Decanted. Floral nose, jumping out of the decanter, woodsey, barnyard, meating, fleshy, great palate depth. Stunning. Wow. Wife did not like as she is not a Rhône style person.
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Christmas '23 - last of 3 bottles - decanted 3-hours, full-throttle and very concentrated for having this much age. Deep, rich opaque color. Nose of singed cedar & fragrant bacon fat. Brambly mulberry, black berry and hint of red raspberry. Asian 5-spice on finish that seemingly went on for minutes. Northern Rhone similarities. Definitely in good drink window but still has 5-7 years of hang time. Bottle of year.....thus far! Over the top!
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Exceptional wine. Dark, inky color with almost syrupy consistenty. Dense, rich red and blue berry flavors that somehow manages to retain lift and energy. A big wine but not heavy.
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Fruitier and younger tasting than expected. Intense minerality/charcoal. A bit of heat from the alcohol. Much nicer at this stage than the last one we tasted. Would score a bit higher if not for the "heat".
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From magnum with 2 hour decant. This has not budged in 9 years. Once again, trademark Alban with massive fruit, alcohol well integrated, very nice acidic backbone. Black olives, grilled meats, blueberries and blackberries in abundance. Outstanding full throttle California Syrah. Very well done!
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Rich, inviting, & perfuse nose of black tarry cherry fruit, thyme, roasted meat jus, dried beef & violets, with just a hint of eucalyptus lifting everything. An incredible palate of luxurious black fruit half nigh on a fine port tho drawing lighter & more elegant with subtle acid set against just enough tannic backbone. Decanted 1 hour & drunk over 2 days. My prior review underestimated this wine... suspect it will easily last 10-15 more years.
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Its got an amazing powerful berry, chocolate and oak nose and for a second its rich and enticing but then sadly just plain hot, an almost alcohol burn and i made sure it was at around 16c temperature wise. Sadly ruined it and amongst 6 of us it was not finished...
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Aromatic: Still plenty of sweet black/blue fruit intermingled with black olive tapenade, light roasted meats, lavender white pepper, and truffle
Palate: M+Body, M-Acid, M+Alc, Smooth T, Palate matches the nose with a nice blend of fruit and tertiary flavors. Finish is long
Yes this is a modern wine, without the true elegance of the northern Rhone, but the wine is aging well. The alc will start to show through more as it ages further, but a thought provoking wine at 16 years of age.
I think I will finish the bottle with a smile
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Decanted for 1.5 hours. Nose of ripe blackberry, black plum, huckleberry, gamey meat and spice. Black and blue fruit, gamey meat, spice and ripe tannins on the palate. Very long, layered finish. Full bodied. Served with central-Texas style smoked brisket.
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This was a massive disappointment. Nose in particular was harshly liquered and reminiscent of rotting fruit. In a lineup of Syrah from N Rhone, WA, CA, Australia this was by far the worst. After a few days, the thought we had was “why would anyone make a wine like this”
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Interesting. Not blown away, but this is a formidable wine. Dense, foreboding. But balanced, not overly sweet. Not bloody tho. More savory. Long ass life ahead b
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Opened for a few hours. Bought on release. Cellar stored damn. What a statement wine. Big. Monstrous. Structured.
Not impenetrable color, dark for sure, but seemingly settled from release.
The nose is savory. Herby. Not so much blood. Dried heavy dense fruit. Some pepper notes.
This is heavy on the palate. Totally emersive. Takes over the whole palate. There is nothing but the wine. Some smokiness. Tannins still busting nbalanced. Likey.
Surprisingly this is a good wine. The balance, although heavy, manages itself well w food. Damn, this fruit is massive.
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I thought this wine was much younger that it really is. Developing slowly, this is a large scaled, mouth coating wine, hedonistic and enjoyable, but really doesn't have any varietal tells for me at all. A treat to taste, but not a wine to seek out for the purposes of aging. I think it needs a few more years yet; although the oak has softened a good deal compared to the 09 I tasted a couple years back.
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Wow, just wow! I didn't have any preconceptions when I opened this wine, but this blew me away. Blueberry, blackberry, and red currant fruit. Very ripe and super lush. I know it is high alcohol, but the wine carries the high alcohol very well. Finishes with glycerin and lots of vanilla. Oak is well integrated. A little one dimensional - not a lot of secondary nuance,, but so hedonistic, opulent, smooth and satisfying. Really impressive stuff.
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Give it at least four hours. Decanted and waited, patiently Lots of sediment Secondary flavors started showing after three hours Paired with lamb loin chops
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Lightening in a bottle!! This is absolutely an experience for me and many others- this has medium plus weight and has tons of layers of fruit cake and candied fruit, with a finish in meaty notes and bacon fat. Oh boy this was so good and better than the last bottle we opened 6-7?years ago.
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Two hour decant. Black cherry, black currant, smoked meat, licorice and cigar box. Very big, full bodied, complex, layered with a long finish. After a long decant this was open for business but this clear has many years ahead of it to come.
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Opened this a month ago at a restaurant - it was decanted. No specific notes other than it was perfect. Easily the WOTY. Seems to be the perfect time to consume. Everyone that tried it was blown away by the depth of flavor and abundance of fruit. This could be the best wine I have ever tasted. No surprise though - all of the Alban wines are consistently great and magical!
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This note is from day two...still a massive beast of a wine! SO much extraction and concentration...Port-like, yet plenty of acidity and dryness to balance this sucker out...but you still need to wear your big boy pants here! Simply gorgeous blackberry/boysenberry/cherry/plum fruit...ripe as you can get...yet it is NOT too sweet at all...and I hate overtly sweet wines! Olives have always been a prevalent flavor in this...and age has brought that out even more so...as well as the the tar licorice reduction...which is very integrated...smooth and silky for such a big wine...crushed rocks and dusty white pepper spice...kirsch liqueur, smoked cured meats, exotic wood smoke...finishes smooth and floral with violets...white pepper spice kick...hedonistic. What a wine!
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Decanted for one hour. Aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, black plum, smoked meat, vanilla and spice. Ripe black and blue fruit, gamey meat, licorice, chocolate and soft, fine tannins on the palate. Very long, layered finish. Rich and dense. Drinking very well, no rush. Served with Texas style smoked brisket.
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Consistent with the bottle we had in 2012 (I refused a second glass). This bottle, I managed to two sips - one when first poured, the second, after I'd let it open some more in the glass (this was allowed to open in wide-bottom decanter for ~ 1hr). It's still big, super-ripe, and chewy. I'm in the minority here that finds this boring, at best. Should hold at this level another 4-6 quite easily. NR
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Not for the faint of heart. Garnet, black fruit, black olive and touch of black pepper. Excellent structure, acid, perfect now. Full bodied, eternal finish.
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The nose is intoxicating...meaty, rich, and a little funk. This should be a perfume. Palate is smooth with licorice, spice, and some herbs. This is the best Syrah (living in Syrah country) I’ve ever had.
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Drinking absolutely fantastic. Well integrated silky tannins with lucsious fruit. Bordering on hedonistic (it's still got balance somehow) with a huge depth of flavor. Only problem is how quickly ones glass empties.
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Ski trip - Three wino familes; 2/14/2020-2/17/2020 (Wisp Resort): Very youthful expressive nose displaying ripe black fruit, blackberry jam, blackberry liqueur, smoked meat, a hint of lavender, dark spices, vanilla, wet tobacco, leather and earth. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of intense jammy black fruit, dense and rich, medium acidity, earthy mineral and a long concentrated black fruit driven finish with smoke meat and dark spices at the end. This remains incredibly youthful. Drinking nicely.
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Right out of the bottle this was absolutely captivating. Paired with braised short ribs and butternut squash risotto. It was the best food-wine pairing that I’ve experienced. Drank over a few hours, but it didn’t change all that much. It gained some weight and the fruit expanded. I actually liked it better earlier in the night. Would have scored a point or two higher had it not been for a little heat on the backend. Thanks to my buddy, Don Tirsell, for turning me on to this wine several years ago.
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Decanted this for two hours and got a much better result than the last time I drank this with limited decanting as the more complex earthy, meaty flavors seem to take time to coax out. The nose is outstanding blackberries, violets and spices. The palate has a wonderful inner core of ripe black fruit, peppercorns, smoked meat and earth. This finishes long with emerging complexity. This wine can continue to evolve for many years.
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It is still a very compact and dense wine but it is also starting to open up! Dark and sweet blackberry fruit are dominating the palate but it is also starting to some medicine cabinet and smoke. It is packet with blood and iron with a touch of sweet vanilla. Tastes really good at the moment and I don't see any reason to not drink this now and for the next 5-10 years.
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I know this a 100 point wine in RP but I didn’t see it. Great nose with black fruits and smoke meat notes check. Full bodied singing palate of black currant, tobacco and underbrush check. Long satisfying finish check. So this is an excellent Cali Syrah in a prime drinking window now but it lacks that extra verve or complexity that would make it a 100 pointer in my world. I just don’t step away from this thinking it’s that much better than the other leading syrahs from CA. But happy to drink more of this anyday and thankfully I have several more bottles.
PnP. Very dark red, almost black. Intense aromas of white pepper, very ripe plum, and dark fruits. Thick viscous and velvety on the palate with a very long finish. Fascinating contrast to a 2000 Chave Hermitage tasted in parallel. The Alban did begin to crack up and show its high alcohol after a couple of hours but still an amazing wine despite being a freak of nature.
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Decanted for one hour. Nose of blackberry, plum, blueberry, smoked meat, licorice and spice. Black and blue fruit, smoked meat, espresso and spice on the palate. Very long finish with waves of flavor. Dense and full bodied. Served with smoked ribs. Great pairing.
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This is an exceptional wine with purity and complexity. Berry fruit, soft smooth pepper spice and allspice. That's right. Noticeable allspice. Great mouth feel, smooth and silky. Fully integrated with no loose ends. Bought from the mailing list before their awful customer service kicked me off. Every bottle of Reva I have tasted has been wonderful.
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2006 Retrospective (Central Coast, CA): Disappointingly simple, with loads of oak and no distinction of note. Maybe a better early drinker, but not much of interest going on here.
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This was an epic wine and I made a huge mistake. Was moving my cellar and noticed some seepage around the foil. Was concerned the wine had spoiled so immediately uncorked to taste/drink it. The cork had allowed some minor seepage but the wine was phenomenal. My mistake was I should have used my Coravin to taste a small sample instead of immediately uncorking. Now I was committed, bottle was a magnum so drank over 2 days. Deep purple in color, creme de cassis, ripe blueberries, smoky roasted beef (think steaks on a Green Egg). It continued to improve over the 2 days. I can't say enough about this wine, one of the most memorable i have ever drunk!
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Not really my style of wine, but holy cow, what a ride! This thing says “hold on I’m gonna floor you and blow your mind” and then does it. Huge and encompassing. Wow!
Needs 4 hours and then sit down and let it blow your mind. NOT a food wine.
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With friends, I've had opportunity to taste quite a few wines rated "100pt" by the well known reviewers. These were wines of differing region and type and age. Not all highly rated wines drink well when opened, regardless decanting. They may be too young, too old, or just not cooperating yet, or just plain overrated.
This wine, however, is quite incredible. It has beautiful aromatics, rich dark fruit (not flashy), and shows tremendous power and grace. It is deeply satisfying. It's well worth enjoying now but, I think, easily has 4-6 more beautiful years ahead.
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted one hour. Blackberry, plum, smoked meat, blueberry, anise and dried herbs on the nose. Black and blue fruit, smoked meat, mocha, underbrush, anise, dried herbs and fine tannins on the palate. Long, layered finish. Rich and full bodied. Stunningly good. Served with smoked ribs.
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Popped and poured. This is a solid red tilting to purple wine with some sediment cake and silt at the end of the bottle. On the nose, I get an explosion of blackberry, blueberry, blood, gasoline, and some slight heat. The mouth is also explosive with flavors of sweet fruit and blackberry pie. The is super long and sweet. Overall, this is a loaded wine, both in the scent and flavor. Time has done this wine well (I last had this in December 2010, when it was barely drinkable; it is much better now). That said, this will crush pretty much any food other than a big pile of BBQ meat. 94 points.
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Tampa Spring Break III; 2/16/2018-2/18/2018 (Tampa FL): A big rich wine, but following the Two Hands, seems more restrained. Tastes of ripe blackberries, cracked black pepper nicely balanced with some good acidity. Sporting a long finish, but with a flush of heat. More fruit forward than savory in style.
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Tampa Spring Break (the third); 2/16/2018-2/18/2018 (Various Tampa locations (Seasons 52, Capital Grille, Berns etc.)): My favorite of the three syrahs prob partially due to this having some age and being a bit more muted in style to the Aussie. Dark plum and black pepper (which could also have been a reaction to a steak au poivre where the emphasis was more on the later than the former). Still get a bit of alcohol on it, but it blew off over time. To me still needs some more years, but very good.
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Inky black/purple. Massively extracted. Not so interesting at this stage, like an overexposed photo: the detail and nuance is washed out. I just get blueberry and dark chocolate on the nose. On the palate, more dark fruit, some bitter chocolate. Serious tannin on the finish. Maybe this will become interesting after a long slumber, but right now it's pretty simple.
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Inky purple. Full bodied, mammoth levels of fruit. Black cherry compote, and plum layered on tarry, creosote notes. Although this is drinking extremely well today, this still possesses massive tannins- still a baby.
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Decanted for 1.5 hours. Nose of blackberry liquor, smoked meat, pomegranate, and dried herbs. Black and blue berries, licorice, smoked meat, herbs and soft tannins on the palate. Leads to a very long finish. Rich, dense and layered. Served with barbecue beef brisket.
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Maybe the best syrah wine I've ever had. Explosive nose and rich, decadent fruit that's dark as night. A finish that goes on and on. So fresh and young for a wine that's 11 years old. Stellar!
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The perfume is absolutely to die for. And the balance on the palate is impeccable. Much of everything and pretty compact but with some air it offers more nuances.
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Wow, rich, thick, started off with a meaty, blood nose, decanted for 2 hours. Changed to bright red, peppery, complex fruit, long finish. Color remained a bright red/purple edge. One of my all time favorites.
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Color: opaque, inky, indigo core -> incredibly dense purple/ruby rim; glass staining. Packed bouquet that needs time to unfurl; after 2 hours of coaxing was satisfied to get some violets, blackberries, boysenberries along with wet-rock minerality. Palate is tight -- at least to my expectations of what I enjoy for an Alban Reva. I really like this but tough to judge right now; needs a lot of time IMO so judgement reserved. I'll enjoy the last of my '01 to '04's while I wait for this one . . . .
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Extremely dark wine with lovely texture and fruits and a meaty quality at first. Slow ox'ed for 7 hours and decanted for another hour and this thing was big and awesome. If any faults a bit monolithic but very smooth. Tannins have resolved and it is really enjoyable to drink. Alcohol was not affecting the enjoyment of this wine at all even with a 16.2 label. Enjoyable wine and wish I had more!!
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Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind. Reduction to start with plenty of SO2, followed by gobs of massively ripe fruit. Impressive concentration, but more monolithic and one-dimensional than I prefer - or would want to enjoy for more than a few minutes of entertainment. Again, others liked this wine quite a bit.
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted 1.5 hours. Aromas and flavors of blackberry, blueberry, violets, smoked meat and vanilla. Dense with waves of flavor. Leads to a very long finish. Served with grilled lamb chops.
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I pulled this in a rush for a BBQ without realizing the magnitude of the wine. Wow this was a stunner! Melting asphalt and intense black cherry aromas. Rich focused smoky tarry black dense sweet fruits, smooth rich and creamy with long black spiced finish. Crazy great, just wish I could have focused on this in quieter setting to contemplate its nuances.
