Big and burly, bottle age has been a friend to this wine. Nice black cherry and pepper notes, with some bacon and ash. Smoothing tannins and a long and fruit laden finish. Drink now.
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It smells like fresh blackberries bubbling in a cast iron pan over a campfire. There must have been fresh red meat in that pan before adding the black berries because on the palate you get blood and iron with fruit and smoke. There is a little heat here, maybe from the campfire...No...ok, it's from the alcohol, but it is expected with a beast like this and works just fine. This is a full power, high intensity, pleasure bomb. That said, I am judging it for what it is, as it is not deceptive nor pretending to be anything other than that.
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All alcohol, even after 2 days open. There was a time when I could appreciate high ABV wines, and can understand how others do, but 7-year old premium wine is not supposed to taste like a cocktail IMHO.
Stopped buying HS wines for this reason years ago, am slowly drinking through what I still have in my cellar. Unfortunately, ~50% of those I pull fit into this category - undrinkable, 1/2 gets poured down the drain.
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It was a bit earthy when first opened, but that charteristic went away after a half hour. Then it was a dark, luscious experience. It's in an amazing place right now. Paired very well with brick chicken (spicy), garlic potatoes, and (of course) chocolate.
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Popped and poured; drinking very well; earthy nose of grilled meat and cigars; full body with abundance of fruit and balanced tannins; long finish; very enjoyable.
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When it comes to Syrah, I'm not a fan of the Syrah profile that tastes like I am sipping a ground up alcoholic ribeye through a straw. This wine is dark and massive up front, and does have a meaty type of character but it saves that for the end of the experience where more of a soy sauce beef jerky kind of shines through. This wine has a great nose, dark berry, herb, some mint, a little bit on the sweeter side. The palate then shows you a dense dark black berry core that is a touch sweet. Tar and a little bit of cigar box to the middle that becomes less sweet. Finishes with that soy sauce beef jerky note and just keeps going. Nice wine. I do agree with a previous reviewer that this wine is a little tough to rate, but it was open on the table for about 2 hours and was a little strange at the start. I think 94 is probably the height of this wine. I can see it improving over the next few years in the bottle, although mildly so. I don't know if I expect my score to improve, but it will probably translate to less decanting time than anything.
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Tough wine to rate. Upon opening on Night 1, oak was way too prominent, wholly detracting from enjoying the wine, and I did not like. But two nights later the fruit finally made a showing - - full bodied on the palate with very nice smoky & spicy black and blue fruits, and quite enjoyable.
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Killer nose. Reminds me of Lillian’s Syrah, which is pulling from the same vineyard. Black pepper, grilled blackberries and teriyaki beef jerky. Spicy front palate with peppercorn. Mid palate brought along more rhubarb tart and cedar. Tight and tannic finish. First experience with HS and my thoughts are these wines are made in a style like Bevan’s cabs...Rhône style wines that are just fantastic young.
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Dark purple in the glass with aromas of baked blueberry and cherry with oak and chocolate. On the palate more of that dark red and blue fruit, chocolate, oak with plush, velvety tannins that hug your mouth from the inside with a decent acidic backbone. We might have expected a bit more complexity. Lush, fruit forward experience that compels you to come back from another sip. And another sip. And another sip.
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Wonderful wine. Complex, both fruit-forward and showing off some cool-climate driven characteristics/old-world flavors. Lasting some 5 days + with beautiful tannic structure. Vibrant, juicy, expressive. Not as enigmatic as many, no this is straight-forward. Rustic but also very smooth I thought, especially after getting lots of air-essential for me.
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My first bottle of this was corked, this was definitely NOT. By the way, great customer service by Herman Story as usual. Dark black and blue fruits, tar, licorice, cinnamon, vanilla, amazing velvety texture and a bit of orange chocolate finish. This is very good, drinkable now as the tannins are not massive, I'd drink over the next 4-5 years.
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Dark and impenetrable color. Still young and slightly disjointed. Oak, road tar and burnt sugar? Rustic tannins that fade with some air. A powerful expression of Central Coast syrah.
