The wine needs 30 minutes to pope properly, and show what it has in the guts, with a lot of cassis and blueberry notes, some oak, and after 20/30 minutes the olive/tapenade pops out ... classical
Well integrated tannins, palate is juicy and fresh, with spicy herbal notes of rosemary and thyme, not overly long, which you'd expect from that producer ! Still a very nice Cross of Higher level than most.
Probably 90/92 with a good aeration.
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Agree with most of the negative comments here. Dead and dumped down the drain. Purchased 3 bottles of this wine from the same highly reputable retail shop in LA, and the wines have been stored perfectly in a temp / humidity controlled cellar. First bottle in 2018 was absolutely stunning, polished, and nearly perfect. Almost didn't seem like a Graillot wine. The next bottle was consumed in early 2023 and was dead; fruit totally gone. All that was remaining were the bones of acidity and gritty tannins. Opened my last bottle this week and was greeted with the same tragedy. Another bottle down the drain.
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My last note was too generous. OK, the nose does has some interesting savoury Crozes stuff going on but the palate is borderline fizzy aggressive muck. Such a shame given I bought it because I had it in a restaurant and loved it. Remainder moved to the cooking wine/gifts for people who won't open what you bring them pile.
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Joli nez sur des notes animales, de fruits noirs, de cuir , de garrigue. Idem en bouche, assez souple mais avec encore de tannins bien serrés. Beau vin qui a encore du chemin devant. C’est assoupli un peu depuis 2020. Dans une belle fenêtre maintenant.
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This is a very fun wine, and it has an excellent level of complexity.
On the nose, a light fleshiness wafts among the red fruit.
On the palette, an element of perfumed residue, as if the wine were nearly soapy. In terms of sensation, it is round and muted on the palette on entrance, but then it opens up. Not an instant sensation. Slightly bitey tannins and lovely palette length. As mentioned, lots going on here.
Iggy Wines (Strand Cellars, Croydon): "Served blind Funky, wild ferment straying to wood glue, sour black and red fruit. Medium plus intensity acidity, red and black fruit, touch of wet glue, slightly sour here as well and a little dilute. Syrah, Northern Rhone, Cornas?"
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Poured in glass and aired for one hour. Tart, woody and peppery. After a while some fruit turned up. Very in line with the house style. In my view, this needs a looong decant or 3-5 more years.
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Drank 1 hour decanting. Smooth and full bodied - none of the objectionable characteristics (fizziness etc) of other reviews. Perfectly enjoyable. Not sure it’ll improve much further with age, but equally no rush to drink it.
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Red, high intensity, precipitate. Developed, medium(+) nose with secuding dark fruit, juniper, smoked charcuterie and dried herb spices. On the palate dry, medium acidity, medium(+) tannins (gathered under the lips), medium body. 13%. Fruit, lots of nuances, complex spiciness. Mouthfilling. Very good length.
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Started off a bit tight and tangy, but couple of hours of air and became more rounded. Quite good body, with fair bit of fruit coming through. Will probably improve over next couple of years.
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When opening my first bottle of this vintage I was a little apprehensive, after reading some of the very negative reviews here. I don't understand what all the fuss is about.
The bottle I had was very good, neither funky nor fizzy or overly acidic. Quite open and fruity on the nose, with typical northern Rhone syrah character. Good acidity, yes, not over the top but rather refreshing. I think this can be kept for several more years.
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I understand some of the negative reviews but I like the explosive freshness of this, admittedly, far from normal Crozes, there’s something to it that makes me think of Intellego’s Swartland Syrah but better. Deep, with a hint of blue, purple. High, bracing acidity, medium + firm, drying, tannins. Invisible, medium (13%) alcohol. Medium body, medium + intensity & slightly bitter, medium + finish. Aromas and flavours of violet, rose, blackberry, blackcurrant, underripe strawberry, herbal steminess, black pepper, smoky black tea and graphite (like sucking on pencil lead). Explosive & fresh in the mouth, so gluggable and I’m sure would totally nail a big plate of charcuterie.
Given the comments below, my expectations were on the low side. After a 1 hour decant I thought this was quite good. Well integrated and no over the top acidity. Wouldn’t expect any further development. Drink up!
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As others stipulated, the acidity is REALLY present. Lots of deposits in the bottle. stayed in the carafe for 3hours before tasting. I doubt this will recover over time. On 4 people tasting the wine, 2 liked it. There is something weird about this wine. I still have 3 bottles... will see how it évolve...
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Nez: mûres, bleuets, poivre blanc, un brin viandeux. Discret, mais agréable et intéressant. Bouche: entrée suave et en rondeur, petit creux en milieu de bouche et finale courte et un peu âpre. Je suis un peu déçu, car les tannins sont bien intégrés et le vin semble prêt à boire. Ne reflète définitivement pas la qualité du millésime et du producteur.
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So in reading the other notes here I was thinking I would, again, have to be one of those people going to bat for the funky, rustic wine. I wish that were the case. Right after popping I was excited by the complex mineral blackberry bomb that burst out of my first pour. That wine quickly faded into something much more awkward and challenging. The nose struggles with some carbonic notes over dark berries. The palate is schizophrenic, bouncing from fruit to strong skin acids back to very astringent tannin and back again. It seems to have lost all of the fruit flesh already yet the tannin is as harsh as can be yet. Here it is on night three, not really having budged. This isn't like a sullen closed wine sitting in its corner, telling us to leave it alone. It's more like someone who won't leave us be yet can't seem to put a coherent paragraph together. I went for a '19 just to compare. It drank ok but just that. Going to check on the other vintages I have now.
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Dark red/purple. The nose is classic crozes - red meat, white pepper, stewed dark fruits. The palate has lost the fizziness from last time, thank goodness, but for me the palate remains aggressively acidic and dominated by crunchy light red fruit - cranberry, redcurrant - that is at odds with the nose and not really my style. This is mitigated to a degree by extensive aeration.
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La Tablee: Farming Revolution in the Northern Rhone (Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria): Some people thought this was corked and while I don't know that it was, it definitely wasn't an 'on' bottle which is too bad as I really like this producer normally. You can tell because it is lacking the precision that the rest of the wines have. More round and coats the tongue. More muted in flavor. Just a bit of the gamey again but mostly it comes across as dusty.
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Reading the wine notes here reminds me of the polarization and controversy surrounding Pax Mahle’s 2017 Pax Sonoma Hillsides Syrah. Having now tasted both of these wines, they would be easily confused in a blind tasting . Both exhibit punishing levels of acidity that almost induce the urge to drop in an alka seltzer tablet. As others have commented, I don’t believe this is a transitory “dumb phase” but is instead a lost cause. Excessive stem inclusion and sour grapes that were harvested before optimal ripeness. Almost but not quite drinkable with rich food.
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As others have commented, this must be in a really dumb fase right now. Tart, sour even and no signs of fruit or complexity. Hope for a miracle or drink up?
No faults, just utterly boring and uninteresting...
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Out of 3L, followed this starting with lunch and into the evening. I was worried about this based on many of the recent notes, but this was quite good for the $ and showed nice N. Rhône characteristics and just enough complexity to be interesting.
