This bottle showed much better than a slightly flat bottle of the 2004 vintage a couple weeks ago. The Tannin is mostly resolved, but enough remains to give it some spine. Some evolution of flavors from fruity toward toward the earthy/savory spectrum, though perhaps not as much as I'd hoped for. This was not as good a showing as a bottle of this a few years ago 90-91ish
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Hdr Closing Tasting: I missed Stolpman on Day 1 and there were a few mags of various vintages still open and left over but under the table. Peter said it was not as good today, but poured some anyway. So no rating. Still, I found the nose slightly oxidized but still nice. very fresh and lively on the palate. Good fruit. I have no doubt these will age just fine. Plenty of nice black raspberry fruit. Good complexity.
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Lots of life left. Gets plusher and more balanced with air. A really nice midweek syrah. Not tons of complexity but really nice fruit with some backbone.
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I continue to be very pleased with how the Stolpman syrahs from the mid 90's are again. This has developed very good bottle bouquet....aromatically expressive upon opening. Very good balance, tannins smooth but still sufficient to help provide balance and cut, lingering finish. This bottle: 93-94
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A good nose of peppery meat and espresso with light white floral aromatics. Dark berry and grilled meat on the palate with a solid 45 second finish. The wine is extremely well integrated at this stage with ultrafine tannins. Possibly my best qpr purchase ever for a syrah.
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Drinking very well. delicious from the first to last swallow. The tannins have come into balance, nice nose and finish. The oak may have been a bit more prominent than in previous bottles My only disappointment is that it doesn't seem to have added much complexity. 92-93
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Part of vertical tasting of 2002, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09. Perfect now. Outstanding wine, tossup between this and 02 for favorite. This is more fruit forward, well balanced and smooth.
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PnP. Dark ruby, subtle signs of age. The nose is similar to the palate in that the complexity seems somewhat limited. However, whatever it may lack in terms of varietal typicity and overall complexity, it makes up for it with sheer purity of fruit. Aromas and flavors of smoked blackberries, blueberry compote, notes of vanilla and faint herbs. I kept searching for more varietal character, but in the two hours the bottle was open, it remained elusive. Still a bruiser of a wine, showing as much elegance as a wine with 15,1% abv can. I loved this on release, and now, as it nears the end of its plateau, I find myself preferring this wine in its youth. Medium finish, medium acids, tannins nearly resolved. Drink thru 2015
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Trip to Solvang and Los Olivos (Los Olivos, CA and Solvang, CA): Tasted non-blind at their tasting room. Nice nose of dark berries, spice and some floral notes. More of the same on the palate with cassis before transition to a very long fruity finish. Can drink now or continue to hold for several years.
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Strawberries and cardamom, with wonderful notes of even darker fruit. The line of alcohol is distinct, but it cuts a perfect line between the initial palate and the long long finish.
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This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by Don Shapiro. Opaque ruby/garnet in color, it shows a moderately intense nose of raspberry, lavender and underbrush. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and ample tannins which are a bit dry. The alcohol (listed as 15.5%) is very well-integrated and the middle palate is solid. Medium-length, slightly dry finish. I erroneously guessed this wine to be a Northern Rhone. It is not your run-of-the-mill Central Coast "fruit bomb" Syrah. Very nice! Another year of bottle ageing might soften the rough edges on the tannins. Drink 1/12-12/15.
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Popped and let breathe for two hours. Deep garnet in colour, while having a ruby rim. Sliced plum, blackberry, blood orange, juniper, graphite and fresh cut flowers. A spicy finish with a little heat. Concentrated and light at the same time, while possessing a finite amount of acidity. Even though this has heat and the middle could be more there, this aromatic and lithe Syrah is still outstanding and food friendly. Drink now - 2014.
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A massive wine. Hugely concentrated. Black as night. Long finish. A bit disjointed on the finish. Works with bbq. Like the wine just don't think it is worth $20 let alone the $40 that I paid for it years ago.
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Aerated 3 hours. I think I'm with Tanzer on this one - it's just lovely. Complex and seamless, this gains in intensity from the get-go, packing layers and layers of silky fruits into a seemingly weightless mouthful. I only have one left that I will plan an appropriate meal for. Easily the standout for purity and complexity when tasting through the complete lineup. Approx $35, drink thru 2017, 15,1% abv.
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Very nice right out of the bottle. Medium body for a syrah with good freshness and balance. Dark fruits and balanced -- not Aussie style at all -- more refined. Some vanilla, pepper and earthiness.
