Popped and poured. Blackberries, earth and iron on the nose. The wine is very serious and austere with some mouth drying tannin even at age 12. Blackberry, minerals, leather, earth and spice come through on the palate. This is a lot of concentration and length but it’s still looking to come out of its shell. Could rate hire with more time in the bottle.
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Great Syrah.... Fruit, but restrained a bit to allow more terrior to show. Getting that slate, clay, graphite with dark fruit contrast. Very nicely done and worked quite nice at a FishHouse.
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Completely dried cork, however the reward inside was wonderful. As I wrote a year ago, "A savory and fruity wine that still reminds me of a Northern Rhone. Just delicious. Concentrated with balance of flavors. Ripe plum, stewed fruit and stone on the nose. Silky tannins with a clean mouthfeel. Baking spices and dark fruit." Even just a tad better now.
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4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag (T&L's): Double blind. Black fruit, spice and floral aromas. Full-bodied. Dark fruit dominates the palate, with herb, wood and pepper qualities as well. Young, but quite good already. Guessed domestic syrah.
Good to get a read on this as we have a lone bottle which will now rest in the cellar for a few years yet. (M&LA)
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Decanted prior to a dinner of grilled ribeye steak, sautéed mushrooms and a fresh garden salad. Deep ruby color, full body. Developing. Great aromatics and flavors of violets, bacon fat, smoked meat, black and blue fruits, all spice, green herbs, and cedar compost. Wonderful balance of ripe fruits, tannin and acidity. Finishes long and dry. Can drink now, but this should improve with further cellaring. Drinking well but far from peak. Drink through 2025+.
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Intriguing bouquet of blackberry, black raspberry, earth and spice. Larger scaled on the palate, with powerful fruit, falling short of a total jam fest. Finish tails off a bit short for me otherwise I’d give it a higher score, but very nice wine overall.
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A savory and fruity wine that still reminds me of a Northern Rhone. Just delicious. Concentrated with balance of flavors. Ripe plum, stewed fruit and stone on the nose. Silky tannins with a clean mouthfeel. Baking spices and dark fruit.
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I typically drink my wine without food and am new to the scene of Syrah. Boy, was I missing out. This is an excellent expression of what is quickly becoming my new "go to". Great expression of its fruit, with a well-balanced melody of flavors and wonderful finish. I'd recommend this to anyone who would listen.
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Decanted thirty minutes. Very nice nose of red and black currant, grilled herbs and spices. The palate shows very good concentrated fruit flavors of black currants, plums, earth, minerals and spice. While this is a fairly big concentrated wine it doesn’t feel heavy and is well balanced with tannins nicely integrated into the wine. This can continue to age but it’s already drinking quite well.
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Really nice juice. Certainly in a go mode. Complex nose, pepper, fruit and creaminess with good acid finish. Had this with Easter dinner, Pizza Rustica then Lamb Chops.
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This reminded me most of a Clarendon Hills single vineyard Syrah. The savory flavors add an extra dimension. Fairly concentrated , but structured and balanced. Exceptional.
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So well done. Almost could be confused with a good Northern Rhone. Medium to full bodied with aromas of chocolate, red berry and some leather. Tasted of deep blue and black fruit with some expected Syrah spice. Took a good hour to open up and well worth it. Can only improve with time.
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Very dark red color, after decanting, bouquet of chocolate, bell pepper, and red fruit (strawberries?), medium body and balanced acid, some tannins and a dry finish.
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This wine went great with the wife's signature meatloaf! Just a phenomenal bouquet of roasted meats, dark berries, and vanilla. The palate boasts deep dark fruits with well integrated oak and a lingering finish. Another well made wine from the Favia team, one of my favorite under the radar Napa valley producers (although this wine is made from Amador county fruit).
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Novovino tasting at FHE. Dark roasted meat, bloody berries, game, leather, tobacco, black olive. Dark chocolate. Just awesome and in your face nose. But not sappy or cloying at all. Great juicy yet rich palate. Awesome round opulent mouth feel. Dark blackberries, black rock palate. More meat. Really killer juice.
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1/2/2024 - mclanew Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Blackberries, earth and iron on the nose. The wine is very serious and austere with some mouth drying tannin even at age 12. Blackberry, minerals, leather, earth and spice come through on the palate. This is a lot of concentration and length but it’s still looking to come out of its shell. Could rate hire with more time in the bottle.
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12/21/2023 - mpsocal Likes this wine: 90 Points
Might be fading a bit, it’s still very good just not as good as I remember.
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11/28/2021 - spectrumphoto Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great Syrah.... Fruit, but restrained a bit to allow more terrior to show. Getting that slate, clay, graphite with dark fruit contrast. Very nicely done and worked quite nice at a FishHouse.
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2/10/2021 - ChopperWine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Completely dried cork, however the reward inside was wonderful. As I wrote a year ago, "A savory and fruity wine that still reminds me of a Northern Rhone. Just delicious. Concentrated with balance of flavors. Ripe plum, stewed fruit and stone on the nose. Silky tannins with a clean mouthfeel. Baking spices and dark fruit." Even just a tad better now.
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12/12/2020 - PhStern Likes this wine: 93 Points
More old world in style than CA. Drinking really well.
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11/28/2020 - CDing21 wrote: 92 Points
Overall nice Syrah that opened up very well.
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9/26/2020 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag (T&L's): Double blind. Black fruit, spice and floral aromas. Full-bodied. Dark fruit dominates the palate, with herb, wood and pepper qualities as well. Young, but quite good already. Guessed domestic syrah.
