Night 1 is all pepper and cherry/plum. Stemmy and moderately tannic. Excellent stuff. Just as delicious on night 2. Alternating impressions between peppery and purely crisp and ripe fruit. Great stuff.
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Just singing right now with dark fruit, smoke, violets, minerals... One of the best Halcons, one of the best California wines... One of the best wines, period, I have ever had.
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Consistent with previous bottle. Drank alongside a 2015 Jaboulet Hermitage and paired with grilled lamb chops. The Halcon fruit was a touch riper and there was a bit of smokiness to the wine as well.
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Wonderfully restrained medium bodied California Syrah. Elegant, still with some grippy tannin but not overly assertive, starting to take on a bit of a savory / salinity character. Strong backbone of acid - lovely now but may improve and certainly will last for a while. One of my favorite CA syrahs to date.
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Good wine. Nice low alcohol at 12%+/-. I would say ready to drink. Tannins are soft. Maybe a decant may have improved its showing. I will reserve a score for my next bottle!
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popped and poured, nicely balanced mid weight wine with ample acidity and tannin to give it cut. Stems seem a bit prominent, and for my tastes, I think this needs a few years to better come together
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Black currant and followed by red cherries. A tad bit of liquorice. Fine tannins is still present with a little grit but faded from a few years ago. Medium body. Pairs very with fried chicken. This wine in a very place right now. I don't see any reason to wait.
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Popped and slow ox'd for about an hour. Medium purple color, slightly cloudy. Really aromatic on the nose with tons of black olive tapenade, high toned purple florals, some under ripe blackberry and black cherry and a hint of fresh cracked black pepper. Unmistakably syrah. Flavors carry through to the palate with a bit of salty olive brine and tart black fruits with some spice. Medium+ acid and tannin. Tons of complexity now but a long life ahead. Really great wine and excellent QPR.
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Ooops. Meant to leave this a couple more years. Most Cote Rotie like nose on a domestic Syrah I've had. Pepper and violets. It does lean into a more ripe, stewed character but only a little. And it doesn't come at you with copious fruit. Medium intensity with flashes of subtleties. Medium body. Fresh feeling. Medium tannin. Dark berries with a nice skin quality at the finish. Lovely build. Drinking well but I'd bet another year or two will see it at it's best. Good stuff.
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Opens with nice dark fruit, then, some noticeable salinity. Nice tart acid fills the mouth. Interestinly, I had he full cluster fermented version of this wine (Elevacion), yesterday. This one is a "bigger" wine in every way. Much thicker mouth feel and much more full-bodied. I prefer this one.
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My sister in law put it best when she said that it tastes like it "was grown on skeletons in the Salton sea". Tons of briny salinity, minerality, and dark fruit.
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4th of 4, and I reiterate my TN from 4/19 and what Bretrooks said that he was regretful he had finished his stash. Super fresh, with powerful berries, pepper, garrigue, earthiness and dark flowers, backed with super racy acidity and grippy tannins. Really great not only with burgers but with fish and as a standalone. This, the Ex Post Facto Syrah, the Qupe Sonnies, the Keplinger Lithic and the Gigondas Grand Montmirail are all NoRho qpr superstars. Would certainly buy more at the $21.99@ I paid and then some. Should thrive for at least another decade. Great stuff, Paul.
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Deep ruby and opaque. A: rocky, iron, roasted meats, a bit sanguine, loads of white/green pepper. F: going with boysenberry, but however you call it, it’s dark berry fruit with a lot of lift and brightness along with all the gutsy feral stuff on the palate too. Lengthy finish, really pure.
This was rocking from PNP onward. Would have decanted but this was a game time decision to open it. Very happy with this already and interested to try more bottles over the years to come. 92-93 for me today.
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Improved with air. Violets and blue fruit on the nose. The palate has tangy black fruit, plum, meaty, black pepper. I think this will get even better with more time.
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Not decanted, consumed over ~2 hours. Oh man, I'm sad this was my last of these. Cranberry/dark cherry fruit, cedar, pepper, just a hint of something savory/meaty. Rounded tannins and forward-but-well-judged acidity. Aromatic and with a lovely finish. Excellent syrah.
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Lovely black pepper sense always lingering around this wine. Olive and purple fruits. Medium bodied showing less density than almost any other domestic Syrah without being lean. The plentiful tannin is gentle feeling. A terrific showcase of balance from a grape that almost never achieves it at this level domestically. Even from my favored producers. The fruit is still primary in expression. I think this is a medium term wine in my best guess. But it's also nothing like being closed right now. It needed a little bit of air initially but was consistent over two nights. Good things happening here.
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Still young. Red/black berries, pepper and earth, a hint vegetal. Tight medium tannins/acid, give it time or a lot of air. 90 now with much upside ahead.
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Northern Rhone aromas of meat, black pepper and dark fruit with floral undertones. Fruit dominates the palate initially, then pepper takes the helm at mid-palate through the finish.
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Really impressive. Bright berries and a nutty quality on the nose. On the palate there were plenty of forest berries, purple flowers, and that "nutty" quality I seem to find with wines from this vineyard. Smooth silky texture with a very persistent finish. This was ready to go from the moment the cork popped.
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Vibrant acidity with a silky soft texture - nose gives up spicy blackberries and fresh soil. Just love the mouthfeel of this wine, and it is complex. Finish builds, then fades over a long period of time. Without a doubt one of the best QPRs in the wine world.
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First of 4 from my local large wine store. This wine is very competitively priced to begin with ($30) for a single vineyard syrah--I think that the Rhones are CA's best values at this point--but my retailer had it for another 30% off, which combined with great critic reviews and CT scores, made it a no-brainer. The profile of this hews close to the 2012 Qupe Sonnies I recently reviewed. Intense and beautiful nose of violets, white pepper and bramble. Opened 15 minutes before drinking but not decanted. Lots of earth, saline, dried spices as well as the pepper, relatively subdued semisweet dark berries and raspberries (no cherries to my palate) with grippy tannins and laser beam acidity. Light to medium bodied, dark colored, great legs. Had a glass night one without food, but whether it's the wine balancing out of just being particularly food friendly--I suspect both--it's even better night 2. Like the Sonnies, this is Northern Rhone all the way, with just the slightest wink to California. I'd put this about a half step below the Sonnies, only because the fruit in that wine is tasting just a bit more vibrant to me at this point--it is 4 years older, which, with the tannins and acidity involved, would make sense--but like that wine, this one, at a similar price point, is a screaming value (please run, don't walk, to my house if you can find ANY CA cab or pinot at this price point of this quality). Bravo.
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I was torn on opening this. On one hand, I have a strong feeling that it will age beautifully, but on the other hand, the '13 showed SO well in a France/CA blind tasting (hosted by Frank Murray in 2017, notes here - https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=145604) that I really wanted to peek at one of the four bottles. The deciding factor was that I knew that by opening it later in the evening I wouldn't finish it, and that would give me half a bottle for tomorrow, after some extended exposure to air, and I know this wine can handle it, plus I look forward to seeing what it is like tomorrow!
Upon opening it shows very dark, and (primarily black) olive tapenade screams from the nose. A bit of a swirl brings out some bramble and a good dose of deli meats. On the palate it's a big one, still young and lively on the mouthfeel, snappy dark fruits, good density, pure and fresh.
Two hours later, much of the plushness is gone, and the wine takes on a more angular, more rustic character - equally enjoyable, but strikingly different. Fruit profile is still dark as night, and the nose has gained gobs of flowers, principally violets. There's still a great freshness and cleanliness to this wine, yet the mouthfeel remains rich and deep - it's no crisp and refreshing wine, nor should it be.
Tomorrow I will write another note to finish it off, updating the TN here on CT and posting the additions on this thread. It's rare to enjoy a wine during all its stages of development in the glass - rarer still when it is a $30 wine. Amazing.
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Substantial, dark wine, smooth, glycerol, forest floor notes, good alone or with food, Mendocino wine so not tasting of baked sun, but grown at 2,500 foot elevation, so adequately exposed to sun, a nice wine that is a pleasure to drink. Hard to describe this Syrah other than well made and worth buying again.
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Love this. First off, the nose is incredibly fragrant with florals. And even at this young age its drinking really well, tannin there but very balanced, darker red fruits and pepper, and a long lingering finish. Worked so well with grilled bison skirt steak.
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Medium red, bright with pink edges. Very fresh Syrah nose, medium intense, berry fruit, pepper and earth. Delicious medium berry fruit flavours and a fresh tannic finish.