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A nice wine..the tannins have come into reasonable balance....Oak is present but not dominant..I am inclined to give the remaining bottles a few years to see if some complexity develops....there are hints of it...but it just never delivers the nuance one hopes for
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This wine is in a great place right now. A bit simplistic with sweet cherries and a nice undertone of vanilla. More sweet than meat. NIce mouthcoating finish but not a ton of complexity.
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Allrighty now!! The beast is finally starting to be reined in....ans I think Mr. RMP would still be a fan. What I'm finally starting to see (after three other bottles of this vintage over three years) is that the wine's finally coming into balance; one of the big bold fruits (brash blackberries, some bing cherries, hint of tangy raisin) the spices (cinnamon and hot red pepper) and the tannins (yep, they're still there but not so bracing) and the ever present vanilley oak is finally bearable. What I'm feeling is that this wine can FINALLY be paired with some food and not overpower, but make sure that the food in question has it's own strong personality (I'm thinking bold and outstanding bbq, maybe vinegary, but still more sweet than spicy) to match up. What I like is that this wine still has 4-6 years of fruit power before it starts to enter a new phase, hopefully that of the mid-age Cali rhone wine that demands that it be seen as something other than an omnipresent fruit bomb. I can't wait to experience this wine as a day two bonanza.
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Decanted for an hour. Started out really tight. Initially had a bitter aftertaste although that blew off. Rich and concentrated with good acids. Mouth coating ink.
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COLOR: pure purple and clear on the edge. Not quite as dark as I would expect from a Central Coast Syrah; NOSE: lots of heat initially, with plum and beef jerky; PALATE: not as huge as I was expecting, with more sour cherry and sour plum notes and cracked pepper than the black fruits I'd expect. Tasty. The sour fruit notes remind me of the Two Hands Shiraz from a few months ago. *DAY 2* on day 2 this definitely moves into the 90+/91 range for me. Almost all the heat has dissipated while still maintaining gorgeous fruit. Black fruits on the finish now. Should have definitely decanted yesterday.
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Last tasted this wine almost 2 years ago and it has evolved nicely. Powerful blackberries and dark fruit have lost a bit of the bitter edge and have better integrated with the vanilla and oak. Probably drinking at it's peak!
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Decanted for two hours and then back in the bottle for 24hrs. Concise, pure aromas of briary blackberry, orange blossum, camphor and grilled, rare steak. A bright but smooth palate presence. The flavors echo the aromas with the addition of a citrus edge. The finish shows excellent crushed berry fruit, brisk acidity and a talc minerality but is a little short and unformed. No heat. A highly enjoyable wine but just a little too ripe for my taste.
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Rich full-bodied blackberry fruit, a little sweet, lacked in complexity and length with drunk with 2002 Cayuse Bionic Frog and 2005 Cayuse Armada, but still very good bottle of wine
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Great fruit filled nose, blueberry picking in the sunshine with flowers a bloomin'! Sweet mocha accents in a classy 2/3 new world 1/3 rhone style... Several years ahead.
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Dark and almost thick looking purple with a very ripe nose of dark fruit, a little smoke and a sense of earthy spice. Very full mouth feel and a strong concentrated fruit grip...a good framework that show cased several layers of personality that tended to wander some. A lot of substance here...
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Started with a nose of cookie dough, black pepper, graphite and plum. The palate had a wonderfully smooth texture with lots of peppery, dark berry fruit. Nice creamy balance on the finish. On day two the fruit showed more purity while retaining the pepper and graphite. I think that there is a couple of years of improvement but a very slight alcohol heat as it warmed suggests that it is best to drink on the younger side.
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Central Coast Trip: Medium dark violet. Striking combination of minerality and citrus zest. Mouthfilling. The fruit and structure are continually neck-and-neck with each other as they race to a lengthy finish, providing what amounts to a gaudy display of exquisite balance.
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Dinner at GlassHalfFull (Carrboro, NC): Decanted for 1 hour. This wine exhibited a dark garnet/purple color. On the nose, aromas of blackberries and black raspberries were complemented by notes of licorice, cinnamon and floral notes. On the palate, flavors of rich, ripe blackberries, raspberries and dark cherries were joined by notes of licorice and mocha leading to a spicy finish. This one was quite more approachable at the one hour mark and easily outshined the Herman Story... but over time the Herman Story would win out. HS92
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This remains Cali's best QPR. Actually had a little earthiness to it which was suprising. Massive berries but not quite as complex as 2004, still fabulous
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1/21/2018 - thalver wrote:
This bottle showed much better than a slightly flat bottle of the 2004 vintage a couple weeks ago. The Tannin is mostly resolved, but enough remains to give it some spine. Some evolution of flavors from fruity toward toward the earthy/savory spectrum, though perhaps not as much as I'd hoped for. This was not as good a showing as a bottle of this a few years ago 90-91ish
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10/16/2016 - jonwill Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still has the stuff! Amazing bright fruit despite its age, this is a classic.
