March 17, 2024 - Heater week; 3/8/2024-3/17/2024 (Chicago, IL): Darker, denser, black fruit here. Chewy tannins that still need a few years to full resolve, but there should be enough fruit here to last until then. Spicy and smoky, and more stern and less approachable now than the 1998 alongside.
July 15, 2023 - Consistent to previous, 'singing', this was at its peak.
February 20, 2023 - Coravined. Very deep magenta color. Black cherry, plum, fennel, and some baking spice. Very smooth, slightly tongue drying palate, with tongue coating acidity. Round tannins on the longish finish.
Fun to try, but past its prime for my palate. I believe many will enjoy this more than I did (and I did like it).
December 31, 2022 - Eastman NYE. Opened 3 hours ahead, but based on sample with very expressive nose, didn't decant u until just before serving. Lovely nose. Faithfully varietal palate. Nice wine if not truly exciting.
June 29, 2022 - Delicious, fully mature cote-rotie. Olive tapenade, red fruit and earth flavors and aromas. Smooth and drinkable now.
February 3, 2021 - Third bottle from a half case purchased en primeur. Four years since my last tasting note. Like so many 2005's in the Northern Rhône, this is quite dusty and tannic, still fresh and youthful and very structured, but it is not completely closed and it also displays flowers and spices, and small red berry fruit. The finish is tart and tight but length is very good. It needs more time apparently, still more time. Will it come round before the fruit fades? In their youth the fruit of these 2005's was spectacularly fine - let's hope it surfaces again...
November 11, 2020 - Earth, black pepper, olives and dark red fruit, well balanced and drinking beautifully.
May 30, 2020 - 2+ hours of air in glass container. Drank over the next 2 hours. Drank in Gabriel Standart.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of green and black olives, veggie tapenade, black pepper spices, dark leather, blackberries, dark red cherries. Developed.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (13%), fine high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of very pure blackberries, dark rd cherries, olives, veggie tapenade, black pepper spices. Medium+ finish.
Very good quality. Simple and pure expression of cool clime Syrah. Direct and lacking layers. Time to drink up.
March 26, 2020 - Not decanted, allowed to breathe 1 hour. Dark core, garnet rim; initially dusty, reticent bouquet, after three hours fragrance had blossomed though tight. Palate more showy; smooth, black fruits, tapenade; forceful, serious finish. Plenty of time in hand.
February 9, 2020 - 2/12, vg cork, decanted 1/2 hour.
Deep ruby core, narrow pale ruby/garnet rim. Niose a touch reticent, floral perfume emerging, dark fruit, touch of savoury bacon. Medium/full bodied, red and black berries, bacon, black olive, quite rich and plush but with lovely vibrant acidity and a good length harmonious finish. Never quite as expressive as the previous bottle