takes 30 mins to open...tart cherries, dust, blueberries, seawater, spice...still dark and a good amount of sediment. Time to drink...still in window though.
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Popped and poured. Syrah-based blend based on cuttings taken from Chateau Beaucastel in 1998. Purple color. Nose of spicy plum, pepper, earth, moca, and violets. Powerful roasted red fruit on the palate laced with elements of meaty beef blood, pepper, coffee, and char. Moderate acidity and still firm tannin. Moderately long finish of red and black fruit overlying stone. Exuberant wine with lots of sauvage at age 16.
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Second bottle I have had recently, and this wine is wonderful. The top half of cork was totally dried out, but the wine was intact. Beautiful cherry / plum aromas while decanting. Incredibly dark purple color, almost opaque. Excellent balance of fruit and acid, and very nice depth of flavor. Hard to believe this wine is 15 years old - plenty of life remaining.
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Dark saturated purple. Rich nose with dark fruit overtones and a hint of red cherry. Still very primary, surprisingly so, with black raspberry and cherry at the forefront, a unctuous mid-palate and weighted finish. Some minor secondary characteristics of cassis and black pepper, I would cellar this for at least three more years.
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Deep ruby color with a black center. Blackberries and cocoa on the nose with some earthy, funky notes as well. Full bodied on the palate with good presence and some tannic grip on the back end. 91+ pts.
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Appearance: black ink, some sediment Nose: pine, cedar, french oak, skunk Taste: intial 5 sec well bodied syrah grapy, after that the mouvedre really kicks in Finish: 30+ sec very nice mouthfeel
Delicious!! $40 is well worth it
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Chateauneufs with Bipin Desai (Mario's Place (Riverside, CA)): Dark, bright, primary violet red. Pure, ripe red raspberries and subtler charred wood on the nose. Lively palate feel thanks to healthy acidity. Not a lot here to satisfy an old world syrah fix, but this does show a nice coupling of fruit-driven style with restrained ripeness.
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EWG Does Syrahs Blind From Around The World (Conrad Greens Abode): Bright juicy nose with some eucalyptus notes and a bit of heat. Nicely balanced showing good acids and plenty of fruit concentration. Bright and tannic. Tough to place as the eucalyptus made me lean to Aussie but the palate seemed Cali to me. A very nice wine.
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Popped and poured. Nose of berries, oak was noticeable but not overpowering. Delicate sweet cherry on the palate, smooth, but with an overall 'hot' (high alcohol) finish of decent length. Though maybe only 2 dimensional, the dimensions are very pleasing. Very good value.
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Excellent syrah aromas on the nose. Very dark purple with quite a bit of sediment and a bit of the glow in the dark purple about it. On the palate, not sure if the issue is me or the wine, but I could not taste the lushness. Sue thought it quite good.
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Full colour, dense red, ever so slightly paler than the Shafer tasted alongside. Lovely fruit, again ever so spicy. Initialy this seems like a Syrah, then it opens up to aromas and flavours that I'd normally call as Tempranillo, so I think I'm in Spain. After it's revealled it starts to evolve to more typically Syrah flavours again. Oak spicyness is present but quite controlled and far more subtle than the Shafer. Certainly very good and again would probably improve over another few years. ***(*)
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Recommend decanting for several hours. Drank over three days and improved all the way. Tea, dark fruit, oak and smoke w/ some spice. Balanced after decanting - not without.
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WLDG Dinner @ Pho Paris (Cincinnati, Ohio): Very modern. Dark and extracted, definite prickly oak notes peeking out. Good quality fruit here, but this is not a wine for me at all.
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Tuesday night in Queens (Counts Manor): lovely modern spanish wine. lots of blackberries and balanced but present oak. almoust rhone like on the nose - it seems the excessive fruit has faded away. this is well balanced and improved a lot as the night wnet along. YUMMY wine that i would love to have again. the only minus is that it has little spanish character...
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Deep purple and opaque throughout...slightly hot and tannic, with plenty of dark fruit and complexity. Good mid-palate that arrives in the wake of the initial tannic wave. This needs a few years in the cellar, but it has a great future.
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Drank after three hours of decanting. Deep purple color, nearly opaque black center. On the nose this showed really quite complex, with ripe plums, sweet black currants, roasted meat, fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, and thyme), as well as cedar wood, anise, and an intriguing acrid walnut or black tea scent. On the palate it had quite an invigorating spicy attack, with a smooth texture and flavors of cola and tea and a strong acidic backbone. The finish was medium in length with sweet fruits and walnut. This is clearly a young wine, though tannins were far from overpowering; I found them in the walnutty or black-tea flavors, and felt that they integrated well. This is an excellent wine overall, with deep olfactory complexity. If it has a weakness, it is in the somewhat attenuated finish. It will be very interesting to see this wine's development over the next several years.
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Served in a flight of other syrahs, this was quite a different animal. Decanted for 2 hours. Inky dark purple. Nose had a fair mount of red fruits in it, plus tar and violets. On the palate, it demonstrated a broader, thicker mouthfeel, with abundant tannins. This was a big wine. Flavors of red fruit and a bit of pepper from the Mourvedre component added to the blueberry/blackberry backbone of the syrah grapes. Very impressive as usual.
