Fruit forward with animal and floral notes. Not subtle, but enjoyable and good for the price. Don't think it will improve, but there's no hurry to drink it either.
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Very pretty, a lightweight Syrah with gentle stemminess, pepper, meaty, and briny scents on the nose that's all too easy to drink with bright acids on the palate giving it plenty of freshness and lift. It's not especially complex and comes across more like a very good Crozes or St. Jo than a Cote-Rotie, but for the price paid, this is a very decent value.
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Whatever year this thing is, it isn't at its full maturity yet. Beautiful nose, still tightly wound. Opened up into an enjoyable bottle, certainly not classic anything, much less unmistakable Cote-Rotie, but enjoyable accompaniment to a grilled tomahawk. Certainly you can pay twice as much for a CA syrah and get something half as good.
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This is considerably better after 6 years and a few hours of air. Nice nose of blackberries, strawberries, incense, smoke, meat, flowers, saline, and earth. Tart cherries, red cherries, blackberries, saline, and earth on the light palate. Tart and juicy acidity, still slightly grippy tannins, moderate and light finish. Overall, the acidity has tamed since the last bottle and this turned into a decent Northern Rhone wine.
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Great right out of the gate -- a surprising set of baking spices (aromas I can't recall on another Northern Rhone) and some cured meats -- all of which went away quickly after decant. The rest was consumed nonety minutes later, alongside a ribeye, and all were delighted. No one, perhaps, as much as me, as I knew the CT perplexity verging on loathing for this wine.
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Drank over two nights. This bottle was fairly straight forward without any of the interest that my first bottle from 2011 showed on day two. It was an ok wine, but nothing to even bother to stop and note. I don't think this is heading anywhere interesting either, so I'll likely continue to open these without hesitation.
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Medium ruby, very youthful looking purple at the edge. Young, very pure fruit still - way too early to reach any final conclusions on this wine. Hint of bacon, some minerality. After 20 minutes in glass, clearly N. Rhone, not hard and not difficult to drink. Juicy salinity, good acidity and balance. Certainly not stunning, but I suspect this is going to improve with more time. I am encouraged.
Intense nose, blackberry and blueberry fruit. Nicely complex. Medium bodied, juicyand fresh, dry tannins, lots of sweet dark cherry fruit, long finish. Just lacks some complexity.
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Despite an intriguing black pepper note, this was largely undrinkable the first night when opened. Subtle black fruit are behind firm tannins and an overall bitter quality. Marginally better the next day, but not worth drinking a full glass.
I was shocked that Garagiste included this wine in a mystery box I ordered given the consistent complaints they must have received about the wine's quality.
Popped and poured, but based upon my last experience with this wine, I knew that was not the best approach. No formal notes, but this was nice and soft, but not really too compelling. Also not too much hard structure, so I think I'll try again soon, but open it quite a bit of time in advance (like, a day).
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Deep ruby color. Fairly typical Northern Rhone syrah notes of pepper and earth. I noticed more green notes than I did in previous bottles. Medium bodied. As long as you don't go in with Cote Rotie expectations, this is a good drink. (87)
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This was much better than previous bottles – though still nothing to get too excited about. Shows real Syrah character, but lacks some complexity. However, it has fleshed out a bit and I like the medium weight. Good. (88)
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Wasn't expecting much from this wine, but was actually quite nice. Clearly Northern-Rhone, but I would have guessed Crozes rather than Cote-Rotie. Drinking very well right now.
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Similar to the other notes this was good but note great. Nice firm Syrah fruit, good structure and nice weight - but lacking much complexity. Enjoyed this though, especially slightly cool.
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There's no free lunch. $30 for Côte-Rôtie when the going rate is at least twice that means you are not getting top-tier juice. This isn't bad at all, good acid, not spoofy or flawed in any way, but it's not special and isn't a good value. Good+.
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Subdued fruit, mineral driven, with fine powdery talk, dried floral and toasted black pepper notes. Balanced acidity and rounded tannins. More intriguing on the nose than the palate, with no discernable new oak, and at the same time one of the most typical examples of northern Rhone syrah, despite the vintage. Poised. Lack fruit comes out when paired with triple cream brie
Bill's Monthly Lunch - September 2012 (Vancouver, BC): Youthful nose with ripe red fruits, herbs and loads of pepper. Almost has a lightness to it on the palate but the red fruit flavours are far from weak with a silky and fresh profile. Nice minerality with powdery tannins. Drinks well now and should improve over the short term but I’m not sure how long this will age. Very good.
