Decanted 30 minutes but didn’t need a decant. Old World barnyard nose. Bacon fat is gone. Tannins super smooth. Nice texture but soft. I wouldn’t cellar this wine any longer. I would drink up. Excellent but more subdued.
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March Rhônes (Chicago, IL): Initially I found that this was just boring, but revisiting this at the end of the night, it was clear that the issue was TCA.
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15 minute decant then poured half glasses 15 minutes before dinner. Dark purple. Nose is classic N Rhone. First sip is so great and smooth. Bacon fat, olives, saline, smoked meats, smoky finish. Wine is super smooth with a long finish. If you have several bottles for sure drink one now. Wine didn’t change much over the next hour but I don’t think more air would have helped it.
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Very nice. Excellent with food. Slight aging on the palate but years to go still with this one. No signs of age in the glass though, edge is still translucent. Drinking now requires at least an hour's decanting.
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Showed very well. Nice freshness. Savory styling. Medium bodied but gorgeous food wine. Recommended. Showed very slight signs of age on the nose and palate.
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Dark ruby color with mild clearing at rim Medium plus aromas of black fruit/ olives and smoked meat Medium palate of blue/ black fruit with olives and green herbs/ pepper Medium plus tannins felt midtongue Medium plus acidity and medium length Well balanced Cote Rotie and drinking nicely at the moment, although no hurry Not the most complex example of the region, but very representative and well made and well balanced wine
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Single blind tasting Dark Ruby, unfiltered Medium + aromatics with no oak. Meat, smoke, stems, black olives, and over time in the glass blue fruit. Medium + palate of medium + acid, medium alcohol and medium + tannins that are fine grained and located on tongue and upper palate. Black olives, green bell pepper and blue fruit. Well balanced. Medium + length. Really well made and enjoyable. My only criticism would be lack of spice/black pepper given the price.
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Big bacon fat nose. Olives, smoke, bbq and burnt wood. Nice salinity. Medium mouth feel. Nice lower alcohol so easy to drink. Would have liked a little more extraction, roundness and fullness. Good wine but not at the top of the Cote Rotie names. Decanted three hours. Nice and easy to drink.
Really enjoyed this wine as did Jill. Aromatic, blackberries and pepper - lots of pepper and smoke along with savory meat, bacon fat, black olive. Jill said it smelled like the BBQ ribs she smoked the other week. Had some Cayuse-esque elements. Palate is fresh and shows more robust dark red fruit, mineral and earth. Balance that makes it easy to enjoy several glasses. Very nice and recommended. Should age well for several more years.
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Aromatic nose of dark berries, floral notes and light salt and pepper. Pepper spices come out on palate with well developed tannins that melt in your mouth. Served with lamb lollipops recipe in Soectator! Awesome wine and menu!
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Vin Chicago / Kermit Lynch Tasting (Vin Chicago - Chicago IL): Tasting, brief note. Black pepper, black berries, everything fun, forward, and ripe. Seemingly slightly oaky, but other than that everything in harmony. VG length with mineral textures I enjoyed. Good now with upside over the next few years.
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More Cali in style than my memories of previous vintages. Red berries, perfume, silky tannins. For me it was missing some of the herbal and musky aspects I usually enjoy in this bottling. Not sure if holding the other bottle will help or hurt. Best guess - drink 2019.
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Taken to a get-together in Greensboro, NC. Quite approachable despite its youth. This was purchased in November at Bassin's/MacArthur Beverages after I saw Phil Bernstein's recommendation for the wine and read some favorable CellarTracker reviews. I liked it and others did also.
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NFN, not sure what we were expecting but was hoping it would be more link the 2010 which was delicious. Maybe needs some time to age in the bottle, floral, dry long finish
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12,5% d'alcool 100% Syrah Oeil : opacité 7/10, reflets bleutés, très forte viscosité en parois Nez : projection d'intensité 7/10, fumée, boisé, venaison, viande rôtie, fruits noirs, cannelle et poivre, sève, support végétal, crème de cassis, sympa bien que sans grande complexité Bouche : sec, ample, acidité rafraîchissante, amertume moyenne, tanins charnus et de grain moyen, persistance moyenne+, rétro fumée, balsamique, fruitée, épicée, minérale, végétale Conclusion : superbe bouche, beaucoup de plaisir sur cette Côte-Rôtie à la fois "old-school" et moderne. Fort bon, sans réelle émotion par ailleurs. 89-90+ RQP discutable.
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Decanted. A Beautiful representation of Cote Rotie; Meaty with notes of smoked bacon fat, grilled game meats, cured salami and leather on top scents of black pepper, camp smoke, bramble, wild blackberry, brine and olive, dried/decaying violets and ancillary aromas of mission fig, earth and loam with hints of espresso. Medium bodied on the complex palate with firm medium tannins, medium-plus acidity and both moderate alcohol and density. Complex flavors echo the nose leading with pepper crusted bacon, char grilled game meats, leather, smoke, dried violets earth with black plums, brambly blackberry and fig that carry a definitive brine olive and iron mineral note. The finish is complex, has intensity and focus and is simply unending.
Overall drinking quite well with air but this should definitely go the distance if allowed to age.
