NOSE: Lovely blue/black fruit with purple floral notes, touch of black olive, sandalwood, smoke and wet earth. PALATE: plush and round on entry, palate follows nose, tannins fully integrated, acidity quite low. OVERALL: 2nd of my 2 bottles (other a few months ago) that got forgotten in my cellar. This bottle showed a bit better than the last one. Feeling like I missed out on them, as they seem to have had a lot going on, just needed a bit of that "lift" that acidity provides and the structure of some tannin. Recommend 4-9 year from vintage to enjoy in their prime.
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90 minutes decant. Perfumed purple fruit with violets. Dark fruit palate with sandalwood, black olive, unripe blueberries and lots of rocky notes. Finish shows a slight sourness before the boysenberry and purple fruit kicks in, adding damp earth and wet oak. The dish we had with this was a poor pairing as it had a lot of sweetness in it.
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Nose of bloody raw meat, dark cherries, and wet rosemary. Palate brings a big rush of pepperiness followed by rocky soil, dark red fruits, and mossy earth. Smooth, round, plump tannins on the finish with white pepper, graphite, more rocky soil, and a old oak note to finish things off. I don't see any rush to drink.
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Brother's Last Night in Town (3 Day Wine Review World Headquarters, Minneapolis, MN): Day 1: Hour decant and much better than the pop and pour. White pepper, roasted meat, spice, underbrush, violets and minerals. This has been one of the better Syrah's in relationship to price in a while. For sure drink these up soon however as this is not as good as the last bottle a little bit ago. 94 points
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As usual, excellent, but a bit lighter and not as rich or concentrated as other vintages. Complex aromas, medium-full flavors, not much of the roast meat and earthiness of some others. Fully mature, time to drink. Ric
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Day 1: Holy cow! This was the wine of the night at the last offline I went to prior to the Pandemic and this one is singing. Roasted meats, white pepper, blueberries, blackberries, Asian spices, mild funk and stone. Super concentrated wine and this rivals any Cayuse wine I have tasted. 95 points
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Outstanding, WOTN for me...smoky and with a touch of funk, there were blackberries and dark cherry flavors in abundance. Drank without food but would be perfect with grilled lamb.
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Opaque purple-black color. Saturated aromas and flavors of black fruit, black olive tapenade, sage, bacon and baked fennel. This wine has evolved beautifully--the little sample sip I took after pulling the cork to confirm the wine's readiness for drinking almost made me cry. It was SO good. Drinks optimally right out of the bottle (no sediment) but it will hold here for years to come. Very different from the '13 Contender's red fruit (which we had the night before). In fact, in taste, weight and every other way, it's a closer relative to the '15 Two Vintners Syrah we also tasted this week.
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Bring a Good Bottle at The Kenwood (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Drank a glass over 40 minutes. Very aromatic and floral nose as the Viognier really comes through, bacon fat, umami, earthy, fairly herbaceous, black cherry. Good.
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Mixed Offerings at Kenwood (Kenwood Restaurant, Minneapolis): This wine was unfortunately at the end of the tasting but the star. Finished a glass at home. Holly Cow!!! White pepper, stone, blueberries, cherry, dust, black olives and earth. Concentrated and long finish. This is a top 10 for sure for 2020! Cheaper than Cayuse and is as good! Wow! Day 2: Not as good. Lost the intensity. This is a consume on day 1.
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Rich dark fruit with notes of blueberry, bacon fat, olive tapenade, and something earthy and herbal, with light tannins and strong acidity on the medium to long finish. This is outstanding, and it was a bargain for under $50, although prices have since climbed to match the quality. This should keep for some years yet.
No in depth notes. Full profile. Dense fruit, smooth oak and alcohol coming through on the palate. Simply not my preferred style of wine anymore, or at least right now.
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Flat out amazing still. Paired extremely well with smoked brisket, ribs and sausage on the the 4th. Plenty of life but this was amazing from the get go and I can't wait for the next bottle!
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dam dude this is briney...but it's good...it's hilarious pouring this for some noob who takes a sip...thinking it's some sugary napanomic trash...and gets that face like Buddy the Elf just had his his first sip of coffee lol...we'll take your training wheels off when you're ready Buddy lolz
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This is from, I believe, the fourth vintage of this wine, and in any event I have had the pleasure of drinking it from the 2007 vintage on. To the extent there was ever any uncertainty about how these wines would age -- not saying there was such a concern, but with a new winery there has to be a tinge of uncertainty on that front -- this bottle dispels it for the first decade of its life. There has always been a yin and yang here, the bright sweetness in tension with an animal, sweaty, saltiness. I think the savory side is now winning the tug-of-war. Plenty of tension still, but the sweetness of the fruit is fading. Fruit freaks should drink these soon. Otherwise, I would say there is plenty of life left for the medium term at least. It's damn good.
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97 points is probably too low a score for this utterly perfect new world syrah with old world influences. Co-fermented, with viognier I believe, it's earthy, concentrated and elegant. Huckleberry and black raspberry fruit, smokehouse meats, and a touch of cactus pear on the long finish. Texturally magnificent. I own a lot of Reynvaan and this is probably the best bottle so far.
