This seems to be in a pretty good spot, savory, with more than a dollop of pepper, and more fruit than this producer's Sonoma Coast syrah of like vintage. Stems seem to be fairly well integrated. My nit is that the finish is dominated by somewhat coarse tannins....I'm unsure whether time will fix that, or if the wine will just dry out. I'll save my remaining bottle for a few years to see what happens.
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not sure why there have been such varied reviews, but this bottle was fantastic. nervy, bright gonon like fruit - as good as some aged edmunds st john syrah. I purchased this on release from winery so maybe provenance and barrel was different than others...
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Very acidic, almost vinegarized but similar if a bit worse than other Wind Gap wines I’ve tried thanks to Garagiste. So I don’t think it’s spoiled. Just bad.
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Thus was kind of meh for me. Given the variety of scores it could be just the bottle I pulled. Picked and popped and drank over three nights. Opened a bit more on nights 2 and 3. Not as much red fruit as I expected for a Syrah but it's there. A lot of acidity for me, some white pepper and a hint of cedar. Decent. Wondering if bottles 2 and 3 will offer more.
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Tasted side by side with the Sonoma coast wind gap Syrah of the same vintage (2015). This had more depth and personality with a heavy dose of snap crackle pop. Very good, I’d say atypical California Syrah. Light and acidic that could have been confused for a Nebbiolo. Very good!
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Could definitely get behind more American syrahs like this. And at this price. Energetic and light bodied for the varietal. Dark red fruit. Good depth and complexity. Savory notes. Tannic presence still but not overpowering.
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$20 Garagiste purchase. Immediately accessible. Billowy aroma of strawberry fruit jam. Lots of gushy red berry fruit that was absolutely delicious and such a departure from recent smoky meaty Washington Rocks and Northern Rhone Syrahs. A bit of green peppercorn, lively acid, and more powdery tannins than expected made this more than a fruit bomb and promises another couple of years of development. 89+
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A total pivot from what I expected Sonoma coast Syrah to be. This was “from the earth” with crunchy red fruit, some pepper, and a saline and savory under current that added so much depth and personality. Extraordinary. Thanks @garagiste.
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This is a better bottles than the 2014. Upon opening, the bottle was bursting with freshness, green pepper, smoke and minerals. There is a bit of primary fruit and mildly decent finish.
Not overwhelming or complex, but if you prefer a very natural, low alcohol Syrah, this is a good bottle.
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Love this wine for the $20/bottle I paid. There are green/vegetal notes that I also get in my favorite American cab blend, Ridge Monte Bello. I like those notes, in preference to big jammy American-style cab and syrah. YMMV. This works for me.
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Lots of odd notes when first opened, which over 15 minutes dissipates but continues to have phenolic note. Dark red in color, more black with a touch of red fruit on the nose and palate. Thin in viscosity. Acidic with strong dirt / dust on the palate, which I have found typical of several Wind Gap wines. I really dislike this.
What a marvelous syrah! I didn't know what to expect, given the mixed reviews. But this was surprisingly complex. Light but aromatic, it showed notes of plums, black olives, balsamic, sandalwood and a bit of pencil lead on the finish. Very fresh tasting. Picked up 3 for $20 per, and what a deal -- maybe one of the best CA syrahs I've tasted.
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I was very surprised as to how good this is, and how unusual it presents itself for a California Syrah. Lots of different and varying notes. My best explanation for the variances relates to the description on the back label that states “whole cluster fermentation” which might explain the “red fruits”, the “lightness” and the Beaujolais style. Without an extended maceration, and lots of extraction from “punch downs” or “pump overs”, the wine would most likely be lighter texture, display primary red and blue fruits, lower alcohol, and exhibit a fresher style. I’m also assuming the winemaker didn’t go crazy with new oak during aging, as oak influence seems minimal. Regardless, IMHO this is an excellent wine and shows lots of freshness, acidity, red fruit, and a long finish. Hard to tell how long this might cellar, but it’s great right now!
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Not your average Syrah. Juicy red fruit, floral, peppery and some tannins. Was a crowd pleaser for sure. Can’t wait for the rest, but will perhaps give it a couple of years (if I have any patience...)
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Initial impression from popping and sniffing was pine sap! That didn't stick around too long and morphed into a woodsy herbal mix with some bright red jammy fruit hiding at the back. Palate is nice and acidic but with a roundness on the finish and nice medium weight. Peppercorns come and go. This is delicious. Similarly excellent on night 2.
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Really cool savory and saline notes, good, dark, meaty (but still lean!) syrah. but tannins are a bit grainy and coarse and obtrusive - probably needs time (and/or food?)
