Yuck! Dirty tasting as in earth/dirt. Not a single redeeming thing about this bottle. There's a bitter soy sauce note with scorched rubber underbrush and newly paved asphalt. This wine sucks more on day 2. Bummer. It was my last wine of a 3 pack and easily the worst.
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Interesting notes on this wine! This bottle was all black olive, meat with a hint of white pepper. Some earthy blueberry...man was it delicious! and not a hint of vegetable. Can't wait for the last 3rd of the bottle tonight 12.4 ABV
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Really weird. I've liked this bottling in the past, but this was very strange. Serious vegetal component (green beans) and a sharp citrusy thing as well. Never would have guessed Syrah, but the vegetal element wasn't really a Cab Franc-ish thing either. Others seem to be having similar experiences, so I don't think this was flawed, just weird. Not very enjoyable.
Well, this was sure interesting. I respect what La Clarine Farm is doing, and as this was one of the more unpleasant wine experiences I've ever had, I'm hoping I just had a bad bottle. The aromatics were more reminscent of tequila than of wine, and I don't quite know how to describe the palate. Sour (but not acidic), maybe? Theronware (below) describes a piney green element and a syrah-like meat, smoke, dark fruit component. In this bottle, the latter component was missing entirely. There was no fruit to speak of, just unrelenting waves of sour green notes.
A number of individuals whose opinions I greatly respect and whose palate preferences align with mine really like this, so for now I'm going to assume that the bottle was flawed.
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Another fascinating, enjoyable bottle of this wine. You need to have an open mind and preferably follow this over several days, but it's well worth the effort.
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I sampled this over 5 days (!) and, to my palate, it was best on the last day. Upon opening, the wine had a high-pitched, piney, green element that I am coming to associate with La Clarine reds ( and which I love in the Mourvedre Cedarville and the Piedi Grandi. In those wines, the piney element marries wonderfully with wild red fruits). The wine also had a distinct, lower-pitched element -- more typical syrah-like meat, smoke, dark fruit. The first four days these two separate elements of the wine fought with each other and clashed -- the overall effect was of sitting downwind from a campfire burning unseasoned wood. Finally, by day five, the piney element was more integrated, and the smoky, dark fruited aspect of the wine came to the forefront. It was delicious. My remaining bottles will stay buried deep in the cellar. If I were to score this (an endeavor which seems particularly redundant in the context of La Clarine wines) I'd give it an 84 the first few days and a 90 by the last day.
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Wind Gap Tasting with Scott Schultz (Forestville, CA): Big floral aromas and rich fruit on the nose. Palate has a medium body that belies the nose. Elegant with a touch of spritz (?). Pepper, spice and black fruit. Long herby, chewy finish.
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Delicious and hard to describe. Lighter bodied and textured. Something gave me the impression of flowing water (not diluted, just a strange impression that reminded me of water), though that doesn't really do it justice. Not quite as good as 2010, but still very good.
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First thought was "whoa...this is different?" Rustic plum color...nose of green underbrush, cherries, blueberries, plum pudding, smoked herbs.....very intriguing nose. First thing...this is not your typical ooozemonster Cali Syrah! It is Pinot-ish in feel, but with wild dark Rhone flavors. Maybe not even Rhone...just wild! The fruit is dark berries, rustic, yet light and crunchy. Lots of herbs and stems, underbrush...reminds one of Mourvedre? Bright acidity and good dose of minerality alivens the wine, and makes way for some wild complexities of smoked pepper, pine sap, tobacco leaves, au jus. I really like the light weight and the 12.4 alc. Very cool wine!
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Lots of CO2 in this one so it needs a few shakes and about an hour in a wide decanter to kick the spritz and straighten itself out. Spritz or no spritz, the acidity gives it a ton of lively energy and a steely spine, which is also reinforced by a vivid helping of that peppery flavor that I love to see in syrah and which makes this absolutely delicious with pepper-rubbed steaks - I'm not sure why jam-and-oak concoctions are steakhouse staples when something like this, with a black fruited-palate that's just as assertive but so much more lip-smacking and gulpable, makes such a perfect partner.
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Blueberry concentrate, rocks, touch of vanilla, waxy lavender. Sappy, crunchy fruit, some strawberry, tart acidity that gains on the finish. Lively, focused, Syrah. ★
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While this wine is light, acidic, and spicy, as I basically expected, something here gives it ... character. Weirdly, I found myself treating it almost like a scotch: sipping it slowly while reading a book. As with scotch, I can really enjoy the experience of drinking it, while still trying to figure out how much I actually "like" it. Interesting.
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4/21/2020 - gregg g wrote:
Yuck! Dirty tasting as in earth/dirt. Not a single redeeming thing about this bottle. There's a bitter soy sauce note with scorched rubber underbrush and newly paved asphalt. This wine sucks more on day 2. Bummer. It was my last wine of a 3 pack and easily the worst.
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3/27/2017 - Mrbuzz wrote:
Seems dirty...not a fan at this stage.
