Really drinking great. Popped and poured, but developed really well over the course of a meal. Would probably benefit from a brief decant. Can hold for a few more years.
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Funk at first but in a good way. No decant. Opened for 30 minutes and drank over 4 hours. Really improving after about 2 hours. Indian spices and cured meat notes coming to prominence. Smooth, and almost elegant on the palate despite its heft. Nice length. Fruit and secondary notes very well balanced. I would expect some continued longevity but no reason to wait for me. It’s in a great place now.
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Decanted for 30 minutes and it could have used more. Lots of sediment. An initial "syrah funk" blows off leaving aromas of dark red fruit, earth and cocoa. These all follow on to the medium to plus bodied palate along with some spice and a touch of pepper. The acidity was nicely balancing, the tannins were completely integrated, and the 15.4% abv was not noticeable. This wine could probably hold for another year or two.
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Had blind tasting with an Australian Shiraz and a French Syrah. Received the most votes, roughly 50% preferred this RR Syrah. I would have gone Australian but it finished too sweet, while this was a solid wine from start to finish.
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No visual signs of age. Faint aromas of purple fruit, herbs and spice. The palate is blackberries, black pepper and just the faintest bit of herbs. The alcohol is well hidden but it becomes somewhat noticeable as the wine warms. While it’s not the type of wine I’d want every day, it’s well made for the style.
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Decanted to remove some sediment, then aerated for about 30 minutes. Initially, there was quite a bit of funk on the nose, which dissipated during the time in decanter. On the medium to plus bodied palate there was plenty of red and dark red fruit, black pepper, some spice, nicely balancing acidity, and a touch of drying tannins. I expect this wine could hold for another 3+ years.
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Amazing nose of cherry, licorice, dark chocolate, hazelnut and cracked black pepper. The palate is richness and opulence wrapped in a soft, silky robe, with dark berries, black cherries and smoked bacon for miles. Equal measure of fruitiness and acidity. The finish is tinged with raisiny complexity and lasts longer than a minute. Outstanding!
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Based on prior experience with this wine, I uncorked it 4 hours or so before starting to drink it. Dark purple. Savory. Layers of complexity and soft, rich tannins. Paired really well with grilled pork loin. The sediment was almost oily.
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Opaque garnet. Ruby rim. Nose of vanilla, mint & pepper Medium bodied. More tannic than the bottle of 8 weeks prior, pencil lead, cherries, medium finish.
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Appearance: Dark garnet Nose: Huge nose of tobacco, Smoked meats Medium full body Flavor. Integrated tannins, pepper, mineral mixed dark and red fruits Overal: excellent across all senses; seems to be at or near peak
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initially the nose was horrible and I debated dumping it. decanted for 2 hours and poured it back in the bottle. next day the lovely perfumed nose was back and this guy was singing.
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Full -bodied syrah, deep, dark violet; richly textured, floral and fruit-forward- blackberries- with a touch of white pepper. Drank over two hours and the wine displayed excellent persistence. Modest amount of sediment.
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Deep purple color and nice herb and fruit on the nose. On the palate notes of blueberry, earthiness and dark fruit flavors with a little spice and medium to long finish. Went surprisingly well with Roast turkey breast dinner and got better as the night went on.
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Decanted for two hours; light sediment. Bright ruby color. A floral nose of blackberries, blueberries and herbs. Intense and jammy dark fruit on the palate outweighs any acids or tannins. The medium length fruity finish would be even nicer were it not for a bit of heat. Will probably improve with some more age.
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Decanted for 90 minutes. Lots of earth and funk on the nose and on the initial taste. This partially burned off during the evening. Blackberry and other dark fruit along with hints of meat (bacon?) and a touch of vanilla slowly emerged in our last pour. Very interesting syrah. 90-91.
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This is Syrah! Everything about this is so very nice right now; dangerously easy to drink; lots of rich, dark fruit, iron, bacon fat, smoke, petrol, alcholo at 15.4% but very much in control; would love another bottle.