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Gorgeous mulberry, underbrush, smoked brisket nose! Fresh cracked pepper dusted blackberries too. Even at 8-yrs old, this was still fairly young on the palate and evolved beautifully on day 2. Harmonious blend of red and black fruit with secondary notes of meat & iron. Not full on funk like Cayuse, but not a dark, heavy fruit forward Syrah from Cali. Marriage of both. Smooth from front to mid palate with a spiced pepper finish. Fantastic!
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This is a deep dark feast of earth and blood fruit. The nose is fascinating and the fruit bold. I haven’t tried it for 2years but I think it will be much better with an additional few years of aging to smooth out the finish.
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Open right from the start, fleshy aromatic body with lots of elegance under the hood. Dark berries, smoked charcuteries, blood, liquorice, a complete garden of herbs and a creamy overall feeling. Powerful palate with lots of fruit but mostly smoked meat and blood. Fine tannins with a bit of polish and great acidity with good freshness. Voluptuous and refined at the same time, complex and balanced. I really like this although my own palate has moved a bit since the first bottles, pair this with the right food and you won't be disappointed. Drinks great now but there's probably a lot more to be unveiled if you hold for 5-10.
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No formal notes. Pretty consistent with previous notes, stunning nose of dark berries, pork, charcuteries, undergrowth, forest floor and vanilla sweetness. Perfectly balanced. Not as mindblowing on the palate as previous bottles but still a good performance. Found this bottle to have a little less fruit on the mid palate and instead more of a menthol/forest/herbs-kind of note. Still very very good and for sure nothing to worry about for the future.
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I started buying Reynvaan wines in 2008 and am still sorting through how long to sit on them. Tasting this immediately after opening. Brine and bramble on the nose. Rich cherry and anise flavor with a little smoke and pepper on the long finish. Medium weight and texture. The almost 15% alcohol was initially a little more noticeably than I would like but it is settling down with time in glass. Drinking well enough now but more time and/or air would be of benefit here.
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Haven't had for a few years. Feel like this is in a good spot but still needs some air to get to its peak. Great nose and classic Reynvaan. Not as big and complex as other Reynvaans but smooth and easy to drink (too easy). The funk is there with clear dried fruit. Olives, herbs and easy finish.
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Had this wine twice , and has not impressed either time. Have plenty of time for this to come around. Seems like a very sweet wine that has minimal body, some herbs that are slightly savory, but overpowered by this fruity sweetness.
I've enjoyed other vintages, but this does not do do it for me. Direct from winery.
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Cherry-berry pie on the nose, with a hint of olive. Saliva inducing flavors and an everlasting finish have me at a loss for descriptors...mineral infused cassis and those olives, I guess. Really yummy; that, uncategorically. The finish is longer than any I have ever experienced. Maybe needs higher pointage, but nuance at this level is lost on amateurs like me.
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My very first Reynvaan, so excited to see what all the talk (and egregious price escalation is about). This had been aerated prior to service, approx 2 hours, I think. That said, this was served circa 60F, an optimal temperature for this wine. Everything was so vibrant, so piercing, so well balanced. But, with each 2 degrees of room temperature, this lost something. The palate was no longer focused (same for the nose). By the end of the last glass (I only needed one, I didn't bother to pour a second), this had become another WA wine - which could have been one of several varieties. I was so, so happy at first, but by the last sip (and I left some in my glass), this was just oak, and soap, and muddled fruits. Perhaps later vintages became more quality oriented - there seemed to me to be room for improvement in both the quality of the fruit and the winemaker's handling of it after the harvest. 14,9% abv. (resolved). Not sure what the cost was, so I can't really recommend it at this point.
Served non-blind. If only it could have held its first few lines through to the end of the song.
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Overall a very easy 93. Not fair to pop and pour. Kept opening and getting richer until it was all gone. Like all Reynvaan a long pure and very satisfying finish. Plenty of rocky terroir along with purple and dark fruit.
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This may have been slightly off bottle. It didn't have the usual richness, depth, complexity, or aroma we're used to, all were flatter and more one-dimensional. Still very good but not up to their usual standard. Again, probably just this particular bottle, considering how consistently outstanding they've been. Ric
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Drank this on New Years day. Another consistently great offering from Reynvaan. We've had many fantastic syrahs from WA state but none of them produce the flavor profile of Reynvaan, except for Cayuse which is similar in many ways (not to imply that they are identical or interchangeable).
Interesting to drink and a great example of how site specific characteristics influence the final results.
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Another insanely good performance from this wine, best bottle to date. Dark red, on the brink of being transparent but, no. Dark fruit, blackcurrant, blackberry and blueberry. Sweet and creamy. Charcuterie, raw meat, vanilla, chocolate, blood, liquorice and gravel road. Cool and very mineral, stunning. Love the weight on the palate, dark tones of dark berries, liquorice, salt, meat and the characteristic notes of spice, not heat, just a perfect amount of spice. Sensing some development in the aftertaste, not so harsch now, more of a creamy and fat feeling. Could be bottlevariation. Will of course develop for a long time although I'm beginning to question the purpose of that, like it just as it is. Brilliant.