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4/19/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote:
Hdr Closing Tasting: I missed Stolpman on Day 1 and there were a few mags of various vintages still open and left over but under the table. Peter said it was not as good today, but poured some anyway. So no rating. Still, I found the nose slightly oxidized but still nice. very fresh and lively on the palate. Good fruit. I have no doubt these will age just fine. Plenty of nice black raspberry fruit. Good complexity.
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1/8/2016 - the godfather wrote:
similar to last note, lots of OAK. This tastes like it was released yesterday
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10/10/2015 - iamandyc wrote: 89 Points
Lots of life left. Gets plusher and more balanced with air. A really nice midweek syrah. Not tons of complexity but really nice fruit with some backbone.
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6/10/2015 - thalver wrote: 94 Points
I continue to be very pleased with how the Stolpman syrahs from the mid 90's are again. This has developed very good bottle bouquet....aromatically expressive upon opening. Very good balance, tannins smooth but still sufficient to help provide balance and cut, lingering finish. This bottle: 93-94
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12/28/2014 - Diama Likes this wine: 92 Points
A good nose of peppery meat and espresso with light white floral aromatics. Dark berry and grilled meat on the palate with a solid 45 second finish. The wine is extremely well integrated at this stage with ultrafine tannins. Possibly my best qpr purchase ever for a syrah.
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4/19/2014 - EvanJB wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful wine, sadly last bottle of 05
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1/11/2014 - EvanJB wrote:
Excellent
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12/1/2013 - Meembo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Coffee/blackberry/cream/black cherry/cinnamon and spice.
Fine tannins and great overall structure. This wine definitely has the stuffing to go a few more years at least.
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11/11/2013 - ddsolomon2000 wrote: 93 Points
Still going strong!
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10/17/2013 - ddsolomon2000 wrote: 92 Points
Perfect with Lasagne. What a finish.
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12/8/2012 - thalver wrote:
Drinking very well. delicious from the first to last swallow. The tannins have come into balance, nice nose and finish. The oak may have been a bit more prominent than in previous bottles My only disappointment is that it doesn't seem to have added much complexity. 92-93
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11/3/2012 - philipmac wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 3 hours; kept opening 2 hours later. Sad knowing it's our last. Beautiful expressions with this juice.
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9/9/2012 - EvanJB wrote: 94 Points
Part of vertical tasting of 2002, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09. Perfect now. Outstanding wine, tossup between this and 02 for favorite. This is more fruit forward, well balanced and smooth.
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6/18/2012 - Seweint wrote: 94 Points
Delicious, jammy wine but not overdone. Very concentrated but not too heavy on the palate. Drinking very well right now!
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5/3/2012 - Tim Heaton wrote:
PnP. Dark ruby, subtle signs of age. The nose is similar to the palate in that the complexity seems somewhat limited. However, whatever it may lack in terms of varietal typicity and overall complexity, it makes up for it with sheer purity of fruit. Aromas and flavors of smoked blackberries, blueberry compote, notes of vanilla and faint herbs. I kept searching for more varietal character, but in the two hours the bottle was open, it remained elusive. Still a bruiser of a wine, showing as much elegance as a wine with 15,1% abv can. I loved this on release, and now, as it nears the end of its plateau, I find myself preferring this wine in its youth. Medium finish, medium acids, tannins nearly resolved. Drink thru 2015
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12/13/2011 - ddsolomon2000 wrote: 91 Points
Fantastic wine. Very mellow and well balanced. Totally enjoyed.
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6/2/2011 - IAMVLAD wrote: 91 Points
still very, very young. after sitting in the glass for about an hour the flavor began to emerge. i wouldn't be in a hurry to drink this wine.
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5/22/2011 - floydtp wrote: 91 Points
Trip to Solvang and Los Olivos (Los Olivos, CA and Solvang, CA): Tasted non-blind at their tasting room. Nice nose of dark berries, spice and some floral notes. More of the same on the palate with cassis before transition to a very long fruity finish. Can drink now or continue to hold for several years.
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4/9/2011 - wineretriever wrote: 93 Points
Strawberries and cardamom, with wonderful notes of even darker fruit. The line of alcohol is distinct, but it cuts a perfect line between the initial palate and the long long finish.
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3/11/2011 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 91 Points
This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by Don Shapiro. Opaque ruby/garnet in color, it shows a moderately intense nose of raspberry, lavender and underbrush. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and ample tannins which are a bit dry. The alcohol (listed as 15.5%) is very well-integrated and the middle palate is solid. Medium-length, slightly dry finish. I erroneously guessed this wine to be a Northern Rhone. It is not your run-of-the-mill Central Coast "fruit bomb" Syrah. Very nice! Another year of bottle ageing might soften the rough edges on the tannins. Drink 1/12-12/15.
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2/25/2011 - Matt Scott wrote: 90 Points
Popped and let breathe for two hours. Deep garnet in colour, while having a ruby rim. Sliced plum, blackberry, blood orange, juniper, graphite and fresh cut flowers. A spicy finish with a little heat. Concentrated and light at the same time, while possessing a finite amount of acidity. Even though this has heat and the middle could be more there, this aromatic and lithe Syrah is still outstanding and food friendly. Drink now - 2014.
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11/24/2010 - JOsgood wrote:
A massive wine. Hugely concentrated. Black as night. Long finish. A bit disjointed on the finish. Works with bbq. Like the wine just don't think it is worth $20 let alone the $40 that I paid for it years ago.
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11/21/2010 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Aerated 3 hours. I think I'm with Tanzer on this one - it's just lovely. Complex and seamless, this gains in intensity from the get-go, packing layers and layers of silky fruits into a seemingly weightless mouthful. I only have one left that I will plan an appropriate meal for. Easily the standout for purity and complexity when tasting through the complete lineup. Approx $35, drink thru 2017, 15,1% abv.
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10/29/2010 - jupiter33 wrote: 92 Points
Drinking really well now - just needs a little air. Complex, well integrated and balanced.
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9/5/2010 - iamandyc wrote: 91 Points
Very nice right out of the bottle. Medium body for a syrah with good freshness and balance. Dark fruits and balanced -- not Aussie style at all -- more refined. Some vanilla, pepper and earthiness.
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7/24/2010 - thalver wrote: 92 Points
A nice wine..the tannins have come into reasonable balance....Oak is present but not dominant..I am inclined to give the remaining bottles a few years to see if some complexity develops....there are hints of it...but it just never delivers the nuance one hopes for
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6/12/2010 - RebeccAndy wrote: 96 Points
Perfect pairing with grilled ribeye: smoke, white pepper, a hint of candied fruit and cassis. Outstanding.
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3/15/2010 - rdsboca wrote: 91 Points
This wine is in a great place right now. A bit simplistic with sweet cherries and a nice undertone of vanilla. More sweet than meat. NIce mouthcoating finish but not a ton of complexity.
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2/7/2010 - Mr.Overhill wrote: 94 Points
Allrighty now!! The beast is finally starting to be reined in....ans I think Mr. RMP would still be a fan. What I'm finally starting to see (after three other bottles of this vintage over three years) is that the wine's finally coming into balance; one of the big bold fruits (brash blackberries, some bing cherries, hint of tangy raisin) the spices (cinnamon and hot red pepper) and the tannins (yep, they're still there but not so bracing) and the ever present vanilley oak is finally bearable. What I'm feeling is that this wine can FINALLY be paired with some food and not overpower, but make sure that the food in question has it's own strong personality (I'm thinking bold and outstanding bbq, maybe vinegary, but still more sweet than spicy) to match up. What I like is that this wine still has 4-6 years of fruit power before it starts to enter a new phase, hopefully that of the mid-age Cali rhone wine that demands that it be seen as something other than an omnipresent fruit bomb. I can't wait to experience this wine as a day two bonanza.
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1/29/2010 - JDRFoster wrote: 92 Points
Drinking very well. Certainly could hold up but why wait?
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12/28/2009 - JOsgood wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for an hour. Started out really tight. Initially had a bitter aftertaste although that blew off. Rich and concentrated with good acids. Mouth coating ink.
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10/22/2009 - Meembo wrote: 89 Points
COLOR: pure purple and clear on the edge. Not quite as dark as I would expect from a Central Coast Syrah; NOSE: lots of heat initially, with plum and beef jerky; PALATE: not as huge as I was expecting, with more sour cherry and sour plum notes and cracked pepper than the black fruits I'd expect. Tasty. The sour fruit notes remind me of the Two Hands Shiraz from a few months ago. *DAY 2* on day 2 this definitely moves into the 90+/91 range for me. Almost all the heat has dissipated while still maintaining gorgeous fruit. Black fruits on the finish now. Should have definitely decanted yesterday.
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9/20/2009 - jonwill wrote: 92 Points
Last tasted this wine almost 2 years ago and it has evolved nicely. Powerful blackberries and dark fruit have lost a bit of the bitter edge and have better integrated with the vanilla and oak. Probably drinking at it's peak!
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8/14/2009 - the godfather wrote: 85 Points
kind of a hot vanilla bomb, I can't believe the difference between 2004 and 2005 with this wine. Lots of fruit but will the oak disipate.
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7/5/2009 - pgordon62 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for two hours and then back in the bottle for 24hrs. Concise, pure aromas of briary blackberry, orange blossum, camphor and grilled, rare steak. A bright but smooth palate presence. The flavors echo the aromas with the addition of a citrus edge. The finish shows excellent crushed berry fruit, brisk acidity and a talc minerality but is a little short and unformed. No heat. A highly enjoyable wine but just a little too ripe for my taste.
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7/3/2009 - Amerique wrote: 92 Points
Rich full-bodied blackberry fruit, a little sweet, lacked in complexity and length with drunk with 2002 Cayuse Bionic Frog and 2005 Cayuse Armada, but still very good bottle of wine
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3/7/2009 - AdamWallstein wrote: 92 Points
Great fruit filled nose, blueberry picking in the sunshine with flowers a bloomin'! Sweet mocha accents in a classy 2/3 new world 1/3 rhone style... Several years ahead.
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12/12/2008 - Tejano wrote:
Dark and almost thick looking purple with a very ripe nose of dark fruit, a little smoke and a sense of earthy spice. Very full mouth feel and a strong concentrated fruit grip...a good framework that show cased several layers of personality that tended to wander some. A lot of substance here...
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11/4/2008 - ews3 wrote:
really nice. dark fruit and some chocolate flavor. long pleasant finish
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10/19/2008 - the godfather wrote: 92 Points
super ripe but with enough structure to support and not be jammy, serious yumminess
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8/4/2008 - rogerr wrote: 93 Points
Very powerful and delicious. Continued to drink well for 3 days in the bottle just sitting on the counter.
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2/16/2008 - the godfather wrote: 91 Points
accidentally deleted the note I just wrote, so I will just say this tighter rioght now than any stolpman I have tasted
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1/29/2008 - pgordon62 wrote: 92 Points
Started with a nose of cookie dough, black pepper, graphite and plum. The palate had a wonderfully smooth texture with lots of peppery, dark berry fruit. Nice creamy balance on the finish. On day two the fruit showed more purity while retaining the pepper and graphite. I think that there is a couple of years of improvement but a very slight alcohol heat as it warmed suggests that it is best to drink on the younger side.
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1/2/2008 - tcfishler wrote: 93 Points
Central Coast Trip: Medium dark violet. Striking combination of minerality and citrus zest. Mouthfilling. The fruit and structure are continually neck-and-neck with each other as they race to a lengthy finish, providing what amounts to a gaudy display of exquisite balance.
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12/24/2007 - sosgoodjhu wrote: 92 Points
A bit wound up at the moment, but lots of spice and earth mixed in with black fruits. This could be really good in a few years.
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12/23/2007 - JOsgood wrote: 92 Points
Really good juice although a bit primary at this time. Smokey taste with a lingering finish. Looking forward to following the evolution of this wine.
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12/20/2007 - HurrahSyrah wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at GlassHalfFull (Carrboro, NC): Decanted for 1 hour. This wine exhibited a dark garnet/purple color. On the nose, aromas of blackberries and black raspberries were complemented by notes of licorice, cinnamon and floral notes. On the palate, flavors of rich, ripe blackberries, raspberries and dark cherries were joined by notes of licorice and mocha leading to a spicy finish. This one was quite more approachable at the one hour mark and easily outshined the Herman Story... but over time the Herman Story would win out. HS92
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12/1/2007 - JavaMonkey wrote: 91 Points
Lush raspberry and blackberry. A background of spice and sandalwood. Great, full fruit on the palate, with mellow tannins. Beautiful, long finish.
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11/30/2007 - WetRock wrote:
LA Conejo Valley Best American Syrah Shootout (Cafe 14, Agoura Hills): Huge berry pie nose that is plush with notes of citrus and chocolate, heat. Lean mouth feel similar to that of a Cote-Rotie but the mid palate is a bit hollow. Grip and heat on the finish.
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11/11/2007 - the godfather wrote: 93 Points
This remains Cali's best QPR. Actually had a little earthiness to it which was suprising. Massive berries but not quite as complex as 2004, still fabulous
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