USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Tasted blind. Opaque, inky color. Great aromatics of blue and black fruits. Dense and saturated, with currant and blackberry jam flavors. Ends with a wall of unyielding tannin. Needs time. Very nice, wish I could have retasted this later on in the night, the bottle was drained quickly.
Tasted blind. The lightest wine of the flight, with a pretty cherry red hue and medium clarity. Lifted aromas of cherry and spice box. Mid-weight, with a raspberry and medicinal cherry palate. The medicinal note got stronger as the night wore on, retasting it towards the end of the night gave a distinct impression of cherry cough syrup. Very pretty at first, quickly fell apart.
Tasted blind. Medium-dark, with a purple hue. Meaty, funky, peppery nose. Very tight and reserved on the palate, finishes with chewy, dusty tannin. Hard to coax much fruit out of this even as the night wore on, but after about 2 hours some savory, dark fruit was apparent.
Tasted blind. Super aromatic, blue and black fruit. Jammy, thick and rich, with sweet, generous blackberry and raspberry notes. Perhaps a touch of brett and VA, but did not detract from the overall experience. I really liked this. My #2, Group #4 WOTN.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Tasted blind. Definite browning at the rim, but still mostly opaque. Funky, ferrous aromas. Showing some age, still generous, leather, caramel, dusty cherry. Good acid. Really enjoyed this. My #3, Group NR.
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
Tasted blind (in a flight of CA syrah). Dark, mostly opaque brick red. Lifted, menthol, cherry nose. Licorice, dusty cherry notes on the palate, also some savory porcini and caramel-y oak on the finish. Really good.
Tasted blind. Funk and black fruit on the nose. Soft and voluptuous, very generous with jammy, peppery, blackberry flavors. Very concentrated, intense, tasty. Very nice.
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
Tasted blind. High pitched, herbaceous, cherry aroma. Spicy, cinnamon, cherry, floral notes, smoky finish. I really like the pitch and tenor of this wine. Good stuff.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Tasted blind. Smoky, peppery, kitchen spice aromas. Plummy, dark berry, floral notes on a mid weight palate, with smoky, peppery notes on the finish. Very reserved compared to the other wines in the flight, evocative of pinot noir. Loved this. My #1, Group #3.
Tasted blind. Interesting wine, with dense, wild, sweet, floral, raspberry notes. Finishes with an odd, but not off-putting, veggie note - tomato skin? Pretty wine. My NR, Group #2.
Tasted blind. Dense and rustic, with an herbaceous edge to the sweet, dense, earthy cherry notes. Imposing, but ripe tannin on the back end. My #4, Group NR.
2006 Nickel & Nickel Syrah Darien Vineyard
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Tasted blind. Opaque, inky color. Great aromatics of blue and black fruits. Dense and saturated, with currant and blackberry jam flavors. Ends with a wall of unyielding tannin. Needs time. Very nice, wish I could have retasted this later on in the night, the bottle was drained quickly.
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1999 Eaglepoint Ranch Winery Syrah
USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
Tasted blind. The lightest wine of the flight, with a pretty cherry red hue and medium clarity. Lifted aromas of cherry and spice box. Mid-weight, with a raspberry and medicinal cherry palate. The medicinal note got stronger as the night wore on, retasting it towards the end of the night gave a distinct impression of cherry cough syrup. Very pretty at first, quickly fell apart.
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2007 Husch Vineyards Syrah
USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino
Tasted blind. Medium-dark, with a purple hue. Meaty, funky, peppery nose. Very tight and reserved on the palate, finishes with chewy, dusty tannin. Hard to coax much fruit out of this even as the night wore on, but after about 2 hours some savory, dark fruit was apparent.
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2005 Arcadian Syrah Westerly Vineyard
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
Tasted blind. Super aromatic, blue and black fruit. Jammy, thick and rich, with sweet, generous blackberry and raspberry notes. Perhaps a touch of brett and VA, but did not detract from the overall experience. I really liked this. My #2, Group #4 WOTN.
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1999 Dehlinger Syrah
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Tasted blind. Opaque, inky. Very earthy and a bit tough, with smoky, meaty, peppery, spicy notes. Dusty tannin on the back end. My NR, Group #1 WOTN.
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1997 Dehlinger Syrah Goldridge
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Tasted blind. Definite browning at the rim, but still mostly opaque. Funky, ferrous aromas. Showing some age, still generous, leather, caramel, dusty cherry. Good acid. Really enjoyed this. My #3, Group NR.
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2001 Two Hands Shiraz Lily's Garden
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
Tasted blind (in a flight of CA syrah). Dark, mostly opaque brick red. Lifted, menthol, cherry nose. Licorice, dusty cherry notes on the palate, also some savory porcini and caramel-y oak on the finish. Really good.
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2004 Meyer Family Cellars Syrah
USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands
Tasted blind. Really needed more fruit to balance out the super aggressive, dilly, coconut-y notes. Not a fan.
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2005 Bink Wines Syrah Hawks Butte Vineyard
USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino
Tasted blind. Hard to get past the alcoholic burn. Not a fan.
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2007 Lynmar Estate Syrah Sonoma County
USA, California, Sonoma County
Tasted blind. Funk and black fruit on the nose. Soft and voluptuous, very generous with jammy, peppery, blackberry flavors. Very concentrated, intense, tasty. Very nice.
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2008 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
Tasted blind. High pitched, herbaceous, cherry aroma. Spicy, cinnamon, cherry, floral notes, smoky finish. I really like the pitch and tenor of this wine. Good stuff.
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2005 Joseph Swan Vineyards Syrah Trenton Estate
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Tasted blind. Smoky, peppery, kitchen spice aromas. Plummy, dark berry, floral notes on a mid weight palate, with smoky, peppery notes on the finish. Very reserved compared to the other wines in the flight, evocative of pinot noir. Loved this. My #1, Group #3.
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2007 Robert Keenan Winery Syrah
USA, California, Napa Valley
Tasted blind. Ripe and flashy, soft and voluptuous, with straightforward, dense, jammy, dark fruit. Tasty, but didn't scream "syrah" to me.
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2008 Heller-McCallister Syrah Broken Leg Vineyard
USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
Tasted blind. Interesting wine, with dense, wild, sweet, floral, raspberry notes. Finishes with an odd, but not off-putting, veggie note - tomato skin? Pretty wine. My NR, Group #2.
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2009 Claiborne and Churchill Syrah Edna Valley
USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
Tasted blind. Dense and rustic, with an herbaceous edge to the sweet, dense, earthy cherry notes. Imposing, but ripe tannin on the back end. My #4, Group NR.
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2007 Peterson Winery Syrah Gravity Flow Block Bradford Mountain Vineyard
USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
Tasted blind. Opaque and inky. Dense and jammy, with gobs of earthy, smoky, peppery dark fruit. Huge tannin. Super extracted and powerfu.
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