My last bottle of this vintage. Age definitely benefitted this wine. The 2014 was more about the savory elements, and those have integrated well at this point.
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Very aromatic, pure intense syrah flavor, very dry and fairly tart. 13.3% ABV. Wonderful food wine. Unlike other vintages it is a bit on the tart side as a sipper without food, but still delicious. Beautiful acid balance. The whole package is harmonic and savory.
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Nice nose of dark berries, savory notes, a hint of sweetness, and dark fruit. Good balance with more dark fruit, thyme, and blackberries. Medium+ tannins and good acidity. Nice finish. Didn’t like it quite as much as last time I had it, but still a delicious wine!
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Opened and left in the bottle for an hr or so; then drank over the next 90 mins. Visually, a fairly deep purple. Moderate extraction. Elegant. Beautiful nose, typical of a cool climate syrah but for a paucity of white pepper - blue and black ripe fruits, olives, hints of violets. More olives/tapenade than last bottle. Tannins are relatively fine and well integrated. Last bottle of this vintage. Very good QPR.
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The nose was somewhat restrained at first, but with some air, dark fruit, black olives, pepper, and savory notes came through. Good structure and medium acidity on the palate with flavors of dark berries, dried plum (in a good way), and new leather. Good finish. A beautiful cold climate CA Syrah. Probably one of the best QPRs I’m aware of in CA. Excellent! 93++
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Brought to dinner with nephew, niece, her parents. Not a great match for the salmon, but they served it anyway because they are nice that way. Could have used a bit more air, and probably took a little shaking in transport that held it back. That said, this is another great effort from Halcon. Luckily I have more to drink under better conditions, so will revisit reasonably soon. First of this vintage I have opened.
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Not as strong as other vintages of Alturas. This starts out a bit thin, and does gain some weight with air, but doesn’t evolve into something as complex as my favorite versions of this wine. The fruit stays on the tart berry side.
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Opened and left in the bottle for an hr or so; then drank over the next 90 mins. Visually, a fairly deep purple. Moderate extraction. Elegant. Beautiful nose, typical of a cool climate syrah but for a paucity of white pepper - blue and black ripe fruits, olives, hints of violets. The palate follows the nose, with very good acidity. Would love to have this with, say, lamb shanks. Tannins are relatively fine and well integrated. I have two more bottles, which I plan to drink within the next 3 yrs. Very good QPR.
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Notes from day two. Explosive nose with mixed red/black raspberries/cherries and a bit of cocoa. The palate is mostly blackberry along with earth/herbs, fruitier up front and drier/earthier on the finish. Medium+ tannins/acid. Drinking well now with air though still a bit young from a 750, enjoy the 375s now if you have them. Cant wait to see how well this ages.
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Not sure it lives up to the reviews and certainly doesn't hold up over 24 hours. Possibly drinking too early, but did give it some air. Full bodied but average at best dark fruit.
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Good QPR. Opened and left in the bottle for an hr or so; then drank over the next 2 hrs. Visually, deep purple. Moderate extraction. Beautiful nose, typical of a cool climate syrah but for a paucity of white pepper - blue and black ripe fruits, hints of violets. The palate follows the nose, and has some (but not quite enough for me) acidity and minerality. Detectable but not overbearing tannins. Will revisit in 2yrs or so. Enjoyable, but not quite as good as my previous bottle if memory serves me right.
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Tasted as part of a 6 vintage Halcon Alturas tasting (2010-2015). This was my #5, and the group #4. I found it similar to the 2013 and 2015, just not as vibrant on the palate and softer on the nose. From a winemaker perspective, everything was done the same as 2013 (20% new oak, 35% whole cluster fermentation, same minimal amount of Viognier, etc.).
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Very good QPR. Opened and left in the bottle for an hr or so; then drank over the next 2 hrs. Visually, deep purple. Moderate extraction. Beautiful nose, typical of a cool climate syrah but for a paucity of white pepper - blue and black ripe fruits, some tar, some olives. The palate follows the nose, and has good acidity and minerality. Detectable but not overbearing tannins. Will revisit in a yr or so.
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Labor Day weekend tasting notes (Mostly at home): From a 375. These really are drinking much quicker than the 750s. Very solid Syrah. Cooler climate in profile. Black cherries, black raspberries, slight black pepper. Drinking well, not a lot of complexity, but some. Nice, tasty wine. Love the format.
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Deep, dark purple color. Nice perfume on the nose with some gamey notes. The fruit comes across more tart in this vintage than previous ones I've had. Doesn't have quite the same depth. Still very enjoyable.