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Impressive. Smooth elegance with depth, lengthy finish, balance and a gorgeous tarriness that is so appealing. The flavors are ripe black fruit. The mouth feel is silky. I have tasted dozens of Reynvaan wines and this might just be the best of the lot. Except maybe Stonessence, which is a very different style.
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PNP. Drank this at Tryst in Delray Beach and it was fantastic. Dark in the glass and beautiful fruit. The nose was so elegant and fantastic, smoke and minerals. Smooth mouth feel and so so easy to drink. This was my first Reynvaan and I couldn't join the wait list fast enough.
We made sure to enjoy this throughout the meal and it continued to impress as it opened up. A beautiful wine.
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Wide open after some decanting. Amazing wine, beautiful Syrah markers with black olives, black pepper and some flowery overtones on the nose. Smooth mouthfeel, good length, herbs, dark fruit and and a lot of stones! great stuff! 93+
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Tasted with three other 2010 Reynvaan syrahs, their 2011 cab, two 2009 No Girls, and five Cayuse. Unfortunately, this bottle was slightly corked. I've had it many times and we love it, but the slight off-aroma disqualified it as a serious contender. Too bad. Ric
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Drank alongside '11 Unnamed, which I liked slightly better. Of the two, In the Rocks was very slightly lighter and more elegant, but still truly outstanding and very drinkable, as are all the Reynvaan syrahs. Ric
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Immediately accessible on pop/pour. Trademark rocks saline smoked meats. Did not evolve over the 3 hours drunk, perhaps lost a point. This label is great in its own right, but if comparing, still a poor-man's Cayuse in the end ... Save for the fact that their price models are now the same.
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Eucalyptus and rose petals on the nose; dark fruit, blueberry, black olive tapenade, white pepper, and a bit of bacon fat on the palate. Really good, but I think it will get better with a few more years on it. I have another bottle, but I should have bought more.
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Beautiful nose. Meat, bacon, blackcurrant, raisin, liquorice, black olives, smoke and plums. So deep and komplex, I can smell this for hours, just great. Fantastic structure in the mouth, kind of dirty but still cool and light. A tamed beast. Herbs, bacon and liquorice. This wine has a huge personality which continues to develop and change during the evening. This is my first Reynvaan so I have no idea what will happen with age but this is so good and accessible right now I will probably never find out.
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Felt this was the most opulent, fruit forward, and biggest of the vintages I've tried so far (2008, 2009, 2010). First night it showed the unmistakable "rocks" character with pungent aromas of boiled meat, intense minerality, saline, cabbage, and black fruit.
Didn't lose anything after three nights in the fridge but was different and much more open. Now showing blueberry pie, gobs of ground white pepper, and some gaminess in a luscious juice with moderate grip and long finish. Wow on both the first and third day.
Long decant required today or can cellar.
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way too young to open now. Needed about 24 hours to truly open up. At the beginning were some odd flavors and was below where i expected it to perform. As the night wore on, it got better, and was its best the following day. Either decant for 2 hours or hold for a few more years.
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I had really wanted to taste Reynvaan when I visited Walla Walla last summer. Happened into Liquid Assets in Ashland, OR (wine bar) and they had bottles available for $5 over retail! So I grabbed one! What a treat! Fabulous, big syrah nose. Plum and cherries dominate with a touch of anise and smoke. Still young but with tannins well integrated to give a big mouthfeel and a smooth, balanced finish. Should improve some as the flavors integrate further but absolutely delightful right now if you prefer younger wines,
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Used this to wash down a really ugly Seahawks win. (But hey, a win is a win...)
Meaty and bloody on the nose with a heavy dose of powdered sugar. Savory on the palate with tart but not abrupt acidity. Really nice texture actually, silky, savory, a dose of soy and black cherry. There is some sneaky structure here, but on the whole this is shockingly drinkable right now.
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Drank along side the contender over 2 days. This wine is more earthy and showed better on day 1. The viognier adds a lot to the nose. Very difficult comparison, somehow feeling like they both won.
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Notes from day 2. Dark purple in color. Nose of mixed raspberries, funk, charcoal, brine. Palate of mixed rasberries, cranberry, charcoal, funk, brine, seared meat, pepper. The finish was long in length, good structure as well. Overall the wine was excellent, should only improve with more bottle age. Hold or drink: 50+5+13+17+7
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Brett's Birthday Tasting - 2013 (Weygandt Wines - Washington, D.C.): Another great example of Reynvaan Family syrah kicking ass. Smells of rich, dark, Walla Walla fruit (sweet black cherries, fig, hints of red plum), but also some lavender and cinnamon. On the palate, this is so juicy and rich, with pure black and blue fruits that last. The tannins have serious structure, and the acid is lively enough to balance out against the richness of the fruit. Secondary flavors of smoke, loam and dark chocolate, and I'm loving them. Another great bottle from Brett, I need to find some of this and put it sideways for a few years, because it's got a lot of stuffing for the ages.
