Great nose: raspberry and chocolate with a hint of cherry. Dark and brooding in the glass, but delightful on the palate with subtle fruit and considerable depth. A bit shallow through the mid-palate, but a strong finish, ending with a bit of anise. Very Good, maybe more. thedrunkencyclist.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Coravined. Dark reddish purple in color. Soaring aromas of candied blackberries, licorice, charcoal, loamy soil and hint of pepper. A full bodied palate reveals sweet and ripe blackberries, bitter chocolate and pepper with low acidity, a superb satin texture and a long fruit filled finish. This has become better with age! Nice, ripe CA Syrah at a great price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Well, is there such a thing as "slightly corked"? There was a bit of funk on the nose and curiously even more on the palate. I had hoped that since it was not all that harsh, it would blow off. I guess it did to a certain extent, but still there. Too bad, seems to have good fruit.... thedrunkencyclist.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Somewhat muted, purple fruit arommas on the nose, but not a powerhouse. Solid integrated flavors - good fruit-led attack, then drops off in the mid-palet. Some pepper and spice flavors carry into the finish. Hint of tannins. Overall solid - and having purchased from PA closeout sale fo just $15, a fine QPR.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. This was very tight upon pulling the cork, with a very muted nose and palate. After a bit of time, though, it really opened up nicely with really dark fruit (blackberries) and even a bit of mocha. After initially a bit astringent, it rounded out nicely and expressed fine balance. I think it needs a couple of years still. Decant for at least an hour at this point. Very Good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice nose of beef, vanilla, and black pepper. The palate is medium to full bodied with loads of blackberries, game meats and sme oak. Nice length. If it was just a tad fuller I'd have gone bAnanas over it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark purple color. Deep pitched aromas of candied black raspberries, blackberries, tar and loamy soil notes. A lush mouthfeel and ripe palate follows through with confectionary blackberry hard candies, dark chocolate. earth and pepper overtones.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My 5th bottle of this wine, and roughly 15 months since the last one. I noted some structure then, too. I opened the bottle for this note last night so call it 24 hours of slow ox air. Aromtically a little like last year's bottle but there is much less stem and more flowery nuance this time. Same note of light heat there, too. The palate, at least to me and in comparison to my note in early 2011, shows this wine now fleshing out with this bottle. The fruit is still fresh, full of a juicy mix of dark berry and black raspberry, the same licorice note, dark bitter chocolate and some light structure pausing in the background of the finish, where the licorice note and some of the stone fruit pit show. Even some of the soil/loam note from the 2011 bottle note is still here now, too. My overall thought on this wine is that it's reaching into the prime drink window, to help capture the right mix of fruit, structure and nuance by drinking now, through 2014.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consistent with last note. Nothing unique about this wine. As the wine opened up more it started to lose it's pepper and violets and dark fruit dominated. Not in balance like I would like from a Syrah.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 1 hour and drank over 3. Nice funky nose of dark fruit, coffee grounds, pungent herbs. Creamy raspberry palate with some tar, licorice, and smoke. Nice acidity adding some tension to the full bore creamy fruit. Reminds me a lot of the '05 in it's prime. Seems to have a long life ahead with more acidity than the '06 had at this stage ( I don't think that wine held up well) Nice!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rich dark fruit, but non-fruit elements -- savory/meaty notes, smoke, pepper -- make this wine excell. Just enough acid/tannin to provide structure and lift. No heat. Perfectly integrated. Just great syrah.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
One year between bottles and further, this bottle here is the one I have been best able to track with air, as it's been open now for three nights. Pepper, smoke, some whole cluster signature remains in the aromatic, along with some heat (listed alcohol of 14.5%). The palate exhibits a good amount of tension and structure, even with the amount of air I have allowed the wine to see the past few days. Creamy raspberry, tar, black licorice, and a reinforcing earthy black/blue fruit that underpins it all, along with a soily note. This wine carrries too a lot of acidity that along with the soil notes really give it a big zing. There is no hurry on this wine and while my only negative is my own perception about some light heat that lingers in the aromatic. I really like the palate and finish and this wine should last several more years. I will let time do some work on this wine, I'll drink my next one in summer 2012 and I'll venture that this wine goes until 2015.