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Decanted and enjoyed over an hour. Side by side with the he 2005 Alban Lorraine ( Papies 97). Definitely a lot more concentrated and fruit driven than the Lorraine which was more smoky and roast meaty and lighter. Definitely at the start of its drinking window. Rich core of fruit, so many layers and so much depth here, elegant and albeit mascular and big it's not heavy or difficult. The core of the wine is of rich dark fruit which however is devout of that over sweet and sometimes milky texture that we find in new world Syrah or Shiraz . This is proper Syrah just made in a very different way and push to a higher level of density. Still even classic wine lovers like us saw the beauty of this wine. Much like the Lorraine had we had this blind we would probably say it was SQN. A solid 97 and full of promise for the future.
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Wondered if it was going to last and it did. Great pull on cork, no infiltration, was concerned because a 2004 cork disintegrated on me. Dirty burgundy color. Taste dense and mouth coating and the extra time has not caused fruit to fail. Powerful, potent wine. Enjoyed each and every sip. Stored on side and sediment was etched on the glass. Wonderful wine and praised by all who partook. Recommended, Alban is one of the best syrah producers in the US.
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This wine in this year has always been a controversial wine as some people love it and some people hate it. My wife being one that hates this wine, I on the other hand really love the flavors and balance of the wine. I however have noticed as time has had it's hands on the wine my scores have gotten lower. The wine does seem more raisin like than in prior years, dark blue and black fruits, cooking spices, sweet oak and a long balanced finish. This is a great wine, but certainly not perfect in my book. Well worth the release price, not worth the aftermarket value.
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This was a spectacular wine. The tannins at this time were smoothed out. And the wine was payed with complexities that really tingled the palette. I can't say enough about this wine. And alban is a special winery for me. Well done. You knocked this one out of the park.
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A great friend, Winedog1 made a visit to us so we decided to open some bottles to celebrate the occasion. At my request, Winedog1 agreed to select the rating and prepare tasting notes for this wine.
some pepper; a touch of spice; super-rich; perfectly balanced
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 1.5 hours. Aromatic nose of blackberry, blueberry, violets, smoked meat, cedar and spice. A rich black and blue fruit core, vanilla and spice on the palate. Full bodied and layered with a dense texture. Leads to a very long finish. Outstanding. Paired with beef burgundy.
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- Purple color and aromas of raspberry, blackberry and cloves. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry with a medium/full body. Polished texture with a long finish.
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Just massive…ooozzzzze monster if there ever was such a thing…..the concentration in this wine is utterly amazing! DON'T drink this along side a Burgundy…..just don't! Fresh crushed and saturated liqueured berry fruits….teeth staining….but remarkable there is some balance here……the fruit is not too sweet…plenty of crushed rocks, asphalt tar, dusty white pepper spice, OLIVES…….killer florals of lavender, licorice, smoke meat, Kirsch liqueur…….drink this like you would a Port. A slow sipper……the pleasure will love you long time!!
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Reva 06 vs Poker Face Dinner (Bistro Boheme): Extracted and sweet blackberry fruit profile with lots of vanilla. Does not show any age in the flavors and is still all about the dense fruit. Still a lovely wine but it is, and will most likely continue to be a singular wine.
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--- COLOR: Typical opaque blackish-purple right to the rim. Like old oil. NOTE: This was the last half of a bottle we CV'd twice before, and it was just so good. The nose was scorched rosewood, fresh boysenberry, cherry pipe tobacco, grilled beef, tar, blueberry compote, vanilla and cinnamon. Whoa! Mouth was scorched blueberry bush, blackberry liqueur, tar, brown sugar and molasses! Finish kept up the same theme as the mouth and then added some bruleed marshmallow and cracked granite. Amazing juice.
Very dark purple. Expressive and hot nose of dark fruit, scorched earth, fruit compote, leaves no doubt already that they went all the way with concentration and ripeness. On the palate full bodied with lots of sweetness stemming from the high alcohol. Impressive on the first 5 seconds but finishes short. Ripe aromatics but quickly tires at least my palate. Can't see this going well with food, but if you like mass, try this.
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A totally non-compromising effort which almost has to be cut out of the bottle. Dark, perhaps a bit brooding, massive, powerful and intense are all words that describe the first impression of this effort. Still it could also be described as "elegant", if looking at the close to perfect balance and very nice integration. The nose is massive and dominated by vivid and abundant dark cool fruit. The palate is full throttle with very nice integration between its different components. Served to the right type of food this is a very food friendly wine. A stunner!
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Trelio with the fellas (Clovis Ca.): Here comes the Oooze Monster! Saturated purple, blackberry color....soaring nose of crushed wild berry fruit, white pepper, lavender florals, meat, tar. Huge and rich in the mouth, power, yet balanced. Dark berries, licorice, smoky asphalt(not as much as older Alban), dusty white pepper spice, kirsch liqueur. Just an amazing complex, mouthful of tasty!
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Best Reva I've ever had! Wow this is supple, rich and expansive on the palate. So in balance everywhere, sip after sip, and it does not alter.
Some Revas have just been overwrought and imbalanced, like I was sucking the wine through a charcoal briquette. Not this time. This has all the fruit and structure in perfect balance. I'm being conservative with a 95, may go higher.
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Aromas of blackberry, blueberry compote, black olives, espresso and nutmeg. Blackberry, mocha, toffee, black olive tapenade and spice on the palate with a rich, dense, jammy texture. Leads to a very long finish. Paired with Beef Wellington.
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Nothing like the first bottle of this that I opened. The first bottle was complex and huge. This one, a few years later, was not giving up much. A fine wine, but a bit less balanced with an alarming note of alcohol piercing through the otherwise smooth tannins and acid.
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wow. massive, chewy, almost amarone like as its so thick and dense. layers of fruit. very new world in style so may not be for everyone. nose of lilacs and wildflowers with some hot rocks - chewy and mouth coating and a long long finish.
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Pure syrah and very little cab in this one. Dark hues. Good nose. Lots of raisins and prunes on the back of the palate. Very complex and integrated. Over a 30 second finish. Decanted two hours and didn't notice the alcohol or tannins. Drinking well. Huge hit with the missus.
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Pop n pour on night one, about 1/3 bottle, so lovely but still a bit tight. 2nd night, this is just singing. The palate is insane, notes of cigar, blackberry, cherry, even hints of eucalyptus and tar. I literally cannot find a hole between the front-mid-back palate, this is so smooth and balanced. Acids and alcohol in check, it just makes me smile. An incredible wine, absolutely delightful.
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This needs several hours to open up, dark fruit, licorice, vanilla and great balance as it gets air. The alcohol is noticeable as 16.2% can't be hidden, but it's not in your face and it's tolerable. The complexity and balance are great and I could have this everyday... If only I had so many bottles and such a bankroll.
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Sadly, my last bottle, but no regrets opening this as it's very ready to drink. This saw a short, 1 hour decant which was all that was needed to blow off what little reductive aroma remains (I found these highly stinky on release). The tannin has resolved beautifully, this was packed and stacked with a ton of coarse tannin. They've appeared to have polymerized as this is now soft, round and full in the mouth. What little black fruit was present is now completly dominated by black olives and pork fat. It has those beautiful N. Rhone Syrah characteristics, but intensely amped up. An extraordinary wine, drinking beautifully today.
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Absolutely stunning. Beautiful complex fruit and spice. Rich and complex and drinking like liquid silk. If I had to pick a weakness it was that it was almost too silky.
Drank magnum at a special family gathering with steaks. Decanted 5+ hours and it was just enough. Strong berry fruit on both the nose and the palate. This wine still have a very long life ahead.
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Favorite wine from a recent trip to the Santa Barbara wine country. Big, rich, and complex with layers of flavors: blackberry, plum, chocolate, tar, lavendar. Velvety mouthfeel, lingering finish.
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Tasted open-knit from opening but unreal after a 2.5 hr decant. Just gorgeous. Needs air. Don't let it fool you. This wine has a ton of stuffing, but it needs to flesh out in the glass & decanter. Patience. Also, patience in the cellar. Lots of life left in this btl. Cellar away! Delicious wine. Does it drink like a 100ptr? You decide.
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Profound from first sniff, until last sip. The 2006 Reva might very well be the best wine John Alban has ever made. It is interesting, complex, full-bodied, elegant and nuanced at the same time. It delivers a wow experience - and it is completely balanced and just adorable! The nose exhitbits massive dark fruit, mint, heather, blackberry and a lovely tone of dark chocolate. There are secondary layers of sweet licorice and freshly made cloudberry jam. The wine is incredibly balanced and despite being a true powerhouse, there is a subtle elegance which makes me tick. The palate is completely integrated and of course perfectly balanced. Tannins add to the overall structure which will make another 10+ years in the cellar a "no brainer". A truly amazing wine and true master craftsmanship from the winemaker!
(Tasted in a flight with 1991 Guigal La Turque, 2001 Penfolds Grange, 2002 Torbreck RunRig and 2006 Alban Reva.)
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Wondering what has happened to this wine. Progressively less appealing each time I open one. 4 years ago this was drinking so nicely, understood the scores it earned. Now, near awful and that was despite giving it 7 hours in a decanter to open after being poured through a vinturi aerator. Battle between alcohol and pepper - heat for dominance. Both won, wine awful.
Had some good wine friends over for grilled steaks. I opened this early to drink alongside another powerhouse, 07 Bionic Frog. Frog ran away with the WOTN, this was so peppery and hot, smelled and tasted so much of alcohol that none of us finished each of the any small pours we tried. Still have over half a bottle pumped and in the cellar to try again today.
Not sure whether to find a new home for the remaining bottles or give it another few years to come around.
I loved this wine but only two of us voted it best of flight. Big black fruit with that Alban charm and funky nose. Pure fruit. Travis actually guessed vintage, producer and bottling correctly on this blind. Bravo.
6th time I've opened a bottle of this wine. It is really exciting, although not quite as much fireworks as the last bottle. Still solid, dark with flowers, spice and long finish.
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Cant believe I ever bought a wine like this. It's now a couple years later, and it is all alcohol and high extract. Nobody at the table finished their glass.
Gorgeous, luxurious, wine - big and so rich, yet wonderfully balanced. Berries and pepper and a finish that goes on and on. Drank this with Momofuku ramen alongside a 2001 Penfolds Grange. I preferred the Grange tonight, but that's no reflection on the quality of this amazing wine.
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I normally love this wine but tonight we brought this and an '06 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Cuvée de mon Aïeul to dinner and shared with the same meal. This was over the top and a bit rough compared to the CdP.
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 1.5 hours. Blackberry, pepper, licorice, cedar, cocoa and nutmeg on the nose. Waves of rich blackberry jam, spice and vanilla on the palate, leading to a long, velvety smooth finish. Full bodied, well balanced, with excellent depth. Paired with prime rib.
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I'll wait on rating this wine until I've tried it again. Did a Coravin 3 oz pour and let it sit in the glass for two hours. 16.2% abv, and it seems like more. I switched from a Syrah glass to a Bordeaux to let the alcohol blow off a bit more, but it still overpowers. Very full bodied and massive fruit. Silky texture. After a a few sips, you can get past the alcohol (maybe the senses are just numb by then), but I don't see the typical syrah earth, leather, tobacco, funk characteristics - just syrupy dark fruit. For me, it's much ado about nothing....
96+ pts; Awesome bouquet! Fruit bomb on the nose. Tons and tons of dark fruit with a dried creaminess at the end. One of the best syrahs I have ever had.
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For this genre of wine, close to perfection. My head was spinning with the complexity of the flavor profile. Contrary to some comments about how this is too big/overbearing/hot, the wine hides its power in a high intensity velvet glove. Large scaled but somehow finds balance while pushing concentration and ripeness and extraction to the limit. Extremely big, extremely flavorful, extremely well made. A John Alban tour de force. Makes you smile. Tommy and Susie, you would have loved this wine. You will always be with us. Sean and I were in Syrah heaven.
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Oh my, the intensity is, well, intense. Tons of deep, dark, black fruit. Chocolate, lavendar, and mocha. Currently, no classic Alban funk which is what I crave in these wines.
Showing thick, ripe, simple and monolithic.
If prior vintages are any indication, the upside on this wine is well worth a double plus. Huge fan of Alban.
Keep enjoying that juice.
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This is one of those syrahs you justwont forget. Big and bold. Descriptors wouldn't do it justice. Try next in 5 years. Plenty of time left on this baby.
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A real monster wine! But this is the second time I taste it and it seemed to be evolving quicker than expected. Nose is still dark cassis and pepper but the taste was more mellow than last bottle. This kind of wine is too much for me but this was very good indeed.
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Opaque blood red color with aromas of coffee, red fruits, black pepper and alcohol. Smooth and balanced flavors of red fruits, black pepper and a slight steak of mocha. Although beautifully made, the alcohol is a bit overwhelming and is in no way hidden by the layers of complexity. I hope this can mellow out in time.
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My second experience with this wine. The nose is heavy with blackberry cobbler with a hint of vanilla and toast. The wine coats your mouth with a thick cherry, red currants and sage taste. Balanced and smooth with a long finish. Alcohol is very present with texture like gulping down a spoonful of sweet motor oil. Had with my fiancé!!! and filet mignon. Not as huge as I remember but perfect for the amazing night.
See picture at http://maxsatisfactionwine.com/post/50149743933
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Great nose, dark dark fruit, licorice, plum, raisin and vanilla. Great balance and amazing how 16.2 alcohol can be hidden, even at all! It's hard to really see the under-lying complexities in this wine as the fruit is so massive.
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Had with anniversary dinner. Deep maroon with gorgeous rim, almost glowing. Cork stayed completely intact. In short, all the praise is justified. Incredible wine, one of the best I've had the pleasure to have. No edges at all, great initial taste and finish. One of those wines you want to let sit in your mouth just to gather all the flavors. Alcohol 16% completely hidden until i got up. Shared a taste with restaurant manager who out of gratitude proceeded to comp our dessert. Felt this was in a good place tonight and don't know how it could get better. CT and pro reviews say until 2030, but I think I'll drink it before then and cheat the hangman.
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Big and elegant. Along with an SQN Syrah last night at Broadway with the NWA group, this was a crowd pleaser. Crunchy tannins and deep red fruit; a couple of the guys found a bit of heat, but I did not. Full-flavored but balanced. Terrific.
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Jesus what a nose. Very intense aromas of black fruits, warm baking spices, minerals, tar, licorice, black tea, violets, pepper, and more. Palate confirms the nose with an almost unctuous texture, high (not hot) alcohol, and the ripeness of the fruit is just insane. If the acid was a bit higher, I would be thinking it was the best Amarone I had ever tried. Finish is endless.
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I opened this at our 1/19/13 lamb dinner. It had an extremely rich, dense and brooding bouquet of blackberry, boysenberry, licorice, spice and tar aromas. The palate was rich, concentrated and voluptuous with flavors of blackberry, plum, licorice, pepper, spice and minerals. WOW! My score was 96+. Our group’s average score was 95.2 points.
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Popped and poured. Incredibly deep color and the bottle is stained with pigment from the wine; rich deep nose with a bit of Syrah white better. On the palate just an avalanche of intense fruit, just this side of too much residual sugar, and not as hot as I would have expected at 16.2 abv. Excellent.
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Forgot this was WA 100 when we drank it. Not decanted and I don't think it should be. Opens up after about 5 mins in the glass. Concentrated and balanced with good acidity and a very long finish. Left about 3 oz for the next day but it suffered in that time oxidizing somewhat. I recommend drinking now.
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My teeth are permanently stained, this is so dense and darkly colored. The others at dinner liked this way better than I - it's just not a style I like very much. Appears to be a well made with but not for pinot lovers.
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This is one of the rare wines from the initial aroma to the last lingering finish is great. Layers of flavor, touching all parts of your palate, and then lingering for multiple minutes in the finish. Decanted for two hours, tannins were in check, probably could age another decade or two, drinking very good at the moment.
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Great flavorful fruit. kind of a poor mans 17th nail in my cranium. it has all the right stuff but just not a complete wine. I would drink it again but wouldnt buy it..
