The 2005 Fracture. Great balance and long finish. Alcohol of 16.5. Surprised not to notice. Decanted. Continued to open over 2.5 hrs. Brought it to a Syrah pairing dinner and it won the night.
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A starless night in a glass full. Great weight and balance. The edges softened with the first hour. Blue fruit on front, earthiness on mid, elegant finish. Teeth staining juice.
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Color: inky purple -> medium/dark ruby rim. Very youthful appearance. Seductive nose of charcoal, plums, oak. Palate was full of blackberries, minerals and oak. Dense wine. Quite a mouthful with a lot of puppy fat still. Somewhat tannic with excellent acidity and a looong finish. I'm wondering how this will age . . . .
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One More Time: My second favorite wine of the night, and the group's as well. Only the Hourglass Cab was enjoyed more by the group. This was really a great bottle of Syrah. I had tasted a Saxum Booker Syrah previously and really enjoyed it, but I think that I may have even enjoyed this one more than the Saxum.
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Drank with Brie, artichoke spread, Aged Parmesan without decanting. Drank almost immediately and wine was Very Good. Got better with some time and air.
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Black in color. Ripe black fruit aromatics. Tastes of boysenberry, raspberry, blackberry, tar, tobacco and charred oak. Rich and concentrated on the mid palate and finish. Good acidity to keep it from being over the top. Very full bodied. Not for the feint of heart. Slight alcohol showing through on the finish but not to a point where it is distracting until it warms up in the glass. Serve on the cooler side to keep the alcohol at bay. 16.5% alcohol.
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double blind. so the provider has had this about a billion times, reportedly each one being very good, and then this bottle blows chunks. thanks, kevin!
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Blind Night (Scott): Spicy nose. Load of charred oak on this wine. Tastes of black cherry, cinnamon, spice and menthol. Rich and powerful with a touch of heat on the finish. Not at all what I remembered tasting in the past. If this is representative of the wine, I'm not sure if I like it with some age on it. Could be a wine that needs to be consumed within a year of release?
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Decanted 2 hours, drank over the next 3. "Ain't it just like the night to play tricks when you're trying to be so quiet..." Dark, brooding in the glass, swirling leaves legs that would make a Vegas showgirl proud...Black plums, espresso and eucalyptus on the nose, extremely well balanced, not a trace of heat, totally overwhelmed by the fruit and acidity. Gained elegance over time, revealing spices, roasted meats and bacon fat. Finishes with a kick. IMHO, this has the stuffing to last another 10 years and become an incredible wine.
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Bouquet of cassis and oak came across as rather tight right now. Palate features flavors of blackberry and smoke. Tannic and hot. Magenta color of medium-deep depth; medium-full body. A very rich and heady wine...I’m not as convinced as others that this has the structure to age well. An easy "pass" for me.
B: 50, 5, 11, 15, 7 = 88
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Blueberry and blackberry nose, with a little black licorice and spice. Notes of coffee/mocha and a floral component as well. Alcohol vapors tingle the nose on a deep sniff. Blows off with some time in the glass. Lush texture on the palate with a long finish. Nice. On a recent visit to Paso Robles to try some new wineries, Booker stood out as my clear favorite, maybe besting my long time favorite Linne Calodo.
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made by Justin of Saxum, this wine exhibits an exuberant almost perfect nose, and extremely inky in the glass, but quite backward right now with youthful tannins. needs another 3-5 yr of bottle age.
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Definitely not a nuanced syrah as the heat showed on not only the nose but also the palate. It was an enjoyable wine with complexity but a bit hot, which detracted from the overall structure and fruit profile. I'll put the others away for another tasting in 2-3 years.
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Boysenberries, blackberries, leather and tobacco. Huge concentration but still with some nice depth. Bright acidity and a long, rich finish. The 16.5% alcohol is noticeable but this wine has the fruit and concentration to back it up. Not for the faint of heart.
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100% Syrah. Blueberries, boysenberries, strawberries, leather, pepper and wet stones. Wound up tight as a drum and not showing much at this point. Great acidity and huge concentration. 16.5% alcohol. 300 cases produced. This is the inaugural vintage for Booker Vineyards and was bottled 3 months ago. The winemaker and vineyard owner, Eric Jensen, trained under Justin Smith of Saxum for the past five years. Booker Vineyard also sells fruit to Saxum, L'Aventure, Pax, Linne Calodo and several others. If you like this style of wine, this is definitely a mailing list you will want to be on before Parker rates it.
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6/27/2019 - Heff#1 Likes this wine: 96 Points
The 2005 Fracture. Great balance and long finish. Alcohol of 16.5. Surprised not to notice. Decanted. Continued to open over 2.5 hrs. Brought it to a Syrah pairing dinner and it won the night.
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12/7/2014 - sbfireman wrote: 96 Points
A starless night in a glass full. Great weight and balance. The edges softened with the first hour. Blue fruit on front, earthiness on mid, elegant finish. Teeth staining juice.
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8/15/2014 - Dan & Patti wrote: 92 Points
Heavy with blackberry tones The nose is wonderful with a moderate finish
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2/13/2013 - BVal wrote: 92 Points
Color: inky purple -> medium/dark ruby rim. Very youthful appearance. Seductive nose of charcoal, plums, oak. Palate was full of blackberries, minerals and oak. Dense wine. Quite a mouthful with a lot of puppy fat still. Somewhat tannic with excellent acidity and a looong finish. I'm wondering how this will age . . . .
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4/7/2012 - Dan & Patti wrote: 91 Points
Very good fruit, tannins still present
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9/17/2011 - Baggio wrote: 95 Points
Sensational. Balanced and layered. Drinking perfectly; no sign of diminished fruit. The best wine of 2011 so far.
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12/30/2010 - last chance wrote: 95 Points
One More Time: My second favorite wine of the night, and the group's as well. Only the Hourglass Cab was enjoyed more by the group. This was really a great bottle of Syrah. I had tasted a Saxum Booker Syrah previously and really enjoyed it, but I think that I may have even enjoyed this one more than the Saxum.
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12/11/2010 - Driven1 wrote: 90 Points
Drank with Brie, artichoke spread, Aged Parmesan without decanting. Drank almost immediately and wine was Very Good. Got better with some time and air.
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8/27/2010 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Didn't have the depth and complexity of previously drank bottle
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3/31/2010 - IAMVLAD wrote: 90 Points
tasted with the other 05 booker wines. still very young but the potential exist for much improvement.
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12/4/2009 - kstoddard wrote: 90 Points
Black in color. Ripe black fruit aromatics. Tastes of boysenberry, raspberry, blackberry, tar, tobacco and charred oak. Rich and concentrated on the mid palate and finish. Good acidity to keep it from being over the top. Very full bodied. Not for the feint of heart. Slight alcohol showing through on the finish but not to a point where it is distracting until it warms up in the glass. Serve on the cooler side to keep the alcohol at bay. 16.5% alcohol.
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4/26/2009 - BoomerL wrote: 93 Points
Great Syrah. Brank two glasses when first opened after 60 minute decant. Drank the remainder the following day. Even better with over night...
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2/10/2009 - jeff nowak wrote:
double blind. so the provider has had this about a billion times, reportedly each one being very good, and then this bottle blows chunks. thanks, kevin!
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2/10/2009 - kstoddard wrote: 88 Points
Blind Night (Scott): Spicy nose. Load of charred oak on this wine. Tastes of black cherry, cinnamon, spice and menthol. Rich and powerful with a touch of heat on the finish. Not at all what I remembered tasting in the past. If this is representative of the wine, I'm not sure if I like it with some age on it. Could be a wine that needs to be consumed within a year of release?
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2/10/2009 - jivey wrote: 89 Points
Nice freshness to the fully extracted style. oak, dark fruits nice finish.
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9/6/2008 - blondon wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours, drank over the next 3. "Ain't it just like the night to play tricks when you're trying to be so quiet..." Dark, brooding in the glass, swirling leaves legs that would make a Vegas showgirl proud...Black plums, espresso and eucalyptus on the nose, extremely well balanced, not a trace of heat, totally overwhelmed by the fruit and acidity. Gained elegance over time, revealing spices, roasted meats and bacon fat. Finishes with a kick. IMHO, this has the stuffing to last another 10 years and become an incredible wine.