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Better than a Magnum I recently had. Just a bit more open. One would assume it is just from being more advanced. In any event, it drank well with pop and pour.
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Good QPR. Still young, so opened and let slow ox in the bottle for 3 hrs. Then drank over the next 2 hrs. Visually, deep purple. Moderate extraction. Beautiful nose, typical of a cool climate syrah - blue and black ripe fruits, some tar, some olives. Air helped a lot, both on the nose and palate. As to the palate, it follows the nose, and has good acidity and minerality. Detectable tannins - not surprising given its youth. Once one adjusts for price, very good. Will revisit every 6-9 months or so. My hunch is this may improve somewhat over the next couple of yrs.
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From a 375mL bottle. Mixed red/black fruit, lots of minerals, some herbs, medium acidity, medium tannins. Drinking great already; looking forward to enjoying these while my 750s age.
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Deep color, purple rim showing youth and moderate extraction. Aromatically has an expressive cool climate syrah nose with black fruits, tar… some spice and mineral. On the palate the wine is disjointed with high acidity, moderate palate weight, a lot of coarse and firm tannins, moderate alcohol. Technically balanced wine with short length, good aromatic intensity, average complexity. Not a ton of finesse and a disjointed texture. Improved a bit in the decanter during the night but not a lot. Drink now or hold 1-2 just to see what happens… Good reminder that just because you grow Cal syrah in a cool climate, pick early, and use a light hand in the winery doesn’t mean you end up with a French equivalent wine.
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Quite dark in the glass. Rustic, woodsy nose. Fair amount of red fruit on entry—cherry, raspberry. Observable but fairly tame tannin and acid makes this a pretty easy drinker. Certainly, not the most complex wine in the world, but, definitely, an enjoyable one.
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A very pretty cool climate syrah. It was decanted for 5 plus hours. Plenty of flowers and purple fruit. some pepper and herbs as well. A nice value, although I wouldn't rate it as high as the WA did. I was expecting more depth and complexity. But at this price point, it's still a winner.
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I've no idea how Parker rates something like this 95pts. Short finish, a bit of a barnyard twang - could almost be mistaken for a zin. Feels a bit thin, slightly sharp. I love a good syrah but this isn't one of them, unless a few years of bottle age changes things dramatically. I'd take a good Paso Robles syrah any day over this.
Slightly better on the 2nd day - it took on a slight creamy note which was welcome.
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Dark, nearly opaque black garnet, this is a lovely syrah with beautiful medium dark berry fruit, a nice streak of bright tartness, fine mild tannins, medium depth. A fine example of syrah in a cool, elegant style. 30% whole cluster fermentation, and about 18% new oak from a single new large puncheon, with everything in nice balance.
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An eclectic group of wines with friends (Walden): Very different from our 2014 Unmasked which uses Halcon fruit. This seems to be picked earlier as it is not as ripe or juicy. Of course, which you prefer is individual preference. Purple in color. A nose of black cherries with some pepper. Nice backbone of acidity. Needs time to unwind and open.
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Came in cold from the UPS truck and opened immediately. First note was a hit of... cabernet?? Don't know where that came from. Regardless, this is a juicy, ripe, gulpable, fresh syrah bursting with blue and red fruit, but with real depth and finesse. Subtle floral and spice notes swirl in the background. Utterly delicious today, I'll be very interested to see how this evolves. First impression is that this might be the best Alturas yet. Bravo!
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7/4/2023 - td1836 Likes this wine: 91 Points
My last bottle of this vintage. Age definitely benefitted this wine. The 2014 was more about the savory elements, and those have integrated well at this point.
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12/13/2022 - John McCabe wrote: 89 Points
Slightly better than I remember but still not my style.
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12/12/2022 - danielito Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very aromatic, pure intense syrah flavor, very dry and fairly tart. 13.3% ABV. Wonderful food wine. Unlike other vintages it is a bit on the tart side as a sipper without food, but still delicious. Beautiful acid balance. The whole package is harmonic and savory.
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4/20/2022 - td1836 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This has improved from the last few times I had it. Fuller bodied, fruit is less tart, good length on the finish.
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12/3/2020 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice nose of dark berries, savory notes, a hint of sweetness, and dark fruit. Good balance with more dark fruit, thyme, and blackberries. Medium+ tannins and good acidity. Nice finish. Didn’t like it quite as much as last time I had it, but still a delicious wine!
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12/2/2020 - Rhwinetracker Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice cool climate California Syrah. Was good on opening and even better the second night.