Good to get a read on this as we have a lone bottle which will now rest in the cellar for a few years yet. (M&LA)
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9/19/2020 - wmccone54 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted prior to a dinner of grilled ribeye steak, sautéed mushrooms and a fresh garden salad. Deep ruby color, full body. Developing. Great aromatics and flavors of violets, bacon fat, smoked meat, black and blue fruits, all spice, green herbs, and cedar compost. Wonderful balance of ripe fruits, tannin and acidity. Finishes long and dry. Can drink now, but this should improve with further cellaring. Drinking well but far from peak. Drink through 2025+.
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9/5/2020 - gquigs Likes this wine: 93 Points
Raspberry, earth and leather on the nose. Blackberry and blueberry on the palate. Silky smooth and mouth coating. Delicious
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4/7/2020 - 1961Vintage Likes this wine: 90 Points
Young and rich wine. Perhaps too much so. Pushing out drinking window by 3-5 years or a vigorous decant now.
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3/4/2020 - bubbachumps wrote: 92 Points
Intriguing bouquet of blackberry, black raspberry, earth and spice. Larger scaled on the palate, with powerful fruit, falling short of a total jam fest. Finish tails off a bit short for me otherwise I’d give it a higher score, but very nice wine overall.
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2/2/2020 - Race crew Likes this wine: 89 Points
Heavy alcohol. Pepper notes. Good round mouth feel.
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1/30/2020 - gquigs Likes this wine: 92 Points
Silky smooth. Dark fruits and spice. Delicious
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1/26/2020 - ChopperWine Likes this wine: 91 Points
A savory and fruity wine that still reminds me of a Northern Rhone. Just delicious. Concentrated with balance of flavors. Ripe plum, stewed fruit and stone on the nose. Silky tannins with a clean mouthfeel. Baking spices and dark fruit.
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1/22/2020 - BergerKing Likes this wine: 95 Points
I typically drink my wine without food and am new to the scene of Syrah. Boy, was I missing out. This is an excellent expression of what is quickly becoming my new "go to". Great expression of its fruit, with a well-balanced melody of flavors and wonderful finish. I'd recommend this to anyone who would listen.
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12/28/2019 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted thirty minutes. Very nice nose of red and black currant, grilled herbs and spices. The palate shows very good concentrated fruit flavors of black currants, plums, earth, minerals and spice. While this is a fairly big concentrated wine it doesn’t feel heavy and is well balanced with tannins nicely integrated into the wine. This can continue to age but it’s already drinking quite well.
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12/26/2019 - mpsocal Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent wine. Strong fruit with a nice acidic backbone.
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12/2/2019 - sdhaliwal wrote: 93 Points
Drinking very well ...
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8/16/2019 - beezer6 wrote: 91 Points
Big ripe and voluptuous. Not nearly as savory as previous tasting. This style seems to be becoming too much for my palate I feel.
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4/21/2019 - RonniePiemonte wrote: 93 Points
Really nice juice. Certainly in a go mode. Complex nose, pepper, fruit and creaminess with good acid finish.
Had this with Easter dinner, Pizza Rustica then Lamb Chops.
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12/1/2018 - rjm Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking very well now after a short decanting
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4/1/2018 - Iceman611 wrote: 92 Points
This reminded me most of a Clarendon Hills single vineyard Syrah. The savory flavors add an extra dimension. Fairly concentrated , but structured and balanced. Exceptional.
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2/20/2018 - ChopperWine Likes this wine: 91 Points
So well done. Almost could be confused with a good Northern Rhone. Medium to full bodied with aromas of chocolate, red berry and some leather. Tasted of deep blue and black fruit with some expected Syrah spice. Took a good hour to open up and well worth it. Can only improve with time.
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2/5/2017 - Birged wrote: 92 Points
Very dark red color, after decanting, bouquet of chocolate, bell pepper, and red fruit (strawberries?), medium body and balanced acid, some tannins and a dry finish.
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8/14/2016 - DaButtah Likes this wine: 92 Points
Takes a long, long time to open up. However patience is rewarded. I wouldn't touch this for another year at least....
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4/9/2016 - andrewdl wrote: 93 Points
3 hour decant opened this up incredibly.
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11/6/2015 - uncle al Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark red with a great balance of fruit
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9/26/2015 - tc from santee Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice Syrah with soft refined tannins and great structure. Dark fruit open with no hard edges. Andy can make great juice.
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6/14/2015 - andrewdl Likes this wine: 93 Points
A bit young but still very enjoyable. Hold the 1.5 for a few years.
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10/4/2014 - T.O.Wineaux Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine went great with the wife's signature meatloaf! Just a phenomenal bouquet of roasted meats, dark berries, and vanilla. The palate boasts deep dark fruits with well integrated oak and a lingering finish. Another well made wine from the Favia team, one of my favorite under the radar Napa valley producers (although this wine is made from Amador county fruit).
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9/1/2014 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Novovino tasting at FHE.
Dark roasted meat, bloody berries, game, leather, tobacco, black olive.
Dark chocolate. Just awesome and in your face nose. But not sappy or cloying at all.
Great juicy yet rich palate. Awesome round opulent mouth feel. Dark blackberries, black rock palate. More meat. Really killer juice.
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8/13/2014 - jmorgand wrote: 90 Points
Drank too soon. At least 2 more years needed.
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