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8/17/2008 - grafstrb wrote: 88 Points
– 100% Syrah –
Bouquet of cassis and oak came across as rather tight right now. Palate features flavors of blackberry and smoke. Tannic and hot. Magenta color of medium-deep depth; medium-full body. A very rich and heady wine...I’m not as convinced as others that this has the structure to age well. An easy "pass" for me.
B: 50, 5, 11, 15, 7 = 88
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8/2/2008 - vinole wrote: 91 Points
Paso Robles Winery Tour (Linne Calodo, Tablas Creek, Denner, L'Aventure, Villa Creek & more): Big, juicy blackberry fruit, with a little heat on the finish. Excellent syrah, but my Bordeaux side prefers the Remnant.
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7/13/2008 - sbreffle wrote: 93 Points
Blueberry and blackberry nose, with a little black licorice and spice. Notes of coffee/mocha and a floral component as well. Alcohol vapors tingle the nose on a deep sniff. Blows off with some time in the glass. Lush texture on the palate with a long finish. Nice. On a recent visit to Paso Robles to try some new wineries, Booker stood out as my clear favorite, maybe besting my long time favorite Linne Calodo.
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6/22/2008 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
delicious, rich ripe blackberry fruit and cassis, great structure and depth with vanillia oaky tinge, long finish
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6/8/2008 - bambam wrote: 92 Points
Drinking better than the first bottle I had 9 months ago. Some alcohol on the nose. Leather, plum, dark cherry.
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5/23/2008 - kstoddard wrote: 92 Points
Leather, tobacco, caramel and dark fruits. Rich and powerful finish with nice complexity. This wine has really mellowed out over the past year.
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3/26/2008 - sosgoodjhu wrote: 93 Points
made by Justin of Saxum, this wine exhibits an exuberant almost perfect nose, and extremely inky in the glass, but quite backward right now with youthful tannins. needs another 3-5 yr of bottle age.
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2/6/2008 - PontetCanet wrote: 90 Points
Enjoyable. Drank over four days and definitely showed better as the week wore on. Fairly simple.
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12/30/2007 - felixman wrote: 92 Points
Balanced with fruits (blackberries) forward. Smooth finish. High alcohol content but well integrated.
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12/1/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 91 Points
very good. blueberry shake. pure fruit in the mouth. a big powerful wine that hide the 16.5% etoh well.
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11/24/2007 - thenapalist wrote: 91 Points
Definitely not a nuanced syrah as the heat showed on not only the nose but also the palate. It was an enjoyable wine with complexity but a bit hot, which detracted from the overall structure and fruit profile. I'll put the others away for another tasting in 2-3 years.
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10/19/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 93 Points
Blackberry and earth. Nice freshness and acidity. Rich, complex finish. Firm tannins. Showing exceptionally well today.
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8/15/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: 91 Points
Blind Night - Kevin's place (Kevin Stoddard's house): Enormous. Big, very pure fruit. Some heat, but surprisingly hidden for a 16+% wine. Quite good, but you can only drink so much of it.
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8/15/2007 - jivey wrote: 87 Points
Kevin BWN - Hugh everything with way to much alcohol.
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8/15/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 92 Points
Boysenberries, blackberries, leather and tobacco. Huge concentration but still with some nice depth. Bright acidity and a long, rich finish. The 16.5% alcohol is noticeable but this wine has the fruit and concentration to back it up. Not for the faint of heart.
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7/29/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 93 Points
100% Syrah. Blueberries, boysenberries, strawberries, leather, pepper and wet stones. Wound up tight as a drum and not showing much at this point. Great acidity and huge concentration. 16.5% alcohol. 300 cases produced. This is the inaugural vintage for Booker Vineyards and was bottled 3 months ago. The winemaker and vineyard owner, Eric Jensen, trained under Justin Smith of Saxum for the past five years. Booker Vineyard also sells fruit to Saxum, L'Aventure, Pax, Linne Calodo and several others. If you like this style of wine, this is definitely a mailing list you will want to be on before Parker rates it.
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