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Tasted earlier this year, I was knocked out by this wine. Over the past 11 months, it's gotten even better! There is a beautiful sensation of purity to the sweet, ripe, polished berries. The wine has great length, balance and sophisticated textures, plus it's drinking in the sweet spot. If you have a bottle, do not hesitate to pop a cork.
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Unbelievably delicious! A big wine, yet perfectly balanced with incredible flavor and intensity. The aftertaste develops in your mouth and goes on for a minute or more. Lots of black cherry, blueberry, mocha and a hint of vanilla. A definite "Wow" wine.
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Extraordinarily lush and voluptuous. Great depth and finish. Decanted several hours and funneled back into the bottle. Dark fruits, blueberries, chocolate. Powerful without overbearing.
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Flint, beef, stewed peppers, bacon, black pepper. Huge nose followed by a huge palate of blackberries, beef, chocolate, raspberries and oak. Gigantic and delicious. Long, long finish. Wow
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100 RP BYO Tasting (Restaurant AOC): Very exciting nose packed with impressions of meat, acetone, sweet dark plums, concentrated olives, caramel, raisin and even orange peel. Concentrated dark plum palate with a floral touch but also coffee and orange peel. Extracted, complex and very special. A stunning wine!
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Huge! Big grassy black fruit nose. Grilled steak, eucalyptus, black pepper and jammy dark fruits. Taste lingers for 2 minutes plus. The most concentrated wine I’ve ever had. Enjoyed at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa over charcuterie. A little hot on the finish otherwise perfection.
See more detail at http://maximumsatisfaction.tumblr.com/post/33530242639
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Slow-O 2 hours, served at cellar temp. Comes out swinging, but also hot and clumsy. Too rich and extracted, with an overbearing sense of confected sweetness. Brown sugar, sugar beet. I was not able to finish the second glass. Sure there's lots of perfume and sure it's quite unique, but it also becomes sensory overload after a while, and not in a good way. It was just slightly better with food, but honestly, that's not saying much. Meh.
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At first sniff, it is evident what is in the glass: a totally non-compromising effort with so much of everything there would not be room for one tiny little ingredient to be added. Still this wine could be described as "elegant", if judging the balance and very nice integration. The nose is massive and permeated by vivid and ample dark mature fruit. The palate is best described as full and lush with very nice integration between tannins, acidity oak and fruit. Do not be mistaken, served to the right type of food this is a very food friendly wine, but it for sure also has its place with the cheese after dinner. A stunner!
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Rich nose of bacon fat, grilled meats, black and blue fruits, lavender. Palate is less expressive at this point. Slightly marred by some noticeable alcohol on the nose and palate.
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Had with a simple grilled dinner at home (sides included local wood roasted beets and swiss chard) and this was again stunning....WSJ this am had an article about Paso robles and, of course, Justin Smith and how John Alban convinced the family to plant rhone varietals(instead of the chardonnay they had already)...thank god (well, thank John Alban)...
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Big, reductive beefy nose. A lot of savory notes on the nose, sage, thyme, just deliciousness. The palate is a little milder than I would have hoped but it is delicious with ripe berries and some gamey notes. Awesome.
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Judgment of Singapore: Part 1 - Chardonnay and Syrah (Zeffir, Dunlop Street): This was yet another super-highly rated, rather expensive wine that ended up doing really badly at a blind-tasting. Two people actually listed this as their favourite Syrah, yet it still managed to end up quite overwhelming the least-favoured bottle on the night (#6 out of 6). The nose was typical of a huge Californian Syrah, with oodles of black plums and blackcherries - just layers of big black fruited aromas laced with glycerol and spice. A bit challenging to say the least. I found the palate extremely rich, more than a little sweet, and certainly rather heady given the mix of high alcohol and low acidity in its almost syrupy layers of cassis and blackberries, cherry syrup and spice. No doubting the huge depth and hulking power of the wine,and even though it was not entirely imbalanced, with some velvety tannins in the background holding the fruit up, it was definitely not the easiest thing to drink. In fact, it was almost Woods cough medicine-like on the finish. Not a bad wine, but this was very man-made and just too sweet, big and viscous at the moment for me. This could well be one for those who like a more fruit-forward style and massive depth in their wines. But even then, I would think that it would benefit from a few more years in the cellar.
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This is a most beautiful wine. It has such immensely floral nose with lovely sweet undertones. It's brings put the usual syrah tastes like cherries, bacon and some hints of flint and lemon. But it does in such an elegant manner that's it makes Australian syrahs look brash. It's just fantastic. I love it.
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Had this with a bevy of appetizers at st John....this needs about an hour of air time to open up.... Reva from alban may be one of the best values in the wine world these days.... Last had this 6 months ago at townhouse ( John shields) where it trumped an aubert Pinot and everything else old and new world we experienced that night....
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Tasted with Flight of high-end Napa Cabs and Syrahs. I've always been a fan of Alban wines but this was one of my least favorite wines. It had the classic flavors of Syrah with smoke, bacon, cured meats and some dirty. My problem with the wine was that it also tasted like someone poured an Islay Scoth in it. The alcohol was way too prominent to be enjoyed as a table wine.
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Rich, delicious blackberry fruit with chocolate flavors, excellent structure and balance, terrific wine but just too hot, heat makes it difficult to drink more than one glass
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Had same evening as my 100-point 2004 experience. The relation between these 2 wines is obvious, however the 2006 is not nearly the wine the 04 was that night. Everything was there, just not in its right place. Disjointed, and at times a bit off. Judgement reserved for the time being. Happy to sit on my other bottles for a while.
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Flat out one of the best bottles of wine I've ever had! Massive fruit! Not for those who want subtle, earthy flavors. Amazingly long finish that leaves you wanting to immediately drink more. Would be interesting to try in a few more years but it is so perfect now, there is little chance of me waiting. And I'm not even that much of a fan of syrah! Very special wine!
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Nothing new to add here, other than to say "I agree." A friend shared for dinner...the wine was the the dinner. Decanted seven hours and could have used another day. So powerful, but not obnoxious the way some of the big Aussie Shiraz can be. Saw the current auction price on this wine, and I'm not sure it is THAT good.
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Very dark, almost black, thick wine with wery impressive nose of roasted meat, asphalt, blue and black berrys. This is so full bodied, thick and intensive that it makes it hard to appreciate. It will probably soften down with time, but it makes me wonder if it will ever be a wine you can actually enjoy with any kind of food or by itself. It´s just too much. But really impressive though..
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Deep, dark and still purple in color, the wine explodes from the glass with intense, jammy scents of blackberry and blueberry liqueur, pepper, vanilla, coffee, licorice and black cherry jam. This massive wine is packed and stacked with multiple layers of sweet, ripe, jammy berries and spice. This dense Syrah ends with a long, palate coating finish.
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I have been waiting for 18 months to pop the cork on one of these – I have 6 bottles and this is the first. I think the anticipation of what it would be like got the best of me.
The pour into a decanter (and my glass) was itself amazing. The color is a very bright, thick, completely opaque violet color that almost shines in the glass. Interestingly, the wine threw a deposit – after only 5 years….
Nose (Hour 1) Not all that complex, probably needs some time to breathe. Definitely has some baby fat. Has a dual note of flowers and graphite/asphalt – very interesting but still not all that complex ……yet. I’ve read it has a high alcohol content but doesn’t give off that typical high-alcohol, young wine “heat”.
Taste (Hour 1) Vanilla, cassis, liquid smoke, crushed berries, tar? It is very dense and thick. It coats the mouth like a gloss of paint
Nose (Hour 2) Floral notes began to take over, as well as the tar/graphite/smoke component. Became much less dense and the nose was much more lengthy
Taste (Hour 2) Still quite thick – interesting mix of fruits and smoke/graphite. Would have gone great with Rabbit, but we went with strip steaks
Hour 3 Wine did not make it into hour 3
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Rich, intense, lush, delicious, smooth. Decanted in the glass at a restaurant; would benefit from a longer, more thorough decant. Must force myself to sit on the remaining bottle for a year or so.
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Tremendous! Best Alban I've ever had. The richness, power, flavor explosion is exciting. Almost over the top but the balance is there. Long aftertaste.
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Was thrilled to find this wine at a local San Luis Obispo restraurant for $140. It was my first time tasting it and we were not disappointed. Very smooth.
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Still a baby, with a nose and flavors that offer massive quantities of raw meat, roasted garrigue and deep, dark blue fruit. Initially disjointed, it started coming together and opening up after 3+ hours in the glass, and only then, just barely. Give this a couple more years, and it's going to be awesome.
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Opened Wed night (cloying, dull), a glass Friday was more balanced, and open, then... finished Sat night... brilliant, medium-full body, smoke, herbs, fine fruit... I may just share some of these with others ;-)
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An incredible experience. This Dark brooding beauty of a wine was so perfumed and effusive upon pouring, we all just wanted to smell it for a while. As it opened, and we bgain to taste, the intensity of the blackberry fruit, scorched earth, spice box, and mild oak, came in layers across the palate. The finish was 45+ seconds, in complex waves. So many things to taste in this wine. The alcohol seemed high, but the fruit kept up with it all night. A very well-made wine, and the right bottle for Ray's B-Day dinner!
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The 2006 Alban Reva is as fully packed a wine can be. Every component of this wine is exposed and developed to its utmost extent, the fruit is massive and fully packed, the tannins are expressive but yet silky and soft, the oak is luxurious and rich and the acidity is nicely embedded but still present (the 2006 Reva is an excellent food companion...). In the glass the wine reveals layer after layer of dark mature fruits, a voluptuous palate and massive oak as the hours pass by... My only concern is that the heat is somewhat present in the end palate, but not at all as expressive as one might think at 16.2 %. The overall impression is a massive wine with so much potential, I think it will develop for another 10-15 years.
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Not nearly as good as last bottle. Had all the same notes as before just everything was somewhat tight and muted compared to the wide open bottle I had 9 months ago. Still an awesome wine but only mid 90s instead of high 90's for me this time.
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Full throttle, big reva. Shared with family and friends who flew into town for labor day and I did not preview or warn them with what was coming. They expected a simple glass of wine post flight and into the evening and got a rocket ship of intensity and power. Everyone loved it and was blown away by the aromatics, taste, and incredible and yet integrated intensity.
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Weeknight Wine Tasting (Bistro 7, Philadelphia PA): where the saxum showed restraint, this did not. loads of ripe fruit that has been overly extracted -- this was almost, but not quite, pushing into mollydooker territory for me in terms of the extraction and concentration of fruit -- in the good way, but also in the bad way of noticeable heat and cloying on the palate. (i may have been prejudiced by calling this a 'slutty' wine all night based on my past taste of it). long fruit driven finish.
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Survery Of New World Wines (Bistro 7 (7 N. 3rd St., Philadelphia)): Decisive wine of the night for me and the score may not reflect how much I really enjoyed this wine. The initial release price looks to have been $70+. What an incredible bargain. I've enjoyed some SQN over the years -- this is easily in the same league (and is probably better). Sometimes you have to wonder about all the fuss over SQN when wines like this are less expensive and more readily available. The balance on this wine is superb. The nose is huge, no doubt. And there is just a shade of heat. Dark berry fruit. Chocolate covered fruit, perhaps? Smooth, creamy and delicious. The alcohol is way high, but you would never know unless you were obsessed with the alcohol %. Just enjoy the darn wine, instead of obsessing over alcohol! If you can't taste it, then it really is not that big of a deal. Maybe not a wine for the long term, but definitely one to enjoy now.
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The nose is just bursting with peppery spices and dark dense fruit. Full-bodied and massive, but without loosing freshness. Very good and perfect to a slice of meet.
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Rich, delicious, full-bodied blackberry fruit with mocha, earthy, and hint of vanillin flavors, great structure, heat of alcohol mutes the depth and complexity, medium finish, as good as this wine is the style of such high alcohol prevents it from achieving greatness
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2 1/2 hour decant. Deep black, purple color. Black currant, black cherry, black plum, vanilla bean, and spice aromas and flavors. Some alcohol noticeable on the nose, but dissipated quickly. The mid-palate is dominated by smooth, jammy dark fruit and well integrated soft tannins. The finish is velvety smooth and lingers. Full bodied with good acidity. Paired well with Greek Tenderloin. Overall, an outstanding new world style Syrah.
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If you believe wine = food, then this may be for you. HUGE in every way; high alcohol, lots of fruit, very extracted. Hopefully in a few years it may attain some subtlety, but right now it would be hard to imagine a dish that it would not overwhelm. Think big, and you might pair it successfully. For me, too much wine, too little finesse. Points for flavor...and the expectation it will calm down eventually. Certainly has the stuffing for it. If you're popping now, decant for days. This should be held for a while...
Re-tasted 12/29/12. Inky dark and viscous. While it has mellowed some, I stand by my original comments. This wine is a bruiser, and while the tannins are softer and the flavors are more integrated, it is not for the faint of heart. You have to be a lover of big wines to enjoy this. If you are...go for it. If you're a Syrah lover, there are better wines for the price, with less hype (you know who they are.)
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Insane concentrated with dark fresh blackberries, liquorice, vanilla and coffee. Just a crazy and intense wine and definitely has that special Alban style. Tasted after a very long evening with 20+ wines.
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Found one for $125 at restaurant and had to pop on it. Having consumed about 4 bottles of Patrina over the years I was looking forward to the higher end Reva. Decanted the wine and drank it over a 90min period. It certainly opened up more at the end. The Reva has the tasty fruit forward Syrah you are expecting, however I couldn’t see it being any better than the Patrina, which of course is a blend of Syrahs from different plots. My concern with this wine is the high alcohol percentage 15.6. The alcohol flavor distracted from the overall flavor. A good wine, but save your money and drink the Patrina.
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Gorgeous, big-time, unabashed Cali Syrah. Consistent with my last note. Stunning nose of white chocolate, dark fruit, exotic spices, asphalt and toasty. Palate is richly fruited with low, but effective acidic cut that allows a wine so so large and dense to show fresh and lively. Layers upon layers of flavor and texture on the palate. Beautifully fragrant finish. Just fantastic.
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SQN Dinner (Lockkeepers): I loved this, but it was less well liked by the group I think. Added as John was a mentor to Manfred. Shimmering bright in color. Great nose. Black and red raspberries, spice and leather. More ethereal than the SQN's. ever so slightly pruney with black raspberries and pepper. Dances on the palate. Slightly bitter on the finish. This is a ripe wine for sure, but has the balance to pull it off.
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Massive, rich, concentrated, intense, viscous wine. I sense that people will either love this wine or hate it - I loved it. On the second day it was even more luscious than on the first. The wine needs to be tamed by time.
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Dramatic, full-blown Syrah that is youthful, dense and concentrated. Explosive black fruit and red berry compote wrapped in resilient tannins with a saturated, detailed and expressive finish that echoes on and on. Amazingly refined, and is approachable now, but will improve for a decade in the cellar. One of the highlights of the weekend. Sensational Reva. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Hospice du Rhone Rendezvous
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This was a delicious, big wine. It starts out with the prototypical west Paso nose - hard to describe, but common to the best example of oceanfront central coast Rhones. Call it what you want, but teroir works for me. The hedonistic nose is matched on the palate with rich, concentrated blackberry juice, infused with a healthy dose of char, roasted meat and petrol. The long, sweet finish has just enough acid and structure to avoid any sense of cloyness. Not quite as sensational as the Lorraine, but really good.
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Nose of aromatic fruits and a bit of pepper. On the palate, the thing that struck me was the extraordinarily smooth texture. Fruit a bit on the baked side, kept this from being truly great. Notes of lavender and black pepper on the intense palate too. A very nice syrah, reminded me a bit of some Jaffurs syrahs. Not sure how long I'd count on this aging well though. For those who believe a 100 pt rating from Parker means a wine is perfect, this is a perfect example of how silly that notion is - resist the folly of being a point-chaser and the premiums you will pay for 100 RP, only to get a wine that isn't really better than so many with non-100 point scores. Nonetheless, an excellent wine despite the slightly stewed character showing on the fruits, 93-94 points.
