Gareth's N Rhone vs SA Syrah; 6/3/2023-6/4/2023 (La Cabotte): Popped and poured as backup to a corked wine. Nose - started off aggressive and funky but soon shook it off. On the palate - somewhat screeching intensity that I found bracing but I understand others do not. I really enjoyed this.
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Syrah Battle: Northern Rhone vs South Africa (Cabotte): Opened as a back-up, and initial impressions were mixed, this wine being on the funky side (and a total contrast to the sleek Mullineux it was paired with). That said, this wine ended up also showing very well once it had settled down, the funk becoming smoky and more seductive, and the high-acid palate becoming juicy and full and developing a tempting flavour of red boiled sweets. Due to the acidity and red fruit this wine was superb with the duck and beetroot dish, too.
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Still young looking for 14 years, ruby with a purple tinge to it, no real bricking around the hue. Powerful, concentrated black and blue fruit driven nose upon opening. Heavily over extracted and raised though, huge wine for 13%, very deceiving. Fruit starts to fade after 3 hrs in the decanter, losing any charm it once may of had. No longer my style, drink up before the fruit fades.
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The nose was big. Meaty with rocks, dark fruit and a little flower. Tasting it, we had mixed views. Sour dark cherry tart and felt big despite its 13%. It seemed to collapse in the decanter despite making us think it needed 6 hrs. It was an overwhelming disappointment. The 2010 showing so much better. I cant see the wine improving and i would drink after a short decant. The tart sour line dominated and it was not giving me that Cornas structure or flavour. Poor.
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This opens up promising with notes of dark olives, iodine, beef broth. It has a wild, animal side, something I often associate with Cornas. Exciting! With air though, the acidity become more pronounced, there are green notes popping up. This is very lean as well. Not sure about this. Maybe JLL is right about this starting to decline already after a few years. Luckily, I only have 29 bottles left.
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I was hoping in vain that time would have mellowed the acids but no it is still as tart as can be! A good dose of brett added to the acids makes this a challenging wine for me to appreciate. Maybe it needs another decade to mellow out....
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The nose is clean. The aromas have a medium intensity and show notes of bottle-age (meaty character), black fruit (black plum, black cherry), and mineral (earthy character). The wine is developing.
On the palate, the wine is dry with medium acidity, medium alcohol, and medium body. The medium level tannins are ripe and velvety in nature. The flavours have a medium intensity and show notes of black fruit (black cherry, black plum), oak (wood), and mineral (earthy character). The finish has a medium(+) length, showing additional notes of dried fruit (raisin) and a vegetal character (black olive).
This is a very good quality wine. The flavours are concentrated and have a great balance with the acidity and the alcohol. The tannins have a great balance with the acidity. The oak treatment is well-integrated, with the wood note complementing the meaty and earthy characters. In its current state, the wine shows primary, secondary, and tertiary characters. The finish has great length, with additional flavours showing that did not appear on the nose or palate.
The wine drinks well now, but has potential for further ageing. The fruit intensity is great, and the tannin and acid structure should support the wine as tertiary notes continue to develop.
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After 2 hours green and black peppercorns, earth, leather, quite confected brambly fruit. Green and black peppercorns, jubey fruit though savoury on the palate. Lovely."
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Coravin fun - Cornas and Leeuwin Estate (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Pretty berry & cherry, slightly dusty spice with peppery undertones. A little leather and earth. Juicy tending to sourness on the palate over that pretty fruit, some spice and silky tannins.
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Taste: Full bodied with medium/high acidity and medium/high tannins. The tannins are silky and fine grained with black cherries, Violets, black pepper, tobacco note, and animale tones.
Overall: This needed two hours to open, but, it's absolutely gorgeous now. Quite frankly, I don't see much reason to age it further, but, that's not to say it won't last for a long time.
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Didn't like this as much, compared with 5 years ago. It still has lots of smoked meat and savory flavours, but the fruit was lacking and the finish has too much green pepperness to it. Otherwise it was quite smooth and elegant.
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I had heard this could be a bretty mess, but didn't any brett. Rather, a rubbery/meaty/reduction aftertaste thing (kind of like synthetic bresaola) that I sometimes get with "natural" wines.
Ahead of this funk was nice fruit and a good earth component, but not enough to save it.