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9/29/2020 - John McCabe wrote: 88 Points
Pretty similar to previous notes. I really don't like this style of syrah - too much spice, a bit thin and has a barnyard feel.
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3/14/2020 - David_T wrote:
Unchanged from my 2019 note.
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11/2/2019 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened and left in the bottle for an hr or so; then drank over the next 90 mins. Visually, a fairly deep purple. Moderate extraction. Elegant. Beautiful nose, typical of a cool climate syrah but for a paucity of white pepper - blue and black ripe fruits, olives, hints of violets. More olives/tapenade than last bottle. Tannins are relatively fine and well integrated. Last bottle of this vintage. Very good QPR.
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8/21/2019 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 93 Points
The nose was somewhat restrained at first, but with some air, dark fruit, black olives, pepper, and savory notes came through. Good structure and medium acidity on the palate with flavors of dark berries, dried plum (in a good way), and new leather. Good finish. A beautiful cold climate CA Syrah. Probably one of the best QPRs I’m aware of in CA. Excellent! 93++
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7/19/2019 - Not647f wrote:
Brought to dinner with nephew, niece, her parents. Not a great match for the salmon, but they served it anyway because they are nice that way. Could have used a bit more air, and probably took a little shaking in transport that held it back. That said, this is another great effort from Halcon. Luckily I have more to drink under better conditions, so will revisit reasonably soon. First of this vintage I have opened.
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7/10/2019 - td1836 wrote: 90 Points
Not as strong as other vintages of Alturas. This starts out a bit thin, and does gain some weight with air, but doesn’t evolve into something as complex as my favorite versions of this wine. The fruit stays on the tart berry side.
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5/16/2019 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 90 Points
Same tasting note as that for previous bottle applies.
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4/29/2019 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened and left in the bottle for an hr or so; then drank over the next 90 mins. Visually, a fairly deep purple. Moderate extraction. Elegant. Beautiful nose, typical of a cool climate syrah but for a paucity of white pepper - blue and black ripe fruits, olives, hints of violets. The palate follows the nose, with very good acidity. Would love to have this with, say, lamb shanks. Tannins are relatively fine and well integrated. I have two more bottles, which I plan to drink within the next 3 yrs. Very good QPR.
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1/25/2019 - David_T Likes this wine: 91 Points
Notes from day two. Explosive nose with mixed red/black raspberries/cherries and a bit of cocoa. The palate is mostly blackberry along with earth/herbs, fruitier up front and drier/earthier on the finish. Medium+ tannins/acid. Drinking well now with air though still a bit young from a 750, enjoy the 375s now if you have them. Cant wait to see how well this ages.
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1/25/2019 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Not sure it lives up to the reviews and certainly doesn't hold up over 24 hours. Possibly drinking too early, but did give it some air. Full bodied but average at best dark fruit.
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7/12/2018 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 89 Points
Good QPR. Opened and left in the bottle for an hr or so; then drank over the next 2 hrs. Visually, deep purple. Moderate extraction. Beautiful nose, typical of a cool climate syrah but for a paucity of white pepper - blue and black ripe fruits, hints of violets. The palate follows the nose, and has some (but not quite enough for me) acidity and minerality. Detectable but not overbearing tannins. Will revisit in 2yrs or so. Enjoyable, but not quite as good as my previous bottle if memory serves me right.
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1/8/2018 - td1836 wrote: 90 Points
Tasted as part of a 6 vintage Halcon Alturas tasting (2010-2015). This was my #5, and the group #4. I found it similar to the 2013 and 2015, just not as vibrant on the palate and softer on the nose. From a winemaker perspective, everything was done the same as 2013 (20% new oak, 35% whole cluster fermentation, same minimal amount of Viognier, etc.).
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10/11/2017 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good QPR. Opened and left in the bottle for an hr or so; then drank over the next 2 hrs. Visually, deep purple. Moderate extraction. Beautiful nose, typical of a cool climate syrah but for a paucity of white pepper - blue and black ripe fruits, some tar, some olives. The palate follows the nose, and has good acidity and minerality. Detectable but not overbearing tannins. Will revisit in a yr or so.
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9/5/2017 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 90 Points
Labor Day weekend tasting notes (Mostly at home): From a 375. These really are drinking much quicker than the 750s. Very solid Syrah. Cooler climate in profile. Black cherries, black raspberries, slight black pepper. Drinking well, not a lot of complexity, but some. Nice, tasty wine. Love the format.
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5/6/2017 - td1836 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep, dark purple color. Nice perfume on the nose with some gamey notes. The fruit comes across more tart in this vintage than previous ones I've had. Doesn't have quite the same depth. Still very enjoyable.