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N Red fruit, raspberry, funk P red berries, raspberry, funk, pepper FAA to long finish, great structure
Day 3 small taste N red raspberry, cranberry, brine, funk, seared meat P mixed red berries, earth, brine, seared meat F long finish, good structure even today
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Brett's Birthday (Weygandt Wines - Washington, DC): Really energetic, vivid, and primary nose of spiced mixed berries, bitter chocolate, and dried rose. Similarly tight and muscular on the palate, as ripe cherries and plum meld with emerging asian spice, cedar, and sweet blackberries, and hints of game. Nice texture and balance, but will definitely improve in the cellar. Hold.
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Bought the lineup, couldn't resist opening one, so this was it at our monthly wine dinner. Opens with beef blood, scorched rock, and fresh (!) herbs first, covering a fruit core of blueberry, black raspberry, and kirsch.
To my relief at the tasting (for opening it so soon), it was a hit among a stellar lineup. My personal co-favorite along with a Duval-Leroy 1998 Blanc-de-Blanc.
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Lovely aroma towards the classical side, showing lots of varietal typicity, but it's more Rhône than New World. Pepper, leather, slightly green, cool elegance. Good palate with great structure, elegant but full bodied. Long finish.
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Incredible balance was the first thing which crossed my mind when sniffing the 2009 In The Rocks. The nose is very elegant with an abundance of dark fruit and beautiful Syrah perfume. Somehow Syrahs containing Viognier sometimes get even more "Syrah-ish"... This effort is a perfect example of just that. The palate is nicely textured and adds to the elegant nose. The length on the finish lasts som 45-55 seconds. Overall impression is that of wine which is meticulously crafted and drinks perfectly if given a proper decant.
Decanted 2 hours, saving 2 half for tomorrow. Early but wanted to try on of the 2010's. Nice funk on the nose, good bright fruits, some olives, medium bodied, and smooth mouth feel. This definitely needs time, but I like it. Maybe needs time to develop secondary notes and some complexity...
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Notes from day 2. Dark purple in color. Nose of black raspberry, citrus, pepper. Palate of mixed raspberry, pepper, pine, and spice. The finish was long in length, good structure and acidity present. Overall the wine was much better than I recall this spring, the balance is the key, plus the palate is really nicely put together IMO. Hold or drink: 50+5+12+18+7 4
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12/17/2023 - BLSausTX wrote:
NOSE: Lovely blue/black fruit with purple floral notes, touch of black olive, sandalwood, smoke and wet earth. PALATE: plush and round on entry, palate follows nose, tannins fully integrated, acidity quite low. OVERALL: 2nd of my 2 bottles (other a few months ago) that got forgotten in my cellar. This bottle showed a bit better than the last one. Feeling like I missed out on them, as they seem to have had a lot going on, just needed a bit of that "lift" that acidity provides and the structure of some tannin. Recommend 4-9 year from vintage to enjoy in their prime.
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12/10/2023 - Drankard Likes this wine:
Prefer this to The Unnamed (same vintage).
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5/13/2023 - VAGenius wrote: 91 Points
90 minutes decant. Perfumed purple fruit with violets. Dark fruit palate with sandalwood, black olive, unripe blueberries and lots of rocky notes. Finish shows a slight sourness before the boysenberry and purple fruit kicks in, adding damp earth and wet oak. The dish we had with this was a poor pairing as it had a lot of sweetness in it.
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3/31/2023 - Radboy wrote: 90 Points
Past its peak but still intriguing.
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2/25/2023 - Radboy wrote: 93 Points
Dark berry fruit that is beginning to fade. Wonderful under notes of granite and earth with terrific balance.
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1/4/2023 - VAGenius Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose of bloody raw meat, dark cherries, and wet rosemary. Palate brings a big rush of pepperiness followed by rocky soil, dark red fruits, and mossy earth. Smooth, round, plump tannins on the finish with white pepper, graphite, more rocky soil, and a old oak note to finish things off. I don't see any rush to drink.
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6/23/2022 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Brother's Last Night in Town (3 Day Wine Review World Headquarters, Minneapolis, MN): Day 1: Hour decant and much better than the pop and pour. White pepper, roasted meat, spice, underbrush, violets and minerals. This has been one of the better Syrah's in relationship to price in a while. For sure drink these up soon however as this is not as good as the last bottle a little bit ago. 94 points
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3/21/2022 - Fugu Me wrote: flawed
Worst case of TCA I’ve ever encountered.
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11/23/2021 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 95 Points
consistent with notes of 9/18/2020 - WOTN again - nudging out the Guigal
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10/27/2021 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 94 Points
As usual, excellent, but a bit lighter and not as rich or concentrated as other vintages. Complex aromas, medium-full flavors, not much of the roast meat and earthiness of some others. Fully mature, time to drink.