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Now we're talkin Cali Rhone! Oozing purple, blackberry color....soaring nose of crushed wild berry fruit, white pepper, lavender florals, meat, tar. Huge and rich in the mouth, power, yet super balanced. I'm thinking SQN or Lillian? Dark berries, licorice, smoky tar(not as much as older Alban), sweet dusty white pepper spice, Kirsch liqueur. Just an amazing complex, mouthful of goodness! Super! +pts
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A great, young wine. Right out of the bottle it showed loads of blueberries, black licorice and white pepper on the nose. Layers of blue and black fruits on the palate with a silky texture and absolutely no sign of heat despite the 16.2% alcohol...we gave a little pour to our server, and I quickly asked him to guess the alcohol content. He took a minute and then said "14.2%." I laughed and told him it was 16.2%, and he didn't believe me, I had to show him the bottle.
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Decanted for four hours and enjoyed over the next three.
Inky purple core with a bright pink rim. Pungent aromas of raspberry coulis, crushed red flowers, blackberry jam, clove, and nutmeg. On the palate the flavours are brighter with red cherry, blackberry, red currant, black cherry, french vanilla, and black pepper. The texture of the wine is amazing--flawlessly seamless, fading into classic rich-red-fruit-skin Syrah goodness. The finish is persistent through at least thirty seconds.
The concentration and purity of this wine is remarkable. Just out-and-out a rewarding wine-drinking experience. Perfect? No...I would want a longer finish and more intense and delineated aromas. But this bottle is truly exceptional and distinguished.
A lengthy decant is appropriate now (I'd say 5-ish hours to start with) and this wine will be fun to follow for a long time.
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Totally integrated but sexy, flamboyant and free-spirited. This wine has everything and so far beats any Saxum wine I have had. Find someone beautiful to share it with.
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Unbelievable nose, great black fruit taste and very balanced for a high alcohol wine. Decanted for 4 hours. Hopefully, this wine will get even better with a few more year's time.
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PnP. Stunning nose stops you in your tracks with big smoky black fruit, incense, asphalt and exotic spices. Palate is richly fruited and dense yet silky smooth and refreshing. Flavors echo the nose along with a hefty dose of black pepper and smoked meat. Long, flavorful smooth finish. Very young - but so chock full of fruit, life and energy. Why not drink it now?
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Decanted and sampled over 5 hours. Wine seemed ultra-tight and just not ready to strut its stuff although it is clearly well made. Once consumed the residual wine in the glass gave a 100 point nose!!! Think this has the potential to be sensational but for my wife and I it just isn't there now. Looking forward to sampling over time.
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Absolutely astonishing! Dark berries on the nose (black currant, black cherries) as well as chocolate. Taste matches the nose and then some. A dark, full bodied, velvet like experience that lingers. Enjoy.
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Unreal bottle. Honestly, no hard edges, amazingly integrated. Tar, bacon, licorice, all melting into pureed blackberries. Drinking so well right now, unreal.
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Black and viscous. The aromatics on this were incredible. Vanilla, berry, and toast. Amazing fruit and so smooth. An extremely long finish. The best syrah I have ever tasted.
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Well now I know what a Parker 100 is. There really is a huge difference between 99 and a 100, more than just a point. Only gave this a 98+ because this wine is so young and will only get much better if that is possible. I wanted to leave room to recognize the inevitable improvement. 2 points probably is not enough.
Smooth, dark, rich, thick and an extraordinary and long finish come to mind immediately. This wine is smooth, hard to believe its so young. With great restraint we were able to "ration" our first bottle of this over 2 - 3 hours the evolution and improvement were very noticeable. Dark berry fruit, hints of licorice, spice and a hint of chocolate. Since we were able to acquire a respectable quantity we're planning to taste regularly and journal its evolution. Alban does Rhone wines like none other, I just keep coming back to "smooth and spectacular".
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This bottle totally suprised me at it's young age. Is it ready to drink? No but don't let that stop you from breaking into one if you've got a few laying around as this was really pleasurable from the moment it was opened. This exhibited a nose that evolved and changed every 10 minutes over the course of 3 hours that it was consumed. Displayed deep dark luscious black fruit, white pepper, chocolate covered bacon that led to a silky smooth mouthfeel full of blackberries, cedar, spice. This wine perfectly balanced the acidity and alcohol and one would never know it had an alcohol % over 16. The finish went on and on for well over a minute. A pleasure today and I can't wait to try these down the road.
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Day one, thick chocolate on the nose and flavors of blackberry & sweet corn with a tight backbone. Day two gained complexity, pleasant oak and noticeable vanilla.
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Dark as night. MASSIVE WINE. A Parker wine to the max. Huge fruit. Massive extraction. Hide the kids. Penetrating on the palate with a 90 second finish.
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Not exactly my 'normal preferred' style, but it would be very hard to not say 'wow' and be significantly impressed with this wine, this young. Seems like Reva can be hit or miss with me, but this vintage and bottle was pretty spectacular. Deep, dark and rich, as you would expect, but pulls it off in a balanced way. Velvet on the palate, unbelievable smoothness for 16%+. A myriad of aromas constantly evolving over a couple hours. Certainly the best Reva I have ever tried. I would guess this will evolve glacially over 20+ years, but it is no mistake at all drinking one now. Great, great effort.
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Big rich wine, great fruit backbone, unbelievable complexity, silky mouthfeel and a long finish. IMO the 2006 Reva is much better than the 2005 Lorraine, can't wait to drink the 2006 Lorraine.
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Really hard for me to rate this wine. It is super duper ripe and sweet. Like a big ol' Barossa Shiraz. Thankfully not hugely overoaked, which makes it drinkable. In fact, downright tasty beverage if you are in the mood for something huge and sweet. But simple.
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3/27/2024 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted. Floral nose, jumping out of the decanter, woodsey, barnyard, meating, fleshy, great palate depth. Stunning. Wow. Wife did not like as she is not a Rhône style person.
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12/26/2023 - raydawgone Likes this wine: 99 Points
Christmas '23 - last of 3 bottles - decanted 3-hours, full-throttle and very concentrated for having this much age. Deep, rich opaque color. Nose of singed cedar & fragrant bacon fat. Brambly mulberry, black berry and hint of red raspberry. Asian 5-spice on finish that seemingly went on for minutes. Northern Rhone similarities.
Definitely in good drink window but still has 5-7 years of hang time. Bottle of year.....thus far! Over the top!
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11/17/2023 - merlotsmile Likes this wine: 95 Points
Vinminnen 19
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7/5/2023 - SteelerFan wrote: 96 Points
Exceptional wine. Dark, inky color with almost syrupy consistenty. Dense, rich red and blue berry flavors that somehow manages to retain lift and energy. A big wine but not heavy.
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5/7/2023 - CHarder Likes this wine: 94 Points
Almost too big tonight. Previous bottle in better balance. Perhaps just needed more air before drinking.
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12/26/2022 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fruitier and younger tasting than expected. Intense minerality/charcoal. A bit of heat from the alcohol. Much nicer at this stage than the last one we tasted. Would score a bit higher if not for the "heat".
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12/18/2022 - markydecker Likes this wine:
From magnum with 2 hour decant. This has not budged in 9 years. Once again, trademark Alban with massive fruit, alcohol well integrated, very nice acidic backbone. Black olives, grilled meats, blueberries and blackberries in abundance. Outstanding full throttle California Syrah. Very well done!
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12/3/2022 - oldcorke Likes this wine: 100 Points
Rich, inviting, & perfuse nose of black tarry cherry fruit, thyme, roasted meat jus, dried beef & violets, with just a hint of eucalyptus lifting everything. An incredible palate of luxurious black fruit half nigh on a fine port tho drawing lighter & more elegant with subtle acid set against just enough tannic backbone. Decanted 1 hour & drunk over 2 days. My prior review underestimated this wine... suspect it will easily last 10-15 more years.
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7/18/2022 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 95 Points
What I'm looking for when I buy an Alban. Spectacular. Smooth, integrated complex fruit, great finish. In a great drinking window.
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7/12/2022 - Noel Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Its got an amazing powerful berry, chocolate and oak nose and for a second its rich and enticing but then sadly just plain hot, an almost alcohol burn and i made sure it was at around 16c temperature wise. Sadly ruined it and amongst 6 of us it was not finished...
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6/7/2022 - duanerb wrote: 93 Points
Sight: moderate evolution, the core is still dark
Aromatic: Still plenty of sweet black/blue fruit intermingled with black olive tapenade, light roasted meats, lavender white pepper, and truffle
Palate: M+Body, M-Acid, M+Alc, Smooth T, Palate matches the nose with a nice blend of fruit and tertiary flavors. Finish is long
Yes this is a modern wine, without the true elegance of the northern Rhone, but the wine is aging well. The alc will start to show through more as it ages further, but a thought provoking wine at 16 years of age.
I think I will finish the bottle with a smile
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5/30/2022 - hoservin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hours. Nose of ripe blackberry, black plum, huckleberry, gamey meat and spice. Black and blue fruit, gamey meat, spice and ripe tannins on the palate. Very long, layered finish. Full bodied. Served with central-Texas style smoked brisket.
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4/16/2022 - kanowsky Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Way past its time. Even the fragrance is off-putting.
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4/8/2022 - aaacerbic Does not like this wine:
This was a massive disappointment. Nose in particular was harshly liquered and reminiscent of rotting fruit. In a lineup of Syrah from N Rhone, WA, CA, Australia this was by far the worst. After a few days, the thought we had was “why would anyone make a wine like this”
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2/21/2022 - tplskylrk wrote:
Interesting. Not blown away, but this is a formidable wine. Dense, foreboding. But balanced, not overly sweet. Not bloody tho. More savory. Long ass life ahead b
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2/18/2022 - tplskylrk wrote:
Opened for a few hours. Bought on release. Cellar stored damn. What a statement wine. Big. Monstrous. Structured.
Not impenetrable color, dark for sure, but seemingly settled from release.
The nose is savory. Herby. Not so much blood. Dried heavy dense fruit. Some pepper notes.
This is heavy on the palate. Totally emersive. Takes over the whole palate. There is nothing but the wine. Some smokiness. Tannins still busting nbalanced. Likey.
Surprisingly this is a good wine. The balance, although heavy, manages itself well w food. Damn, this fruit is massive.
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1/27/2022 - jviz wrote:
I thought this wine was much younger that it really is. Developing slowly, this is a large scaled, mouth coating wine, hedonistic and enjoyable, but really doesn't have any varietal tells for me at all. A treat to taste, but not a wine to seek out for the purposes of aging. I think it needs a few more years yet; although the oak has softened a good deal compared to the 09 I tasted a couple years back.
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1/14/2022 - suburbanfrog Likes this wine: 96 Points
This wine is still powerful and amazing!!! Big flavor and smooth tannins and long finish
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1/13/2022 - Jay A wrote: 95 Points
Wow, just wow! I didn't have any preconceptions when I opened this wine, but this blew me away. Blueberry, blackberry, and red currant fruit. Very ripe and super lush. I know it is high alcohol, but the wine carries the high alcohol very well. Finishes with glycerin and lots of vanilla. Oak is well integrated. A little one dimensional - not a lot of secondary nuance,, but so hedonistic, opulent, smooth and satisfying. Really impressive stuff.
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12/24/2021 - Jjpt1785 Likes this wine:
Give it at least four hours.
Decanted and waited, patiently
Lots of sediment
Secondary flavors started showing after three hours
Paired with lamb loin chops
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9/23/2021 - madmagnum wrote: 98 Points
killer wine. still big and needed at least an hour to really start showing its stuff. young and vibrant fruit.
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8/18/2021 - peterk Likes this wine:
Gorgeous wine! Decanted for three hours, which was the right thing to do for this teeth-staining, multi-layered masterpiece.
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7/25/2021 - mpricher wrote: 94 Points
Lightening in a bottle!! This is absolutely an experience for me and many others- this has medium plus weight and has tons of layers of fruit cake and candied fruit, with a finish in meaty notes and bacon fat. Oh boy this was so good and better than the last bottle we opened 6-7?years ago.
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7/18/2021 - mclanew Likes this wine: 94 Points
Two hour decant. Black cherry, black currant, smoked meat, licorice and cigar box. Very big, full bodied, complex, layered with a long finish. After a long decant this was open for business but this clear has many years ahead of it to come.
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2/25/2021 - Bob & Sue Atlanta wrote: 100 Points
Opened this a month ago at a restaurant - it was decanted. No specific notes other than it was perfect. Easily the WOTY. Seems to be the perfect time to consume. Everyone that tried it was blown away by the depth of flavor and abundance of fruit. This could be the best wine I have ever tasted. No surprise though - all of the Alban wines are consistently great and magical!
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12/7/2020 - mnh Likes this wine: 97 Points
Great dark color. Beautiful on the palate really accessible now
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11/2/2020 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 97 Points
This note is from day two...still a massive beast of a wine! SO much extraction and concentration...Port-like, yet plenty of acidity and dryness to balance this sucker out...but you still need to wear your big boy pants here! Simply gorgeous blackberry/boysenberry/cherry/plum fruit...ripe as you can get...yet it is NOT too sweet at all...and I hate overtly sweet wines! Olives have always been a prevalent flavor in this...and age has brought that out even more so...as well as the the tar licorice reduction...which is very integrated...smooth and silky for such a big wine...crushed rocks and dusty white pepper spice...kirsch liqueur, smoked cured meats, exotic wood smoke...finishes smooth and floral with violets...white pepper spice kick...hedonistic. What a wine!
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10/6/2020 - WineDoctors wrote: 93 Points
Fruit is forward. Ruby. thick legs, long finish. soft tannins, gently stewed plum violets med/med - acid.
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9/19/2020 - CHarder wrote: 96 Points
This is absolutely outstanding juice. Needs at least 2 hr decant to be at peak. But omg it delivers
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9/5/2020 - hoservin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for one hour. Aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, black plum, smoked meat, vanilla and spice. Ripe black and blue fruit, gamey meat, licorice, chocolate and soft, fine tannins on the palate. Very long, layered finish. Rich and dense. Drinking very well, no rush. Served with Texas style smoked brisket.
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8/7/2020 - warrenpeace wrote: 98 Points
Wow ! Explosive fruit but perfectly balanced. Robert Parker's 100 point score on this wine was not far off. Superb now but has legs to last 5+ years
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7/19/2020 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Consistent with the bottle we had in 2012 (I refused a second glass). This bottle, I managed to two sips - one when first poured, the second, after I'd let it open some more in the glass (this was allowed to open in wide-bottom decanter for ~ 1hr). It's still big, super-ripe, and chewy. I'm in the minority here that finds this boring, at best. Should hold at this level another 4-6 quite easily. NR
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7/18/2020 - gteran76 wrote: 91 Points
Had it blind, medium + body, dark purple color, nice legs, interesting mid palate and fair finish. My problem was the HEAT. To high in alcohol.
My girlfriend save a glass for the next day and she said it was better.
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6/30/2020 - WineDoctors wrote: 93 Points
Not for the faint of heart. Garnet, black fruit, black olive and touch of black pepper. Excellent structure, acid, perfect now. Full bodied, eternal finish.
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5/12/2020 - Wine Kat Likes this wine: 96 Points
The nose is intoxicating...meaty, rich, and a little funk. This should be a perfume. Palate is smooth with licorice, spice, and some herbs. This is the best Syrah (living in Syrah country) I’ve ever had.
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5/2/2020 - psiweaver Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking absolutely fantastic. Well integrated silky tannins with lucsious fruit. Bordering on hedonistic (it's still got balance somehow) with a huge depth of flavor. Only problem is how quickly ones glass empties.
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4/12/2020 - robertek wrote: 96 Points
Delicious and mindblowing nose.
