| Community Tasting Notes (average 87.7 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 30 notes) - hiding notes with no text |
| | Tasted by Canoehead on 12/14/2016 & rated 92 points: Big aromatics and some rich black fruit layered with leathery grip and some tenacious acidity. Really lovely. One more bottle to go. Probably lamb next time. (1705 views) |
| | Tasted by Vandiner on 9/2/2016 & rated 88 points: Found one more bottle of this - loved it last time (92 pts). This time a little disappointing. Particularly, the nose had notes of smoked oysters which i didn't find appealing. Much better on the palette and certainly well worth drinking. (1764 views) |
| | Tasted by Paolo D on 5/29/2016: Tasted May 2016. Still very youthful. Soft tannins. Dark purple. Nice fruit up front with complex finish. No sign of fading with age (1883 views) |
| | Tasted by theDesch on 7/19/2015 & rated 92 points: Wow! This surprised everyone at our dinner party. Some even thought it was an old-world wine, and some liked it better than a much more expensive Aussie Shiraz. Tannins have softened nicely since I last tasted this a year ago. Great fruit but not overpowering, well balanced, excellent structure, big mouth feel, long, pleasant finish. I wonder if there's a dash of viognier in it? It went beautifully with grilled lamb. Just entering it's drinking window. (2555 views) |
| | Tasted by Canoehead on 6/7/2015 & rated 90 points: Big black fruit, still a little brambly. The smoked meat nose is fading. Probably time to drink up. (2334 views) |
| | Tasted by AlbertaOenologist on 4/8/2015 & rated 88 points: still a very good Canadian red wine. The tobacco notes jump out at me quite strikingly, perhaps too much i.e. somewhat off balance. Have this with meat like a steak. (1223 views) |
| | Tasted by NoseKnows on 12/31/2014 & rated 90 points: Decanted but tasted immediately in prep for New Year's eve. Medium to dark ruby in the glass. Spice, cedar and a bit barnyard nose. Still some tannins and crispness with some licorice and medium length finish. (1354 views) |
| | Tasted by ATK on 5/26/2014 & rated 90 points: Very good. Tobacco, smoky. Got better over the next day or 2. Could use more time in the bottle. (1784 views) |
| | Tasted by Vandiner on 11/18/2013 & rated 92 points: Dark fruit and tobacco notes - complex and balanced - wish I had more (1727 views) |
| | Tasted by wpiers on 5/14/2013 & rated 89 points: Strong tobacco and leather notes. (2005 views) |
| | Tasted by wpiers on 3/29/2013 & rated 74 points: Perhaps a bad bottle, but not very good at all. (1892 views) |
| | Tasted by NeilIsntWitty on 3/27/2013 & rated 89 points: Appearance: Clear, Medium to dark ruby, slight oxidation starting at the rim.
Nose: Clean (no faults), medium intensity. Leading with hints of bramble berry and blackberry and slight white pepper, but overtaken by herbaceousness and leather.
Palate: Dry; medium+ intensity; medium+ to high acidity, medium body and medium- tannins. The fruit profile showed sour cherry, hints of dried cherry and blackberry moving to cranberry (maybe due to the acidity showing through) and white pepper. As with the nose, for me the fruit was overtaken by the herbaceousness; strong leather, tobacco, sage and definite green pepper notes which persisted over a medium+ to long finish.
Notes: OK, this wine won the Canadian Wine Access Magazine 'Red of the Year' in 2011 and Jancis Robinson named it the Best Canadian Red in Jan 2013 out of 50 wines she was sent, so I came in with high expectations. If you approach this wine comparing it to a jammy, warm climate shiraz, you're likely going to be disappointed. If you're comparing it to a northern Rhone offering (sans viognier), then it will probably show very well, but only if you're a fan of complex, herbaceous syrah where the fruit almost plays second fiddle -- definitely not for everyone. Also, I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is not a sipping wine - pair it with a meal to really showcase it. (1797 views) |
| | Tasted by wpiers on 12/9/2012 & rated 85 points: A bit thin after the Walter Hansel Pinot. (1757 views) |
| | Tasted by Plusvini on 8/11/2012 & rated 81 points: Tomato jam. Yuk! Looking at the other notes, either we missed something or this bottle was flawed. But... Yuk (1743 views) |
| | Tasted by AlbertaOenologist on 7/4/2012 & rated 85 points: a high quality wine, no doubt. I can see why it was Canada's best red at CWA 2011. But for me, too much tobacco, coffee. (1383 views) |
| | Tasted by Solange on 2/8/2012 & rated 95 points: Very good wine! Fruity and yet with that distinct mineral taste unique to Church and State, which makes the wine sophisticated. (1641 views) |
| | Tasted by saturnaisland on 2/4/2012 & rated 79 points: Rich, smooth and mellow. There is good fruit here with very slight hints of classic syrah flavours. But it is overpowered by strong flavour of sage or greenness on the finish. I really can't get past this. Would not buy again. Overall, not my preferred style of wine. And I should say I am a huge fan of syrah - my favourite wines of all time come from the North Rhone. I wanted to like this wine, but ..... (1433 views) |
| | Tasted by winetaste on 1/23/2012 & rated 84 points: My favourite probably of the Church and state wines I've tasted so far, it had a floral nose with a hint of pepper, although not overpowering and a more dark fruity palette with a brisk short-lived acidity on the finish. I predicte that this wine may age well over the next few years, and the slight harshness on the finish dissipate a bit. (1193 views) |
| | Tasted by stacey02 on 12/31/2011 & rated 91 points: Excellent taste & flavor. Enjoyed by everyone on New Years Eve. Highly recommed. (1178 views) |
| | Tasted by SadEdjo on 11/27/2011 & rated 89 points: Heady nose of cracked black pepper, smoked bacon, charcouterie - real Rhône-like. Similar notes on the crisp entry along sweet red fruit & sweet tannins middle and clean finish. New world fruit and old world acidity, bacon, pepper. Still somewhat young. Would advise waiting a year. (1372 views) |
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