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The other notes are accurate. High acid, a little fizzy. About halfway to a natty take on Crozes. Might be great in 5-10 years but I'm not hopeful. This was better closer to release.
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A good quantity of pepper with some sweet fruit and a very delicate wooden touch. Pure perfume to me. In the mouth, medium+ volume, good acidity, juicy, with elegant tannins. (I didn´t feel any excess acidity or lack of balance).
My winner in a blind tasting of 2 Rhône and 6 Chilean Syrah, in the group ranking 2nd behind Chave Offerus Saint Joseph 2016.
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I was apprehensive reading some negative comments from others and sadly these were confirmed when I tasted this. Mid to dark red with evident fine sediment. The nose shows characteristic white pepper crozes character but then on entry the acid was really weird, almost fizzy, like chewing rhubarb. This settled down considerably over several hours but it never shook this quite aggressive acidic entry, even though this was followed by attractive ripe red fruit character. I doubt it will ever shed this character. Shame.
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Mørk rød, lilla skjær. Propolis, bjørnebær, krekling. Modne mørke bær som ikke blir flabby, takket være høy syre. Nesten litt for mye syre av det gode. Middels pluss fylde, noe varmende alkohol. Tørrende tanniner. Ikke helt i balanse. Mer matvin enn kosevin. Savner mer frukt. Denne var litt naturvinaktig.
Ålreit, men ikke helt innertier for meg.
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Wonderfully expressive nose of dark mountain berries ("krekling" in Norwegian), gauze/medicinal, metal and blood (yes!), juicy, cool, long and fresh taste that works magic with reindeer and game sauce. One of my favorites. Perfect for drinking now. No need to keep it longer, although it may hold for several more years.
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Une rare déception avec ce domaine que j'aime bien. Les vins de Graillot ont toujours une acidité élevée et cette fois je trouve qu’elle domine par rapport au fruit. Ça lui donne un côté bien frais mais le fait paraître un peu mince. 87 pts
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Airy and expressive on the nose, with blackberries, pepper, gauze and black olives, Very juicy and fresh with powerful acidity, cool fruit and good length. Very good, but young. May profit from two more years.
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Very good after 2h decanting when pairing with cote de bouef and potatoe gratain. Blackberries, dark cherries, raw meat, olives on the nose. Tart acidic fine tannins in the mouth requiring and blending perfectly with fat read meat.
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What a steal. This bottle screams 16 N Rhône to me, although I might have guessed St. Joseph. It has briny green olive and anise, with tart blackberry fruit. This bottle already showed hints of development with pencil shaving and faint leather. Modest amount of large sediment too, maybe check it under the light at the bottle’s end...
I submit this bottling as among the greatest wine values in the world. And at this age I prefer it to la Guiraude. Classic!
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Encore primaire, nez de fruits rouges, garrigue, petit côté animal, bacon. En bouche, bcp de matiere, encore très dense, mais approchable. Très longue vie devant, attendre.
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This was a clean bottle, with good purity of fruit and an appealing savoriness. Black fruit, some olive smoky notes. and It was a bit less concentrated than I would have liked, despite the evident energy.
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Red cherry, blackberry, blurberry on the nose with immediate earthy and spices. Didn’t pick floral aromas. Beautiful on the palate with tartness followed by mid-palate tannins and long finish with earth, bacon, leather, thyme, rosemary and peppery finish. This was fun! Well balanced and serious wine. Decanted for 2.5 hrs and it was still opening up in the glass.
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Robe grenat foncée avec des reflets pourpre au pourtour. Nez de mûres, de poivre, de violette et de venaison à l'aération. En bouche l'attaque est franche sur le fruit avec ce petit côté viandeux légèrement présent. L'acidité est moyenne, les tannins ne sont pas agressants, s'harmonisant à l'ensemble. La finale avec une abondance de fruit est longue. Une syrah bien typique de cette belle région. Ce vin, doit-on le rappeler, d'un très grand millésime en Rhône septentrional, est encore sur le fruit primaire mais avec début de viande fumée qui caractérise les syrahs du Nord du Rhône. Une garde d'environ 5 à 7 ans devrait l'amener à un excellent niveau de complexité. Mon meilleur Graillot bu depuis très longtemps. J'avais délaissé ce producteur depuis quelques années car ses vins m'avaient déçu lors des millésimes des années 2010.
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Fait très nature/rustique, c'est loin d'être mauvais, mais c'esr décevant, d'autant plus qu'on à 0 note du terroir, c'est un vin anonyme pour le moment, mais je suis certain qu'il sera grandement meilleur avec le temps.
2,5/5
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Couleur prononcée tendant plus sur le violet. Un nez peu jasant sur des notes poivrées et un boisé perceptible au nez. Bouche clairement avec vendanges entières, un peu rustique avec une finale moyenne ou en dessous de la moyenne en termes de longueur, fait un peu nature. Peu impressionné et peut-être trop jeune.
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Previous experiences have had a more intense “incense” nose after 2-3 hours of decanting. Initial nose seemed tainted with VA (vinegar, not acetone) but this blew off after 45 minutes. Remaining was a nose driven by bramble. The palate echoed with bramble flavor, m(+) on acid, flavor intensity; m on body and tannin; generally well balanced but lacking concentration which gives a sense of hollowness on the mid palate. M(+) length. Good QPR.
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I don’t agree with the recent posts. Hold. This felt like waking up a barolo or langhe nebbiolo in the middle of the night. Awe-inspiring acidity and tannins but the fruit and aroma just don’t match them. Decant? Yes, and it rolled around and got back to sleep.
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Sunday wines and not wines (Chicago, IL): Still consistent with my last notes on this -- it's clearly a young syrah with tons of juicy red fruit. Open-knit with this beautiful red fruit on the palate that shows no signs of clamping down. Very complex, with lovely fresh acidity that gives this lift. One of my perennial top northern Rhones, and the cheapest one too!
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Dark berries, nice purity of fruit, subtle brett, maybe a hint of black olive but not pronounced. Good acidity, medium body and easy drinking, fairly straight forward and simple. For the price this is a pretty stellar old world syrah (probably not great for those into new world high extraction, ripe fruit syrah). These may age nicely but mine wont given the price and approachability I imagine they will be gone soon.
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Not the most fashionable appellation but an extremely proper northern Rhône. Powerful and robust, dark purple in colour with stemmy olive and blueberry notes. Grippy tannins with good concentration, this is an excellent workhorse of a wine.
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First day very, almost painfully young. Day two a bit more civilised, getting there. Fragrant, fresh, moderate & fine tannins, good vibes. No hurry, I'll let this sleep at least a year before trying again.
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I have been wanting to taste Graillot for a long time, and boy, I was not disappointed. Yes, this was young, but boy is it perfectly balanced and super delicious, with restraint but not light and airy-fairy. Really beautiful wine for $31 from SommPicks.
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Aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry along with dried violet and lightly smoked meat, the palate was concentrated full-bodied, big grippy tannins, good acidity and with characteristics of bramble jam, black pepper, smoky meat along with wild herbs. The finish had drying tannins and medium in length. My first impression was not the greatest, yet as I tried a little more each day it opened up more and more, by day 3 it was really enjoyable and I believe is a true representation of Northern Rhone Syrah. I feel this will significantly improve in the next 5 years.