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Fuller, somewhat modern style, with rich ganache core giving way to a more savory element on finish. This has an exotic bent with no animale or sauvage, and is pure elegance on finish. Packed with a mixed red berry compote and just enough zing offset any sweetness. Has a long life ahead.
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Importer tasting: This will be one tasting note for the 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2012. The grapes for this wine are not destemmed and the wine ages for 12 months in 40% new oak and 60% in one year old barrels. In the bouquet all vintages are more or less the same and show red and dark berries, minerals, blood, bacon, pepper and are rustic. Especially the 2007 and 2009 also have some sweet impressions in the nose and of course the 2004 shows some development. On the palate the wines have the same impressions as in the bouquet as well as some iron. In the 2012 the minerals are quite up front and the wine is more tight than the 2009 and also lighter. It has good acidity and sticky tannin. The 2009 has a pleasant touch of sweetness which is beautifully balanced by good acidity, also a lot of minerals and more smooth tannin than the 2012. The 2007 has mainly dark fruits, also minerals and iron as well as some licorice. A touch of sweetness, firm acidity and good tannin. The 2004 is mature now and also shows some herbs, a nice balance between acidity and sweetness and soft tannin. Concluding: 2012: Elegant wine, still too young. Wait until 2018 and drink until 2024+? 91 2009: Beautiful and tasty wine. Early maturity now, but can last another decade. 92 2007: Beautifully structured wine, showing what it has. Ready now and approx. until 2020. 91 2004: A fairly light and elegant style, completely ready now and the next few years. 90
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11/2/2023 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 30 minutes but didn’t need a decant. Old World barnyard nose. Bacon fat is gone. Tannins super smooth. Nice texture but soft. I wouldn’t cellar this wine any longer. I would drink up. Excellent but more subdued.
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4/7/2023 - NCWW Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent now and feels like it still has some years to go. Still some tannins and quite full taste on the palate.
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3/12/2023 - Scott McDonald wrote: flawed
Corked
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3/12/2023 - acyso wrote: flawed
March Rhônes (Chicago, IL): Initially I found that this was just boring, but revisiting this at the end of the night, it was clear that the issue was TCA.
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9/6/2022 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine: 92 Points
15 minute decant then poured half glasses 15 minutes before dinner. Dark purple. Nose is classic N Rhone. First sip is so great and smooth. Bacon fat, olives, saline, smoked meats, smoky finish. Wine is super smooth with a long finish. If you have several bottles for sure drink one now. Wine didn’t change much over the next hour but I don’t think more air would have helped it.
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5/16/2021 - swamik00 wrote:
N: olive tapenade, bacon, smoke, a little leather. P: above plus a little dark fruit. good but no a re-buy
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11/22/2020 - NCWW Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice. Excellent with food. Slight aging on the palate but years to go still with this one. No signs of age in the glass though, edge is still translucent. Drinking now requires at least an hour's decanting.
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8/22/2020 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Showed very well. Nice freshness. Savory styling. Medium bodied but gorgeous food wine. Recommended. Showed very slight signs of age on the nose and palate.
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2/21/2020 - dsamuel Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark ruby color with mild clearing at rim
Medium plus aromas of black fruit/ olives and smoked meat
Medium palate of blue/ black fruit with olives and green herbs/ pepper
Medium plus tannins felt midtongue
Medium plus acidity and medium length
Well balanced Cote Rotie and drinking nicely at the moment, although no hurry
Not the most complex example of the region, but very representative and well made and well balanced wine
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2/19/2020 - S.Wayne Likes this wine: 92 Points
Single blind tasting
Dark Ruby, unfiltered
Medium + aromatics with no oak. Meat, smoke, stems, black olives, and over time in the glass blue fruit.
Medium + palate of medium + acid, medium alcohol and medium + tannins that are fine grained and located on tongue and upper palate. Black olives, green bell pepper and blue fruit.
Well balanced. Medium + length. Really well made and enjoyable. My only criticism would be lack of spice/black pepper given the price.
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1/26/2020 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Big bacon fat nose. Olives, smoke, bbq and burnt wood. Nice salinity. Medium mouth feel. Nice lower alcohol so easy to drink. Would have liked a little more extraction, roundness and fullness. Good wine but not at the top of the Cote Rotie names. Decanted three hours. Nice and easy to drink.
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11/9/2019 - Thorlamb Likes this wine: 90 Points
I did not decant the wine. However, I did open the bottle 3 hours before drinking. The wine could still use some more time or decanting.
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9/25/2019 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Really enjoyed this wine as did Jill.
Aromatic, blackberries and pepper - lots of pepper and smoke along with savory meat, bacon fat, black olive.
Jill said it smelled like the BBQ ribs she smoked the other week.
Had some Cayuse-esque elements.
Palate is fresh and shows more robust dark red fruit, mineral and earth.
Balance that makes it easy to enjoy several glasses.
Very nice and recommended.
Should age well for several more years.
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4/30/2019 - ralstenm Likes this wine: 94 Points
Aromatic nose of dark berries, floral notes and light salt and pepper. Pepper spices come out on palate with well developed tannins that melt in your mouth. Served with lamb lollipops recipe in Soectator! Awesome wine and menu!
