I’ve reviewed this wine on four past occasions with scores ranging from 92 to 95. I’m sure the variability is in my mood rather than bottle variation. Today, this wine tastes a touch overripe and over-oaked, though the wine’s complexity and density are excellent and its flavor profile is mostly agreeable.
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This wine is drinking beautifully, presenting a balanced and complex profile of dried fruits, smoked meat, caramel, and black tea, with perfect tannic framing. The finish is so long. I couldn’t deny it the 95. Everything is right, and it is powerful too.
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Tasted blind: There is a lot going on: BBQ smoke, prunes, blueberries, potting soil. Lots of oak. Thick and mouth coating, reminiscent of dark chocolate in mouthfeel. Yet acidic balance is not bad at all, so the wine is fairly lively. Tannins are large. This tastes like a big Zinfandel that is at peak. Rating: 94.
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Very complex. Dark fruit, smoked meat, floral, mineral, leather, pepper. The main weakness in my mind is that acidity is too low, so it tastes a little flabby.
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Black and red cherry with spice that is nearly perfumed and hints of roasted meat and olive tapenade. Overall very elegant and wonderfully balanced with good enough weight. A very rare Cali Syrah that could fool me into believing it's from the Northern Rhone.
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-- decanted approx. 30 min. before initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind over 2 - 3 hours --
NOSE: strawberry jam; high-toned, and a touch funky; olive; green peppercorns; hard salami.
BODY: medium-light to medium bodied; superfine particulate matter present; dark garnet color of medium-deep depth.
TASTE: light, fine French oak note; red-fruited; savory; alc. not noticeable; medium+ acidity; softened & sweetened-up with air over the course of 2 hours --- I preferred it with 1 hour of air seems to be in a nice spot right now; Drink Now. gut impression score: 90 – 91 with less air; 89-90 with more air.
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Dark, well made Syrah. So good. Aromas of dark cherry and leather that continue in the mouth. Ends with dark cherry and some spice on the tongue. Long finish. From the early reviews I have read, this wine has aged extremely well. Excellent.
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No issues this time. S says 'maybe a bit jammy' but not objectionably so. '''Tis fruit forward, but has good acid to balance. Really nice finish. Staying with the 91 rating.
1/21/16 note: A divergence of opinion between S and me. Something in the nose put her off, while I liked all aspects. Much superior to the '05 Stolpman Vineyard version.
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-- decanted for 20 minutes before initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind for a couple hours on Day 1; tasted again on Day 4 --
NOSE: ripe; red fruits; oak; tart; slightly smoky; juicy berry aromas. Day 4: fumey from a Pinot glass.
BODY: some medium-fine particulate matter present; violet-garnet color of medium-deep depth with slight bricking throughout; medium-light to medium bodied.
TASTE: 14.3% alc. is a bit noticeable – prickly; quite acidic (added acid?); underlying leather note emerges when paired with pasta and red meat sauce; Day 4: ripe – muddy purple fruit/soil tones; some oxidation creeping in. Overall, this is nice, but it's nowhere near the '05 vintage of the same. Drink now and over the next few years.
50, 5 11, 15, 7 = 88
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-- popped and poured -- -- tasted non-blind over a few hours --
NOSE: medium+ expressiveness; cool red fruits and blueberry; savory (a touch stemmy); very floral – patchouli; some oak; clean (not funky); high-toned; smells awesome.
BODY: dark cherry color of medium to medium-deep depth; clear; medium bodied.
TASTE: oaky right at the pop-n-pour; almost no tannin; medium to medium+ acidity; this is an elegant Syrah, with fruit flavors that are not overripe or gloppy; there’s a savory streak to this wine, and it is a touch bitter; the oak starts to draw back approx. one hour after opening; 14.7% alc. is well-hidden; medium to medium-long finish of medium-strong intensity; if somebody gave me this wine blind, I’d honestly be hard-pressed to call Syrah --- I’d probably guess Rhone blend, and would surmise a very healthy dollop of Grenache in the cépage; not as good as the ethereal '05 of the same, but this '06 is nothing to sneeze at: I suggest drinking your '06s while the '05s continue to evolve in the cellar; I'll probably drink my other two bottles over the next five years.
