Decanted at 1pm. Nose of black fruits and sweet licorice. Juicy red fruit and mulch on the palate. 7pm: Big bouquet of spicy red fruit. Rich, juicy fruit. Still some tannin on the long sour cherry finish. Excellent with beef short ribs.
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Drinking very well. Brown cherry colored with clear signs of age. Nose of black fruits (black currant, blackberry) and hints of leather and chocolate and barnyard. Still very fresh on the nose. Balanced and silky on the palate with black fruits. Still good tannin and acidity. Long lingering finish. Medium alcohol. Will last a few more years for sure.
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1994 STAGS LEAP WINE CELLARS NAPA PETITE SIRAH- tasted blind; not to be confused with Stags Leap Winery, this is a rare bird for me from a producer for whom I`m fond of their Cabernets; the colour showed some age with a dark coffee hue; the nose was a welcoming spicy, dark chocolate with a dollop of talc; the taste was so different with minty black currant and black raspberry with a hint of Brett; it was full bodied and hung around for a long finish.
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Received as a part of a $250 Garagiste garage sale mystery box.
Wow. This was awesome. Great acidity with red fruit, but lots of blackberry and bramble in the background. The tannins have receded, and it's showing beautifully. Best after 30-45 minutes of air.
I'm not someone that normally likes California wines, but this was extraordinary. Sad that I'll never get to drink it again.
Dusty with strong tart notes of overripe blackberry. Nice to try and interesting but way too expensive for a petite sirah. Worth a tasting but don't go out of your way for this one.
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Like below, needed 3 hours to open up. Have saved a little bit for tomorrow just to see what happens. But what a lovely petit sirah, with a long, rich finish, a surprisingly robust fruit core for its age...tempered by the earth/leather. Just a pleasure to drink, but please wait a few hours. Curious what tomorrow will hold. Wish I had more.
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Really enjoyed this. Not at all like the modern Petite's that I've had (super dark, inky, high alcohol, generally over the top). More like an aged cab to me. Dusty tobacco and spice with a still solid fruit core of raspberry and lighter red fruits. Definitely improved over the few hours we drank it. Also, like others, lousy cork that I had to strain out of the wine after it broke in half.... Garagiste sourced. Worth a try, but at $60 out of my typical range... Fun to see how good California wine from almost 20 years ago stands up.
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Purchased from Garagiste. This wine was in great shape. On opening, was showing very well. Slow-ox'ed for 4 hours and it gained some depth. Youthful red-black color. Nose of blackberry jam, pipe tobacco, leather, vanilla, espresso, cedar, and pine resin. Rich, balanced palate of black raspberry, lavender, mocha, mint, and earth. Smooth, extremely fine tannins and still with enough acidity to pair well with pasta with sausage-tomato ragu. Deep, long, black-red fruit and spice finish.
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Was hoping for a bottle like Garagiste's 2nd from the description below, ended up with something more like the first. Soft cork gave way to the aroma of old wine - not bad, but way past peek, no varietal character. Decanted and slowly consumed over 5-6 hours. While the stinky old wine aromatics dissipated by half, nothing was emerging to take their place. Not unenjoyable, but not worth $60 either. Fingers crossed for bottle two . . .
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A Tasting of Petite Sirahs (My Home): Another disappointing showing. Purple in color. The nose is dusty with some black raspberries. Thinner on the palate. Tart with drying tannins. There is nice fruit (blueberries), but I would have hoped for better. Bought about 10 years ago as a re-release.
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Ah, aged wine. Cork was soft and I was worried but full to the neck. Initial funky odor dissipated quickly. Needs some air, maybe 60-90 mins before starting it. Appeared young for 17+ years, color still rich red-purple and not really clear on the rim. Bouquet of mushrooms and meat over the ripe cherries. Palate just kept getting better, with a bit of menthol on top of the cherries and mushrooms. Lithe for a PS. Really a pleasure. One more bottle left.
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Stunning. Warm earth, cherry compote and spice. This wine had youthful vitality that would make you a skeptic about its age. And an ethereal quality, especially mid-palate, that offered up the sense of pure fruit, floating, lingering...