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Probably the best showing of the 3 bottles, with a nose strongly of pepper, meat and iron. Palate was quite acidic and a little austere, with mostly meat, blood, and mineral--little fruit. Moderate stony pepper finish. The first bottle that I though time might help.
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Clearly northern Rhône syrah, didn't have that telltale bacon nose, so it can't be (to me) top tier Côte Rôtie, but it's tasty. Good but not great value at $30. Very Good.
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Don't think I've ever had such discordant scores for the same wine. Not sure if this is bottle variation - a definite possibility based on previous notes - or if a year has made such a big difference. With only a little bit of air, a really intriguing nose of blackberry, dried cherry, black pepper, roses, and smoked meat. Burgundy-like palate with tart, yet rich, red fruit; floral spices; and earthy, roasted herbs. Really great acidity, fine tannins, and a medium-plus length finish with dried red fruit and spice. A food wine, to be sure, but a very nice one.
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From memory. Clear garnet with a brief tawny rim. Modest nose of flowers, ripe blackberries, clove and mint. A lean version of syrah, more tart than tannic, refreshing finish.
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Reminded me of a Cru Beaujolais in a ripe year with a little cracked black pepper thrown in. Very nice on night one. Mellowed a bit on night 2 but still great wine.
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Well made wine with good acidity and full nose of blackberry and mulberry. Lacks fruit in the palate, but still very enjoyable. Will age easily another 5 years. Could use a decant today. My last bottle tasted much better on day 3 than on day 1.
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not bad...tried after Jon's note about variability...initially good pure flavors and very nice pretty classic floral northern rhone syrah...put in fridge and next night all but dead and then good on night 3...all in all not bad and certainly a good price
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Not a lot of nose, but pleasant enough palate with early pepper, and savory syrah coming to fore after aereation. A little weak - but a relaxing sip. 50/5/10/14/6
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Popped and poured, in glass 45 minutes. Have notes of large, freshly cut open black peppercorns, a charred steak, and Brussles Sprouts covered in burnt balsamic vinegar. The palate is thin, mildly spicy, with more meat sauce and balsamic (maybe even chicken broth), but there's a bit of volatile acidity that's dominating throughout the palate isn't pleasant. The VA kicks in higher on the finish, with tart bitterness dominating, with some green berry notes, and I'm left with the notion of chewing on metal filings. Definitely a mediocre wine here. Major bummer that I have 5. 82 points on day one.
This was a totally different wine on day 2. Left for 24 hours under cork (no argon). Today it offers only light aromas of the black peppercorns and beef, instead focusing more on earth, spice, graphite, and pommegranite. It almost smells Italian, like a young, light Nebbiolo. The palate is still fairly light in body, but doesn't feel "thin." The immediate flavors are quite delicious and lithe, showing some strawberry, raspberry, and aged balsamic notes (remove the "burnt" note from yesterday), and more pommegranite. Quite tart and lusciously crisp on the palate. With a ton of aeration I get this deliciously sweet berry creamcheese frosting. Yum. The finish is very tart, showing really pleasing acidity of slight apple core... that is, not at all volatile in nature. It seems this just needed some time to blow off. It's quite pleasing right now. Score is for day 2. Still no revelation, even for the price, but it is pretty, and nearly unrecognizable from the wine I opened yesterday. While the one glass yesterday was hard, I put down two glasses in a hurry tonight without even noticing. 90-91 on day two, and getting better as it goes...
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Best part was the nice pepper and spice on the nose. Otherwise this was a bad combination of thin fruit with slightly bitter tannins. Moved onto a different wine and will use this as cooking wine. This is the 4th bottle of Elegie I've opened and 3 of the 4 have been like this.
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Pop and pour, followed by 4 hours of air as the nose was giving up very little initially. Tart cherry, flowers, light strawberry, and a little meat/blood. Similar on the palate. Huge amount of acidity that seems out of balance with the light flavors, though with cheese, the balance seemed a bit better. Nice initial attack, but the mid-palate to finish thins out. What aftertaste there is is pleasant. A light, austere style that went well with food. 84-86
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Showing much better than the prior bottle. Explosive nose peppercorn nose with floral violet notes, and iron. Palate has a acidic austerity, fine tannins, and a nice purple fruit character. Lengthy pepper, animal, and mocha finish. It is slightly thin on mid palate, but otherwise solid. Seems to be quite a bit of bottle variation.
