[Tasted Double Blind] This pours medium to light ruby in the glass with light bricking. The nose shows dark cherry, blueberry, slate, burlap, and shrubby herbs. The palate enters on the rich dark cherry and turns to medium minus tannin and medium acid. The finish closes on lovely dark cherry, blueberry and dusty mineral notes. When it came to guessing this was a head scratcher. I ended up guessing red burgundy from a very structured and young vintage. While there isn't much complexity here, age has been kind to this restrained expression of Tuscan Syrah.
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CT has a drink by 2010 date. Total nonsense. I have had 2 of this vintage in the past 6 months. With just over an hour’s decanting it drinks perfectly. The fruit is still there, perhaps not the mouthful of earlier vintage but the overall balance with leather, earth and some tobacco made this a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable experience given it is the birth year of my daughter who was able to sample a glass.
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PnP, second of three; both seem tired. Some red currants on the nose, some iron as well as a trace of leather. Everything seems light. Hopefully this opens up more as my evening winds down. I want to party!
Opened up a little bit over an hour or so, but still well past it's prime, sniff. No partay!
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From magnum, decanted 1 hour Ruby colour, lighter edges. Still strong fruit flavours and gentle spice. Slight dryness emerging. Wonderful wine but certainly at its peak. 5th of 6 Mags. Will drink the last one soon.
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Opened with lamb, rosemary potatoes and sweet peas. Ethereal nose of fresh florals, minty cherry with a spice box component as well. On the palate, the flavors do not match the aromas, with a predominantly sour cherry profile without sweetness to elevate the experience through the finish. Certainly has some class, but the tart/sourness detracts rather than enhances the flavors. Has the acids, the structure, the weight, but needs more sweetness, or less sourness, to allow the secondaries to shine. On day two + under vac-u-vin this has turned more harshly acidic, with a darker coloring. Nearly undrinkable, I had to geuze with sweet black cherry juice to achieve proper balance. Disappointed in this offering.
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Syrah: This was all about very ripe, intense dark fruits. Nose of meat, sweetness, a bit of herbs and peppermint. Almost heavy on the palate with cherry pit and Parma ham, noticeable tannins, high accidity. Comparatively loud, but very good syrah. Gets more elegant with air.
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Opened for our 15th wedding anniversary....last time I had this was in 2005, and it was a monster in the dark! Amazing dark fruits, smoke and spice...tight acidity...not showing all the goods just yet. Well....at year 15....I think the structure is too much for the fruit still. Fruit shows more age to it, with more sour tart skin, and dryness. Tart cherry acidity...dryness...kind of reminds me of a Barolo? But more smoked meat to it than Barolo....some leather, tar, blueberry liqueur, dried berry/mushroom florals, old barrel wood. I actually like dry wines...this isn't bad...I just had high hopes on this one aging into something special...but looks like it's just not going to happen. Too bad. At least our marriage has lasted longer! -pts
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From a magnum. Dark ruby colored; Very aromatic, black pepper, meaty, blackberry, blueberry; full bodied, medium tannins, black fruit, great balance, medium acidity, great mouthfeel; finish is medium length, juicy black fruit with excellent complexity. Good balance between old and new world. This is drinking very well, very balanced. Fabulous last bottle. 93.
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CHOCOLATE AND BLACK CHERRIES IN THE NOSE WITH LOTS OF UPFRONT FRUIT IN THE FLAVOR, DEEP BERRIES, LICORICE AND CHOCOLATE. NOT SYRAH LIKE BUT VERY NICE WITH A MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH
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From a magnum. Ruby red color with bricking; Nose has sweet red fruit, some dusty spice, pretty but simple; palate is tart at first, medium bodied then nice structure, juicy high acid cherries; clean medium-length finish. A nice blend of old and new world syrah, would go well with food because of acidity, fully mature now and will drink my last magnum within 1-2 years.
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From a magnum. Color is dark red violet. Nose is spicy, dark, meaty. Good red fruits which are a bit subdued. Palate has good structure, still strong tannins. Good cherry, other berries. Nice finish. Food friendly.
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Wow, what a nice wine. Took 1.5 hours to really open up, even with the age it has. Brawny and muscular, great fruit, really in its prime with lots of time left. No black pepper notes. Meaty and I might even agree with WS that it has a touch of chocolate at the end. Would definitely recommend.
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Christianne's Dinner (San Francisco): Very closed at first, but with air, it did reveal some nice meaty and spice aromas and flavors. Very structured with stern acidty. Very good, but this needs cellaring (or extended decanting).
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This came out of that cellar I worked on over the summer. Had it at dinner last night in a fave restaurant. On the advice of the Maitre d' we did not decant. Beautiful color, still very vibrant ruby, maybe only a tiny trace of orange at the rim. Dried red fruit and leather, tobacco and spice in the nose, no heat whatsoever. The nose echoed through on the palate as well, dried red cherry and soft tobacco and leather notes, quite dry as my dad was quick to point out, soft tannins with just a hint of sweetness, long finish. Seemed to be at it's peak and it went so fine with the lamb preparation I had for dinner.