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Surprisingly thin even with quite some air. Stored in cellar but already we see clear tunnel trends. Lay down a few years before trying next one. We all know whatbeauty this is at the end of the tunnel.
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After hour decant, spiced plum, violet, and cool stone on the nose; very fresh and primary on the palate, medium body, with smooth, almost fine tannins that coat the mouth and linger. Quite good now. This should be excellent in a few years after developing tertiary notes.
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Tasted at La Escargot, Puteaux, Paris. Bright ruby colored, medium full bodied, notes of floral and violets, black berry and dark plums fruits with silky smooth tannins.
Tasted blind. Clear, bright, deep, dark purple with a magenta rim. The nose has medium (+) to intense aromas of black cherry, red berries, red flowers, black pepper and a touch of band-aid. Some wood and spice evidence of aging in neutral, large barrels. The palate is dry, consistent with the nose, with medium (+) acidity, tannins and alcohol (13%). It has medium (+) body, flavor intensity and length. In hindsight, this wine is still a baby and would benefit from a decant. Really good quality wine. Overall, this appears to be a moderate climate wine. Possible varieties based on color could be Syrah or Malbec. I did not really pick up on olive tapenade, meat, mineral or earth notes, so I did not go with Old World (mistake). Not really big or oaky enough to be South East Australia, so I went with CA.
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A high score. With some extra personal points. These young, well made Northern Rhone Syrah's are my personal favorites. Wines like Vin des Amis from Clape and this one. Wow. Freshness, fruit, hint of stable. Love it, love it, love it!
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Really nice but needs sever hours air. Floral nice, quite fresh. Pepper and spice with a savage flair to the fruit underneath. Quite structured. Seems to have plenty of upside.
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Rhone, lots of it (Chicago, IL): I absolutely adore this wine. For the price, it is extremely difficult to do better, and honestly, this could easily wipe the floor with many other Rhones that cost twice or three times as much. I've decided to promote this wine to my personal list of Rhone wines worth a damn. Extremely similar to my last taste of this a few months ago -- red fruited, elegant, juicy, and unmistakably northern Rhone. It's an honest expression, devoid of makeup and trickery, and one that I'd be happy to drink any time.
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Blåbær, kirsebær og røyk på nese. Syrlige blåbær, kirsebær, litt krydder. Eik bak. Intens syre, litt naturvinpreg, men ikke volatil. Frukten matcher den intense syren, lav på tannin. Brukbar lengde. 89-90 Flott, litt utypisk CH.
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A whiff of barnyard and burnt rubber on rhe nose blows nicely away after just a couple of minutes in the glass. Left in my hand is a very exciting and young CH and a real treat. Unfiltered juice. Tons of young fruit. Grainy and lively tannins. Leather, crowberries and crushed black pepper. Powerful and concentrated. A real treat and goes well together with ox stew.
50+5+11+16+8 (90p)
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A little more wild and loudly expressive than you might expect from a C-H. Drinks more like something south of here. Not a complaint mind you. It's just the animal and herb type of expression jumps out here. Olive tapenade leaning greener notes. Gritty towards the end of the bottle so look out for an unfiltered finish. Lightish to medium tannin even with that. Overall, impressive for it's price point. Expressive and open now for it's fleshy fruit. Surely a wine that will live easily in bottle over a decade if you prefer a cleaner expression. Very good.
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Total yum, exactly what a good Crozes should be. Smokey, peppery purple Syrah fruit, good rocky character, medium-bodied, nice and juicy, fine tannins. You could hold this a while but it's not especially backward and I'm not sure there'd be a point to it.
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This is what a Crozes should strive for: aromatic complexity that bridges the two poles of Syrah: blackberry, black pepper fruit and briny, meaty black olives, licorice, herbal notes. With great acidity, fine-grained tannins and still an elegant medium bodied wine with lift and energy rather than brutal power. Will evolve for a long time, certainly, but also great now, on the fruit.
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Sunday service at Jade Court (Chicago, IL): Better than the 2015 edition. I'm definitely going to need to put a bunch of this in my cellar. It's damn well what this wine ought to be. Slight bits of brininess and earth, with good amounts of black fruit as well. Hermitage-like in its demeanor, concentration, and intensity. Probably tops most of the wine coming from the actual hill these days.
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Deep, dark fruit but with a brightness, like mulberry rather than blackberry. Definite funk but subtle- smoky, mildly peppery roasted meat with herbed bread. More savory than Guigal crozes (but also considerably younger than my bottle of that)- also more character. Makes me think of Barossa valley shiraz with deep raisin fruit, but without the heat that often implies. Truly great but also definitely needs more time even with decanting. Give it a year or so.
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Boom! What a powerhouse. Acid, fruit and tannins in balance and all of them in abundant quantities. Nose has that syrah like grape-pit feel to it - not as perfumed as some CH that I find slightly offensive (Aleofane 2015 springs to mind). The build is the thing and think this will gain complexity over time and thereby become a little more subtle. But there is almost a juniper bitterness in the backdrop that really makes it convincing. Slight whiff of leather/fresh tobacco. Hints of violets and honeysuckle. Nice
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Lovely, fresh, fruit- dominated Crozes. Very easy to drink even at this stage. Every component in harmony. Expressive nose. Black fruit, some mint, rosemary, a subtle touch of pepper. Lovely.
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Everything in balance, with excellent aromatics. Certainly approachable now, with the usual cellaring potential of a decade at least. Best vintage so far?
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Noticeable purple color. A great nose of meat and leather. On the palate it's dry, restrained, medium-full bodied, features notes of burned leaves. Feels like a great fall wine. I think this wine will continue to get better.
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Excellent already, though still very young. Bold black-purple color with nice legs. The nose positively exudes ripe, full raspberry and black cherry fruit aromas. In the mouth, smooth and glassy texture, with a boatland of tannins that still cannot mask the exuberant fruit. A real winner, and a heck of a value. Really glad I bought more than one bottle. 5-13-16-8: 92/100.
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Dark bramble fruit and plum aromas are front and center on this deep ruby wine, accented with notes of lavender, anise and black tea. Full-bodied, freshly acidic and with nicely integrated alcohol (13%), it delivers flavors mirroring the nose. The wine's silky-textured tannins and soft oak make it very easy to drink, but don't be fooled...there is significant structure here. Solid on the mid-palate and medium-to-long on the finish, this is an impressive offering from Graillot that should easily reach its tenth birthday. Drink now-2026.
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By the glass at restaurant -opaque purple -ripe dark berry faint smoky bacon wet stone -med/med- acidity, med+ weight bigger boned simple ripe sweet dark berry fruits with some black pepper nuances a hint of brett and a med+ tannic spine -leans toward a modern style and needs a few years to shed some tannins
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The smell of barnyard might be a bit disturbing for sensible noses, but it adds complexity and is nicely balanced by a classic and expressive bouquet of red fruits, black olives, florals, cured meat, dark chocolate and minerals. Rich and dense for a Crozes-Hermitage, but vibrant and beautifully lifted by ample acidity. Still primary and not yet round; should even be better in 2020.
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Clear, med to deep ruby with a hint of purple / clean, med to pronounced intensity - blackberry, cherry, lavender, dried herbs, meaty, dark chocolate / dry, med+ acidity, med+ fine grained tannin, med body, pronounced intensity, long finish. A few layers unfold as the wine starts to breathe. The 2 bottles were as good! 91-92
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2/20/2024 - Stanrocks Likes this wine: 90 Points
Quite restrained first,
The wine needs 30 minutes to pope properly, and show what it has in the guts, with a lot of cassis and blueberry notes, some oak, and after 20/30 minutes the olive/tapenade pops out ... classical
Well integrated tannins, palate is juicy and fresh, with spicy herbal notes of rosemary and thyme, not overly long, which you'd expect from that producer ! Still a very nice Cross of Higher level than most.
Probably 90/92 with a good aeration.
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2/8/2024 - MSN Does not like this wine:
Agree with most of the negative comments here. Dead and dumped down the drain. Purchased 3 bottles of this wine from the same highly reputable retail shop in LA, and the wines have been stored perfectly in a temp / humidity controlled cellar. First bottle in 2018 was absolutely stunning, polished, and nearly perfect. Almost didn't seem like a Graillot wine. The next bottle was consumed in early 2023 and was dead; fruit totally gone. All that was remaining were the bones of acidity and gritty tannins. Opened my last bottle this week and was greeted with the same tragedy. Another bottle down the drain.
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1/21/2024 - golfhawk Does not like this wine:
Completely dead. Went down the drain.
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1/14/2024 - Guillmallette Likes this wine: 91 Points
I had the 2015 and 2016 of this Crozes-Hermitage back to back during a dinner with friends. We dranked this with an italian saussage korean ramen.
The 2015 was fresh, fruity and quite acid. Easy to drink and enjoyable.
The 2016 was a little less acid, longer in mouth and more velvety, smoother.
All four around the table agreed to say the 2016 was the best.
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12/31/2023 - lucnapo@gmail.com wrote:
Bon vin, prêt.
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12/25/2023 - Vas19 wrote: 90 Points
Fresh and lively but a bit rustic on the finish. Decent but forgettable.
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12/21/2023 - gtilley wrote:
My last note was too generous. OK, the nose does has some interesting savoury Crozes stuff going on but the palate is borderline fizzy aggressive muck. Such a shame given I bought it because I had it in a restaurant and loved it. Remainder moved to the cooking wine/gifts for people who won't open what you bring them pile.
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12/16/2023 - Wulffila wrote: 91 Points
Nice bottle, paired well with Dauphinoise potatoes and cœur de filet. Nice complexity on the nose, will not improve with additional aging.
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12/2/2023 - Thefatbastard Likes this wine:
Joli nez sur des notes animales, de fruits noirs, de cuir , de garrigue. Idem en bouche, assez souple mais avec encore de tannins bien serrés. Beau vin qui a encore du chemin devant. C’est assoupli un peu depuis 2020. Dans une belle fenêtre maintenant.
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11/30/2023 - loj Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is a very fun wine, and it has an excellent level of complexity.
On the nose, a light fleshiness wafts among the red fruit.
On the palette, an element of perfumed residue, as if the wine were nearly soapy. In terms of sensation, it is round and muted on the palette on entrance, but then it opens up. Not an instant sensation. Slightly bitey tannins and lovely palette length. As mentioned, lots going on here.
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8/7/2023 - BB_RP Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking very nicely (after 2 hours decanting): good depth and complexity, quite fruity. May continue to improve for a few years yet, too.
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7/14/2023 - chatters wrote:
Iggy Wines (Strand Cellars, Croydon): "Served blind
Funky, wild ferment straying to wood glue, sour black and red fruit. Medium plus intensity acidity, red and black fruit, touch of wet glue, slightly sour here as well and a little dilute.
Syrah, Northern Rhone, Cornas?"
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5/27/2023 - larsum Likes this wine: 81 Points
Poured in glass and aired for one hour. Tart, woody and peppery. After a while some fruit turned up. Very in line with the house style. In my view, this needs a looong decant or 3-5 more years.
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5/1/2023 - BB_RP wrote: 90 Points
Drank 1 hour decanting. Smooth and full bodied - none of the objectionable characteristics (fizziness etc) of other reviews. Perfectly enjoyable. Not sure it’ll improve much further with age, but equally no rush to drink it.
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4/23/2023 - Anna@WineCellar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Red, high intensity, precipitate. Developed, medium(+) nose with secuding dark fruit, juniper, smoked charcuterie and dried herb spices. On the palate dry, medium acidity, medium(+) tannins (gathered under the lips), medium body. 13%. Fruit, lots of nuances, complex spiciness. Mouthfilling. Very good length.
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4/3/2023 - Pascal wrote: 85 Points
A peut-être manquer de temps d’aération. Une bouteille décevante
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2/13/2023 - Tubulus wrote:
Beautiful pure nose but the palate had way too much reductive funk on it. Hadn't noticed in prior bottles.
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1/20/2023 - BB_RP Likes this wine: 88 Points
Started off a bit tight and tangy, but couple of hours of air and became more rounded. Quite good body, with fair bit of fruit coming through. Will probably improve over next couple of years.
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1/5/2023 - UrbanGrill Likes this wine: 91 Points
When opening my first bottle of this vintage I was a little apprehensive, after reading some of the very negative reviews here. I don't understand what all the fuss is about.
The bottle I had was very good, neither funky nor fizzy or overly acidic. Quite open and fruity on the nose, with typical northern Rhone syrah character. Good acidity, yes, not over the top but rather refreshing. I think this can be kept for several more years.
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1/1/2023 - jdcarucci wrote:
Super tart and primary. Sit on this a while.
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12/19/2022 - MatLot Likes this wine: 90 Points
good value
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11/24/2022 - jdcarucci Likes this wine:
Crunchy grippy raspberry. Delicious.
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11/9/2022 - SimonHea Likes this wine: 91 Points
I understand some of the negative reviews but I like the explosive freshness of this, admittedly, far from normal Crozes, there’s something to it that makes me think of Intellego’s Swartland Syrah but better.
Deep, with a hint of blue, purple. High, bracing acidity, medium + firm, drying, tannins. Invisible, medium (13%) alcohol. Medium body, medium + intensity & slightly bitter, medium + finish.
Aromas and flavours of violet, rose, blackberry, blackcurrant, underripe strawberry, herbal steminess, black pepper, smoky black tea and graphite (like sucking on pencil lead).
Explosive & fresh in the mouth, so gluggable and I’m sure would totally nail a big plate of charcuterie.
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10/29/2022 - Mario17 Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Toujours pas impressionné et ne comprend pas le buzz de certains pour ces vins, de la ferme, étable, dur et presque vert.
Not impressed, a visit to the farm!!
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10/28/2022 - Hanibal Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Bretty, harsh, not impressed. Why bother. Don't understand the hype. Had this blind.