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This wine rocked -- it was more "delicate" of a Cote-Rotie than usual ... but it was just like a perfectly balanced powerhouse CR, just ever so slightly muted, that made the wine wonderfully balanced, yet refined. The white pepper was there, yes, but the fruit came through beautifully and the overall structure made this a joy to drink with a nice meal. For the price, this is a winner.
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Wow, so many complaints about austerity and thinness, but really this is a very nice, classically-styled Côte-Rôtie. It's got a great, unmistakable Northern Rhone nose of violets, sour fruits, iron, hint of cocoa, etc., and it's clear and juicy and nicely fresh with tart red fruits, good structure, persistence, and sap. It's a bit drying on the finish, so perhaps a few more years will do it well. This wine is no blockbuster, but who wants a blockbuster Côte-Rôtie? This is wonderfully flavorful, complex, and elegant, a wine wholly of its place and a fine companion at the dinner table. I wish I had ordered more.
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Initially an earthy, woody, ferrous nose with some tart cherries in the background. With a couple hours of air, the fruit started to show itself - dried cherries and red currant. Austere, light-bodied palate with tart cherry, cedar, and gravel. Lots of acid and firm, yet fine, tannins. Softened up with time. Definitely a food wine. I say hold, but if you must drink this now, plan on a couple hour decant. Word on the WB forum is that this is declassified Cote Rotie from 2008 - a terroir-driven vintage (to put it nicely). For a couple bucks more, I'd rather get St Cosme St Joseph 2006 or 2007. I'll be interested to try the 2008 St Cosme Cote Rotie to see how the "best" grapes this vintage fared in comparison. **Day 2** This definitely didn't improve like I hoped it would after spending a night VacuVin'ed in the cellar. The nose improved, but the palate did not follow. Less fruit, more tartness, and a finish that just falls off a cliff. I gave it an 88 the first night, and give it an 83 tonight. I'll round up to 86 for my overall score. This was a real disappointment. Glad I only bought a couple.
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sour cherry, fruit skins (hint of green stems?) not really sure where this falls on my palate. Willing to give J.R. the benefit of the doubt. Will try again next year.
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Animal, rustic nose with iron and blood. Rather sharp, acidic palate, with angular fine tannins, and sour cherry and iron character. Medium finish, rather simple mineral and stony finish. A fine food wine, though I'm not sure I really enjoy the flavor profile.
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Perhaps I was just feeling particularly cranky last time, or more likely this second bottle is noticeably better. Lovely on the nose. Still thin on the palate, but fruit is present (in an austere Burgundian way). Not a great value, but this time I'm enjoying it. Travel shock last time? Bottle variation? Lunar cycles? My increasingly inconsistent palate? Who knows.
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I was expecting it to taste like dirt after reading the notes, but it was actually quite good. Color is medium red with some transparency. Red fruits in the mouth, bright and forward. Tasty mouthfeel with some delicacy, decent acidity. Nice balance. I think it lives up to the value at $27.
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I'm not sure this is even comparable to a St. Joseph. The question here is not whether it was destemmed fruit, but whether it was made entirely of defruited stems... Well, that's an exaggeration I suppose, but it reflects my disappointment in a supposed Côte-Rôtie from the Cosme folks. Thin, sour, tannic; much better on the nose than the palate – This isn't good QPR even given how pricey Côte-Rôtie wines usually are. (The other "mystery wines" I've ordered from Garagiste have all been excellent values.)
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Good wine if you consider it more of a top level Saint Joseph as opposed to Cote Rotie. Medium purple color with a nose of pepper and deep red fruits. There is a bit of oak spice in the attractive, yet far from deep wine. Worth the money, but clearly not top level Cote Rotie. I assume this is coming from young vines. Good, but hopefully not all that Saint Cosme can manage from the Northern Rhone. (86)
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3/28/2024 - vintage_whine wrote:
Dank, bloody and peppery. Savory for days. Perfect balance and great acidity. Always a winner
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4/28/2019 - jayw Likes this wine:
Fruit forward with animal and floral notes. Not subtle, but enjoyable and good for the price. Don't think it will improve, but there's no hurry to drink it either.
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7/9/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 76 Points
As objectionable as all previous bottles, but now also very tired.
