Pop & pour. Lots of blackberry fruit, smoke, pepper and, unfortunately, a healthy amount of VA. A tad too much for my tastes, and it overshadowed the gorgeous fruit and smoke.
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Felt a bit beyond prime but not downhill by any means. Smoky, raspberry nose with flavors of baking spice, pruned blueberry, cracked pepper. Very deep purple-blue. Savory but a bit muted, showing restraint, or age.
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Inky-black red in color. Smoked chocolate covered blackberries, woodsy, soil and licorice aromas. This is big and bold, extracted spice, plum, chewy black fruit and bright acids. A bit hot on the finish in the form of baking spices. This bottle seemed a bit disjointed compared to the last several. Perhaps bottle variation vs palate variation. Drink now-2015
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Napa Wine Club Tasting #2 (Napa CA GVM): Very funky nose. Dark fruit and at this stage it became very hard to distinguish the WA Syrahs. Of all the regions they were the most terrior driven. Really classy stuff and for the price this was a great QPR.
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Dark, ripe intense WA syrah. Very well balanced with nice complexity - smoke, some pepper to balance the blackberry fruit - not jammy at all. Served a little cool and it worked very well. Delicious.
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This wine has a full dark fruit, berry nose. Very round and integrated with a very nice finish. Really liked this wine. Drank as part of a vertical tasting of the 05, 06 and 07. The 05 and 07 are both great. The 06 does not have the nose and does not finish well.
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[Blind Syrah tasting - I _think_ this was the '05] Deep syrah nose. Refined taste, almost cabby. Dark fruit, very complex and balanced. Medium tannin and acid. Quaffer. Medium+ alcohol.
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Syrahs at home: It was hard for this relatively delicate middleweight Syrah to stand out in this lineup. Became earthier and a little spicier on subsequent days, while retaining its easygoing, approachable demeanor.
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This is still a little tight, with acidity that's not yet totally integrated. That said, it's smoky but restrained, and is a real change of pace from the Aussie Shiraz we often have. Elegant.
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Dark but not opaque purple. Primary and red fruit-oriented, with juniper and decaying leaves. A little air increases the expressiveness here. High-toned flavors, with a finessed, almost pinot sensibility and superb acidity. Only a hint of oak on the finish, in the form of chocolaty dark espresso roast. The flavors grew sweeter with air but never came near candied territory. Highly satisfying Syrah that's restrained in all the right ways.
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Nose was mostly black fruit and spice. Palate was very fruit forward with black cherry, black raspberry, and boysenberry on the front and a complex smokiness and spice component on the end. Beautiful mouth feel and a finish that did not stop. Great bottle that went perfectly with the elk in a pepper/mushroom sauce that I was having.
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Popped and poured. Dark, dark ruby in color. Hint of heat on the nose, with lovely dark berry and smoke. Very thick and just coats the mouth in flavors of blackberry, smoke and wood. Finish is long, and although it has some alcohol heat, very nice.
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Cherry & chocolate earth with 'Washington syrah' spice on the nose. Nice balance of acidity with specks of graphite for minerality. Very smooth and silky, this finishes with soft red fruit (not overripe), and understated elegance. 2/16/2011: As this wine has aged, it requires a bit of aeration, as the smoky notes are seemingly more prominent. Drink through 2014.
Consistent notes over 5 years ~2 cases.
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Raining cats and dogs in Ex Umbris. To me, Robitussin would not merit 89 points. Well, thankfully this wine is nothing like that particular tincture. Floral sweet berry notes in the aroma, almost delicate and illusive; complex, ripe fruits, some spice but very different from the hot mocha tendencies of your Barossa. Well made and evocative of the Washington wine growing styles.
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Two Cats recommended this wine to us and we thank them. It was very enjoyable. I wish we would have bought more when it was widely available. Highly recomended especially for the price.
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This took a while to open up and mellow out. It started a bit acidic, but after 30 minutes started to show more fruit. After 60 minutes it was really great. Deep purple, chewy wine with smoke and cedar. I think I will let my other bottles age another 6 months and then try again.
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Loved this! Smoke and subtle black fruits on the nose. Medium body, focused black and blueberry with notes of vanilla, very light white pepper on the finish with a tinge of stone/minerals.