I've had this wine young in the '99 vintage and moderately old, drank the '98 vintage in '03. I love it for being one of the tastier italian syrahs out there and yet I don't hear about it much.
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Terrible. Not corked but wholely without any redeaming merit at all. Barely able to call this wine instead of very bad vinegar. No fruit, no finish just a touch of heat and acid. This is so bad I feel that storage conditions prior to my purchace may have adverely affected it. Unfortunately, I do not have another bottle, nor will I purchase another given this experience.
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$60 retail. This is a ringer for Cote-Rotie. On the nose - coffee, dark fruit. A touch of oak blew off with time open. Even more happening on the palate, where the acid level and overall fruit profile certainly suggests the northern Rhone. Very nice wine, though I'm not sure it's a value at $60 - I'd rather have the real thing for that price. Regardless, it's still an excellent wine, IMO. No doubt this will last / evolve for a number of years...
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Very tight at first, but did open to reveal wonderful black cherry, plum, blackberry fruit; exotic smoked meat, tar, leather thing goin on. Some pepper spice, chocolate, dusty cedar as well. Good amounts of acidity, silky smooth tannins, somewhat short tight finish. This wine still hasn't shown us everything yet.......great now....even better in a few more years!
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Dark ruby colour, not quite black. Aromas of black fruit, plums, vanilla, and red fruit. Medium-full bodied showing spices. Moderate finish, ~30-35s with black fruit.
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($100) The Mann's '88 Blowout: Nose is redolent of coffee. This was served as a mystery wine with the challenge "guess the varietal." The wine is distinctive but I didn't really care for it. Treads a strange middle ground between ripe, cooked, and unripe.
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8/29/2023 - Wine Canuck wrote: 90 Points
[Tasted Double Blind] This pours medium to light ruby in the glass with light bricking. The nose shows dark cherry, blueberry, slate, burlap, and shrubby herbs. The palate enters on the rich dark cherry and turns to medium minus tannin and medium acid. The finish closes on lovely dark cherry, blueberry and dusty mineral notes. When it came to guessing this was a head scratcher. I ended up guessing red burgundy from a very structured and young vintage. While there isn't much complexity here, age has been kind to this restrained expression of Tuscan Syrah.
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5/22/2022 - CYclingmad555 Likes this wine: 90 Points
CT has a drink by 2010 date. Total nonsense. I have had 2 of this vintage in the past 6 months. With just over an hour’s decanting it drinks perfectly. The fruit is still there, perhaps not the mouthful of earlier vintage but the overall balance with leather, earth and some tobacco made this a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable experience given it is the birth year of my daughter who was able to sample a glass.
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1/12/2022 - Barnaby33 wrote:
PnP, second of three; both seem tired. Some red currants on the nose, some iron as well as a trace of leather. Everything seems light. Hopefully this opens up more as my evening winds down. I want to party!
Opened up a little bit over an hour or so, but still well past it's prime, sniff. No partay!
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4/18/2018 - maranoli Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum, decanted 1 hour
Ruby colour, lighter edges.
Still strong fruit flavours and gentle spice. Slight dryness emerging.
Wonderful wine but certainly at its peak. 5th of 6 Mags.
Will drink the last one soon.
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1/16/2016 - Senso-beak wrote: 85 Points
Opened with lamb, rosemary potatoes and sweet peas. Ethereal nose of fresh florals, minty cherry with a spice box component as well. On the palate, the flavors do not match the aromas, with a predominantly sour cherry profile without sweetness to elevate the experience through the finish. Certainly has some class, but the tart/sourness detracts rather than enhances the flavors. Has the acids, the structure, the weight, but needs more sweetness, or less sourness, to allow the secondaries to shine. On day two + under vac-u-vin this has turned more harshly acidic, with a darker coloring. Nearly undrinkable, I had to geuze with sweet black cherry juice to achieve proper balance. Disappointed in this offering.
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4/30/2015 - AV2012 wrote: 91 Points
Syrah: This was all about very ripe, intense dark fruits. Nose of meat, sweetness, a bit of herbs and peppermint. Almost heavy on the palate with cherry pit and Parma ham, noticeable tannins, high accidity. Comparatively loud, but very good syrah. Gets more elegant with air.
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2/1/2015 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
very tight out of bottle, nose is shy w/some spicy fruit, intense and structured
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9/20/2012 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened for our 15th wedding anniversary....last time I had this was in 2005, and it was a monster in the dark! Amazing dark fruits, smoke and spice...tight acidity...not showing all the goods just yet. Well....at year 15....I think the structure is too much for the fruit still. Fruit shows more age to it, with more sour tart skin, and dryness. Tart cherry acidity...dryness...kind of reminds me of a Barolo? But more smoked meat to it than Barolo....some leather, tar, blueberry liqueur, dried berry/mushroom florals, old barrel wood. I actually like dry wines...this isn't bad...I just had high hopes on this one aging into something special...but looks like it's just not going to happen. Too bad. At least our marriage has lasted longer! -pts
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5/27/2012 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
From a magnum. Dark ruby colored; Very aromatic, black pepper, meaty, blackberry, blueberry; full bodied, medium tannins, black fruit, great balance, medium acidity, great mouthfeel; finish is medium length, juicy black fruit with excellent complexity. Good balance between old and new world. This is drinking very well, very balanced. Fabulous last bottle. 93.
