Community Tasting Notes 5

• csimm wrote: 96 points

  June 9, 2022 - Party with some 100 pointers: Though I was admittedly less drawn to the second vintage iterations of the Allbaer collection (they were not PS), I continue to love this inaugural representation of the brand, finding the Un Petit Debut VERSION OOI to be a striking exemplification of the Petite Sirah varietal. This bottle disappeared quickly amongst the crowd – I think the weird bottle helped spark initial interest for the uninitiated, and then the wine itself kept them coming back for more. My previous notes on this wine still apply. Perhaps a few more years in bottle will really bring this into even more beautifully homogenized form.

  2 people found this helpful Comment

• MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 94 points

  December 25, 2021 - PNP, consumed over 24 in two sittings. Cork replaced back in the cellar after initial pull. Personally, I don't have much PS in the cellar. Only real comparison I can make is Relic, Keplinger & Outpost. I'm a fan of this varietal with age and the most recent example of that was a 2010 Relic that for my palate wash fantastic. There is no doubt the stuffing is in the bottle and I look forward to pulling the next bottle in 5+ years. Bravo Alex as I'm a fan of what you're doing and I love the personal branding touches. Very thoughtful.
  
  94+

  Comment

• csimm wrote: 98 points

  September 30, 2021 - At first shy on the nose but eventually presenting faint puffs of freshly washed plums, peonies, and hints of menthol, the aromas on this curious petite sirah signal a fragrantly lifted and refined version. On the palate, a remarkably smooth and suave delivery of blackberry, olallieberry, dark plum, ripe black raspberry, subtle wood spice, and lavender. The execution is extremely nuanced, with a textural superiority that I can’t ever recall having experienced with this varietal. Far from some of the other dark and brooding Paso/Rhone berry bashfest beasts running around out there, the Allbaer has all the sophistication you’d expect from an upper-echelon house. No overt sweetness. No over-ripeness. No scorching tannins.
  
  There is a slight influence of vanilla (not sweet or cloying) wood here, but it is barely detectable, and luckily it’s not because massively pruned fruit is bombasticly gobbling up the wood. Instead, the fruit here is pure and balanced, not attempting nor needing to over-flaunt its exhibition of flavor. The touch of spice works well to add a delicate seasoning, but it is without exaggerated panache. Finishes with the fruit turning a bit inward and direct, honing the tail into a more linear finale, reminding you it is a young wine that stands to peacock into something more stunning with short-term cellaring.
  
  What sets this wine apart from other Central Coast projects? Above all, Alex Baer clearly nailed the polish here. It is truly a beautiful petite sirah, which is a phrase you don’t often hear when referencing this varietal. But be without worry my firends, this ain’t no mamsy-pamsy PS if that’s what you’re worried about. There is gladiator breadth here; it’s just a gladiator on a magic carpet ride and not some spikey chariot with maces and tridents.
  
  I suppose it’s worth noting that I used to be a huge petite sirah fan back in the day. So, some of my historical references of mega-fruit PS monsters parading around as chocolate-covered fig bombs don’t seem to have a locus here - thankfully. I’m reminded of Mike Officer’s Carlisle Dry Creek Petite Sirahs back in the late 1990s (1998 to be exact) and early aughts, but which were a little more brooding and less honed when compared to the slightly fresher and slicker Allbaer. Oh, and here comes another reference that I can’t help but make: For those familiar with Krankl’s textural prowess with SQN et al, it’s certainly not a stretch to find similar luster in the Allbaer. This is a less ogre-concentrated version when compared to other Paso hulks, so if you’re looking for a Gone with the Wind Scarlett slap in the face, maybe look elsewhere. 96-98+ points for this exquisite example of petite sirah. An excellent inaugural production.
  
  NOTE: This was the second of two bottles. The first (from the same box) was horribly corked, with wet newspaper and moldy cardboard skunking the cork and the wine. With air, it became even more significant. On the palate, the fruit was deadened and bitter. Without question a TCA’d bottle. The next (second) bottle opened in response to the first’s failure was indeed sound and impressive. Hopefully bottle #1 was a one-off and doesn’t rear its ugly head in any kind of batch form. Best news of all, Alex Baer has offered a replacement bottle. THAT is always the sign of a top notch operation and gives one the confidence to buy going forward.

  5 people found this helpful Comments (35)

• Cyclist Likes this wine: 98 points

  July 12, 2021 - Double decant on the previous bottle. Poured into a decanter and left in cellar for 3 hours then poured back in bottle, recorked, then opened the next day. This really opened it up. Beautiful Petite Sirah without any hard edges but tons of inky purple-black beauty showing black fruit with a nice tannic backbone that glides along the tastebuds. Saving the rest of the bottles for several years but the double decant made this quite approachable now.

  1 person found this helpful Comment

• Cyclist Likes this wine: 98 points

  June 23, 2021 - Coravin pour on a bottle I'll probably open and decant soon. This is quite well integrated from a fruit and tannin perspective and also just so, so elegant for a Petite Sirah. This is going to be absolutely beautiful in a few years. Quite closed now without a decant but the fruit, tannins, and acid are perfectly aligned for what I would say will be an incredible cellar ride. Disclaimer though: I don't normally drink Petite Sirah, mostly because I don't think Petite Sirah normally is done this well. 98++

  2 people found this helpful Comments (10)

Pro Reviews 1

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2018
• Type Red
• Producer Allbaer
• Varietal Petite Sirah
• Designation Un Petit Debut VERSION OOI
• Vineyard n/a
• Country USA
• Region California
• SubRegion Central Coast
• Appellation Paso Robles

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 0 (0%)
• In Cellars 16 (73%)
• Consumed 6 (27%)

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