Cranberry, spring flowers, and blackberry on the nose. Oak, cedar, white pepper and licorice seem to dominate the palate. The tannins are a little bitter. I wonder if the fruit will come through later? Only bottle so, I guess I will never know.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The OC Blind Crew (Kimera--Irvine, CA): Savory nose, palate is dark and shows the menthol of whole cluster. Dark red fruit with a rich feel. This showed pretty different than the 07 Lucia SH that was tasted right next to it. I preferred the Novy this time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Clear with medium deep garnet color, Nose dominated by oak, boysenberry, raspberry, pepper and herbs . Medium acid levels with medium-full body. Palate is was very fruit driven in line with nose. pleasant balance and short finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Six months since my first bottle, we drank tonight's bottle with a fairly short decant...about 90 mins. I am surprised at how soft this wine is drinking tonight. While I can sense and smell the whole cluster content in the wine--some olive and menthol appears but in softer tones--the stems don't add the structure I expected. The nose shows a bouquet of light pepper, hint of heat and stems. I should point our that the oak shows more at pop and pour but fades into the wine with air so don't judge the wine too soon. The palate is inky and grapey, an intense core of earthy blackberry and a finishing touch of licorice. What impresses me most here is the eveness of the wine, the dark profile and intense flavors......as a final comment, as with my note six months ago, this wine evolves significantly with air. After 3 hours open, the wine picks up more depth, more structure and the finish intensifies, adding some chocolate and redder notes. I would not judge this wine right away, as you will miss the quality and complexity of the wine. Very, very good and of the star caliber I found earlier in the year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened for about 45 mins. Florals, smoke and I keep coming back to a mushroomy or what seems like a musty,TCA type note. It's hard to pin that note as flaw, but it keeps reminding me that there may be a bit of taint here. The palate is juicy with some tar, game and blue/black elements, along with a drying, mineral/pebble and some herbals, ala some whole cluster. We'll have to see how this wine breathes out and if some of these off elements blow or fade off............after about another 1/2 hour, much better. Now we have a fuller wine, more plump, tar, and dark chocolate, along with some chalk and density. Still has the tight finish but we'll so tomorrow treats it.......at 3 hours, more evolution of the wine. Add some pepper to the nose, along with some stone fruit pit to the palate. Finish still shows the minerals but the fruit is more inky, more black in tone. The rest of the bottle goes down tomorrow, with 1/2 left.....last glass. I really think a lot of this wine, as it shows so many complex features. The whole cluster signature stands out more tonight, added by some faint olive, mineral, dark and rich black fruit but with an edge, not sappy. There is still a lot of chocolate, likely buffeted by the new oak, but this wine has got it all going but it needs to settle in and pull the parts together. Has the potential to be a top flight wine......we will see.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/3/2015 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 89 Points
Great nose: raspberry and chocolate with a hint of cherry. Dark and brooding in the glass, but delightful on the palate with subtle fruit and considerable depth. A bit shallow through the mid-palate, but a strong finish, ending with a bit of anise. Very Good, maybe more. thedrunkencyclist.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2015 - devraj Likes this wine: 93 Points
Coravined. Dark reddish purple in color. Soaring aromas of candied blackberries, licorice, charcoal, loamy soil and hint of pepper. A full bodied palate reveals sweet and ripe blackberries, bitter chocolate and pepper with low acidity, a superb satin texture and a long fruit filled finish. This has become better with age! Nice, ripe CA Syrah at a great price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2014 - The Drunken Cyclist wrote: flawed
Well, is there such a thing as "slightly corked"? There was a bit of funk on the nose and curiously even more on the palate. I had hoped that since it was not all that harsh, it would blow off. I guess it did to a certain extent, but still there. Too bad, seems to have good fruit....
thedrunkencyclist.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2013 - Ecoenophile wrote: 89 Points
Somewhat muted, purple fruit arommas on the nose, but not a powerhouse. Solid integrated flavors - good fruit-led attack, then drops off in the mid-palet. Some pepper and spice flavors carry into the finish. Hint of tannins. Overall solid - and having purchased from PA closeout sale fo just $15, a fine QPR.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2012 - The Drunken Cyclist wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured. This was very tight upon pulling the cork, with a very muted nose and palate. After a bit of time, though, it really opened up nicely with really dark fruit (blackberries) and even a bit of mocha. After initially a bit astringent, it rounded out nicely and expressed fine balance. I think it needs a couple of years still. Decant for at least an hour at this point. Very Good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2012 - Uglypinga wrote:
Nice nose of beef, vanilla, and black pepper. The palate is medium to full bodied with loads of blackberries, game meats and sme oak. Nice length. If it was just a tad fuller I'd have gone bAnanas over it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2012 - devraj wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple color. Deep pitched aromas of candied black raspberries, blackberries, tar and loamy soil notes. A lush mouthfeel and ripe palate follows through with confectionary blackberry hard candies, dark chocolate. earth and pepper overtones.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2012 - philipmac wrote: 88 Points
Our second bottle of this vintage. We still don't get the WS rating of 94. Decanted for 90 minutes but really never did anything throughout.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2012 - Frank Murray III wrote:
My 5th bottle of this wine, and roughly 15 months since the last one. I noted some structure then, too. I opened the bottle for this note last night so call it 24 hours of slow ox air. Aromtically a little like last year's bottle but there is much less stem and more flowery nuance this time. Same note of light heat there, too. The palate, at least to me and in comparison to my note in early 2011, shows this wine now fleshing out with this bottle. The fruit is still fresh, full of a juicy mix of dark berry and black raspberry, the same licorice note, dark bitter chocolate and some light structure pausing in the background of the finish, where the licorice note and some of the stone fruit pit show. Even some of the soil/loam note from the 2011 bottle note is still here now, too. My overall thought on this wine is that it's reaching into the prime drink window, to help capture the right mix of fruit, structure and nuance by drinking now, through 2014.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2012 - emdub wrote: 88 Points
Consistent with last note. Nothing unique about this wine. As the wine opened up more it started to lose it's pepper and violets and dark fruit dominated. Not in balance like I would like from a Syrah.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2012 - glaze3 wrote:
Decanted 1 hour and drank over 3. Nice funky nose of dark fruit, coffee grounds, pungent herbs. Creamy raspberry palate with some tar, licorice, and smoke. Nice acidity adding some tension to the full bore creamy fruit. Reminds me a lot of the '05 in it's prime. Seems to have a long life ahead with more acidity than the '06 had at this stage ( I don't think that wine held up well) Nice!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/25/2011 - DPMc wrote: 95 Points
Rich dark fruit, but non-fruit elements -- savory/meaty notes, smoke, pepper -- make this wine excell. Just enough acid/tannin to provide structure and lift. No heat. Perfectly integrated. Just great syrah.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2011 - gutt22 wrote: flawed
14.5% alcohol. Moderately corked; very noticeable on the nose. Somewhat muted on the palate. Flawed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2011 - Frank Murray III wrote:
One year between bottles and further, this bottle here is the one I have been best able to track with air, as it's been open now for three nights. Pepper, smoke, some whole cluster signature remains in the aromatic, along with some heat (listed alcohol of 14.5%). The palate exhibits a good amount of tension and structure, even with the amount of air I have allowed the wine to see the past few days. Creamy raspberry, tar, black licorice, and a reinforcing earthy black/blue fruit that underpins it all, along with a soily note. This wine carrries too a lot of acidity that along with the soil notes really give it a big zing. There is no hurry on this wine and while my only negative is my own perception about some light heat that lingers in the aromatic. I really like the palate and finish and this wine should last several more years. I will let time do some work on this wine, I'll drink my next one in summer 2012 and I'll venture that this wine goes until 2015.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/20/2010 - emdub wrote: 88 Points
Rootbeer and plastic on the nose. Slight pepper with an array of dark berries on the front palate. Needs time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/2/2010 - brianngibson wrote: 88 Points
Cranberry, spring flowers, and blackberry on the nose. Oak, cedar, white pepper and licorice seem to dominate the palate. The tannins are a little bitter. I wonder if the fruit will come through later? Only bottle so, I guess I will never know.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
The OC Blind Crew (Kimera--Irvine, CA): Savory nose, palate is dark and shows the menthol of whole cluster. Dark red fruit with a rich feel. This showed pretty different than the 07 Lucia SH that was tasted right next to it. I preferred the Novy this time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2010 - profiler54 wrote: 88 Points
Clear with medium deep garnet color, Nose dominated by oak, boysenberry, raspberry, pepper and herbs . Medium acid levels with medium-full body. Palate is was very fruit driven in line with nose. pleasant balance and short finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2010 - Wine4Rip wrote: 89 Points
A little disappointing. Heavy licorice. Too subtle berries.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/15/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Six months since my first bottle, we drank tonight's bottle with a fairly short decant...about 90 mins. I am surprised at how soft this wine is drinking tonight. While I can sense and smell the whole cluster content in the wine--some olive and menthol appears but in softer tones--the stems don't add the structure I expected. The nose shows a bouquet of light pepper, hint of heat and stems. I should point our that the oak shows more at pop and pour but fades into the wine with air so don't judge the wine too soon. The palate is inky and grapey, an intense core of earthy blackberry and a finishing touch of licorice. What impresses me most here is the eveness of the wine, the dark profile and intense flavors......as a final comment, as with my note six months ago, this wine evolves significantly with air. After 3 hours open, the wine picks up more depth, more structure and the finish intensifies, adding some chocolate and redder notes. I would not judge this wine right away, as you will miss the quality and complexity of the wine. Very, very good and of the star caliber I found earlier in the year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/10/2009 - joraesque wrote: 85 Points
Apparently this got only 38% new oak, but the oak is still very noticeable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Opened for about 45 mins. Florals, smoke and I keep coming back to a mushroomy or what seems like a musty,TCA type note. It's hard to pin that note as flaw, but it keeps reminding me that there may be a bit of taint here. The palate is juicy with some tar, game and blue/black elements, along with a drying, mineral/pebble and some herbals, ala some whole cluster. We'll have to see how this wine breathes out and if some of these off elements blow or fade off............after about another 1/2 hour, much better. Now we have a fuller wine, more plump, tar, and dark chocolate, along with some chalk and density. Still has the tight finish but we'll so tomorrow treats it.......at 3 hours, more evolution of the wine. Add some pepper to the nose, along with some stone fruit pit to the palate. Finish still shows the minerals but the fruit is more inky, more black in tone. The rest of the bottle goes down tomorrow, with 1/2 left.....last glass. I really think a lot of this wine, as it shows so many complex features. The whole cluster signature stands out more tonight, added by some faint olive, mineral, dark and rich black fruit but with an edge, not sappy. There is still a lot of chocolate, likely buffeted by the new oak, but this wine has got it all going but it needs to settle in and pull the parts together. Has the potential to be a top flight wine......we will see.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment