August 2, 2018 - past its prime
April 27, 2014 - I'm probably a tougher scorer (if I scored) than I used to be, but this is really right in the same place it was before. Slightly less acidic than most St. Joseph, but nicely delineated. Not a blockbuster on any scale, but really good food wine. I didn't find lots of umami flavors here, but there was something a little charcoal-y in the back of this, along with the bright cherry flavors. This wine shows different sides with different foods, really much more a complementary player than a centerpiece.
May 29, 2013 - This was very good. Tasted "alive" with a lot going on. Sorry I just had this one bottle
August 27, 2011 - We might even have jumped the gun, but after a couple hours sitting on the counter with a little poured into a glass, this was ready to go. Steve Mac says it's his attempt at a St. Joseph so we drank it against one. We also followed his recommendation Steve made and paired it with a white fish (cod), but I cooked it with olives and dressed it with tomato water and herbs. We used the leftover tomato meat to make a marinade for tri tip and went to town. This was structured like a St. Joseph, not as acidic as some, but savory and rich with a little extra fruit at the front end for us New Worlders. Really long finish. Over the night, it went through a dumb phase before roaring back with violets, meat and stewed plums and a little orange zest for bitterness. We'll give the other bottle a year or two more in cellar, but we're drinking this on the way up, I expect.
December 11, 2009 - Very good Syrah from this new and upcoming winemaker. I've compared it side by side with other Syrahs including Novy and Roar and was surprised at how well it held up against these more established wineries. Berry nose with a fruit core followed by a balanced finish to dark chocolate. I look forward to seeing how it ages as well as looking for the next vintage.
October 19, 2009 - Holding final judgement on this for a few years.
The very first of the MacClaren Syrah Unti Vineyards. The final product has less to do in nose and taste with Unti and rather lies in the distinct influence of Michael Talty. Ultimately this is a Syrah made by Taltly, if such a thing existed. That's not bad thing, but there are characteristics here that differ this from a typical syrah and that's where the pre-mentioned influence seems to really come in.
On the nose - Boatloads of leather, considerable amount of lavender, black cherry, another herb?, with some mocha and dark and red berries.
On the tongue - Starts out almost as if there is a touch of zin in there - practically like some kind of proprietary blend, with a decent amount of red fruit right up front, especially raspberry. Integration is nice even at this point, and then tobacco and mocha.
I'm truly enjoying this one ad look forward to how it evolves over the next few years. A perfect Syrah for Zin-atics and those looking for a break from the same old style.