4/27/2024 - Crunge wrote:

The opposite of the face-smacking, jammy, fruit-forward Australian Shiraz. PnP at cellar temp, and I knew from prior vintages that I prefer this without food as it is nuanced and bordering on subtle. But don't think subtle is bad, as this wine is a beautiful blend of raspberry and blackberry in perfect balance. Interestingly, there's nice kick of pepper on the finish that is unexpected given the delicate flavors of the fruit, but the pepper kick is a great reminder of the varietal.

4/24/2024 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Amazing. I didn't get much on the nose even with swirling but the flavor... Fruit-forward cherries and raspberries with a hint of gravel underneath. No alcohol burn, tannins present but only if you asked to see them. Such perfect balance. PnP at cellar temp and paired with sous vide ribeye. My wife was equally impressed (with the wine, not me.)

4/20/2024 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Excellent Syrah with blackberries and smoked meat on the nose. Full-throttle fruit with just enough earth and pepper to back it up. Still youthful but hard to resist at the moment. I think I still prefer the Torrin style for Syrah but this is delicious and my wife kept bogarting the bottle. I have the 8, 9, and 10 and am curious to see how those compare.

3/31/2024 - Crunge wrote:

No rating as this is not my style of wine.

Despite having been a wine drinker for over thirty years, I had not previously had an Opus One. I've had several people recommend it and one recommender was from such an insufferable blowhard that I was turned off from trying it for years. While I realize that this isn't a top vintage of Opus, it still has a good score and generally positive reviews.

I now understand why this is such a crowd-pleaser. I found the wine incredibly smooth and soft, but to me it bordered on watery. This wine has never seen, nor even heard of, tannins. And then there's the vanilla. Far too much oak for me, but it seems so popular, a la Caymus and others. There was some red fruit here, and everything is in balance (except the oak/vanilla) but it lacks body and any sense of terroir.

If this is your style, enjoy it! There's nothing wrong with it. For me, it's incredibly generic and the QPR is so far out of line it's oenological malfeasance.

3/30/2024 - Crunge wrote:

Fair amount of brett on the nose, with slightly less on the palate. Red fruits, barnyard, and pepper are all integrated. Still youthful and just dirty enough to show that classic Chateauneuf character. Good, just not up there with the top Pegau vintages.

3/21/2024 - Crunge Likes this wine:

The oak has subsided a bit in the past two years, and the main flavors are now blackberry and some floral notes. Medium-bodied and smooth, a real crowd pleaser.

2/16/2024 - Crunge Likes this wine:

More funk than expected, bordering on Pegau. Brambles and garrigue mix with sour cherries. PnP at cellar temp with no significant change over 90 minutes.

1/27/2024 - Crunge wrote:

Vinegar

1/27/2024 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Good as usual. Full-bodied with blackberry, plum, and pepper. Smooth, with integrated tannins, and quite dry. PnP at cellar temp and was ready to go. Would be a point or two higher but there was just a touch of sweetness on the finish.

1/17/2024 - Crunge wrote:

I was surprised at the drinking dates on this so I decided to open one and try it.

It's good, or delicious if you're my wife. I found it to be the smoothest Relic of any sort that I've ever had. Relic's style is usually big and bold but the mouthfeel on this was velvety smooth. I thought the oak was right on the edge of being too much, as it competed with the blackberry jam flavor. No pepper yet, but it's young so that might develop.

Score is a combination of my wife's and mine. I also recommend not starting to drink until 2026.

12/24/2023 - Crunge wrote:

From a 3L. Being from a big bottle, this was still quite young. Softer than the 2015, this lacked the spice usually found in Basilisk. Tasty and enjoyed by all six of us, with a touch of earth. Again, soft and smooth. Cherry, slate, and a hint of barnyard. If you have a regular bottle, this should be ready to go.

12/23/2023 - Crunge wrote:

My first ever Cayuse. 45 minute slow ox after pulling from the cellar at 55F/12.8C.

The nose was unique. Very earthy but not the funk I'm used to with Pegau and similar wines. Light in appearance but my first sip was tar with a touch of tea. Over time the tar faded and the tea dominated, with a hint of fruit coming through. I liked it okay, but my wife didn't even finish her first glass. I'll let the other bottles age for a long time or give them hours of air.

12/3/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Opened at cellar temp. Reticent nose giving up just slight hints of cocoa and red fruits. My wife and I felt the fruit and acid were in balance and found the wine to be an easy drinker, despite noticable tannins. Cocoa, fruit, and tobacco on the palate. We paired some with mozzarella and cheddar, and some with dark chocolate. While my wife and I both agreed that this wine would have been better without food, we disagree a bit on the fruit. I thought it leaned towards raspberry, cherry, and other red fruits, while my wife thought it was closer to the black fruit end of the spectrum. Regardless, we both enjoyed this and will have the last bottle in the next 2-4 years, this time without food.

11/10/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

First glass was PnP at cellar temp. Nose of blackberry and wet soil. First few sips and I would have guessed Syrah; blackberry and loads of herbaceous undertones. Some cherry flavors started to peek through as it warmed and breathed, but it never lost the earthiness. Delicious.

Remaining glasses were consumed over the next hour with sous vide rib eye. It has the structure to stand up to the protein, with flavors of cherries, blackberries, and earth. The earthiness was dominant towards the end.

11/4/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

First, an aside: I've had 3,000+ bottles of wine since I started tracking and had a first here. I pulled the cork and there was no sound. I thought I'd broken the cork but it was intact. Went to pour and nothing came out. I looked in the neck and there was a plug of sediment covering the entire neck. A skewer took care of it, but I didn't know such a plug was even possible.

The wine: nice aromas of raspberry and some spice. The palate was nothing like the nose, leaning into tea and mineral flavors with fruit far in the background. My wife said this was a great cold-weather, drink-by-the-fire wine. We both enjoyed it, but if you prefer a fruit-forward wine, this is not it.

10/22/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Three and a half years since the last bottle. This actually looked a bit younger than the previous bottle and actually had some fruit on the nose. Smooth with far more earth than fruit, the wine showed some wood and a hint of blackberry (my wife disagrees, saying she gets no fruit at all) and it's incredibly dry. I get a fair amount of sourness on the finish, but not in a distracting way. I like earthy wines so I enjoyed this, but I would not serve it to my friends that prefer fruit-forward, modern-style wines.

10/21/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

A year and a half since the last bottle, and it had actually gained some earth. Previous bottles were all fruit but this bottle tasted like it had been fermented with some of the stems still intact, as there was a nice undercurrent of forest floor. Cherry flavors still dominated but the earth added another dimension and an old-world touch.

10/20/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Five years and a day since my last bottle. PnP at cellar temp. Blackberry, plum, and tea flavors dominate. It's full-bodied without being a fruit bomb, and it's perfectly balanced with strong tannins. This shows no signs of aging so drink or hold. My wife and I were both impressed with the wine Helen has crafted.

10/19/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Cherry, plum, and blackberry with a touch of spice on the nose. Blackberry, sour cherry and brambles on the palate. We debated on what the spice was and ruled out allspice, anise, pepper, and others, but never identified the spice.

Very good today, but there's plenty of fruit and acid here so it has the stuffing to age.

10/15/2023 - Crunge wrote:

PnP at cellar temp. Sour cherries on the nose and not much else. Muted flavors at first, and my wife and I both agreed it needed to warm up. It really needs air at this point; after an hour it started adding weight. Smooth tannins and sour cherry flavors with the slightest hint of earth. It may have the stuffing there, but wasn't showing it tonight. Hold or give a long decant.

10/13/2023 - Crunge wrote:

Vinegar

10/12/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

First glass was from a PnP at cellar temp. Lacked the typical Pegau funk. Still very drinkable with dark cherries and a large helping of wet stone.

As it warmed up it gained body. Fuller-bodied and richer than typical Pegau, it is well-integrated already. Tannins came through at warmer temps, and more white pepper than fruit. While it never gained the Pegau funk, it is an earthy, unabashedly old world wine.

I'll let the rest of my bottles age longer.

10/7/2023 - Crunge wrote:

Vertical of the 2007-2009. Surprisingly, all five tasters agreed on the order: 2008 first, 2007 second, 2009 third.

2009
Aromas of wet stone and raspberry. Cola with mild raspberry and cherry. Dry, a touch sour. Medium- flavor at opening, opening up to medium later. Better over time, so decant 30-60 minutes if opening now. 91

2008
Dusty aroma, a touch of earth. A hint of sour cherry on the nose. More body and fruit than the 2007 or 2009. Medium+ body, mouth-coating raspberries and plum with a touch of cocoa. 94+

2007
Funk on the nose, reminding me of an old-world wine. Raspberry cola, with a hint of minerality. Did not add weight with air, but fruit came forward, as did the funk on the nose. 92

10/7/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Vertical of the 2007-2009. Surprisingly, all five tasters agreed on the order: 2008 first, 2007 second, 2009 third.

2009
Aromas of wet stone and raspberry. Cola with mild raspberry and cherry. Dry, a touch sour. Medium- flavor at opening, opening up to medium later. Better over time, so decant 30-60 minutes if opening now. 91

2008
Dusty aroma, a touch of earth. A hint of sour cherry on the nose. More body and fruit than the 2007 or 2009. Medium+ body, mouth-coating raspberries and plum with a touch of cocoa. 94+

2007
Funk on the nose, reminding me of an old-world wine. Raspberry cola, with a hint of minerality. Did not add weight with air, but fruit came forward, as did the funk on the nose. 92

10/7/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Vertical of the 2007-2009. Surprisingly, all five tasters agreed on the order: 2008 first, 2007 second, 2009 third.

2009
Aromas of wet stone and raspberry. Cola with mild raspberry and cherry. Dry, a touch sour. Medium- flavor at opening, opening up to medium later. Better over time, so decant 30-60 minutes if opening now. 91

2008
Dusty aroma, a touch of earth. A hint of sour cherry on the nose. More body and fruit than the 2007 or 2009. Medium+ body, mouth-coating raspberries and plum with a touch of cocoa. 94+

2007
Funk on the nose, reminding me of an old-world wine. Raspberry cola, with a hint of minerality. Did not add weight with air, but fruit came forward, as did the funk on the nose. 92

9/27/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Full-flavored and tannic. Blackberry, plum, and sour cherries on the palate. No detectable oak. This is delicious and my wife and I both enjoyed. PnP at cellar temp. No shame in drinking now but quite youthful and will age for many years.

9/24/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Still young despite significant sediment. Dark fruits and some leather. Just a touch of bitterness on the finish so more cellar time may help. Enjoyable, just not sure the QPR is there.

9/23/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Inky purple with aromas of oak, blackberries, and pepper. A bit heavy on the oak for me, but with deep black fruit flavors and some spice to contend with the vanilla. Decanted for an hour before drinking, but was better an hour later. Medium-bodied, full-flavored, with plenty of sediment. No signs of aging yet. My last bottle was in June of 2017, which I scored higher. This was good, just not as good as previously.

9/22/2023 - Crunge wrote:

Clearly an off bottle. My wife even asked if it was spoiled. Cocoa was the only flavor that came through, with an underlying alcohol burn. No fruit at all on this one. I'd had a bottle of this in 2018 which was fine, but this was nothing like a Grenache.

8/19/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Nose of pear, melon, and a hint of cat urine. Flavors of pear and an undercurrent of slate with a sharp acidic backbone. Not buttery as some Chardonnays can be, but crisp and refreshing.

8/13/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Light in color but not in flavor. Smells like blackberries and cherries, with smoky, earthy notes. Spicy palate with black cherries and a fair amount of barnyard. 92-93 and I have a feeling aging will bring the earthiness forward even more.

8/11/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

BrianoftheVine's note is on point. There's no hurry on this although it is excellent now. Blackberry and black cherry hit first, with a significant finish of forest floor. Alcohol, tannins, and acid are all in balance with the fruit. A bold, heavyweight presentation of Syrah.

7/29/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Delicious CdP that is ready to go for my palate. Cherry and blackberry are matched perfectly with garrigue, stems, and slate. Plenty of tannins and acidity to continue aging and the color showed no signs of browning. Paired well with a bone-in ribeye. This is a fantastic wine and I am looking forward to the 2016.

7/28/2023 - Crunge Does not like this wine:

Despite being stored at 55 F/12.8 C its whole life, this bottle was well past its prime. Smelling strong aromas of manure and wet cardboard, I first assumed it was spoiled. It was not; the flavors after 30 minutes were decent if you don't want a fruit-forward wine. There was some barnyard and some vegetable quality to it. The best opinion was, "It isn't terrible." Should have sold this one. No score as it didn't compare at all to recent reviews.

7/23/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

It's young but I wanted to try this as I have enjoyed the Relic Petite Sirah since the 2009 vintage (some, or all of which, come from this vineyard.) Since this is a field blend that includes Carignane and other grapes, it's not as bold as the Relic PS varietal. Still, it's incredibly dark in the glass and stood up well to some spicy lettuce wraps. Blackberries, plums, and a bit of licorice with some solid tannins on the palate. My wife and I both enjoyed this and look forward to seeing how this ages.

7/22/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Good nose of dark fruits, a bit of pepper, and a touch of metal. No metal on the palate, which is dominated by blackberry and black cherry, with a pepper kick on the finish. 93-94.

7/21/2023 - Crunge Does not like this wine:

Grenache is my favorite varietal and I've been anticipating this, my first Clos Erasmus.

PnP at cellar temp and it was borderline undrinkable. Strong wood varnish aromas and flavors. Beyond that was tartness and not much else.

After an hour in a decanter, the wood varnish had faded somewhat and there was a touch of cherry trying to come through, although the acid and tartness beat any fruit flavors into submission.

Two hours in and there was still that touch of varnish and almost no fruit. No score as this is clearly not my style. A truly disappointing experience.

7/16/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

PnP at cellar temp. The nose was amazing with blackberries and some spices. At first the fruit was in the background, hiding behind some tea and cocoa. It didn't take long for the fruit to emerge and balance everything out. Full-flavored with dark fruits, cocoa, spices, and perfectly balanced alcohol, tannins, and acidity. 94+ and I need to go try some other vintages.

7/14/2023 - Crunge wrote:

It tastes like spiked cherry Kool-Aid with an undercurrent of brambles. If it weren't for the earthiness, this would be a gloppy mess. With the earth, it's passable. I applaud the winemaker for using an old-world style on this. So many CdP are modern style with no funk, so it's nice to find this redeeming quality in this wine.

7/8/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Young but good already. Cherry on the front but then all dark fruits and a bit of black tea. Just enough pepper and alcohol burn to give it the Torrin boom. It's delicious now, but I believe it will improve over time with the tannins mellowing a bit. 93+

7/7/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Modern style: no funk but clean Grenache with cherries and a bit of herbal quality. Paired with sous vide lamb and had the structure to compliment it well.

7/6/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Not a bad wine at all, but pales in comparison to the 2013. This one is more tannic with less fruit. Heavier on the tea and cola notes. Definitely needs air at this time, so I'll hold for now.

7/3/2023 - Crunge wrote:

Pop and pour at room temp. At first the oak was a bit heavy but it blew off quickly. Full throttle blackberry and plum flavors with just a bit of tea on the finish. No cocoa as I sometimes get with CS. I've had some 13's fall over with air but we consumed this over an hour and it held up well. No signs of aging yet.

7/1/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Third review after 12/2020 and 12/2021. Like the 12/2020 bottle, there was a metallic note on the nose, but it blew off after 30 minutes. The metal did not translate to the palate, which was full of cherry and raspberry. I also got an undercurrent of pepper but others did but. I drank this with three others and it was a hit with everyone, easily eclipsing the Altamura cab that preceded it.

6/29/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

I've had a number of Cab/Syrah blends and they're rather hit or miss. This is what one should taste like. Explosive nose of red and black fruits with flavors of blackberry, plum, and raspberry. No spice but beautifully integrated and smooth.

6/27/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

After my bottle on 5/8/2021 I was reluctant to try this. The earlier bottle was one of the most closed bottles I've ever had: almost no nose or flavor. This bottle was in a different league, as it was full of cherry and raspberry with a good undercurrent of spice and brambles. Very fruit forward and delicious, with all three of us drinking it commenting on how much we enjoyed it. 93+ at this stage and plenty of life ahead. ScottWhipp's note sums up the experience well.

6/23/2023 - Crunge wrote:

PnP at cellar temp. Typical Pegau funk backed up by plum and cherry. Dirt, hay, and slate on the finish. Definitely a Pegau and a good choice if you like earthy wines.

6/17/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

The wine led with blackberries and cherries on the nose. Flavors were all fruit: blackberries, plums, and cherries. The integration is flawless; there isn't a rough edge anywhere. The tannins are as silky as I've ever encountered. I never got any tea, cola, or olive oil notes, as this wine is all about the purity of the fruit.

Decanted initial glasses for 30 minutes and consumed the bottle over the following 90 minutes.

6/16/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Fourth bottle in four years, and this was more in line with the one in 2021 than 2022. A fair amount of pepper mixed with cherries at first. The cherries faded after about 45 minutes but the pepper remained, joined by smoked meats and black fruits. A little less oomph than in the past.

6/10/2023 - Crunge Likes this wine:

Delicious mix of dark fruits: blackberries, plum, and hints of leather and tobacco. Smooth, rounded tannins and no alcoholic heat. Paired with elk backstrap and was a perfect compliment.