Poured through Vinturi for splash decant ... This bottle seemed a little harsh, with rough edges on the finish and less of the up front fruit I've come to expect. I gather this one might be just past its peak and heading downhill. A little out of balance too, and never smoothed out in the glass or decanter throughout the evening.
This might just have been a slightly off-bottle, but I will say that, in general (i.e. more than just this one bottle), while I was initially impressed with Novy's syrahs, I've noticed they drink fairly well early on, but don't seem to cellar well, even over the relatively short term (3-5 years), making them a poor overall QPR, in my opinion.
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Minty on the nose with brooding aromas. Palate is tasty, but lacking enough structure and tannins to support the 14+ alcohol. Seems a consistent problem with this vintage. Very Australian, in a bad way. Nice enough for a party.
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On opening was wonderful .. with rich red and black fruits, well structured. After an hour or so started to get a little harsh with the tannins coming forward a little to dry. Another hour later though started to come together again with classic Syrah flavors.
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Decanted approx. 4 hours ... Nose was bright when poured, but quite muted by the time we drank. This is our first Sonoma Novy, and our first crack at their entry-level offering, after liking previous single vineyard, St. Lucia bottles very much.
I liked this wine overall; it was deep red, almost purple, and very, VERY smooth (not a harsh edge to be found). It was moderately rich with an interesting, crisp edge; not too sweet at all. There was just enough fruit--nothing too overt--but it just didn't have the fullness I was expecting. Maybe we were spoiled by the Novy Gary and Susan's Vineyards bottling and our expectations were just too high.
For the money, no question, this is an outstanding Syrah, with great QPR, that really sung with food (roast beef, pan seared green beans and pearl onions, garlic roast potatoes).
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7/28/2012 - cmcclane wrote: 87 Points
Drank with baby back ribs. It was good but nothing special. Moderate fruit up front with some spice and a bit of a hot finish.
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1/24/2012 - markandsusanw wrote: 85 Points
Poured through Vinturi for splash decant ... This bottle seemed a little harsh, with rough edges on the finish and less of the up front fruit I've come to expect. I gather this one might be just past its peak and heading downhill. A little out of balance too, and never smoothed out in the glass or decanter throughout the evening.
This might just have been a slightly off-bottle, but I will say that, in general (i.e. more than just this one bottle), while I was initially impressed with Novy's syrahs, I've noticed they drink fairly well early on, but don't seem to cellar well, even over the relatively short term (3-5 years), making them a poor overall QPR, in my opinion.
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12/9/2011 - tomherer wrote: 89 Points
Nose of musty red bell pepper. Focused blackberry and currant flavors on a really smooth frame. Nice long finish.
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11/27/2011 - khmark7 wrote: 86 Points
Minty on the nose with brooding aromas. Palate is tasty, but lacking enough structure and tannins to support the 14+ alcohol. Seems a consistent problem with this vintage. Very Australian, in a bad way. Nice enough for a party.
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10/28/2011 - cmr Likes this wine: 89 Points
On opening was wonderful .. with rich red and black fruits, well structured. After an hour or so started to get a little harsh with the tannins coming forward a little to dry. Another hour later though started to come together again with classic Syrah flavors.
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8/25/2011 - revanness wrote: 80 Points
Bought a case in 9/10. It tasted bad then and it still tastes bad. I've tried everything.
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11/11/2010 - markandsusanw Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted approx. 4 hours ... Nose was bright when poured, but quite muted by the time we drank. This is our first Sonoma Novy, and our first crack at their entry-level offering, after liking previous single vineyard, St. Lucia bottles very much.
I liked this wine overall; it was deep red, almost purple, and very, VERY smooth (not a harsh edge to be found). It was moderately rich with an interesting, crisp edge; not too sweet at all. There was just enough fruit--nothing too overt--but it just didn't have the fullness I was expecting. Maybe we were spoiled by the Novy Gary and Susan's Vineyards bottling and our expectations were just too high.
For the money, no question, this is an outstanding Syrah, with great QPR, that really sung with food (roast beef, pan seared green beans and pearl onions, garlic roast potatoes).
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