Ric
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10/9/2021 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 95 Points
Day 1: Holy cow! This was the wine of the night at the last offline I went to prior to the Pandemic and this one is singing. Roasted meats, white pepper, blueberries, blackberries, Asian spices, mild funk and stone. Super concentrated wine and this rivals any Cayuse wine I have tasted. 95 points
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8/5/2021 - pinotpounder Likes this wine: 93 Points
93 points
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9/18/2020 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 95 Points
Outstanding, WOTN for me...smoky and with a touch of funk, there were blackberries and dark cherry flavors in abundance. Drank without food but would be perfect with grilled lamb.
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5/8/2020 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Opaque purple-black color. Saturated aromas and flavors of black fruit, black olive tapenade, sage, bacon and baked fennel. This wine has evolved beautifully--the little sample sip I took after pulling the cork to confirm the wine's readiness for drinking almost made me cry. It was SO good. Drinks optimally right out of the bottle (no sediment) but it will hold here for years to come. Very different from the '13 Contender's red fruit (which we had the night before). In fact, in taste, weight and every other way, it's a closer relative to the '15 Two Vintners Syrah we also tasted this week.
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1/30/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Bring a Good Bottle at The Kenwood (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Drank a glass over 40 minutes. Very aromatic and floral nose as the Viognier really comes through, bacon fat, umami, earthy, fairly herbaceous, black cherry. Good.
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1/30/2020 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 95 Points
Mixed Offerings at Kenwood (Kenwood Restaurant, Minneapolis): This wine was unfortunately at the end of the tasting but the star. Finished a glass at home. Holly Cow!!! White pepper, stone, blueberries, cherry, dust, black olives and earth. Concentrated and long finish. This is a top 10 for sure for 2020! Cheaper than Cayuse and is as good! Wow!
Day 2: Not as good. Lost the intensity. This is a consume on day 1.
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12/12/2019 - RichardP wrote: 94 Points
Rich dark fruit with notes of blueberry, bacon fat, olive tapenade, and something earthy and herbal, with light tannins and strong acidity on the medium to long finish. This is outstanding, and it was a bargain for under $50, although prices have since climbed to match the quality. This should keep for some years yet.
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10/11/2019 - calodo2011 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pure bacon fat, olive tapenade, wonderful balance, acidity still there. Worked with every dish at Atlantic.
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8/10/2019 - Radboy wrote: 94 Points
Great as usual.
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7/6/2019 - JohanPe wrote:
No in depth notes. Full profile. Dense fruit, smooth oak and alcohol coming through on the palate. Simply not my preferred style of wine anymore, or at least right now.
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7/4/2019 - ibglowin Likes this wine: 96 Points
Flat out amazing still. Paired extremely well with smoked brisket, ribs and sausage on the the 4th. Plenty of life but this was amazing from the get go and I can't wait for the next bottle!
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6/7/2019 - Bro-rolo Likes this wine: 93 Points
dam dude this is briney...but it's good...it's hilarious pouring this for some noob who takes a sip...thinking it's some sugary napanomic trash...and gets that face like Buddy the Elf just had his his first sip of coffee lol...we'll take your training wheels off when you're ready Buddy lolz
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2/16/2019 - bhouk wrote:
This is from, I believe, the fourth vintage of this wine, and in any event I have had the pleasure of drinking it from the 2007 vintage on. To the extent there was ever any uncertainty about how these wines would age -- not saying there was such a concern, but with a new winery there has to be a tinge of uncertainty on that front -- this bottle dispels it for the first decade of its life. There has always been a yin and yang here, the bright sweetness in tension with an animal, sweaty, saltiness. I think the savory side is now winning the tug-of-war. Plenty of tension still, but the sweetness of the fruit is fading. Fruit freaks should drink these soon. Otherwise, I would say there is plenty of life left for the medium term at least. It's damn good.
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12/16/2018 - Neecies Likes this wine: 97 Points
97 points is probably too low a score for this utterly perfect new world syrah with old world influences. Co-fermented, with viognier I believe, it's earthy, concentrated and elegant. Huckleberry and black raspberry fruit, smokehouse meats, and a touch of cactus pear on the long finish. Texturally magnificent. I own a lot of Reynvaan and this is probably the best bottle so far.
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9/15/2018 - Shay.Aldriedge Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gorgeous mulberry, underbrush, smoked brisket nose! Fresh cracked pepper dusted blackberries too. Even at 8-yrs old, this was still fairly young on the palate and evolved beautifully on day 2. Harmonious blend of red and black fruit with secondary notes of meat & iron. Not full on funk like Cayuse, but not a dark, heavy fruit forward Syrah from Cali. Marriage of both. Smooth from front to mid palate with a spiced pepper finish. Fantastic!
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2/22/2018 - Radboy wrote: 93 Points
This is a deep dark feast of earth and blood fruit. The nose is fascinating and the fruit bold. I haven’t tried it for 2years but I think it will be much better with an additional few years of aging to smooth out the finish.
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9/2/2017 - JohanPe wrote: 93 Points
Open right from the start, fleshy aromatic body with lots of elegance under the hood. Dark berries, smoked charcuteries, blood, liquorice, a complete garden of herbs and a creamy overall feeling. Powerful palate with lots of fruit but mostly smoked meat and blood. Fine tannins with a bit of polish and great acidity with good freshness. Voluptuous and refined at the same time, complex and balanced. I really like this although my own palate has moved a bit since the first bottles, pair this with the right food and you won't be disappointed. Drinks great now but there's probably a lot more to be unveiled if you hold for 5-10.
