Slow ox’d in bottle for 3 hrs. Drinking beautifully. Fruit in the backseat, a ton of briny black olives in the forefront, smoky notes. Very savory. Beautiful with Persian lamb and eggplant stew. Low alcohol but so, so much flavor.
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Decanted. Full garnet color with bright ruby edges. Expressive aromatics of fresh blackberry, plum & apple skin, mesquite char, fresh violets, green peppercorn, fresh thyme and rosemary. Succulent black raspberry and blackberry flavors on the palate, juicy and expressive, over a dense secondary core of saline minerals, bay leaf, cardamom, white pepper and black tea. Sinewy, with a silky gliding density that expands through the palate. Taut acidity that has integrated nicely, with broad tannins, fine and plush, leading to a long mouthwatering finish. Showing beautifully, lots of primary vibrancy to the fruit and well-integrated structurally. Drink/hold.
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bottled drunk over a couple of days. if it was not for the bacon fat notes on the nose, I would have guessed Pinot Noir rather than Syrah. The nose displayed some nice pomegranate and sour cherries notes. the palate is very delicate, light body (+), ethereal, very elegant and lingering thanks to a bright (but not over the top) acidity. open for business and not sure i will get a lot better with more time in the cellar.
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Wet leaves, smoked pork, dusty gravel and mushroom in the nose, with hints of over ripe black plums and iodine. The taste is almost a different wine, Black cherry, blood orange pulp, showing a little VA with olive brine and chalk. Chubby side of medium body with sharp acid and powdery tannin.
Not great, but a very good bottle that is charming, if not captivating and ready to go. For me, not a problem now, but I am concerned the VA will get worse.
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To my taste, completely mature. This 10-year old, cold climate Sonoma County Syrah has softened to the point that the tannins are fully resolved while the aromas and flavors are characteristic of the variety while not complex in the way that a wine from the Rhône might be. A very enjoyable wine, the antithesis of typical California versions. A worthy effort.
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Tasted over 2 hrs -deep dark red purple, minimal clearing -distinct olive brine smoke dark berry -med acidity, med weight dark berry and earth dance together as equal partners, med/med+ tannins -dark berries infused with Kalamata olive brine
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Strange bottle. a noticeable amount of fizz upon opening. Never noticed this the clary ranch. Took a while to blow off / didn’t fully do so until day 2. Should’ve decanted it. The wine was sound otherwise. A bit on tangy/tart side. Just an ok btl of a bottling i typically enjoy
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Only 8 barrels produced. This had some funk on it which eventually blew off. High toned cranberry, with medium fruit. A bit of a tart finish. Not overly complex, but drank younger than an eight year old wine, at least for me. I have one bottle left and will hang onto it for another few years to see if anything interesting develops.
Dark ruby color with light translucence at the edges and bit of browning; flecks of sediment towards the bottom of the bottle. Nose smoky and meaty, black pepper with some violets. Palate silky texture, tart bing cherries with a profoundly rocky/wet stone minerality, savory black olives per J, faint pyrazines on the finish.
Hits all the notes of classically structured cool climate Syrah, just skirting the edges of underripe to me but wears its “11 1/2%” abv well overall, some richness to the red fruits surprisingly and gratifyingly. Could see it going a few more years left and developing more. Nice complexity right now, great with food. 92 pts
Third of four bottles. Once again, incredibly good. A delicious cool weather, low alcohol, Syrah. Opened, slow ox’d for 4hrs, and drank over 80 mins at Diavola in Geyserville. Delicious nose - truly spectacular. White pepper, a ton of briny olives, and various dried herbs. Elegant and restrained on the palate, but delicious and flavorsome too. Meaty, smoky, violets. Savory briny notes. Really low alcohol, and yet so flavorsome. Superb.
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PopnPour, tasted over 1 hr and day 2 -opaque dark red -lifted mild funk dusty berry charcuterie black pepper wet stone -med acidity, med/med- weight tangy savory dark berry saline, med fine tannins -quite Cote-Rotie-esque, drinking well now in early maturity
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Once again, incredibly good. A delicious cool weather, low alcohol, Syrah. Opened, slow ox’d for 45 min, and drank over 80 mins with Yemeni/Middle Eastern lamb-heavy food. Delicious nose - truly spectacular. White pepper, briny olives, various dried herbs. Elegant and restrained on the palate, but delicious and flavorsome. Meaty, smoky, violets. Savory briny notes. Really low alcohol, and yet so flavoresome. Superb.
