drank after 2½ hours in decanter. Still very fruity with cassis, blueberries, and cedar notes. Beautifully fragrant with eucalyptus and some stewed prunes. Acidity was on the high side and then showing smoky and leather notes. Aerated for too long and needs to be drunk with less time in decanter.
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Today with was superb. Very northern Rhone and when served blind some guess a Guigal LaLa! Similar profile though - meaty, gamey, dark, fresh. Good juice!
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Brought by Don to tonight's tasting......not sure of the air time given......CDP? Rhone? I'm not sure. Eventually, I settled on a Syrah but thought it was Old World, wrong. It's black fruited with great weight in the mouth. Excellent spice on the nose and palate...it's a very silky smooooooth wine at this stage! I never would have thought of keeping a Calli Syrah to age this long! A real pleasure to drink this one. Thanks for bringing it tonight, Don!
Addendum: tasted again with a late lunch today after another 15+ hours in bottle under cork, no gas, no vacuum. Many would still love this but unfortunately, the nose has moved into heavy bacon fat and that's not my preferred style of Syrah. The wine also is now drinking much older than during last night's tasting. Maybe an 89 now?
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OK, it's not as great as it was 5-10 years ago, but still rich and enticingly spice. Maturity of the black fruit gives this slightly less concentration and depth, and more warmth comes through on finish. But still very tasty.
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Warm nights, big wines (park ridge country club, park ridge, IL): Nose: The nose is bold, yet balanced with black cherries, black raspberries, licorice, white pepper, funky notes, savory tones, tobacco, and leather. This had extremely good depth and it was difficult to pin down blind.
Taste: The feel is Full bodied with medium acidity and mostly resolved, medium+ tannins. The structure has pulled back with the feel being plush and balanced backed up by tones of black cherries, black raspberries, savory notes, white pepper, tobacco, leather, and violet tones.
Overall: This came off as northern rhone when blind. It was very cool to see this revealed and I am extremely happy with how it has aged.
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Received this bottle from a wine pull on 3/31/19. Was a little nervous about how it would taste being such an old Syrah, but it was AMAZING. Licorice, black currant, dark cherry. Haven’t been to Pax or read up on it, but will definitely be purchasing more of this to lay down. Great Syrah!!
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of blueberry, roasted meat and black pepper. Flavors of raspberries, berries and a hint of cherries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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BBQ and Wine (Chez Whitehead - Northbrook IL): Black cherry and plum with black and white pepper and allspice. Still nicely fresh and powerful. Still showing wonderful "Côte-Rôtie" character. Best showing for this wine for the last 3-4 years.
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still fairly black, but I wouldn't call it inky anymore. olives, plum, black cherry, with some charcoal and grilled lamb, medium plus body, iron, black fruit, olives, olive oil, grilled meat, pepper, with big chewy flavor. plenty of acidity and a bunch of tannic structure still left. everything is pretty balanced , but perhaps the tannins will outlast the fruit, although no particular wear and tear on this bottle quite yet. Id drink.
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Black as pitch color, inky Syrah with signature pepper and an atypical mahogany wood flavor profile on the finish. It has good acidity suggesting it can age more, but the fear is that the fruit will start to fade. Drink up... this is drinking great now. Decanted for 1 hour and enjoyed with braised short rib and Yukon mashers. Yum!
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Open 30-45 minutes before tasting. Black plum and cherry aromas with plenty of liqueur and even more black pepper. Similar on palate, but with slightly less intensity. Still very good, but not at the level where it used to perform 5 years ago.
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On the downside of peak drinking. Medium weight with pretty decent tannic grip that strengthens with decanting. Still lots of plush black/red fruit, olive, smoked meat, and some menthol on the finish. Will last several years longer but not improve much. Needs to be sat upright for a few days before opening as the last glass poured was sludge even with straining.
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Will last quite a few more years. Fruit is fading but tannins on the finish remain sharp. Olive brine, smoke, black fruit, black pepper and tart red fruit. Surprisingly better on day 2.
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Similar to earlier bottles, just more mature black fruit behind the wine's excellent Cote-Rotie-esque spice. This was popped-and-poured, but still started losing steam after open two hours. I will have to try another bottle soon.
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My last bottle of this- purchased on release from the winery. I opened these all way too young. This bottle has been open since April 12 and it's better tonight than on day one. Cool climate Syrah at its near best. Boysenberry, blackberry, pastrami, pepper, acacia, thick texture, long finish... This wine will be better 5 years from now, but I'll never know. These were built for the long haul - old school.
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Still consistent after all these years. A big, but reasonably balanced wine with unmistakable and characteristic pepper and grilled meat aromatics. An orphan from a very different period in my wine buying and preferences, but one that I still really enjoy.
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on a nite of a dozen 2003's, mostly cabs, this one was opened later. Have had a number of these Castelli-Knight Ranch wines from Pax from many different years and the terroir and expression of these wines is constant and excellent. bravo!
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I haven't opened a bottle in 2+ years and this is now starting to show early signs of maturing. Still lots of blackberry and plum with lots of black pepper, sage and rosemary. Continues to show great Cote Rotie character.
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Medium nose of black fruit, violets, mocha, spice and pepper. Palate is medium rich with big juicy acidity. Long and penetrating. Black fruit, pepper, bacon, olive, smoke. Delicious and complex. Fruit is mature and evolved.
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Huge blue fruit with a bracing vein of tart acidity running through it. Sort of like a Cote Rote, but turned up to 11. Doesn't seem close to being done and may actually get better as it softens up a little more.
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Consistent with our previous tasting note, which surprised me a bit. Many of our other Pax bottles seem to have gone past their peak drinking window, but this one doesn't seem to have budged, and if anything, needs another 3-5 years. The big difference between this one and many of the others is that there is a lot of blue fruit to balance the blackberry fruit that seems so prominent in the Pax bottlings.
Unfortunately, that was our last bottle of this vintage. Would love to see how this one drinks in five years...
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This wine has aged incredibly well...gorgeous black fruits along with pepper and spice...really interesting mix of old world bite/spice and new world fruit...fantastic
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Tons of dark cherry and blackberry with an abundance of pepper and hot spices, especially cumin. Some wild black raspberry on the finish. Nicley structured and integrated.
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Wine of the afternoon. This is has everything I look for in a California Syrah. Big bouquet of black fruits and pepper in your face style. Dark fruits and pepper on the mouth. Plenty of complexity. Nice acidity and integration of tannins. Still has many years of life but is a nice wine today!
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Rim is still purple. Deep dark inky garnet body; opaque. Fantastic aromas and flavors of blackberry, black currant, black pepper, leather, cinnamon, herbs, graphite - complex. Big, chewy and structured; lots of concentrated fruit. Some tannic bite on the tongue, but not detracting in overall enjoyment of the wine. A nice long graphite flavored finish. Pairs nicely with prime rib-eye. The food subdues the unresolved tannin. After a few hours, I got some bacon fat on the nose.