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8/3/2017 - cpsmith33 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not as complex and as good a mouthfeel as some of the other Reynvaans. Beautiful nose. Drink now with some decant.
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5/9/2017 - andy C wrote: 93 Points
drinking very well
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3/17/2017 - cpsmith33 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar comments here. As last bottle. Still needs some time.
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2/19/2017 - fitchbuck Likes this wine: 93 Points
Equivalent notes to June 2014 bottle. Palate familiarity / fatigue drops it a point though. Last Reynvaan in cellar.
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2/11/2017 - JohanPe wrote: 93 Points
No formal notes. Pretty consistent with previous notes, stunning nose of dark berries, pork, charcuteries, undergrowth, forest floor and vanilla sweetness. Perfectly balanced. Not as mindblowing on the palate as previous bottles but still a good performance. Found this bottle to have a little less fruit on the mid palate and instead more of a menthol/forest/herbs-kind of note. Still very very good and for sure nothing to worry about for the future.
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1/19/2017 - tantotinto wrote: 93 Points
I started buying Reynvaan wines in 2008 and am still sorting through how long to sit on them. Tasting this immediately after opening. Brine and bramble on the nose. Rich cherry and anise flavor with a little smoke and pepper on the long finish. Medium weight and texture. The almost 15% alcohol was initially a little more noticeably than I would like but it is settling down with time in glass. Drinking well enough now but more time and/or air would be of benefit here.
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11/23/2016 - cpsmith33 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Haven't had for a few years.
Feel like this is in a good spot but still needs some air to get to its peak.
Great nose and classic Reynvaan. Not as big and complex as other Reynvaans but smooth and easy to drink (too easy).
The funk is there with clear dried fruit. Olives, herbs and easy finish.
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11/22/2016 - pilot360 wrote:
Had this wine twice , and has not impressed either time. Have plenty of time for this to come around.
Seems like a very sweet wine that has minimal body, some herbs that are slightly savory,
but overpowered by this fruity sweetness.
I've enjoyed other vintages, but this does not do do it for me.
Direct from winery.
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11/14/2016 - Pedroel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cherry-berry pie on the nose, with a hint of olive. Saliva inducing flavors and an everlasting finish have me at a loss for descriptors...mineral infused cassis and those olives, I guess. Really yummy; that, uncategorically. The finish is longer than any I have ever experienced. Maybe needs higher pointage, but nuance at this level is lost on amateurs like me.
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9/20/2016 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
My very first Reynvaan, so excited to see what all the talk (and egregious price escalation is about). This had been aerated prior to service, approx 2 hours, I think. That said, this was served circa 60F, an optimal temperature for this wine. Everything was so vibrant, so piercing, so well balanced. But, with each 2 degrees of room temperature, this lost something. The palate was no longer focused (same for the nose). By the end of the last glass (I only needed one, I didn't bother to pour a second), this had become another WA wine - which could have been one of several varieties. I was so, so happy at first, but by the last sip (and I left some in my glass), this was just oak, and soap, and muddled fruits. Perhaps later vintages became more quality oriented - there seemed to me to be room for improvement in both the quality of the fruit and the winemaker's handling of it after the harvest. 14,9% abv. (resolved). Not sure what the cost was, so I can't really recommend it at this point.
Served non-blind. If only it could have held its first few lines through to the end of the song.
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9/7/2016 - afu wrote: 93 Points
Overall a very easy 93. Not fair to pop and pour. Kept opening and getting richer until it was all gone. Like all Reynvaan a long pure and very satisfying finish. Plenty of rocky terroir along with purple and dark fruit.
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5/11/2016 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 90 Points
This may have been slightly off bottle. It didn't have the usual richness, depth, complexity, or aroma we're used to, all were flatter and more one-dimensional. Still very good but not up to their usual standard. Again, probably just this particular bottle, considering how consistently outstanding they've been.
Ric
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4/29/2016 - Radboy wrote: 94 Points
Decanted an hour and it improved over the next two. Terrific wine that should continue to develop with time but is already delicious.
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1/1/2016 - brown57 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank this on New Years day. Another consistently great offering from Reynvaan. We've had many fantastic syrahs from WA state but none of them produce the flavor profile of Reynvaan, except for Cayuse which is similar in many ways (not to imply that they are identical or interchangeable).
Interesting to drink and a great example of how site specific characteristics influence the final results.
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12/4/2015 - jimmyrice14 wrote: 94 Points
Simply fantastic.
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7/4/2015 - joeroth Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ready to drink. Beautiful fruit.
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4/24/2015 - JohanPe wrote: 95 Points
Another insanely good performance from this wine, best bottle to date. Dark red, on the brink of being transparent but, no. Dark fruit, blackcurrant, blackberry and blueberry. Sweet and creamy. Charcuterie, raw meat, vanilla, chocolate, blood, liquorice and gravel road. Cool and very mineral, stunning.