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Really intoxicating nose of game, iron, rocks, herb and deep dark berries, palate is quite smooth overall, while the tannins makes themselves known towards the finish it's harmonious from the fruit on the attack to the lingering smoked meaty finish
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Pacquiao vs. Mayweather Blind Tasting $60+ (Roswell, GA): Mine; deep dull purple, opaque core, lots of cloudiness- not very attractive; nose is unmistakably N. Rhone, smoked meat, plum, berry, violets, lots of purple, leather, olive and strong black pepper; an elegance to the layered palate, an old-school feel, tannins and structure were in check though not absent; I feel this is starting to drink really well; everyone thought this was Cote Rotie.
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Weekly tasting group #165; Rhône (@ RW): In the bouquet minerals, chocolate, bacon, black olives and herbs and spices. On the palate a lot of minerals as well, firm acidity and sticky tannin. Clearly Northern Rhone Syrah and special. Very early maturity now. Will improve with some more ageing. Around 2019? 90 – 92 for now.
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Can't rate this, as it was too controversial. Some in the group thought this was outstanding, others thought the bottle was corked. Wonderful flavors, complexity; but to me it takes the front "bite" of Cornas a bit over the edge, almost to a sourness. I think this needs to be paired with big food, definitely not a wallflower.
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One of the most unique noses I have had on a cornas! meat, perfume, black cherry and herbal undertones. On the palate the meaty characteristic denominated with some mild dark fruit and rocks. Smoky meat finished that lasts quite bait tannins still have quite a grip will love to see this develop further
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I'm still new to Cornas, but this was not to my taste. Very acidic on first opening, with a strong finish that actually started to turn on the palette as the night wore on. I'm hoping either this was an off bottle or thar will mellow over time. But the 09 was far more pleasing (while still complex).
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Right after opening, this wine is very full bodied but maintains an almost aristocratic elegance, made of pepper, ripe tannins and smoke and sandalwood. After some time in the glass, the acidity and tannins become much more prominent, hinting at a long life and lots of further potential. Very peculiar aftertaste that i can't quite describe. "Smokey"?
Not for the faint hearted, big but still infinitely more classy than most OZ shiraz. If you've got a bunch, open one now and taste for your self then forget about the rest for a while
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Seems more ready to drink than the Granit 60 but very similar in profile. Some sediments already. Bloody meat, smokey bacon and very savory tones surrounded by lush red fruit, perhaps a bit smoother and polished. Round and sweet tannins, with good acidity on the finish ... waiting a few more years should be well rewarded.
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Pop and pour last night. Notes from memory lacking detail. Beautiful nose and color. Dark fruit mid with nice long finish. Very very good. Drink now. Wouldn't wait more than a year or two IMO.
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Very nice nose of bacon fat, graphite, blueberries, blackberries, and smoke. Very aromatic. On taste good balance with a combination of cranberry, blueberry, blackberry, and bacon. A mineral and salty finish. Tannins very smooth and velvety. Very nice.
As it further opened up notes of sandalwood and pepper as well. Tannins become somewhat more obvious. It becomes more complex with mineral overtones dominating.
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6/4/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Gareth's N Rhone vs SA Syrah; 6/3/2023-6/4/2023 (La Cabotte): Popped and poured as backup to a corked wine. Nose - started off aggressive and funky but soon shook it off. On the palate - somewhat screeching intensity that I found bracing but I understand others do not. I really enjoyed this.
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6/1/2023 - NickA Likes this wine: 93 Points
Syrah Battle: Northern Rhone vs South Africa (Cabotte): Opened as a back-up, and initial impressions were mixed, this wine being on the funky side (and a total contrast to the sleek Mullineux it was paired with). That said, this wine ended up also showing very well once it had settled down, the funk becoming smoky and more seductive, and the high-acid palate becoming juicy and full and developing a tempting flavour of red boiled sweets. Due to the acidity and red fruit this wine was superb with the duck and beetroot dish, too.
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3/27/2021 - red.red.vino Does not like this wine:
Still young looking for 14 years, ruby with a purple tinge to it, no real bricking around the hue. Powerful, concentrated black and blue fruit driven nose upon opening. Heavily over extracted and raised though, huge wine for 13%, very deceiving. Fruit starts to fade after 3 hrs in the decanter, losing any charm it once may of had. No longer my style, drink up before the fruit fades.