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Recently bottled, definitely needs some air time to unfold and reveal itself. Dark, not opaque garnet; lovely floral, slightly spice/pepper nose, then beautiful medium rich, bright dark fruit, somewhat reserved, medium full body, nice interesting spice and complexity, medium acidity, fine somewhat coarse/chalky tannins, hints of anise, savory dried herbs; even with the noticeable structure, shows an incipient elegance and beauty that will reveal itself with time in the bottle. A lovely expression of California Syrah.
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PnP drank over days, as of 2018 it’s most complex in its first hour and most integrated 24 hours after opening. Nose is berries, volcanic ash/scortched earth, hints of animal fat, cooking spices, and pine needles. Palate is voluminous — fresh small berries smashed all over wood lump charcoal, along with cracked pepper, a creamy quality almost like underripe (non-sweet) banana flesh, lavender, violet. With an hour or two of air pepper and violets dominate the palate, and mid-palate complexity subsides into a more mellow “purple” mass. Impressive length - lingers with berries, cacao, smoked cigar. Alcohol and tannins swell about 15 seconds after it’s out of mouth. Cellaring and air will smooth this edge.
+1 day edit: complexity is returning, mid-palate is getting smoky and earthy again. Great sign for cellaring.
Blind I’d place it firmly in Northern Rhone at a higher price. Nose is Cornas, palate more towards a baby Cote Rotie. Good value here, and completely worthy of room in the cellar. 92-93
At the Hollywood Bowl. 8hr decant. Pours a day bright purple in the glass. Nose and palate have soaring aromatics showing serious cracked and toasted black pepper, violets, eucalyptus bark, beef jerky, red and purple berries, sappy smoked rosemary and scorched earth. Midpalate has super structure with serious mouth puckering tannins and a lifted acidity that lends this a lovely lightness and freshness. Long finish is quite complex with minerals and smokey dried herbs dancing in between the purple an red fruits. This is a serious wine with decades to go in the cellar. Bravo to Paul Gordon!
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decanted for 8 hours then poured back in bottle before a shuttle journey and opened under the stars. Rocky pepper, bright crunchy fruits, refreshingly light/deft in its touch but still possessing great depth of flavor. Gulped down, delicious. Outstanding QPR. 93 pts
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Winemaker note - this is a more open vintage that drinks well now. I find best as a pop'n'pour or give it a couple days of air. A mix of the exotic character of 2013 Alturas and the structure of the 2014. Paul
Couldn't resist popping one of these fresh off the truck. Another wonderful vintage of Alturas. On opening, an unfamiliar mineral note which quickly blew off, but also the dark fruit and slightly-sweet floral note typical of Alturas. On the palate, deep blue and red fruits, some meat and black pepper, herbs and subtle flowers/violets. A little less flowery than other vintages at this early stage. Tannins are significant and drying, but not unpleasant.
Day 2: Somewhat mellowed and smoother, but still compelling and completely fresh.
I enjoy Alturas both young and with some age. You basically can't go wrong with this wine. So, so good.
12/1/2023 - klezman wrote:
Night 1 is all pepper and cherry/plum. Stemmy and moderately tannic. Excellent stuff.
Just as delicious on night 2. Alternating impressions between peppery and purely crisp and ripe fruit. Great stuff.
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11/12/2023 - blakel wrote: 94 Points
Just singing right now with dark fruit, smoke, violets, minerals... One of the best Halcons, one of the best California wines... One of the best wines, period, I have ever had.
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9/16/2023 - Rich S Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent with previous bottle. Drank alongside a 2015 Jaboulet Hermitage and paired with grilled lamb chops. The Halcon fruit was a touch riper and there was a bit of smokiness to the wine as well.
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9/27/2022 - blanquito wrote:
Delicious, expressively aromatic of basalt and black pepper. Nice balance but still quite dry. I like now but better in 5 years.
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7/11/2022 - Lyonspat13 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderfully restrained medium bodied California Syrah. Elegant, still with some grippy tannin but not overly assertive, starting to take on a bit of a savory / salinity character. Strong backbone of acid - lovely now but may improve and certainly will last for a while. One of my favorite CA syrahs to date.
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5/5/2022 - SLOFred Likes this wine:
Good wine. Nice low alcohol at 12%+/-. I would say ready to drink. Tannins are soft. Maybe a decant may have improved its showing. I will reserve a score for my next bottle!