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Took a bottle on a picnic on the Oregon coast with some goose liver pate, hard salami, smokey guoda. Opened up the bottle as the wave crashed over the tide pools, listened to the gulls, watched a pod of three whales swim by about 700 yards off and generally decided this is one best ways to enjoy a good bottle of wine. I think the place and time unduly influenced my perception of this wine. But I will definately buy more.
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really liked this. smokey and cedary up front. a heavy wine. deep purple with flashes of ruby when put under some light. this stuff will turn your teeth all sorts of colors. dark cheeries and plum mix with a spicyness... nice finish.
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This was delicious. It took time to open up, but was well worth the wait. Don't start drinking until at least 20 minutes after pouring. Deep dark pink color with purple highlights. Aromas of rhubarb, smoke, moss and blueberry. Smoky and rich taste, with equal amounts of acid, alcohol, dark red fruit and smoke. Lingering taste of smoky blueberry and tree bark. Intense and rich.
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Typical Owen Roe--this thing is massive. Nearly unapproachable within the first two hours of pouring, but after about four hours in glass, the Ex Umbris shows itself to be a fine example of PacNW syrah--powerful fruit, very tannic, lots of herbs and flowers and a bit of acid tang. If I had to carp, it would be that there isn't enough acid here for me. We'll see how it's doing on night 3 (didn't get to it last night).
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Absolutely delicious - young and fruit forward with loads of blackberry and blackcherry fruit - some smokey hints on the nose, but at this point fruit is primary. Palate is better, very smooth and ripe, deliciously soft with smooth fine tannins and sweet black cherry acidity, lovely long finish, showing some smoke but also lovely balance. Really nice.
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Winery says "Latin for 'out of the shadows', this wine was originally crafted to express the smoky notes imparted to the Syrah grapes by a raging wildfire. One of the characteristics of this noble grape is its inherent smokiness, a flavor that comes through even without Mother Nature's assistance" I love this wine, there is something about these PacNW Syrahs that does it for me. It must be the QPR !. The oak is not too overpowering, the blueberries are huge, like Violet in Willie Wonka. On the second day I could detect more earth/stone, a bit smoother. I would estimate that this bottle would be 94-95 in 2 years. I am surprised this hasn't had a big boy review. Good thing I guess, I need more.
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Great bottle. Drank this and a bottle of Silver Oak with some friends while eating some steaks. Both were very well received but the price point on this is definitely a little better than the Silver Oak. Big fruit with very low spice. Mixed well with the steak but not the side dishes. The remaining half glass was great with the choclatey dessert!
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Needed some time to open up but when it did it was outstanding. Great buy at about $20. Will lay some down for a couple of years to see how it matures.
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This is all about pleasure at this stage. Baking spices from the lavish oak, blueberry, with a backbone of dark fruits and stone. This is a lush wine that will likely develop more nuance in the next 3-5 years. Screaming value at around $20.
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Delicious. Tasted a bit smoky, then I read the label and saw that this wine was 'crafted' from Syrah grapes that appear to have been grown in soil from a raging wildfire.
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Dark fruit flavors, but it's sharp and hot. Mellowed slightly over an hour of air time, but there are countless other Syrahs out there that I would rather drink - many at a cheaper price as well.
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May have opened way to early. Was extremely vegatablely, with a very sharp taste. I re-bottled and pumped some air into it, let it sit for a day, then decanted it for about 2 hours. The fruit really came out, dark berries, but the taste was still sharp. I will re-visit this in 2008.
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8/31/2016 - RPerro wrote: flawed
Dead...cork fell apart on extraction (soft like a sponge, requiring an Ah-So for removal) and the wine was flat and tasteless. Dumped it.
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11/23/2014 - RPerro Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still holding up well. Great wine!
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1/4/2013 - RPerro wrote: 85 Points
Pop & pour. Lots of blackberry fruit, smoke, pepper and, unfortunately, a healthy amount of VA. A tad too much for my tastes, and it overshadowed the gorgeous fruit and smoke.
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11/22/2012 - Darius4751 wrote: 89 Points
Nice smoky taste. Needs to stay open.
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6/13/2012 - guitarguy wrote: 89 Points
Felt a bit beyond prime but not downhill by any means. Smoky, raspberry nose with flavors of baking spice, pruned blueberry, cracked pepper. Very deep purple-blue. Savory but a bit muted, showing restraint, or age.