50, 5, 13, 16, 7 = 91
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Very Rhone like with funk, leather, red currants, white pepper and spices. Very balance effort showing vibrant acidity. Medium plus finish and complex wine. One of the better US Syrah's I have sampled in some time.
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Admittedly, this wine was open the day before I got to try it and had a glass taken from it at that time prior to recorking... I can't rate it because the problems I have with it may not have been present without 24 hours of oxygenation. There is a toasty raspberry and deep blackberry presence on the nose with some toasted hardwood, cedar, and nostril burning alcohol. On the palate, oak is quite prominent and the alcoholic heat is a bit much, but otherwise the palate reflects some secondary characteristics with softer fruit. There is an oak-forward woodiness on the palate too. The fruit seems a bit out of balance with the rest of the flavors here.
Again, the fruit may have balanced things out much better yesterday, so I will not rate at this time. If this is the intended flavor profile, however, color me unimpressed. I'm a new world kind of guy but have enjoyed Terry Hoage's wines in the past...
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Upon opening, this wine was very reductive on the nose, and had sulfuric/rubber undertones in the forefront. I swirled with great vigor, and drank over the next few days, but these notes never seemed to go away, although they did become less noticeable. I have two more of these, and will give them a few more years.
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Pop and pour: hot and crazy. You can tell it's going to be great, though.
After a 2 hour decant: really tremendous. Cedar, earth, plum, a mix of both red and dark fruits I can't identify. Layered and complex with a long finish and fuller body than I expect for a syrah. I'm so glad I got two bottles.
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Better than the 05 with more of an Aussie Shiraz feel. Blackberries, blueberries, spices, chocolate and smoke. Medium to long finish and complex. Decanted 1.5 hours.
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Mpls Wine Club: Spotlight on Arcadian Winery (Tracy's, Mpls): Dark red color. Decanted 1.5hrs. Drank 1 glass over an hour. This was considerably better than the 2005 Purisima. Nose brings cedar, dark raspberry, slightly meaty, dry earth, exotic spices. The palate is much more vibrant, deeper flavors of bright raspberries, huckleberry, pepper, intense spices, medium body but bigger overall, oak, longer finish. Just a little heat here and it does largely resolve. Overall the balance shows.
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Punched straight through the small wax dot on top. PnP. Great clarity, dark violet in color. Nose is initially hot, but seems to be easing after just minutes in the glass. Very tight, but picking up dark brooding red fruit, think plum and dark cherry. There is a hint of something there... maybe clove spice or white pepper, that may make itself more apparent in time. Palate is quite juicy! A little heat (again PnP) but this is velvety smooth. Sweet tannin and acid intermingle on the back of the palate resulting in a medium plus finish that is very enjoyable. This really needs some time to open up. After a couple hours, all the heat has blown off. This went amazing with burgers. The acidity really brought out the umami notes. This syrah has a rare mix of bright red fruit and deep dark complex fruit as well. Palate is just getting more lush and velvety as things go. More layers are evolving as this open up, drawing you into the glass. I really wish I could have decanted 3 hours or so before even getting started. I really like this wine....
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PnP. Violet tinged garnet. No noticeable change from 2 yrs ago. Still features dark and red fruits with spices and a touch of earth. Palate is terrific with a solid mineral/acid backbone and firmish tannins that nicely balance the medium intensity fruit. Paired with grilled filet to great effect.
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Tasting room pour. Dark red fruited syrah with some spice cake and black pepper. Well integrated wood. Acidity seems good but this lacked a bit of energy...don't know when the bottle was opened. Nevertheless, I'd drink this. 90-91
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Tasty dark cherry and earthy notes on the nose and palate but the various components and finish seem a bit disjointed. Needs more time to come together.
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PnP (sort of, as cork slipped into the bottle). Light violet red. Dark fruit, stems, flowers, dirt and spice on nose. Firm medium intensity fruit with good acid backbone, sense of mineral and gritty, but not overbearing tannin. Should age and integrate a bit. Nice 'cool climate' styled syrah with plenty of character. Really paired well with food.
