At first it smells reduced. Slightly stinky. Tar with a bit of berries popping through. We had this over the evening and it did show improvement. Fruit is either faded and buried by the oak. The oak really seemed to get in the way. Some citrus elements. We enjoyed this but would say it is not too interesting at this stage. The oak along with a bit of boozy heat were the down sides. All in all a nice value.
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Past its prime perhaps, but still very enjoyable. Cherry, plum nose, with some chocolate and earthiness. Taste starts off nice and fruity and balanced. Initially, the finish was a little flat, but after 20 minutes in the glass, it improves a bit. Sorry I didn't drink earlier, but don't throw out your remaining bottles!
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This started as an 88 (not the 91 it became), as it evolved nicely. The majority of the previous attributes here on CT hold (the positive ones...heh...), altho' mi esposa thought the finish was short,.eh...for $19, what a treat!
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No formal notes, better than my last bottle in June. No heat on this bottle. No hurry to drink, showing well. Big blueberry fruit with firm tannins still present. Great QPR.
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The nose shows blueberries, cherry and some alcohol is present on the back end. The palate is medium weight which reveals blue fruit that is backed by pepper, bittersweet chocolate and some heat. Tannins are noticeable but balanced. The heat was a little distracting but an overall enjoyable experience.
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Really like this wine. The wine does not have the typical syrah flavor profile. Nice dark fruit with quite prominent smoke notes. Nicelly balanced with complexity and class. Wish I had more of this outstanding syrah.
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Dark fruit profile. When first opened, this had a bit of a medicinal flavor on the back palate, but that blew off. After about 1/2 hour, showed nice red/dark fruit, medium body. Not particularly complex, but as Lorena said, a nice enough bottle to share over a meal, which is what we did. Lots of fruit, but not at all over the top. What this lacks for my palate is acidity. ADDENDUM: just came back to this after the bottle had languished in the fridge for, what, 9 days?? A glass left, and, man, I like this better now than before!! More complex, no signs of deterioration, some acidity has materialized as the fruit has become more secondary. WTF??? Why does this happen? Does this mean this wine, for my palate, should have set in bottle a lot longer????
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Solid wine. Big fruit core with a nice mouthfeel and finish. A bit more zin like to me (not in a bad way). Finish had a very nice caramel/toffee component.
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This wine is smoking good. Nose is full of dark fruit, blue berry and pepper. Palate is very fruit forward with big flavor of dark fruit, plum, pepper Such a nice wine that I think will last for a litltle while.
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Like it, nice for the price. Definitely on the fruity side, but still with earthy smell as it opened. Definitely changed for the better over about two hours worth of drinking. Kristen didn't like at first, but came around nicely. Dark fruit/plum/peppery-almost along the lines of zin. Would easily last 2-3 more years.
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The color of blueberry pie. Nose of dark fruits - blackberry, currant, plums. Some black pepper mixed amongst the fruit. Sometimes I feel like I pick up hints of orange, can't seem to put my finger on it. Lush, full mouthfeel with more pepper, black fruits, chocolate and some oak, not overpowering. Seems to have integrated nicely from the last bottle I had. This wine is smooth with all the components nicely balanced. For the price its a great qpr wine, picked some up for $15.99, how can you go wrong at that price?
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After two disappointing bottles last night I grabbed this knowing it wouldn't disappoint. Nice nose of dark fruit, earth and pepper. Nice lush mid-palate with plum, dark cherry and notes of mint on the finish. With some time in the glass a bit of chocolate appears. Just a fine Syrah that drinks way too easily.
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Opened this for the January '06 TWF event. Plum and dark fruits with a nice peppery note. This is medium bodied with nicely integrated tannins and a pleasant mouthfeel. I thought this was well balanced with a nice finish.
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Decanted 3 hr’s. Nose of dark berry and pepper. Lush and racy black currant and blueberry flavors along with black pepper turning to white the longer it’s decanted and light notes of smoky, chalky, earth in a anise frame. Medium to full body with fine tannins, this starts with smooth vanilla, moves to a round, generous mid-palate and picks up steam on the elevated, lively, peppery finish. This has integrated well since my last tasting.
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What an incredible bargain at only $17.00. This wine is drinking very well right now and should hold for at least two more years. Shows alot more complexity than you would expect for the reasonable price.
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Christmas in Napa; Mostly Syrahs; 12/23/2005-12/25/2005 (Napa): Huge fruit presence but very alcoholic, accounts for the mega-extraction but in the short term, definitely decant. Longer term bottle aging will definitely help pull all of this together
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Dark violet color, lots of black fruits wrapped in smoky oak, tobacco, hints of pepper. The only thing I seriously dislike about it - and this prevents me from giving this wine a higher score - is a very, very high alcohol level (15.7%). It never integrates with the wine and you can smell it way before everything else.
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I was hoping to keep with the "no plunk wines during my b-day weekend" theme and this delivered. Upon opening the nose is mostly closed but there is some dark fruit lurking. First taste is booming with waves of blueberry, dark cherry, and a good deal of oak. Young and vibrant, this has a decent finish for a sub-$20 wine. After an hour its still all lush and fruity. This is easy to pound, especially when served on the cool side. Would match well with babecue or other casual fare. Yum!
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Dark violet. Nose of very forward blackberries, meat/leather, licorice and cherries (that had just a hint of being 'stewed'). Very noticable alcohol on the nose that turned to overt heat on the palate and finish. Spices (mainly pepper) emerged on the palate. Agree with previous note that the tannins had a nice dusty feel to them. Enjoyable, but the alcohol is not integrated and the hint of overripeness diminished the pleasure of this bottle somewhat.
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Loads of blackberries, hints of pepper/spice and a touch of heat on the nose; great texture lifted by dusty tannin and acidity. Very straight-forward, but nice.
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Decanted 1 hr. Nice nose of dark berry and spice. This has lush and racy black currant flavors with black pepper in a spicy oak frame with just a touch of very light notes of earth. Medium to full body, this starts with smooth vanilla, moves to a full and generous mid-palate and picks up steam on the hot, peppery finish. Great little peppery Syrah, I think this needs a little more time to settle down – if you can find it.
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12/16/2012 - rhanke wrote: 90 Points
showing well, still loads of fruit
The wine looks Ruby colored. Blackberry.
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12/2/2012 - jasonh wrote: 87 Points
At first it smells reduced. Slightly stinky. Tar with a bit of berries popping through. We had this over the evening and it did show improvement. Fruit is either faded and buried by the oak. The oak really seemed to get in the way. Some citrus elements. We enjoyed this but would say it is not too interesting at this stage. The oak along with a bit of boozy heat were the down sides. All in all a nice value.
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5/29/2012 - budh wrote: 89 Points
Past its prime perhaps, but still very enjoyable. Cherry, plum nose, with some chocolate and earthiness. Taste starts off nice and fruity and balanced. Initially, the finish was a little flat, but after 20 minutes in the glass, it improves a bit. Sorry I didn't drink earlier, but don't throw out your remaining bottles!
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2/14/2010 - stufis wrote: 87 Points
15.7% abv is showing thru, alas, whilst the fruit recedes. Out of balance at this point. 5 more to go.
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8/21/2009 - stufis wrote: 90 Points
This started as an 88 (not the 91 it became), as it evolved nicely. The majority of the previous attributes here on CT hold (the positive ones...heh...), altho' mi esposa thought the finish was short,.eh...for $19, what a treat!
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12/5/2008 - Bushwood wrote: 89 Points
No formal notes, better than my last bottle in June. No heat on this bottle. No hurry to drink, showing well. Big blueberry fruit with firm tannins still present. Great QPR.
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11/9/2008 - 1800kidney wrote: 88 Points
huge alcoholic extraction...could pass for Australian fruit bomb
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10/27/2008 - davidspieker wrote: 88 Points
Minimal nose. Very fruity with full black berry and bittersweet chocolate. Nice finish but not much complexity.
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6/14/2008 - Bushwood wrote: 87 Points
The nose shows blueberries, cherry and some alcohol is present on the back end. The palate is medium weight which reveals blue fruit that is backed by pepper, bittersweet chocolate and some heat. Tannins are noticeable but balanced. The heat was a little distracting but an overall enjoyable experience.
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5/26/2008 - spotfin wrote: 90 Points
Better than expected, no heat, nice!
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3/30/2008 - spotfin wrote: 88 Points
Pretty good, still a bit tannic.
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2/15/2008 - davidspieker wrote: 90 Points
Very nice wine. Rich blackberry flavors but not jammy. Full, lingering and pleasant finish. Drinking nicely now.
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1/4/2008 - Cellar Keeper wrote: 91 Points
No formal notes, but it still has a nice peppery edge to it. I liked the previous bottle slightly better.
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1/1/2008 - 2Travel wrote: 91 Points
Nice and smooth, good flavor and balance. A real crowd pleaser on new years eve.
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10/8/2007 - dsimmons wrote: 93 Points
Really like this wine. The wine does not have the typical syrah flavor profile. Nice dark fruit with quite prominent smoke notes. Nicelly balanced with complexity and class. Wish I had more of this outstanding syrah.
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9/9/2007 - Colima74 wrote: 88 Points
Dark fruit profile. When first opened, this had a bit of a medicinal flavor on the back palate, but that blew off. After about 1/2 hour, showed nice red/dark fruit, medium body. Not particularly complex, but as Lorena said, a nice enough bottle to share over a meal, which is what we did. Lots of fruit, but not at all over the top. What this lacks for my palate is acidity. ADDENDUM: just came back to this after the bottle had languished in the fridge for, what, 9 days?? A glass left, and, man, I like this better now than before!! More complex, no signs of deterioration, some acidity has materialized as the fruit has become more secondary. WTF??? Why does this happen? Does this mean this wine, for my palate, should have set in bottle a lot longer????
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8/3/2007 - Elkiholic wrote: 88 Points
Solid wine. Big fruit core with a nice mouthfeel and finish. A bit more zin like to me (not in a bad way). Finish had a very nice caramel/toffee component.
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7/31/2007 - caboychuck wrote: 91 Points
This wine is smoking good. Nose is full of dark fruit, blue berry and pepper. Palate is very fruit forward with big flavor of dark fruit, plum, pepper Such a nice wine that I think will last for a litltle while.
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6/25/2007 - Colima74 wrote: 90 Points
Had at lunch at Morteza's... rich, balanced, nice dark red fruit, mocha...good finish. Very nice...
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6/10/2007 - jmh st louis wrote: 90 Points
Same as last bottle. Shared with Shannon, Mark, his folks, and the gang.
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6/10/2007 - jmh st louis wrote: 90 Points
pepper plum and tobacco
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4/3/2007 - decaturwinedude wrote:
Oh, yeah, this is some good sheet.
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2/26/2007 - eschwet wrote: 90 Points
Like it, nice for the price. Definitely on the fruity side, but still with earthy smell as it opened. Definitely changed for the better over about two hours worth of drinking. Kristen didn't like at first, but came around nicely. Dark fruit/plum/peppery-almost along the lines of zin. Would easily last 2-3 more years.
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1/24/2007 - budman wrote: 91 Points
Even better than the last bottle. Sweet tannins and fruit. There is nothing not to like in this wine!!
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10/25/2006 - thelostverse wrote: 91 Points
Similar notes to last bottle. However, I did pick up a hint of blueberries that I hadn't noticed previously. This is still humming along nicely.
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7/9/2006 - Vinobaby! wrote: 90 Points
very good, spicy and fruity
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6/24/2006 - MWes wrote: 88 Points
Very Good bottle of wine. On the palate, I got violets, a hint of carmel and a touch of blueberry. This was better than I expected.
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5/4/2006 - jbouchard78 wrote:
The color of blueberry pie. Nose of dark fruits - blackberry, currant, plums. Some black pepper mixed amongst the fruit. Sometimes I feel like I pick up hints of orange, can't seem to put my finger on it. Lush, full mouthfeel with more pepper, black fruits, chocolate and some oak, not overpowering. Seems to have integrated nicely from the last bottle I had. This wine is smooth with all the components nicely balanced. For the price its a great qpr wine, picked some up for $15.99, how can you go wrong at that price?
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3/3/2006 - decaturwinedude wrote: 91 Points
After two disappointing bottles last night I grabbed this knowing it wouldn't disappoint. Nice nose of dark fruit, earth and pepper. Nice lush mid-palate with plum, dark cherry and notes of mint on the finish. With some time in the glass a bit of chocolate appears. Just a fine Syrah that drinks way too easily.
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1/27/2006 - thelostverse wrote: 91 Points
Opened this for the January '06 TWF event. Plum and dark fruits with a nice peppery note. This is medium bodied with nicely integrated tannins and a pleasant mouthfeel. I thought this was well balanced with a nice finish.
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1/15/2006 - GreenDrazi wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 3 hr’s. Nose of dark berry and pepper. Lush and racy black currant and blueberry flavors along with black pepper turning to white the longer it’s decanted and light notes of smoky, chalky, earth in a anise frame. Medium to full body with fine tannins, this starts with smooth vanilla, moves to a round, generous mid-palate and picks up steam on the elevated, lively, peppery finish. This has integrated well since my last tasting.
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1/8/2006 - Screameagle wrote: 90 Points
What an incredible bargain at only $17.00. This wine is drinking very well right now and should hold for at least two more years. Shows alot more complexity than you would expect for the reasonable price.
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12/24/2005 - 1800kidney wrote: 90 Points
Christmas in Napa; Mostly Syrahs; 12/23/2005-12/25/2005 (Napa): Huge fruit presence but very alcoholic, accounts for the mega-extraction but in the short term, definitely decant. Longer term bottle aging will definitely help pull all of this together
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8/8/2005 - archer752000 wrote: 88 Points
Dark violet color, lots of black fruits wrapped in smoky oak,
tobacco, hints of pepper. The only thing I seriously dislike about it - and this
prevents me from giving this wine a higher score - is a very, very high alcohol level (15.7%).
It never integrates with the wine and you can smell it way before everything else.
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8/7/2005 - decaturwinedude wrote: 91 Points
I was hoping to keep with the "no plunk wines during my b-day weekend" theme and this delivered. Upon opening the nose is mostly closed but there is some dark fruit lurking. First taste is booming with waves of blueberry, dark cherry, and a good deal of oak. Young and vibrant, this has a decent finish for a sub-$20 wine. After an hour its still all lush and fruity. This is easy to pound, especially when served on the cool side. Would match well with babecue or other casual fare. Yum!
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8/1/2005 - thomaskeil wrote: 85 Points
Dark violet. Nose of very forward blackberries, meat/leather, licorice and cherries (that had just a hint of being 'stewed'). Very noticable alcohol on the nose that turned to overt heat on the palate and finish. Spices (mainly pepper) emerged on the palate. Agree with previous note that the tannins had a nice dusty feel to them. Enjoyable, but the alcohol is not integrated and the hint of overripeness diminished the pleasure of this bottle somewhat.
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7/20/2005 - bknysak wrote: 90 Points
Loads of blackberries, hints of pepper/spice and a touch of heat on the nose; great texture lifted by dusty tannin and acidity. Very straight-forward, but nice.
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6/17/2005 - GreenDrazi wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hr. Nice nose of dark berry and spice. This has lush and racy black currant flavors with black pepper in a spicy oak frame with just a touch of very light notes of earth. Medium to full body, this starts with smooth vanilla, moves to a full and generous mid-palate and picks up steam on the hot, peppery finish. Great little peppery Syrah, I think this needs a little more time to settle down – if you can find it.
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