On Coravin clogged my thin needle with the sediment. So decided to PNP and glad I did. Darker older fruit on the nose. Great mouth feel from the front to the end of the palate with a relatively complex finish. We left a third of the bottle with gas however I would bet it will decline when we try tomorrow. Wish I had opened last year, drink up…cheers.
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Found my notes from four years agio, and this wine has not moved much since then; still a cool cat, peppery, intense with a classical core of black olives and bacon. Years to go, although certain accesible now, tannins are softer. #Kandestederne
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Excellent. Concentrated and deep dark berry flavors. Tannic so likely still developing. Fruit a plenty with solid balance, and food friendly despite its size in the mouth.
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Three hour decant, the nose is amazing with dark fruit, charcoal, pepper, black olives and lavender. This is the kind of bottle I could spend hours enjoying the nose alone. The palate matches the profile of the nose, with smoke, charcoal, plenty of blueberry/blackberry and a florals. Bright acidity and chocolate tannins supply the structure for this quite accessible wine. The complexity is outstanding, the QPR on this bottle is off the charts, if you can find a bottle of this vintage buy it and drink it, more cellar time is not needed.
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The best of these so far. Blueberry pie up front, but then flowers and olives and smoke appear one layer down. Drank over 2 nights and was really enjoyable, and little changed, both nights.
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Inky purple in color and opaque in the glass. Primary fruit starting to take a backseat to secondary and tertiary aromas and tastes. Briny olives and dried flowers/potpourri right out of the bottle. With time plum, smoked meat, olive, and sweet violet/dusty potpourri showed up. Medium(+) body, medium(+) acidity, and medium fine-grained tannins. I really loved the floral/potpourri aspect that this has got going on in this phase. This wine is definitely at its peak and I do not see it getting any better than it is right now.
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I have had a number of bottles of Tensley's single vineyard syrahs over the years and was always impressed with the quality. But, I'd never had his regular cuvee. This was really excellent. Smoothly-textured but with a nice structure, and a rich, well-balanced palate. Mainly dark fruit, with some minor savory notes, it was delicious and paired beautifully with a smoked beef brisket. Will look for more of this.
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Inky purple in color and opaque in the glass; Aromas of blackberry jam, blueberry, meat, briny olives, and pepper on the nose (Day 1); nose was dominated by aromas of olive tapenade with blackberry undertones (Day 2). Tastes of blackberry jam and pepper on the palate (Day1) with additions of briny olives to the palate on the second day. Full-bodied, medium(+) acidity, medium(+) tannins. Long finish with lingering tastes of blackberry, pepper, and lavender. This Syrah is well balanced with complexity and a great evolution in the glass!!
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Inky purple in color and opaque in the glass; PnP with aromas of blackberry jam, plum, roasted meat, pepper, and lavender on the nose. Day2 evolved with more secondary aromas and had a nose of blackberry jam, cured meat, smoke, olive tapenade, and lavender. Tastes of tart blackberry and pepper on the palate with a medium finish exhibiting hints of lavender. Full bodied with medium(+) acidity and tannins.i could swirl and sniff this all day
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Ordered a case from LB . com. Only a few bottles were even remotely OK. Terrible wine, spoiled, rotten, disgusting. Very unfortunate is it impacts my view of LB and Tensley. I will avoid both from now on.
Day 3: Picks up some pepper, tobacco, plum, blackberries and underbrush. Fine sediment and medium plus finish. Concentrated wine and violets are present on the finish. A solid well made wine and every bottle was a solid 90 points or higher. A great QPR. Video: https://youtu.be/a3RwXb4mh7Y
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This has improved nicely since last year. Deep flavors of brambleberry pie. Strangely, though it was aged in neutral oak, I got some clear oak notes and oaky tannins, perhaps even some char, on the first night, though that was all gone by the second -- no complaints, as it was just enough to make it interesting. Huge QPR given what I paid.
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This inky purple and opaque Syrah from Joey Tensley starts with aromas of blackberry bramble, blueberry, cured meats, and hints of lavender on the nose. Tastes of blackberry, blueberry, and pepper on the palate continue on into the long finish and last for a little over a minute. Full body, medium alcohol, medium acidity, and medium(+) tannins. From first sniff to last sip this Syrah exceeds all expectations. Great QPR!!
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Day 1: A favorite for under $20. Bigger style wine with roasted meats, pepper, blackberries, strawberries and minerals. Medium to long finish and quite balanced. Enjoy now or over the next few years. I would not age this too long. 92 points Day 2: Similar experience to day 1. A bit more spice on day 2. This wine has a long life ahead but is really good now. 92 points
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The wine looks inky colored. It smells like blackberry and blueberry. It tastes like blackberry, blueberry and black currant (cassis). The body is full.