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3/27/2021 - Redwineobsessed Does not like this wine: 80 Points
The nose was big. Meaty with rocks, dark fruit and a little flower. Tasting it, we had mixed views. Sour dark cherry tart and felt big despite its 13%. It seemed to collapse in the decanter despite making us think it needed 6 hrs. It was an overwhelming disappointment. The 2010 showing so much better. I cant see the wine improving and i would drink after a short decant. The tart sour line dominated and it was not giving me that Cornas structure or flavour. Poor.
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10/29/2020 - JGinMO wrote: 80 Points
Unfortunately I'm throwing in the towel on this one. 3rd bottle over 7 or 8 years, just too acidic/tart. Not my style.
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8/16/2020 - pbaek wrote:
This opens up promising with notes of dark olives, iodine, beef broth. It has a wild, animal side, something I often associate with Cornas. Exciting! With air though, the acidity become more pronounced, there are green notes popping up. This is very lean as well. Not sure about this. Maybe JLL is right about this starting to decline already after a few years. Luckily, I only have 29 bottles left.
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4/10/2019 - Capt Cutlass Does not like this wine: 84 Points
I was hoping in vain that time would have mellowed the acids but no it is still as tart as can be! A good dose of brett added to the acids makes this a challenging wine for me to appreciate. Maybe it needs another decade to mellow out....
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10/28/2018 - CBRwineguy wrote:
Cornas lunch (Macleay Street Bistro, Potts Point): The appearance is clear and deep ruby in colour. Tears and sediment are visible.
The nose is clean. The aromas have a medium intensity and show notes of bottle-age (meaty character), black fruit (black plum, black cherry), and mineral (earthy character). The wine is developing.
On the palate, the wine is dry with medium acidity, medium alcohol, and medium body. The medium level tannins are ripe and velvety in nature. The flavours have a medium intensity and show notes of black fruit (black cherry, black plum), oak (wood), and mineral (earthy character). The finish has a medium(+) length, showing additional notes of dried fruit (raisin) and a vegetal character (black olive).
This is a very good quality wine. The flavours are concentrated and have a great balance with the acidity and the alcohol. The tannins have a great balance with the acidity. The oak treatment is well-integrated, with the wood note complementing the meaty and earthy characters. In its current state, the wine shows primary, secondary, and tertiary characters. The finish has great length, with additional flavours showing that did not appear on the nose or palate.
The wine drinks well now, but has potential for further ageing. The fruit intensity is great, and the tannin and acid structure should support the wine as tertiary notes continue to develop.
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10/28/2018 - chatters wrote:
Cornas Birthday lunch (McLeay Street Bistro, Potts Point): "jubey, slightly sour smelling fruit, leather, stalks bonfire. Sourly juicy, grippy, gritty tannins. Hmm
After 2 hours green and black peppercorns, earth, leather, quite confected brambly fruit. Green and black peppercorns, jubey fruit though savoury on the palate. Lovely."
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5/1/2018 - rottcodd wrote: 91 Points
Needed an hour or two to breathe before drinking at its best.
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4/16/2018 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Cornas and Leeuwin Estate (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Pretty berry & cherry, slightly dusty spice with peppery undertones. A little leather and earth. Juicy tending to sourness on the palate over that pretty fruit, some spice and silky tannins.
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3/24/2017 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Weekend in the UP; 3/24/2017-3/25/2017 (Iron Mountain, Michigan): Nose: The nose is wide open after two hours with a classic backdrop of black cherries, animale, rawhide leather, black pepper, black raspberry, earth, and tobacco tones.
Taste: Full bodied with medium/high acidity and medium/high tannins. The tannins are silky and fine grained with black cherries, Violets, black pepper, tobacco note, and animale tones.
Overall: This needed two hours to open, but, it's absolutely gorgeous now. Quite frankly, I don't see much reason to age it further, but, that's not to say it won't last for a long time.
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1/18/2017 - Hazeo wrote: 87 Points
Didn't like this as much, compared with 5 years ago. It still has lots of smoked meat and savory flavours, but the fruit was lacking and the finish has too much green pepperness to it. Otherwise it was quite smooth and elegant.
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4/15/2016 - geeky? not sure wrote:
I had heard this could be a bretty mess, but didn't any brett. Rather, a rubbery/meaty/reduction aftertaste thing (kind of like synthetic bresaola) that I sometimes get with "natural" wines.