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New World Dinner (Hughes House - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind, but this was the bottle I provided so knew. I've opened this wine with most of tonight's group several times over the past 5-6 years, so the group was able to identify it fairly easily from its massive black pepper and overall excellence. Black fruit behind the black pepper on nose. Same cherry falvors along with black pepper and licorice flavors and some rosemary in background on long finish. This has barely changed since I first tried it 5+ years ago, so expect it will have a good, long life going forward.
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I expected not to like this very much, given the heat this producer has taken, the notes listed on CT, and the relative age of the wine given its style. But the taste -- pretty darn solid I must say. Yes, it's huge and boisterous, but there is good structure here and excellent depth of fruit and complexity. It's a Turley version of Syrah, and I mean that as a compliment. Will see how day 2 fares...
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Still dark as night. Huge peppery- meaty- savory aromas, with anise, rare roasted bloody beef, black pepper, black olives and green herbs. Rich and dense with great midpalate presence. There is plenty f structure to support the fruit. This is rich and long, better on day two than one. Ripe, but not overripe with great savory- peppery notes and chewy tannins I attribute to what I would guess is whole cluster fermentation. More savory than fruit driven and where I like my syrah. Very long on the back end. This is outstanding wine drinking at peak. 93 pts
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Open for about an hour before drinking. Tons of pepper on the nose and palate with delicious black fruit seamlessly integrated. Big, sweet tannins on the finish.
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Surprisingly tannic even after aeration, but the fruit still has some gloss and nice palate coverage without being weighty. Pepper melange, smoke and orange notes complement the black raspberry core. I would hold this wine if I had more, or decant the heck out of it and serve it with meat. 90ish as is.
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very nice mature syrah, well balanced, drinking well, a bit thin (which is why it isn't ranked higher) but still a very good pour. time to drink is now
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Haven't had this since 06 when it was brutally young. still young rub. Loads of black pepper, roasted earth, meat, blood orange, anise, some violets. Full bodied, with more roasted earth, rare meat, bacon fat, and fresh cracked pepper. Still quite tannic, yet more in balance with some bottle age. great mix of savory , meaty and fruit. very deepand complex. Wild and rich with great character, with maybe room for improvement in another year or two. I'm impressed. 93 pts.
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Will have to add to this TN later as this is my initial impression and will spend the knight with Castelli (no pun funny):
Orangish/yellow wax capsul. Long cork was perfect. The color was a good deep garnet, with a purplish hue. The nose was pronounced creamy cedar, with a little black cherry, boysenberry hiding. The first sip was too woody, but some purple and red fruit. The finish was a little rough: oak, spice, grip of tannins, acidic... astringent.
Will revisit and post later tonight. At the two hour mark, i swear i smelled paint. Tough to get passed that, so checked in again at three hours and the fruit was just starting to come through the nose. Still a little bitter, with strong tannins and acidity. Corked and put in fridge.
24 hours after opening: the color has become a tiny bit darker. The nose was had some blackberry and blueberry notes, but more pronounced were the lavendar, black pepper, cedar and spice (I swear it still smells a little like paint). Much more approachable than 21-24 hours earlier. Tart cherry, blue berry... a little floral and lead note, and charred oak. Still has the acidity and tannins, but the finished is a little clipped. Won't touch my last bottle for a couple years and hope for the best.
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I'm not sure if this is in a bad place or time to drink up. As noted by KPB, wine is a bit acidic and harsh and the long soft finish one would expect does not show up. Tons of pepper on the palate and nose. This was a bit disappointing
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Decanted for 2 hours. Inky purple. Nice nose of dark fruit, spice, dark pepper and some orange peel. Very tannic on the palate, but good following flavors of blackberry, pepper, mineral. Not quite enough fruit to balance the alcohol for me, and while I suspect the tannins will soften, I am not sure this will ever be a harmonious wine for my taste.
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Deep purple, nose is creamy and sweet with boysenberries or cassis aromas, vanilla, resin. But something of a letdown on the palate: tart and a bit harsh, short finish. Peppery. Drink up.
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Chris Hughes is Cooking Lamb so Bring Good Wine! (Hughes House - Chicago IL): Tasted blind. This wine continues to perform at exactly the same exceptional level. Dense, concentrated black fruit dominated by black pepper on the nose, then accompanies by great set of fresh herbs. Continues to impress on every level.
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Wineflock - Wine with Lamb (My house): Another stellar showing for this wine/vintage! Judged WOTN by both me and the group blind and one of the best matches with the lamb as well. Full opaque purple/black color. Super nose of coffee spicy black fruit with notes of sweet creosote, smoke, and black pepper. Mmmn, huge big black crosote asphalt fruit with a coffee hint. This is still a big fruity wine on it's own but it really balances out nicely with the food.
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Decanted for 3hrs then back to the bottle for 24hrs. Black fruits, charcoal, orange blossom, bitter chocolate and a little mushroom. Nicely weighted and integrated. Rather tannic on the finish. Pleasing but nothing exciting, missing the usual black pepper.
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You can taste amazing depth and intensity. Unfortuntely, it is a bit to rough for me. It might be better in 5-10 years. Very heavy and lots of tannin. But, at the same time, many flavors and ntensity.
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Decanted for 30 minutes; probably should have been 2+ hours. In the glass, inky reddish-black. On the nose, a blast of cassis and stone fruit. On the palate, pure, smooth blue fruit, currants, blackberries, and a touch of black pepper and tobacco. The striking aspect of this wine is the purity of the fruit. The finish was somewhat short; had it been longer, I would have gone up a point or two. But no real complaints, this is a nice wine.
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Great American Syrah Shootout II (Chicago, IL): Purple color. Delicious and complex nose of red / black fruits, sweet herbs, pepper, incense and potpourri. Juicy, medium-to-full bodied palate has big, sweet, herbal fruits. Intense, unique, peppery finish. Very balanced and precise -- and for most unmistakably Castelli Knight. My #6, Group #3.
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Wineflock - Best of American Syrah (Home): Group #3, My #2 - Full deep opaque red/black color. Mmmmn, lovely floral big black fruit nose with GREAT pepper notes. Lovely bright balanced juicy black fruit with good spice and pepper on the palate. Wonderful as always with pefect balance.
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Excellent wine. A bit too fruity, but backed up by big tannins, and peppery tones. It got better as the meal progessed. May just be too young to drink.
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Tasted blind. In the context of US Syrah, this was easy to identify based on prior tastings. This continues to show amazing Cote Rotie character, albeit withe ripe fruit that you could only imagine from the ripest vintages. Still, the higher alcohol is well balanced and not obtrusive. Glad I have more.
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Great American Syrah Smackdown (My House): Group #2, My #1 - Opaque purple/red color. Fabulous lifted nose nose of black pepper, spice, and black fruit. Easy nose of the night! Mmmn, absolutely wonderful rich black fruit, PEPPER, and acidity. A balanced great wine that is drinking in a peak window right now. The only wine of the evening that could be considered really Rhone-like (Cote Rotie). I picked this out blind instantly for the 03 Castelli - very distinctive and IMHO, the best wine made by Pax.
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Great American Syrah Smackdown (Chris Hughes' place - Chicago, IL): Deep opaque purple with a distinctive nose, showing layered aromas of dark fruit, meat, smoke, pepper and herbs. A deliciously wow palate has loads of dark fruit and black pepper. Also shows floral notes. Massive fruits are counterpointed by big tannins just begging for a steak. Huge and Cote Rotie like. A winner. My #3. Group's #2.