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5/6/2017 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
Better than a Magnum I recently had. Just a bit more open. One would assume it is just from being more advanced. In any event, it drank well with pop and pour.
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5/5/2017 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good QPR. Still young, so opened and let slow ox in the bottle for 3 hrs. Then drank over the next 2 hrs. Visually, deep purple. Moderate extraction. Beautiful nose, typical of a cool climate syrah - blue and black ripe fruits, some tar, some olives. Air helped a lot, both on the nose and palate. As to the palate, it follows the nose, and has good acidity and minerality. Detectable tannins - not surprising given its youth. Once one adjusts for price, very good. Will revisit every 6-9 months or so. My hunch is this may improve somewhat over the next couple of yrs.
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4/25/2017 - David_T Likes this wine: 91 Points
From a 375mL bottle. Mixed red/black fruit, lots of minerals, some herbs, medium acidity, medium tannins. Drinking great already; looking forward to enjoying these while my 750s age.
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4/19/2017 - ogres3 wrote: 89 Points
Drank over 3 days. Opaque. Relatively fresh ripe black and red fruit. Rich but light on the finish
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1/17/2017 - blakel Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not sure if it's age or bottle variation, but this one was considerably more muted than the last one I drank several months ago. Still delicious.
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12/16/2016 - markjanes wrote: 83 Points
Deep color, purple rim showing youth and moderate extraction. Aromatically has an expressive cool climate syrah nose with black fruits, tar… some spice and mineral. On the palate the wine is disjointed with high acidity, moderate palate weight, a lot of coarse and firm tannins, moderate alcohol. Technically balanced wine with short length, good aromatic intensity, average complexity. Not a ton of finesse and a disjointed texture. Improved a bit in the decanter during the night but not a lot. Drink now or hold 1-2 just to see what happens… Good reminder that just because you grow Cal syrah in a cool climate, pick early, and use a light hand in the winery doesn’t mean you end up with a French equivalent wine.
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11/19/2016 - EMark Likes this wine:
Quite dark in the glass. Rustic, woodsy nose. Fair amount of red fruit on entry—cherry, raspberry. Observable but fairly tame tannin and acid makes this a pretty easy drinker. Certainly, not the most complex wine in the world, but, definitely, an enjoyable one.
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11/7/2016 - STM82 wrote: 91 Points
A very pretty cool climate syrah. It was decanted for 5 plus hours. Plenty of flowers and purple fruit. some pepper and herbs as well. A nice value, although I wouldn't rate it as high as the WA did. I was expecting more depth and complexity. But at this price point, it's still a winner.
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11/1/2016 - firstgrowth Likes this wine: 86 Points
A little tart
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10/9/2016 - Billigan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lovely smokey fragrance, with a savory component that was reminiscent of a good Rhone, but with a touch more ripeness. Excellent value.
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9/19/2016 - John McCabe wrote: 89 Points
I've no idea how Parker rates something like this 95pts. Short finish, a bit of a barnyard twang - could almost be mistaken for a zin. Feels a bit thin, slightly sharp. I love a good syrah but this isn't one of them, unless a few years of bottle age changes things dramatically. I'd take a good Paso Robles syrah any day over this.
Slightly better on the 2nd day - it took on a slight creamy note which was welcome.
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7/26/2016 - alanr wrote: 93 Points
Dark, nearly opaque black garnet, this is a lovely syrah with beautiful medium dark berry fruit, a nice streak of bright tartness, fine mild tannins, medium depth. A fine example of syrah in a cool, elegant style. 30% whole cluster fermentation, and about 18% new oak from a single new large puncheon, with everything in nice balance.
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5/23/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 90 Points
An eclectic group of wines with friends (Walden): Very different from our 2014 Unmasked which uses Halcon fruit. This seems to be picked earlier as it is not as ripe or juicy. Of course, which you prefer is individual preference. Purple in color. A nose of black cherries with some pepper. Nice backbone of acidity. Needs time to unwind and open.
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4/11/2016 - The Wine Write wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured. Ok, but really nothing special. I'll let my second bottle sit. The tart finish was the detriment for me.
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3/21/2016 - blakel Likes this wine: 93 Points
Came in cold from the UPS truck and opened immediately. First note was a hit of... cabernet?? Don't know where that came from. Regardless, this is a juicy, ripe, gulpable, fresh syrah bursting with blue and red fruit, but with real depth and finesse. Subtle floral and spice notes swirl in the background. Utterly delicious today, I'll be very interested to see how this evolves. First impression is that this might be the best Alturas yet. Bravo!
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