Interesting to drink alongside a Carlisle syrah because this is a totally different style of syrah. More mineral and earth here with an aromatic and flavor profile showing dried berries but also a lot of graphite, gravel and roasted herbs. A food friendly syrah.
This was more fruit driven and overtly sweeter on the tongue than the Anthill and its mouthcoating nature can be fatiguing over time. Showed a restrained but pleasant nose of wild berry and cedar, and an appealing palate of dried dark berry.
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Although these Australian wines seem to be dialing down the heat in recent vintages, there still seems to be a good oz/bad oz dichotomy and this one falls on the wrong side - it shows too much of a cloying sweetness with overly ripe flavors of blueberry and not enough spice or earth to offset it. Not hot per se but fatiguing on palate.
An inexpensive wine which was tossed into the mix when the others started emptying ... but this was a "good oz" showing ample acidity to contrast the pure and deep blueberry flavors that the palate showcases. Decent length and frame for the $15 price point.
Nice, full-bodied and full-flavored wine, with ample dark berry flavors and accents of molasses and oak. Had a nice tannic backbone that lifted it to a higher level and augmented its substantial, menthol-driven finish. Not a syrah, but I'm lumping it in with the syrahs because it seemed similar to them.
A pleasant surprise which has clearly benefited from the extra aging the winery gives it (it's a recent release). Deep expression of red berries with notes of tobacco and spice in an elegant but firm frame. Also not a syrah, but has Rhonish character.
Amazing fragrance on this wine, showing cinnamon, clove, cherry, and apple skins. The flavor profile was pleasing with ripe cherry and pomegranate, but the finish is surprisingly hollow and I expected more length considering its price point.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Although I haven't pulled the trigger on joining the mailing list, and seem to be able to find Shanes at retail, I continue to be impressed with this winery and haven't had a less than excellent wine from them yet. Very flavorful, long, and balanced, showing notes of spice, and as other tasters have noted, a pleasant raspberry puree component.
Polished and classy - strawberries and pomegranate notes predominate the nose and palate with a secondary aromatic range from black tea to dried rose petal.
Great fun tasting this next to the WS Ferrington - hard to say which is better but I'll give the nod to Cras bc it was a tad longer with a touch more depth to the finish. Notes of crushed clove, ripe cherry and garrigue.
2010 Anthill Farms Syrah Sonoma Coast 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Interesting to drink alongside a Carlisle syrah because this is a totally different style of syrah. More mineral and earth here with an aromatic and flavor profile showing dried berries but also a lot of graphite, gravel and roasted herbs. A food friendly syrah.
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2009 Carlisle Syrah Sonoma County 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County
This was more fruit driven and overtly sweeter on the tongue than the Anthill and its mouthcoating nature can be fatiguing over time. Showed a restrained but pleasant nose of wild berry and cedar, and an appealing palate of dried dark berry.
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2010 First Drop Shiraz/Monastrell Half & Half 87 Points
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Although these Australian wines seem to be dialing down the heat in recent vintages, there still seems to be a good oz/bad oz dichotomy and this one falls on the wrong side - it shows too much of a cloying sweetness with overly ripe flavors of blueberry and not enough spice or earth to offset it. Not hot per se but fatiguing on palate.
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2008 Mount Langi Ghiran Shiraz Billi Billi 88 Points
Australia, Victoria, Western Victoria, Grampians
An inexpensive wine which was tossed into the mix when the others started emptying ... but this was a "good oz" showing ample acidity to contrast the pure and deep blueberry flavors that the palate showcases. Decent length and frame for the $15 price point.
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2009 Mark Herold Wines Collide 93 Points
USA, California
Nice, full-bodied and full-flavored wine, with ample dark berry flavors and accents of molasses and oak. Had a nice tannic backbone that lifted it to a higher level and augmented its substantial, menthol-driven finish. Not a syrah, but I'm lumping it in with the syrahs because it seemed similar to them.
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2005 Bodegas y Viñedos del Jalón Calatayud Alto Las Pizarras del Jalón 90 Points
Spain, Aragón, Calatayud
A pleasant surprise which has clearly benefited from the extra aging the winery gives it (it's a recent release). Deep expression of red berries with notes of tobacco and spice in an elegant but firm frame. Also not a syrah, but has Rhonish character.
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