Love the weight on the palate, dark tones of dark berries, liquorice, salt, meat and the characteristic notes of spice, not heat, just a perfect amount of spice. Sensing some development in the aftertaste, not so harsch now, more of a creamy and fat feeling. Could be bottlevariation. Will of course develop for a long time although I'm beginning to question the purpose of that, like it just as it is. Brilliant.
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4/1/2015 - randyjc wrote: 93 Points
Impressive. Smooth elegance with depth, lengthy finish, balance and a gorgeous tarriness that is so appealing. The flavors are ripe black fruit. The mouth feel is silky. I have tasted dozens of Reynvaan wines and this might just be the best of the lot. Except maybe Stonessence, which is a very different style.
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12/13/2014 - Neat Water Back Likes this wine:
PNP. Drank this at Tryst in Delray Beach and it was fantastic. Dark in the glass and beautiful fruit. The nose was so elegant and fantastic, smoke and minerals. Smooth mouth feel and so so easy to drink. This was my first Reynvaan and I couldn't join the wait list fast enough.
We made sure to enjoy this throughout the meal and it continued to impress as it opened up. A beautiful wine.
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12/6/2014 - Nordin wrote: 93 Points
Wide open after some decanting. Amazing wine, beautiful Syrah markers with black olives, black pepper and some flowery overtones on the nose. Smooth mouthfeel, good length, herbs, dark fruit and and a lot of stones! great stuff! 93+
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11/4/2014 - rockguit Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful bottle--such a complex palate of dark fruit, charred meat, olive tapenade & chocolate, combined with a silky-smooth mouth feel.
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10/17/2014 - ocperu wrote: 94 Points
Bouquet is amazing.
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10/9/2014 - Ex-Ray wrote: flawed
Tasted with three other 2010 Reynvaan syrahs, their 2011 cab, two 2009 No Girls, and five Cayuse. Unfortunately, this bottle was slightly corked. I've had it many times and we love it, but the slight off-aroma disqualified it as a serious contender. Too bad.
Ric
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7/14/2014 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank alongside '11 Unnamed, which I liked slightly better. Of the two, In the Rocks was very slightly lighter and more elegant, but still truly outstanding and very drinkable, as are all the Reynvaan syrahs.
Ric
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6/13/2014 - fitchbuck wrote: 94 Points
Immediately accessible on pop/pour. Trademark rocks saline smoked meats. Did not evolve over the 3 hours drunk, perhaps lost a point. This label is great in its own right, but if comparing, still a poor-man's Cayuse in the end ... Save for the fact that their price models are now the same.
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6/5/2014 - Cabforme Likes this wine: 93 Points
Well balanced and fruit forward. I think it will get better with age. I should have waited to open.
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4/29/2014 - JohanPe Likes this wine: 94 Points
Equally amazing this time. Consistent notes, great depth without being too heavy or jammy. Love this wine.
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4/1/2014 - RichardP wrote: 92 Points
Eucalyptus and rose petals on the nose; dark fruit, blueberry, black olive tapenade, white pepper, and a bit of bacon fat on the palate. Really good, but I think it will get better with a few more years on it. I have another bottle, but I should have bought more.
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3/16/2014 - JohanPe Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful nose. Meat, bacon, blackcurrant, raisin, liquorice, black olives, smoke and plums. So deep and komplex, I can smell this for hours, just great.
Fantastic structure in the mouth, kind of dirty but still cool and light. A tamed beast. Herbs, bacon and liquorice. This wine has a huge personality which continues to develop and change during the evening. This is my first Reynvaan so I have no idea what will happen with age but this is so good and accessible right now I will probably never find out.
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1/26/2014 - overhill wrote: 93 Points
Felt this was the most opulent, fruit forward, and biggest of the vintages I've tried so far (2008, 2009, 2010). First night it showed the unmistakable "rocks" character with pungent aromas of boiled meat, intense minerality, saline, cabbage, and black fruit.
Didn't lose anything after three nights in the fridge but was different and much more open. Now showing blueberry pie, gobs of ground white pepper, and some gaminess in a luscious juice with moderate grip and long finish. Wow on both the first and third day.
Long decant required today or can cellar.
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1/11/2014 - agbailey Likes this wine:
way too young to open now. Needed about 24 hours to truly open up. At the beginning were some odd flavors and was below where i expected it to perform. As the night wore on, it got better, and was its best the following day. Either decant for 2 hours or hold for a few more years.
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12/28/2013 - RobertDwyer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Attractive pure fruit backed by supporting Rhone-like minerality. Well done.
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12/27/2013 - jtinto wrote: 90 Points
Good blue fruit. Enjoyable. Lacked structure- acid and tannin on the low end. 14.9% ABV
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11/17/2013 - Sourdough Likes this wine: 94 Points
I had really wanted to taste Reynvaan when I visited Walla Walla last summer. Happened into Liquid Assets in Ashland, OR (wine bar) and they had bottles available for $5 over retail! So I grabbed one! What a treat! Fabulous, big syrah nose. Plum and cherries dominate with a touch of anise and smoke. Still young but with tannins well integrated to give a big mouthfeel and a smooth, balanced finish. Should improve some as the flavors integrate further but absolutely delightful right now if you prefer younger wines,
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10/28/2013 - Eric wrote: 90 Points
Used this to wash down a really ugly Seahawks win. (But hey, a win is a win...)