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9/17/2022 - Wulffila wrote: 89 Points
Given the comments below, my expectations were on the low side. After a 1 hour decant I thought this was quite good. Well integrated and no over the top acidity. Wouldn’t expect any further development. Drink up!
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8/15/2022 - FrancoisTardif Likes this wine: 86 Points
As others stipulated, the acidity is REALLY present. Lots of deposits in the bottle. stayed in the carafe for 3hours before tasting. I doubt this will recover over time. On 4 people tasting the wine, 2 liked it. There is something weird about this wine. I still have 3 bottles... will see how it évolve...
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8/13/2022 - Goodjob! wrote: 88 Points
Nez: mûres, bleuets, poivre blanc, un brin viandeux. Discret, mais agréable et intéressant. Bouche: entrée suave et en rondeur, petit creux en milieu de bouche et finale courte et un peu âpre. Je suis un peu déçu, car les tannins sont bien intégrés et le vin semble prêt à boire. Ne reflète définitivement pas la qualité du millésime et du producteur.
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6/8/2022 - WetRock wrote:
So in reading the other notes here I was thinking I would, again, have to be one of those people going to bat for the funky, rustic wine. I wish that were the case. Right after popping I was excited by the complex mineral blackberry bomb that burst out of my first pour. That wine quickly faded into something much more awkward and challenging. The nose struggles with some carbonic notes over dark berries. The palate is schizophrenic, bouncing from fruit to strong skin acids back to very astringent tannin and back again. It seems to have lost all of the fruit flesh already yet the tannin is as harsh as can be yet. Here it is on night three, not really having budged. This isn't like a sullen closed wine sitting in its corner, telling us to leave it alone. It's more like someone who won't leave us be yet can't seem to put a coherent paragraph together. I went for a '19 just to compare. It drank ok but just that. Going to check on the other vintages I have now.
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6/1/2022 - gtilley wrote:
Dark red/purple. The nose is classic crozes - red meat, white pepper, stewed dark fruits. The palate has lost the fizziness from last time, thank goodness, but for me the palate remains aggressively acidic and dominated by crunchy light red fruit - cranberry, redcurrant - that is at odds with the nose and not really my style. This is mitigated to a degree by extensive aeration.
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1/28/2022 - MC2 Wines wrote:
La Tablee: Farming Revolution in the Northern Rhone (Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria): Some people thought this was corked and while I don't know that it was, it definitely wasn't an 'on' bottle which is too bad as I really like this producer normally. You can tell because it is lacking the precision that the rest of the wines have. More round and coats the tongue. More muted in flavor. Just a bit of the gamey again but mostly it comes across as dusty.
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1/17/2022 - cy_eats Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark fruit, wet leaves, forest floor, nice acid (for food), ready to drink out of the bottle. Paired beautifully with grilled lamb loin chops
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1/11/2022 - gurmadori wrote: 88 Points
정향, 팔각, 이름모를 향신료, 한약재, 올리브
중간에서 살짝 빠지는 당도, 중간산도, 중상바디
살짝 남아있는 타닌
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12/19/2021 - LetItRide Does not like this wine: 77 Points
Reading the wine notes here reminds me of the polarization and controversy surrounding Pax Mahle’s 2017 Pax Sonoma Hillsides Syrah.
Having now tasted both of these wines, they would be easily confused in a blind tasting .
Both exhibit punishing levels of acidity that almost induce the urge to drop in an alka seltzer tablet. As others have commented, I don’t believe this is a transitory “dumb phase” but is instead a lost cause. Excessive stem inclusion and sour grapes that were harvested before optimal ripeness. Almost but not quite drinkable with rich food.
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12/2/2021 - DjKassettspiller Likes this wine: 82 Points
As others have commented, this must be in a really dumb fase right now. Tart, sour even and no signs of fruit or complexity. Hope for a miracle or drink up?
No faults, just utterly boring and uninteresting...
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11/26/2021 - B Paul wrote:
Out of 3L, followed this starting with lunch and into the evening. I was worried about this based on many of the recent notes, but this was quite good for the $ and showed nice N. Rhône characteristics and just enough complexity to be interesting.
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7/22/2021 - geoffreychambertin wrote:
The other notes are accurate. High acid, a little fizzy. About halfway to a natty take on Crozes. Might be great in 5-10 years but I'm not hopeful. This was better closer to release.
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6/29/2021 - vancouvermatt wrote: 87 Points
Good nose, but just couldn't wrap my head around the high acidity. Unbalanced. Surprisingly light bodied.
1 bottle left to go.
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5/11/2021 - Gerhard3 wrote: 94 Points
A good quantity of pepper with some sweet fruit and a very delicate wooden touch. Pure perfume to me. In the mouth, medium+ volume, good acidity, juicy, with elegant tannins. (I didn´t feel any excess acidity or lack of balance).
My winner in a blind tasting of 2 Rhône and 6 Chilean Syrah, in the group ranking 2nd behind Chave Offerus Saint Joseph 2016.
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5/10/2021 - andrei trolldeig wrote:
Another lesson of the volatil acids. On the verge of being drinkable, but with lots of air a gentle crozes shows itself on the palate.
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5/7/2021 - gtilley wrote:
I was apprehensive reading some negative comments from others and sadly these were confirmed when I tasted this. Mid to dark red with evident fine sediment. The nose shows characteristic white pepper crozes character but then on entry the acid was really weird, almost fizzy, like chewing rhubarb. This settled down considerably over several hours but it never shook this quite aggressive acidic entry, even though this was followed by attractive ripe red fruit character. I doubt it will ever shed this character. Shame.
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4/12/2021 - Thad Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice wine for the money, did not take notes.
I would drink it now
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4/12/2021 - Obi-Wan Cannubi wrote: 86 Points
Mørk rød, lilla skjær.
Propolis, bjørnebær, krekling.
Modne mørke bær som ikke blir flabby, takket være høy syre. Nesten litt for mye syre av det gode. Middels pluss fylde, noe varmende alkohol. Tørrende tanniner. Ikke helt i balanse. Mer matvin enn kosevin. Savner mer frukt. Denne var litt naturvinaktig.
Ålreit, men ikke helt innertier for meg.
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4/4/2021 - pren wrote: 90 Points
半年以后，最后一瓶。在56wine，买的这三瓶都类似，但是和另一个batch的，明显不同，便淡，水果味强于非水果味。前后两次接近。
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3/25/2021 - Anton_Wallin wrote:
Inky with lots of purple notes, great structure, lots of dried herbs.
Drink now or within five years.
Not my type of wine anymore..
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3/18/2021 - Achermann Likes this wine: 91 Points
100 % Syrah aged in used oak.
👃🏻: Dark befries, licorice, fresh herbs, black pepper, medicine, aged meat, a little smoke.
👅: Quite high acidity (almost like VA). medium(+) tannins, long finish.
Will age nicely - not ready yet.
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2/23/2021 - golfhawk Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good red fruit but it was a bit tannic. I think it should sit for a couple more years
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12/26/2020 - Baltazar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Wonderfully expressive nose of dark mountain berries ("krekling" in Norwegian), gauze/medicinal, metal and blood (yes!), juicy, cool, long and fresh taste that works magic with reindeer and game sauce. One of my favorites. Perfect for drinking now. No need to keep it longer, although it may hold for several more years.