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6/10/2012 - VinLancaster wrote: 89 Points
Inky-black red in color. Smoked chocolate covered blackberries, woodsy, soil and licorice aromas. This is big and bold, extracted spice, plum, chewy black fruit and bright acids. A bit hot on the finish in the form of baking spices. This bottle seemed a bit disjointed compared to the last several. Perhaps bottle variation vs palate variation.
Drink now-2015
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3/23/2012 - fdub wrote: 90 Points
Napa Wine Club Tasting #2 (Napa CA GVM): Very funky nose. Dark fruit and at this stage it became very hard to distinguish the WA Syrahs. Of all the regions they were the most terrior driven. Really classy stuff and for the price this was a great QPR.
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1/15/2012 - thebonnydooner wrote: 92 Points
Dark, ripe intense WA syrah. Very well balanced with nice complexity - smoke, some pepper to balance the blackberry fruit - not jammy at all. Served a little cool and it worked very well. Delicious.
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10/29/2010 - Skully wrote: 91 Points
Lush, full bodied smooth yet big and satisfying. Great wine for the money.
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11/9/2009 - gordoyflaca wrote: 92 Points
Grapey, fruity, rich, but honest and pure, with reasonable acid, a refreshing bitterness, and yes, a kiss of smoke.
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10/13/2009 - enjoyvino wrote: 91 Points
This wine has a full dark fruit, berry nose. Very round and integrated with a very nice finish. Really liked this wine. Drank as part of a vertical tasting of the 05, 06 and 07. The 05 and 07 are both great. The 06 does not have the nose and does not finish well.
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6/3/2009 - Peregrine wrote:
Really tasty. Lots of jammy fruit. Big, rich, and full bodied.
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2/24/2009 - NPBWineGuy wrote: 91 Points
This wine has really softened since my last tasting. Round, soft tannins with just the right fruit. The smoke flavor has become less pronounced.
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1/26/2009 - golfhawk wrote: 91 Points
Very soft and round syrah that we decanted for a couple hours. Could last a couple of years but decant if drinking now.
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1/17/2009 - joshwoodward wrote: 95 Points
[Blind Syrah tasting - I _think_ this was the '05] Deep syrah nose. Refined taste, almost cabby. Dark fruit, very complex and balanced. Medium tannin and acid. Quaffer. Medium+ alcohol.
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12/9/2008 - rmodak wrote: 90 Points
Loads of blueberries, baking spices, lush texture with vibrancy on the finish. The lush fruit paired perfectly with Chinese spare ribs.
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10/9/2008 - tcfishler wrote:
Syrahs at home: It was hard for this relatively delicate middleweight Syrah to stand out in this lineup. Became earthier and a little spicier on subsequent days, while retaining its easygoing, approachable demeanor.
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9/22/2008 - tthorn wrote: 90 Points
This is still a little tight, with acidity that's not yet totally integrated. That said, it's smoky but restrained, and is a real change of pace from the Aussie Shiraz we often have. Elegant.
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7/10/2008 - Saintaz wrote: 90 Points
Nice Syrah at a great price point. This is always a great drinking bottle.
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5/6/2008 - dfeiner wrote: 90 Points
Olives, blackberries, marzipan (N), chocolate. Nice food wine.
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4/9/2008 - tcfishler wrote: 89 Points
Dark but not opaque purple. Primary and red fruit-oriented, with juniper and decaying leaves. A little air increases the expressiveness here. High-toned flavors, with a finessed, almost pinot sensibility and superb acidity. Only a hint of oak on the finish, in the form of chocolaty dark espresso roast. The flavors grew sweeter with air but never came near candied territory. Highly satisfying Syrah that's restrained in all the right ways.
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3/29/2008 - philastem wrote: 90 Points
dark and full, less smoke than I remembered from tasting event, opens nicely over hour or two
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3/19/2008 - manonthemoon wrote: 94 Points
Nose was mostly black fruit and spice. Palate was very fruit forward with black cherry, black raspberry, and boysenberry on the front and a complex smokiness and spice component on the end. Beautiful mouth feel and a finish that did not stop. Great bottle that went perfectly with the elk in a pepper/mushroom sauce that I was having.