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Well I just drank, or rather attempted to drink, the first of my 12 bottles of Tensley Santa Barbara County Syrah. It was seriously bad wine. Harsh sour notes and overwhelming prunes were all that appeared. This bottle came from a massively discounted offer from Invino and I worry about the provenance. It was labeled as "Santa Barbara County"
Day 1: Similar to my first experience and much better than the 2nd bottle. Northern Rhone like in regards to green olives, white pepper and earth. Nice fruit featuring cherries and blueberries. Nice concertation on this wine and medium to long finish. Very tasting! This bottle should evolve but right now 92 points! Day 2: Still singing. Very similar to day 1 which means plenty of future ahead on this wine. Picks up a charcoal element on the palate/finish which is wonderful. Full bodied effort and delicious. 92 + Day 4: Skipped day 3. Still amazing. This wine will have some bottle variation but what wine does not. If you could get this bottle every time back up the truck. Nice fruit still there with some bacon and menthol quality that was not there on day 1 or 2. Long finish!!! 93 points Recommendation: A tough one here. Some bottles of this will drink great out of the gate while this one does I like it even more on day 4!
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Day 1: Underbrush, violets, boysenberries, sour cherries, and crushed rock. Concentrated on the palate/finish. Young but tasty. This wine has had a tendency to improve on day 2 and 3. 90 points Day 2: Violets, underbrush, spices, sour cherries and dust. Aromatic but palate is not as intense. For sure Cali style Syrah. A bit different but equally as good. 90 points Day 3: On the decline. Very muted nose and palate. Not quite the same. 85 points Recommendation: Drink this on day 1 with a few hour decant. Consume this on the younger side.
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Day 1: Fragrant on the nose with roasted meats, cedar, dark fruits. On the palate a big, powerful wine with dark fruits, spices, floral and chalk. Medium plus finish Good value for around $20. Day 2: Picking up some underbrush on the nose and palate. Still a big wine with no signs leading to consume this wine young. Really nice fruit and medium plus, balanced finish. Great value!!! 91 points Day 3: Wow much more balanced across the board. Nose is more mellow and matches the palate. Subtle spices, floral, dark fruits, coffee beans and roasted meats. Medium plus finish and nice acidity. This is a real steal and will be picking up the rest of the bottles at a wine shop sale for $19.50 with tax. Hard to beat that! 92 points
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effusive nose of bitter blackberry,evergreen, stale coffee,cinnamon, a bright bitterness on the palate keeps this in check, tons of prunes day 2 with a cut of wild blackberry ,you could hold this but maybe it loses it's bite....that's not syrupy, fresh and airy texture, drink now
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A nose of some dark fruit and spice, dark purple in color. A medium to full bodied red, with blueberry, plum, chocolate and spice on long finish, a very good QPR. www.winelx.com
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2/21/2024 - Experienced palate wrote: 89 Points
On Coravin clogged my thin needle with the sediment. So decided to PNP and glad I did. Darker older fruit on the nose. Great mouth feel from the front to the end of the palate with a relatively complex finish. We left a third of the bottle with gas however I would bet it will decline when we try tomorrow. Wish I had opened last year, drink up…cheers.
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7/29/2023 - beatles wrote: 91 Points
Found my notes from four years agio, and this wine has not moved much since then; still a cool cat, peppery, intense with a classical core of black olives and bacon. Years to go, although certain accesible now, tannins are softer.
#Kandestederne
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8/1/2022 - YuriyG Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent. Concentrated and deep dark berry flavors. Tannic so likely still developing. Fruit a plenty with solid balance, and food friendly despite its size in the mouth.
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8/29/2021 - quaffnov Likes this wine: 94 Points
Three hour decant, the nose is amazing with dark fruit, charcoal, pepper, black olives and lavender. This is the kind of bottle I could spend hours enjoying the nose alone. The palate matches the profile of the nose, with smoke, charcoal, plenty of blueberry/blackberry and a florals. Bright acidity and chocolate tannins supply the structure for this quite accessible wine. The complexity is outstanding, the QPR on this bottle is off the charts, if you can find a bottle of this vintage buy it and drink it, more cellar time is not needed.
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4/9/2021 - Quarked wrote: 92 Points
The best of these so far. Blueberry pie up front, but then flowers and olives and smoke appear one layer down. Drank over 2 nights and was really enjoyable, and little changed, both nights.