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10/15/2014 - scott w Likes this wine: 91 Points
Interesting notes on this wine! This bottle was all black olive, meat with a hint of white pepper. Some earthy blueberry...man was it delicious! and not a hint of vegetable. Can't wait for the last 3rd of the bottle tonight 12.4 ABV
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9/8/2014 - geeky? not sure wrote:
Really weird. I've liked this bottling in the past, but this was very strange. Serious vegetal component (green beans) and a sharp citrusy thing as well. Never would have guessed Syrah, but the vegetal element wasn't really a Cab Franc-ish thing either. Others seem to be having similar experiences, so I don't think this was flawed, just weird. Not very enjoyable.
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6/8/2013 - MWiking Does not like this wine: 50 Points
This is probably the worst not defect wine I ever tried. had a taste and then throwed it in the zink. This is not a wine in my opinion.
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5/15/2013 - mjg87 wrote:
Well, this was sure interesting. I respect what La Clarine Farm is doing, and as this was one of the more unpleasant wine experiences I've ever had, I'm hoping I just had a bad bottle. The aromatics were more reminscent of tequila than of wine, and I don't quite know how to describe the palate. Sour (but not acidic), maybe? Theronware (below) describes a piney green element and a syrah-like meat, smoke, dark fruit component. In this bottle, the latter component was missing entirely. There was no fruit to speak of, just unrelenting waves of sour green notes.
A number of individuals whose opinions I greatly respect and whose palate preferences align with mine really like this, so for now I'm going to assume that the bottle was flawed.
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4/24/2013 - Spencer wrote:
Another fascinating, enjoyable bottle of this wine. You need to have an open mind and preferably follow this over several days, but it's well worth the effort.
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4/24/2013 - theronware Likes this wine:
I sampled this over 5 days (!) and, to my palate, it was best on the last day. Upon opening, the wine had a high-pitched, piney, green element that I am coming to associate with La Clarine reds ( and which I love in the Mourvedre Cedarville and the Piedi Grandi. In those wines, the piney element marries wonderfully with wild red fruits). The wine also had a distinct, lower-pitched element -- more typical syrah-like meat, smoke, dark fruit. The first four days these two separate elements of the wine fought with each other and clashed -- the overall effect was of sitting downwind from a campfire burning unseasoned wood. Finally, by day five, the piney element was more integrated, and the smoky, dark fruited aspect of the wine came to the forefront. It was delicious. My remaining bottles will stay buried deep in the cellar. If I were to score this (an endeavor which seems particularly redundant in the context of La Clarine wines) I'd give it an 84 the first few days and a 90 by the last day.
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4/19/2013 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Wind Gap Tasting with Scott Schultz (Forestville, CA): Big floral aromas and rich fruit on the nose. Palate has a medium body that belies the nose. Elegant with a touch of spritz (?). Pepper, spice and black fruit. Long herby, chewy finish.
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4/12/2013 - geeky? not sure wrote:
Delicious and hard to describe. Lighter bodied and textured. Something gave me the impression of flowing water (not diluted, just a strange impression that reminded me of water), though that doesn't really do it justice. Not quite as good as 2010, but still very good.
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3/8/2013 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 93 Points
First thought was "whoa...this is different?" Rustic plum color...nose of green underbrush, cherries, blueberries, plum pudding, smoked herbs.....very intriguing nose. First thing...this is not your typical ooozemonster Cali Syrah! It is Pinot-ish in feel, but with wild dark Rhone flavors. Maybe not even Rhone...just wild! The fruit is dark berries, rustic, yet light and crunchy. Lots of herbs and stems, underbrush...reminds one of Mourvedre? Bright acidity and good dose of minerality alivens the wine, and makes way for some wild complexities of smoked pepper, pine sap, tobacco leaves, au jus. I really like the light weight and the 12.4 alc. Very cool wine!
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2/25/2013 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 91 Points
Lots of CO2 in this one so it needs a few shakes and about an hour in a wide decanter to kick the spritz and straighten itself out. Spritz or no spritz, the acidity gives it a ton of lively energy and a steely spine, which is also reinforced by a vivid helping of that peppery flavor that I love to see in syrah and which makes this absolutely delicious with pepper-rubbed steaks - I'm not sure why jam-and-oak concoctions are steakhouse staples when something like this, with a black fruited-palate that's just as assertive but so much more lip-smacking and gulpable, makes such a perfect partner.
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2/9/2013 - weingutwilhelm wrote: 91 Points
Blueberry concentrate, rocks, touch of vanilla, waxy lavender. Sappy, crunchy fruit, some strawberry, tart acidity that gains on the finish. Lively, focused, Syrah. ★
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1/24/2013 - missionpk Likes this wine:
While this wine is light, acidic, and spicy, as I basically expected, something here gives it ... character. Weirdly, I found myself treating it almost like a scotch: sipping it slowly while reading a book. As with scotch, I can really enjoy the experience of drinking it, while still trying to figure out how much I actually "like" it. Interesting.
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