Last sips on the third day. Medium purple-fading at the edges. Nose has dulled since opening, and is now left with some raisiny fruit and a hint of chocolate. Purple fruits on the palate with balanced tannin and acidity--more fruit yesterday and even more on opening. The finish is moderately sweet, pleasing of the sides of the tongue, and is quite long.
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My last of 4 bottles that I bought in 2009, and have not drank one since 2011. So, sentimental memory here with a winery that helped me cut my path early on into CA syrah. I still have on 2008 Rosella's left, and suspect that wine will be better for my palate these days, given the vintage. As to this 2007, I opened it about an hour ago. Dark, but not opaque. Purple dried flower, what I sometimes call potpourri in my syrah notes, as well as a hint of smoke and pepper, but these are minor aromatic players. The fruit here carries with it what I would expect from Garys', showing a peppered jerky, with a mix of red and black fruit that has some sweet edges to it, medium plus weight. Finishes with licorice, sweet leather, tar with a syrah funk note and some acid to freshen all the parts. Alcohol? Listd at 15.4% and while this initially did not show, with a few hours of air, the heat does come out, mainly in the aromatic and also consumption. Drink window? With a little air, ths sofetened fine, and so I think the wine is ready to go.
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Almost two years later, and this wine is wonderfully in balance. Definitely one of the better Syrahs I have probably ever had. Great fruit of blackberries and cassis, with perfumed floral aromas still shining through. The tannins are comfortably resolved, though still firm enough to indicate this could have gone longer in the cellar. Sad it is my last one.
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Pretty well consistent with my note from June 2010. Stems, garrigue, graphite, cooked meat, citrus, black cherry. Lots of verve and rusticity, along with some heft but a wine with good energy. Can rest another 2 years, I bet and drink well through 2015.
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Last bottle was around XMAS 2009 so another six months of bottle age. Recognizing this to be a 2007, I expected it to be larger framed, plush and more dark than the 2005 Roar Rosella's I drank a few weeks back and this Garys' is all of what I expected. Listed alcohol 15.4%. The aromatics at this point are largely dominated by both metal shavings and stems, and I am fairly certain that Ed Kurtzman has the whole cluster on this wine dialed up a fair amount so that makes sense aromatically. Add some sage, brush and a litle bit of heat to that mix, too. The palate drinks plush, with lots of charcoal, black cherry, tar, sage and plush blue and black fruit, with a finishing mix of citrusy acid, teriyaki, sage and tarry funk. I believe Ed is getting this wine to be more complex, more rugged in quality as the vintages move forward, as evidenced by this bottle. I won't mistake this for french, as the fruit and palate weight say more about CA syrah then Cote Rotie but I do like this wine, as I often do with the Roars, as it satisfies my desire for some rustic notes with the mix of CA fruit.....and with 24 hours of bottle time and while watching Game 7 of the Lakers/Celt game, this wine is fleshed out. Ed did a nice job with this wine as it shows the range of pepper, teriyaki, plum, char and good acidity and tension. I think this wine will be best in 2011 when the fruit and tannin curves intersect at their prime points and the wine is in its prime window.
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Popped and poured. A bit of a sulfurous odor that blew off after several minutes. Then, the aromas really started to evolve - initially dark berry, coffee and pepper, which merged into sweeter spice and cola notes later. Full palate, moderately complex flavors of blackberry, forest floor, spice, mocha and vanilla. Moderately long finish. Would give this some aeration next time for best showing.
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Inky and thick; made my teeth stick together just a little. Beautiful floral and sage notes on the nose. Blackberry, forest floor, white pepper and oak on the palate. This wine is singing. Tannins still have a little bite, but not too mouth puckering. The finish is exquisite and long. It goes down much easier than you would expect for 15.4% alc. Glad I have another bottle to hold on to for a while.