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Best bottle of the night. Decanted 4 hours and drank with filet mignon and dirty rice stuffed chicken. While it was super tight when I tested it at an hour, it radically changed by hour four. Super smooth. Sweet tannins that are not nearly as powerful as most petite sirahs. Surprised how much fruit was still there after 17+ years. Best Cali bottle of any variety that I have had in quite some time.
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DOA.....Dead on Arrival.....soft cork.....so maybe it got more air than the 17 years.....3 more to try....WAIT.....bottle two, day two.....Lovely....like a tart raspberry with a leather tobacco background. still had a soft cork. Whoever was in charge of this could have splurged and bought regular sized corks.....not these cheap shorties.
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Dark, inky garnet. Likely past-prime, with impressively concentrated bouquet of dusty, dried jammy black fruits, wood, and spice. Chalky tongue-coating tannins still present.
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Popped and poured. Cork was very soft and wine-soaked more than half way up the cork and broke while extracting. Very oxidized nose - could not get any varietal notes at all, even 3 hours later. Dark garnet in color and very soft on the palate - no harshness at all. I'm hoping my other bottles will be better, so I'm reserving a score 'til then.
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This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by John Pollack. Opaque crimson, it shows a very intense bouquet of cranberry, vanilla, clove and earth. Full-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidity, light residual tannins and well-integrated alcohol. The flavors mirror the nose and the middle palate carries through to a long, smooth finish. This is quintessential Petite Sirah, nicely demonstrating how well-made versions of the varietal can age gracefully. Drink now-12/15.
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Quite nice, but fairly simple. Not as lush or complex as the Perry's Blend Juslyn we had tonight. But nicely aged and a little life left before it heads downhill.
Dark garnet. Good fruity nose with burnt toasty aroma. Followed through to palate with plum, black fruit, little raisins.
Finish a bit short, but typical of the variety maybe.
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eclectic spring tasting (Scott & Todd's): my WOTD, few notes taken, just an awesome interplay of fruit and secondary characteristics, hopefully its sister bottle will show just as well. 93+.
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Got this one in March 09 through the Stags' Leap wine club so hopefully that means it was cellared well. Deep purple color with lots of sediment as you would expect for a 15 yr old Napa Petite Sirah. A bit musty on the nose. Jammy dark berry flavors; subdued tannins but they were still there along with just a bit of peppery spice. Nice but I agree with a prior note - time to drink up for this one.
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Tasted at a wine and chocolate event. Great color of bold ruby with a nose of black fruit and a hint of oak. The palate showed a spectrum of fruit including cherry, plum, currant with a touch of spice. The tannins were well integrated. This was far and away the wine of the night. It is fantastic now and likely has another 5 years of life. Did I mention it paired magically with dark chocolate truffles.
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3/31/2021 - kenv Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted at 1pm. Nose of black fruits and sweet licorice. Juicy red fruit and mulch on the palate.
7pm: Big bouquet of spicy red fruit. Rich, juicy fruit. Still some tannin on the long sour cherry finish. Excellent with beef short ribs.
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5/5/2020 - kenv Likes this wine: 92 Points
Double decanted. Needed an hour in the glass to round out. Lots of plum and sour cherry. In a lovely spot right now.
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10/7/2017 - SB5784 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well. Brown cherry colored with clear signs of age. Nose of black fruits (black currant, blackberry) and hints of leather and chocolate and barnyard. Still very fresh on the nose. Balanced and silky on the palate with black fruits. Still good tannin and acidity. Long lingering finish. Medium alcohol. Will last a few more years for sure.
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1/17/2017 - Blake Brown Likes this wine: 92 Points
1994 STAGS LEAP WINE CELLARS NAPA PETITE SIRAH- tasted blind; not to be confused with Stags Leap Winery, this is a rare bird for me from a producer for whom I`m fond of their Cabernets; the colour showed some age with a dark coffee hue; the nose was a welcoming spicy, dark chocolate with a dollop of talc; the taste was so different with minty black currant and black raspberry with a hint of Brett; it was full bodied and hung around for a long finish.