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1/17/2018 - guitarguy wrote: 87 Points
Syrah, animal fur with dirt and blueberry. Okay.
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10/24/2017 - danibus Likes this wine: 92 Points
Best bottle of the six pack. Drinking perfectly. Rocks and cherries.
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9/9/2017 - salil wrote: 90 Points
Very pretty, a lightweight Syrah with gentle stemminess, pepper, meaty, and briny scents on the nose that's all too easy to drink with bright acids on the palate giving it plenty of freshness and lift. It's not especially complex and comes across more like a very good Crozes or St. Jo than a Cote-Rotie, but for the price paid, this is a very decent value.
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7/8/2017 - ctbob wrote:
Whatever year this thing is, it isn't at its full maturity yet. Beautiful nose, still tightly wound. Opened up into an enjoyable bottle, certainly not classic anything, much less unmistakable Cote-Rotie, but enjoyable accompaniment to a grilled tomahawk. Certainly you can pay twice as much for a CA syrah and get something half as good.
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4/29/2017 - rmh66 wrote: 87 Points
This is considerably better after 6 years and a few hours of air. Nice nose of blackberries, strawberries, incense, smoke, meat, flowers, saline, and earth. Tart cherries, red cherries, blackberries, saline, and earth on the light palate. Tart and juicy acidity, still slightly grippy tannins, moderate and light finish. Overall, the acidity has tamed since the last bottle and this turned into a decent Northern Rhone wine.
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2/27/2017 - wormfarmer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great right out of the gate -- a surprising set of baking spices (aromas I can't recall on another Northern Rhone) and some cured meats -- all of which went away quickly after decant. The rest was consumed nonety minutes later, alongside a ribeye, and all were delighted. No one, perhaps, as much as me, as I knew the CT perplexity verging on loathing for this wine.
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11/4/2016 - David Paris (dbp) wrote:
Drank over two nights. This bottle was fairly straight forward without any of the interest that my first bottle from 2011 showed on day two. It was an ok wine, but nothing to even bother to stop and note. I don't think this is heading anywhere interesting either, so I'll likely continue to open these without hesitation.
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10/29/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 77 Points
Just a very disappointing wine. Like previous bottles.
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5/7/2016 - stormygirl Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely especially after an hour decant!
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9/2/2015 - mdvino63 wrote:
Medium ruby, very youthful looking purple at the edge. Young, very pure fruit still - way too early to reach any final conclusions on this wine. Hint of bacon, some minerality. After 20 minutes in glass, clearly N. Rhone, not hard and not difficult to drink. Juicy salinity, good acidity and balance. Certainly not stunning, but I suspect this is going to improve with more time. I am encouraged.
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6/25/2015 - Mr T wrote:
similar to first bottle. Would score high 80's
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5/20/2015 - thebonnydooner wrote: 89 Points
Intense nose, blackberry and blueberry fruit. Nicely complex. Medium bodied, juicyand fresh, dry tannins, lots of sweet dark cherry fruit, long finish. Just lacks some complexity.
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3/15/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Despite an intriguing black pepper note, this was largely undrinkable the first night when opened. Subtle black fruit are behind firm tannins and an overall bitter quality. Marginally better the next day, but not worth drinking a full glass.
I was shocked that Garagiste included this wine in a mystery box I ordered given the consistent complaints they must have received about the wine's quality.
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12/19/2014 - David Paris (dbp) wrote:
Popped and poured, but based upon my last experience with this wine, I knew that was not the best approach. No formal notes, but this was nice and soft, but not really too compelling. Also not too much hard structure, so I think I'll try again soon, but open it quite a bit of time in advance (like, a day).
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12/1/2014 - dbkitc wrote: 87 Points
Deep ruby color. Fairly typical Northern Rhone syrah notes of pepper and earth. I noticed more green notes than I did in previous bottles. Medium bodied. As long as you don't go in with Cote Rotie expectations, this is a good drink. (87)
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6/16/2014 - dbkitc wrote: 88 Points
This was much better than previous bottles – though still nothing to get too excited about. Shows real Syrah character, but lacks some complexity. However, it has fleshed out a bit and I like the medium weight. Good. (88)
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4/16/2014 - SteveG wrote: 89 Points
This wine continues very nice, a full-flavored but light-textured syrah in mostly traditional style.
