2013 Elephant Hill Syrah

Community Tasting Notes (12) Avg Score: 90.1 points

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  9/26/2020 - owr Likes this wine: 90 Points

  Starts off with spicy dark fruit and some mocha-cherry, and that's just the aromas ... on the palate raspberry and pepper for starters ... the fruit kept coming in waves with hints of secondary characteristics like smoke and oak, but always with a heavy dose of fruit at its core. Simply put this wine was just gorgeous and so very drinkable now ... and it was 7 years old. It still had lots and lots of time ahead of it - I did not commit infanticide here, but I'm sure if I opened this up in 2025 it would not be much different. Hats off to those in New Zealand who jumped on the screwcap bandwagon early. I can say this for certain about this wine: tertiary notes are so far non-existent ... and will be for quite some time.

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  3/13/2019 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points

  Monthly Tasting Group HWS #137; New Zealand: In the somewhat locked bouquet red and dark berries. On the palate metal, earth, herbs and spices, plums, chocolate, autumn impressions, good acidity and slightly sticky tannin. Some sweetness and bitterness as well.

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  6/16/2018 - knothoef wrote: 88 Points

  High on acidity

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  3/16/2018 - Poisey wrote: 93 Points

  Decanted 3 hours. Really rounds out and mellows with olive paste, blackberry, black pepper, earth and graphite notes. A little hollow and really peppery at first but it all comes together with lots of air. Smooth finish with integrated wood and smooth tannin. Tart red berry fruit and pepper tinged filled finish. Refined and elegant. Drink now-2022.

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  6/28/2017 - ProfByron wrote: 89 Points

  Pretty aggressive black pepper syrah. Savoury, with rather good concentration for the price. But not fun to drink... so I left it, just sitting in the bottle. The next day it wasn't any better but was showing no signs of oxidation. The 2nd day it had softened, toned down the extreme black pepper and floral notes. A bit syrupy and a bit straight forward example of cool climate syrah - I'd certainly pick it as NZ, or Sth Africa.
  
  Needs 3+ years.
  
  {screwcap, 13.5%}

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