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Very good California Syrah which would shock many blind. Light in body, 12.5%, dark purple in color, very bright red and blue fruit, hints of floral and mineral elements, this is unlike much of Ca Syrah in its body weight and freshness. Delicious, though like the 2014 Blooms Field pinot I reviewed a couple weeks ago, the nit-pick flaw here is the mid palate, which I find too light and hallow to pair with many weightier foods I have gotten used to having with Syrah. Not that this is not food friendly, it very much is, just not with what I have become used to having with Syrah (rich and smoked meats for instance). Still, bravo on the style, perhaps just a tad bit too much of the other end of the pendulum.
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Very bright nose, bright blueberry, slight herbaceousness, very faint olive but in the background, mostly fruit. On the palate carries with blueberry, pepper in the background, once again mostly dominated by fruit. Some drying tannins. I like this vineyard, a different showing than past years
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Disappointing. Pale in color, aromatically flat, greenish notes on the palate. My experience (in the tasting room) could not be more different from what Antonio Gallioni describes. Extreme bottle variation? But I would taste before buying this wine!
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11/18/2023 - thalver wrote:
This seems to be in a pretty good spot, savory, with more than a dollop of pepper, and more fruit than this producer's Sonoma Coast syrah of like vintage. Stems seem to be fairly well integrated. My nit is that the finish is dominated by somewhat coarse tannins....I'm unsure whether time will fix that, or if the wine will just dry out. I'll save my remaining bottle for a few years to see what happens.
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4/22/2023 - budhaus wrote:
Dark berries, graphite, pepper, a little whole cluster spice.
Still has nice freshness. Would be perfect on a cool fall night. Enjoyable wine
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4/2/2023 - R.H. Likes this wine:
Last of the wind gap Syrah. Bright and snappy. Good
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12/30/2022 - lolo66 wrote:
not sure why there have been such varied reviews, but this bottle was fantastic. nervy, bright gonon like fruit - as good as some aged edmunds st john syrah.
I purchased this on release from winery so maybe provenance and barrel was different than others...
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10/7/2021 - SWHighlander Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Very acidic, almost vinegarized but similar if a bit worse than other Wind Gap wines I’ve tried thanks to Garagiste. So I don’t think it’s spoiled. Just bad.
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7/4/2021 - Rawitham wrote: 86 Points
Thus was kind of meh for me. Given the variety of scores it could be just the bottle I pulled. Picked and popped and drank over three nights. Opened a bit more on nights 2 and 3. Not as much red fruit as I expected for a Syrah but it's there. A lot of acidity for me, some white pepper and a hint of cedar. Decent. Wondering if bottles 2 and 3 will offer more.
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5/30/2021 - Aparritz Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted side by side with the Sonoma coast wind gap Syrah of the same vintage (2015). This had more depth and personality with a heavy dose of snap crackle pop. Very good, I’d say atypical California Syrah. Light and acidic that could have been confused for a Nebbiolo. Very good!
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5/23/2021 - Quarked wrote:
Another great bottle, with pretty aromatics, complex tastes and a nice finish. Must be a lot of bottle variation based on the comments here.
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4/5/2021 - j.a.price.trucking wrote: 91 Points
Could definitely get behind more American syrahs like this. And at this price. Energetic and light bodied for the varietal. Dark red fruit. Good depth and complexity. Savory notes. Tannic presence still but not overpowering.
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2/16/2021 - Space Nine wrote: 86 Points
Sour cherry fruit. Thin through the mid-palate. Short finish. I expected something better from a single vineyard offering, but was disappointed.
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12/8/2020 - PDXinSEA Likes this wine: 89 Points
$20 Garagiste purchase. Immediately accessible. Billowy aroma of strawberry fruit jam. Lots of gushy red berry fruit that was absolutely delicious and such a departure from recent smoky meaty Washington Rocks and Northern Rhone Syrahs. A bit of green peppercorn, lively acid, and more powdery tannins than expected made this more than a fruit bomb and promises another couple of years of development. 89+
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11/9/2020 - rjm_va Likes this wine: 88 Points
Not one to seek out, too fruity on front
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11/8/2020 - Aparritz Likes this wine: 93 Points
A total pivot from what I expected Sonoma coast Syrah to be. This was “from the earth” with crunchy red fruit, some pepper, and a saline and savory under current that added so much depth and personality. Extraordinary. Thanks @garagiste.
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10/2/2020 - DWaterman wrote: 87 Points
This is a better bottles than the 2014. Upon opening, the bottle was bursting with freshness, green pepper, smoke and minerals. There is a bit of primary fruit and mildly decent finish.
Not overwhelming or complex, but if you prefer a very natural, low alcohol Syrah, this is a good bottle.
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9/29/2020 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 91 Points
Love this wine for the $20/bottle I paid. There are green/vegetal notes that I also get in my favorite American cab blend, Ridge Monte Bello. I like those notes, in preference to big jammy American-style cab and syrah. YMMV. This works for me.