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Opened for about 90 mintes before tasting. Dark nearly opaque purple. Invigorating perfumed nose of mulling spice, plum, and floral notes. Full-bodied, concentrated, and very primary at this point, offering blackberry and licorice flavors without any hard edges. Tannins strong but balanced by scads of fruit. Finish beginning to show some complexity and grip. You can taste the Mourvedre, and it adds some broad structure to this fascinating wine. The Syrah backbone is stylish and terrific. Will be fun to follow it over the next 5 to 8 years!
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Saturated ruby purple color. Lush, complex nose full of sweet, ripe dark fruit, licorice, chocolate, and some mineral notes. Great texture and balance on the palate with more dark fruit, stone, and chocolate leading to a long, expansive finish. This is a great syrah - much more complex and balanced than the 2000 Marques de Grinon syrah that I had not too long ago.
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1/3/2021 - DesMarteau Likes this wine: 91 Points
takes 30 mins to open...tart cherries, dust, blueberries, seawater, spice...still dark and a good amount of sediment. Time to drink...still in window though.
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1/28/2018 - DougLee wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Syrah-based blend based on cuttings taken from Chateau Beaucastel in 1998. Purple color. Nose of spicy plum, pepper, earth, moca, and violets. Powerful roasted red fruit on the palate laced with elements of meaty beef blood, pepper, coffee, and char. Moderate acidity and still firm tannin. Moderately long finish of red and black fruit overlying stone. Exuberant wine with lots of sauvage at age 16.
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7/29/2017 - rgrosz6 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Second bottle I have had recently, and this wine is wonderful. The top half of cork was totally dried out, but the wine was intact. Beautiful cherry / plum aromas while decanting. Incredibly dark purple color, almost opaque. Excellent balance of fruit and acid, and very nice depth of flavor. Hard to believe this wine is 15 years old - plenty of life remaining.
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1/20/2012 - Bill Bucklew wrote: 92 Points
Dark saturated purple. Rich nose with dark fruit overtones and a hint of red cherry. Still very primary, surprisingly so, with black raspberry and cherry at the forefront, a unctuous mid-palate and weighted finish. Some minor secondary characteristics of cassis and black pepper, I would cellar this for at least three more years.
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7/26/2011 - gbauer wrote:
Big, fruity wine. Better balanced than earlier, but still big.
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1/31/2011 - Spencer wrote:
This wine is fully mature now. Some VA detracts, especially on the nose. Overall though, this is well-balanced, varietally correct, and interesting.
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1/28/2011 - Streamertyer wrote: 91 Points
This is drinking very nicely right now. Pop & pour. Nice dark fruit, spice, chocolate and earth. Lengthy finish.
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9/24/2010 - dougsmith wrote: 91 Points
Deep ruby color with a black center. Blackberries and cocoa on the nose with some earthy, funky notes as well. Full bodied on the palate with good presence and some tannic grip on the back end. 91+ pts.
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9/21/2009 - collinb227 wrote: 93 Points
Appearance: black ink, some sediment
Nose: pine, cedar, french oak, skunk
Taste: intial 5 sec well bodied syrah grapy, after that the mouvedre really kicks in
Finish: 30+ sec very nice mouthfeel
Delicious!! $40 is well worth it
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6/20/2009 - DougLee wrote: 87 Points
very alcoholic as it warmed up
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5/16/2009 - rnellans wrote: 89 Points
Dark. Aromas of cherries, some oak. Full, moderate tannins on the finish. Needs more time.
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4/15/2009 - tcfishler wrote:
Chateauneufs with Bipin Desai (Mario's Place (Riverside, CA)): Dark, bright, primary violet red. Pure, ripe red raspberries and subtler charred wood on the nose. Lively palate feel thanks to healthy acidity. Not a lot here to satisfy an old world syrah fix, but this does show a nice coupling of fruit-driven style with restrained ripeness.
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2/15/2009 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Conrad’s: Good rich earth, blueberry-blkberry--full; no cleear terroir, but nice.
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2/15/2009 - WetRock wrote:
EWG Does Syrahs Blind From Around The World (Conrad Greens Abode): Bright juicy nose with some eucalyptus notes and a bit of heat. Nicely balanced showing good acids and plenty of fruit concentration. Bright and tannic. Tough to place as the eucalyptus made me lean to Aussie but the palate seemed Cali to me. A very nice wine.
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1/20/2009 - rhizomaticon wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Nose of berries, oak was noticeable but not overpowering. Delicate sweet cherry on the palate, smooth, but with an overall 'hot' (high alcohol) finish of decent length. Though maybe only 2 dimensional, the dimensions are very pleasing. Very good value.