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3/8/2008 - RPerro wrote: 95 Points
Excellent smokey nose, dark berry and smoked meat on the palate. This wine is #69 in the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2007.
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1/29/2008 - Cheers_mate! wrote: 91 Points
This bottle was even better than the last one. Delicious, with a chocolate note to it this time.
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1/27/2008 - tcmilios wrote: 91 Points
Dark color. Almost purple. Candied plum, cinnamon and anise nose. Rich and smooth. Very smokey. Very good.
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1/23/2008 - RPerro wrote: 96 Points
Popped and poured. Dark, dark ruby in color. Hint of heat on the nose, with lovely dark berry and smoke. Very thick and just coats the mouth in flavors of blackberry, smoke and wood. Finish is long, and although it has some alcohol heat, very nice.
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12/17/2007 - Barstool wrote: 89 Points
Deep color, plum with a touch of licorice. A bit astringent, but very nice body. A good slightly rustic red.
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12/9/2007 - RPerro wrote: 96 Points
Nice and smokey. Good fruit, and excellent mouthfeel. I love this syrah!
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11/12/2007 - conform wrote: flawed
Mildly corked.
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11/3/2007 - VinLancaster wrote: 91 Points
Lewis, Slide Mountain, Elerding Vineyards
Cherry & chocolate earth with 'Washington syrah' spice on the nose. Nice balance of acidity with specks of graphite for minerality. Very smooth and silky, this finishes with soft red fruit (not overripe), and understated elegance.
2/16/2011: As this wine has aged, it requires a bit of aeration, as the smoky notes are seemingly more prominent.
Drink through 2014.
Consistent notes over 5 years ~2 cases.
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10/20/2007 - RPerro wrote: 96 Points
Excellent as always...so deep and smokey. A big wine that opens up nicely.
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9/9/2007 - RPerro wrote: 96 Points
A wonderful syrah. Must buy more.
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8/8/2007 - Dulcie and Aylwin wrote:
Raining cats and dogs in Ex Umbris. To me, Robitussin would not merit 89 points. Well, thankfully this wine is nothing like that particular tincture. Floral sweet berry notes in the aroma, almost delicate and illusive; complex, ripe fruits, some spice but very different from the hot mocha tendencies of your Barossa. Well made and evocative of the Washington wine growing styles.
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8/2/2007 - TwoDogs wrote: 89 Points
robitusen cough syrup...maybe it was just this bottle?
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7/22/2007 - TwoDogs wrote: 92 Points
Two Cats recommended this wine to us and we thank them. It was very enjoyable. I wish we would have bought more when it was widely available. Highly recomended especially for the price.
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7/22/2007 - mreinitz wrote: 90 Points
Smokey, juicy syrah with flavor to burn.
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7/6/2007 - NPBWineGuy wrote: 89 Points
This took a while to open up and mellow out. It started a bit acidic, but after 30 minutes started to show more fruit. After 60 minutes it was really great. Deep purple, chewy wine with smoke and cedar. I think I will let my other bottles age another 6 months and then try again.
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7/2/2007 - JRB1 wrote: 92 Points
Loved this! Smoke and subtle black fruits on the nose. Medium body, focused black and blueberry with notes of vanilla, very light white pepper on the finish with a tinge of stone/minerals.
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6/18/2007 - JRB1 wrote: 91 Points
Gorgeous nose of smoke, cedar, dark fruits. Deep throttle fruits, black cherry and rhubarb. Well integrated oak. Lovely balance and smooth.
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5/31/2007 - Gadwall wrote:
Took a bottle on a picnic on the Oregon coast with some goose liver pate, hard salami, smokey guoda. Opened up the bottle as the wave crashed over the tide pools, listened to the gulls, watched a pod of three whales swim by about 700 yards off and generally decided this is one best ways to enjoy a good bottle of wine. I think the place and time unduly influenced my perception of this wine. But I will definately buy more.
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5/26/2007 - sbpwjm wrote: 91 Points
really liked this. smokey and cedary up front. a heavy wine. deep purple with flashes of ruby when put under some light. this stuff will turn your teeth all sorts of colors. dark cheeries and plum mix with a spicyness... nice finish.