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14.7% alcohol. Youthful but drinking well. Dark red color, purple at the rim of the glass. Aromatic nose of blue fruit, pepper, and meaty notes. In the mouth, terrific balance coupled with structure that is not shy. The fruit is not over-the-top but not fully restrained, and the wine shows tremendous balance between the fruit and structure. Behind the fruit is a nice array of pepper, meat, and spice notes, which run into a potent wall of acidity and a tannic finish. Strong wine that is going to age well. A-
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Again...this wine is just "WOW" all the way through. Absolutely beautiful dense dark fruit, pepper, flowers, and a hint of spice and mint. Probably the best new world Syrah that I have had the pleasure of having.
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Oh my word this was a nice surprise. I wasn't sure how this baby would show and upon first opening the aromatics were firmly closed off. Before I went to take a drink I grabbed the decanter. Then I took a sip and this was voluptuous and tasty. This was perfect for the evening. Bigger and more mouth-coating than you might expect from and Arcadian. This is what I generally want from Santa Ynez. The darker fruits caught my attention first but they did not hide the red berries. I ended up not decanting because the taste was what I wanted this night. We did pour some big glasses and it wasn't long before the aromatics opened up. No need to hurry on this wine but would be hard to keep my hands off.
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"Anniversary" Weekend at Rob & Lisa's; 5/29/2009-6/1/2009 (Scott's Valley, CA): As an experiment, we drank this up against a similarly priced Cote Rotie. While the wine showed similar to my previous experience, everything seemed a little less exciting compared to the last bottle I had. While the Cote Rotie won this round, I think with another year or so on this (the Cote Rotie was an 05), it would have given it a good run for its money. Not as terroir driven or as subtle as the Cote Rotie, but Joe sure does a darn good job of emulating that style.
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This bottle had been opened (not decanted) probably about 8 hours before we got into it. Despite that, the nose wasn't giving up much. What was there was nice, showing a bit of dark berries mixed with a touch of pepper but also some heat from the alcohol. On the palate this was much better with nice ripe fruit and a smooth overall texture and finish but also a touch of heat on the finish. Alcohol is listed at 14.7% abv. We tried this in comparison to a nice Côte-Rôtie and my personal preference is for the Côte-Rôtie as I enjoy the very peppery, terroir driven, old world style over the riper fruit driven new world style. Arcadian does a great job trying to balance both styles in their wines and they do it better then most others. I think that the 2005 vintage of this wine was much better.
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Killed another baby here, but at least this time I let it breath overnight to allow it to put its best foot forward. The nose on this wine just absolutely blew me away, even from the pop. Lush blackberries, cassis, violets, black licorice, black pepper, and a lovely herbasciousness that I can only describe as garrigue. When I had a taste of this at the pop, it was pretty tannic with lively acidity throughout, but never out of balance with the ripe fruits and peppery, spicy earth flavors. On day two, all of this softened and integrated into a wonderfully complex wine that I wish never would have ended. Not having much experience with Cote Rotie, my mind immediately compares this to some of the best CdP that I have had, namely Pegau. 93 for now, but with some time in the bottle this could develop into something really special. Give it at minimum 2-3 years, but I think after 5+ it will be incredible.
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4/11/2022 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 91 Points
I’ve reviewed this wine on four past occasions with scores ranging from 92 to 95. I’m sure the variability is in my mood rather than bottle variation. Today, this wine tastes a touch overripe and over-oaked, though the wine’s complexity and density are excellent and its flavor profile is mostly agreeable.
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11/12/2021 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine is drinking beautifully, presenting a balanced and complex profile of dried fruits, smoked meat, caramel, and black tea, with perfect tannic framing. The finish is so long. I couldn’t deny it the 95. Everything is right, and it is powerful too.
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8/4/2021 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted blind: There is a lot going on: BBQ smoke, prunes, blueberries, potting soil. Lots of oak. Thick and mouth coating, reminiscent of dark chocolate in mouthfeel. Yet acidic balance is not bad at all, so the wine is fairly lively. Tannins are large. This tastes like a big Zinfandel that is at peak. Rating: 94.
