Tasted over 2 hrs -med dark red purple mild clearing -prominent wet stone spice dark berry faint cracked black pepper -med+ acidity adds a considerable sour vinegary note, med- weight tart berry mild savory element, med- tannins -very nice and complex aromatics
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Tasted over 2 hrs -dark red purple minimal clearing -muted dark berry faint black pepper wet stone minerality -med/med+ acidity, med/med- weight delicately structured fading sour dark berry fruit olive brine, fine-grained med/med- tannins -decided to check in on this and a bit surprised to see that it may be a little closer to the end of its prime drinking window than the beginning unless it picks up some more savory complexity
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Earth, rum barrel, mint, grilled meat, ripe berries, citrus oil. Still grippy and a tad spritzy. Very gentle. Opening up nicely with air. I would wait a few more years.
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Aromatic nose with a top note of white pepper, underlaid by notes of fresh red berries, dried gamey meat, and lilacs. On the palate, a fine tension of clear sweet fruit, energetic acids, and crisp tannic base. Beautifully layered with a fine complexity. 11.8%
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Five years since the last time I had this, so I expected some change. It has really settled in, losing its aggressive acidic prickle, and rounding into a light bodied, cool climate essence of Syrah. The amount of smoked meat and bacon fat in the aromatics usually takes a much richer wine to carry off, but this bottle does it in an ethereal way. It floats across the palate, almost only existing in an aromatic sense. I am tempted to complain about the lack of depth on the palate, but the wine smells so good.
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Lovely nose of flowers, red fruit, and savory flavors of bacon and olives. Acidic, with notes of plum skin, dark fruits, more olives, and fresh herbs. Lingering finish. Can't believe it's only 11.8% ABV. Wow, this is gorgeous! Easily one of the best and most Northern Rhone style CA Syrah's I've had. Would love to see how this turns out in 5 years. 94+ Wife: 96
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PnP. Not sure if it was an off bottle or whether this peaked earlier than I thought, but this bottle didn't sing like others from this site/producer. 11.8%
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Lots of spice and vigour and green stem on the nose. Planted at the absolute edge of where Syrah will ripen in California. Some sweet cherry fruit coming out with swirling. Green on the palate still, coming into violet. Still youthful, where will it go?
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Restrained, cool, fruit with some added notes of bacon and black pepper. Fresh and borderline thin, with some herbal notes. Not bad, but very disappointing considering the price tag and my expectations. Don’t know if it’s in a tunnel or should have been opened on release (previous bottle was way better).
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Pepper, blueberry, blackberry and tapenade in a fresh, fruity package with distinct tannins that were perhaps a bit stemmy and green in that sense. Nice wine but had hoped for a bit more.
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Chuleton and a trio of Syrah: A little spritzy at first. After several hours it opens up and the Syrah perfume is nice, very lean and green and savory, light, acidic style veering towards tapenade more than sweet berries and oak (which I detect none). Not as good fruit and as magic as the que Syrah and griffin from same vintage, but very very nice wine.
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Huge blackberry fruit with intense peppery flavors dominated by tannin, short finish, this wine is in the Pax style. Given the tannins it is difficult to assess the structure and texture of the wine. Unclear if the tannins will ever soften and the fruit become better integrated.
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Pure and quite dark, syrah flavors. Meat, bacon and black pepper complements the ripe, but not jammy or over ripe, blackberry/blueberry aromas. Fresh with high acidity and pronounced minerality. Wonderful wine - got to find more bottles of this.
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Dusty aroma with elusive mushroom and berry notes. Sharp bright fruit on the palate, almost a hint of spritz, a bit thin on the mid-palate, strong acidic finish. One-dimensional. 50 + 15 + 15 + 7. Going to give it a second night. [Second night was no better ... I'm puzzled by the other ratings for this bottle. Maybe I have a bad one.]
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Starts a little prickly, but 15 minutes of air and that is gone. It remains on the higher acid end of the spectrum, but the more air it gets the more the dark berry fruit, smoke, pepper and meaty elements emerge. I enjoyed this over the course of a few hours, but I want to cellar the rest for several years.
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Beautiful stinky nose. A touch of brett but just the right amount. Olive and clean game. Soft raspberry fruit but it plays a supporting role to savory tones that saturate the wine from front to rear of the palate. Beautiful CA Syrah. Dense Minerality with crunchy tannins in the mid rear palate. Elegant and subtle with good complexity, but time will do wonders. Killer bottle.
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3/1/2023 - Cote d'Or wrote:
Tasted over 2 hrs
-med dark red purple mild clearing
-prominent wet stone spice dark berry faint cracked black pepper
-med+ acidity adds a considerable sour vinegary note, med- weight tart berry mild savory element, med- tannins
-very nice and complex aromatics
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6/15/2022 - Cote d'Or wrote:
Tasted over 2 hrs
-dark red purple minimal clearing
-muted dark berry faint black pepper wet stone minerality
-med/med+ acidity, med/med- weight delicately structured fading sour dark berry fruit olive brine, fine-grained med/med- tannins
-decided to check in on this and a bit surprised to see that it may be a little closer to the end of its prime drinking window than the beginning unless it picks up some more savory complexity
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4/23/2022 - magyarsvensk Likes this wine:
Brambles, spices, scented soaps, plums, forest floor, candied citrus peel. A bright, aromatic expression that continues to develop.