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Shrill and green on opening but this opened up over 3 hrs and became quite lovely. Needs quite a bit of air to get rolling. Best flavors and aromatics at room temp. This drinks very well now with proper handling and seems likely to improve.
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Slow oxed for 90 minutes. Dark purple except for a thin rim. Pretty gnarly at first so aerated it and it settled down quite a bit. Gorgeous, lively, complex nose. Enormous white pepper dominates the nose. Ives.meat, smoke all contribute. Add in olives on palate as other reviews indicate along with orange pith and zest. Long, complex finish. Very dry, very young. Open next bottle in about 5 years.
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Absolutely spectacular cool weather, low alcohol, Syrah. Opened, slow ox’d for 75 min, and drank over 90 mins. Delicious nose - truly intoxicating. White pepper, briny olives, various herbs (lavender, rosemary, thyme). Elegant and restrained on the palate, but delicious. Meaty, smoky, violets. Savory notes. Really low alcohol, and yet so flavoresome. A total winner.
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Smoky, meaty, black olive goodness overflows the glass. The acidity is a bit prickly at first, but that settles down quickly, resulting in a fresh, vibrant, living wine that hits all the right Syrah notes. Delicious now, and with plenty of promise for several years of continued deliciousness.
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Heady, aromatic, delicious. Amazing how much flavor is coaxed into a wine with 11.5% alcohol. Is their whole lineup like this? I'm sitting on a few, but I haven't tried nearly enough.
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11.5% abv. Medium ruby, expressive aromatics. On the palate, leather, blue fruit, black olive and a floral note. Medium depth, good length, vibrant and lively. I would expect this to continue to improve for several more years.
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PnP; 750ml; crimson red, no bricking, more transparent than expected (I've seen pinots more opaque); Interesting nose - smoky upon opening, dark red fruits w/bacon, herbs, stone and dirt; flavors of dark red fruits with smoky barbeque-like smokiness and spices; I like the brighter acidity and thinner texture than typical Cali syrah. This could be a little heftier and might turn that way with more time in the cellar. Interesting and good effort.
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I now realize that Arnot-Roberts are tricky wines and I don't think this wine is near ready yet. Full of flavors but disjointed and sporting a see saw like lack of balance. Would rate it low if pnp'd.
But I had the 2010 recently after slow oxing for 24 hours and it was shockingly good and seamless. Really an extraordinary complex and complete wine.
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The nose is very much the syrah one expects, spice, red fruits, light cardamom at times. Balanced and elegant on the nose. On the palate its definitely not what one expects and the wine at 11.5% alc is a bit on the light, thin and at times watery feel. A good wine bit more of a novelty than anything else. 89
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From a famously cool-climate site. 11.5% abv. Dark ruby, with expressive aromatics. Red and blue fruit on the palate, with floral and mineral highlights. Good depth and length. Appealing and distinctive now, this wine will develop much more interest with more time in the bottle.
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Obviously this is for the ipob crowd. As old world as CA syrah can get, maybe even more old world than the old world currently produces. 11.5% alcohol in 2012 i thought was not humanly possible, but this did it. I love the bacon, olive, green pepper, cracked pepper, and blueberry. I would have given this like 4 points higher if not.for the lack of any real.fruit and the finish that was tart and bitter. Besides that, yum yum.
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Inky purple color and opaque. The smells are wet stone, black pepper, blackberry, lavender, and talcum. The tastes are blackberry, pepper, stone, black olives, and garrigue. The body is light for the varietal and the tannins are very fine and the acidity is zingy. The finish is lengthy and a mix of sour tastes and herbiness. A very unique wine.
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Smoky and earthy aromas lead into a palate full of ripe dark fruited flavours, but this certainly doesn't show any of the complexity or depth of the Northern Rhones at the table, and feels a bit simple and rather ripe. Others liked this more than I did, but I found this rather one-note.