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6/12/2021 - rmalloy wrote: 93 Points
Very complex. Dark fruit, smoked meat, floral, mineral, leather, pepper. The main weakness in my mind is that acidity is too low, so it tastes a little flabby.
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7/27/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Black and red cherry with spice that is nearly perfumed and hints of roasted meat and olive tapenade. Overall very elegant and wonderfully balanced with good enough weight. A very rare Cali Syrah that could fool me into believing it's from the Northern Rhone.
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2/3/2020 - grafstrb wrote:
-- decanted approx. 30 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 - 3 hours --
NOSE: strawberry jam; high-toned, and a touch funky; olive; green peppercorns; hard salami.
BODY: medium-light to medium bodied; superfine particulate matter present; dark garnet color of medium-deep depth.
TASTE: light, fine French oak note; red-fruited; savory; alc. not noticeable; medium+ acidity; softened & sweetened-up with air over the course of 2 hours --- I preferred it with 1 hour of air seems to be in a nice spot right now; Drink Now. gut impression score: 90 – 91 with less air; 89-90 with more air.
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12/31/2019 - OldHick95 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark, well made Syrah. So good. Aromas of dark cherry and leather that continue in the mouth. Ends with dark cherry and some spice on the tongue. Long finish. From the early reviews I have read, this wine has aged extremely well. Excellent.
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10/14/2016 - Pedroel Likes this wine: 91 Points
No issues this time. S says 'maybe a bit jammy' but not objectionably so. '''Tis fruit forward, but has good acid to balance. Really nice finish. Staying with the 91 rating.
1/21/16 note: A divergence of opinion between S and me. Something in the nose put her off, while I liked all aspects. Much superior to the '05 Stolpman Vineyard version.
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7/22/2016 - grafstrb wrote: 88 Points
-- decanted for 20 minutes before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind for a couple hours on Day 1; tasted again on Day 4 --
NOSE: ripe; red fruits; oak; tart; slightly smoky; juicy berry aromas. Day 4: fumey from a Pinot glass.
BODY: some medium-fine particulate matter present; violet-garnet color of medium-deep depth with slight bricking throughout; medium-light to medium bodied.
TASTE: 14.3% alc. is a bit noticeable – prickly; quite acidic (added acid?); underlying leather note emerges when paired with pasta and red meat sauce; Day 4: ripe – muddy purple fruit/soil tones; some oxidation creeping in. Overall, this is nice, but it's nowhere near the '05 vintage of the same. Drink now and over the next few years.
50, 5 11, 15, 7 = 88
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7/17/2014 - grafstrb wrote: 91 Points
-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over a few hours --
NOSE: medium+ expressiveness; cool red fruits and blueberry; savory (a touch stemmy); very floral – patchouli; some oak; clean (not funky); high-toned; smells awesome.
BODY: dark cherry color of medium to medium-deep depth; clear; medium bodied.
TASTE: oaky right at the pop-n-pour; almost no tannin; medium to medium+ acidity; this is an elegant Syrah, with fruit flavors that are not overripe or gloppy; there’s a savory streak to this wine, and it is a touch bitter; the oak starts to draw back approx. one hour after opening; 14.7% alc. is well-hidden; medium to medium-long finish of medium-strong intensity; if somebody gave me this wine blind, I’d honestly be hard-pressed to call Syrah --- I’d probably guess Rhone blend, and would surmise a very healthy dollop of Grenache in the cépage; not as good as the ethereal '05 of the same, but this '06 is nothing to sneeze at: I suggest drinking your '06s while the '05s continue to evolve in the cellar; I'll probably drink my other two bottles over the next five years.
50, 5, 13, 16, 7 = 91
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3/11/2014 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Very Rhone like with funk, leather, red currants, white pepper and spices. Very balance effort showing vibrant acidity. Medium plus finish and complex wine. One of the better US Syrah's I have sampled in some time.
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11/29/2013 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious dark cherry and floral notes on the nose and palate with lively acidity on the long finish.