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Dense, velvety, peppery syrah. Nice tannins and heat is not overpowering. Better on day 2 and best on day 3. Had to leave it with a couple fo glasses left-- bummer
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This is a big and thick wine with loads of sweet fruit. It is exhibiting really nice ballance now. Finish is just average. I suspect that it is the kind of wine that is great in its youth, and is likely to be near its peak. It is great now and there is no reason to even attempt to keep for any time.
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Drinking from a bottle open overnight. A different expression for Garys', and I can see Ed's hand in this bottling. More tobacco, iron, a hint of new wood, and no alcohol evident (listed @ 15.4%). Black fruit, showing a crushed earthy element to it. More restrained than the 2006 and 2005, the 2007 is really balanced and with enough depth and dark notes, it shows very well. Age another year, drink through 2013.
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There is lots going on with this wine: chocolate, cherry, a hint of pepper, smoke, currant and a touch of tar. Sits very even on the palate and balanced throughout. The finish still shows signs of being young, but expected of course, as I am drinking it as a youngin'. FCMIII would be proud. This is drinking so well right now that it is hard to say don't open one and try it, but discipline is the key as it will be mind blowing to see where this wine goes over the years to come.
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The nose had black currant and cherry, pepper, tar, smoke, cake spice, and a touch of vanilla and flowers. The palate was soft and juicy, and had pepper, tar, cherry, black currant, spice, and a very nice oak and floral finish.
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Dark chocolate brownie with black cherry veins. Near-perfect weight on a touchable, penetrable shape. Complex nuances of smoke, carpaccio, ash, and flowers. 94-95.
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12/25/2014 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
In good form. A good time to be drinking these. Our syrah-loving host Natasha was quite pleased!
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2/20/2014 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful blackberry aromas with rich dark berry, pepper and oak flavors on a rich palate with tasty tannins on a delicious finish
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12/25/2013 - jbro wrote: 92 Points
Last sips on the third day. Medium purple-fading at the edges. Nose has dulled since opening, and is now left with some raisiny fruit and a hint of chocolate. Purple fruits on the palate with balanced tannin and acidity--more fruit yesterday and even more on opening. The finish is moderately sweet, pleasing of the sides of the tongue, and is quite long.
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12/7/2013 - Frank Murray III wrote:
My last of 4 bottles that I bought in 2009, and have not drank one since 2011. So, sentimental memory here with a winery that helped me cut my path early on into CA syrah. I still have on 2008 Rosella's left, and suspect that wine will be better for my palate these days, given the vintage. As to this 2007, I opened it about an hour ago. Dark, but not opaque. Purple dried flower, what I sometimes call potpourri in my syrah notes, as well as a hint of smoke and pepper, but these are minor aromatic players. The fruit here carries with it what I would expect from Garys', showing a peppered jerky, with a mix of red and black fruit that has some sweet edges to it, medium plus weight. Finishes with licorice, sweet leather, tar with a syrah funk note and some acid to freshen all the parts. Alcohol? Listd at 15.4% and while this initially did not show, with a few hours of air, the heat does come out, mainly in the aromatic and also consumption. Drink window? With a little air, ths sofetened fine, and so I think the wine is ready to go.
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3/31/2012 - brianngibson wrote: 95 Points
Almost two years later, and this wine is wonderfully in balance. Definitely one of the better Syrahs I have probably ever had. Great fruit of blackberries and cassis, with perfumed floral aromas still shining through. The tannins are comfortably resolved, though still firm enough to indicate this could have gone longer in the cellar. Sad it is my last one.
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5/9/2011 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Pretty well consistent with my note from June 2010. Stems, garrigue, graphite, cooked meat, citrus, black cherry. Lots of verve and rusticity, along with some heft but a wine with good energy. Can rest another 2 years, I bet and drink well through 2015.
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8/8/2010 - norsktorsk wrote: 92 Points
great
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7/12/2010 - norsktorsk wrote: 93 Points
Killer with lamb.