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Everything I want in a syrah. Beguiling nose of olives, meat, iron, dark fruit, leather... This would be a great wine even if I never tasted it. But the palate follows through. Light body, of course, bracing acidity, all the elements of the nose there in the wine.
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Deeply colored with a seriously intense nose of blood, meat and iron. It actually smells exactly like a Flannery hanger steak when taken out of its wrapping, massively gamey and funky. Notes of olive and pepper too, which appear on the palate together with blueberries and blackcurrants. A wine of power and grace, not over the top but with plenty in reserve for the future.
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Wondering where to find that bacon fat element in your Syrah? Look no further than this wine. From first sniff it is all about bacon. That smoky, meaty, intoxicating aroma that brings people to life, makes the 2012 Arnot-Roberts Clary Ranch an archetype for Syrah. There's no makeup, no artifice, just meat, smoke and dark, understated fruit. It's high acid, so it cuts through rich food like a knife through butter. Perhaps not for those who look for a richer experience in their Syrah, but more for those who want to touch the soul of a wine, trace it's lines, feel the inner strength rather than gawk at architecture. I want to watch this age, but I doubt I have that kind of willpower. Amazing Syrah.
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This is masterclass syrah. Would never have pegged this as new world. Dead ringer for a northern Rhone. Quite memorable, wish they had let me buy more. There's brett here: if that bothers you, this may not be for you. It didn't detract from the wine for me. Great now but this bottle will probably just keep getting better.
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Opened and set aside for a while before tasting. Band-aid and sweaty horse jump out initially, along with tart cherry and white pepper. The brett dominates the nose and then does so on the palate, causing an astringency that's only enhanced by the aggressive tannins and low alcohol. One of my favorite producers, however, this bottle was undrinkable.
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Nice young and fresh Syrah. Very lean, and similar to some Saint Josephs, with some smoky and olive flavors, with refreshing palate. After some time, some floral flavors appears, giving a different dimension and also revealing a more Cali than Rhone profile. I think I would have been fooled blind though.
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I love AR but this is definitely straddling the line of being too lean/green for me. 11.5% alcohol. Second night open the nose became a bit more open but this will need time to develop. I will be letting these sit for a long while.
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Arnot-Roberts release day (Arnot-Roberts, Healdsburg, CA): Interesting: for the first 30 seconds or so after hitting the glass this smelled weedy or herbal to me. Then boom: on came floral (lilies, violets) and some smoky, olive-y aromatics. Very, very interesting. A bit raw and as yet unformed on the palate, which I would expect to be the case at this point. The pieces seem to be there but I believe that, for my taste, the 'Clary Ranch' takes about a year after release to start hitting its sweet spot. I will follow this with enthusiasm.
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3/4/2024 - CavWine wrote: flawed
I assume this was flawed - bought from WB and had an overwhelming olive taste. Hoping it will get better - will report if it does.
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5/16/2023 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 92 Points
Slow ox’d in bottle for 3 hrs. Drinking beautifully. Fruit in the backseat, a ton of briny black olives in the forefront, smoky notes. Very savory. Beautiful with Persian lamb and eggplant stew. Low alcohol but so, so much flavor.
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2/18/2023 - MattMauldin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted. Full garnet color with bright ruby edges. Expressive aromatics of fresh blackberry, plum & apple skin, mesquite char, fresh violets, green peppercorn, fresh thyme and rosemary. Succulent black raspberry and blackberry flavors on the palate, juicy and expressive, over a dense secondary core of saline minerals, bay leaf, cardamom, white pepper and black tea. Sinewy, with a silky gliding density that expands through the palate. Taut acidity that has integrated nicely, with broad tannins, fine and plush, leading to a long mouthwatering finish. Showing beautifully, lots of primary vibrancy to the fruit and well-integrated structurally. Drink/hold.
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2/15/2023 - NickNYC Likes this wine: 91 Points
bottled drunk over a couple of days. if it was not for the bacon fat notes on the nose, I would have guessed Pinot Noir rather than Syrah. The nose displayed some nice pomegranate and sour cherries notes. the palate is very delicate, light body (+), ethereal, very elegant and lingering thanks to a bright (but not over the top) acidity. open for business and not sure i will get a lot better with more time in the cellar.
