Community Tasting Note
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ChopperWine Likes this wine: 93 points
June 21, 2020 - Okay.. where to begin? Is this a wonderful wine? Sure. Should one be able to detect the craftsmanship? Yes. Worth the price? Absolutely not. While not over the top expensive like so many of the new "cult" wines (as in California offerings whose beginnings don't go much farther back than the 1990's) that people think are worth shelling out ridiculous sums of money to have bragging rights, this wine is still not worth the price in this man's opinion.
That said, this wine was big, teeth staining dark purple and closed enough to warrant a 6 hour decant. Floral, rich and earthy. Sweet and viscous. All the trappings of a Syrah wine that clearly is heavily extracted.
Dark berries, vanilla, syrup with a long finish that could not hide the high alcohol's (15.9%) heat. Glad I shared this with 2 other people. While tasty, it was too heavy to be able to drink more than a glass and a half.1 person found this helpful 4,811 views
3 Comments
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csimm commented:
6/21/20, 10:59 AM - Hi there. Thanks for your comments. I was curious of your opinion on a few of your favorite recent-vintage Syrahs (domestic or foreign) with price-points that you feel are fair in relation to their heightened quality. I know everyone has their style preferences, and this wine seems more like a QPR issue than the wine having fault necessarily (as I agree that the "cult" culture has taken on a monetary trajectory that is pretty wacky). Anyway, I'm just wondering what Syrah you think punches above its class from a QPR standpoint. Thanks in advance.
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ChopperWine commented:
6/30/20, 1:50 PM - Definitely is a QPR issue here. And while that is a very subjective comment, I feel, as many else who have some decent wine knowledge and wine appreciation, that this is a colossal waste of money (which yes, I realize is also a subjective comment). But if these winemakers can get it, good for them. I just find so many Syrahs sweet to begin with that this extra over-extraction was just not needed. I will stick with Napa cabs for the "rich" wine experience and Bordeaux & old world Châteauneuf-du-Pape for my more preferred style. Hard to imagine that this Sine Qua Non will ever be considered a "classic" wine. "Unique," perhaps. But in the end, any wine experience is an experience worth having.
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csimm commented:
6/30/20, 3:19 PM - Well said. "Unique" is probably the best term indeed. Exclusivity and "cult" status drive up consumers' emotional connections to the wines, and in turn, drive up those ridiculous prices for sure. Thanks for your thoughts. Take care.