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Popped & poured, drank over 2 nights. This is really in a good place. Very appealing aromas. Deep, rich, rustic red fruit scents. Thick texture. Big fruit profile on the palate, but well balanced. Delicious.
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Nice solid Syrah but way too early to enjoy. Decanted and drank over 2 days. Still prefer HS Nuts & Bolts, but this one will get better with time to meld flavors
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4/15/2024 - bjamesclark wrote: flawed
Corked- Bummer
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7/2/2022 - drrobvino wrote: 89 Points
Big and burly, bottle age has been a friend to this wine.
Nice black cherry and pepper notes, with some bacon and ash.
Smoothing tannins and a long and fruit laden finish. Drink now.
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3/22/2021 - SICILIAN-SOLE Likes this wine: 94 Points
It smells like fresh blackberries bubbling in a cast iron pan over a campfire. There must have been fresh red meat in that pan before adding the black berries because on the palate you get blood and iron with fruit and smoke. There is a little heat here, maybe from the campfire...No...ok, it's from the alcohol, but it is expected with a beast like this and works just fine. This is a full power, high intensity, pleasure bomb. That said, I am judging it for what it is, as it is not deceptive nor pretending to be anything other than that.
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10/17/2020 - FlyPig Does not like this wine: 82 Points
All alcohol, even after 2 days open. There was a time when I could appreciate high ABV wines, and can understand how others do, but 7-year old premium wine is not supposed to taste like a cocktail IMHO.
Stopped buying HS wines for this reason years ago, am slowly drinking through what I still have in my cellar. Unfortunately, ~50% of those I pull fit into this category - undrinkable, 1/2 gets poured down the drain.
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8/28/2020 - JohnnyShiraz Likes this wine: 95 Points
A big syrah, drinking beautifully right now. In a perfect place. No need to age further.
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4/30/2020 - Central Coast Wino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully right now. A delicious, full-throttle syrah.
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4/11/2020 - wiscgrad wrote: 92 Points
New world syrah. Big flavor but not overpowering. Went well with BBQ
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4/5/2020 - danielbleier Does not like this wine: 80 Points
competent, but not up to the other HS bottles I have had...the fruit seemed stewed and there was a bitter edge to the finish. flawed bottle, perhaps?
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9/20/2019 - DAGwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
It was a bit earthy when first opened, but that charteristic went away after a half hour. Then it was a dark, luscious experience. It's in an amazing place right now. Paired very well with brick chicken (spicy), garlic potatoes, and (of course) chocolate.
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4/4/2019 - davidspieker wrote: 90 Points
Dark and thick with some sediment. Dark blackberry, red meat and charcoaled flavors. Big.
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3/2/2019 - RLP805 wrote: 88 Points
Still a little dijsointed
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2/14/2019 - JMacArthur Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice wine. Big flavors, oak and eucalyptus.
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2/2/2019 - Schube wrote: flawed
Sadness is a corked HS wine. 750mL of potential happiness down the drain.
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1/4/2019 - knelsfk wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured; drinking very well; earthy nose of grilled meat and cigars; full body with abundance of fruit and balanced tannins; long finish; very enjoyable.
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11/16/2018 - bbcc66 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hr. Nose of dark fruits. Consistent, full-bodied, vibrant tastes of dark fruits & plums. Smooth on the tongue.
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7/15/2018 - mflesh wrote: 94 Points
When it comes to Syrah, I'm not a fan of the Syrah profile that tastes like I am sipping a ground up alcoholic ribeye through a straw. This wine is dark and massive up front, and does have a meaty type of character but it saves that for the end of the experience where more of a soy sauce beef jerky kind of shines through. This wine has a great nose, dark berry, herb, some mint, a little bit on the sweeter side. The palate then shows you a dense dark black berry core that is a touch sweet. Tar and a little bit of cigar box to the middle that becomes less sweet. Finishes with that soy sauce beef jerky note and just keeps going. Nice wine. I do agree with a previous reviewer that this wine is a little tough to rate, but it was open on the table for about 2 hours and was a little strange at the start. I think 94 is probably the height of this wine. I can see it improving over the next few years in the bottle, although mildly so. I don't know if I expect my score to improve, but it will probably translate to less decanting time than anything.