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11/6/2022 - mikered Likes this wine: 89 Points
Wet leaves, smoked pork, dusty gravel and mushroom in the nose, with hints of over ripe black plums and iodine. The taste is almost a different wine, Black cherry, blood orange pulp, showing a little VA with olive brine and chalk. Chubby side of medium body with sharp acid and powdery tannin.
Not great, but a very good bottle that is charming, if not captivating and ready to go. For me, not a problem now, but I am concerned the VA will get worse.
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8/30/2022 - slanum wrote:
To my taste, completely mature. This 10-year old, cold climate Sonoma County Syrah has softened to the point that the tannins are fully resolved while the aromas and flavors are characteristic of the variety while not complex in the way that a wine from the Rhône might be. A very enjoyable wine, the antithesis of typical California versions. A worthy effort.
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5/10/2021 - Cote d'Or wrote:
Tasted over 2 hrs
-deep dark red purple, minimal clearing
-distinct olive brine smoke dark berry
-med acidity, med weight dark berry and earth dance together as equal partners, med/med+ tannins
-dark berries infused with Kalamata olive brine
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12/13/2020 - R.H. wrote:
Strange bottle. a noticeable amount of fizz upon opening. Never noticed this the clary ranch. Took a while to blow off / didn’t fully do so until day 2. Should’ve decanted it. The wine was sound otherwise. A bit on tangy/tart side. Just an ok btl of a bottling i typically enjoy
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11/16/2020 - CGWIND Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice. Good tannin and spice. Delicious with burgers
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4/19/2020 - BigTex22 wrote: 90 Points
Only 8 barrels produced. This had some funk on it which eventually blew off. High toned cranberry, with medium fruit. A bit of a tart finish. Not overly complex, but drank younger than an eight year old wine, at least for me. I have one bottle left and will hang onto it for another few years to see if anything interesting develops.
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4/3/2020 - jbaron wrote: flawed
2 bottles both musty and dizzy and short lengthed.
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6/7/2019 - Bluethunder wrote: 88 Points
Had a musty taste with under ripe tasting fruit. Maybe just me but disappointed.
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4/6/2019 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted. Still getting better. Wow. Simply explosive aromatics 2 hours after opening. Mid body, mid+ acid 11.5%
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3/20/2019 - fred o. Likes this wine:
Dark ruby color with light translucence at the edges and bit of browning; flecks of sediment towards the bottom of the bottle. Nose smoky and meaty, black pepper with some violets. Palate silky texture, tart bing cherries with a profoundly rocky/wet stone minerality, savory black olives per J, faint pyrazines on the finish.
Hits all the notes of classically structured cool climate Syrah, just skirting the edges of underripe to me but wears its “11 1/2%” abv well overall, some richness to the red fruits surprisingly and gratifyingly. Could see it going a few more years left and developing more. Nice complexity right now, great with food. 92 pts
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2/24/2019 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 92 Points
Third of four bottles. Once again, incredibly good. A delicious cool weather, low alcohol, Syrah. Opened, slow ox’d for 4hrs, and drank over 80 mins at Diavola in Geyserville. Delicious nose - truly spectacular. White pepper, a ton of briny olives, and various dried herbs. Elegant and restrained on the palate, but delicious and flavorsome too. Meaty, smoky, violets. Savory briny notes. Really low alcohol, and yet so flavorsome. Superb.
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1/31/2019 - Cote d'Or wrote:
PopnPour, tasted over 1 hr and day 2
-opaque dark red
-lifted mild funk dusty berry charcuterie black pepper wet stone
-med acidity, med/med- weight tangy savory dark berry saline, med fine tannins
-quite Cote-Rotie-esque, drinking well now in early maturity
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1/31/2019 - Cote d'Or wrote: flawed
Afflicted with the band-aide-y variety of Brett
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1/13/2019 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 92 Points
Once again, incredibly good. A delicious cool weather, low alcohol, Syrah. Opened, slow ox’d for 45 min, and drank over 80 mins with Yemeni/Middle Eastern lamb-heavy food. Delicious nose - truly spectacular. White pepper, briny olives, various dried herbs. Elegant and restrained on the palate, but delicious and flavorsome. Meaty, smoky, violets. Savory briny notes. Really low alcohol, and yet so flavoresome. Superb.