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12/19/2020 - a.gunnarsson@ymail.com wrote: 89 Points
A bit too early. 2022
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12/19/2020 - Voodoo_Champagne Does not like this wine:
I had two bottles, the first was corked and the next still too acidic went into the red cabbage for christmas.
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12/17/2020 - d'Artagnan wrote: 87 Points
Une rare déception avec ce domaine que j'aime bien.
Les vins de Graillot ont toujours une acidité élevée et cette fois je trouve qu’elle domine par rapport au fruit. Ça lui donne un côté bien frais mais le fait paraître un peu mince. 87 pts
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11/30/2020 - Rhone-River Does not like this wine:
I can see why many love the wine. But for me, acidity is way too high to appreciate all of it. On the next vintage
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11/19/2020 - ahagen wrote: 90 Points
God, men trenger mer tid.
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11/11/2020 - jhw425 wrote:
Very acidic for a while after opening. Not sure what is going on where this is going. Got better over time so maybe hold and aerate
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11/11/2020 - Blacksmith450 wrote: 91 Points
Style frais et épuré. Tout en fruit et bien structuré. Finale de bonne longueur.
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10/3/2020 - Baltazar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Airy and expressive on the nose, with blackberries, pepper, gauze and black olives, Very juicy and fresh with powerful acidity, cool fruit and good length. Very good, but young. May profit from two more years.
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9/27/2020 - mat600 wrote: 91 Points
Ce producteur est mon favori `dans cette région. Des notes animales avec une bouche sur des fruits noirs. Bonne longueur et complexité. 91 sur 100.
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9/12/2020 - DanielN Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good after 2h decanting when pairing with cote de bouef and potatoe gratain. Blackberries, dark cherries, raw meat, olives on the nose. Tart acidic fine tannins in the mouth requiring and blending perfectly with fat read meat.
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8/20/2020 - Voodoo_Champagne Does not like this wine:
Still an acid bastard, this is bottle number 4 , not going anywhere apart from acid hell or the sink, a disaster.
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7/24/2020 - jviz wrote: 92 Points
What a steal. This bottle screams 16 N Rhône to me, although I might have guessed St. Joseph. It has briny green olive and anise, with tart blackberry fruit. This bottle already showed hints of development with pencil shaving and faint leather. Modest amount of large sediment too, maybe check it under the light at the bottle’s end...
I submit this bottling as among the greatest wine values in the world. And at this age I prefer it to la Guiraude. Classic!
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6/21/2020 - Thefatbastard Likes this wine:
Encore primaire, nez de fruits rouges, garrigue, petit côté animal, bacon. En bouche, bcp de matiere, encore très dense, mais approchable. Très longue vie devant, attendre.
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5/24/2020 - pren wrote: 91 Points
两个月内，三瓶。第一瓶的第一天非常好，渣子没到干净，没啥影响。足，野。第二天，气味差很多，口感略好。再卖的两瓶，气味清香淡，微微红水果香味。三天后的一半，有柔软的水果，像有年头的burg。
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5/10/2020 - Kriz wrote: 89 Points
Drink it at 16-18 celcius. Not the best vintage Graillot made. Still a good Syrah showing Rhône typicity.
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4/26/2020 - MatLot Likes this wine: 91 Points
1e sur 6, va etre tres bon dans le futur, beau produit deja le fun beau poivre
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4/19/2020 - Anton_Wallin Likes this wine:
Short note. Good acidity, sun dried fruit, great lenght.
Not that much tannins to develop. This wine is not made for a long life in bottle
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3/30/2020 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was a clean bottle, with good purity of fruit and an appealing savoriness. Black fruit, some olive smoky notes. and It was a bit less concentrated than I would have liked, despite the evident energy.
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3/20/2020 - Gaurav_Tiwari Likes this wine: 92 Points
Red cherry, blackberry, blurberry on the nose with immediate earthy and spices. Didn’t pick floral aromas. Beautiful on the palate with tartness followed by mid-palate tannins and long finish with earth, bacon, leather, thyme, rosemary and peppery finish. This was fun! Well balanced and serious wine. Decanted for 2.5 hrs and it was still opening up in the glass.
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2/24/2020 - jhw425 wrote: 90 Points
Solid Syrah, but lacking the light touch and pretty high toned fruit I associate with this producer.
Scratches the NRhone itch though...
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1/15/2020 - pomelo wrote: 92 Points
Robe grenat foncée avec des reflets pourpre au pourtour. Nez de mûres, de poivre, de violette et de venaison à l'aération.
En bouche l'attaque est franche sur le fruit avec ce petit côté viandeux légèrement présent. L'acidité est moyenne, les tannins ne sont pas agressants, s'harmonisant à l'ensemble. La finale avec une abondance de fruit est longue. Une syrah bien typique de cette belle région.
Ce vin, doit-on le rappeler, d'un très grand millésime en Rhône septentrional, est encore sur le fruit primaire mais avec début de viande fumée qui caractérise les syrahs du Nord du Rhône. Une garde d'environ 5 à 7 ans devrait l'amener à un excellent niveau de complexité. Mon meilleur Graillot bu depuis très longtemps. J'avais délaissé ce producteur depuis quelques années car ses vins m'avaient déçu lors des millésimes des années 2010.
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12/21/2019 - Jean-Philippe M Likes this wine:
Fait très nature/rustique, c'est loin d'être mauvais, mais c'esr décevant, d'autant plus qu'on à 0 note du terroir, c'est un vin anonyme pour le moment, mais je suis certain qu'il sera grandement meilleur avec le temps.
2,5/5
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12/20/2019 - Mario17 wrote:
Couleur prononcée tendant plus sur le violet. Un nez peu jasant sur des notes poivrées et un boisé perceptible au nez. Bouche clairement avec vendanges entières, un peu rustique avec une finale moyenne ou en dessous de la moyenne en termes de longueur, fait un peu nature. Peu impressionné et peut-être trop jeune.
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12/10/2019 - Voodoo_Champagne Does not like this wine:
This wine is nearly undrinkable still three to go, ouch!
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11/30/2019 - Thad Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pop and pour
Little meaty musky with plum, nice acid
Raspberry came through after 20 minutes
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11/24/2019 - tbriggs wrote: 91 Points
God these are good wines. Rustic, but well balanced with a little fruit and delicate notes
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11/2/2019 - MikeJK Likes this wine: 92 Points
Previous experiences have had a more intense “incense” nose after 2-3 hours of decanting. Initial nose seemed tainted with VA (vinegar, not acetone) but this blew off after 45 minutes. Remaining was a nose driven by bramble. The palate echoed with bramble flavor, m(+) on acid, flavor intensity; m on body and tannin; generally well balanced but lacking concentration which gives a sense of hollowness on the mid palate. M(+) length. Good QPR.
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11/1/2019 - FLXHoneymoon Likes this wine:
Black and red fruit, black olive, pepper. Perfectly balanced. Wish I had a case. Definitely has potential for aging.