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9/21/2020 - Cayman1 wrote: 87 Points
on the acidic side for a Syrah, overpowering the fruit at first. Needs a good couple of hours before some balance comes in.
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9/12/2020 - C3Napa Does not like this wine: 77 Points
Thin and grapefruity. Do not know whether this is due to an unfamiliar defect, but poured it out and moved on.
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7/26/2020 - R.H. Likes this wine:
I’ve always been a fan of this bottling. High acid and black pepper. Thought this was ripping
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4/23/2020 - TGLeroy wrote:
Meh
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1/22/2020 - wmccone54 wrote: 92 Points
This is the second bottle of this wine which I have enjoyed. Displays a very discernible black pepper note in the flavor profile.
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12/13/2019 - SWHighlander Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Lots of odd notes when first opened, which over 15 minutes dissipates but continues to have phenolic note. Dark red in color, more black with a touch of red fruit on the nose and palate. Thin in viscosity. Acidic with strong dirt / dust on the palate, which I have found typical of several Wind Gap wines. I really dislike this.
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12/6/2019 - Quarked wrote: 92 Points
What a marvelous syrah! I didn't know what to expect, given the mixed reviews. But this was surprisingly complex. Light but aromatic, it showed notes of plums, black olives, balsamic, sandalwood and a bit of pencil lead on the finish. Very fresh tasting. Picked up 3 for $20 per, and what a deal -- maybe one of the best CA syrahs I've tasted.
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10/20/2019 - Jmac56 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice rounded and full.
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9/22/2019 - wmccone54 wrote: 92 Points
I was very surprised as to how good this is, and how unusual it presents itself for a California Syrah. Lots of different and varying notes. My best explanation for the variances relates to the description on the back label that states “whole cluster fermentation” which might explain the “red fruits”, the “lightness” and the Beaujolais style. Without an extended maceration, and lots of extraction from “punch downs” or “pump overs”, the wine would most likely be lighter texture, display primary red and blue fruits, lower alcohol, and exhibit a fresher style. I’m also assuming the winemaker didn’t go crazy with new oak during aging, as oak influence seems minimal. Regardless, IMHO this is an excellent wine and shows lots of freshness, acidity, red fruit, and a long finish. Hard to tell how long this might cellar, but it’s great right now!
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8/2/2019 - Jmac56 wrote: 86 Points
Drinkable but overly acidic.
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7/26/2019 - AOAO10 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not your average Syrah. Juicy red fruit, floral, peppery and some tannins. Was a crowd pleaser for sure. Can’t wait for the rest, but will perhaps give it a couple of years (if I have any patience...)
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7/2/2019 - klezman wrote:
Initial impression from popping and sniffing was pine sap! That didn't stick around too long and morphed into a woodsy herbal mix with some bright red jammy fruit hiding at the back. Palate is nice and acidic but with a roundness on the finish and nice medium weight. Peppercorns come and go. This is delicious.
Similarly excellent on night 2.
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6/22/2019 - mtaczak Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really cool savory and saline notes, good, dark, meaty (but still lean!) syrah. but tannins are a bit grainy and coarse and obtrusive - probably needs time (and/or food?)
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5/11/2019 - xbrxx Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pallate of black berry, green and black olives, and smoke. Finishes with sour cherries and tart cranberries. Enjoyable.
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4/21/2019 - rjm_va Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very fruit forward, Beaujolais if didn’t know any better. Needs food otherwise too fruity
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4/13/2019 - cadamson Likes this wine:
Very good California Syrah which would shock many blind. Light in body, 12.5%, dark purple
in color, very bright red and blue fruit, hints of floral and mineral elements, this is unlike much of Ca Syrah in its body weight and freshness. Delicious, though like the 2014 Blooms Field pinot I reviewed a couple weeks ago, the nit-pick flaw here is the mid palate, which I find too light and hallow to pair with many weightier foods I have gotten used to having with Syrah. Not that this is not food friendly, it very much is, just not with what I have become used to having with Syrah (rich and smoked meats for instance). Still, bravo on the style, perhaps just a tad bit too much of the other end of the pendulum.
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10/16/2017 - budhaus wrote:
Very bright nose, bright blueberry, slight herbaceousness, very faint olive but in the background, mostly fruit. On the palate carries with blueberry, pepper in the background, once again mostly dominated by fruit. Some drying tannins. I like this vineyard, a different showing than past years
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4/30/2017 - KPB Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Disappointing. Pale in color, aromatically flat, greenish notes on the palate. My experience (in the tasting room) could not be more different from what Antonio Gallioni describes. Extreme bottle variation? But I would taste before buying this wine!
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2/20/2017 - brigcampbell wrote:
Falltacular 2016; 2/18/2017-2/20/2017 (FMIII in the OC): Not your typical cali syrah, very light and fruit is along the lines of strawberry jam. Iodine on the nose.
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