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12/15/2018 - jmw17 Likes this wine:
Shrill and green on opening but this opened up over 3 hrs and became quite lovely. Needs quite a bit of air to get rolling. Best flavors and aromatics at room temp. This drinks very well now with proper handling and seems likely to improve.
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12/11/2018 - Sourdough Likes this wine: 91 Points
Slow oxed for 90 minutes. Dark purple except for a thin rim. Pretty gnarly at first so aerated it and it settled down quite a bit. Gorgeous, lively, complex nose. Enormous white pepper dominates the nose. Ives.meat, smoke all contribute. Add in olives on palate as other reviews indicate along with orange pith and zest. Long, complex finish. Very dry, very young. Open next bottle in about 5 years.
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9/18/2018 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 92 Points
Absolutely spectacular cool weather, low alcohol, Syrah. Opened, slow ox’d for 75 min, and drank over 90 mins. Delicious nose - truly intoxicating. White pepper, briny olives, various herbs (lavender, rosemary, thyme). Elegant and restrained on the palate, but delicious. Meaty, smoky, violets. Savory notes. Really low alcohol, and yet so flavoresome. A total winner.
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3/16/2018 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still lasting, getting better, and showing a core I didn’t perceive before. Just beautiful.
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9/5/2017 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Smoky, meaty, black olive goodness overflows the glass. The acidity is a bit prickly at first, but that settles down quickly, resulting in a fresh, vibrant, living wine that hits all the right Syrah notes. Delicious now, and with plenty of promise for several years of continued deliciousness.
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4/1/2017 - alpha_ori Likes this wine: 93 Points
Heady, aromatic, delicious. Amazing how much flavor is coaxed into a wine with 11.5% alcohol. Is their whole lineup like this? I'm sitting on a few, but I haven't tried nearly enough.
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3/2/2017 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. Very pretty BUT not sure it is going to last. 11.5%
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12/19/2016 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 91 Points
11.5% abv. Medium ruby, expressive aromatics. On the palate, leather, blue fruit, black olive and a floral note. Medium depth, good length, vibrant and lively. I would expect this to continue to improve for several more years.
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12/11/2016 - BornToRhone Likes this wine: 90 Points
PnP; 750ml; crimson red, no bricking, more transparent than expected (I've seen pinots more opaque); Interesting nose - smoky upon opening, dark red fruits w/bacon, herbs, stone and dirt; flavors of dark red fruits with smoky barbeque-like smokiness and spices; I like the brighter acidity and thinner texture than typical Cali syrah. This could be a little heftier and might turn that way with more time in the cellar. Interesting and good effort.
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10/31/2016 - MV2007 wrote:
I now realize that Arnot-Roberts are tricky wines and I don't think this wine is near ready yet. Full of flavors but disjointed and sporting a see saw like lack of balance. Would rate it low if pnp'd.
But I had the 2010 recently after slow oxing for 24 hours and it was shockingly good and seamless. Really an extraordinary complex and complete wine.
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7/30/2016 - Papies wrote: 89 Points
The nose is very much the syrah one expects, spice, red fruits, light cardamom at times. Balanced and elegant on the nose. On the palate its definitely not what one expects and the wine at 11.5% alc is a bit on the light, thin and at times watery feel. A good wine bit more of a novelty than anything else. 89
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3/22/2016 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 93 Points
From a famously cool-climate site. 11.5% abv. Dark ruby, with expressive aromatics. Red and blue fruit on the palate, with floral and mineral highlights. Good depth and length. Appealing and distinctive now, this wine will develop much more interest with more time in the bottle.
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10/21/2015 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 90 Points
Obviously this is for the ipob crowd. As old world as CA syrah can get, maybe even more old world than the old world currently produces. 11.5% alcohol in 2012 i thought was not humanly possible, but this did it. I love the bacon, olive, green pepper, cracked pepper, and blueberry. I would have given this like 4 points higher if not.for the lack of any real.fruit and the finish that was tart and bitter. Besides that, yum yum.
