March 27, 2024 - corked like the first one but strained easy enough and a wonderful bouquet on opening
August 21, 2022 - 30 minute decant. Superb
July 2, 2022 - disappointed corked and not what I was hoping for after reading all the great reviews, really a crap shoot with a 22 year old bottle from an auction since you can't be sure how it was stored, have 1 more so hopefully better luck with next one
June 19, 2022 - Opened after fiddle camp 2022. Yummy jammy inky goodness. thick, extracts of blackberry galore...smooth, velvety. Hints of chocolate, blueberry, plum and fig. Excellent at this stage. Interesting compared to last note...no tang on this bottle. Oops, I was supposed to save this for another 18 years....grabbed the 2000 instead of the 2002. Oh well.... I do believe this bottling will last much longer!
April 11, 2021 - Doesn't show too much age. Well integrated and smooth. Dark fruit, vanilla, still has acid and balance. It seems to me that this still has years ahead.
October 25, 2019 - Thought I'd check in on this one again as it's been six years since the last. Reduction sauce. Very dark, thick purple staining. Tasted blind, you could have told me this was 2 years old and I would believe it. Continuing to show near immortality. Blacks and blues. Initial sip puckeringly tangy. Sour plum, resonating blacks, tea, sous bois, some secondary licorice, leather. Quite an amazing wine....will update with more notes on day two. The last bottle I am going to try keeping for another 20 years and check in when it's around 40.
March 13, 2017 - Here is where the ratings of wines, strength of vintages, drinking windows, etc becomes an arbitrary number that should never really be the primary reason for purchase. Primary reason should be, I like the wine, I ile the producer, I like the grape, etc. This is a 20 year wine. At least a 20 year wine. Jimmy Laube, arguably one of the more famous and well respected reviewers of California wines, gave it a drinking window of ending in 2009. Not even close. Bobby Parker, arguably the most famous and well respected reviewer of California wine, gave it a drinking window of ending in 2013. Not even close. Based on their scores I expected this wine to old and tired. It was 180 degrees from that. Youthful and vibrant. A ton of fruit. No cola color on the edges indicating age. Just straight dark purple a hallmark for great Syrah. Not a lot of tannins there so it probably has a few years left in it's peak but if you have some bottles left consider yourself lucky and enjoy.
February 6, 2016 - Holding together very well but showing its age, primarily on the nose. Color is still dark, slight bricking at the edges. Impressed with this 15 yo syrah. Opened a 2010 Gramercy syrah after finishing this bottle. Taking age out of the equation, the Gramercy never had a chance against this.
June 24, 2015 - So youthful, so bright!! What a fantastic wine - just wish I had more. Great structure and body, and no where near the end of it's time.
May 22, 2015 - BLACK CHERRIES, RASPBERRIES, CHOCOLATE, AND COFFEE IN THE NOSE. BLACK CHERRIES AND MOCHA IN THE FLAVOR. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.