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10/28/2019 - Voodoo_Champagne Does not like this wine:
Very unbalanced, taste like a natural Syrah wine, no focus, just sloppy and bad, hard to drink!
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9/29/2019 - ekgPDX wrote: 88 Points
Ok. Powerful, acidic, leather, hint of lemon. Some rose and perfumed notes. Touch of menthol. Not my thing right now, may do better with time.
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9/19/2019 - Kriz wrote: 90 Points
Give it some air! Best on day two. Lovely big black fruit. Cassis, some leather. Big syrah with a good amount of acidity.
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9/13/2019 - Skrutt (Formerly RotHead) wrote: 87 Points
I don’t agree with the recent posts. Hold. This felt like waking up a barolo or langhe nebbiolo in the middle of the night. Awe-inspiring acidity and tannins but the fruit and aroma just don’t match them. Decant? Yes, and it rolled around and got back to sleep.
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9/1/2019 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Sunday wines and not wines (Chicago, IL): Still consistent with my last notes on this -- it's clearly a young syrah with tons of juicy red fruit. Open-knit with this beautiful red fruit on the palate that shows no signs of clamping down. Very complex, with lovely fresh acidity that gives this lift. One of my perennial top northern Rhones, and the cheapest one too!
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8/28/2019 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:
Dark berries, nice purity of fruit, subtle brett, maybe a hint of black olive but not pronounced. Good acidity, medium body and easy drinking, fairly straight forward and simple. For the price this is a pretty stellar old world syrah (probably not great for those into new world high extraction, ripe fruit syrah). These may age nicely but mine wont given the price and approachability I imagine they will be gone soon.
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8/25/2019 - melvinyeowq Likes this wine:
Not the most fashionable appellation but an extremely proper northern Rhône. Powerful and robust, dark purple in colour with stemmy olive and blueberry notes. Grippy tannins with good concentration, this is an excellent workhorse of a wine.
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8/18/2019 - eoinhharkins wrote: 92 Points
Punches well above both aoc and price point wonderful game, black berries, black olives and minerals on the nose fresh and persistent palate
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8/6/2019 - roelof.ligtmans@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
First day very, almost painfully young. Day two a bit more civilised, getting there. Fragrant, fresh, moderate & fine tannins, good vibes. No hurry, I'll let this sleep at least a year before trying again.
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7/30/2019 - Nojomoschwa Likes this wine: 93 Points
I have been wanting to taste Graillot for a long time, and boy, I was not disappointed. Yes, this was young, but boy is it perfectly balanced and super delicious, with restraint but not light and airy-fairy. Really beautiful wine for $31 from SommPicks.
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7/30/2019 - bablues wrote: 92 Points
Had at Purple Pig and didn't take detailed notes. This was fantastic is all I can recall.
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7/17/2019 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry along with dried violet and lightly smoked meat, the palate was concentrated full-bodied, big grippy tannins, good acidity and with characteristics of bramble jam, black pepper, smoky meat along with wild herbs. The finish had drying tannins and medium in length. My first impression was not the greatest, yet as I tried a little more each day it opened up more and more, by day 3 it was really enjoyable and I believe is a true representation of Northern Rhone Syrah. I feel this will significantly improve in the next 5 years.
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7/6/2019 - Rhonarna_Mikael wrote: 89 Points
Surprisingly thin even with quite some air. Stored in cellar but already we see clear tunnel trends. Lay down a few years before trying next one. We all know whatbeauty this is at the end of the tunnel.
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6/18/2019 - Kriz wrote: 90 Points
This is Rhone syrah! Love it. Taste, power, acidity, tannins. Mmmm
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6/16/2019 - RolandMillie Likes this wine: 91 Points
After hour decant, spiced plum, violet, and cool stone on the nose; very fresh and primary on the palate, medium body, with smooth, almost fine tannins that coat the mouth and linger. Quite good now. This should be excellent in a few years after developing tertiary notes.
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5/16/2019 - rmcnees wrote: 90 Points
Tasted at La Escargot, Puteaux, Paris.
Bright ruby colored, medium full bodied, notes of floral and violets, black berry and dark plums fruits with silky smooth tannins.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/05/french-wine-and-dine-experience.html
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4/30/2019 - Kriz wrote: 90 Points
Great wine to watch Tottenham Hotspur - Ajax, semi final Champions League. Fresh, full bodied and tasty. Back to the second half now...
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4/24/2019 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted blind. Clear, bright, deep, dark purple with a magenta rim. The nose has medium (+) to intense aromas of black cherry, red berries, red flowers, black pepper and a touch of band-aid. Some wood and spice evidence of aging in neutral, large barrels. The palate is dry, consistent with the nose, with medium (+) acidity, tannins and alcohol (13%). It has medium (+) body, flavor intensity and length. In hindsight, this wine is still a baby and would benefit from a decant. Really good quality wine.
Overall, this appears to be a moderate climate wine. Possible varieties based on color could be Syrah or Malbec. I did not really pick up on olive tapenade, meat, mineral or earth notes, so I did not go with Old World (mistake). Not really big or oaky enough to be South East Australia, so I went with CA.
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4/22/2019 - cfk49 wrote: 90 Points
Violets and dark plums in nose and mouth, medium-full body, silky, but still some tannins. Outstanding value.
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4/10/2019 - MattGeneve Likes this wine: 87 Points
Dark with a very open and floral enticing nose. Simpler on the palate, enjoyable but not that deep or complex.
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4/1/2019 - Kriz wrote: 91 Points
A high score. With some extra personal points. These young, well made Northern Rhone Syrah's are my personal favorites. Wines like Vin des Amis from Clape and this one. Wow. Freshness, fruit, hint of stable. Love it, love it, love it!
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3/29/2019 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really nice but needs sever hours air. Floral nice, quite fresh. Pepper and spice with a savage flair to the fruit underneath. Quite structured. Seems to have plenty of upside.
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3/10/2019 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Rhone, lots of it (Chicago, IL): I absolutely adore this wine. For the price, it is extremely difficult to do better, and honestly, this could easily wipe the floor with many other Rhones that cost twice or three times as much. I've decided to promote this wine to my personal list of Rhone wines worth a damn. Extremely similar to my last taste of this a few months ago -- red fruited, elegant, juicy, and unmistakably northern Rhone. It's an honest expression, devoid of makeup and trickery, and one that I'd be happy to drink any time.
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2/23/2019 - "Rhône Rider" Likes this wine: 90 Points
Blåbær, kirsebær og røyk på nese. Syrlige blåbær, kirsebær, litt krydder. Eik bak. Intens syre, litt naturvinpreg, men ikke volatil. Frukten matcher den intense syren, lav på tannin. Brukbar lengde. 89-90
Flott, litt utypisk CH.
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2/15/2019 - misterstarre Likes this wine: 91 Points
Damn good, quintessential Northern Rhone.
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2/9/2019 - Shiaxonna wrote: 90 Points
A whiff of barnyard and burnt rubber on rhe nose blows nicely away after just a couple of minutes in the glass. Left in my hand is a very exciting and young CH and a real treat. Unfiltered juice. Tons of young fruit. Grainy and lively tannins. Leather, crowberries and crushed black pepper. Powerful and concentrated. A real treat and goes well together with ox stew.