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Had over the course of steak dinner. This wine is at a great place today, holding steady. Black fruit and great array of spice on the nose and palate. Really sensational long, spicy finish.
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Craig Vanderah's Annual BBQ (Pax, Kosta Brown, Beaucastel, Donjon, Turley, Loring, Neal): Deep red color with dark purple hues. The nose gives an exhilarating dose of of blackberry liquor, mineral, pepper, and animal notes. Primary but impressive. On the palate this really reaffimed its youth -- giving extremely ripe and concentrated black fruit, mineral, and pepper. There is oak, but it is well controlled. This wine remains relatively light on the palate despite its size. Still very tannic, this finish roughly and with some heat discernable. An excellent California wine.
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Dark garnet / purple. Sweet, ripe candied black fruits mixed with neat spice on the nose. Huge yet somehow giving the semblance of balance. Rocking finish – a very good wine, if not my style. I wouldn’t know what to drink this with. (92)
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Sampled a bit upon opening, and elected to decant the balance and let it sit for 2.5 hrs, then consumed it with strip steaks and anna potatoes, over the following 3.5 hours. I found this a bit one-dimensional, with heavy mineral characteristics masking the still evident (if you let it sit on your palate) heavy alcohol. Loads of green and black pepper on the nose, but just lots of minerals (mica?) on the palate, along with blue fruits that linger on for quite awhile. Not quite to my liking, at least at the moment.
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Mineral, grass, black pepper on the nose; stewed tomatoes, black fruit, followed by long but strong tannic finish - big, complex wine but not a fruit bomb. Wish I hd another bottle to try in10 years... 93 now
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Wow. What a nice wine. Recall the barrel taste of black pepper but didn't think it would turn into such a rich wine. Wonderful mouthfeel with minerally, black pepper, chocolate nose. Tons of dark fruit on the palate. Lush, rich wine and the finish goes on and on. Wish I had more of these. (note: decanted for 1+ hour before trying)
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Drinking nicely now....not the tannic beast a young pax can be....this weks shipment of the 2005's prompted opening one of these...bit of strawberry/floral notes on the nose
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Dinner with Steve Sigmond and Chris Larson: My first Pax. Deep red color. This had an exhilarating nose that changed and developed throughout the night. Flavors of blackberry, black raspberry, pepper, lavendar, mushroom, iron, and animal notes mixed and matched in multiple intriguing combinations. On the palate this really showed its youth -- concentrated, tannic, and not giving all it has to offer. There is oak, but it is well controlled. It remains light on the palate despite the concentrated fruit and oak. I thought the flavors were reminiscent of CdP in a very clean style despite the fact that this is 100% syrah. An awesome introduction to this producer. Thanks Steve.
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Dinner w/ Dave & Chris (JP's American Bistro, Minneapolis): Double decanted 2-3 hours before tasting. Dark black/purple. The nose shows freshly ground black pepper, white pepper, and blackberries. Layers of gorgeous, slightly sweet black fruit, iron, and charcoal. Silky and supple, with a super-long finish. The structure/minerality came to the forefront after 4-5 hours. Sneaky, ultra-fine tannins on the finish. I think this wine has many more years of evolution ahead. A dead ringer for a top-flight, ripe Hermitage. Fantastic.
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Solid performance this wine offers a lot of different flavors on the palate. The weight of this wine hides the copious alchohol. Two glasses is enough of this wine that does not match up to food very well.
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Rhone Dinner at Restaurant Michael (Winnetka, IL): Inky purple in color. Ultra-dense nose of ripe black fruits and pepper. Sweet, oozing fruit on the palate more than handles brawny tannins. Blackberry, blackbeery some pepper and more blackberry. Delicious but singular compared to the other Syrahs tonight. Didn't enjoy as much as the last go around with this one.
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Anwar opened this whe he and Jackie hosted a few of the CWM. He decanted this for something like 6 hours IIRC. Opaque. Notes of blueberry, minerals and dark fruit. Tannins are massive, but sweet. Loads of dark fruit, but slightly hollow on the midpalate.
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Young California Syrah (Chez Shaffer - Highland Park IL): Tasted blind. Total shock this wasn't Cote Rotie. Incredible fruit with black pepper on the nose, followed by same great black fruit on the palate with great balance of tannins and spice. Sensational powerful fruit with great pepper and spice combination. A great pleasant surprise.
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Wineflock Intro/Retro - California Syrah (The Shaffer's): Wow! Incredible Cote Rotie nose of black fruit, pepper, and spice. Delicious round black fruit on an acidic frame with some black olive notes on the finish. Very nice.
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Spice, forest floor, and eucalyptus nose that changed throughout the night. Wonderful berry cocktail onthe palate. So, so balanced and long finish. Amazing.
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2003 PAX Castelli-Knight Ranch, Syrah, Russian River Valley, Sonoma I decanted this wine for three hours. Super rich deep dark color. On the nose; leather, tar, white pepper, and pomegranate. Did I say white pepper? Because this was the predominant attribute that never quit. Not showing much fruit, as to be expected, but I have had this before, and it showed much better. (so much so I seeked out 4). Big serious tannins. This is a super extracted wine, the kind loved by many, but probably not me. Super dry on the finish. I should have saved a glass worth for the next day. I suspect this should be great by 2013, but I will never know.
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Very young, powerful wine. Needs cellar time to be fully approachable. On the nose, unmistakably American syrah, oodles of rich, dark fruit, oak, hot rocks, pepper, hints of menthol/camphor/eucalyptus. On the palate, rich medium to dark fruit, pepper, nice acidity. Long, somewhat tannic finish. After a few hours of air time, the wine shut down significantly and the camphor/eucalyptus/menthol/mint elements became overly dominant. Needs to sleep for at least 3-4 years imo. 90 pts now, with significant upside potential.
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Blind Syrah and Petites (Mercer Island): Floral and Dark Fruits on the Nose. Structured with nice minerals and fruit. Powerful. Like this quite a bit, but seems like it needs time. 91-92+ [My WOF, GroupAvg. 3rd WOF] Major variation with many 1st place and 3rd place votes for WOF.
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Sweet, rich, full of complex fruit and olive flavors; went very well with a spice-rubbed steak and sweet potatoes. The richness was very powerful and should be matched with food and enjoyed in small sips. No quaffer here, this is wine concentrate! Very well done.
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sweet and very rich. But not over the top. this has great balance and rather serious filling. I am surprised how much i liked this... :) a very well made wine indeed.
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I drank this over the course of three days. On day one: super concentrated, deep dark purple, full mouthfeel, only slight tannins. Day two: no sample. Day three: The tannins are fully resolved now, it has given up a little weight and taken on a little more complexity. Overall, a great example of PAX wines. This will get better over the next three to five years.
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Opened this up with some grilled steaks. Not decanted.