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10/8/2015 - bspahn wrote: 93 Points
Received as a part of a $250 Garagiste garage sale mystery box.
Wow. This was awesome. Great acidity with red fruit, but lots of blackberry and bramble in the background. The tannins have receded, and it's showing beautifully. Best after 30-45 minutes of air.
I'm not someone that normally likes California wines, but this was extraordinary. Sad that I'll never get to drink it again.
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7/17/2013 - sandwich Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dusty with strong tart notes of overripe blackberry. Nice to try and interesting but way too expensive for a petite sirah. Worth a tasting but don't go out of your way for this one.
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12/6/2012 - marsilius wrote: 92 Points
Like below, needed 3 hours to open up. Have saved a little bit for tomorrow just to see what happens. But what a lovely petit sirah, with a long, rich finish, a surprisingly robust fruit core for its age...tempered by the earth/leather. Just a pleasure to drink, but please wait a few hours. Curious what tomorrow will hold. Wish I had more.
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11/16/2012 - prof b wrote:
needed a bit of time to open up but surprisingly youthful. No rush.
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11/11/2012 - eschwet wrote: 90 Points
Really enjoyed this. Not at all like the modern Petite's that I've had (super dark, inky, high alcohol, generally over the top). More like an aged cab to me. Dusty tobacco and spice with a still solid fruit core of raspberry and lighter red fruits. Definitely improved over the few hours we drank it. Also, like others, lousy cork that I had to strain out of the wine after it broke in half.... Garagiste sourced. Worth a try, but at $60 out of my typical range... Fun to see how good California wine from almost 20 years ago stands up.
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10/21/2012 - cartime wrote: 94 Points
Purchased from Garagiste. This wine was in great shape. On opening, was showing very well. Slow-ox'ed for 4 hours and it gained some depth. Youthful red-black color. Nose of blackberry jam, pipe tobacco, leather, vanilla, espresso, cedar, and pine resin. Rich, balanced palate of black raspberry, lavender, mocha, mint, and earth. Smooth, extremely fine tannins and still with enough acidity to pair well with pasta with sausage-tomato ragu. Deep, long, black-red fruit and spice finish.
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7/29/2012 - schwak wrote: 92 Points
very good bottle of wine. was relatively simple but in great balance and quite enjoyable.
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5/28/2012 - prospero wrote:
Was hoping for a bottle like Garagiste's 2nd from the description below, ended up with something more like the first. Soft cork gave way to the aroma of old wine - not bad, but way past peek, no varietal character. Decanted and slowly consumed over 5-6 hours. While the stinky old wine aromatics dissipated by half, nothing was emerging to take their place. Not unenjoyable, but not worth $60 either. Fingers crossed for bottle two . . .
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4/19/2012 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 87 Points
A Tasting of Petite Sirahs (My Home): Another disappointing showing. Purple in color. The nose is dusty with some black raspberries. Thinner on the palate. Tart with drying tannins. There is nice fruit (blueberries), but I would have hoped for better. Bought about 10 years ago as a re-release.
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4/8/2012 - AZ Cat wrote: flawed
Maderized.
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3/31/2012 - Mig22 wrote: 93 Points
Ah, aged wine. Cork was soft and I was worried but full to the neck. Initial funky odor dissipated quickly. Needs some air, maybe 60-90 mins before starting it. Appeared young for 17+ years, color still rich red-purple and not really clear on the rim. Bouquet of mushrooms and meat over the ripe cherries. Palate just kept getting better, with a bit of menthol on top of the cherries and mushrooms. Lithe for a PS. Really a pleasure. One more bottle left.
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3/9/2012 - RationalDenial wrote:
Stunning. Warm earth, cherry compote and spice. This wine had youthful vitality that would make you a skeptic about its age. And an ethereal quality, especially mid-palate, that offered up the sense of pure fruit, floating, lingering...
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2/11/2012 - petermpls Likes this wine: 92 Points
Both bottles were excellent though one was significantly jammier than the other.
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1/29/2012 - fournet wrote: 95 Points
Best bottle of the night. Decanted 4 hours and drank with filet mignon and dirty rice stuffed chicken. While it was super tight when I tested it at an hour, it radically changed by hour four. Super smooth. Sweet tannins that are not nearly as powerful as most petite sirahs. Surprised how much fruit was still there after 17+ years. Best Cali bottle of any variety that I have had in quite some time.
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12/2/2011 - Highlander wrote: flawed
DOA.....Dead on Arrival.....soft cork.....so maybe it got more air than the 17 years.....3 more to try....WAIT.....bottle two, day two.....Lovely....like a tart raspberry with a leather tobacco background. still had a soft cork. Whoever was in charge of this could have splurged and bought regular sized corks.....not these cheap shorties.
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10/22/2011 - Javachip wrote: 85 Points
Dark, inky garnet. Likely past-prime, with impressively concentrated bouquet of dusty, dried jammy black fruits, wood, and spice. Chalky tongue-coating tannins still present.
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8/23/2011 - Wamrod wrote: 89 Points
conisistent with last bottle
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7/19/2011 - joefel wrote:
Popped and poured. Cork was very soft and wine-soaked more than half way up the cork and broke while extracting. Very oxidized nose - could not get any varietal notes at all, even 3 hours later. Dark garnet in color and very soft on the palate - no harshness at all. I'm hoping my other bottles will be better, so I'm reserving a score 'til then.
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6/24/2011 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 92 Points
This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by John Pollack. Opaque crimson, it shows a very intense bouquet of cranberry, vanilla, clove and earth. Full-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidity, light residual tannins and well-integrated alcohol. The flavors mirror the nose and the middle palate carries through to a long, smooth finish. This is quintessential Petite Sirah, nicely demonstrating how well-made versions of the varietal can age gracefully. Drink now-12/15.
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6/11/2011 - Wamrod wrote: 89 Points
Quite nice, but fairly simple. Not as lush or complex as the Perry's Blend Juslyn we had tonight. But nicely aged and a little life left before it heads downhill.
Dark garnet. Good fruity nose with burnt toasty aroma. Followed through to palate with plum, black fruit, little raisins.
Finish a bit short, but typical of the variety maybe.
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5/29/2011 - silton wrote: 93 Points
eclectic spring tasting (Scott & Todd's): my WOTD, few notes taken, just an awesome interplay of fruit and secondary characteristics, hopefully its sister bottle will show just as well. 93+.
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6/27/2009 - jfat1202 wrote: 94 Points
Drank with grilled lamb chops. Amazingly smooth. Great fruits and nicely balanced. Need to decant.
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5/30/2009 - WetRock wrote:
Blind Unoaked Chardonnay and Petit Sirahs (Fratello's, Laguna Niguel, CA): Served blind. An aged quality to the nose with a touch of brett. Light and juicy palate.
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5/16/2009 - FPNova wrote: 89 Points
Got this one in March 09 through the Stags' Leap wine club so hopefully that means it was cellared well. Deep purple color with lots of sediment as you would expect for a 15 yr old Napa Petite Sirah. A bit musty on the nose. Jammy dark berry flavors; subdued tannins but they were still there along with just a bit of peppery spice. Nice but I agree with a prior note - time to drink up for this one.
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4/25/2009 - rcasaw wrote: 88 Points
drink up
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12/21/2008 - soyhead wrote: 91 Points
nose - musty, cassis, dark berry. Nose of a mature wine. Mouth - fruity with muted tannins. Hint of chocolate. Impressed the table.
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11/5/2004 - flashvictor wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at a wine and chocolate event. Great color of bold ruby with a nose of black fruit and a hint of oak. The palate showed a spectrum of fruit including cherry, plum, currant with a touch of spice. The tannins were well integrated. This was far and away the wine of the night. It is fantastic now and likely has another 5 years of life. Did I mention it paired magically with dark chocolate truffles.
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