50+5+11+16+8 (90p)
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2/2/2019 - hprphf wrote:
La Tablee 2019: Lively and fresh meat.
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2/1/2019 - WetRock wrote:
A little more wild and loudly expressive than you might expect from a C-H. Drinks more like something south of here. Not a complaint mind you. It's just the animal and herb type of expression jumps out here. Olive tapenade leaning greener notes. Gritty towards the end of the bottle so look out for an unfiltered finish. Lightish to medium tannin even with that. Overall, impressive for it's price point. Expressive and open now for it's fleshy fruit. Surely a wine that will live easily in bottle over a decade if you prefer a cleaner expression. Very good.
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1/20/2019 - coremill wrote: 91 Points
Total yum, exactly what a good Crozes should be. Smokey, peppery purple Syrah fruit, good rocky character, medium-bodied, nice and juicy, fine tannins. You could hold this a while but it's not especially backward and I'm not sure there'd be a point to it.
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1/16/2019 - Perlundstrom Likes this wine: 88 Points
Lättare än väntat. Oerhört balanserat men nästan lite tråkigt. Inget som sticker ut.
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1/13/2019 - Omar Khayyam Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is what a Crozes should strive for: aromatic complexity that bridges the two poles of Syrah: blackberry, black pepper fruit and briny, meaty black olives, licorice, herbal notes. With great acidity, fine-grained tannins and still an elegant medium bodied wine with lift and energy rather than brutal power. Will evolve for a long time, certainly, but also great now, on the fruit.
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1/6/2019 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Sunday service at Jade Court (Chicago, IL): Better than the 2015 edition. I'm definitely going to need to put a bunch of this in my cellar. It's damn well what this wine ought to be. Slight bits of brininess and earth, with good amounts of black fruit as well. Hermitage-like in its demeanor, concentration, and intensity. Probably tops most of the wine coming from the actual hill these days.
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1/5/2019 - RobinHeimdahl wrote: 90 Points
Typical Syrah - dark fruits, meat, smoke, mineral and spices (mainly pepper). Good acidity, great structure. Feels young, should develop further.
Day 2: still nice.
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12/31/2018 - Bartondude Likes this wine:
Like a smoky cherry cola. Ripe dark fruit and tobacco leaf
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12/21/2018 - MaxGud Likes this wine: 86 Points
Decent! But a tad to much tannins. Nice fruityness!
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12/10/2018 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep, dark fruit but with a brightness, like mulberry rather than blackberry. Definite funk but subtle- smoky, mildly peppery roasted meat with herbed bread. More savory than Guigal crozes (but also considerably younger than my bottle of that)- also more character. Makes me think of Barossa valley shiraz with deep raisin fruit, but without the heat that often implies. Truly great but also definitely needs more time even with decanting. Give it a year or so.
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12/8/2018 - Eriklainen wrote:
Boom! What a powerhouse. Acid, fruit and tannins in balance and all of them in abundant quantities. Nose has that syrah like grape-pit feel to it - not as perfumed as some CH that I find slightly offensive (Aleofane 2015 springs to mind). The build is the thing and think this will gain complexity over time and thereby become a little more subtle. But there is almost a juniper bitterness in the backdrop that really makes it convincing. Slight whiff of leather/fresh tobacco. Hints of violets and honeysuckle. Nice
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12/8/2018 - GDa202 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely, fresh, fruit- dominated Crozes. Very easy to drink even at this stage. Every component in harmony. Expressive nose. Black fruit, some mint, rosemary, a subtle touch of pepper. Lovely.
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12/7/2018 - Finare Vinare wrote: 92 Points
Everything in balance, with excellent aromatics. Certainly approachable now, with the usual cellaring potential of a decade at least. Best vintage so far?
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11/30/2018 - OaktownRush Likes this wine: 92 Points
Noticeable purple color. A great nose of meat and leather. On the palate it's dry, restrained, medium-full bodied, features notes of burned leaves. Feels like a great fall wine. I think this wine will continue to get better.
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11/17/2018 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent already, though still very young. Bold black-purple color with nice legs. The nose positively exudes ripe, full raspberry and black cherry fruit aromas. In the mouth, smooth and glassy texture, with a boatland of tannins that still cannot mask the exuberant fruit. A real winner, and a heck of a value. Really glad I bought more than one bottle. 5-13-16-8: 92/100.
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10/29/2018 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark bramble fruit and plum aromas are front and center on this deep ruby wine, accented with notes of lavender, anise and black tea. Full-bodied, freshly acidic and with nicely integrated alcohol (13%), it delivers flavors mirroring the nose. The wine's silky-textured tannins and soft oak make it very easy to drink, but don't be fooled...there is significant structure here. Solid on the mid-palate and medium-to-long on the finish, this is an impressive offering from Graillot that should easily reach its tenth birthday. Drink now-2026.
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10/16/2018 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points
Mulled dark berries and tar. Structure that would benefit from a few years. Best 2020-2025.
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10/6/2018 - Cote d'Or wrote:
By the glass at restaurant
-opaque purple
-ripe dark berry faint smoky bacon wet stone
-med/med- acidity, med+ weight bigger boned simple ripe sweet dark berry fruits with some black pepper nuances a hint of brett and a med+ tannic spine
-leans toward a modern style and needs a few years to shed some tannins
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9/23/2018 - Balthasar wrote: 91 Points
The smell of barnyard might be a bit disturbing for sensible noses, but it adds complexity and is nicely balanced by a classic and expressive bouquet of red fruits, black olives, florals, cured meat, dark chocolate and minerals. Rich and dense for a Crozes-Hermitage, but vibrant and beautifully lifted by ample acidity. Still primary and not yet round; should even be better in 2020.
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9/17/2018 - Ebrim wrote: 91 Points
Short note - floral, structured, dark berries, violets, raw potatoes, very well made and i like the style very much. Very good/outstanding, 91-92p
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9/1/2018 - jwkunstman Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good wine for grilled food
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8/22/2018 - Danielgbm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lots of cherries, fresh, sweet, medium acidic soft tannins, very nice wine. I will try again in 3 years.
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8/8/2018 - vinelouse wrote: 91 Points
No formal notes taken, deep ruby, P&P, closed, earthy, dusty tannins, nice with tenderloin.
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7/23/2018 - SiR wrote: 92 Points
Clear, med to deep ruby with a hint of purple / clean, med to pronounced intensity - blackberry, cherry, lavender, dried herbs, meaty, dark chocolate / dry, med+ acidity, med+ fine grained tannin, med body, pronounced intensity, long finish. A few layers unfold as the wine starts to breathe. The 2 bottles were as good! 91-92
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4/16/2018 - Bobhelge wrote: 91 Points
Fine Wines of Northern Rhone - hosted by Norsk Vinkelnerforening and Mark Andrew MW: Totally barnyard and earth on the nose. Dark fruit and hay. Then rhubarb porridge (?). Dark fruit and herby on the palate. lovely length.
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