This was one screwy wine... I couldn't figure out whether to drink the whole bottle or pour it on a waffle. Sticky and sweet, with a whole lotta alcohol. Big, massive wine, with lots of tastes and aromas of boysenberries, strawberries, flowers, and spice. It was rather disjointed: The fruit, the alcohol, and the tannins just didn't seem to blend together. Long finish. Maybe it just needs more time, needed to be decanted, or maybe I'm just not cut out for new world syrahs. Tasted more like a ruby port than a regular wine. Either way, it didn't do my filets any favor...
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My first Pax. Wow. I opened this up to go with grilled grass fed ribeye, potatoes and sauted Vidalia onions. Decanted for about 2-3 hours. Purpulish hue. Peppery nose with dark fruits behind. Then came Ali vs Frazier -- Fruit battleing with Pepper. Boysenberry and blackberry going round and round with white pepper each one coming to the front in alternating tastes over time and dependent on food. All against a canvas of tannins thrown with roundhouse power and left jab like percision. A one-two combo of Northern Rhone and Austrailia. Boxing metaphors aside, it was a very enjoyable wine that will probably develop more mid palatte nuances over time and has the structure to carry it there.
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Very dark. Still young and tannic. It has good potential. After 45min it still had not opened up. Next day showed more fruit but was still tight. This is going to be a v nice wine when it softens up in 5 - 8 years
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Tasted double blind at Resurrection Cup I, 5/21/2005.
A very young, very obviously American wine from first sniff, dominated by vanilla oak, pepper and various dark fruits. On the palate, this wine is dense, with black cherry running through the mid-palate, finishing very long where the fruits turn darker (licorice?). Still tannic, it did open up nicely between rounds one and two.
This wine was my number two wine of the tasting, and group number two. I think I have some of this in my cellar, and if so, I will let it rest for a couple of years before trying my next.
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Drank at Downey's in Santa Barbara. Quite simply a fantastic bottle of wine. Highly expressive nose with spice and dark fruit, with the palate to match. Perfectly balanced and not overbearing. It is amazing to me that such a big wine can be so light on its feet. I was worried at the alcohol % as listed on the label, but I got no sense of heat. I hope this develops well over the next 5-7 years.
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Decanted 45 mins prior to consumption. Deep, plum-purple coloring. Even when the decanter was nearly empty several hours later, the little wine left was completely opaque, though the edges were a little cloudy from the unfiltered (though yet unaccumulated) sediment. Currants, fresh blueberries, YUM! Some pencil shavings were evident early and dissipated within an hour. Strong fruits were more to our liking after sofening up over the first 90mins. Excellent Wine!! Tried to save some to see how it fared overnight, and we just couldn't bring ourselves to NOT drink it.
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Wow, This stuff is fantastic.Very dark color, full body. Lovely expressive nose coffee black berry and asphalt. The palate jumps at you with minerals, tar and layers of fruit. Pax you are the man. I love this wine.
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Anwar opened this over the weekend. Better than the 2000 Pax Lauterbach that I had 2 years ago. This was decanted but I don't know for how long. Dry lip smacking texture. Good depth here. Notes of licorice and black cherry. A little heavy or it would have scored higher but an outstanding wine. I expect this to integrate with a little more bottle age. 92+ points.
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7/2/2023 - Peech Likes this wine: 92 Points
served right after decanting. Floral, smoky, nice and fruity, even two hours later.
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6/28/2023 - Peech Likes this wine: 91 Points
drank after 2½ hours in decanter. Still very fruity with cassis, blueberries, and cedar notes. Beautifully fragrant with eucalyptus and some stewed prunes. Acidity was on the high side and then showing smoky and leather notes. Aerated for too long and needs to be drunk with less time in decanter.
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5/3/2023 - DonDon Likes this wine: 94 Points
Today with was superb. Very northern Rhone and when served blind some guess a Guigal LaLa! Similar profile though - meaty, gamey, dark, fresh. Good juice!
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1/26/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brought by Don to tonight's tasting......not sure of the air time given......CDP? Rhone? I'm not sure. Eventually, I settled on a Syrah but thought it was Old World, wrong. It's black fruited with great weight in the mouth. Excellent spice on the nose and palate...it's a very silky smooooooth wine at this stage! I never would have thought of keeping a Calli Syrah to age this long! A real pleasure to drink this one. Thanks for bringing it tonight, Don!
Addendum: tasted again with a late lunch today after another 15+ hours in bottle under cork, no gas, no vacuum. Many would still love this but unfortunately, the nose has moved into heavy bacon fat and that's not my preferred style of Syrah. The wine also is now drinking much older than during last night's tasting. Maybe an 89 now?
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4/27/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
OK, it's not as great as it was 5-10 years ago, but still rich and enticingly spice. Maturity of the black fruit gives this slightly less concentration and depth, and more warmth comes through on finish. But still very tasty.
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8/15/2019 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
Warm nights, big wines (park ridge country club, park ridge, IL): Nose: The nose is bold, yet balanced with black cherries, black raspberries, licorice, white pepper, funky notes, savory tones, tobacco, and leather. This had extremely good depth and it was difficult to pin down blind.
Taste: The feel is Full bodied with medium acidity and mostly resolved, medium+ tannins. The structure has pulled back with the feel being plush and balanced backed up by tones of black cherries, black raspberries, savory notes, white pepper, tobacco, leather, and violet tones.
Overall: This came off as northern rhone when blind. It was very cool to see this revealed and I am extremely happy with how it has aged.
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7/27/2019 - rnellans wrote: 92 Points
Rich, big structure, Good acid/tannin balance, good fruit, a bit ripe
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4/21/2019 - jviz wrote:
Winebid purchase.. Unfortunately badly corked
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4/17/2019 - jrtaylor Likes this wine: 94 Points
Received this bottle from a wine pull on 3/31/19. Was a little nervous about how it would taste being such an old Syrah, but it was AMAZING. Licorice, black currant, dark cherry. Haven’t been to Pax or read up on it, but will definitely be purchasing more of this to lay down. Great Syrah!!
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9/5/2018 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of blueberry, roasted meat and black pepper. Flavors of raspberries, berries and a hint of cherries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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5/12/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
BBQ and Wine (Chez Whitehead - Northbrook IL): Black cherry and plum with black and white pepper and allspice. Still nicely fresh and powerful. Still showing wonderful "Côte-Rôtie" character. Best showing for this wine for the last 3-4 years.
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5/8/2017 - Erik R. Likes this wine: 94 Points
still fairly black, but I wouldn't call it inky anymore. olives, plum, black cherry, with some charcoal and grilled lamb, medium plus body, iron, black fruit, olives, olive oil, grilled meat, pepper, with big chewy flavor. plenty of acidity and a bunch of tannic structure still left. everything is pretty balanced , but perhaps the tannins will outlast the fruit, although no particular wear and tear on this bottle quite yet. Id drink.
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12/25/2016 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Black as pitch color, inky Syrah with signature pepper and an atypical mahogany wood flavor profile on the finish. It has good acidity suggesting it can age more, but the fear is that the fruit will start to fade. Drink up... this is drinking great now. Decanted for 1 hour and enjoyed with braised short rib and Yukon mashers. Yum!
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7/31/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Open 30-45 minutes before tasting. Black plum and cherry aromas with plenty of liqueur and even more black pepper. Similar on palate, but with slightly less intensity. Still very good, but not at the level where it used to perform 5 years ago.