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1/17/2009 - joshwoodward wrote: 89 Points
[Blind Syrah tasting] Big red fruit. Light medicinal notes. Medium tannin and acid. Light leather. Medium spicy. Food wine. $37
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1/8/2009 - Mr T wrote:
Excellent syrah aromas on the nose. Very dark purple with quite a bit of sediment and a bit of the glow in the dark purple about it. On the palate, not sure if the issue is me or the wine, but I could not taste the lushness. Sue thought it quite good.
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9/18/2008 - joshwoodward wrote: 89 Points
Light pencil lead. Red fruit, tannic, acidic, medium body. $37
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6/26/2008 - drwine2001 wrote:
Syrahs of the World and More; 6/24/2008-6/26/2008 (Various Dining Locales, San Francisco): Dark and spicy with correct Syrah varietal chararcter, but somehow without much individuality or soul. It reminded me of Cornas in its strapping nature, although the texture was more lush than that. Not enough going on here to lure me back for a second pour.
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2/23/2008 - SimonG wrote:
Full colour, dense red, ever so slightly paler than the Shafer tasted alongside. Lovely fruit, again ever so spicy. Initialy this seems like a Syrah, then it opens up to aromas and flavours that I'd normally call as Tempranillo, so I think I'm in Spain. After it's revealled it starts to evolve to more typically Syrah flavours again. Oak spicyness is present but quite controlled and far more subtle than the Shafer. Certainly very good and again would probably improve over another few years. ***(*)
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6/11/2007 - gbauer wrote:
On the nose, dark red fruit, some wood, and a little heat. In the mouth, Good fruit, balance, still a little tannic. Will improve over time.
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4/16/2007 - SeaBud wrote:
Recommend decanting for several hours. Drank over three days and improved all the way. Tea, dark fruit, oak and smoke w/ some spice. Balanced after decanting - not without.
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11/22/2006 - KevinP wrote: 90 Points
Yummy...but sorta gobby
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7/6/2006 - trankin wrote: 90 Points
Scarsdale Spain Offline (Meritage Restaurant in Scarsdale): Syrah - WOW - a shock to the system! Round, ripe fruit, with just a hint of spice. A tiny bit of green pepper in there as well.
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6/12/2006 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
WLDG Dinner @ Pho Paris (Cincinnati, Ohio): Very modern. Dark and extracted, definite prickly oak notes peeking out. Good quality fruit here, but this is not a wine for me at all.
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2/28/2006 - Mlermontov wrote: 92 Points
Tuesday night in Queens (Counts Manor): lovely modern spanish wine. lots of blackberries and balanced but present oak. almoust rhone like on the nose - it seems the excessive fruit has faded away. this is well balanced and improved a lot as the night wnet along. YUMMY wine that i would love to have again. the only minus is that it has little spanish character...
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9/17/2005 - tcfwine wrote: 92 Points
Deep purple and opaque throughout...slightly hot and tannic, with plenty of dark fruit and complexity. Good mid-palate that arrives in the wake of the initial tannic wave. This needs a few years in the cellar, but it has a great future.
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5/7/2005 - dougsmith wrote: 94 Points
Drank after three hours of decanting. Deep purple color, nearly opaque black center. On the nose this showed really quite complex, with ripe plums, sweet black currants, roasted meat, fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, and thyme), as well as cedar wood, anise, and an intriguing acrid walnut or black tea scent. On the palate it had quite an invigorating spicy attack, with a smooth texture and flavors of cola and tea and a strong acidic backbone. The finish was medium in length with sweet fruits and walnut. This is clearly a young wine, though tannins were far from overpowering; I found them in the walnutty or black-tea flavors, and felt that they integrated well. This is an excellent wine overall, with deep olfactory complexity. If it has a weakness, it is in the somewhat attenuated finish. It will be very interesting to see this wine's development over the next several years.
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4/3/2005 - DougLee wrote: 91 Points
Served in a flight of other syrahs, this was quite a different animal. Decanted for 2 hours. Inky dark purple. Nose had a fair mount of red fruits in it, plus tar and violets. On the palate, it demonstrated a broader, thicker mouthfeel, with abundant tannins. This was a big wine. Flavors of red fruit and a bit of pepper from the Mourvedre component added to the blueberry/blackberry backbone of the syrah grapes. Very impressive as usual.
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1/15/2005 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Opened for about 90 mintes before tasting. Dark nearly opaque purple. Invigorating perfumed nose of mulling spice, plum, and floral notes. Full-bodied, concentrated, and very primary at this point, offering blackberry and licorice flavors without any hard edges. Tannins strong but balanced by scads of fruit. Finish beginning to show some complexity and grip. You can taste the Mourvedre, and it adds some broad structure to this fascinating wine. The Syrah backbone is stylish and terrific. Will be fun to follow it over the next 5 to 8 years!
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12/24/2004 - Spencer wrote: 93 Points
Saturated ruby purple color. Lush, complex nose full of sweet, ripe dark fruit, licorice, chocolate, and some mineral notes. Great texture and balance on the palate with more dark fruit, stone, and chocolate leading to a long, expansive finish. This is a great syrah - much more complex and balanced than the 2000 Marques de Grinon syrah that I had not too long ago.
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