375ml bottle Pop and pour, swirled for 5 to 10 minutes. Deep ruby to purple color. Spicy, peppery blackberries, licorice, vanilla, blueberries, toasty oak, soil, and a hint of cherry on the nose. Fairly full bodied with solid, plush tannins and very good acidity. Loads of sweet and peppery berries on the palate and finish. Finish could use a touch more length and fullness, but that's a minor issue, since it is very tasty. Drinking very nicely today, doesn't need additional cellar time. 375s like this one should probably be consumed over the next year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine seems to have changed since my last note almost 20 months ago. I was thinking about the wine, how it doesn't drift into the gamey, meaty, pepepery edge of syrah.....yet, some of these aspects show in my TN from last time. Palate change? Perceptual change? Probably both. As for the wine now, really pure CA syrah, with juicy blackberry flavors, perhaps some tar and wood char. No heat either, which is a bonus. Just a real nice fruit bowl of a wine, reminding me of a Tensley Colson Canyon in style. I have 1/2 bottle left so we'll finish up a note tomorrow night.......much the same as last night, hasn't moved much. Shows a bit more cherry tonight but the player in this wine is a bright and fresh blackberry, juicy and plump. I think a bit of heat on the nose but nothing that should turn off anyone...bottle lists alcohol @ 15.1%. Ready to drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tons of rich and powerful black fruit on the nose, with considerable smoke and toast. Beautiful, lush mouth-feel, with kirsch, blackberry, wave after wave of delicious warming rich fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured, drank over the course of about an hour and a half. Plum, some tanning, not too hot for 15.1% but not exactly elegant, either. Sort of one-dimensional but no complaints. Might have benefitted from decanting, but I guess I'll never know now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour from .375; Took about 30 minutes of air and this was really nice. Early oak and a minor bitter foretaste wore off quickly to show nice plum and black fruits, over a bed of sweet tanins. Great wine, awesome QPR. This will be even better with another 6-12 months.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose shows some graphite and dark berry. Fleshy palate of game, roasted red and sweet balckberry flavors, supported by some chocolate, tar and some medium structure. Alcohol is managed. Wine drinks with some overall medium structure so can rest a few more years but drinks fairly well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is still a baby. Nice core of concentrated dark fruits with good tannic structure, but a little heat and a tad too much oak create some rough edges. Let these sleep for at least another 6 months.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
15.1% alcohol. Interesting nose, some of those smoky bacon/meat aromas, much more earthy and secondary than I would have expected - and a nice surprise! The palate is medium-full in structure, delicious, long, really focusing on the Northern Rhone effects of Syrah...smoky, long, delicious. This has taken two days to open up to this point. Very telling. Decant. No rush to consume. Hold till next spring, then pop one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consumed this bottle alongside the IO. I liked the Novy better - some of the other folks enjoyed the IO. This one had more red fruit aromas and taste. Still had a bit of burn and alcohol. Might have burned off after sitting for a while.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
6/18/2012 - napasoutherner wrote: 95 Points
Incredible finish!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2010 - cbbrown3 wrote: 90 Points
375ml bottle Pop and pour, swirled for 5 to 10 minutes. Deep ruby to purple color. Spicy, peppery blackberries, licorice, vanilla, blueberries, toasty oak, soil, and a hint of cherry on the nose. Fairly full bodied with solid, plush tannins and very good acidity. Loads of sweet and peppery berries on the palate and finish. Finish could use a touch more length and fullness, but that's a minor issue, since it is very tasty. Drinking very nicely today, doesn't need additional cellar time. 375s like this one should probably be consumed over the next year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2010 - caboychuck wrote:
Slight black fruit on the nose. Very nice flavors. Big dark, upfront fruit, black cherry, nice acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2010 - griffin'sdad wrote: 88 Points
Deep, full penetrating nose and a soft luscious body but with a short dry finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
This wine seems to have changed since my last note almost 20 months ago. I was thinking about the wine, how it doesn't drift into the gamey, meaty, pepepery edge of syrah.....yet, some of these aspects show in my TN from last time. Palate change? Perceptual change? Probably both. As for the wine now, really pure CA syrah, with juicy blackberry flavors, perhaps some tar and wood char. No heat either, which is a bonus. Just a real nice fruit bowl of a wine, reminding me of a Tensley Colson Canyon in style. I have 1/2 bottle left so we'll finish up a note tomorrow night.......much the same as last night, hasn't moved much. Shows a bit more cherry tonight but the player in this wine is a bright and fresh blackberry, juicy and plump. I think a bit of heat on the nose but nothing that should turn off anyone...bottle lists alcohol @ 15.1%. Ready to drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/21/2009 - mdstenner wrote: 90 Points
Tons of rich and powerful black fruit on the nose, with considerable smoke and toast. Beautiful, lush mouth-feel, with kirsch, blackberry, wave after wave of delicious warming rich fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2009 - caboychuck wrote:
Black fruit and smoke on the nose. Big upfront black fruit and some smoke on the palate too. Decent bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2008 - thirtyoneknots wrote:
Popped and poured, drank over the course of about an hour and a half. Plum, some tanning, not too hot for 15.1% but not exactly elegant, either. Sort of one-dimensional but no complaints. Might have benefitted from decanting, but I guess I'll never know now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2008 - dmatley wrote: 87 Points
Drank well but as I recall seemed a little soft.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2008 - jkkane wrote:
Expressive nose and nice fruit flavors, but too much heat for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2008 - cmr wrote: 90 Points
Great as usual very fruit forward with hints of meatiness and earth. Over time (few hours) seem to get a bit dis-jointed though.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2008 - davidandrose wrote: 89 Points
Pop and pour from .375; Took about 30 minutes of air and this was really nice. Early oak and a minor bitter foretaste wore off quickly to show nice plum and black fruits, over a bed of sweet tanins. Great wine, awesome QPR. This will be even better with another 6-12 months.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Nose shows some graphite and dark berry. Fleshy palate of game, roasted red and sweet balckberry flavors, supported by some chocolate, tar and some medium structure. Alcohol is managed. Wine drinks with some overall medium structure so can rest a few more years but drinks fairly well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2007 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Excellent wine. I wish I had bought more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2007 - SuitePhoto wrote: 89 Points
This is still a baby. Nice core of concentrated dark fruits with good tannic structure, but a little heat and a tad too much oak create some rough edges. Let these sleep for at least another 6 months.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2007 - CO CHRIS wrote: 92 Points
15.1% alcohol.
Interesting nose, some of those smoky bacon/meat aromas, much more earthy and secondary than I would have expected - and a nice surprise!
The palate is medium-full in structure, delicious, long, really focusing on the Northern Rhone effects of Syrah...smoky, long, delicious. This has taken two days to open up to this point. Very telling. Decant.
No rush to consume. Hold till next spring, then pop one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2006 - tederf wrote: 88 Points
Consumed this bottle alongside the IO. I liked the Novy better - some of the other folks enjoyed the IO. This one had more red fruit aromas and taste. Still had a bit of burn and alcohol. Might have burned off after sitting for a while.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment