Dark brooding fruits with silky mouth feel. Nose was bursting from the glass. Cork disintegrated trying to open but the wine was magnificent. Purchased on release. Splash decanted.
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This was still alive & kicking. Dark fruits, violets, a touch of licorice. Good medium, silky mouthfeel. Showed some vanilla in the midpalate. Nice supporting acid. Day 2 still alive, showing olive tones mixed in. Probably drinking around peak, but could last a couple more years.
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Great. Brooding & brutish...dark-fruited, touches of dried florals. Evolved over the course of a couple of hours, sometimes showing touches of bitter chocolate & licorice, other times acting a bit more feminine. Fresh acid, present tannins, and plenty of flesh...still has life to go.
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Stood upright for about a week, popped and poured. Dark purple-ruby hue. Seriously pronounced aromatics...like a continually evolving mélange of ripe raspberry, Kalamata olive, menthol, fresh herbs, incense, subtle spices (clove??) and a note of clay-laden minerals. So full of freshness and underlying tension. Medium to medium-plus body. Fresh black raspberry, blackberry, kirsch and most any other dark berry forms the immediate flavor impression. Let this sit and linger a bit longer and you'll also find savory herbaceous flavors which are complimented by notes of dark chocolate and a distinct impression of saline minerals. Tannins show a fine chalkiness on the lengthy, almost endless close. Wonderful now, will age effortlessly for at least another 5+ years. This is about as profound an example of moderately aged CA Syrah that one can hope to find.
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A lot of Wines at Tommy's Clambake (again) (Tommy K's.): I scored this, but it was ever so lightly corked. Hard to detect and certainly worth drinking. The nose has black raspberries and a hint of dark chocolate. Every so often a wisp of tca shows itself. Complex. Great texture. Plenty of juicy black raspberry fruit. It is a delicious wine and we did not dump the bottle. In a great place IMO.
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Popped , left bottle open for 30 min than drank. First with pizza, then just sipped it. Normally don't mention color, but this was an unbelievably dark wine... Powerful nose of dark fruit, plums and pepper which carried to the palate. Dark fruit hit you first, and then a strong pepper/spice on the back end. I even got a bit of smokiness I loved the first glass of this wine. Thought it was just unbelievable. But it was full bodied, full throttle and it was a bit hot. I did not enjoy my second glass nearly as much as the first. Have to say this wine was a tough one to rate, as it was actually was a one glass at a sitting wine for me. First glass might have been a 92 or so, second glass a good deal less...
Mrs. Coupe did not like it at all...thought it too big and too hot for her tastes.
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Plum skin, pink and green peppercorns, black olives, rosemary, and chimney ash. A cool fruit profile. Dense and savory on the palate with a touch of heat on the finish. 87-88 points.
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Deep dark color to it. Dark fruits and game on the nose. Med-Full bodied wine with a really spicy/peppery kick to it at the end. Medium + finish with some good acidity and tannins still there backing up the fruit. Solid wine.
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Tasted over 3 days--good all 3 days. Nose offers up great dark fruit, subtle spices, and deep herbal tones. Dill weed came to mind, among the mix. These are secondary, but consistently present & interesting. In the mouth up front is great silky, pure dark fruits..untouched wild berries that are just plain pretty--silky texture and perfect medium weight. The back end brings in herbs & a peppercorn medley on top of that, and the finish (which showed a bit of white or milk chocolate on day 3) has good length.
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Didn't get the white pepper this time. The wine was... uninspired? Hard to explain, but somewhat hot on the nose, evolving over time into a nice bottle of wine, but nothing that knocked my socks off. Good, but not great?
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Dark purple red colour with a great nose of pepper, dark fruits, black tea and faintly meaty elements that emerge with some time in the decanter. Tightly wound on the palate showing dense black fruits and olives up front, with the flavours changing to espresso, tar and earth on the back end. Good acidity underneath with firm, gritty tannins that soften a little with air, finishing very long.
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decanted for an hour and consumed over the next 3 hours. full bodied inky purple in the glass. nose is blackberries, tar, charcoal and chocolate. on the palate more blackberry, charcoal and espresso. nice acidity and tannins, well structured with a lot of room for improvement. very good
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Shane Finley Visits The OC (The Murray's): My notes from last night are short on this wine, probably indicative of this being the 2nd to last wine served, on the last food course. Persevering, I hung in there...............Meaty, dark and still tight. Black fruits and chocolate. Would have liked to have retasted this wine this morning but I pulled this from my cellar last night for the dinner and this was my last bottle so farewell to any more.
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Two distinct impressions at the same table. Popped cork 4 hrs early, decanted an additional 30 minutes. Wine was very dark purple, and the nose was all about black (and some blue) fruit. I got a ton of white pepper on this (imagine me agreeing with someone named "Tarheel," but others didn't seem to get that as much and described it differently. I thought it was definitely enjoyable and am going to sock away the other bottle for a couple of years.
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Jemrose in New York City: Very reticent nose starts out with a bit of obvious acidity, then subtle and gentle tones of red raspberry, soil, fresh herb stem, good freshness. Obviously less extracted in the mouth, the lithe, transparent character reveals the sligght stemmy tones from stem inclusion and their slightly astringent tannins which remain in balance and accentuate the mineral and earth tones of the wine. The fruit grows slowly and adds a roundness to the mouth and offers up sweet tones of raspberry fruit. A solid, subtle surprise.
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opened this on saturday night and it was way too tight to enjoy. vaccuvined it and put it in the cellar. had a few glasses last night (tuesday night) and it was fantastic! slight blueberry fruit on the nose and it comes through in the mouth but that is not all, oh no..., olives, herbs, leather, earth, silky mouthfeel with medium finish. This is cool climate... love these bennet valley syrahs. very nice job. a lot more olive and herb notes than carlisle BV Syrah but similar density of fruit flavor.
wonderful. bummed this was my only bottle. what was i thinking opening this so early??
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Custom House dinner (Chicago, IL): Double decanted a few hours before drinking. Dark purple-red colour with a great nose showing white pepper, blueberries, dark fruits, some olive and spices. Medium to full bodied on the palate with flavours of blue and black fruits, olives and spices, chewy tannins and a medium length finish.
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nose of fruity candy and PEPPER. Crazy pepper. Palate was very much akin to black tea - very nice. This was decanted for 4 hours, then rebottled, and served about 5 hours later. I think air served it well. Tannin was still present, giving it nice structure. Should be a keeper.
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Tasted over 48 hour period. First impression was with Shane showing the wine to us from new bottle on Thursday afternoon. Wine is 50% whole cluster with 50% new oak. A blend of Clones 174 and Estrella. Ink, leather, dark chocolate, tannin, fresh with medium weight. Then, the bottle sat with just the cork in it until Saturday AM, when we retasted it again at the hotel. Dense and dark fruit, smooth palate with some tannic edges. Nose shows pepper, with big mid palate of dark plum and some chalk. Clearly, the wine picked up weight and intensity with the prolonged rest. Delicious and as good as it was last year from barrel, now more complete. Life ahead of it.
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Huge wine, inky black/purple; licorice, tar, violets and band-aid on the nose; tannic and thick, almost overwhelming in the mouth; really not enjoyable at this very primary stage... hold for at least 2 more years and try again...
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Dark purple-red colour. Slightly restrained nose shows complex but quiet aromas of sweet dark fruits, olives, pepper and spices. The palate is really stunning - this shows tremendous power and intensity with great balance, and mouthcoating flavours of dark fruits, black olives and spices with chewy tannins and a slightly warm finish.
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7/30/2020 - VinoDiver Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark brooding fruits with silky mouth feel. Nose was bursting from the glass. Cork disintegrated trying to open but the wine was magnificent. Purchased on release. Splash decanted.
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9/9/2017 - cobbpa wrote: 91 Points
This was still alive & kicking. Dark fruits, violets, a touch of licorice. Good medium, silky mouthfeel. Showed some vanilla in the midpalate. Nice supporting acid. Day 2 still alive, showing olive tones mixed in. Probably drinking around peak, but could last a couple more years.
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4/13/2016 - cobbpa Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great. Brooding & brutish...dark-fruited, touches of dried florals. Evolved over the course of a couple of hours, sometimes showing touches of bitter chocolate & licorice, other times acting a bit more feminine. Fresh acid, present tannins, and plenty of flesh...still has life to go.
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5/21/2015 - *Vine* wrote:
Stood upright for about a week, popped and poured. Dark purple-ruby hue. Seriously pronounced aromatics...like a continually evolving mélange of ripe raspberry, Kalamata olive, menthol, fresh herbs, incense, subtle spices (clove??) and a note of clay-laden minerals. So full of freshness and underlying tension. Medium to medium-plus body. Fresh black raspberry, blackberry, kirsch and most any other dark berry forms the immediate flavor impression. Let this sit and linger a bit longer and you'll also find savory herbaceous flavors which are complimented by notes of dark chocolate and a distinct impression of saline minerals. Tannins show a fine chalkiness on the lengthy, almost endless close. Wonderful now, will age effortlessly for at least another 5+ years.