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4/15/2021 - magyarsvensk Likes this wine:
Earth, rum barrel, mint, grilled meat, ripe berries, citrus oil. Still grippy and a tad spritzy. Very gentle. Opening up nicely with air. I would wait a few more years.
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7/19/2020 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still seeming a bit closed down. Hoping it will emerge, but unclear that it will. 11.8%
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4/26/2020 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aromatic nose with a top note of white pepper, underlaid by notes of fresh red berries, dried gamey meat, and lilacs. On the palate, a fine tension of clear sweet fruit, energetic acids, and crisp tannic base. Beautifully layered with a fine complexity. 11.8%
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4/13/2020 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Five years since the last time I had this, so I expected some change. It has really settled in, losing its aggressive acidic prickle, and rounding into a light bodied, cool climate essence of Syrah. The amount of smoked meat and bacon fat in the aromatics usually takes a much richer wine to carry off, but this bottle does it in an ethereal way. It floats across the palate, almost only existing in an aromatic sense. I am tempted to complain about the lack of depth on the palate, but the wine smells so good.
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11/23/2019 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent with previous notes. Excellent cold climate CA Syrah.
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1/13/2019 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely nose of flowers, red fruit, and savory flavors of bacon and olives. Acidic, with notes of plum skin, dark fruits, more olives, and fresh herbs. Lingering finish. Can't believe it's only 11.8% ABV.
Wow, this is gorgeous! Easily one of the best and most Northern Rhone style CA Syrah's I've had. Would love to see how this turns out in 5 years. 94+ Wife: 96
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12/1/2018 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. Not sure if it was an off bottle or whether this peaked earlier than I thought, but this bottle didn't sing like others from this site/producer. 11.8%
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3/7/2018 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Lots of spice and vigour and green stem on the nose. Planted at the absolute edge of where Syrah will ripen in California. Some sweet cherry fruit coming out with swirling. Green on the palate still, coming into violet. Still youthful, where will it go?
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12/16/2017 - aekenback wrote: 89 Points
Restrained, cool, fruit with some added notes of bacon and black pepper. Fresh and borderline thin, with some herbal notes. Not bad, but very disappointing considering the price tag and my expectations. Don’t know if it’s in a tunnel or should have been opened on release (previous bottle was way better).
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10/22/2017 - jrick wrote: 90 Points
Pepper, blueberry, blackberry and tapenade in a fresh, fruity package with distinct tannins that were perhaps a bit stemmy and green in that sense. Nice wine but had hoped for a bit more.
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8/13/2017 - Omar Khayyam Likes this wine: 92 Points
Chuleton and a trio of Syrah: A little spritzy at first. After several hours it opens up and the Syrah perfume is nice, very lean and green and savory, light, acidic style veering towards tapenade more than sweet berries and oak (which I detect none). Not as good fruit and as magic as the que Syrah and griffin from same vintage, but very very nice wine.
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7/31/2016 - Amerique wrote: 90 Points
Huge blackberry fruit with intense peppery flavors dominated by tannin, short finish, this wine is in the Pax style. Given the tannins it is difficult to assess the structure and texture of the wine. Unclear if the tannins will ever soften and the fruit become better integrated.
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7/27/2016 - ledwards wrote: 93 Points
Very fresh and perky. Raspberries and sour cherry with pepper. I really appreciate the AR style.
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7/12/2016 - aekenback wrote: 93 Points
Pure and quite dark, syrah flavors. Meat, bacon and black pepper complements the ripe, but not jammy or over ripe, blackberry/blueberry aromas. Fresh with high acidity and pronounced minerality. Wonderful wine - got to find more bottles of this.
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6/27/2015 - wgmccallum Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Dusty aroma with elusive mushroom and berry notes. Sharp bright fruit on the palate, almost a hint of spritz, a bit thin on the mid-palate, strong acidic finish. One-dimensional. 50 + 15 + 15 + 7. Going to give it a second night. [Second night was no better ... I'm puzzled by the other ratings for this bottle. Maybe I have a bad one.]
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6/21/2015 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Starts a little prickly, but 15 minutes of air and that is gone. It remains on the higher acid end of the spectrum, but the more air it gets the more the dark berry fruit, smoke, pepper and meaty elements emerge. I enjoyed this over the course of a few hours, but I want to cellar the rest for several years.
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5/19/2015 - Socrates Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful stinky nose. A touch of brett but just the right amount. Olive and clean game. Soft raspberry fruit but it plays a supporting role to savory tones that saturate the wine from front to rear of the palate. Beautiful CA Syrah. Dense Minerality with crunchy tannins in the mid rear palate. Elegant and subtle with good complexity, but time will do wonders. Killer bottle.
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4/18/2015 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 93 Points
Vibrant acidity, great fruit and balance. 11.8%
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