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5/25/2016 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 93 Points
On the downside of peak drinking. Medium weight with pretty decent tannic grip that strengthens with decanting. Still lots of plush black/red fruit, olive, smoked meat, and some menthol on the finish. Will last several years longer but not improve much. Needs to be sat upright for a few days before opening as the last glass poured was sludge even with straining.
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3/29/2016 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 93 Points
Will last quite a few more years. Fruit is fading but tannins on the finish remain sharp. Olive brine, smoke, black fruit, black pepper and tart red fruit. Surprisingly better on day 2.
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12/19/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Similar to earlier bottles, just more mature black fruit behind the wine's excellent Cote-Rotie-esque spice. This was popped-and-poured, but still started losing steam after open two hours. I will have to try another bottle soon.
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5/24/2015 - Minnesota wrote: 94 Points
Yes, old school describes this wine well. Seems to have more ageability ahead but our last bottle.
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4/18/2015 - jonnyoro wrote: 97 Points
My last bottle of this- purchased on release from the winery. I opened these all way too young. This bottle has been open since April 12 and it's better tonight than on day one. Cool climate Syrah at its near best. Boysenberry, blackberry, pastrami, pepper, acacia, thick texture, long finish... This wine will be better 5 years from now, but I'll never know. These were built for the long haul - old school.
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4/12/2015 - jerhardt wrote: 92 Points
Still consistent after all these years. A big, but reasonably balanced wine with unmistakable and characteristic pepper and grilled meat aromatics. An orphan from a very different period in my wine buying and preferences, but one that I still really enjoy.
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12/25/2014 - McKraftyWino Likes this wine: 95 Points
on a nite of a dozen 2003's, mostly cabs, this one was opened later. Have had a number of these Castelli-Knight Ranch wines from Pax from many different years and the terroir and expression of these wines is constant and excellent.
bravo!
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11/5/2014 - 560 B&W wrote: 92 Points
Big but with the acidity and aromatics to pull it off
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4/25/2014 - McKraftyWino Likes this wine: 95 Points
youthful. we decanted it and it opened up beautifully. spicy, jammy, excellent wine.
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3/1/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
I haven't opened a bottle in 2+ years and this is now starting to show early signs of maturing. Still lots of blackberry and plum with lots of black pepper, sage and rosemary. Continues to show great Cote Rotie character.
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2/21/2014 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Medium nose of black fruit, violets, mocha, spice and pepper. Palate is medium rich with big juicy acidity. Long and penetrating. Black fruit, pepper, bacon, olive, smoke. Delicious and complex. Fruit is mature and evolved.
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2/7/2014 - tcarter Likes this wine: 91 Points
At its peak I think. Drink soon.
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1/9/2014 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 92 Points
Huge blue fruit with a bracing vein of tart acidity running through it. Sort of like a Cote Rote, but turned up to 11. Doesn't seem close to being done and may actually get better as it softens up a little more.
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12/26/2013 - jshufelt wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with our previous tasting note, which surprised me a bit. Many of our other Pax bottles seem to have gone past their peak drinking window, but this one doesn't seem to have budged, and if anything, needs another 3-5 years. The big difference between this one and many of the others is that there is a lot of blue fruit to balance the blackberry fruit that seems so prominent in the Pax bottlings.
Unfortunately, that was our last bottle of this vintage. Would love to see how this one drinks in five years...
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11/13/2013 - Mr T wrote:
This wine has aged incredibly well...gorgeous black fruits along with pepper and spice...really interesting mix of old world bite/spice and new world fruit...fantastic
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3/25/2012 - S1 wrote: 93 Points
Tons of dark cherry and blackberry with an abundance of pepper and hot spices, especially cumin. Some wild black raspberry on the finish. Nicley structured and integrated.
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3/24/2012 - S2 wrote: 93 Points
Wine of the afternoon. This is has everything I look for in a California Syrah. Big bouquet of black fruits and pepper in your face style. Dark fruits and pepper on the mouth. Plenty of complexity. Nice acidity and integration of tannins. Still has many years of life but is a nice wine today!
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1/21/2012 - Chainthroer wrote: 94 Points
Rim is still purple. Deep dark inky garnet body; opaque. Fantastic aromas and flavors of blackberry, black currant, black pepper, leather, cinnamon, herbs, graphite - complex. Big, chewy and structured; lots of concentrated fruit. Some tannic bite on the tongue, but not detracting in overall enjoyment of the wine. A nice long graphite flavored finish. Pairs nicely with prime rib-eye. The food subdues the unresolved tannin. After a few hours, I got some bacon fat on the nose.
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11/22/2011 - zheem wrote: 95 Points
Drinking so very well right now. Classic syrah aromas, with very concentrated flavors, focused and intense.
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11/5/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
New World Dinner (Hughes House - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind, but this was the bottle I provided so knew. I've opened this wine with most of tonight's group several times over the past 5-6 years, so the group was able to identify it fairly easily from its massive black pepper and overall excellence. Black fruit behind the black pepper on nose. Same cherry falvors along with black pepper and licorice flavors and some rosemary in background on long finish. This has barely changed since I first tried it 5+ years ago, so expect it will have a good, long life going forward.
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9/6/2011 - KevinS wrote: 93 Points
I expected not to like this very much, given the heat this producer has taken, the notes listed on CT, and the relative age of the wine given its style. But the taste -- pretty darn solid I must say. Yes, it's huge and boisterous, but there is good structure here and excellent depth of fruit and complexity. It's a Turley version of Syrah, and I mean that as a compliment. Will see how day 2 fares...
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8/21/2011 - cct wrote: 93 Points
Still dark as night. Huge peppery- meaty- savory aromas, with anise, rare roasted bloody beef, black pepper, black olives and green herbs. Rich and dense with great midpalate presence. There is plenty f structure to support the fruit. This is rich and long, better on day two than one. Ripe, but not overripe with great savory- peppery notes and chewy tannins I attribute to what I would guess is whole cluster fermentation. More savory than fruit driven and where I like my syrah. Very long on the back end. This is outstanding wine drinking at peak. 93 pts
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7/24/2011 - rralls wrote: 95 Points
Beat out the '00 Alban Lorraine.
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7/24/2011 - sterin wrote: 96 Points
Open for about an hour before drinking. Tons of pepper on the nose and palate with delicious black fruit seamlessly integrated. Big, sweet tannins on the finish.
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7/13/2011 - silton wrote:
Surprisingly tannic even after aeration, but the fruit still has some gloss and nice palate coverage without being weighty. Pepper melange, smoke and orange notes complement the black raspberry core. I would hold this wine if I had more, or decant the heck out of it and serve it with meat. 90ish as is.
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7/5/2011 - bamawine wrote: 89 Points
KPB has it right. OK ,but seems like arrested development.
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6/12/2011 - jswine15 wrote: 92 Points
very nice mature syrah, well balanced, drinking well, a bit thin (which is why it isn't ranked higher) but still a very good pour. time to drink is now
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3/18/2011 - citizendrain wrote:
Liked it.