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5/19/2007 - Eric wrote:
Northern Hemisphere Syrah at the Ragen's (Seattle, WA): My #5. A bit stemmy on the nose. The palate is pretty persistent, peppery, nice balance, very drinkable.
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5/16/2007 - eden93 wrote: 93 Points
This was delicious. It took time to open up, but was well worth the wait. Don't start drinking until at least 20 minutes after pouring. Deep dark pink color with purple highlights. Aromas of rhubarb, smoke, moss and blueberry. Smoky and rich taste, with equal amounts of acid, alcohol, dark red fruit and smoke. Lingering taste of smoky blueberry and tree bark. Intense and rich.
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5/10/2007 - ruddy wrote: 91 Points
Typical Owen Roe--this thing is massive. Nearly unapproachable within the first two hours of pouring, but after about four hours in glass, the Ex Umbris shows itself to be a fine example of PacNW syrah--powerful fruit, very tannic, lots of herbs and flowers and a bit of acid tang. If I had to carp, it would be that there isn't enough acid here for me. We'll see how it's doing on night 3 (didn't get to it last night).
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4/27/2007 - PCattrone wrote: 85 Points
A great wine. Despite being described as smokey I found that flavor to be quite subtle. Good fruit. Some tannin.
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4/22/2007 - thebonnydooner wrote: 91 Points
Absolutely delicious - young and fruit forward with loads of blackberry and blackcherry fruit - some smokey hints on the nose, but at this point fruit is primary. Palate is better, very smooth and ripe, deliciously soft with smooth fine tannins and sweet black cherry acidity, lovely long finish, showing some smoke but also lovely balance. Really nice.
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4/18/2007 - ob2s wrote: 92 Points
Winery says "Latin for 'out of the shadows', this wine was originally crafted to express the smoky notes imparted to the Syrah grapes by a raging wildfire. One of the characteristics of this noble grape is its inherent smokiness, a flavor that comes through even without Mother Nature's assistance" I love this wine, there is something about these PacNW Syrahs that does it for me. It must be the QPR !. The oak is not too overpowering, the blueberries are huge, like Violet in Willie Wonka. On the second day I could detect more earth/stone, a bit smoother. I would estimate that this bottle would be 94-95 in 2 years. I am surprised this hasn't had a big boy review. Good thing I guess, I need more.
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4/8/2007 - brokerdom wrote: 89 Points
Great bottle. Drank this and a bottle of Silver Oak with some friends while eating some steaks. Both were very well received but the price point on this is definitely a little better than the Silver Oak. Big fruit with very low spice. Mixed well with the steak but not the side dishes. The remaining half glass was great with the choclatey dessert!
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3/31/2007 - Gadwall wrote: 90 Points
Needed some time to open up but when it did it was outstanding. Great buy at about $20. Will lay some down for a couple of years to see how it matures.
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3/5/2007 - rmodak wrote: 90 Points
This is all about pleasure at this stage. Baking spices from the lavish oak, blueberry, with a backbone of dark fruits and stone. This is a lush wine that will likely develop more nuance in the next 3-5 years. Screaming value at around $20.
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2/28/2007 - conform wrote:
Solid, full-bodied Syrah. Not transcendent, but a fine, drinkable value. Will look to restock this one.
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2/14/2007 - Maine wine guy wrote: 91 Points
It takes time to let this one open up. Very nice. Even better the next day.
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1/20/2007 - Cheers_mate! wrote: 90 Points
Delicious. Tasted a bit smoky, then I read the label and saw that this wine was 'crafted' from Syrah grapes that appear to have been grown in soil from a raging wildfire.
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11/25/2006 - last chance wrote: 83 Points
Dark fruit flavors, but it's sharp and hot. Mellowed slightly over an hour of air time, but there are countless other Syrahs out there that I would rather drink - many at a cheaper price as well.
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11/13/2006 - Rico Suave wrote: 80 Points
May have opened way to early. Was extremely vegatablely, with a very sharp taste. I re-bottled and pumped some air into it, let it sit for a day, then decanted it for about 2 hours. The fruit really came out, dark berries, but the taste was still sharp. I will re-visit this in 2008.
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11/13/2006 - MeMyself&I wrote: 88 Points
Very full-bodied. Shows great promise.
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