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Had 2 this wknd, one had some add'l sweetness i haven't picked in these wines (might've been the cheese had w/ it). Otherwise, consistent w/ prev notes, still in love w/ this juice.
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Great wine. Decanted 1 hour. Pepper on the front, then dark red and black fruit took over. 2009 was an epic year for CA syrah, and this did not disappoint. Glad I let it sit this long.
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Old reliable..I think I just have to come to terms with this being my style of wine. I shake my head on every sip with how good this is and love ppls reaction to this wine.
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Consistent w/ all previous notes. Just very much enjoy this bottle.
Drank in back of Silene Crozes-Herm '12 Dark Ruby, not very bright Similiar nose to Crozes..Barn funk, petrol, florals/violets, bacon, tobacco, leather. Med+ body, a bit hot off the pnp, big attack, mid and longer finish than the Crozes. Needs air to soften and alcohol (15+%) blow off. Apparent in Day 2, much softer and elegant, yet big in mouthfeel and finish. Smoke, minerals, bacon, pertrol, funk, deep dark fruits, olives, stewed meat...just great stuff... This has a long way to go...looking fwd to many more yrs enjoying these
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Decanted for an hour. Lots of rich coffee, meaty aromas along with some dark fruit. I overcooked the steak that accompanied it, and this wine saved the dinner. The alcohol is noticeable, but not unpleasant. I think this wine will be even better in 5 to 10 years.
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Lots of meat on the nose, dark, medium red fruits, with oily texture (better than it sounds), really good length, there is a touch of heat for sure on the finish, but I don't mind it as good as the rest of the wine tastes. Nice job.
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One of the strangest and most interesting bottles I have had. I opened my bottle Saturday evening. Initially I found it to be bitter and unpleasant. It did not improve over 10-15 minutes, so I vacuumed the bottle and opened something else. I went back to it a couple hours later and this time I got very strong barnyard qualities and nothing else. After another hour I tired it again and it was a little better, and a little better still 4 hours after having been opened (the barnyard was fading). I vacuumed the remaining 3/4 of the bottle. We had it a day later and it was really good. Nice depth, finish, complexity.
Not quite as good as previous bottles, this one had thrown a ton of sediment. Very meaty nose as usual, dark fruits, pepper, and background oak. Didn't seem as complex as previous bottles but great silky texture and good length.
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Deep purple in color. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like fig, raisin and black currant (cassis). It tastes like stoniness, nutmeg, meaty and game. The body is full. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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Second bottle and the same as my first. Upon opening, I get a strong cellar funk on the nose. Initially seems like it might be corked. Decant through the Vinturi and sat 24 hours in a closed decanter at room temperature. Tasted the second night and that terrible funk had completely dissipated, leaving behind a trail of dark, mouth coating fruit. Enjoyable now with big food. Would score higher if it were not for that funk upon the initial uncorking.
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Extremely good still, dark fruits, loads of meats and spice. Very good weight with velvety mouthfeel, and good length. Alcohol is noticeable but not overbearing.
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One of the most interesting Syrah's I've had from northern California. The nose has a lot of funk, barn, hay, and herbs. The nose almost reminds me of a Walla Walla syrah. In the mouth, it is not heavy or overly meaty. An intriguing wine. I'm a fan.
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A mouthful. Very viscous. Smoke on the nose carried through. Dark & inky. Very smooth and round in the mouth especially with some air time This will keep going for a quite awhile. Great with lamb ragu.
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4/14/2024 - deviousrhesus Likes this wine:
Really drinking great. Popped and poured, but developed really well over the course of a meal. Would probably benefit from a brief decant. Can hold for a few more years.
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7/24/2023 - Horizon Likes this wine:
Had with spaghetti bolognese. Very good
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12/23/2022 - trmoore Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful wine in its perfect drinking window. Lovely nose, long finish, lots of tertiary notes, well-integrated tannins.