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2/15/2020 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Ski trip - Three wino familes; 2/14/2020-2/17/2020 (Wisp Resort): Very youthful expressive nose displaying ripe black fruit, blackberry jam, blackberry liqueur, smoked meat, a hint of lavender, dark spices, vanilla, wet tobacco, leather and earth. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of intense jammy black fruit, dense and rich, medium acidity, earthy mineral and a long concentrated black fruit driven finish with smoke meat and dark spices at the end. This remains incredibly youthful. Drinking nicely.
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12/31/2019 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 97 Points
Right out of the bottle this was absolutely captivating. Paired with braised short ribs and butternut squash risotto. It was the best food-wine pairing that I’ve experienced. Drank over a few hours, but it didn’t change all that much. It gained some weight and the fruit expanded. I actually liked it better earlier in the night. Would have scored a point or two higher had it not been for a little heat on the backend. Thanks to my buddy, Don Tirsell, for turning me on to this wine several years ago.
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11/8/2019 - mclanew Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted this for two hours and got a much better result than the last time I drank this with limited decanting as the more complex earthy, meaty flavors seem to take time to coax out. The nose is outstanding blackberries, violets and spices. The palate has a wonderful inner core of ripe black fruit, peppercorns, smoked meat and earth. This finishes long with emerging complexity. This wine can continue to evolve for many years.
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10/11/2019 - canan wrote: 96 Points
It is still a very compact and dense wine but it is also starting to open up!
Dark and sweet blackberry fruit are dominating the palate but it is also starting to some medicine cabinet and smoke.
It is packet with blood and iron with a touch of sweet vanilla.
Tastes really good at the moment and I don't see any reason to not drink this now and for the next 5-10 years.
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8/21/2019 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
I know this a 100 point wine in RP but I didn’t see it. Great nose with black fruits and smoke meat notes check. Full bodied singing palate of black currant, tobacco and underbrush check. Long satisfying finish check. So this is an excellent Cali Syrah in a prime drinking window now but it lacks that extra verve or complexity that would make it a 100 pointer in my world. I just don’t step away from this thinking it’s that much better than the other leading syrahs from CA. But happy to drink more of this anyday and thankfully I have several more bottles.
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7/27/2019 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 89 Points
Interesting. Very oaky -- an older style -- not as complex as expected. One more bottle -- will hold it a while.
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6/2/2019 - rosenst1 wrote: 94 Points
PnP. Very dark red, almost black. Intense aromas of white pepper, very ripe plum, and dark fruits. Thick viscous and velvety on the palate with a very long finish. Fascinating contrast to a 2000 Chave Hermitage tasted in parallel. The Alban did begin to crack up and show its high alcohol after a couple of hours but still an amazing wine despite being a freak of nature.
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6/1/2019 - hoservin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for one hour. Nose of blackberry, plum, blueberry, smoked meat, licorice and spice. Black and blue fruit, smoked meat, espresso and spice on the palate. Very long finish with waves of flavor. Dense and full bodied. Served with smoked ribs. Great pairing.
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5/26/2019 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is an exceptional wine with purity and complexity. Berry fruit, soft smooth pepper spice and allspice. That's right. Noticeable allspice. Great mouth feel, smooth and silky. Fully integrated with no loose ends. Bought from the mailing list before their awful customer service kicked me off. Every bottle of Reva I have tasted has been wonderful.
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2/16/2019 - G_H wrote: 96 Points
Amazingly rich, opulent, velvety. This baby was ready to go right after we pulled the cork.
Perfect right now!!
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1/31/2019 - JonnyG wrote: 88 Points
2006 Retrospective (Central Coast, CA): Disappointingly simple, with loads of oak and no distinction of note. Maybe a better early drinker, but not much of interest going on here.
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12/29/2018 - peterk Likes this wine:
Soooo concentrated, intense, luxurious and rich. Lots of time ahead of this
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11/10/2018 - Mscruggs Likes this wine: 100 Points
This was an epic wine and I made a huge mistake. Was moving my cellar and noticed some seepage around the foil. Was concerned the wine had spoiled so immediately uncorked to taste/drink it. The cork had allowed some minor seepage but the wine was phenomenal. My mistake was I should have used my Coravin to taste a small sample instead of immediately uncorking. Now I was committed, bottle was a magnum so drank over 2 days. Deep purple in color, creme de cassis, ripe blueberries, smoky roasted beef (think steaks on a Green Egg). It continued to improve over the 2 days. I can't say enough about this wine, one of the most memorable i have ever drunk!
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10/7/2018 - Lateva wrote: 97 Points
Not really my style of wine, but holy cow, what a ride! This thing says “hold on I’m gonna floor you and blow your mind” and then does it. Huge and encompassing. Wow!
Needs 4 hours and then sit down and let it blow your mind. NOT a food wine.
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9/11/2018 - oldcorke Likes this wine: 100 Points
With friends, I've had opportunity to taste quite a few wines rated "100pt" by the well known reviewers. These were wines of differing region and type and age. Not all highly rated wines drink well when opened, regardless decanting. They may be too young, too old, or just not cooperating yet, or just plain overrated.
This wine, however, is quite incredible. It has beautiful aromatics, rich dark fruit (not flashy), and shows tremendous power and grace. It is deeply satisfying. It's well worth enjoying now but, I think, easily has 4-6 more beautiful years ahead.
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7/18/2018 - Mike V wrote: 95 Points
From magnum. Jumps from the glass
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6/22/2018 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 96 Points
Stunning wine! Dark as night and smooth as silk. Finish goes on and on. Sadly my last bottle but no hurry as this is built for the long haul.
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6/10/2018 - pjhr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Absolutely delicious syrah! Similar tasting notes to the previous bottle with a more captivating fragrant nose.
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5/13/2018 - hoservin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted one hour. Blackberry, plum, smoked meat, blueberry, anise and dried herbs on the nose. Black and blue fruit, smoked meat, mocha, underbrush, anise, dried herbs and fine tannins on the palate. Long, layered finish. Rich and full bodied. Stunningly good. Served with smoked ribs.
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4/28/2018 - peterk Likes this wine:
Glorious wine - super-concentrated, massive, teeth-staining stuff. Accompanied by barbecued hanger steak.
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4/15/2018 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured. This is a solid red tilting to purple wine with some sediment cake and silt at the end of the bottle. On the nose, I get an explosion of blackberry, blueberry, blood, gasoline, and some slight heat. The mouth is also explosive with flavors of sweet fruit and blackberry pie. The is super long and sweet. Overall, this is a loaded wine, both in the scent and flavor. Time has done this wine well (I last had this in December 2010, when it was barely drinkable; it is much better now). That said, this will crush pretty much any food other than a big pile of BBQ meat. 94 points.
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2/17/2018 - retired_and_roving wrote:
Tampa Spring Break III; 2/16/2018-2/18/2018 (Tampa FL): A big rich wine, but following the Two Hands, seems more restrained. Tastes of ripe blackberries, cracked black pepper nicely balanced with some good acidity. Sporting a long finish, but with a flush of heat. More fruit forward than savory in style.
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2/17/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Tampa Spring Break (the third); 2/16/2018-2/18/2018 (Various Tampa locations (Seasons 52, Capital Grille, Berns etc.)): My favorite of the three syrahs prob partially due to this having some age and being a bit more muted in style to the Aussie. Dark plum and black pepper (which could also have been a reaction to a steak au poivre where the emphasis was more on the later than the former). Still get a bit of alcohol on it, but it blew off over time. To me still needs some more years, but very good.
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12/16/2017 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Inky black/purple. Massively extracted. Not so interesting at this stage, like an overexposed photo: the detail and nuance is washed out. I just get blueberry and dark chocolate on the nose. On the palate, more dark fruit, some bitter chocolate. Serious tannin on the finish. Maybe this will become interesting after a long slumber, but right now it's pretty simple.
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10/22/2017 - canan wrote: 96 Points
Misc US Rhone wines (Palaegade): Sweet and compact with lots of alcohol but also out of balance.
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10/8/2017 - pjgruber Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bury this. Not ready yet
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10/7/2017 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 95 Points
Inky purple. Full bodied, mammoth levels of fruit. Black cherry compote, and plum layered on tarry, creosote notes. Although this is drinking extremely well today, this still possesses massive tannins- still a baby.
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6/24/2017 - hoservin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hours. Nose of blackberry liquor, smoked meat, pomegranate, and dried herbs. Black and blue berries, licorice, smoked meat, herbs and soft tannins on the palate. Leads to a very long finish. Rich, dense and layered. Served with barbecue beef brisket.
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5/6/2017 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 97 Points
Maybe the best syrah wine I've ever had. Explosive nose and rich, decadent fruit that's dark as night. A finish that goes on and on. So fresh and young for a wine that's 11 years old. Stellar!
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4/16/2017 - robertek wrote: 98 Points
The perfume is absolutely to die for. And the balance on the palate is impeccable. Much of everything and pretty compact but with some air it offers more nuances.
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11/25/2016 - dtirsell Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow, rich, thick, started off with a meaty, blood nose, decanted for 2 hours. Changed to bright red, peppery, complex fruit, long finish. Color remained a bright red/purple edge. One of my all time favorites.
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10/31/2016 - BVal wrote:
Color: opaque, inky, indigo core -> incredibly dense purple/ruby rim; glass staining. Packed bouquet that needs time to unfurl; after 2 hours of coaxing was satisfied to get some violets, blackberries, boysenberries along with wet-rock minerality. Palate is tight -- at least to my expectations of what I enjoy for an Alban Reva. I really like this but tough to judge right now; needs a lot of time IMO so judgement reserved. I'll enjoy the last of my '01 to '04's while I wait for this one . . . .
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9/24/2016 - Griffeyfan04 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Extremely dark wine with lovely texture and fruits and a meaty quality at first. Slow ox'ed for 7 hours and decanted for another hour and this thing was big and awesome. If any faults a bit monolithic but very smooth. Tannins have resolved and it is really enjoyable to drink. Alcohol was not affecting the enjoyment of this wine at all even with a 16.2 label. Enjoyable wine and wish I had more!!
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9/3/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind. Reduction to start with plenty of SO2, followed by gobs of massively ripe fruit. Impressive concentration, but more monolithic and one-dimensional than I prefer - or would want to enjoy for more than a few minutes of entertainment. Again, others liked this wine quite a bit.
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8/21/2016 - hoservin Likes this wine: 96 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted 1.5 hours. Aromas and flavors of blackberry, blueberry, violets, smoked meat and vanilla. Dense with waves of flavor. Leads to a very long finish. Served with grilled lamb chops.
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7/31/2016 - KenK Likes this wine: 97 Points
I pulled this in a rush for a BBQ without realizing the magnitude of the wine. Wow this was a stunner! Melting asphalt and intense black cherry aromas. Rich focused smoky tarry black dense sweet fruits, smooth rich and creamy with long black spiced finish. Crazy great, just wish I could have focused on this in quieter setting to contemplate its nuances.
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7/17/2016 - SteelerFan wrote: 95 Points
Terrific wine. Still big, but smooth and complex. Berry, cherry, cedar and cigar box. Drinking very well but not aging.
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3/18/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Tampa Spring Break (the abridged version); 3/17/2016-3/18/2016 (Various Tampa locations (Mise en Place, Ocean Prime, etc.)): Wine #3: One of my favorites of the tasting, this was floral with black violets and great red fruits and just very well balanced and interesting. While it tasted a bit on the young side, the decant certainly had it in a nice spot. I enjoyed.
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2/27/2016 - Papies wrote: 97 Points
Decanted and enjoyed over an hour. Side by side with the he 2005 Alban Lorraine ( Papies 97). Definitely a lot more concentrated and fruit driven than the Lorraine which was more smoky and roast meaty and lighter.
Definitely at the start of its drinking window. Rich core of fruit, so many layers and so much depth here, elegant and albeit mascular and big it's not heavy or difficult. The core of the wine is of rich dark fruit which however is devout of that over sweet and sometimes milky texture that we find in new world Syrah or Shiraz . This is proper Syrah just made in a very different way and push to a higher level of density. Still even classic wine lovers like us saw the beauty of this wine. Much like the Lorraine had we had this blind we would probably say it was SQN. A solid 97 and full of promise for the future.
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2/26/2016 - erikm9 Likes this wine: 99 Points
13th bottle consumed. Consistent with previous bottles. Amazing nose, long finish with a touch of heat.
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2/14/2016 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wondered if it was going to last and it did. Great pull on cork, no infiltration, was concerned because a 2004 cork disintegrated on me. Dirty burgundy color. Taste dense and mouth coating and the extra time has not caused fruit to fail. Powerful, potent wine. Enjoyed each and every sip. Stored on side and sediment was etched on the glass. Wonderful wine and praised by all who partook. Recommended, Alban is one of the best syrah producers in the US.
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2/1/2016 - Mr T wrote:
Too much of everything for me
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1/26/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine in this year has always been a controversial wine as some people love it and some people hate it. My wife being one that hates this wine, I on the other hand really love the flavors and balance of the wine. I however have noticed as time has had it's hands on the wine my scores have gotten lower. The wine does seem more raisin like than in prior years, dark blue and black fruits, cooking spices, sweet oak and a long balanced finish. This is a great wine, but certainly not perfect in my book. Well worth the release price, not worth the aftermarket value.
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1/6/2016 - Lord Rodney wrote: 95 Points
Very powerful, meaty and smoky
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12/16/2015 - FranklinSix Likes this wine: 97 Points
This was a spectacular wine. The tannins at this time were smoothed out. And the wine was payed with complexities that really tingled the palette. I can't say enough about this wine. And alban is a special winery for me. Well done. You knocked this one out of the park.
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12/6/2015 - birdeaux Likes this wine: 96 Points
A great friend, Winedog1 made a visit to us so we decided to open some bottles to celebrate the occasion. At my request, Winedog1 agreed to select the rating and prepare tasting notes for this wine.
some pepper; a touch of spice; super-rich; perfectly balanced
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11/28/2015 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Coffee grounds, blackberries, and a note of citrus. The palate is lighter than expected with some vanilla, red berries and some chocolate. big. Good.
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10/17/2015 - hoservin wrote: 95 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 1.5 hours. Aromatic nose of blackberry, blueberry, violets, smoked meat, cedar and spice. A rich black and blue fruit core, vanilla and spice on the palate. Full bodied and layered with a dense texture. Leads to a very long finish. Outstanding. Paired with beef burgundy.
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9/5/2015 - Knicksfan wrote: 96 Points
Home run; flavor and balance
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7/6/2015 - rwstorer wrote: 96 Points
- Purple color and aromas of raspberry, blackberry and cloves. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry with a medium/full body. Polished texture with a long finish.
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6/27/2015 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 97 Points
Just massive…ooozzzzze monster if there ever was such a thing…..the concentration in this wine is utterly amazing! DON'T drink this along side a Burgundy…..just don't! Fresh crushed and saturated liqueured berry fruits….teeth staining….but remarkable there is some balance here……the fruit is not too sweet…plenty of crushed rocks, asphalt tar, dusty white pepper spice, OLIVES…….killer florals of lavender, licorice, smoke meat, Kirsch liqueur…….drink this like you would a Port. A slow sipper……the pleasure will love you long time!!
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6/19/2015 - canan wrote: 96 Points
Reva 06 vs Poker Face Dinner (Bistro Boheme): Extracted and sweet blackberry fruit profile with lots of vanilla.
Does not show any age in the flavors and is still all about the dense fruit.
Still a lovely wine but it is, and will most likely continue to be a singular wine.
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5/15/2015 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 95 Points
---
COLOR: Typical opaque blackish-purple right to the rim. Like old oil.
NOTE: This was the last half of a bottle we CV'd twice before, and it was just so good. The nose was scorched rosewood, fresh boysenberry, cherry pipe tobacco, grilled beef, tar, blueberry compote, vanilla and cinnamon. Whoa! Mouth was scorched blueberry bush, blackberry liqueur, tar, brown sugar and molasses! Finish kept up the same theme as the mouth and then added some bruleed marshmallow and cracked granite. Amazing juice.
DECANT: 1-3 hours
GLASS USED: Syrah
TASTE: 9.5+
COST: 150?