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6/16/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Last bottle was around XMAS 2009 so another six months of bottle age. Recognizing this to be a 2007, I expected it to be larger framed, plush and more dark than the 2005 Roar Rosella's I drank a few weeks back and this Garys' is all of what I expected. Listed alcohol 15.4%. The aromatics at this point are largely dominated by both metal shavings and stems, and I am fairly certain that Ed Kurtzman has the whole cluster on this wine dialed up a fair amount so that makes sense aromatically. Add some sage, brush and a litle bit of heat to that mix, too. The palate drinks plush, with lots of charcoal, black cherry, tar, sage and plush blue and black fruit, with a finishing mix of citrusy acid, teriyaki, sage and tarry funk. I believe Ed is getting this wine to be more complex, more rugged in quality as the vintages move forward, as evidenced by this bottle. I won't mistake this for french, as the fruit and palate weight say more about CA syrah then Cote Rotie but I do like this wine, as I often do with the Roars, as it satisfies my desire for some rustic notes with the mix of CA fruit.....and with 24 hours of bottle time and while watching Game 7 of the Lakers/Celt game, this wine is fleshed out. Ed did a nice job with this wine as it shows the range of pepper, teriyaki, plum, char and good acidity and tension. I think this wine will be best in 2011 when the fruit and tannin curves intersect at their prime points and the wine is in its prime window.
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5/20/2010 - inkana wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. A bit of a sulfurous odor that blew off after several minutes. Then, the aromas really started to evolve - initially dark berry, coffee and pepper, which merged into sweeter spice and cola notes later. Full palate, moderately complex flavors of blackberry, forest floor, spice, mocha and vanilla. Moderately long finish. Would give this some aeration next time for best showing.
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4/26/2010 - brianngibson wrote: 94 Points
Inky and thick; made my teeth stick together just a little. Beautiful floral and sage notes on the nose. Blackberry, forest floor, white pepper and oak on the palate. This wine is singing. Tannins still have a little bite, but not too mouth puckering. The finish is exquisite and long. It goes down much easier than you would expect for 15.4% alc. Glad I have another bottle to hold on to for a while.
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3/19/2010 - kennyg wrote: 93 Points
Dense, velvety, peppery syrah. Nice tannins and heat is not overpowering. Better on day 2 and best on day 3. Had to leave it with a couple fo glasses left-- bummer
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1/9/2010 - geneswine wrote: 94 Points
This is a big and thick wine with loads of sweet fruit. It is exhibiting really nice ballance now. Finish is just average. I suspect that it is the kind of wine that is great in its youth, and is likely to be near its peak. It is great now and there is no reason to even attempt to keep for any time.
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12/12/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Drinking from a bottle open overnight. A different expression for Garys', and I can see Ed's hand in this bottling. More tobacco, iron, a hint of new wood, and no alcohol evident (listed @ 15.4%). Black fruit, showing a crushed earthy element to it. More restrained than the 2006 and 2005, the 2007 is really balanced and with enough depth and dark notes, it shows very well. Age another year, drink through 2013.
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12/11/2009 - SPK wrote:
There is lots going on with this wine: chocolate, cherry, a hint of pepper, smoke, currant and a touch of tar. Sits very even on the palate and balanced throughout. The finish still shows signs of being young, but expected of course, as I am drinking it as a youngin'. FCMIII would be proud. This is drinking so well right now that it is hard to say don't open one and try it, but discipline is the key as it will be mind blowing to see where this wine goes over the years to come.
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12/7/2009 - mmurry wrote: 93 Points
The nose had black currant and cherry, pepper, tar, smoke, cake spice, and a touch of vanilla and flowers. The palate was soft and juicy, and had pepper, tar, cherry, black currant, spice, and a very nice oak and floral finish.
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11/26/2009 - kennyg wrote: 92 Points
Very inky and super concentrated. Complex peppery Syrah. Benefited from long decant and significant aeration. Lovely drink alone wine
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11/24/2009 - Rollerball wrote: 94 Points
Dark chocolate brownie with black cherry veins. Near-perfect weight on a touchable, penetrable shape. Complex nuances of smoke, carpaccio, ash, and flowers. 94-95.
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