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11/5/2021 - missionpk Likes this wine:
Really enjoyed this. Lots of complexity for a very approachable wine.
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11/4/2021 - wirelesswine wrote: 93 Points
Just gorgeous. Fruit flavors leaning darker and accompanied with lots of savory notes. Lots of violet on the nose as well.
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9/19/2021 - thalver wrote:
popped and poured, nicely balanced mid weight wine with ample acidity and tannin to give it cut. Stems seem a bit prominent, and for my tastes, I think this needs a few years to better come together
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8/31/2021 - alphalam wrote: 91 Points
Black currant and followed by red cherries. A tad bit of liquorice. Fine tannins is still present with a little grit but faded from a few years ago. Medium body. Pairs very with fried chicken. This wine in a very place right now. I don't see any reason to wait.
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8/1/2021 - angryphoton Likes this wine: 92 Points
Needed decanting, around 3 hours.
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3/9/2021 - Rich S Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and slow ox'd for about an hour. Medium purple color, slightly cloudy. Really aromatic on the nose with tons of black olive tapenade, high toned purple florals, some under ripe blackberry and black cherry and a hint of fresh cracked black pepper. Unmistakably syrah. Flavors carry through to the palate with a bit of salty olive brine and tart black fruits with some spice. Medium+ acid and tannin. Tons of complexity now but a long life ahead. Really great wine and excellent QPR.
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1/25/2021 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 92 Points
a great consistent syrah, that has some amazing complexity. Recommend a good 2-3 hour decant on this.
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12/4/2020 - WetRock wrote:
Ooops. Meant to leave this a couple more years. Most Cote Rotie like nose on a domestic Syrah I've had. Pepper and violets. It does lean into a more ripe, stewed character but only a little. And it doesn't come at you with copious fruit. Medium intensity with flashes of subtleties. Medium body. Fresh feeling. Medium tannin. Dark berries with a nice skin quality at the finish. Lovely build. Drinking well but I'd bet another year or two will see it at it's best. Good stuff.
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9/3/2020 - EMark Likes this wine:
Opens with nice dark fruit, then, some noticeable salinity. Nice tart acid fills the mouth. Interestinly, I had he full cluster fermented version of this wine (Elevacion), yesterday. This one is a "bigger" wine in every way. Much thicker mouth feel and much more full-bodied. I prefer this one.
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8/14/2020 - STM82 Likes this wine: 92 Points
My sister in law put it best when she said that it tastes like it "was grown on skeletons in the Salton sea". Tons of briny salinity, minerality, and dark fruit.
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8/13/2020 - sfwinelover1 wrote:
4th of 4, and I reiterate my TN from 4/19 and what Bretrooks said that he was regretful he had finished his stash. Super fresh, with powerful berries, pepper, garrigue, earthiness and dark flowers, backed with super racy acidity and grippy tannins. Really great not only with burgers but with fish and as a standalone. This, the Ex Post Facto Syrah, the Qupe Sonnies, the Keplinger Lithic and the Gigondas Grand Montmirail are all NoRho qpr superstars. Would certainly buy more at the $21.99@ I paid and then some. Should thrive for at least another decade. Great stuff, Paul.
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6/20/2020 - CPSchoeff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep ruby and opaque. A: rocky, iron, roasted meats, a bit sanguine, loads of white/green pepper. F: going with boysenberry, but however you call it, it’s dark berry fruit with a lot of lift and brightness along with all the gutsy feral stuff on the palate too. Lengthy finish, really pure.
This was rocking from PNP onward. Would have decanted but this was a game time decision to open it. Very happy with this already and interested to try more bottles over the years to come. 92-93 for me today.
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4/30/2020 - td1836 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Improved with air. Violets and blue fruit on the nose. The palate has tangy black fruit, plum, meaty, black pepper. I think this will get even better with more time.
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4/4/2020 - pgordon62 wrote:
Winemaker note - Starting to drink well (in advance of the 2015 Alturas). A little time in the decanter is good and then enjoy over a few hours. Paul
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3/29/2020 - bretrooks wrote:
Not decanted, consumed over ~2 hours. Oh man, I'm sad this was my last of these. Cranberry/dark cherry fruit, cedar, pepper, just a hint of something savory/meaty. Rounded tannins and forward-but-well-judged acidity. Aromatic and with a lovely finish. Excellent syrah.