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11/21/2013 - Rossodio wrote:
Admittedly, this wine was open the day before I got to try it and had a glass taken from it at that time prior to recorking... I can't rate it because the problems I have with it may not have been present without 24 hours of oxygenation. There is a toasty raspberry and deep blackberry presence on the nose with some toasted hardwood, cedar, and nostril burning alcohol. On the palate, oak is quite prominent and the alcoholic heat is a bit much, but otherwise the palate reflects some secondary characteristics with softer fruit. There is an oak-forward woodiness on the palate too. The fruit seems a bit out of balance with the rest of the flavors here.
Again, the fruit may have balanced things out much better yesterday, so I will not rate at this time. If this is the intended flavor profile, however, color me unimpressed. I'm a new world kind of guy but have enjoyed Terry Hoage's wines in the past...
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10/19/2013 - Dave Mci wrote: 86 Points
Upon opening, this wine was very reductive on the nose, and had sulfuric/rubber undertones in the forefront. I swirled with great vigor, and drank over the next few days, but these notes never seemed to go away, although they did become less noticeable. I have two more of these, and will give them a few more years.
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9/20/2013 - VinhoDaSilva Likes this wine: 92 Points
Exactly what a high quality Syrah should smell and taste like. Highly recommended.
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9/20/2013 - jersyko Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pop and pour: hot and crazy. You can tell it's going to be great, though.
After a 2 hour decant: really tremendous. Cedar, earth, plum, a mix of both red and dark fruits I can't identify. Layered and complex with a long finish and fuller body than I expect for a syrah. I'm so glad I got two bottles.
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9/15/2013 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Better than the 05 with more of an Aussie Shiraz feel. Blackberries, blueberries, spices, chocolate and smoke. Medium to long finish and complex. Decanted 1.5 hours.
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9/14/2013 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Mpls Wine Club: Spotlight on Arcadian Winery (Tracy's, Mpls): Dark red color. Decanted 1.5hrs. Drank 1 glass over an hour. This was considerably better than the 2005 Purisima. Nose brings cedar, dark raspberry, slightly meaty, dry earth, exotic spices. The palate is much more vibrant, deeper flavors of bright raspberries, huckleberry, pepper, intense spices, medium body but bigger overall, oak, longer finish. Just a little heat here and it does largely resolve. Overall the balance shows.
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9/4/2013 - trifecta wrote:
Punched straight through the small wax dot on top. PnP. Great clarity, dark violet in color. Nose is initially hot, but seems to be easing after just minutes in the glass. Very tight, but picking up dark brooding red fruit, think plum and dark cherry. There is a hint of something there... maybe clove spice or white pepper, that may make itself more apparent in time.
Palate is quite juicy! A little heat (again PnP) but this is velvety smooth. Sweet tannin and acid intermingle on the back of the palate resulting in a medium plus finish that is very enjoyable. This really needs some time to open up.
After a couple hours, all the heat has blown off. This went amazing with burgers. The acidity really brought out the umami notes. This syrah has a rare mix of bright red fruit and deep dark complex fruit as well. Palate is just getting more lush and velvety as things go. More layers are evolving as this open up, drawing you into the glass. I really wish I could have decanted 3 hours or so before even getting started. I really like this wine....
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6/23/2013 - silton Likes this wine: 91 Points
Central Coast Trip; 6/23/2013-6/26/2013 (Central Coast / Santa Barbara): Classic syrah with a light touch; nice long peppercorn melange finish. Borderline QPR @$45 but it is nice to have more wines with some secondary characteristics on hand.
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6/18/2013 - thomaskeil wrote: 91 Points
PnP. Violet tinged garnet. No noticeable change from 2 yrs ago. Still features dark and red fruits with spices and a touch of earth. Palate is terrific with a solid mineral/acid backbone and firmish tannins that nicely balance the medium intensity fruit. Paired with grilled filet to great effect.
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11/25/2012 - Redguy Likes this wine:
Tasting room pour. Dark red fruited syrah with some spice cake and black pepper. Well integrated wood. Acidity seems good but this lacked a bit of energy...don't know when the bottle was opened. Nevertheless, I'd drink this. 90-91
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6/12/2012 - pjhr wrote: 90 Points
Tasty dark cherry and earthy notes on the nose and palate but the various components and finish seem a bit disjointed. Needs more time to come together.
