My first time to open this wine since release. WOW WOW WOW! I was skeptical of the 98 pts when it was released but this wine is BANGING! 14.3% etoh, deep rich concentrated dark fruit. Typical Cali Syrah notes in spades. Balanced, acidity to spare, wonderful minerality. Clean long finish. Wish I’d opened on a weekend so I could enjoy more thoroughly. Top flight Syrah. Kudos to Joe Donelan.
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Decanted for an hour before service. In the glass, dark red at the rim, fading quickly to black at the core. On the nose, blackberries, with no sign of aging - aromatically, this could be a barrel sample. On the palate, blackberry liqueur, plums, saline notes, and a faint hint of camphor, with mild tannins on a long fruit-driven finish. This seems to be resolving nicely.
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Classic dark brooding Syrah. Roasted meats, dark cherry and blackberry fruit, minerals and graphite. Dark and rich but with an impeccable balance between the fruit and savory elements,
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P&P. Cold. Cant even describe this nose. Wow....terrior in a glass. So beautiful, delicate, masculine. So much blue fruit, mixed wet stones, rough herbs, earth, blood. Yum. Just want to smell this. The palate is wild. This is in a perfect place, so balanced, so delicious, euthreral.
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Again screwed up the decant (opened as treat following hours of buckthorn eradication work). Opened up beautifully as night went on. Absolutely will decant next bottle.
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Pop and pour. In the glass, medium-dark red at the rim, fading quickly to black at the core. On the nose, plum and blackberries. On the palate, blackberry liqueur with a bit of saline, and moderately assertive tannins on the finish. This could be a dumb phase, but based on my notes from 3+ years ago, I'm not convinced...
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5 years since last one. Dark in the glass. Dark sweet berries, wet rocks on the nose. Delicious. This is just perfect. Not big. No pepper. Just sweet deliciousness. Balanced, juicy, man, the balance is perfect, 10 years and this is so yummy. W the mineral it needs food. But won’t over power. This prob is in Phase 2 or 3. Another 10 years of life.
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On the nose faint early season blueberries when cold. As it warmed, more oak found its way in. Just outstanding balance in the mouth. Blueberry, mushroom, and carrot parfait. The finish is bit clipped. Paired well with a nice filet mignon.
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Decanted for 30 mins before service. In the glass, medium-dark red at the rim, fading quickly to black at the core. On the nose, a mixture of port and crushed blackberries. On the palate, dense and rich fruit, combined with minerality and assertive tannins on the finish. I think we'll need a few years to get a better read on where this is headed.
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1.5 Day II. The nose on this is beautiful. Wet rocks, violets, delicate flowers. Full rich flavors, again the minerality is huge. Some nice tannins balance the huge blue fruit. Nutty, this is very much coming together. Not overdone, nothing but a beautiful vineyard & beautiful wine making
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Amazing and complex aromas literally leap from the glass. Very northern Rhone like on the nose with smoked meat, black fruit, pepper and savory notes. Palate is full bodied with medium-rich fruit and juicy acidity. Already drinking well and showing complexity. Terrific Syrah!
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San Antonio Wine Geeks - Chardonnay night (mostly) (The Monterey): Decanted on arrival and consumed over the next few hrs. Liquor-like nose, with candied fruit, fragrant and floral with a hint of smoke. Highly polished palate, with little detectable tannin or heat, with densely concentrated fruit. Chocolate and espresso on the lengthy finish. I had trouble getting into this, maybe a little overdone? Or just way too young. Others thought this would come together in time. 92+ for now.
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5/10/2021 - texaswinelover wrote:
My first time to open this wine since release. WOW WOW WOW! I was skeptical of the 98 pts when it was released but this wine is BANGING! 14.3% etoh, deep rich concentrated dark fruit. Typical Cali Syrah notes in spades. Balanced, acidity to spare, wonderful minerality. Clean long finish. Wish I’d opened on a weekend so I could enjoy more thoroughly. Top flight Syrah. Kudos to Joe Donelan.
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2/9/2021 - jshufelt wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour before service. In the glass, dark red at the rim, fading quickly to black at the core. On the nose, blackberries, with no sign of aging - aromatically, this could be a barrel sample. On the palate, blackberry liqueur, plums, saline notes, and a faint hint of camphor, with mild tannins on a long fruit-driven finish. This seems to be resolving nicely.
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1/1/2021 - brettay wrote: 93 Points
Classic dark brooding Syrah. Roasted meats, dark cherry and blackberry fruit, minerals and graphite. Dark and rich but with an impeccable balance between the fruit and savory elements,
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6/22/2019 - tplskylrk wrote:
P&P. Cold. Cant even describe this nose. Wow....terrior in a glass. So beautiful, delicate, masculine. So much blue fruit, mixed wet stones, rough herbs, earth, blood. Yum. Just want to smell this. The palate is wild. This is in a perfect place, so balanced, so delicious, euthreral.
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10/29/2018 - Minnesota wrote: 94 Points
Again screwed up the decant (opened as treat following hours of buckthorn eradication work). Opened up beautifully as night went on. Absolutely will decant next bottle.
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5/4/2018 - jshufelt wrote: 89 Points
Pop and pour. In the glass, medium-dark red at the rim, fading quickly to black at the core. On the nose, plum and blackberries. On the palate, blackberry liqueur with a bit of saline, and moderately assertive tannins on the finish. This could be a dumb phase, but based on my notes from 3+ years ago, I'm not convinced...
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4/21/2018 - tplskylrk wrote:
5 years since last one. Dark in the glass. Dark sweet berries, wet rocks on the nose. Delicious. This is just perfect. Not big. No pepper. Just sweet deliciousness. Balanced, juicy, man, the balance is perfect, 10 years and this is so yummy. W the mineral it needs food. But won’t over power. This prob is in Phase 2 or 3. Another 10 years of life.
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3/28/2016 - Minnesota wrote: 92 Points
Did not decant to the wine's detriment, opened to reveal its fruit over time. Next bottle will try 4-5 decant.
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5/29/2015 - johnwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a beautiful Sonoma Syrah filled with flavors of chocolate covered cherries, coffee, and berries with a hint of leather on the nose.
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2/15/2015 - bambam Likes this wine: 93 Points
On the nose faint early season blueberries when cold. As it warmed, more oak found its way in. Just outstanding balance in the mouth. Blueberry, mushroom, and carrot parfait. The finish is bit clipped. Paired well with a nice filet mignon.
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10/10/2014 - jshufelt wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 30 mins before service. In the glass, medium-dark red at the rim, fading quickly to black at the core. On the nose, a mixture of port and crushed blackberries. On the palate, dense and rich fruit, combined with minerality and assertive tannins on the finish. I think we'll need a few years to get a better read on where this is headed.
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12/28/2013 - tplskylrk wrote:
1.5 Day II. The nose on this is beautiful. Wet rocks, violets, delicate flowers. Full rich flavors, again the minerality is huge. Some nice tannins balance the huge blue fruit. Nutty, this is very much coming together. Not overdone, nothing but a beautiful vineyard & beautiful wine making
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10/21/2013 - tplskylrk wrote:
Delicious. Mineral, sweet, herby, yum.
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4/26/2013 - johnwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Inky,syrupy,voluptuous Syrah!
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3/11/2011 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Amazing and complex aromas literally leap from the glass. Very northern Rhone like on the nose with smoked meat, black fruit, pepper and savory notes. Palate is full bodied with medium-rich fruit and juicy acidity. Already drinking well and showing complexity. Terrific Syrah!
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2/28/2011 - russdan60 wrote: 92 Points
Totally agree with Nutty08's notes of 1/14/11. Ditto his review in total.
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1/14/2011 - Nutty08 wrote: 92 Points
San Antonio Wine Geeks - Chardonnay night (mostly) (The Monterey): Decanted on arrival and consumed over the next few hrs. Liquor-like nose, with candied fruit, fragrant and floral with a hint of smoke. Highly polished palate, with little detectable tannin or heat, with densely concentrated fruit. Chocolate and espresso on the lengthy finish. I had trouble getting into this, maybe a little overdone? Or just way too young. Others thought this would come together in time. 92+ for now.
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