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9/18/2011 - John McCabe wrote: 94 Points
Showing nicely. This has more years ahead of it, but is very nice now all the same. Almost sweet, lovely with food.
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9/16/2011 - buckeye76 wrote: 92 Points
CHOCOLATE AND BLACK CHERRIES IN THE NOSE WITH LOTS OF UPFRONT FRUIT IN THE FLAVOR, DEEP BERRIES, LICORICE AND CHOCOLATE. NOT SYRAH LIKE BUT VERY NICE WITH A MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH
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4/28/2011 - aagrawal wrote: 90 Points
From a magnum. Ruby red color with bricking; Nose has sweet red fruit, some dusty spice, pretty but simple; palate is tart at first, medium bodied then nice structure, juicy high acid cherries; clean medium-length finish. A nice blend of old and new world syrah, would go well with food because of acidity, fully mature now and will drink my last magnum within 1-2 years.
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6/24/2010 - aagrawal wrote: 92 Points
From a magnum. Color is dark red violet. Nose is spicy, dark, meaty. Good red fruits which are a bit subdued. Palate has good structure, still strong tannins. Good cherry, other berries. Nice finish. Food friendly.
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2/14/2010 - kenthargis wrote: 94 Points
Wow, what a nice wine. Took 1.5 hours to really open up, even with the age it has. Brawny and muscular, great fruit, really in its prime with lots of time left. No black pepper notes. Meaty and I might even agree with WS that it has a touch of chocolate at the end. Would definitely recommend.
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8/19/2009 - ShannonGroomes wrote: 88 Points
Okay, not as much to it as we remember
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2/11/2009 - winemaker wrote:
Kind of disappointed. Short finish here detracted big time from the wine. It seemed tight. I only had a bit and will try it again tomorrow.
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2/5/2008 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Syrah Tasting Dinner (Stephen Gold's home, San Francisco, California): Black red violet color with pale meniscus; porcini mushroom, beef jus nose; tart plum, lamb jus and leather palate; medium-plus finish 91+ pts.
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12/28/2007 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
Christianne's Dinner (San Francisco): Very closed at first, but with air, it did reveal some nice meaty and spice aromas and flavors. Very structured with stern acidty. Very good, but this needs cellaring (or extended decanting).
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8/26/2007 - tradewines wrote: 93 Points
Superb. Perfectly balance syrah. Meaty, great conentration, long finish. This wine has years to go.
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4/11/2007 - starfish wrote:
This came out of that cellar I worked on over the summer.
Had it at dinner last night in a fave restaurant. On the advice of the Maitre d' we did not decant.
Beautiful color, still very vibrant ruby, maybe only a tiny trace of orange at the rim.
Dried red fruit and leather, tobacco and spice in the nose, no heat whatsoever.
The nose echoed through on the palate as well, dried red cherry and soft tobacco and leather notes, quite dry as my dad was quick to point out, soft tannins with just a hint of sweetness, long finish. Seemed to be at it's peak and it went so fine with the lamb preparation I had for dinner.
I've had this wine young in the '99 vintage and moderately old, drank the '98 vintage in '03. I love it for being one of the tastier italian syrahs out there and yet I don't hear about it much.
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9/13/2005 - onholiday wrote: 75 Points
Terrible. Not corked but wholely without any redeaming merit at all. Barely able to call this wine instead of very bad vinegar. No fruit, no finish just a touch of heat and acid. This is so bad I feel that storage conditions prior to my purchace may have adverely affected it. Unfortunately, I do not have another bottle, nor will I purchase another given this experience.
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8/6/2005 - Ben Andersen wrote:
$60 retail. This is a ringer for Cote-Rotie. On the nose - coffee, dark fruit. A touch of oak blew off with time open. Even more happening on the palate, where the acid level and overall fruit profile certainly suggests the northern Rhone. Very nice wine, though I'm not sure it's a value at $60 - I'd rather have the real thing for that price. Regardless, it's still an excellent wine, IMO. No doubt this will last / evolve for a number of years...
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5/5/2005 - Mrbuzz wrote: 96 Points
Very tight at first, but did open to reveal wonderful black cherry, plum, blackberry fruit; exotic smoked meat, tar, leather thing goin on. Some pepper spice, chocolate, dusty cedar as well. Good amounts of acidity, silky smooth tannins, somewhat short tight finish. This wine still hasn't shown us everything yet.......great now....even better in a few more years!
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10/2/2004 - futronic wrote: 88 Points
Dark ruby colour, not quite black. Aromas of black fruit, plums, vanilla, and red fruit. Medium-full bodied showing spices. Moderate finish, ~30-35s with black fruit.
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12/1/2001 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
($100) The Mann's '88 Blowout: Nose is redolent of coffee. This was served as a mystery wine with the challenge "guess the varietal." The wine is distinctive but I didn't really care for it. Treads a strange middle ground between ripe, cooked, and unripe.
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