys Syrah's - the 2010 Alder Springs. Here more meat on the bones and a touch more hedonistic. Although this has that faint quiver of carbonic to it that I don't much like.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted as it had a bit of undiluted gas on the palate and frankly could use the aeration to open up. Pretty solid, restrained and pure syrah, nothing overdone here a riper early 2000s rhone syrah. Quite a fresh, fruit forward phase at the moment, firm but on the round side and has a juicy core. Open nose, red fruits, spice. Drinks well enough at this point but time can only help. Worth the good PR behind the brand. 91 for now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
First bottle of this, at home with my green chili stew and fresh grilled onion naan...Popped and poured, drank over 2 hours.
Great red fruit nose, lavender and herbs, some heat (although this is a low ABV for a Syrah). Nose is quite sophisticated and unique. Palate is still a bit tight, attribute to youth and the short decant. Palate is ripe red and black raspberry fruit, currant, herbs de Provence, black pepper, floral/lavender notes.
The spice and floral elegance of the wine is what strikes you. A-R is a great producer of unique small production wines, have had consistently good experience with their wines across the board. This one is ready now, will probably be in a good spot over the next 5-7 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Juicy red raspberry aromas. Black pepper, cinnamon aromas. Palate shows black pepper, on a solid, more than the average Crozes fruit profile. Raspberry, red and black. Medium tannin. (Others seemed to suggest huge tannin. ??) A different kind of vibrant. There's a slight tongue numbing-ness to the wine. Fabulous on the cork pull. Day 2, with some air, the palate texture settles into a glossiness as the pepper-iness is absorbed into the wine. Damn fine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured, then put away 1/2 of the bottle for several hours. The nose is glorious, full of red currant, spices, cherry, and wet stone. I was impressed with the depth of the bouquet and the balanced intensity. On the palate it's great up front, but shows its youth through the mid-palate. There's no doubt this will be a truly excellent wine but it needs time to come together. The mid-palate and the finish have plenty of integrated tannin and acidity, yet are a bit lacking in the red fruit that show up on the attack. Still, a gorgeous syrah that will only get better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The pleasing intensity and fruit sweetness are given depth with shadows of pepper and bright iron. Enjoyable and complementary with red meat and fowl. Young but fine w no decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I have yet to try an AR syrah and my curiosity got the best of me. Very young, but really enjoyable. Red and black fruits, spicy, black pepper, smoke, a bit of floral notes, great acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs and Day 2 -opaque dark red with purple -moderately aromatic with distinct black pepper component -med acidity, med- weight, good complexity, dark red/black fruits, med+ tannins -good cool-climate syrah, expect a few years of improvement
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine was really difficult at the beginning. Tasted just after opening - the aromatics were lovely, light and peppery, but the tannin was unbearable. Nice bright fruit and pepper spice upfront, but the flavors drop abruptly and a wave of teeth-ripping tannin overwhelms any other sensation. So odd for such a light-medium bodied wine. Decanted part of it for 2 hours and the flavors were a bit longer lasting, but still overwhelmed by dense tannin. Only after having the bottle open for 11 hours did that change. I would not have thought this was the same wine. It was lithe and elegant and well balanced. I can see the potential in this wine, but best to let it sleep for a couple more years (unless you have all day to let it sit open before enjoying).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Black pepper, green olive, and a slight meaty touch to the nose. The palate is delicate like spun sugar but with plenty of depth from ripe blue- and black-tinged fruit. Structure is there, too, from a vibrant acidity. Extremely easy to drink, delicious, and food-friendly!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Iodine and black fruit on the nose, with pepper and meat, a little leather, and some smoke at the end. Rich and juicy on the palate, with dark fruit and pepper, some leather and iodine, and a nice berry finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour and served in Govino plastic cups, while eating pizza and working on a boat motor (Universal Atomic 4 in case you were wondering). Wonderful nose of lavender and clay. There is a good richness to this with nice acidity and lift. Quite approachable for such a young syrah. Quite enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ripe, sweetish red berries and some dark berries. Palate with sweetish attack, medium tannin, good fruit, good acidity. New World-styled, but with good acidity providing freshness.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very fragrant and aromatic with peppery and slightly green nose. Brooding dark fruits, herbs and rubber. The palate is superb with perfect balance, classical structure, length and finesse. What an amazing wine at this price point.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really young, but lots of potential in the cellar, I think. I had NO IDEA upon first sip that this was CA syrah. brisk acidity, tons of blueberry (like blueberry juice) extract, herbs, some stoniness/minerality (like top tier cru Beaujolais...blueberry juice flowing over rocks), and hints of cranberry and finally...some spritziness, as if the wine went through a bit of carbonic. Super long finish and really tasty. Great producer. Buy more...