VALUE: 8.0
TRY AGAIN: now-2025
CORAVIN'D: Yes
PRE-POUR LEVEL: 50%
PAIRING:
---
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5/10/2015 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
Very dark purple. Expressive and hot nose of dark fruit, scorched earth, fruit compote, leaves no doubt already that they went all the way with concentration and ripeness. On the palate full bodied with lots of sweetness stemming from the high alcohol. Impressive on the first 5 seconds but finishes short. Ripe aromatics but quickly tires at least my palate. Can't see this going well with food, but if you like mass, try this.
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4/30/2015 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 98 Points
A totally non-compromising effort which almost has to be cut out of the bottle. Dark, perhaps a bit brooding, massive, powerful and intense are all words that describe the first impression of this effort. Still it could also be described as "elegant", if looking at the close to perfect balance and very nice integration. The nose is massive and dominated by vivid and abundant dark cool fruit. The palate is full throttle with very nice integration between its different components. Served to the right type of food this is a very food friendly wine. A stunner!
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4/15/2015 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 97 Points
Trelio with the fellas (Clovis Ca.): Here comes the Oooze Monster! Saturated purple, blackberry color....soaring nose of crushed wild berry fruit, white pepper, lavender florals, meat, tar. Huge and rich in the mouth, power, yet balanced. Dark berries, licorice, smoky asphalt(not as much as older Alban), dusty white pepper spice, kirsch liqueur. Just an amazing complex, mouthful of tasty!
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4/7/2015 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Best Reva I've ever had! Wow this is supple, rich and expansive on the palate. So in balance everywhere, sip after sip, and it does not alter.
Some Revas have just been overwrought and imbalanced, like I was sucking the wine through a charcoal briquette. Not this time. This has all the fruit and structure in perfect balance. I'm being conservative with a 95, may go higher.
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2/15/2015 - Knicksfan wrote: 97 Points
Spectacular syrah
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12/31/2014 - Sonoma-W wrote: 97 Points
Great intensity! Dark, purple, blackberry -- smooth notwithstanding the strength.
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12/20/2014 - hoservin wrote: 94 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Aromas of blackberry, blueberry compote, black olives, espresso and nutmeg. Blackberry, mocha, toffee, black olive tapenade and spice on the palate with a rich, dense, jammy texture. Leads to a very long finish. Paired with Beef Wellington.
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12/8/2014 - Lord Rodney wrote: 94 Points
Great again. But perhaps a little more muted than the last bottle?
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11/26/2014 - Matt T Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nothing like the first bottle of this that I opened. The first bottle was complex and huge. This one, a few years later, was not giving up much. A fine wine, but a bit less balanced with an alarming note of alcohol piercing through the otherwise smooth tannins and acid.
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11/16/2014 - winelover1808 wrote: 94 Points
wow. massive, chewy, almost amarone like as its so thick and dense. layers of fruit. very new world in style so may not be for everyone. nose of lilacs and wildflowers with some hot rocks - chewy and mouth coating and a long long finish.
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11/16/2014 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Pure syrah and very little cab in this one. Dark hues. Good nose. Lots of raisins and prunes on the back of the palate. Very complex and integrated. Over a 30 second finish. Decanted two hours and didn't notice the alcohol or tannins. Drinking well. Huge hit with the missus.
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11/13/2014 - 88rebel wrote: 100 Points
My first 100 point wine
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11/8/2014 - S R U D I N Likes this wine: 98 Points
One of the most rich and balanced wines I've ever tasted. Drinking perfectly right now, I wish I had a case...
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11/5/2014 - Hollowine wrote: 95 Points
Ahhhhh...Reva. Like a Siren's song...
Pop n pour on night one, about 1/3 bottle, so lovely but still a bit tight. 2nd night, this is just singing. The palate is insane, notes of cigar, blackberry, cherry, even hints of eucalyptus and tar. I literally cannot find a hole between the front-mid-back palate, this is so smooth and balanced. Acids and alcohol in check, it just makes me smile. An incredible wine, absolutely delightful.
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10/4/2014 - G_H Likes this wine: 95 Points
Awesome nose, very typical with curry and herbs, great concentration, nearly too sweet, bit great
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9/26/2014 - pakabear Likes this wine: 96 Points
This needs several hours to open up, dark fruit, licorice, vanilla and great balance as it gets air. The alcohol is noticeable as 16.2% can't be hidden, but it's not in your face and it's tolerable. The complexity and balance are great and I could have this everyday... If only I had so many bottles and such a bankroll.
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9/1/2014 - Jody Smith wrote:
Sadly, my last bottle, but no regrets opening this as it's very ready to drink. This saw a short, 1 hour decant which was all that was needed to blow off what little reductive aroma remains (I found these highly stinky on release). The tannin has resolved beautifully, this was packed and stacked with a ton of coarse tannin. They've appeared to have polymerized as this is now soft, round and full in the mouth. What little black fruit was present is now completly dominated by black olives and pork fat. It has those beautiful N. Rhone Syrah characteristics, but intensely amped up. An extraordinary wine, drinking beautifully today.
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8/21/2014 - twelch wrote: 98 Points
Absolutely stunning. Beautiful complex fruit and spice. Rich and complex and drinking like liquid silk. If I had to pick a weakness it was that it was almost too silky.
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8/3/2014 - TheWineDon wrote: 98 Points
Drank magnum at a special family gathering with steaks. Decanted 5+ hours and it was just enough. Strong berry fruit on both the nose and the palate. This wine still have a very long life ahead.
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8/1/2014 - KeithSurg wrote: 96 Points
Favorite wine from a recent trip to the Santa Barbara wine country. Big, rich, and complex with layers of flavors: blackberry, plum, chocolate, tar, lavendar. Velvety mouthfeel, lingering finish.
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7/12/2014 - TXRhoneRanger wrote:
Tasted open-knit from opening but unreal after a 2.5 hr decant. Just gorgeous. Needs air. Don't let it fool you. This wine has a ton of stuffing, but it needs to flesh out in the glass & decanter. Patience. Also, patience in the cellar. Lots of life left in this btl. Cellar away! Delicious wine. Does it drink like a 100ptr? You decide.
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6/27/2014 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 100 Points
Profound from first sniff, until last sip. The 2006 Reva might very well be the best wine John Alban has ever made. It is interesting, complex, full-bodied, elegant and nuanced at the same time. It delivers a wow experience - and it is completely balanced and just adorable! The nose exhitbits massive dark fruit, mint, heather, blackberry and a lovely tone of dark chocolate. There are secondary layers of sweet licorice and freshly made cloudberry jam. The wine is incredibly balanced and despite being a true powerhouse, there is a subtle elegance which makes me tick. The palate is completely integrated and of course perfectly balanced. Tannins add to the overall structure which will make another 10+ years in the cellar a "no brainer". A truly amazing wine and true master craftsmanship from the winemaker!
(Tasted in a flight with 1991 Guigal La Turque, 2001 Penfolds Grange, 2002 Torbreck RunRig and 2006 Alban Reva.)
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6/22/2014 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Let breathe for 3 hours. Really big and bold with lots of complex red and black fruit. Very powerful.
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6/22/2014 - afu wrote: 75 Points
Wondering what has happened to this wine. Progressively less appealing each time I open one. 4 years ago this was drinking so nicely, understood the scores it earned. Now, near awful and that was despite giving it 7 hours in a decanter to open after being poured through a vinturi aerator. Battle between alcohol and pepper - heat for dominance. Both won, wine awful.
Had some good wine friends over for grilled steaks. I opened this early to drink alongside another powerhouse, 07 Bionic Frog. Frog ran away with the WOTN, this was so peppery and hot, smelled and tasted so much of alcohol that none of us finished each of the any small pours we tried. Still have over half a bottle pumped and in the cellar to try again today.
Not sure whether to find a new home for the remaining bottles or give it another few years to come around.
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4/19/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. There was a sulfur note along with ultra ripe fruit I couldn't quite enjoy. Would certainly have benefited from hours of decanter time, also not exactly my style of wine.
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3/15/2014 - DavidDay Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ground pepper, blackberries, and tar, dark purple, like it was bottled yesterday. rich many layers flavor.
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3/8/2014 - rdsboca Likes this wine: 94 Points
I loved this wine but only two of us voted it best of flight. Big black fruit with that Alban charm and funky nose. Pure fruit. Travis actually guessed vintage, producer and bottling correctly on this blind. Bravo.
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3/4/2014 - phenricsson wrote: 97 Points
6th time I've opened a bottle of this wine. It is really exciting, although not quite as much fireworks as the last bottle. Still solid, dark with flowers, spice and long finish.
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3/3/2014 - Edclr Does not like this wine: 76 Points
Cant believe I ever bought a wine like this. It's now a couple years later, and it is all alcohol and high extract. Nobody at the table finished their glass.
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1/24/2014 - Knicksfan wrote: 97 Points
time and again one of my favorite wines. Powerful, balanced, delicious
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1/18/2014 - peterk Likes this wine: 96 Points
Gorgeous, luxurious, wine - big and so rich, yet wonderfully balanced. Berries and pepper and a finish that goes on and on. Drank this with Momofuku ramen alongside a 2001 Penfolds Grange. I preferred the Grange tonight, but that's no reflection on the quality of this amazing wine.
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1/9/2014 - kanab ram Likes this wine:
I normally love this wine but tonight we brought this and an '06 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Cuvée de mon Aïeul to dinner and shared with the same meal. This was over the top and a bit rough compared to the CdP.
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12/25/2013 - hoservin wrote: 96 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 1.5 hours. Blackberry, pepper, licorice, cedar, cocoa and nutmeg on the nose. Waves of rich blackberry jam, spice and vanilla on the palate, leading to a long, velvety smooth finish. Full bodied, well balanced, with excellent depth. Paired with prime rib.
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11/7/2013 - cabber Likes this wine: 96 Points
KB's Birthday Wine Tasting (Manhattan Beach, CA): Nice balance, fruit. Singing after 1 hour decant.
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10/27/2013 - Grappa Cellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Full, rich, like a great cup of coffee after a big meal. The fruit forward was restrained allowing the wine maker's skill to come out
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9/25/2013 - budh wrote:
I'll wait on rating this wine until I've tried it again. Did a Coravin 3 oz pour and let it sit in the glass for two hours. 16.2% abv, and it seems like more. I switched from a Syrah glass to a Bordeaux to let the alcohol blow off a bit more, but it still overpowers. Very full bodied and massive fruit. Silky texture. After a a few sips, you can get past the alcohol (maybe the senses are just numb by then), but I don't see the typical syrah earth, leather, tobacco, funk characteristics - just syrupy dark fruit. For me, it's much ado about nothing....
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9/21/2013 - peterk wrote: 96 Points
Awesome wine - decanted 6 hours before drinking. Massive, purple-black, intense, fruit-filled, mouth-coating.
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8/29/2013 - G_H Likes this wine: 94 Points
55 years and 1 day: The old man and his wine (Double blind tasting) (Vinozeros - Winterthur): Licorice, blackberries and white pepper are the main theme in this wine with an extreeeeemly long finish. The alcohol in this bottle was a bit too dominant for my taste which I didn't feel in previous bottles, hope this will calm down again.
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8/23/2013 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 96 Points
96+ pts; Awesome bouquet! Fruit bomb on the nose. Tons and tons of dark fruit with a dried creaminess at the end. One of the best syrahs I have ever had.
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8/17/2013 - markydecker Likes this wine: 99 Points
For this genre of wine, close to perfection. My head was spinning with the complexity of the flavor profile. Contrary to some comments about how this is too big/overbearing/hot, the wine hides its power in a high intensity velvet glove. Large scaled but somehow finds balance while pushing concentration and ripeness and extraction to the limit. Extremely big, extremely flavorful, extremely well made. A John Alban tour de force. Makes you smile. Tommy and Susie, you would have loved this wine. You will always be with us. Sean and I were in Syrah heaven.
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7/18/2013 - Why Yes wrote: 91 Points
91+(++)
First revisit.
Oh my, the intensity is, well, intense. Tons of deep, dark, black fruit. Chocolate, lavendar, and mocha. Currently, no classic Alban funk which is what I crave in these wines.
Showing thick, ripe, simple and monolithic.
If prior vintages are any indication, the upside on this wine is well worth a double plus. Huge fan of Alban.
Keep enjoying that juice.
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7/14/2013 - rdsboca wrote: 98 Points
This is one of those syrahs you justwont forget. Big and bold. Descriptors wouldn't do it justice. Try next in 5 years. Plenty of time left on this baby.
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7/8/2013 - Lord Rodney wrote: 95 Points
A real monster wine! But this is the second time I taste it and it seemed to be evolving quicker than expected. Nose is still dark cassis and pepper but the taste was more mellow than last bottle. This kind of wine is too much for me but this was very good indeed.
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6/15/2013 - buckeye76 wrote: 98 Points
RICH DARK BERRY FRUITS IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. COMPLEX WINE WITH A VERY LONG FINISH.
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5/20/2013 - rwstorer wrote: 94 Points
Opaque blood red color with aromas of coffee, red fruits, black pepper and alcohol. Smooth and balanced flavors of red fruits, black pepper and a slight steak of mocha. Although beautifully made, the alcohol is a bit overwhelming and is in no way hidden by the layers of complexity. I hope this can mellow out in time.
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5/13/2013 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 95 Points
My second experience with this wine. The nose is heavy with blackberry cobbler with a hint of vanilla and toast. The wine coats your mouth with a thick cherry, red currants and sage taste. Balanced and smooth with a long finish. Alcohol is very present with texture like gulping down a spoonful of sweet motor oil. Had with my fiancé!!! and filet mignon. Not as huge as I remember but perfect for the amazing night.
See picture at
http://maxsatisfactionwine.com/post/50149743933
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4/26/2013 - pakabear Likes this wine: 97 Points
Great nose, dark dark fruit, licorice, plum, raisin and vanilla. Great balance and amazing how 16.2 alcohol can be hidden, even at all! It's hard to really see the under-lying complexities in this wine as the fruit is so massive.
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4/21/2013 - pmarlo wrote: 96 Points
Had with anniversary dinner. Deep maroon with gorgeous rim, almost glowing. Cork stayed completely intact. In short, all the praise is justified. Incredible wine, one of the best I've had the pleasure to have. No edges at all, great initial taste and finish. One of those wines you want to let sit in your mouth just to gather all the flavors. Alcohol 16% completely hidden until i got up. Shared a taste with restaurant manager who out of gratitude proceeded to comp our dessert. Felt this was in a good place tonight and don't know how it could get better. CT and pro reviews say until 2030, but I think I'll drink it before then and cheat the hangman.
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3/1/2013 - bmerrell Likes this wine: 97 Points
Amazing. Very smooth. Tons of fruit. Even better in a few years.
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2/28/2013 - Colima74 wrote: 93 Points
Big and elegant. Along with an SQN Syrah last night at Broadway with the NWA group, this was a crowd pleaser. Crunchy tannins and deep red fruit; a couple of the guys found a bit of heat, but I did not. Full-flavored but balanced. Terrific.
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2/24/2013 - Ljuay wrote: 94 Points
Deep purplish red. Strong, rich and intense. Full bodied and long finish. Should sit in the cellar for many more years.
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2/23/2013 - Fishboy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consistent notes
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2/17/2013 - Colia wrote: 98 Points
Jesus what a nose. Very intense aromas of black fruits, warm baking spices, minerals, tar, licorice, black tea, violets, pepper, and more. Palate confirms the nose with an almost unctuous texture, high (not hot) alcohol, and the ripeness of the fruit is just insane. If the acid was a bit higher, I would be thinking it was the best Amarone I had ever tried. Finish is endless.
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2/9/2013 - CMCLR wrote: 95 Points
I love and Millie tastes some raisin
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1/19/2013 - garambler Likes this wine: 97 Points
I opened this at our 1/19/13 lamb dinner. It had an extremely rich, dense and brooding bouquet of blackberry, boysenberry, licorice, spice and tar aromas. The palate was rich, concentrated and voluptuous with flavors of blackberry, plum, licorice, pepper, spice and minerals. WOW! My score was 96+. Our group’s average score was 95.2 points.