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3/22/2020 - STM82 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same notes hold true. Really great qpr
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1/31/2020 - WetRock wrote:
Lovely black pepper sense always lingering around this wine. Olive and purple fruits. Medium bodied showing less density than almost any other domestic Syrah without being lean. The plentiful tannin is gentle feeling. A terrific showcase of balance from a grape that almost never achieves it at this level domestically. Even from my favored producers. The fruit is still primary in expression. I think this is a medium term wine in my best guess. But it's also nothing like being closed right now. It needed a little bit of air initially but was consistent over two nights. Good things happening here.
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11/7/2019 - David_T wrote: 90 Points
Still young. Red/black berries, pepper and earth, a hint vegetal. Tight medium tannins/acid, give it time or a lot of air. 90 now with much upside ahead.
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10/19/2019 - eszencia Likes this wine:
Northern Rhone aromas of meat, black pepper and dark fruit with floral undertones. Fruit dominates the palate initially, then pepper takes the helm at mid-palate through the finish.
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7/31/2019 - STM82 wrote: 93 Points
Really impressive. Bright berries and a nutty quality on the nose. On the palate there were plenty of forest berries, purple flowers, and that "nutty" quality I seem to find with wines from this vineyard. Smooth silky texture with a very persistent finish. This was ready to go from the moment the cork popped.
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7/11/2019 - Todd French wrote:
Vibrant acidity with a silky soft texture - nose gives up spicy blackberries and fresh soil. Just love the mouthfeel of this wine, and it is complex. Finish builds, then fades over a long period of time. Without a doubt one of the best QPRs in the wine world.
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4/30/2019 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
First of 4 from my local large wine store. This wine is very competitively priced to begin with ($30) for a single vineyard syrah--I think that the Rhones are CA's best values at this point--but my retailer had it for another 30% off, which combined with great critic reviews and CT scores, made it a no-brainer. The profile of this hews close to the 2012 Qupe Sonnies I recently reviewed. Intense and beautiful nose of violets, white pepper and bramble. Opened 15 minutes before drinking but not decanted. Lots of earth, saline, dried spices as well as the pepper, relatively subdued semisweet dark berries and raspberries (no cherries to my palate) with grippy tannins and laser beam acidity. Light to medium bodied, dark colored, great legs. Had a glass night one without food, but whether it's the wine balancing out of just being particularly food friendly--I suspect both--it's even better night 2. Like the Sonnies, this is Northern Rhone all the way, with just the slightest wink to California. I'd put this about a half step below the Sonnies, only because the fruit in that wine is tasting just a bit more vibrant to me at this point--it is 4 years older, which, with the tannins and acidity involved, would make sense--but like that wine, this one, at a similar price point, is a screaming value (please run, don't walk, to my house if you can find ANY CA cab or pinot at this price point of this quality). Bravo.
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4/24/2019 - Todd French wrote:
I was torn on opening this. On one hand, I have a strong feeling that it will age beautifully, but on the other hand, the '13 showed SO well in a France/CA blind tasting (hosted by Frank Murray in 2017, notes here - https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=145604) that I really wanted to peek at one of the four bottles. The deciding factor was that I knew that by opening it later in the evening I wouldn't finish it, and that would give me half a bottle for tomorrow, after some extended exposure to air, and I know this wine can handle it, plus I look forward to seeing what it is like tomorrow!
Upon opening it shows very dark, and (primarily black) olive tapenade screams from the nose. A bit of a swirl brings out some bramble and a good dose of deli meats. On the palate it's a big one, still young and lively on the mouthfeel, snappy dark fruits, good density, pure and fresh.
Two hours later, much of the plushness is gone, and the wine takes on a more angular, more rustic character - equally enjoyable, but strikingly different. Fruit profile is still dark as night, and the nose has gained gobs of flowers, principally violets. There's still a great freshness and cleanliness to this wine, yet the mouthfeel remains rich and deep - it's no crisp and refreshing wine, nor should it be.
Tomorrow I will write another note to finish it off, updating the TN here on CT and posting the additions on this thread. It's rare to enjoy a wine during all its stages of development in the glass - rarer still when it is a $30 wine. Amazing.