This is about as profound an example of moderately aged CA Syrah that one can hope to find.
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9/28/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
A lot of Wines at Tommy's Clambake (again) (Tommy K's.): I scored this, but it was ever so lightly corked. Hard to detect and certainly worth drinking. The nose has black raspberries and a hint of dark chocolate. Every so often a wisp of tca shows itself. Complex. Great texture. Plenty of juicy black raspberry fruit. It is a delicious wine and we did not dump the bottle. In a great place IMO.
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3/18/2012 - Frank Murray III wrote: flawed
Damn TCA. I know Shane didn't make much of this and this came from a friend's cellar so not sure I'll get to try it again.
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2/26/2012 - Vertical wrote: 92 Points
Pleasant, but medicinal and dark fruit nose. Deep juniper, underbrush, bramble on the pallet...very very interesting.
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9/18/2011 - Coupe 60 wrote:
Popped , left bottle open for 30 min than drank. First with pizza, then just sipped it. Normally don't mention color, but this was an unbelievably dark wine... Powerful nose of dark fruit, plums and pepper which carried to the palate. Dark fruit hit you first, and then a strong pepper/spice on the back end. I even got a bit of smokiness I loved the first glass of this wine. Thought it was just unbelievable. But it was full bodied, full throttle and it was a bit hot. I did not enjoy my second glass nearly as much as the first. Have to say this wine was a tough one to rate, as it was actually was a one glass at a sitting wine for me. First glass might have been a 92 or so, second glass a good deal less...
Mrs. Coupe did not like it at all...thought it too big and too hot for her tastes.
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9/10/2011 - Paul Lin wrote: 87 Points
Plum skin, pink and green peppercorns, black olives, rosemary, and chimney ash. A cool fruit profile. Dense and savory on the palate with a touch of heat on the finish. 87-88 points.
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12/25/2010 - yonster24 wrote:
Deep dark color to it. Dark fruits and game on the nose. Med-Full bodied wine with a really spicy/peppery kick to it at the end. Medium + finish with some good acidity and tannins still there backing up the fruit. Solid wine.
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8/9/2010 - alanr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Shane wine dinner, June 2010 (Lavanda Restaurant, Palo Alto): Deep, dark, blackberry fruit, brooding, medium tannins, needs time, but tons of stuffing here.
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4/17/2010 - cobbpa Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted over 3 days--good all 3 days. Nose offers up great dark fruit, subtle spices, and deep herbal tones. Dill weed came to mind, among the mix. These are secondary, but consistently present & interesting. In the mouth up front is great silky, pure dark fruits..untouched wild berries that are just plain pretty--silky texture and perfect medium weight. The back end brings in herbs & a peppercorn medley on top of that, and the finish (which showed a bit of white or milk chocolate on day 3) has good length.
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11/16/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Pepper, pure and deep flavor. A long and spicy finish with dark chocolate. I believe Jim M said this is 50 new wood, 50 whole cluster.
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11/14/2009 - blondon wrote:
Rhone Dinner at Frank Murray's with Jim & Gloria Mack: Meaty, roasted plum, tar, very peppery finish. More weight than the Carlisle, not as elegant.
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10/24/2009 - deltacop wrote: 89 Points
I should have read budman's note first. He's right good wine , not ready. needs a good two years.
enjoy!
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9/1/2009 - budman wrote: 90 Points
Good stuff. Needs more time!!!
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6/6/2009 - DukeDrew wrote: 89 Points
Didn't get the white pepper this time. The wine was... uninspired? Hard to explain, but somewhat hot on the nose, evolving over time into a nice bottle of wine, but nothing that knocked my socks off. Good, but not great?
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5/10/2009 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple red colour with a great nose of pepper, dark fruits, black tea and faintly meaty elements that emerge with some time in the decanter. Tightly wound on the palate showing dense black fruits and olives up front, with the flavours changing to espresso, tar and earth on the back end. Good acidity underneath with firm, gritty tannins that soften a little with air, finishing very long.
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2/7/2009 - dky wrote: 91 Points
decanted for an hour and consumed over the next 3 hours. full bodied inky purple in the glass. nose is blackberries, tar, charcoal and chocolate. on the palate more blackberry, charcoal and espresso. nice acidity and tannins, well structured with a lot of room for improvement. very good
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2/3/2009 - goofy Yno wrote: 87 Points
blackberry nose, big tight mouth with a touch of heat, core of fruit with some minerality around it and a touch of bitterness on the finish.
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12/13/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 87 Points
Shane Finley Comes to the OC (Casa Murray - San Juan Capistrano, CA): Notes of blackberry, pomegranate, red currants, white pepper, and crushed minerals. Racy acidity and a tad astringent.
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12/13/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Shane Finley Visits The OC (The Murray's): My notes from last night are short on this wine, probably indicative of this being the 2nd to last wine served, on the last food course. Persevering, I hung in there...............Meaty, dark and still tight. Black fruits and chocolate. Would have liked to have retasted this wine this morning but I pulled this from my cellar last night for the dinner and this was my last bottle so farewell to any more.
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11/15/2008 - DukeDrew wrote: 91 Points
Two distinct impressions at the same table. Popped cork 4 hrs early, decanted an additional 30 minutes. Wine was very dark purple, and the nose was all about black (and some blue) fruit. I got a ton of white pepper on this (imagine me agreeing with someone named "Tarheel," but others didn't seem to get that as much and described it differently. I thought it was definitely enjoyable and am going to sock away the other bottle for a couple of years.
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9/3/2008 - Gregory Dal Piaz wrote: 90 Points
Jemrose in New York City: Very reticent nose starts out with a bit of obvious acidity, then subtle and gentle tones of red raspberry, soil, fresh herb stem, good freshness. Obviously less extracted in the mouth, the lithe, transparent character reveals the sligght stemmy tones from stem inclusion and their slightly astringent tannins which remain in balance and accentuate the mineral and earth tones of the wine. The fruit grows slowly and adds a roundness to the mouth and offers up sweet tones of raspberry fruit. A solid, subtle surprise.
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8/26/2008 - AlexRed wrote: 92 Points
opened this on saturday night and it was way too tight to enjoy. vaccuvined it and put it in the cellar. had a few glasses last night (tuesday night) and it was fantastic!
slight blueberry fruit on the nose and it comes through in the mouth but that is not all, oh no..., olives, herbs, leather, earth, silky mouthfeel with medium finish.
This is cool climate... love these bennet valley syrahs. very nice job. a lot more olive and herb notes than carlisle BV Syrah but similar density of fruit flavor.
wonderful. bummed this was my only bottle. what was i thinking opening this so early??
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6/14/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 88 Points
Falltacular 2008 (San Juan Capistrano, CA): Has the character of a cool-climate Syrah with notes of plum skin, peppercorns, and hard spices. 87-88 points.
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5/12/2008 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Custom House dinner (Chicago, IL): Double decanted a few hours before drinking. Dark purple-red colour with a great nose showing white pepper, blueberries, dark fruits, some olive and spices. Medium to full bodied on the palate with flavours of blue and black fruits, olives and spices, chewy tannins and a medium length finish.
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5/11/2008 - tarheel17 wrote:
nose of fruity candy and PEPPER. Crazy pepper. Palate was very much akin to black tea - very nice. This was decanted for 4 hours, then rebottled, and served about 5 hours later. I think air served it well. Tannin was still present, giving it nice structure. Should be a keeper.
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4/7/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Tasted over 48 hour period. First impression was with Shane showing the wine to us from new bottle on Thursday afternoon. Wine is 50% whole cluster with 50% new oak. A blend of Clones 174 and Estrella. Ink, leather, dark chocolate, tannin, fresh with medium weight. Then, the bottle sat with just the cork in it until Saturday AM, when we retasted it again at the hotel. Dense and dark fruit, smooth palate with some tannic edges. Nose shows pepper, with big mid palate of dark plum and some chalk. Clearly, the wine picked up weight and intensity with the prolonged rest. Delicious and as good as it was last year from barrel, now more complete. Life ahead of it.
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3/24/2008 - randomly wrote:
Huge wine, inky black/purple; licorice, tar, violets and band-aid on the nose; tannic and thick, almost overwhelming in the mouth; really not enjoyable at this very primary stage... hold for at least 2 more years and try again...
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3/18/2008 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple-red colour. Slightly restrained nose shows complex but quiet aromas of sweet dark fruits, olives, pepper and spices. The palate is really stunning - this shows tremendous power and intensity with great balance, and mouthcoating flavours of dark fruits, black olives and spices with chewy tannins and a slightly warm finish.
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