The nose showed crushed raspberry with a hint of blueberry, chalky minerals, mountain herbs and cracked pepper. On the palate it was medium-bodied with flavors of cranberry, tart dried cherry and black pepper. The finish was long with intense wild berry fruit and lingering herbal notes.
Although young, this wine showed a glimpse of it's future potential. After three hours in the bottle, it shut down hard. I'm hoping it might open up again for another taste tomorrow.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Herbal aromas with a hint of chocolate, clear fruit flavors, broad finish, quite lovely. I didn't really have a chance to do a serious tasting so I won't give a rating, but something in the 88-92 range.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
10/18/2019 - walkerjfw wrote:
With Valerie at home w casual fare...Last bottle from a batch bought at release. PnP, drank over 2 hours.
Notes from a couple years ago have held up: "Great red fruit nose, lavender and herbs, some heat (although this is a low ABV for a Syrah). Nose is quite sophisticated and unique...Palate is ripe red and black raspberry fruit, currant, herbs de Provence, black pepper, floral/lavender notes."
Spice and pepper on the nose is still note. Nice red fruit, plum, current that persists with the pepper and floral notes through the mid palate. Tannins still firm and a bit grippy, may be persisting from whole cluster. Medium body and finish.
Would be interesting to see if this evolves given tannins. Best guess is this is at its best over next couple years
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2018 - gazinho Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Decanted for 3 1/2 hours.
Pleasant dark garnet, inviting fruity nose.
There is fruit, tannins & acidity, all the sensations you expect, however they’re totally out of kilter, truly unbalanced with a bitter predominance of tannins on the forward palate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/21/2018 - Cote d'Or wrote:
PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs
-nearly opaque dark red purple tinge no bricking
-nicely expressive ripe berry plum violet stone
-med acidity, med/med- weight, straight-forward dark berry juniper, chalky and slightly bitter med/med- tannins
-very pretty aromatics, drinking well now
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2017 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
This was delicious. Quite stemmy, herby, peppery with terrific aromatics. Good mouthfeel and fruit but this is an acid-driven wine. The bouquet was quite similar to a Guigal La Mouline 2006 tasted next to it, though it lacked the depth of that wine. I really like and will look for more. Cool climate syrah in excellent form.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2017 - walkerjfw wrote: 92 Points
In OCNJ with a casual dinner from Puccini's. Been a couple years since I visited this wine, bought direct. PnP and drank over 90 minutes.
From prior notes: "Great red fruit nose, lavender and herbs, some heat (although this is a low ABV for a Syrah). Nose is quite sophisticated and unique...Palate is ripe red and black raspberry fruit, currant, herbs de Provence, black pepper, floral/lavender notes."
What was more noticeable (from memory) this time was the herbal green notes when first opened. Assuming this was whole cluster when fermented. As we drank it the green/herbal notes subsided and the wine became richer and more luxurious and through the mid palate. Maybe experiencing exactly what the winemaker intended with use of stems/whole cluster here, which adds body/tannins/flavor through deliberate use vs. the green notes from more incidental use...best guess..:)
In a really good spot now. Interesting to see a Calif Syrah at 12.9 ABV (a first for me..) Give it some air time to come together...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2015 - Onthelees Likes this wine:
Was reductive and disjointed upon opening but evolved very nicely with air over two days. Did not spritz on this occasion and has a more integrated profile than in July. Delicious red fruit, enjoyable herbal notes but what really stood out was the citrus like acidity which endured deep into the finish so you could focus on it for 20 seconds or so. I was not successful in finding the right paring for this wine and wonder if it is best consumed alone. Fun!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2015 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 91 Points
My second bottle in 6 months. I meant to open the 2013 to see how it was drinking young, but I opened this on accident. Oh well. This is drinking perfectly right now. Herbaceous, green pepper, olive, blackberry. 12.9%. Crackle and brambly and still has that gas. Better on day two. Drink or hold for five years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/16/2015 - Onthelees Likes this wine:
PNP and enjoyed over several days; turbid ruby with purple highlights; nose of raspberry and herbal notes; moderate acidity with average mouthfeel; palate evolved and was temperature and time sensitive; raspberry, herbals, smoke, a touch of cocoa, pepper, even a little green pepper. Got the same initial effervescence that many experienced. Moderate tannins that were enjoyable. I liked this wine more with each glass and especially when warm. Looking forward to next bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2015 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP. Slight effervescence. Pretty and ready. 12.9%
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2015 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 91 Points
Did have some gas on this. Old skool. White pepper. Black pepper. Very low alc. Blackberries. Spicy. Really amazing wine for the price and blind tasters wouldn't know if this was new world or old. 2011 was cold and made many a napa fruit bomb manufacturer sad, but continues to make me happy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
On day two one taster notes that the nose is still rockin'. And frankly, I preferred to one of the big boys Syrah's - the 2010 Alder Springs. Here more meat on the bones and a touch more hedonistic. Although this has that faint quiver of carbonic to it that I don't much like.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2014 - brinko99 Likes this wine:
Very very tight; Finished after 1 hour and never fully opened.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2014 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Decanted as it had a bit of undiluted gas on the palate and frankly could use the aeration to open up.
Pretty solid, restrained and pure syrah, nothing overdone here a riper early 2000s rhone syrah. Quite a fresh, fruit forward phase at the moment, firm but on the round side and has a juicy core. Open nose, red fruits, spice. Drinks well enough at this point but time can only help. Worth the good PR behind the brand. 91 for now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2014 - 560 B&W wrote: 90 Points
Has a bit of effervescence; odd, but not unpleasant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2014 - mcsac67 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ruby colored Syrah. Nose of raspberry and white pepper. Flavors of raspberry, pepper, smoked meat and slate. Crisp, vibrant and very pleasing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 92 Points
First bottle of this, at home with my green chili stew and fresh grilled onion naan...Popped and poured, drank over 2 hours.
Great red fruit nose, lavender and herbs, some heat (although this is a low ABV for a Syrah). Nose is quite sophisticated and unique. Palate is still a bit tight, attribute to youth and the short decant. Palate is ripe red and black raspberry fruit, currant, herbs de Provence, black pepper, floral/lavender notes.
The spice and floral elegance of the wine is what strikes you. A-R is a great producer of unique small production wines, have had consistently good experience with their wines across the board. This one is ready now, will probably be in a good spot over the next 5-7 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/13/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Just a bare touch more open and expressive then the 2012 off the cork pull. Much more so on the palate. But darn, very tight on the palate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2013 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Juicy red raspberry aromas. Black pepper, cinnamon aromas. Palate shows black pepper, on a solid, more than the average Crozes fruit profile. Raspberry, red and black. Medium tannin. (Others seemed to suggest huge tannin. ??)
A different kind of vibrant. There's a slight tongue numbing-ness to the wine. Fabulous on the cork pull.