Meaty and bloody on the nose with a heavy dose of powdered sugar. Savory on the palate with tart but not abrupt acidity. Really nice texture actually, silky, savory, a dose of soy and black cherry. There is some sneaky structure here, but on the whole this is shockingly drinkable right now.
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9/9/2013 - lirvingham Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank along side the contender over 2 days. This wine is more earthy and showed better on day 1. The viognier adds a lot to the nose. Very difficult comparison, somehow feeling like they both won.
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8/28/2013 - manonthemoon wrote: 92 Points
Notes from day 2.
Dark purple in color.
Nose of mixed raspberries, funk, charcoal, brine.
Palate of mixed rasberries, cranberry, charcoal, funk, brine, seared meat, pepper.
The finish was long in length, good structure as well.
Overall the wine was excellent, should only improve with more bottle age.
Hold or drink: 50+5+13+17+7
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5/17/2013 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 92 Points
Brett's Birthday Tasting - 2013 (Weygandt Wines - Washington, D.C.): Another great example of Reynvaan Family syrah kicking ass. Smells of rich, dark, Walla Walla fruit (sweet black cherries, fig, hints of red plum), but also some lavender and cinnamon. On the palate, this is so juicy and rich, with pure black and blue fruits that last. The tannins have serious structure, and the acid is lively enough to balance out against the richness of the fruit. Secondary flavors of smoke, loam and dark chocolate, and I'm loving them. Another great bottle from Brett, I need to find some of this and put it sideways for a few years, because it's got a lot of stuffing for the ages.
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5/16/2013 - manonthemoon wrote: 92 Points
N Red fruit, raspberry, funk
P red berries, raspberry, funk, pepper
FAA to long finish, great structure
Day 3 small taste
N red raspberry, cranberry, brine, funk, seared meat
P mixed red berries, earth, brine, seared meat
F long finish, good structure even today
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5/16/2013 - Rob and Meg wrote: 90 Points
Brett's Birthday (Weygandt Wines - Washington, DC): Really energetic, vivid, and primary nose of spiced mixed berries, bitter chocolate, and dried rose. Similarly tight and muscular on the palate, as ripe cherries and plum meld with emerging asian spice, cedar, and sweet blackberries, and hints of game. Nice texture and balance, but will definitely improve in the cellar. Hold.
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5/7/2013 - liberlibri Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bought the lineup, couldn't resist opening one, so this was it at our monthly wine dinner. Opens with beef blood, scorched rock, and fresh (!) herbs first, covering a fruit core of blueberry, black raspberry, and kirsch.
To my relief at the tasting (for opening it so soon), it was a hit among a stellar lineup. My personal co-favorite along with a Duval-Leroy 1998 Blanc-de-Blanc.
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4/27/2013 - HenrikJ Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely aroma towards the classical side, showing lots of varietal typicity, but it's more Rhône than New World. Pepper, leather, slightly green, cool elegance. Good palate with great structure, elegant but full bodied. Long finish.
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4/27/2013 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Incredible balance was the first thing which crossed my mind when sniffing the 2009 In The Rocks. The nose is very elegant with an abundance of dark fruit and beautiful Syrah perfume. Somehow Syrahs containing Viognier sometimes get even more "Syrah-ish"... This effort is a perfect example of just that. The palate is nicely textured and adds to the elegant nose. The length on the finish lasts som 45-55 seconds. Overall impression is that of wine which is meticulously crafted and drinks perfectly if given a proper decant.
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3/10/2013 - cpsmith33 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours, saving 2 half for tomorrow. Early but wanted to try on of the 2010's.
Nice funk on the nose, good bright fruits, some olives, medium bodied, and smooth mouth feel.
This definitely needs time, but I like it. Maybe needs time to develop secondary notes and some complexity...
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2/21/2013 - powersaxo wrote: 93 Points
Similar to Proper but didn't get that nth degree of bacon and blood that Proper has. In the Rocks stopped short at black olives and blackberry.
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11/29/2012 - manonthemoon wrote: 92 Points
Notes from day 2.
Dark purple in color.
Nose of black raspberry, citrus, pepper.
Palate of mixed raspberry, pepper, pine, and spice.
The finish was long in length, good structure and acidity present.
Overall the wine was much better than I recall this spring, the balance is the key, plus the palate is really nicely put together IMO.
Hold or drink: 50+5+12+18+7
4
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4/7/2012 - manonthemoon wrote: 91 Points
Pacific Northwest Tasting Trip, Day 4; 4/4/2012-4/12/2012 (Milton-Freewater, OR & Walla Walla, WA, and Waitsburg, WA): Tasted at the winery with Matt.
Nose of black raspberry, pepper, funk, citrus.
Palate of blackberry, floral, pepper, spice.
Finish was long, good mouthfeel, and acidity
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