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2/2/2014 - Spencer wrote:
Wasn't expecting much from this wine, but was actually quite nice. Clearly Northern-Rhone, but I would have guessed Crozes rather than Cote-Rotie. Drinking very well right now.
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1/29/2014 - WNissen wrote:
And now I really see the variation. If you told me this was $5 Languedoc, I would believe you. Not nearly as good as the other bottles. Fair.
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4/15/2013 - Zonk wrote: flawed
corked
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3/9/2013 - popasq wrote: 90 Points
This was really good.
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2/10/2013 - godx wrote: 88 Points
Consistent with previous notes. Very good. Drink or hold.
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1/30/2013 - pdxwineguy Likes this wine: 86 Points
Fruit is interesting in it tartness. But the tannins show too quickly with air and makes it harder too enjoy
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1/25/2013 - thebonnydooner wrote: 89 Points
Similar to the other notes this was good but note great. Nice firm Syrah fruit, good structure and nice weight - but lacking much complexity. Enjoyed this though, especially slightly cool.
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1/13/2013 - WNissen wrote:
There's no free lunch. $30 for Côte-Rôtie when the going rate is at least twice that means you are not getting top-tier juice. This isn't bad at all, good acid, not spoofy or flawed in any way, but it's not special and isn't a good value. Good+.
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1/1/2013 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
decent
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12/21/2012 - godx wrote: 89 Points
No formal notes. Very good. Drink or hold.
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11/25/2012 - TwoSmoochies wrote: 88 Points
Needed an hour of decanting. Still something metallic at the back end
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11/22/2012 - nefarm wrote:
Not bad. One of the favorites of the evening. No more specifics.
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11/20/2012 - pdxwineguy wrote: 87 Points
Balanced and nice. But a bit uninteresting.
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11/11/2012 - godx wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with previous notes. Very good. Drink or hold.
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11/10/2012 - Johnny C NYC wrote: 89 Points
Nice clarity; almost burgundian, eschewing some of the more savory notes expected. Just dandy with rustic food. 50/5/12/15/7
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10/20/2012 - WDK wrote: 87 Points
Medium ruby. Tart strawberry taste with bracing acidity
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10/9/2012 - godx wrote: 88 Points
Consistent with previous note. 2 bottles consumed. Very good. 88+
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9/27/2012 - vintage_whine wrote: 90 Points
Subdued fruit, mineral driven, with fine powdery talk, dried floral and toasted black pepper notes. Balanced acidity and rounded tannins. More intriguing on the nose than the palate, with no discernable new oak, and at the same time one of the most typical examples of northern Rhone syrah, despite the vintage. Poised. Lack fruit comes out when paired with triple cream brie
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9/14/2012 - godx wrote: 88 Points
Bill's Monthly Lunch - September 2012 (Vancouver, BC): Youthful nose with ripe red fruits, herbs and loads of pepper. Almost has a lightness to it on the palate but the red fruit flavours are far from weak with a silky and fresh profile. Nice minerality with powdery tannins. Drinks well now and should improve over the short term but I’m not sure how long this will age. Very good.
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4/1/2012 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
Good
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3/24/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 89 Points
Probably the best showing of the 3 bottles, with a nose strongly of pepper, meat and iron. Palate was quite acidic and a little austere, with mostly meat, blood, and mineral--little fruit. Moderate stony pepper finish. The first bottle that I though time might help.
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2/21/2012 - WNissen wrote:
Clearly northern Rhône syrah, didn't have that telltale bacon nose, so it can't be (to me) top tier Côte Rôtie, but it's tasty. Good but not great value at $30. Very Good.
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12/25/2011 - danibus Likes this wine: 91 Points
Yum. Rocky red fruit, pepper, and some herbal stuff. Good to go after minimal decant. Must be some bottle variation based on the other notes.
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12/21/2011 - cartime wrote: 90 Points
Don't think I've ever had such discordant scores for the same wine. Not sure if this is bottle variation - a definite possibility based on previous notes - or if a year has made such a big difference. With only a little bit of air, a really intriguing nose of blackberry, dried cherry, black pepper, roses, and smoked meat. Burgundy-like palate with tart, yet rich, red fruit; floral spices; and earthy, roasted herbs. Really great acidity, fine tannins, and a medium-plus length finish with dried red fruit and spice. A food wine, to be sure, but a very nice one.
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11/17/2011 - SteveG wrote: 88 Points
From memory. Clear garnet with a brief tawny rim. Modest nose of flowers, ripe blackberries, clove and mint. A lean version of syrah, more tart than tannic, refreshing finish.
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11/7/2011 - tbone wrote:
Reminded me of a Cru Beaujolais in a ripe year with a little cracked black pepper thrown in. Very nice on night one.
Mellowed a bit on night 2 but still great wine.
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11/2/2011 - toddjerry wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with others. Good acidity, very burgundian, red fruit, sour cherries. Very nice.
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6/30/2011 - SB5784 wrote: 88 Points
Well made wine with good acidity and full nose of blackberry and mulberry. Lacks fruit in the palate, but still very enjoyable. Will age easily another 5 years. Could use a decant today. My last bottle tasted much better on day 3 than on day 1.
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6/9/2011 - Mr T wrote:
not bad...tried after Jon's note about variability...initially good pure flavors and very nice pretty classic floral northern rhone syrah...put in fridge and next night all but dead and then good on night 3...all in all not bad and certainly a good price
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6/1/2011 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
Superb on d2, tangy red berry, citrous, minerals, smoke, very firm w/good core extract
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5/18/2011 - Johnny C NYC wrote: 85 Points
Not a lot of nose, but pleasant enough palate with early pepper, and savory syrah coming to fore after aereation. A little weak - but a relaxing sip. 50/5/10/14/6
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5/3/2011 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured, in glass 45 minutes. Have notes of large, freshly cut open black peppercorns, a charred steak, and Brussles Sprouts covered in burnt balsamic vinegar. The palate is thin, mildly spicy, with more meat sauce and balsamic (maybe even chicken broth), but there's a bit of volatile acidity that's dominating throughout the palate isn't pleasant. The VA kicks in higher on the finish, with tart bitterness dominating, with some green berry notes, and I'm left with the notion of chewing on metal filings. Definitely a mediocre wine here. Major bummer that I have 5. 82 points on day one.
This was a totally different wine on day 2. Left for 24 hours under cork (no argon). Today it offers only light aromas of the black peppercorns and beef, instead focusing more on earth, spice, graphite, and pommegranite. It almost smells Italian, like a young, light Nebbiolo. The palate is still fairly light in body, but doesn't feel "thin." The immediate flavors are quite delicious and lithe, showing some strawberry, raspberry, and aged balsamic notes (remove the "burnt" note from yesterday), and more pommegranite. Quite tart and lusciously crisp on the palate. With a ton of aeration I get this deliciously sweet berry creamcheese frosting. Yum. The finish is very tart, showing really pleasing acidity of slight apple core... that is, not at all volatile in nature. It seems this just needed some time to blow off. It's quite pleasing right now. Score is for day 2. Still no revelation, even for the price, but it is pretty, and nearly unrecognizable from the wine I opened yesterday. While the one glass yesterday was hard, I put down two glasses in a hurry tonight without even noticing. 90-91 on day two, and getting better as it goes...
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5/2/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 79 Points
Best part was the nice pepper and spice on the nose. Otherwise this was a bad combination of thin fruit with slightly bitter tannins. Moved onto a different wine and will use this as cooking wine. This is the 4th bottle of Elegie I've opened and 3 of the 4 have been like this.
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4/19/2011 - rmh66 wrote: 86 Points
Pop and pour, followed by 4 hours of air as the nose was giving up very little initially. Tart cherry, flowers, light strawberry, and a little meat/blood. Similar on the palate. Huge amount of acidity that seems out of balance with the light flavors, though with cheese, the balance seemed a bit better. Nice initial attack, but the mid-palate to finish thins out. What aftertaste there is is pleasant. A light, austere style that went well with food. 84-86
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4/3/2011 - Nutty08 wrote: 89 Points
Showing much better than the prior bottle. Explosive nose peppercorn nose with floral violet notes, and iron. Palate has a acidic austerity, fine tannins, and a nice purple fruit character. Lengthy pepper, animal, and mocha finish. It is slightly thin on mid palate, but otherwise solid. Seems to be quite a bit of bottle variation.
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2/28/2011 - cns wrote: 92 Points
This wine rocked -- it was more "delicate" of a Cote-Rotie than usual ... but it was just like a perfectly balanced powerhouse CR, just ever so slightly muted, that made the wine wonderfully balanced, yet refined. The white pepper was there, yes, but the fruit came through beautifully and the overall structure made this a joy to drink with a nice meal. For the price, this is a winner.
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2/25/2011 - hankj wrote:
drinks like decent generic CDR
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2/4/2011 - Chomsky wrote:
Wow, so many complaints about austerity and thinness, but really this is a very nice, classically-styled Côte-Rôtie. It's got a great, unmistakable Northern Rhone nose of violets, sour fruits, iron, hint of cocoa, etc., and it's clear and juicy and nicely fresh with tart red fruits, good structure, persistence, and sap. It's a bit drying on the finish, so perhaps a few more years will do it well. This wine is no blockbuster, but who wants a blockbuster Côte-Rôtie? This is wonderfully flavorful, complex, and elegant, a wine wholly of its place and a fine companion at the dinner table. I wish I had ordered more.
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2/2/2011 - SB5784 wrote: 86 Points
austere wine, well made but lacking a bit in fruit on the palate. very green.
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2/1/2011 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
Mineral, red fruit, loads of citrus, good texture, grip, acidity, bit thin & direct on flavors else great
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1/2/2011 - cartime wrote: 86 Points
Initially an earthy, woody, ferrous nose with some tart cherries in the background. With a couple hours of air, the fruit started to show itself - dried cherries and red currant. Austere, light-bodied palate with tart cherry, cedar, and gravel. Lots of acid and firm, yet fine, tannins. Softened up with time. Definitely a food wine. I say hold, but if you must drink this now, plan on a couple hour decant. Word on the WB forum is that this is declassified Cote Rotie from 2008 - a terroir-driven vintage (to put it nicely). For a couple bucks more, I'd rather get St Cosme St Joseph 2006 or 2007. I'll be interested to try the 2008 St Cosme Cote Rotie to see how the "best" grapes this vintage fared in comparison.
**Day 2** This definitely didn't improve like I hoped it would after spending a night VacuVin'ed in the cellar. The nose improved, but the palate did not follow. Less fruit, more tartness, and a finish that just falls off a cliff. I gave it an 88 the first night, and give it an 83 tonight. I'll round up to 86 for my overall score. This was a real disappointment. Glad I only bought a couple.
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1/1/2011 - toddjerry wrote: 92 Points
I really like this wine. Very elegant, good acid, great balance, but underlying fruit is bright. Right up my alley.
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12/25/2010 - robtzach wrote: 89 Points
sour cherry, fruit skins (hint of green stems?) not really sure where this falls on my palate. Willing to give J.R. the benefit of the doubt. Will try again next year.
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12/21/2010 - Nutty08 wrote: 86 Points
Animal, rustic nose with iron and blood. Rather sharp, acidic palate, with angular fine tannins, and sour cherry and iron character. Medium finish, rather simple mineral and stony finish. A fine food wine, though I'm not sure I really enjoy the flavor profile.
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12/12/2010 - jim dixon wrote:
Perhaps I was just feeling particularly cranky last time, or more likely this second bottle is noticeably better. Lovely on the nose. Still thin on the palate, but fruit is present (in an austere Burgundian way). Not a great value, but this time I'm enjoying it. Travel shock last time? Bottle variation? Lunar cycles? My increasingly inconsistent palate? Who knows.
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12/5/2010 - toddjerry wrote: 91 Points
I was expecting it to taste like dirt after reading the notes, but it was actually quite good. Color is medium red with some transparency. Red fruits in the mouth, bright and forward. Tasty mouthfeel with some delicacy, decent acidity. Nice balance. I think it lives up to the value at $27.
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11/14/2010 - jim dixon wrote:
I'm not sure this is even comparable to a St. Joseph. The question here is not whether it was destemmed fruit, but whether it was made entirely of defruited stems... Well, that's an exaggeration I suppose, but it reflects my disappointment in a supposed Côte-Rôtie from the Cosme folks. Thin, sour, tannic; much better on the nose than the palate – This isn't good QPR even given how pricey Côte-Rôtie wines usually are. (The other "mystery wines" I've ordered from Garagiste have all been excellent values.)
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11/4/2010 - dbkitc wrote: 86 Points
Good wine if you consider it more of a top level Saint Joseph as opposed to Cote Rotie. Medium purple color with a nose of pepper and deep red fruits. There is a bit of oak spice in the attractive, yet far from deep wine. Worth the money, but clearly not top level Cote Rotie. I assume this is coming from young vines. Good, but hopefully not all that Saint Cosme can manage from the Northern Rhone. (86)
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