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1/17/2013 - rosenst1 wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured. Incredibly deep color and the bottle is stained with pigment from the wine; rich deep nose with a bit of Syrah white better. On the palate just an avalanche of intense fruit, just this side of too much residual sugar, and not as hot as I would have expected at 16.2 abv. Excellent.
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1/6/2013 - rogerr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Forgot this was WA 100 when we drank it. Not decanted and I don't think it should be. Opens up after about 5 mins in the glass. Concentrated and balanced with good acidity and a very long finish. Left about 3 oz for the next day but it suffered in that time oxidizing somewhat. I recommend drinking now.
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12/31/2012 - Edclr wrote: 88 Points
My teeth are permanently stained, this is so dense and darkly colored. The others at dinner liked this way better than I - it's just not a style I like very much. Appears to be a well made with but not for pinot lovers.
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12/27/2012 - JohnnyShiraz Likes this wine: 98 Points
WA 100, WS 97, #13 on the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2010, ST 94-95.
This wine delivers - immense viscosity and complexity. Tannins are smooth, but I would decant for 2 hours to let this beast unwind.
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12/26/2012 - pjhr wrote: 94 Points
Killer Syrah! Rich blackberry, mocha, and gamey aromas with rich fruit and complexity on the palate. The finish is long and mouth staining.
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12/26/2012 - DavidDay Likes this wine: 98 Points
This is one of the rare wines from the initial aroma to the last lingering finish is great. Layers of flavor, touching all parts of your palate, and then lingering for multiple minutes in the finish. Decanted for two hours, tannins were in check, probably could age another decade or two, drinking very good at the moment.
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12/14/2012 - KingClint wrote: 94 Points
Im going to stick to patrina for qpr
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12/8/2012 - DavidF90210 wrote: 96 Points
Great flavorful fruit. kind of a poor mans 17th nail in my cranium. it has all the right stuff but just not a complete wine. I would drink it again but wouldnt buy it..
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11/25/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Tasted earlier this year, I was knocked out by this wine. Over the past 11 months, it's gotten even better! There is a beautiful sensation of purity to the sweet, ripe, polished berries. The wine has great length, balance and sophisticated textures, plus it's drinking in the sweet spot. If you have a bottle, do not hesitate to pop a cork.
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11/24/2012 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Previous notes apply
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11/21/2012 - iar wrote: 99 Points
Unbelievably delicious! A big wine, yet perfectly balanced with incredible flavor and intensity. The aftertaste develops in your mouth and goes on for a minute or more. Lots of black cherry, blueberry, mocha and a hint of vanilla. A definite "Wow" wine.
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11/15/2012 - ELH wrote: 95 Points
Extraordinarily lush and voluptuous. Great depth and finish. Decanted several hours and funneled back into the bottle. Dark fruits, blueberries, chocolate. Powerful without overbearing.
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10/28/2012 - Grappa Cellar wrote: 91 Points
Terroir
Chocolate
Leather
A beautiful wine
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10/27/2012 - Uglypinga wrote:
Flint, beef, stewed peppers, bacon, black pepper. Huge nose followed by a huge palate of blackberries, beef, chocolate, raspberries and oak. Gigantic and delicious. Long, long finish. Wow
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10/20/2012 - canan wrote: 98 Points
100 RP BYO Tasting (Restaurant AOC): Very exciting nose packed with impressions of meat, acetone, sweet dark plums, concentrated olives, caramel, raisin and even orange peel.
Concentrated dark plum palate with a floral touch but also coffee and orange peel.
Extracted, complex and very special. A stunning wine!
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10/13/2012 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION Likes this wine: 98 Points
Huge! Big grassy black fruit nose. Grilled steak, eucalyptus, black pepper and jammy dark fruits. Taste lingers for 2 minutes plus. The most concentrated wine I’ve ever had. Enjoyed at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa over charcuterie. A little hot on the finish otherwise perfection.
See more detail at
http://maximumsatisfaction.tumblr.com/post/33530242639
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10/11/2012 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Slow-O 2 hours, served at cellar temp. Comes out swinging, but also hot and clumsy. Too rich and extracted, with an overbearing sense of confected sweetness. Brown sugar, sugar beet. I was not able to finish the second glass. Sure there's lots of perfume and sure it's quite unique, but it also becomes sensory overload after a while, and not in a good way. It was just slightly better with food, but honestly, that's not saying much. Meh.
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10/6/2012 - suburbanfrog wrote: 96 Points
Powerful rich and massive. Incredible extraction. Very impressive. Plenty of fruit to go with it all. Still tastes very youthful. Needs time yet.
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9/15/2012 - Christoffer78 wrote: 98 Points
At first sniff, it is evident what is in the glass: a totally non-compromising effort with so much of everything there would not be room for one tiny little ingredient to be added. Still this wine could be described as "elegant", if judging the balance and very nice integration. The nose is massive and permeated by vivid and ample dark mature fruit. The palate is best described as full and lush with very nice integration between tannins, acidity oak and fruit. Do not be mistaken, served to the right type of food this is a very food friendly wine, but it for sure also has its place with the cheese after dinner. A stunner!
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7/31/2012 - HenryW wrote: 92 Points
Rich nose of bacon fat, grilled meats, black and blue fruits, lavender. Palate is less expressive at this point. Slightly marred by some noticeable alcohol on the nose and palate.
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7/1/2012 - rpenn77 wrote: 95 Points
Dense, fruity wine with a rich nose. Loads of black cherry and cassis.
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6/22/2012 - patwjr wrote: 97 Points
Killer CA Syrah. Powerful, dense fruitbowl. Everyone loved it! Can drink now with an hour+ decant. Still very young.
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6/16/2012 - E wrote: 99 Points
Had with a simple grilled dinner at home (sides included local wood roasted beets and swiss chard) and this was again stunning....WSJ this am had an article about Paso robles and, of course, Justin Smith and how John Alban convinced the family to plant rhone varietals(instead of the chardonnay they had already)...thank god (well, thank John Alban)...
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6/2/2012 - Uglypinga wrote:
Big, reductive beefy nose. A lot of savory notes on the nose, sage, thyme, just deliciousness. The palate is a little milder than I would have hoped but it is delicious with ripe berries and some gamey notes. Awesome.
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5/21/2012 - Alex H wrote: 85 Points
Delicious savory ripe cherries but delicious with BBQ smoked meat. More dark red cherries
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5/18/2012 - Paul S wrote: 88 Points
Judgment of Singapore: Part 1 - Chardonnay and Syrah (Zeffir, Dunlop Street): This was yet another super-highly rated, rather expensive wine that ended up doing really badly at a blind-tasting. Two people actually listed this as their favourite Syrah, yet it still managed to end up quite overwhelming the least-favoured bottle on the night (#6 out of 6). The nose was typical of a huge Californian Syrah, with oodles of black plums and blackcherries - just layers of big black fruited aromas laced with glycerol and spice. A bit challenging to say the least. I found the palate extremely rich, more than a little sweet, and certainly rather heady given the mix of high alcohol and low acidity in its almost syrupy layers of cassis and blackberries, cherry syrup and spice. No doubting the huge depth and hulking power of the wine,and even though it was not entirely imbalanced, with some velvety tannins in the background holding the fruit up, it was definitely not the easiest thing to drink. In fact, it was almost Woods cough medicine-like on the finish. Not a bad wine, but this was very man-made and just too sweet, big and viscous at the moment for me. This could well be one for those who like a more fruit-forward style and massive depth in their wines. But even then, I would think that it would benefit from a few more years in the cellar.
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5/18/2012 - Coollawyer wrote: 95 Points
This is a most beautiful wine. It has such immensely floral nose with lovely sweet undertones. It's brings put the usual syrah tastes like cherries, bacon and some hints of flint and lemon. But it does in such an elegant manner that's it makes Australian syrahs look brash. It's just fantastic. I love it.
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5/12/2012 - E wrote: 98 Points
Had this with a bevy of appetizers at st John....this needs about an hour of air time to open up.... Reva from alban may be one of the best values in the wine world these days.... Last had this 6 months ago at townhouse ( John shields) where it trumped an aubert Pinot and everything else old and new world we experienced that night....
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5/1/2012 - Irouleguy wrote: 73 Points
Tasted with Flight of high-end Napa Cabs and Syrahs. I've always been a fan of Alban wines but this was one of my least favorite wines. It had the classic flavors of Syrah with smoke, bacon, cured meats and some dirty. My problem with the wine was that it also tasted like someone poured an Islay Scoth in it. The alcohol was way too prominent to be enjoyed as a table wine.
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4/26/2012 - Silveradoup wrote: 99 Points
Epic wine!!! Best Cali Syrah I have had!
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4/19/2012 - mmurmac wrote: 98 Points
This is a special wine. So rich and layered. Deep blackberry compote, bacon fat, tar. So much. Wish I had more.
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4/5/2012 - kanab ram wrote:
Enjoyed at Strip Steak in Vegas with my wife. Clearly the best wine of the year so far for me in every regard. No decant necessary.
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4/4/2012 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Rich, delicious blackberry fruit with chocolate flavors, excellent structure and balance, terrific wine but just too hot, heat makes it difficult to drink more than one glass
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4/3/2012 - Why Yes wrote:
Had same evening as my 100-point 2004 experience. The relation between these 2 wines is obvious, however the 2006 is not nearly the wine the 04 was that night. Everything was there, just not in its right place. Disjointed, and at times a bit off. Judgement reserved for the time being. Happy to sit on my other bottles for a while.
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3/22/2012 - Buckwheet wrote: 100 Points
Flat out one of the best bottles of wine I've ever had! Massive fruit! Not for those who want subtle, earthy flavors. Amazingly long finish that leaves you wanting to immediately drink more. Would be interesting to try in a few more years but it is so perfect now, there is little chance of me waiting. And I'm not even that much of a fan of syrah! Very special wine!
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3/3/2012 - peterk wrote:
Consistent with previous note - massive, rich, concentrated, intense, viscous wine.
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3/3/2012 - JimN wrote: 94 Points
Nothing new to add here, other than to say "I agree." A friend shared for dinner...the wine was the the dinner. Decanted seven hours and could have used another day. So powerful, but not obnoxious the way some of the big Aussie Shiraz can be. Saw the current auction price on this wine, and I'm not sure it is THAT good.
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2/3/2012 - bza wrote:
Very dark, almost black, thick wine with wery impressive nose of roasted meat, asphalt, blue and black berrys. This is so full bodied, thick and intensive that it makes it hard to appreciate. It will probably soften down with time, but it makes me wonder if it will ever be a wine you can actually enjoy with any kind of food or by itself. It´s just too much. But really impressive though..
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1/6/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Deep, dark and still purple in color, the wine explodes from the glass with intense, jammy scents of blackberry and blueberry liqueur, pepper, vanilla, coffee, licorice and black cherry jam. This massive wine is packed and stacked with multiple layers of sweet, ripe, jammy berries and spice. This dense Syrah ends with a long, palate coating finish.
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12/29/2011 - RCS73 wrote: 97 Points
I have been waiting for 18 months to pop the cork on one of these – I have 6 bottles and this is the first. I think the anticipation of what it would be like got the best of me.
The pour into a decanter (and my glass) was itself amazing. The color is a very bright, thick, completely opaque violet color that almost shines in the glass. Interestingly, the wine threw a deposit – after only 5 years….
Nose (Hour 1)
Not all that complex, probably needs some time to breathe. Definitely has some baby fat. Has a dual note of flowers and graphite/asphalt – very interesting but still not all that complex ……yet. I’ve read it has a high alcohol content but doesn’t give off that typical high-alcohol, young wine “heat”.
Taste (Hour 1)
Vanilla, cassis, liquid smoke, crushed berries, tar? It is very dense and thick. It coats the mouth like a gloss of paint
Nose (Hour 2)
Floral notes began to take over, as well as the tar/graphite/smoke component. Became much less dense and the nose was much more lengthy
Taste (Hour 2)
Still quite thick – interesting mix of fruits and smoke/graphite. Would have gone great with Rabbit, but we went with strip steaks
Hour 3
Wine did not make it into hour 3
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12/17/2011 - ELH wrote: 95 Points
Rich, intense, lush, delicious, smooth. Decanted in the glass at a restaurant; would benefit from a longer, more thorough decant. Must force myself to sit on the remaining bottle for a year or so.
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12/10/2011 - phenricsson wrote: 99 Points
Tremendous! Best Alban I've ever had. The richness, power, flavor explosion is exciting. Almost over the top but the balance is there. Long aftertaste.
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12/9/2011 - Pbuschur Likes this wine: 97 Points
Was thrilled to find this wine at a local San Luis Obispo restraurant for $140. It was my first time tasting it and we were not disappointed. Very smooth.
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11/22/2011 - Li6 wrote: 97 Points
Still a baby, with a nose and flavors that offer massive quantities of raw meat, roasted garrigue and deep, dark blue fruit. Initially disjointed, it started coming together and opening up after 3+ hours in the glass, and only then, just barely. Give this a couple more years, and it's going to be awesome.
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11/5/2011 - arniec wrote: 95 Points
Can sit for a bit longer. Nice dark fruit. Not too Oaked. Some tannins at the finish. Really perfect pairing with Boneyard Bistro tonight.
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10/29/2011 - Robertito wrote:
Opened Wed night (cloying, dull), a glass Friday was more balanced, and open, then... finished Sat night... brilliant, medium-full body, smoke, herbs, fine fruit... I may just share some of these with others ;-)
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10/16/2011 - mpricher wrote: 95 Points
An incredible experience. This Dark brooding beauty of a wine was so perfumed and effusive upon pouring, we all just wanted to smell it for a while. As it opened, and we bgain to taste, the intensity of the blackberry fruit, scorched earth, spice box, and mild oak, came in layers across the palate. The finish was 45+ seconds, in complex waves. So many things to taste in this wine. The alcohol seemed high, but the fruit kept up with it all night. A very well-made wine, and the right bottle for Ray's B-Day dinner!
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9/28/2011 - mnh wrote: 98 Points
excellent
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9/9/2011 - Christoffer78 wrote: 98 Points
The 2006 Alban Reva is as fully packed a wine can be. Every component of this wine is exposed and developed to its utmost extent, the fruit is massive and fully packed, the tannins are expressive but yet silky and soft, the oak is luxurious and rich and the acidity is nicely embedded but still present (the 2006 Reva is an excellent food companion...). In the glass the wine reveals layer after layer of dark mature fruits, a voluptuous palate and massive oak as the hours pass by... My only concern is that the heat is somewhat present in the end palate, but not at all as expressive as one might think at 16.2 %. The overall impression is a massive wine with so much potential, I think it will develop for another 10-15 years.
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9/6/2011 - twelch wrote: 93 Points
Not nearly as good as last bottle. Had all the same notes as before just everything was somewhat tight and muted compared to the wide open bottle I had 9 months ago. Still an awesome wine but only mid 90s instead of high 90's for me this time.
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9/5/2011 - xtian wrote: 99 Points
Full throttle, big reva. Shared with family and friends who flew into town for labor day and I did not preview or warn them with what was coming. They expected a simple glass of wine post flight and into the evening and got a rocket ship of intensity and power. Everyone loved it and was blown away by the aromatics, taste, and incredible and yet integrated intensity.
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8/31/2011 - ews3 wrote: 93 Points
Weeknight Wine Tasting (Bistro 7, Philadelphia PA): where the saxum showed restraint, this did not. loads of ripe fruit that has been overly extracted -- this was almost, but not quite, pushing into mollydooker territory for me in terms of the extraction and concentration of fruit -- in the good way, but also in the bad way of noticeable heat and cloying on the palate. (i may have been prejudiced by calling this a 'slutty' wine all night based on my past taste of it). long fruit driven finish.