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4/16/2012 - Weston3220 Likes this wine:
Arcadian Winery Visit (Lompoc, Wine Ghetto): Side by Side with the 05, Interesting
Solid Juice, Rich/Elegant, FLoral, Powdery Tannin
14.7% alc
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12/9/2011 - thomaskeil wrote: 92 Points
PnP (sort of, as cork slipped into the bottle). Light violet red. Dark fruit, stems, flowers, dirt and spice on nose. Firm medium intensity fruit with good acid backbone, sense of mineral and gritty, but not overbearing tannin. Should age and integrate a bit. Nice 'cool climate' styled syrah with plenty of character. Really paired well with food.
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7/17/2011 - gutt22 wrote:
14.7% alcohol. Youthful but drinking well. Dark red color, purple at the rim of the glass. Aromatic nose of blue fruit, pepper, and meaty notes. In the mouth, terrific balance coupled with structure that is not shy. The fruit is not over-the-top but not fully restrained, and the wine shows tremendous balance between the fruit and structure. Behind the fruit is a nice array of pepper, meat, and spice notes, which run into a potent wall of acidity and a tannic finish. Strong wine that is going to age well. A-
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9/2/2010 - jhannah27 wrote:
Again...this wine is just "WOW" all the way through. Absolutely beautiful dense dark fruit, pepper, flowers, and a hint of spice and mint. Probably the best new world Syrah that I have had the pleasure of having.
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7/19/2010 - jasonh wrote: 93 Points
Oh my word this was a nice surprise. I wasn't sure how this baby would show and upon first opening the aromatics were firmly closed off. Before I went to take a drink I grabbed the decanter. Then I took a sip and this was voluptuous and tasty. This was perfect for the evening. Bigger and more mouth-coating than you might expect from and Arcadian. This is what I generally want from Santa Ynez. The darker fruits caught my attention first but they did not hide the red berries. I ended up not decanting because the taste was what I wanted this night. We did pour some big glasses and it wasn't long before the aromatics opened up. No need to hurry on this wine but would be hard to keep my hands off.
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5/31/2009 - jhannah27 wrote:
"Anniversary" Weekend at Rob & Lisa's; 5/29/2009-6/1/2009 (Scott's Valley, CA): As an experiment, we drank this up against a similarly priced Cote Rotie. While the wine showed similar to my previous experience, everything seemed a little less exciting compared to the last bottle I had. While the Cote Rotie won this round, I think with another year or so on this (the Cote Rotie was an 05), it would have given it a good run for its money. Not as terroir driven or as subtle as the Cote Rotie, but Joe sure does a darn good job of emulating that style.
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5/31/2009 - Rob MacKay wrote: 90 Points
This bottle had been opened (not decanted) probably about 8 hours before we got into it. Despite that, the nose wasn't giving up much. What was there was nice, showing a bit of dark berries mixed with a touch of pepper but also some heat from the alcohol. On the palate this was much better with nice ripe fruit and a smooth overall texture and finish but also a touch of heat on the finish. Alcohol is listed at 14.7% abv. We tried this in comparison to a nice Côte-Rôtie and my personal preference is for the Côte-Rôtie as I enjoy the very peppery, terroir driven, old world style over the riper fruit driven new world style. Arcadian does a great job trying to balance both styles in their wines and they do it better then most others. I think that the 2005 vintage of this wine was much better.
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4/16/2009 - jhannah27 wrote: 93 Points
Killed another baby here, but at least this time I let it breath overnight to allow it to put its best foot forward. The nose on this wine just absolutely blew me away, even from the pop. Lush blackberries, cassis, violets, black licorice, black pepper, and a lovely herbasciousness that I can only describe as garrigue. When I had a taste of this at the pop, it was pretty tannic with lively acidity throughout, but never out of balance with the ripe fruits and peppery, spicy earth flavors. On day two, all of this softened and integrated into a wonderfully complex wine that I wish never would have ended. Not having much experience with Cote Rotie, my mind immediately compares this to some of the best CdP that I have had, namely Pegau. 93 for now, but with some time in the bottle this could develop into something really special. Give it at minimum 2-3 years, but I think after 5+ it will be incredible.
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