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1/27/2019 - der Schmecker Likes this wine: 90 Points
Substantial, dark wine, smooth, glycerol, forest floor notes, good alone or with food, Mendocino wine so not tasting of baked sun, but grown at 2,500 foot elevation, so adequately exposed to sun, a nice wine that is a pleasure to drink. Hard to describe this Syrah other than well made and worth buying again.
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1/4/2019 - wirelesswine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Love this. First off, the nose is incredibly fragrant with florals. And even at this young age its drinking really well, tannin there but very balanced, darker red fruits and pepper, and a long lingering finish. Worked so well with grilled bison skirt steak.
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12/12/2018 - David J Cooper wrote: 93 Points
Medium red, bright with pink edges. Very fresh Syrah nose, medium intense, berry fruit, pepper and earth. Delicious medium berry fruit flavours and a fresh tannic finish.
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11/21/2018 - bradleymichaelharris@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really an impressive bottle. If tasted blind, could pass for N. Rhone syrah. Lots of minerality.
Was awesome as a PnP, definitely faded after being sealed by the 3rd day.
Recommend drinking in one sitting.
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8/28/2018 - alanr wrote: 93 Points
Recently bottled, definitely needs some air time to unfold and reveal itself. Dark, not opaque garnet; lovely floral, slightly spice/pepper nose, then beautiful medium rich, bright dark fruit, somewhat reserved, medium full body, nice interesting spice and complexity, medium acidity, fine somewhat coarse/chalky tannins, hints of anise, savory dried herbs; even with the noticeable structure, shows an incipient elegance and beauty that will reveal itself with time in the bottle. A lovely expression of California Syrah.
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8/19/2018 - aero Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP drank over days, as of 2018 it’s most complex in its first hour and most integrated 24 hours after opening. Nose is berries, volcanic ash/scortched earth, hints of animal fat, cooking spices, and pine needles. Palate is voluminous — fresh small berries smashed all over wood lump charcoal, along with cracked pepper, a creamy quality almost like underripe (non-sweet) banana flesh, lavender, violet. With an hour or two of air pepper and violets dominate the palate, and mid-palate complexity subsides into a more mellow “purple” mass. Impressive length - lingers with berries, cacao, smoked cigar. Alcohol and tannins swell about 15 seconds after it’s out of mouth. Cellaring and air will smooth this edge.
+1 day edit: complexity is returning, mid-palate is getting smoky and earthy again. Great sign for cellaring.
Blind I’d place it firmly in Northern Rhone at a higher price. Nose is Cornas, palate more towards a baby Cote Rotie. Good value here, and completely worthy of room in the cellar. 92-93
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7/26/2018 - ESTEELE90 Likes this wine:
At the Hollywood Bowl. 8hr decant. Pours a day bright purple in the glass. Nose and palate have soaring aromatics showing serious cracked and toasted black pepper, violets, eucalyptus bark, beef jerky, red and purple berries, sappy smoked rosemary and scorched earth. Midpalate has super structure with serious mouth puckering tannins and a lifted acidity that lends this a lovely lightness and freshness. Long finish is quite complex with minerals and smokey dried herbs dancing in between the purple an red fruits. This is a serious wine with decades to go in the cellar. Bravo to Paul Gordon!
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7/26/2018 - fred o. Likes this wine:
decanted for 8 hours then poured back in bottle before a shuttle journey and opened under the stars. Rocky pepper, bright crunchy fruits, refreshingly light/deft in its touch but still possessing great depth of flavor. Gulped down, delicious. Outstanding QPR. 93 pts
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6/26/2018 - pgordon62 wrote:
Winemaker note - this is a more open vintage that drinks well now. I find best as a pop'n'pour or give it a couple days of air. A mix of the exotic character of 2013 Alturas and the structure of the 2014. Paul
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3/13/2018 - blakel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Couldn't resist popping one of these fresh off the truck. Another wonderful vintage of Alturas. On opening, an unfamiliar mineral note which quickly blew off, but also the dark fruit and slightly-sweet floral note typical of Alturas. On the palate, deep blue and red fruits, some meat and black pepper, herbs and subtle flowers/violets. A little less flowery than other vintages at this early stage. Tannins are significant and drying, but not unpleasant.
Day 2: Somewhat mellowed and smoother, but still compelling and completely fresh.
I enjoy Alturas both young and with some age. You basically can't go wrong with this wine. So, so good.
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