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2/2/2018 - zvarble Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose is white pepper and roasted meat. Medium body. Well balanced. Long finish. Approachable.
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12/3/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Vin Chicago / Kermit Lynch Tasting (Vin Chicago - Chicago IL): Tasting, brief note. Black pepper, black berries, everything fun, forward, and ripe. Seemingly slightly oaky, but other than that everything in harmony. VG length with mineral textures I enjoyed. Good now with upside over the next few years.
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2/10/2017 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 89 Points
More Cali in style than my memories of previous vintages. Red berries, perfume, silky tannins. For me it was missing some of the herbal and musky aspects I usually enjoy in this bottling. Not sure if holding the other bottle will help or hurt. Best guess - drink 2019.
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12/11/2016 - wondersofwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Taken to a get-together in Greensboro, NC. Quite approachable despite its youth. This was purchased in November at Bassin's/MacArthur Beverages after I saw Phil Bernstein's recommendation for the wine and read some favorable CellarTracker reviews. I liked it and others did also.
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3/28/2016 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 90 Points
Light, new-world style syrah blend. Drinking well. Nothing spectacular and no unpleasant notes.
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3/5/2016 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 89 Points
NFN, not sure what we were expecting but was hoping it would be more link the 2010 which was delicious. Maybe needs some time to age in the bottle, floral, dry long finish
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12/9/2015 - Abigailkb Likes this wine: 94 Points
Leathery, cigar, Cedar wood, pepper and spice, deep dark and delicious. Winter wine.
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9/19/2015 - kosmik Likes this wine: 90 Points
12,5% d'alcool
100% Syrah
Oeil : opacité 7/10, reflets bleutés, très forte viscosité en parois
Nez : projection d'intensité 7/10, fumée, boisé, venaison, viande rôtie, fruits noirs, cannelle et poivre, sève, support végétal, crème de cassis, sympa bien que sans grande complexité
Bouche : sec, ample, acidité rafraîchissante, amertume moyenne, tanins charnus et de grain moyen, persistance moyenne+, rétro fumée, balsamique, fruitée, épicée, minérale, végétale
Conclusion : superbe bouche, beaucoup de plaisir sur cette Côte-Rôtie à la fois "old-school" et moderne. Fort bon, sans réelle émotion par ailleurs.
89-90+
RQP discutable.
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7/2/2015 - bjamesclark wrote: 93 Points
Decanted. A Beautiful representation of Cote Rotie; Meaty with notes of smoked bacon fat, grilled game meats, cured salami and leather on top scents of black pepper, camp smoke, bramble, wild blackberry, brine and olive, dried/decaying violets and ancillary aromas of mission fig, earth and loam with hints of espresso.
Medium bodied on the complex palate with firm medium tannins, medium-plus acidity and both moderate alcohol and density. Complex flavors echo the nose leading with pepper crusted bacon, char grilled game meats, leather, smoke, dried violets earth with black plums, brambly blackberry and fig that carry a definitive brine olive and iron mineral note. The finish is complex, has intensity and focus and is simply unending.
Overall drinking quite well with air but this should definitely go the distance if allowed to age.
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5/21/2015 - Henry Miller Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fuller, somewhat modern style, with rich ganache core giving way to a more savory element on finish. This has an exotic bent with no animale or sauvage, and is pure elegance on finish. Packed with a mixed red berry compote and just enough zing offset any sweetness. Has a long life ahead.
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3/30/2015 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Importer tasting: This will be one tasting note for the 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2012. The grapes for this wine are not destemmed and the wine ages for 12 months in 40% new oak and 60% in one year old barrels. In the bouquet all vintages are more or less the same and show red and dark berries, minerals, blood, bacon, pepper and are rustic. Especially the 2007 and 2009 also have some sweet impressions in the nose and of course the 2004 shows some development. On the palate the wines have the same impressions as in the bouquet as well as some iron. In the 2012 the minerals are quite up front and the wine is more tight than the 2009 and also lighter. It has good acidity and sticky tannin. The 2009 has a pleasant touch of sweetness which is beautifully balanced by good acidity, also a lot of minerals and more smooth tannin than the 2012. The 2007 has mainly dark fruits, also minerals and iron as well as some licorice. A touch of sweetness, firm acidity and good tannin. The 2004 is mature now and also shows some herbs, a nice balance between acidity and sweetness and soft tannin.
Concluding:
2012: Elegant wine, still too young. Wait until 2018 and drink until 2024+? 91
2009: Beautiful and tasty wine. Early maturity now, but can last another decade. 92
2007: Beautifully structured wine, showing what it has. Ready now and approx. until 2020. 91
2004: A fairly light and elegant style, completely ready now and the next few years. 90
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11/2/2014 - yofog wrote:
Crunchy, direct, and feral.
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9/12/2014 - Gargantua wrote:
Mismash of hasty impressions from Winebow and Regal Portfolio Tastings (NYC): 12.5%. Very sweet nose, soy, slight formic acid. Palate has a tiny green bite but is also wildly floral and slightly meaty. Good stuff.
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