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10/29/2021 - flussier Likes this wine: 94 Points
Robe foncée. Décanter 1h, beau nez. Vin compoté sur des arômes de mure, de carvi et d’épice. Belle complexité et équilibre. Un grand vin. Prêt a boire
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2/16/2021 - Jerseyjudge Likes this wine: 94 Points
Funk at first but in a good way. No decant. Opened for 30 minutes and drank over 4 hours. Really improving after about 2 hours. Indian spices and cured meat notes coming to prominence. Smooth, and almost elegant on the palate despite its heft. Nice length. Fruit and secondary notes very well balanced. I would expect some continued longevity but no reason to wait for me. It’s in a great place now.
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1/1/2021 - VlgJeff wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes and it could have used more. Lots of sediment. An initial "syrah funk" blows off leaving aromas of dark red fruit, earth and cocoa. These all follow on to the medium to plus bodied palate along with some spice and a touch of pepper. The acidity was nicely balancing, the tannins were completely integrated, and the 15.4% abv was not noticeable. This wine could probably hold for another year or two.
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10/31/2020 - Dleduc Likes this wine: 94 Points
Topnotch Syrah! In its perfect place now with a meaty, peppery and game flavours.
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9/16/2020 - SCosgrove Likes this wine: 89 Points
Big and bold.
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4/28/2020 - SCosgrove wrote: 92 Points
Had blind tasting with an Australian Shiraz and a French Syrah. Received the most votes, roughly 50% preferred this RR Syrah. I would have gone Australian but it finished too sweet, while this was a solid wine from start to finish.
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8/11/2019 - CMN wrote:
No visual signs of age. Faint aromas of purple fruit, herbs and spice. The palate is blackberries, black pepper and just the faintest bit of herbs. The alcohol is well hidden but it becomes somewhat noticeable as the wine warms. While it’s not the type of wine I’d want every day, it’s well made for the style.
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7/2/2019 - FlyPig Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drink ‘em if you got ‘em, drinking beautifully. Still don’t feel any decline, but no hints it’s still developing. Enjoy.
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4/14/2019 - VlgJeff wrote: 90 Points
Decanted to remove some sediment, then aerated for about 30 minutes. Initially, there was quite a bit of funk on the nose, which dissipated during the time in decanter. On the medium to plus bodied palate there was plenty of red and dark red fruit, black pepper, some spice, nicely balancing acidity, and a touch of drying tannins. I expect this wine could hold for another 3+ years.
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3/30/2019 - DavidWong168 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Amazing nose of cherry, licorice, dark chocolate, hazelnut and cracked black pepper. The palate is richness and opulence wrapped in a soft, silky robe, with dark berries, black cherries and smoked bacon for miles. Equal measure of fruitiness and acidity. The finish is tinged with raisiny complexity and lasts longer than a minute. Outstanding!
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3/23/2019 - pickhardt wrote: 91 Points
Based on prior experience with this wine, I uncorked it 4 hours or so before starting to drink it. Dark purple. Savory. Layers of complexity and soft, rich tannins. Paired really well with grilled pork loin. The sediment was almost oily.
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3/16/2019 - Don Roberto Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opaque garnet. Ruby rim.
Nose of vanilla, mint & pepper
Medium bodied. More tannic than the bottle of 8 weeks prior, pencil lead, cherries, medium finish.
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2/2/2019 - Don Roberto wrote: 95 Points
Appearance: Dark garnet
Nose: Huge nose of tobacco, Smoked meats
Medium full body
Flavor. Integrated tannins, pepper, mineral mixed dark and red fruits
Overal: excellent across all senses; seems to be at or near peak
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12/16/2018 - bugdoced wrote: 91 Points
hitting a nice stride
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12/15/2018 - wine4lux Likes this wine: 95 Points
What a wonderful wine! Dark fruit, smoky, meaty. Power and finesse. One bottle left.
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6/1/2018 - overthetop Likes this wine: 92 Points
Needs a little air to open up but probably no decant needed. Nice nose once opened up.
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5/3/2018 - tenn tea wrote:
Delish
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4/17/2018 - wiscgrad wrote: 93 Points
initially the nose was horrible and I debated dumping it. decanted for 2 hours and poured it back in the bottle. next day the lovely perfumed nose was back and this guy was singing.