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7/14/2018 - jmcnewjersey Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tough wine to rate. Upon opening on Night 1, oak was way too prominent, wholly detracting from enjoying the wine, and I did not like. But two nights later the fruit finally made a showing - - full bodied on the palate with very nice smoky & spicy black and blue fruits, and quite enjoyable.
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7/13/2018 - Shay.Aldriedge Likes this wine: 94 Points
Killer nose. Reminds me of Lillian’s Syrah, which is pulling from the same vineyard. Black pepper, grilled blackberries and teriyaki beef jerky. Spicy front palate with peppercorn. Mid palate brought along more rhubarb tart and cedar. Tight and tannic finish. First experience with HS and my thoughts are these wines are made in a style like Bevan’s cabs...Rhône style wines that are just fantastic young.
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6/18/2018 - wendyinwlv wrote: 90 Points
Ken enjoyed immensely. For me, too heavy, bu that's a Herman Story wine!! Thick, rich and heavy cedar notes.
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4/30/2018 - Ortiz Brown Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark purple in the glass with aromas of baked blueberry and cherry with oak and chocolate. On the palate more of that dark red and blue fruit, chocolate, oak with plush, velvety tannins that hug your mouth from the inside with a decent acidic backbone. We might have expected a bit more complexity. Lush, fruit forward experience that compels you to come back from another sip. And another sip. And another sip.
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2/21/2018 - Amerique wrote: 92 Points
Rich, delicious blackberry fruit, lush but very tight, excellent structure, seemed to lack depth and complexity of flavors
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11/23/2017 - hanasowner wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured about 30 minutes later..."stinky" nose...smooth with decent fruit and medium finish...pleased the crowd.
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9/12/2017 - PVTerroir wrote: 91 Points
Wonderful wine. Complex, both fruit-forward and showing off some cool-climate driven characteristics/old-world flavors. Lasting some 5 days + with beautiful tannic structure. Vibrant, juicy, expressive. Not as enigmatic as many, no this is straight-forward. Rustic but also very smooth I thought, especially after getting lots of air-essential for me.
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6/28/2017 - pakabear Likes this wine: 92 Points
My first bottle of this was corked, this was definitely NOT. By the way, great customer service by Herman Story as usual.
Dark black and blue fruits, tar, licorice, cinnamon, vanilla, amazing velvety texture and a bit of orange chocolate finish. This is very good, drinkable now as the tannins are not massive, I'd drink over the next 4-5 years.
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3/26/2017 - rdf58 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark and impenetrable color. Still young and slightly disjointed. Oak, road tar and burnt sugar? Rustic tannins that fade with some air. A powerful expression of Central Coast syrah.
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12/19/2016 - sayward Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. In a really good spot at the moment. Drank 2 years ago and liked, but liked a lot more with additional bottle age.
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12/10/2016 - The Wine Write Likes this wine: 93 Points
12/10/16: Coravined a glass. Very nice, vibrant Syrah. Impressions similar to prior notes.
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11/21/2016 - corkcork wrote: 90 Points
day one, tight and not really showing it's full potential tonight
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11/15/2016 - The Wine Write Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped & poured, drank over 2 nights. This is really in a good place. Very appealing aromas. Deep, rich, rustic red fruit scents. Thick texture. Big fruit profile on the palate, but well balanced. Delicious.
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3/6/2016 - pakabear wrote: flawed
Corked unfortunately, but great customer service by Herman Story as usual!
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10/30/2015 - Wine Lover 1964 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice solid Syrah but way too early to enjoy. Decanted and drank over 2 days. Still prefer HS Nuts & Bolts, but this one will get better with time to meld flavors
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