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12/10/2010 - placecarnot wrote: 91 Points
Slight spritz at first, but that goes away quickly. Really nice cool climate Syrah, just drinking very well, should age 20 more years easily.
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6/27/2010 - cct wrote: 93 Points
Haven't had this since 06 when it was brutally young. still young rub. Loads of black pepper, roasted earth, meat, blood orange, anise, some violets. Full bodied, with more roasted earth, rare meat, bacon fat, and fresh cracked pepper. Still quite tannic, yet more in balance with some bottle age. great mix of savory , meaty and fruit. very deepand complex. Wild and rich with great character, with maybe room for improvement in another year or two. I'm impressed. 93 pts.
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1/4/2010 - LikeABC wrote: 83 Points
Will have to add to this TN later as this is my initial impression and will spend the knight with Castelli (no pun funny):
Orangish/yellow wax capsul. Long cork was perfect. The color was a good deep garnet, with a purplish hue. The nose was pronounced creamy cedar, with a little black cherry, boysenberry hiding. The first sip was too woody, but some purple and red fruit. The finish was a little rough: oak, spice, grip of tannins, acidic... astringent.
Will revisit and post later tonight.
At the two hour mark, i swear i smelled paint. Tough to get passed that, so checked in again at three hours and the fruit was just starting to come through the nose. Still a little bitter, with strong tannins and acidity. Corked and put in fridge.
24 hours after opening: the color has become a tiny bit darker. The nose was had some blackberry and blueberry notes, but more pronounced were the lavendar, black pepper, cedar and spice (I swear it still smells a little like paint). Much more approachable than 21-24 hours earlier. Tart cherry, blue berry... a little floral and lead note, and charred oak. Still has the acidity and tannins, but the finished is a little clipped. Won't touch my last bottle for a couple years and hope for the best.
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10/30/2009 - Mr T wrote:
I'm not sure if this is in a bad place or time to drink up. As noted by KPB, wine is a bit acidic and harsh and the long soft finish one would expect does not show up. Tons of pepper on the palate and nose. This was a bit disappointing
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10/4/2009 - Mistress of Wine wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Inky purple. Nice nose of dark fruit, spice, dark pepper and some orange peel. Very tannic on the palate, but good following flavors of blackberry, pepper, mineral. Not quite enough fruit to balance the alcohol for me, and while I suspect the tannins will soften, I am not sure this will ever be a harmonious wine for my taste.
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8/11/2009 - KPB wrote: 88 Points
Deep purple, nose is creamy and sweet with boysenberries or cassis aromas, vanilla, resin. But something of a letdown on the palate: tart and a bit harsh, short finish. Peppery. Drink up.
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4/18/2009 - nectar14 wrote: 93 Points
Could have used a decant... but this was great. Pepper, pencil lead, rocks, and cool black cherries abound. Rich and full. Still tannic.
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4/17/2009 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
Chris Hughes is Cooking Lamb so Bring Good Wine! (Hughes House - Chicago IL): Tasted blind. This wine continues to perform at exactly the same exceptional level. Dense, concentrated black fruit dominated by black pepper on the nose, then accompanies by great set of fresh herbs. Continues to impress on every level.
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4/17/2009 - winefool wrote: 95 Points
Wineflock - Wine with Lamb (My house): Another stellar showing for this wine/vintage! Judged WOTN by both me and the group blind and one of the best matches with the lamb as well. Full opaque purple/black color. Super nose of coffee spicy black fruit with notes of sweet creosote, smoke, and black pepper. Mmmn, huge big black crosote asphalt fruit with a coffee hint. This is still a big fruity wine on it's own but it really balances out nicely with the food.
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4/12/2009 - Knicksfan wrote: 94 Points
Always one of my favorites - drinking beautifully now. Classic notes of pepper and black fruit make this one of my favorite domestic syrahs ever
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3/23/2009 - pgordon62 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 3hrs then back to the bottle for 24hrs. Black fruits, charcoal, orange blossom, bitter chocolate and a little mushroom. Nicely weighted and integrated. Rather tannic on the finish. Pleasing but nothing exciting, missing the usual black pepper.
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2/14/2009 - dougie wrote: 91 Points
You can taste amazing depth and intensity. Unfortuntely, it is a bit to rough for me. It might be better in 5-10 years. Very heavy and lots of tannin. But, at the same time, many flavors and ntensity.
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2/6/2009 - jshufelt wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes; probably should have been 2+ hours. In the glass, inky reddish-black. On the nose, a blast of cassis and stone fruit. On the palate, pure, smooth blue fruit, currants, blackberries, and a touch of black pepper and tobacco. The striking aspect of this wine is the purity of the fruit. The finish was somewhat short; had it been longer, I would have gone up a point or two. But no real complaints, this is a nice wine.
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12/22/2008 - Red Loki wrote: 92 Points
Great dark fruit with a touch of flint.
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12/2/2008 - Cheryl wrote:
Had at Momofuku - Calamine in the nose and mouth, not as prominent as the AW. Could be related to an oak tast but this is offputting to me.
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11/22/2008 - jerhardt wrote: 93 Points
Excellent once again. Maturing nicely and highly expressive. Powerful, vibrant, and balanced. I love the peppery spice and evergreen notes.
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10/24/2008 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Best of American Syrah Blind Tasting (Hughes House - Chicago IL): Tasted blind. Concentrated black fruit aromas and flavors with sensational black pepper and licorice. Continues to consistently show Cote-Rotie character every time tasted.
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10/24/2008 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Great American Syrah Shootout II (Chicago, IL): Purple color. Delicious and complex nose of red / black fruits, sweet herbs, pepper, incense and potpourri. Juicy, medium-to-full bodied palate has big, sweet, herbal fruits. Intense, unique, peppery finish. Very balanced and precise -- and for most unmistakably Castelli Knight. My #6, Group #3.
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10/24/2008 - winefool wrote: 95 Points
Wineflock - Best of American Syrah (Home): Group #3, My #2 - Full deep opaque red/black color. Mmmmn, lovely floral big black fruit nose with GREAT pepper notes. Lovely bright balanced juicy black fruit with good spice and pepper on the palate. Wonderful as always with pefect balance.
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9/28/2008 - ajr wrote:
the 9/3/08 note says it all. this is fantastic juice. delicioius now with many years left in it.
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9/3/2008 - rmodak wrote: 92 Points
Blackberry liqueur, camphor, charcoal and white pepper. Loaded with a blue fruited profile, lush texture but firmly acidic finish. Undeniable quality.
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8/21/2008 - Knicksfan wrote: 94 Points
I love this wine. Very food friendly - good acid and fruit. Wowie.
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4/26/2008 - wpd wrote: 89 Points
Excellent wine. A bit too fruity, but backed up by big tannins, and peppery tones. It got better as the meal progessed. May just be too young to drink.
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1/15/2008 - blondon wrote:
Parker Offline CA Rhone Ranger Tasting (Laurel Restaurant, San Diego): Very Northern Rhone on the nose, pepper - pure white pepper. Continues through to the palate, with a touch of pine cones on the fire , earth and peppermint. Finishes softly - black velvet.
