Opened and poured out red purpleish, no browning a dollop of sediment. Out of decanter this was delish, tannins integrated, very pure syrah blue fruits with a hint of meat. But here the real pleasure is the bouquet just a delight to sniff and sniff. What a joy. My wife and I enjoyed this with Duck Lee roast pork. A match made in heaven.
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Here I found a beautiful display of pour Syrah, showing a mix of crushed citrus-tinged blackberries, peppery herbs and savory spices, offset by violet florals and crushed stone. On the palate, soft textures carried contrastingly tart black fruits with hints of grapefruit, pepper and sage across the senses, as a twang of acidity added vibrancy along with an echo of inner purple florals. The finish was long with cheek-puckering acids lingering amidst notes of fresh blackberry, savory herbs and minerals, with just a hint of fine tannin and inner earth on the finale. The '12 Terre Blanche is maturing beautifully in bottle, with many years of pleasure in-store for the patient collector.
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Popped and poured. Really terrific wine loaded with syrah goodness. Intriguing nose of blackberries, raspberries, spice box, pepper, and violets. The palate is loaded with red and black fruits, enlivened by a streak of minerality and seamlessly transitions to a balanced finish of spice, fruit, and dusty tannin. Open now or hold up to 15 years. 92pts.
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Some Minnows and Bigger Fish from the Northern Rhône (Arlequin Wines, San Francisco): Dark with fading at the extreme edge. Attractive black fruit. Medium weight, excellent inner mouth aromatics. A touch of herbs, soft and supple, low tannins. This wine finally had something that the 3 before it lacked-balance! Very good bottle from a producer who is new to me.
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A truly floral and exotic perfume reached up from the glass with notes of yellow flowers and rosemary, along with bright, tart cherry and spice. On the palate, it entered silky with fleshy textures only to reveal more acid-driven tension as it traveled across the senses. Finessed dark fruits and floral tones lent a feminine persona with the addition of grainy slate and minerals which lasted long into the finish.
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Bright happy and surprisingly open youthful red and dark fruited flavors with ultra-smooth tannins and wonderful balance. Some smoke and meat as well as floral (lavender) and white pepper. Delicious. Can I let it sit awhile in my cellar knowing this Syrah is in there?
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There is a burst of pepper initially, and plenty of young, pure, delicious blue/black Syrah fruit. This is all too much for Liz, and she's not a fan. I, however, smile and nod, because it means that there is more for me. Youthful and primary, but very well balanced and delicious even this young. A big burst of orange citrus acidity on the finish. On the second night, pure dark blue cassis and currant fruit, the acids are still bright, the wine is vibrant and showing a dusting of fine white pepper on the outside, and an inner core of sweet blue/purple fruit. All those good things aside, I'm not sure this "Terre Blanche" designation is all that better than the basic bottling. At Liz and Marc's in Port Washington, paired with the webcast of night two of Phish in Miami.
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1/15/2022 - mark.zinner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened and poured out red purpleish, no browning a dollop of sediment. Out of decanter this was delish, tannins integrated, very pure syrah blue fruits with a hint of meat. But here the real pleasure is the bouquet just a delight to sniff and sniff. What a joy. My wife and I enjoyed this with Duck Lee roast pork. A match made in heaven.
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9/6/2021 - Eric Guido Likes this wine:
Very sad that this was my last bottle. It's drinking beautifully yet there's no rush here. This is classic Northern Rhone Syrah at its best.
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2/2/2020 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 93 Points
Here I found a beautiful display of pour Syrah, showing a mix of crushed citrus-tinged blackberries, peppery herbs and savory spices, offset by violet florals and crushed stone. On the palate, soft textures carried contrastingly tart black fruits with hints of grapefruit, pepper and sage across the senses, as a twang of acidity added vibrancy along with an echo of inner purple florals. The finish was long with cheek-puckering acids lingering amidst notes of fresh blackberry, savory herbs and minerals, with just a hint of fine tannin and inner earth on the finale. The '12 Terre Blanche is maturing beautifully in bottle, with many years of pleasure in-store for the patient collector.
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1/25/2017 - Jimywags wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Really terrific wine loaded with syrah goodness. Intriguing nose of blackberries, raspberries, spice box, pepper, and violets. The palate is loaded with red and black fruits, enlivened by a streak of minerality and seamlessly transitions to a balanced finish of spice, fruit, and dusty tannin. Open now or hold up to 15 years. 92pts.
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10/15/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
Some Minnows and Bigger Fish from the Northern Rhône (Arlequin Wines, San Francisco): Dark with fading at the extreme edge. Attractive black fruit. Medium weight, excellent inner mouth aromatics. A touch of herbs, soft and supple, low tannins. This wine finally had something that the 3 before it lacked-balance! Very good bottle from a producer who is new to me.
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3/3/2015 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 93 Points
A truly floral and exotic perfume reached up from the glass with notes of yellow flowers and rosemary, along with bright, tart cherry and spice. On the palate, it entered silky with fleshy textures only to reveal more acid-driven tension as it traveled across the senses. Finessed dark fruits and floral tones lent a feminine persona with the addition of grainy slate and minerals which lasted long into the finish.
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2/2/2015 - cheZ joZef wrote:
White pepper nose and pure youthful balanced Syrah fruit. Some meat, game, and floral notes. Medium body. Fine tannins. Great with steak.
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1/12/2015 - cheZ joZef Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bright happy and surprisingly open youthful red and dark fruited flavors with ultra-smooth tannins and wonderful balance. Some smoke and meat as well as floral (lavender) and white pepper. Delicious. Can I let it sit awhile in my cellar knowing this Syrah is in there?
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1/1/2015 - Pknut wrote:
There is a burst of pepper initially, and plenty of young, pure, delicious blue/black Syrah fruit. This is all too much for Liz, and she's not a fan. I, however, smile and nod, because it means that there is more for me. Youthful and primary, but very well balanced and delicious even this young. A big burst of orange citrus acidity on the finish. On the second night, pure dark blue cassis and currant fruit, the acids are still bright, the wine is vibrant and showing a dusting of fine white pepper on the outside, and an inner core of sweet blue/purple fruit. All those good things aside, I'm not sure this "Terre Blanche" designation is all that better than the basic bottling. At Liz and Marc's in Port Washington, paired with the webcast of night two of Phish in Miami.
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