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2/6/2018 - wine4lux Likes this wine: 95 Points
Full -bodied syrah, deep, dark violet; richly textured, floral and fruit-forward- blackberries- with a touch of white pepper. Drank over two hours and the wine displayed excellent persistence. Modest amount of sediment.
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2/2/2018 - macliii Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep purple color and nice herb and fruit on the nose. On the palate notes of blueberry, earthiness and dark fruit flavors with a little spice and medium to long finish. Went surprisingly well with Roast turkey breast dinner and got better as the night went on.
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12/2/2017 - wculpepper Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for two hours; light sediment. Bright ruby color. A floral nose of blackberries, blueberries and herbs. Intense and jammy dark fruit on the palate outweighs any acids or tannins. The medium length fruity finish would be even nicer were it not for a bit of heat. Will probably improve with some more age.
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11/11/2017 - FlyPig Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully. Singing after an hour of air, sustained through next day. This has lots of years left but not sure it’ll get better.
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9/15/2017 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 90 Points
new world integration
delightful and delicious
enjoyed even by the old world oenophiles
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8/20/2017 - wiscgrad wrote: 92 Points
Big and juicy. A bit of heat on the back end. But quite delicious
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6/19/2017 - JKelly05 Likes this wine:
Savory, bramble, funky, blue cheese, petrol, olives, stewed meats..awesome again...
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5/5/2017 - winetastingnote Likes this wine: 95 Points
Amazing wine; abundant fruit, bramble, small amount of smoke and bacon, seamless long finish. In its prime.
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4/27/2017 - westcoastwannabe wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes. Lots of earth and funk on the nose and on the initial taste. This partially burned off during the evening. Blackberry and other dark fruit along with hints of meat (bacon?) and a touch of vanilla slowly emerged in our last pour. Very interesting syrah. 90-91.
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3/17/2017 - tcufletch Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is Syrah! Everything about this is so very nice right now; dangerously easy to drink; lots of rich, dark fruit, iron, bacon fat, smoke, petrol, alcholo at 15.4% but very much in control; would love another bottle.
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2/27/2017 - JKelly05 Likes this wine:
head shaking goodness every time i pop one of these...
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1/13/2017 - Tvall13 wrote: 92 Points
Just enough funk to balance out the fruit. Delicious.
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12/30/2016 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 92 Points
consistent with notes of 12/12/2015
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12/17/2016 - spisakc Likes this wine: 89 Points
Think this needs more time.
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12/5/2016 - JKelly05 Likes this wine:
Had 2 this wknd, one had some add'l sweetness i haven't picked in these wines (might've been the cheese had w/ it). Otherwise, consistent w/ prev notes, still in love w/ this juice.
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11/27/2016 - YankeeRobio Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great wine. Decanted 1 hour. Pepper on the front, then dark red and black fruit took over. 2009 was an epic year for CA syrah, and this did not disappoint. Glad I let it sit this long.
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11/5/2016 - JKelly05 Likes this wine:
Old reliable..I think I just have to come to terms with this being my style of wine. I shake my head on every sip with how good this is and love ppls reaction to this wine.
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9/2/2016 - JKelly05 Likes this wine:
Consistent w/ all previous notes. Just very much enjoy this bottle.
Drank in back of Silene Crozes-Herm '12
Dark Ruby, not very bright
Similiar nose to Crozes..Barn funk, petrol, florals/violets, bacon, tobacco, leather.
Med+ body, a bit hot off the pnp, big attack, mid and longer finish than the Crozes. Needs air to soften and alcohol (15+%) blow off. Apparent in Day 2, much softer and elegant, yet big in mouthfeel and finish. Smoke, minerals, bacon, pertrol, funk, deep dark fruits, olives, stewed meat...just great stuff...
This has a long way to go...looking fwd to many more yrs enjoying these
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7/15/2016 - MrOctoberfest Likes this wine:
Decanted for an hour. Lots of rich coffee, meaty aromas along with some dark fruit. I overcooked the steak that accompanied it, and this wine saved the dinner. The alcohol is noticeable, but not unpleasant. I think this wine will be even better in 5 to 10 years.