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10/4/2007 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
Tasted blind. In the context of US Syrah, this was easy to identify based on prior tastings. This continues to show amazing Cote Rotie character, albeit withe ripe fruit that you could only imagine from the ripest vintages. Still, the higher alcohol is well balanced and not obtrusive. Glad I have more.
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10/4/2007 - winefool wrote: 96 Points
Great American Syrah Smackdown (My House): Group #2, My #1 - Opaque purple/red color. Fabulous lifted nose nose of black pepper, spice, and black fruit. Easy nose of the night! Mmmn, absolutely wonderful rich black fruit, PEPPER, and acidity. A balanced great wine that is drinking in a peak window right now. The only wine of the evening that could be considered really Rhone-like (Cote Rotie). I picked this out blind instantly for the 03 Castelli - very distinctive and IMHO, the best wine made by Pax.
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10/4/2007 - Nanda wrote: 96 Points
Great American Syrah Smackdown (Chris Hughes' place - Chicago, IL): Deep opaque purple with a distinctive nose, showing layered aromas of dark fruit, meat, smoke, pepper and herbs. A deliciously wow palate has loads of dark fruit and black pepper. Also shows floral notes. Massive fruits are counterpointed by big tannins just begging for a steak. Huge and Cote Rotie like. A winner. My #3. Group's #2.
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8/18/2007 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Had over the course of steak dinner. This wine is at a great place today, holding steady. Black fruit and great array of spice on the nose and palate. Really sensational long, spicy finish.
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8/11/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 93 Points
Craig Vanderah's Annual BBQ (Pax, Kosta Brown, Beaucastel, Donjon, Turley, Loring, Neal): Deep red color with dark purple hues. The nose gives an exhilarating dose of of blackberry liquor, mineral, pepper, and animal notes. Primary but impressive. On the palate this really reaffimed its youth -- giving extremely ripe and concentrated black fruit, mineral, and pepper. There is oak, but it is well controlled. This wine remains relatively light on the palate despite its size. Still very tannic, this finish roughly and with some heat discernable. An excellent California wine.
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6/17/2007 - dbkitc wrote: 92 Points
Dark garnet / purple. Sweet, ripe candied black fruits mixed with neat spice on the nose. Huge yet somehow giving the semblance of balance. Rocking finish – a very good wine, if not my style. I wouldn’t know what to drink this with. (92)
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5/19/2007 - davidandrose wrote: 88 Points
Sampled a bit upon opening, and elected to decant the balance and let it sit for 2.5 hrs, then consumed it with strip steaks and anna potatoes, over the following 3.5 hours. I found this a bit one-dimensional, with heavy mineral characteristics masking the still evident (if you let it sit on your palate) heavy alcohol. Loads of green and black pepper on the nose, but just lots of minerals (mica?) on the palate, along with blue fruits that linger on for quite awhile. Not quite to my liking, at least at the moment.
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5/9/2007 - Vinfauv wrote:
Mineral, grass, black pepper on the nose; stewed tomatoes, black fruit, followed by long but strong tannic finish - big, complex wine but not a fruit bomb. Wish I hd another bottle to try in10 years... 93 now
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4/7/2007 - SUN-J wrote: 95 Points
Wow. What a nice wine. Recall the barrel taste of black pepper but didn't think it would turn into such a rich wine. Wonderful mouthfeel with minerally, black pepper, chocolate nose. Tons of dark fruit on the palate. Lush, rich wine and the finish goes on and on. Wish I had more of these. (note: decanted for 1+ hour before trying)
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4/5/2007 - E wrote: 94 Points
Drinking nicely now....not the tannic beast a young pax can be....this weks shipment of the 2005's prompted opening one of these...bit of strawberry/floral notes on the nose
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3/5/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 95 Points
Dinner with Steve Sigmond and Chris Larson: My first Pax. Deep red color. This had an exhilarating nose that changed and developed throughout the night. Flavors of blackberry, black raspberry, pepper, lavendar, mushroom, iron, and animal notes mixed and matched in multiple intriguing combinations. On the palate this really showed its youth -- concentrated, tannic, and not giving all it has to offer. There is oak, but it is well controlled. It remains light on the palate despite the concentrated fruit and oak. I thought the flavors were reminiscent of CdP in a very clean style despite the fact that this is 100% syrah. An awesome introduction to this producer. Thanks Steve.
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3/5/2007 - Siggy wrote: 96 Points
Dinner w/ Dave & Chris (JP's American Bistro, Minneapolis): Double decanted 2-3 hours before tasting. Dark black/purple. The nose shows freshly ground black pepper, white pepper, and blackberries. Layers of gorgeous, slightly sweet black fruit, iron, and charcoal. Silky and supple, with a super-long finish. The structure/minerality came to the forefront after 4-5 hours. Sneaky, ultra-fine tannins on the finish. I think this wine has many more years of evolution ahead. A dead ringer for a top-flight, ripe Hermitage. Fantastic.
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3/5/2007 - lars1014 wrote: 97 Points
Stick Around Burgundy Will Happen - Steve Sigmond, Dave Dalluge, & Nik Daftary (JP's American Bistro & Lake Nokomis - Minneapolis): Wow, I can't believe how this wine shows like a pepper grinder. White pepper, black pepper, green pepper, laced with lavender and red fruits. Tremendous body, texture, flavor, and finish. This wine would seem more to be a riper version of Hermitage than an a CA Syrah. This wine has 10+ years ahead of it. Thank you Steve, what a privilege.
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1/18/2007 - leadpencil wrote: 98 Points
Black purple, full bodied. Rich blackberry with gravel and white pepper notes. Well integrated tannins.
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1/16/2007 - KellyW wrote: 90 Points
Solid performance this wine offers a lot of different flavors on the palate. The weight of this wine hides the copious alchohol. Two glasses is enough of this wine that does not match up to food very well.
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12/13/2006 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Rhone Dinner at Restaurant Michael (Winnetka, IL): Inky purple in color. Ultra-dense nose of ripe black fruits and pepper. Sweet, oozing fruit on the palate more than handles brawny tannins. Blackberry, blackbeery some pepper and more blackberry. Delicious but singular compared to the other Syrahs tonight. Didn't enjoy as much as the last go around with this one.
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12/2/2006 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Anwar opened this whe he and Jackie hosted a few of the CWM. He decanted this for something like 6 hours IIRC. Opaque. Notes of blueberry, minerals and dark fruit. Tannins are massive, but sweet. Loads of dark fruit, but slightly hollow on the midpalate.
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9/15/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
Young California Syrah (Chez Shaffer - Highland Park IL): Tasted blind. Total shock this wasn't Cote Rotie. Incredible fruit with black pepper on the nose, followed by same great black fruit on the palate with great balance of tannins and spice. Sensational powerful fruit with great pepper and spice combination. A great pleasant surprise.
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9/15/2006 - winefool wrote: 95 Points
Wineflock Intro/Retro - California Syrah (The Shaffer's): Wow! Incredible Cote Rotie nose of black fruit, pepper, and spice. Delicious round black fruit on an acidic frame with some black olive notes on the finish. Very nice.
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9/15/2006 - mattowan wrote: 96 Points
Spice, forest floor, and eucalyptus nose that changed throughout the night. Wonderful berry cocktail onthe palate. So, so balanced and long finish. Amazing.