Ahead of this funk was nice fruit and a good earth component, but not enough to save it.
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10/17/2015 - nsellen wrote:
Bloody fantastic nose. Body can't back it up though. Unbalanced and too edgy to eulogise.
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10/9/2015 - eoinhharkins Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really intoxicating nose of game, iron, rocks, herb and deep dark berries, palate is quite smooth overall, while the tannins makes themselves known towards the finish it's harmonious from the fruit on the attack to the lingering smoked meaty finish
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5/2/2015 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pacquiao vs. Mayweather Blind Tasting $60+ (Roswell, GA): Mine; deep dull purple, opaque core, lots of cloudiness- not very attractive; nose is unmistakably N. Rhone, smoked meat, plum, berry, violets, lots of purple, leather, olive and strong black pepper; an elegance to the layered palate, an old-school feel, tannins and structure were in check though not absent; I feel this is starting to drink really well; everyone thought this was Cote Rotie.
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4/27/2015 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Weekly tasting group #165; Rhône (@ RW): In the bouquet minerals, chocolate, bacon, black olives and herbs and spices. On the palate a lot of minerals as well, firm acidity and sticky tannin. Clearly Northern Rhone Syrah and special. Very early maturity now. Will improve with some more ageing. Around 2019? 90 – 92 for now.
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1/24/2015 - Jimskiw wrote: 92 Points
Perfect wine for Burns night haggis
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1/19/2015 - ashegedyn wrote:
Nose very nice graphite, lavendar, and olives. On taste still very primary but well balanced with good smokey fruit and a nice long finish.
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12/27/2014 - yenda Likes this wine: 93 Points
plenty of garrique, nice wine, drink really well
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7/23/2014 - JGinMO wrote:
Can't rate this, as it was too controversial. Some in the group thought this was outstanding, others thought the bottle was corked. Wonderful flavors, complexity; but to me it takes the front "bite" of Cornas a bit over the edge, almost to a sourness. I think this needs to be paired with big food, definitely not a wallflower.
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5/23/2013 - eoinhharkins Likes this wine: 93 Points
One of the most unique noses I have had on a cornas! meat, perfume, black cherry and herbal undertones. On the palate the meaty characteristic denominated with some mild dark fruit and rocks. Smoky meat finished that lasts quite bait tannins still have quite a grip will love to see this develop further
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11/14/2012 - JGinMO wrote: 88 Points
I'm still new to Cornas, but this was not to my taste. Very acidic on first opening, with a strong finish that actually started to turn on the palette as the night wore on. I'm hoping either this was an off bottle or thar will mellow over time. But the 09 was far more pleasing (while still complex).
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2/15/2012 - don_quichotte wrote: 92 Points
Right after opening, this wine is very full bodied but maintains an almost aristocratic elegance, made of pepper, ripe tannins and smoke and sandalwood. After some time in the glass, the acidity and tannins become much more prominent, hinting at a long life and lots of further potential. Very peculiar aftertaste that i can't quite describe. "Smokey"?
Not for the faint hearted, big but still infinitely more classy than most OZ shiraz. If you've got a bunch, open one now and taste for your self then forget about the rest for a while
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8/7/2011 - Hazeo wrote: 92 Points
Seems more ready to drink than the Granit 60 but very similar in profile. Some sediments already. Bloody meat, smokey bacon and very savory tones surrounded by lush red fruit, perhaps a bit smoother and polished. Round and sweet tannins, with good acidity on the finish ... waiting a few more years should be well rewarded.
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7/17/2011 - markbp wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour last night. Notes from memory lacking detail. Beautiful nose and color. Dark fruit mid with nice long finish. Very very good. Drink now. Wouldn't wait more than a year or two IMO.
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2/20/2011 - ashegedyn wrote: 92 Points
Very nice nose of bacon fat, graphite, blueberries, blackberries, and smoke. Very aromatic. On taste good balance with a combination of cranberry, blueberry, blackberry, and bacon. A mineral and salty finish. Tannins very smooth and velvety. Very nice.
As it further opened up notes of sandalwood and pepper as well. Tannins become somewhat more obvious. It becomes more complex with mineral overtones dominating.
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2/20/2010 - zscheiner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose: blood and iron. Palate: dark fruit and heavy tannins, long meaty/smoky finish. Fascinating.
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