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8/31/2011 - jrobs7777 wrote: 96 Points
Survery Of New World Wines (Bistro 7 (7 N. 3rd St., Philadelphia)): Decisive wine of the night for me and the score may not reflect how much I really enjoyed this wine. The initial release price looks to have been $70+. What an incredible bargain. I've enjoyed some SQN over the years -- this is easily in the same league (and is probably better). Sometimes you have to wonder about all the fuss over SQN when wines like this are less expensive and more readily available. The balance on this wine is superb. The nose is huge, no doubt. And there is just a shade of heat. Dark berry fruit. Chocolate covered fruit, perhaps? Smooth, creamy and delicious. The alcohol is way high, but you would never know unless you were obsessed with the alcohol %. Just enjoy the darn wine, instead of obsessing over alcohol! If you can't taste it, then it really is not that big of a deal. Maybe not a wine for the long term, but definitely one to enjoy now.
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8/14/2011 - JDW36pu wrote: 95 Points
Had 8/7/11 at Switch, Encore, Las Vegas
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8/11/2011 - Tavastgatan wrote: 94 Points
The nose is just bursting with peppery spices and dark dense fruit. Full-bodied and massive, but without loosing freshness. Very good and perfect to a slice of meet.
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8/5/2011 - erikm9 wrote: 98 Points
Drank against 07 saxum bonerock group decided reva was the winner
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8/3/2011 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Rich, delicious, full-bodied blackberry fruit with mocha, earthy, and hint of vanillin flavors, great structure, heat of alcohol mutes the depth and complexity, medium finish, as good as this wine is the style of such high alcohol prevents it from achieving greatness
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7/31/2011 - texaswinelover wrote: 93 Points
Big, bold, fruit forward. Delicious. Slightly hot at room temp. Cooled and it showed better. More complex than a very nice Lucia gary's.
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7/23/2011 - hoservin Likes this wine: 96 Points
2 1/2 hour decant. Deep black, purple color. Black currant, black cherry, black plum, vanilla bean, and spice aromas and flavors. Some alcohol noticeable on the nose, but dissipated quickly. The mid-palate is dominated by smooth, jammy dark fruit and well integrated soft tannins. The finish is velvety smooth and lingers. Full bodied with good acidity. Paired well with Greek Tenderloin. Overall, an outstanding new world style Syrah.
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7/13/2011 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
Trip’s farewell dinner! (Cities restaurant - Washington D.C.): Good with cigar, Bigggg! 96 pts
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7/2/2011 - St Paul wrote: 96 Points
Even better than last time. It is absolutely gorgeous with dry sweet fruit and a warm but fresh taste. Lovely!
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6/17/2011 - ews3 wrote: 95 Points
Great Grapes for a Great Cause SQN Tasting -- 4th Annual; 6/17/2011-6/18/2011 (Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC): full bodied and fruit forward, but able to hold its own and impress. long finish.
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6/15/2011 - Deb293 wrote: 92 Points
If you believe wine = food, then this may be for you. HUGE in every way; high alcohol, lots of fruit, very extracted. Hopefully in a few years it may attain some subtlety, but right now it would be hard to imagine a dish that it would not overwhelm. Think big, and you might pair it successfully. For me, too much wine, too little finesse. Points for flavor...and the expectation it will calm down eventually. Certainly has the stuffing for it. If you're popping now, decant for days. This should be held for a while...
Re-tasted 12/29/12. Inky dark and viscous. While it has mellowed some, I stand by my original comments. This wine is a bruiser, and while the tannins are softer and the flavors are more integrated, it is not for the faint of heart. You have to be a lover of big wines to enjoy this. If you are...go for it. If you're a Syrah lover, there are better wines for the price, with less hype (you know who they are.)
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5/22/2011 - canan wrote: 98 Points
Insane concentrated with dark fresh blackberries, liquorice, vanilla and coffee.
Just a crazy and intense wine and definitely has that special Alban style.
Tasted after a very long evening with 20+ wines.
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5/22/2011 - sbtoby wrote: 91 Points
Found one for $125 at restaurant and had to pop on it. Having consumed about 4 bottles of Patrina over the years I was looking forward to the higher end Reva. Decanted the wine and drank it over a 90min period. It certainly opened up more at the end. The Reva has the tasty fruit forward Syrah you are expecting, however I couldn’t see it being any better than the Patrina, which of course is a blend of Syrahs from different plots. My concern with this wine is the high alcohol percentage 15.6. The alcohol flavor distracted from the overall flavor. A good wine, but save your money and drink the Patrina.
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5/20/2011 - St Paul wrote: 95 Points
Great wine! I love Alban Vineyards. This is a very powerful wine but with a lot of class.
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5/11/2011 - Nanda wrote: 96 Points
Gorgeous, big-time, unabashed Cali Syrah. Consistent with my last note. Stunning nose of white chocolate, dark fruit, exotic spices, asphalt and toasty. Palate is richly fruited with low, but effective acidic cut that allows a wine so so large and dense to show fresh and lively. Layers upon layers of flavor and texture on the palate. Beautifully fragrant finish. Just fantastic.
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5/6/2011 - Uglypinga wrote:
Reductive nose of game, bbq and figs that opens up rapidly. The palate is huge, ripe and dark with a great charred meatiness. Delicious.
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5/2/2011 - Fishboy wrote: 94 Points
Very young and deep dark purple/red in color. Dark fruit, roasted meat, pepper, and spice notes withsome noticeable heat on the nose.
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5/1/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 97 Points
SQN Dinner (Lockkeepers): I loved this, but it was less well liked by the group I think. Added as John was a mentor to Manfred. Shimmering bright in color. Great nose. Black and red raspberries, spice and leather. More ethereal than the SQN's. ever so slightly pruney with black raspberries and pepper. Dances on the palate. Slightly bitter on the finish. This is a ripe wine for sure, but has the balance to pull it off.
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4/30/2011 - peterk wrote: 98 Points
Massive, rich, concentrated, intense, viscous wine. I sense that people will either love this wine or hate it - I loved it. On the second day it was even more luscious than on the first. The wine needs to be tamed by time.
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4/29/2011 - wine maestro Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dramatic, full-blown Syrah that is youthful, dense and concentrated. Explosive
black fruit and red berry compote wrapped in resilient tannins with a saturated,
detailed and expressive finish that echoes on and on. Amazingly refined, and is
approachable now, but will improve for a decade in the cellar. One of the highlights
of the weekend. Sensational Reva. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Hospice du Rhone
Rendezvous
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4/17/2011 - Edclr wrote: 88 Points
Powerhouse wine, but not my style. Alcohol dominates. Not balanced.
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3/18/2011 - Jody Smith wrote:
This was a delicious, big wine. It starts out with the prototypical west Paso nose - hard to describe, but common to the best example of oceanfront central coast Rhones. Call it what you want, but teroir works for me. The hedonistic nose is matched on the palate with rich, concentrated blackberry juice, infused with a healthy dose of char, roasted meat and petrol. The long, sweet finish has just enough acid and structure to avoid any sense of cloyness. Not quite as sensational as the Lorraine, but really good.
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3/17/2011 - amateurwino wrote: 94 Points
Nose of aromatic fruits and a bit of pepper. On the palate, the thing that struck me was the extraordinarily smooth texture. Fruit a bit on the baked side, kept this from being truly great. Notes of lavender and black pepper on the intense palate too. A very nice syrah, reminded me a bit of some Jaffurs syrahs. Not sure how long I'd count on this aging well though. For those who believe a 100 pt rating from Parker means a wine is perfect, this is a perfect example of how silly that notion is - resist the folly of being a point-chaser and the premiums you will pay for 100 RP, only to get a wine that isn't really better than so many with non-100 point scores. Nonetheless, an excellent wine despite the slightly stewed character showing on the fruits, 93-94 points.
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3/17/2011 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 98 Points
Now we're talkin Cali Rhone! Oozing purple, blackberry color....soaring nose of crushed wild berry fruit, white pepper, lavender florals, meat, tar. Huge and rich in the mouth, power, yet super balanced. I'm thinking SQN or Lillian? Dark berries, licorice, smoky tar(not as much as older Alban), sweet dusty white pepper spice, Kirsch liqueur. Just an amazing complex, mouthful of goodness! Super! +pts
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3/8/2011 - wineguy21 wrote: 96 Points
A great, young wine. Right out of the bottle it showed loads of blueberries, black licorice and white pepper on the nose. Layers of blue and black fruits on the palate with a silky texture and absolutely no sign of heat despite the 16.2% alcohol...we gave a little pour to our server, and I quickly asked him to guess the alcohol content. He took a minute and then said "14.2%." I laughed and told him it was 16.2%, and he didn't believe me, I had to show him the bottle.
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2/20/2011 - the godfather wrote:
huh
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2/19/2011 - SevenDayMile wrote: 98 Points
Decanted for four hours and enjoyed over the next three.
Inky purple core with a bright pink rim. Pungent aromas of raspberry coulis, crushed red flowers, blackberry jam, clove, and nutmeg. On the palate the flavours are brighter with red cherry, blackberry, red currant, black cherry, french vanilla, and black pepper. The texture of the wine is amazing--flawlessly seamless, fading into classic rich-red-fruit-skin Syrah goodness. The finish is persistent through at least thirty seconds.
The concentration and purity of this wine is remarkable. Just out-and-out a rewarding wine-drinking experience. Perfect? No...I would want a longer finish and more intense and delineated aromas. But this bottle is truly exceptional and distinguished.
A lengthy decant is appropriate now (I'd say 5-ish hours to start with) and this wine will be fun to follow for a long time.
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2/16/2011 - mfkidd wrote: 99 Points
Tempted to give it a perfect score. This was just an amazing wine. Decanted for an hour and served with dinner at BTL in Los Angeles. So smooth.
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2/12/2011 - PGB wrote: 98 Points
Totally integrated but sexy, flamboyant and free-spirited. This wine has everything and so far beats any Saxum wine I have had. Find someone beautiful to share it with.
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2/2/2011 - iar wrote: 98 Points
Unbelievable nose, great black fruit taste and very balanced for a high alcohol wine. Decanted for 4 hours. Hopefully, this wine will get even better with a few more year's time.
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2/1/2011 - Nanda wrote: 96 Points
PnP. Stunning nose stops you in your tracks with big smoky black fruit, incense, asphalt and exotic spices. Palate is richly fruited and dense yet silky smooth and refreshing. Flavors echo the nose along with a hefty dose of black pepper and smoked meat. Long, flavorful smooth finish. Very young - but so chock full of fruit, life and energy. Why not drink it now?
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1/27/2011 - Vinophiler wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and sampled over 5 hours. Wine seemed ultra-tight and just not ready to strut its stuff although it is clearly well made. Once consumed the residual wine in the glass gave a 100 point nose!!! Think this has the potential to be sensational but for my wife and I it just isn't there now. Looking forward to sampling over time.
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1/24/2011 - slmshdyms wrote: 95 Points
still VERY young--immense potential with great depth and complexity. Very good now--gonna be amazing in a few years
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1/23/2011 - rralls wrote: 96 Points
Very young and tight, with somewhat bitter tannins, but really great potential.
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1/12/2011 - AtoZ wrote: 92 Points
Sorry. Don't see what all the hype is about. Overpowered the food and too much alcohol. The nose was amazing but the mouth not so much.
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1/11/2011 - Amon Ra wrote: 100 Points
Absolutely astonishing! Dark berries on the nose (black currant, black cherries) as well as chocolate. Taste matches the nose and then some. A dark, full bodied, velvet like experience that lingers. Enjoy.
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1/11/2011 - mmurmac wrote: 99 Points
Unreal bottle. Honestly, no hard edges, amazingly integrated. Tar, bacon, licorice, all melting into pureed blackberries. Drinking so well right now, unreal.
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1/9/2011 - Knicksfan wrote: 99 Points
Awesome - dont know how to rate - waves of fruit yet balanced and structured. Remarkable.
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1/9/2011 - MightyMilburn wrote: 100 Points
Spectucular in every sense.
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12/25/2010 - aaronwine wrote: 99 Points
One of the best wines I have ever had. Unbelievably big but balanced.
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12/25/2010 - Matt T wrote: 98 Points
Black and viscous. The aromatics on this were incredible. Vanilla, berry, and toast. Amazing fruit and so smooth. An extremely long finish. The best syrah I have ever tasted.
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12/18/2010 - xtian wrote: 100 Points
Unbelievable! Rich and smooth with incredible intensity yet a smooth richness that is hard to imagine. Might be the best wine I've ever had.
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12/17/2010 - phenricsson wrote: 95 Points
Super dark and black. Very dense. Big, dark flavors. Same on the nose.
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12/13/2010 - afu wrote: 98 Points
Well now I know what a Parker 100 is. There really is a huge difference between 99 and a 100, more than just a point. Only gave this a 98+ because this wine is so young and will only get much better if that is possible. I wanted to leave room to recognize the inevitable improvement. 2 points probably is not enough.
Smooth, dark, rich, thick and an extraordinary and long finish come to mind immediately. This wine is smooth, hard to believe its so young. With great restraint we were able to "ration" our first bottle of this over 2 - 3 hours the evolution and improvement were very noticeable. Dark berry fruit, hints of licorice, spice and a hint of chocolate. Since we were able to acquire a respectable quantity we're planning to taste regularly and journal its evolution. Alban does Rhone wines like none other, I just keep coming back to "smooth and spectacular".
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12/9/2010 - twelch wrote: 98 Points
This bottle totally suprised me at it's young age. Is it ready to drink? No but don't let that stop you from breaking into one if you've got a few laying around as this was really pleasurable from the moment it was opened. This exhibited a nose that evolved and changed every 10 minutes over the course of 3 hours that it was consumed. Displayed deep dark luscious black fruit, white pepper, chocolate covered bacon that led to a silky smooth mouthfeel full of blackberries, cedar, spice. This wine perfectly balanced the acidity and alcohol and one would never know it had an alcohol % over 16. The finish went on and on for well over a minute. A pleasure today and I can't wait to try these down the road.
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12/8/2010 - Namaste wrote: 96 Points
Day one, thick chocolate on the nose and flavors of blackberry & sweet corn with a tight backbone. Day two gained complexity, pleasant oak and noticeable vanilla.
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12/6/2010 - the godfather wrote:
massive oak and vanilla, not my bag
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12/5/2010 - JOsgood wrote:
Dark as night. MASSIVE WINE. A Parker wine to the max. Huge fruit. Massive extraction. Hide the kids. Penetrating on the palate with a 90 second finish.
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12/5/2010 - cadamson wrote: 96 Points
Not exactly my 'normal preferred' style, but it would be very hard to not say 'wow' and be significantly impressed with this wine, this young. Seems like Reva can be hit or miss with me, but this vintage and bottle was pretty spectacular. Deep, dark and rich, as you would expect, but pulls it off in a balanced way. Velvet on the palate, unbelievable smoothness for 16%+. A myriad of aromas constantly evolving over a couple hours. Certainly the best Reva I have ever tried. I would guess this will evolve glacially over 20+ years, but it is no mistake at all drinking one now. Great, great effort.
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11/25/2010 - sumshark wrote: 98 Points
Big rich wine, great fruit backbone, unbelievable complexity, silky mouthfeel and a long finish. IMO the 2006 Reva is much better than the 2005 Lorraine, can't wait to drink the 2006 Lorraine.
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11/20/2010 - CMCLR wrote: 94 Points
Good stuff. A little bit rustic for a wine of this caliber which prevents a higher score.
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11/11/2010 - herberto wrote: 92 Points
Really hard for me to rate this wine. It is super duper ripe and sweet. Like a big ol' Barossa Shiraz. Thankfully not hugely overoaked, which makes it drinkable. In fact, downright tasty beverage if you are in the mood for something huge and sweet. But simple.
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5/2/2009 - kstoddard wrote: 95 Points
2009 Hospice du Rhone Grand Tasting (Paso Robles): Barrel sample.
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