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9/15/2006 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
Wine Flock: California Syrah - An Introspective / Retrospective Tasting (The Shaffer's - Highland Park, IL): Captivating and layered aromatic profile features red and black fruit, herbs and incense. The nose doesn't hold steady, taking several twists and turns in what element is featured. The palate is well balanced with soft but focused fruit, firm tannin and low acid. A treat with loads of upside (group #1, my #2).
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9/2/2006 - jameswm13 wrote: 91 Points
This was a very tannic beast. Won't open my last one for another 5 years.
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8/30/2006 - King Cab wrote: 88 Points
2003 PAX Castelli-Knight Ranch, Syrah, Russian River Valley, Sonoma
I decanted this wine for three hours. Super rich deep dark color. On the nose; leather, tar, white pepper, and pomegranate. Did I say white pepper? Because this was the predominant attribute that never quit. Not showing much fruit, as to be expected, but I have had this before, and it showed much better. (so much so I seeked out 4). Big serious tannins. This is a super extracted wine, the kind loved by many, but probably not me. Super dry on the finish. I should have saved a glass worth for the next day. I suspect this should be great by 2013, but I will never know.
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8/3/2006 - jerhardt wrote: 94 Points
Excellent once again. Still showing very well, and still one of my favorite bottles of wine.
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4/12/2006 - Vinfauv wrote:
High tanin, needs a few years
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4/9/2006 - brianofthevine wrote: 92 Points
Blackberry, strawberry, firm tannins.
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3/30/2006 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 6 hours. Not ready yet. Try again in 2-3 years.
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12/31/2005 - pizinah wrote: 90 Points
Very young, powerful wine. Needs cellar time to be fully approachable. On the nose, unmistakably American syrah, oodles of rich, dark fruit, oak, hot rocks, pepper, hints of menthol/camphor/eucalyptus. On the palate, rich medium to dark fruit, pepper, nice acidity. Long, somewhat tannic finish. After a few hours of air time, the wine shut down significantly and the camphor/eucalyptus/menthol/mint elements became overly dominant. Needs to sleep for at least 3-4 years imo. 90 pts now, with significant upside potential.
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11/26/2005 - lorenzo wrote: 92 Points
Blind Syrah and Petites (Mercer Island): Floral and Dark Fruits on the Nose. Structured with nice minerals and fruit. Powerful. Like this quite a bit, but seems like it needs time. 91-92+ [My WOF, GroupAvg. 3rd WOF] Major variation with many 1st place and 3rd place votes for WOF.
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11/18/2005 - sdatl wrote: 92 Points
Sweet, rich, full of complex fruit and olive flavors; went very well with a spice-rubbed steak and sweet potatoes. The richness was very powerful and should be matched with food and enjoyed in small sips. No quaffer here, this is wine concentrate! Very well done.
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10/24/2005 - Mlermontov wrote: 92 Points
Honeymooners in NYC (Montrachet): this is a guess...greg please correct me if i have the wrong one.
sweet and very rich. But not over the top. this has great balance and rather serious filling. I am surprised how much i liked this... :) a very well made wine indeed.
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7/30/2005 - tconcilio wrote: 93 Points
I drank this over the course of three days. On day one: super concentrated, deep dark purple, full mouthfeel, only slight tannins. Day two: no sample. Day three: The tannins are fully resolved now, it has given up a little weight and taken on a little more complexity. Overall, a great example of PAX wines. This will get better over the next three to five years.
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6/6/2005 - festiva wrote: 88 Points
Opened this up with some grilled steaks. Not decanted.
This was one screwy wine... I couldn't figure out whether to drink the whole bottle or pour it on a waffle. Sticky and sweet, with a whole lotta alcohol. Big, massive wine, with lots of tastes and aromas of boysenberries, strawberries, flowers, and spice. It was rather disjointed: The fruit, the alcohol, and the tannins just didn't seem to blend together. Long finish. Maybe it just needs more time, needed to be decanted, or maybe I'm just not cut out for new world syrahs. Tasted more like a ruby port than a regular wine. Either way, it didn't do my filets any favor...
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5/30/2005 - jaybdavis wrote: 93 Points
My first Pax. Wow. I opened this up to go with grilled grass fed ribeye, potatoes and sauted Vidalia onions. Decanted for about 2-3 hours. Purpulish hue. Peppery nose with dark fruits behind. Then came Ali vs Frazier -- Fruit battleing with Pepper. Boysenberry and blackberry going round and round with white pepper each one coming to the front in alternating tastes over time and dependent on food. All against a canvas of tannins thrown with roundhouse power and left jab like percision. A one-two combo of Northern Rhone and Austrailia. Boxing metaphors aside, it was a very enjoyable wine that will probably develop more mid palatte nuances over time and has the structure to carry it there.
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5/30/2005 - agnorger wrote: 92 Points
Very dark. Still young and tannic. It has good potential. After 45min it still had not opened up. Next day showed more fruit but was still tight. This is going to be a v nice wine when it softens up in 5 - 8 years
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5/21/2005 - SacredCow wrote: 94 Points
Tasted double blind at Resurrection Cup I, 5/21/2005.
A very young, very obviously American wine from first sniff, dominated by vanilla oak, pepper and various dark fruits. On the palate, this wine is dense, with black cherry running through the mid-palate, finishing very long where the fruits turn darker (licorice?). Still tannic, it did open up nicely between rounds one and two.
This wine was my number two wine of the tasting, and group number two. I think I have some of this in my cellar, and if so, I will let it rest for a couple of years before trying my next.
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5/15/2005 - jerhardt wrote: 94 Points
Drank at Downey's in Santa Barbara. Quite simply a fantastic bottle of wine. Highly expressive nose with spice and dark fruit, with the palate to match. Perfectly balanced and not overbearing. It is amazing to me that such a big wine can be so light on its feet. I was worried at the alcohol % as listed on the label, but I got no sense of heat. I hope this develops well over the next 5-7 years.
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5/14/2005 - davidandrose wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 45 mins prior to consumption. Deep, plum-purple coloring. Even when the decanter was nearly empty several hours later, the little wine left was completely opaque, though the edges were a little cloudy from the unfiltered (though yet unaccumulated) sediment. Currants, fresh blueberries, YUM! Some pencil shavings were evident early and dissipated within an hour. Strong fruits were more to our liking after sofening up over the first 90mins. Excellent Wine!! Tried to save some to see how it fared overnight, and we just couldn't bring ourselves to NOT drink it.
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4/16/2005 - Mike V wrote: 94 Points
Wow,
This stuff is fantastic.Very dark color, full body. Lovely expressive nose coffee black berry and asphalt. The palate jumps at you with minerals,
tar and layers of fruit. Pax you are the man. I love this wine.
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9/5/2004 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
Anwar opened this over the weekend. Better than the 2000 Pax Lauterbach that I had 2 years ago. This was decanted but I don't know for how long. Dry lip smacking texture. Good depth here. Notes of licorice and black cherry. A little heavy or it would have scored higher but an outstanding wine. I expect this to integrate with a little more bottle age. 92+ points.
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