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9/28/2015 - beezer6 wrote: 91 Points
Tarter than I expected. More fruit and less savory than many AR Syrah.
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8/15/2015 - wineduggery Does not like this wine: 87 Points
A bit simple and thin. Blueberry, pepper, and some smokiness. Definitely atypical for CA Syrah.
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9/26/2014 - hackey37 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Inky purple color and opaque. The smells are wet stone, black pepper, blackberry, lavender, and talcum. The tastes are blackberry, pepper, stone, black olives, and garrigue. The body is light for the varietal and the tannins are very fine and the acidity is zingy. The finish is lengthy and a mix of sour tastes and herbiness. A very unique wine.
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9/23/2014 - salil wrote: 86 Points
Smoky and earthy aromas lead into a palate full of ripe dark fruited flavours, but this certainly doesn't show any of the complexity or depth of the Northern Rhones at the table, and feels a bit simple and rather ripe. Others liked this more than I did, but I found this rather one-note.
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9/4/2014 - Michael Davidson wrote:
Everything I want in a syrah. Beguiling nose of olives, meat, iron, dark fruit, leather... This would be a great wine even if I never tasted it. But the palate follows through. Light body, of course, bracing acidity, all the elements of the nose there in the wine.
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8/16/2014 - PJRONeill wrote: 92 Points
Deeply colored with a seriously intense nose of blood, meat and iron. It actually smells exactly like a Flannery hanger steak when taken out of its wrapping, massively gamey and funky. Notes of olive and pepper too, which appear on the palate together with blueberries and blackcurrants. A wine of power and grace, not over the top but with plenty in reserve for the future.
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7/24/2014 - Rieslingfan Likes this wine:
Wondering where to find that bacon fat element in your Syrah? Look no further than this wine. From first sniff it is all about bacon. That smoky, meaty, intoxicating aroma that brings people to life, makes the 2012 Arnot-Roberts Clary Ranch an archetype for Syrah. There's no makeup, no artifice, just meat, smoke and dark, understated fruit. It's high acid, so it cuts through rich food like a knife through butter. Perhaps not for those who look for a richer experience in their Syrah, but more for those who want to touch the soul of a wine, trace it's lines, feel the inner strength rather than gawk at architecture. I want to watch this age, but I doubt I have that kind of willpower. Amazing Syrah.
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7/13/2014 - Bodes Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is masterclass syrah. Would never have pegged this as new world. Dead ringer for a northern Rhone. Quite memorable, wish they had let me buy more. There's brett here: if that bothers you, this may not be for you. It didn't detract from the wine for me. Great now but this bottle will probably just keep getting better.
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7/7/2014 - ucbeau Does not like this wine:
Opened and set aside for a while before tasting. Band-aid and sweaty horse jump out initially, along with tart cherry and white pepper. The brett dominates the nose and then does so on the palate, causing an astringency that's only enhanced by the aggressive tannins and low alcohol. One of my favorite producers, however, this bottle was undrinkable.
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5/25/2014 - Pierre-Yves wrote: 88 Points
Nice young and fresh Syrah. Very lean, and similar to some Saint Josephs, with some smoky and olive flavors, with refreshing palate. After some time, some floral flavors appears, giving a different dimension and also revealing a more Cali than Rhone profile. I think I would have been fooled blind though.
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5/24/2014 - Silveradoup wrote: 86 Points
I love AR but this is definitely straddling the line of being too lean/green for me. 11.5% alcohol. Second night open the nose became a bit more open but this will need time to develop. I will be letting these sit for a long while.
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5/21/2014 - topher2411 wrote: flawed
Corked
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5/13/2014 - 560 B&W wrote: 93 Points
Probably better in a year
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4/12/2014 - slanum wrote:
Arnot-Roberts release day (Arnot-Roberts, Healdsburg, CA): Interesting: for the first 30 seconds or so after hitting the glass this smelled weedy or herbal to me. Then boom: on came floral (lilies, violets) and some smoky, olive-y aromatics. Very, very interesting. A bit raw and as yet unformed on the palate, which I would expect to be the case at this point. The pieces seem to be there but I believe that, for my taste, the 'Clary Ranch' takes about a year after release to start hitting its sweet spot. I will follow this with enthusiasm.
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