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6/23/2016 - pakabear wrote: 93 Points
Lots of meat on the nose, dark, medium red fruits, with oily texture (better than it sounds), really good length, there is a touch of heat for sure on the finish, but I don't mind it as good as the rest of the wine tastes. Nice job.
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5/29/2016 - pickhardt wrote: 91 Points
One of the strangest and most interesting bottles I have had. I opened my bottle Saturday evening. Initially I found it to be bitter and unpleasant. It did not improve over 10-15 minutes, so I vacuumed the bottle and opened something else. I went back to it a couple hours later and this time I got very strong barnyard qualities and nothing else. After another hour I tired it again and it was a little better, and a little better still 4 hours after having been opened (the barnyard was fading). I vacuumed the remaining 3/4 of the bottle. We had it a day later and it was really good. Nice depth, finish, complexity.
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5/26/2016 - danielbleier wrote: 92 Points
consistent with notes of 12/12/2015
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3/19/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very consistent wine, drinking well now pnp
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2/7/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not quite as good as previous bottles, this one had thrown a ton of sediment. Very meaty nose as usual, dark fruits, pepper, and background oak. Didn't seem as complex as previous bottles but great silky texture and good length.
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1/30/2016 - thescrod wrote: 93 Points
Needs an hour in the decanter and then sings. One of those Last Bottle finds that makes you wish you bought a case.
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1/30/2016 - neurovino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep purple in color. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like fig, raisin and black currant (cassis). It tastes like stoniness, nutmeg, meaty and game. The body is full. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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1/23/2016 - WineCPA wrote: 92 Points
Second bottle and the same as my first. Upon opening, I get a strong cellar funk on the nose. Initially seems like it might be corked. Decant through the Vinturi and sat 24 hours in a closed decanter at room temperature. Tasted the second night and that terrible funk had completely dissipated, leaving behind a trail of dark, mouth coating fruit. Enjoyable now with big food. Would score higher if it were not for that funk upon the initial uncorking.
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1/18/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Extremely good still, dark fruits, loads of meats and spice. Very good weight with velvety mouthfeel, and good length. Alcohol is noticeable but not overbearing.
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12/12/2015 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 92 Points
Felt more like a Cornas or St. Joseph than a Cali Syrah. Noce profile of forest floor and cigar to go with the blackberry and plum. Not heavy at all
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12/6/2015 - jhieb Likes this wine: 93 Points
One of the most interesting Syrah's I've had from northern California. The nose has a lot of funk, barn, hay, and herbs. The nose almost reminds me of a Walla Walla syrah. In the mouth, it is not heavy or overly meaty. An intriguing wine. I'm a fan.
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10/21/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similar to last bottle, drinking well right now, Virginia baked ham, lush texture, medium red fruit and good structure. Very nice!
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9/29/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tons of meat, ham, bacon, dark fruit, good length and a velvety texture. Reminds me of some of the hop barn hill I've had.
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9/12/2015 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 90 Points
delicious round and with depth
went well with steaks on the grill
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9/1/2015 - Tom Warden Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking nicely now...I imagine this will get better over the next few years but if you have enough, there's no reason to wait.
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6/7/2015 - bugdoced wrote: 91 Points
simply really good
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4/26/2015 - jdpearse Likes this wine: 90 Points
A mouthful. Very viscous. Smoke on the nose carried through. Dark & inky. Very smooth and round in the mouth especially with some air time This will keep going for a quite awhile. Great with lamb ragu.
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1/29/2015 - Corkdork79 wrote: 97 Points
Wonderful, smoky bacon flavor combined with dark fruit. Tannins calmed down nicely to let the flavors burst. Long, smooth finish.
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1/17/2015 - finca wrote: 92 Points
Intense, extracted and BACON FAT! Yum
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12/21/2014 - dundeehills Likes this wine: 92 Points
Celebrated the Winter Solstice with this bottle. Drank beautifully after a little air time. Dark fruit and pepper.
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