Day 2, with some air, the palate texture settles into a glossiness as the pepper-iness is absorbed into the wine. Damn fine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2013 - ucbeau Likes this wine:
Popped and poured, then put away 1/2 of the bottle for several hours. The nose is glorious, full of red currant, spices, cherry, and wet stone. I was impressed with the depth of the bouquet and the balanced intensity. On the palate it's great up front, but shows its youth through the mid-palate. There's no doubt this will be a truly excellent wine but it needs time to come together. The mid-palate and the finish have plenty of integrated tannin and acidity, yet are a bit lacking in the red fruit that show up on the attack. Still, a gorgeous syrah that will only get better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2013 - Rollerball wrote: 92 Points
The pleasing intensity and fruit sweetness are given depth with shadows of pepper and bright iron. Enjoyable and complementary with red meat and fowl. Young but fine w no decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2013 - Al Ehrhardt wrote:
I have yet to try an AR syrah and my curiosity got the best of me. Very young, but really enjoyable. Red and black fruits, spicy, black pepper, smoke, a bit of floral notes, great acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/19/2013 - Cote d'Or wrote:
PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs and Day 2
-opaque dark red with purple
-moderately aromatic with distinct black pepper component
-med acidity, med- weight, good complexity, dark red/black fruits, med+ tannins
-good cool-climate syrah, expect a few years of improvement
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2013 - JazzQueen Likes this wine:
This wine was really difficult at the beginning. Tasted just after opening - the aromatics were lovely, light and peppery, but the tannin was unbearable. Nice bright fruit and pepper spice upfront, but the flavors drop abruptly and a wave of teeth-ripping tannin overwhelms any other sensation. So odd for such a light-medium bodied wine. Decanted part of it for 2 hours and the flavors were a bit longer lasting, but still overwhelmed by dense tannin. Only after having the bottle open for 11 hours did that change. I would not have thought this was the same wine. It was lithe and elegant and well balanced. I can see the potential in this wine, but best to let it sleep for a couple more years (unless you have all day to let it sit open before enjoying).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2013 - diggydan wrote: 93 Points
Black pepper, green olive, and a slight meaty touch to the nose. The palate is delicate like spun sugar but with plenty of depth from ripe blue- and black-tinged fruit. Structure is there, too, from a vibrant acidity. Extremely easy to drink, delicious, and food-friendly!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2013 - mmurry Likes this wine: 92 Points
Iodine and black fruit on the nose, with pepper and meat, a little leather, and some smoke at the end. Rich and juicy on the palate, with dark fruit and pepper, some leather and iodine, and a nice berry finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2013 - t_moderne wrote: 90 Points
Pop and pour and served in Govino plastic cups, while eating pizza and working on a boat motor (Universal Atomic 4 in case you were wondering).
Wonderful nose of lavender and clay. There is a good richness to this with nice acidity and lift. Quite approachable for such a young syrah. Quite enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Finally easing down into himself. Show more spice, more richness and breath on the palate... its coming, still needs more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2013 - Vintomas wrote: 88 Points
Ripe, sweetish red berries and some dark berries. Palate with sweetish attack, medium tannin, good fruit, good acidity. New World-styled, but with good acidity providing freshness.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2013 - HenrikJ Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very fragrant and aromatic with peppery and slightly green nose. Brooding dark fruits, herbs and rubber. The palate is superb with perfect balance, classical structure, length and finesse. What an amazing wine at this price point.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Tangy and lively. Probably pretty hard to translate for most people. Oh-well!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2013 - RyanJames Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really young, but lots of potential in the cellar, I think. I had NO IDEA upon first sip that this was CA syrah. brisk acidity, tons of blueberry (like blueberry juice) extract, herbs, some stoniness/minerality (like top tier cru Beaujolais...blueberry juice flowing over rocks), and hints of cranberry and finally...some spritziness, as if the wine went through a bit of carbonic. Super long finish and really tasty. Great producer. Buy more...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
3/6/2013 - EMichels wrote: 90 Points
More traditional syrah nose; Brighter direction but not as fresh as the North Block; Nice
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2012 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 90 Points
The nose showed crushed raspberry with a hint of blueberry, chalky minerals, mountain herbs and cracked pepper. On the palate it was medium-bodied with flavors of cranberry, tart dried cherry and black pepper. The finish was long with intense wild berry fruit and lingering herbal notes.
Although young, this wine showed a glimpse of it's future potential. After three hours in the bottle, it shut down hard. I'm hoping it might open up again for another taste tomorrow.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2012 - wgmccallum Likes this wine:
Herbal aromas with a hint of chocolate, clear fruit flavors, broad finish, quite lovely. I didn't really have a chance to do a serious tasting so I won't give a rating, but something in the 88-92 range.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2012 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
On day three very cranberry, tart and tangy. I think I like it more on day one!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment