1997 Ojai Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (24) Avg Score: 91.4 points

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  12/14/2018 - srh Likes this wine:

  THANK you, budosyu! :)
  
  N: Leather, blk olives, berries, poss spice & smoke? ATTRACTIVELY mature!
  
  P: LM body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt braced by some puckery astringency which SEAMLESSLY transitions into a very LONG, BALANCED finish with a delectable tangy/swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. I'm guessing @ its peak, yet with the substance to make its 25th. ELEGANTLY done! 15% ABV; My EXC/EXC+.

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  11/21/2018 - Fractalage wrote: 90 Points

  This is a good wine if you like new oak.
  Bought at auction. Let rest 5 days. Used Durand. Cork was in great shape.
  Tasted over 3 hours.
  Gorgeous translucent garnet amber.
  It's nose was excellent with barnyard, earth, cherry acid.
  Palate was sharp with burning acid smacking of tartaric additions: At 15%, I'm thinking very ripe, and needing balance. The new oak was ever present, not too annoying, but prevented me from really enjoying it.
  It's a good quality wine.
  But low score from me for use of new oak. (I hate that vanilla-UG, why, oh why!?)
  
  But if you like chocolate and vanilla, this will work for you.
  It's bright, cherry, blackberry vanilla/chocolate, with spicey acid finish. Needs some grilled ribeye.
  
  Based on how this opened and lasted, this will keep evolving for 10 years. There's still tannins and balance for years of enjoyment.
  
  1997 was a great year for me. The start of Fractalage. Wish this were better for celebrating Death Before Life: 1997 Fractalage. But I've got T-day '97 Barolo, so I'm set.
  
  DKN
  
  P.S.
  Held a glass over for 24 hours: Wow! The melding, the resolve, the integrated mix. Oak was very well merged. Basically, opened too soon. 10-20 more years left.
  
  P.P.S.
  48 hours later, from open to air glass, it was fresh and excellent, best yet. The Syrah was tart, balanced who's oak was no longer detectable. This is a long keeper. My 2 bottles will not be opened for 10 years.

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  9/22/2016 - magyarsvensk Likes this wine:

  Nose has milk chocolate and graham crackers. Big sweet juicy red berries on the palate. Medium-short finish. Tasty. 3

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  7/17/2014 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 90 Points

  Good fruit, a tad on the downslope. Still good finish. We will see it after 4 months more in the btls.

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  11/12/2013 - Neecies Likes this wine:

  Bill's wine. Mauve-y mature color, completely secondary, with tar, smoke, spice and a sweet finish. Great example of what happens when you wait.

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View all 24 Community Tasting Notes

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