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2/9/2021 - Callybrian Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very smokey on the nose and in the palate along with leather. Hickory almost. Rhubarb comes through on the finish.
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12/5/2020 - Stephen Rash wrote: 93 Points
Inky purple in color and opaque in the glass. Primary fruit starting to take a backseat to secondary and tertiary aromas and tastes. Briny olives and dried flowers/potpourri right out of the bottle. With time plum, smoked meat, olive, and sweet violet/dusty potpourri showed up. Medium(+) body, medium(+) acidity, and medium fine-grained tannins. I really loved the floral/potpourri aspect that this has got going on in this phase. This wine is definitely at its peak and I do not see it getting any better than it is right now.
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8/17/2020 - Quarked wrote: flawed
This is my 4th bottle of this, and the first to be oxidized. Just gone. Startling for a 5-year-old wine.
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5/9/2020 - cdunn Likes this wine: 92 Points
I have had a number of bottles of Tensley's single vineyard syrahs over the years and was always impressed with the quality. But, I'd never had his regular cuvee. This was really excellent. Smoothly-textured but with a nice structure, and a rich, well-balanced palate. Mainly dark fruit, with some minor savory notes, it was delicious and paired beautifully with a smoked beef brisket. Will look for more of this.
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3/22/2020 - Stephen Rash Likes this wine: 94 Points
Inky purple in color and opaque in the glass; Aromas of blackberry jam, blueberry, meat, briny olives, and pepper on the nose (Day 1); nose was dominated by aromas of olive tapenade with blackberry undertones (Day 2). Tastes of blackberry jam and pepper on the palate (Day1) with additions of briny olives to the palate on the second day. Full-bodied, medium(+) acidity, medium(+) tannins. Long finish with lingering tastes of blackberry, pepper, and lavender. This Syrah is well balanced with complexity and a great evolution in the glass!!
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3/16/2020 - Stephen Rash wrote: 93 Points
Inky purple in color and opaque in the glass; PnP with aromas of blackberry jam, plum, roasted meat, pepper, and lavender on the nose. Day2 evolved with more secondary aromas and had a nose of blackberry jam, cured meat, smoke, olive tapenade, and lavender. Tastes of tart blackberry and pepper on the palate with a medium finish exhibiting hints of lavender. Full bodied with medium(+) acidity and tannins.i could swirl and sniff this all day
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1/11/2020 - chill92 Does not like this wine: 60 Points
Ordered a case from LB . com. Only a few bottles were even remotely OK. Terrible wine, spoiled, rotten, disgusting. Very unfortunate is it impacts my view of LB and Tensley. I will avoid both from now on.
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12/30/2019 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 91 Points
Day 3: Picks up some pepper, tobacco, plum, blackberries and underbrush. Fine sediment and medium plus finish. Concentrated wine and violets are present on the finish. A solid well made wine and every bottle was a solid 90 points or higher. A great QPR.
Video: https://youtu.be/a3RwXb4mh7Y
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8/31/2019 - Quarked wrote: 91 Points
This has improved nicely since last year. Deep flavors of brambleberry pie. Strangely, though it was aged in neutral oak, I got some clear oak notes and oaky tannins, perhaps even some char, on the first night, though that was all gone by the second -- no complaints, as it was just enough to make it interesting. Huge QPR given what I paid.
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8/24/2019 - mrmikemtr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popn pour. Bramble nose and palate. Ready to drink.
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8/13/2019 - Stephen Rash Likes this wine: 93 Points
This inky purple and opaque Syrah from Joey Tensley starts with aromas of blackberry bramble, blueberry, cured meats, and hints of lavender on the nose. Tastes of blackberry, blueberry, and pepper on the palate continue on into the long finish and last for a little over a minute. Full body, medium alcohol, medium acidity, and medium(+) tannins. From first sniff to last sip this Syrah exceeds all expectations. Great QPR!!
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6/4/2019 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Day 1: A favorite for under $20. Bigger style wine with roasted meats, pepper, blackberries, strawberries and minerals. Medium to long finish and quite balanced. Enjoy now or over the next few years. I would not age this too long. 92 points
Day 2: Similar experience to day 1. A bit more spice on day 2. This wine has a long life ahead but is really good now. 92 points
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5/4/2019 - gssjr Likes this wine: 93 Points
The wine looks inky colored. It smells like blackberry and blueberry. It tastes like blackberry, blueberry and black currant (cassis). The body is full.
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12/22/2018 - D.Callahan wrote: flawed
Well I just drank, or rather attempted to drink, the first of my 12 bottles of Tensley Santa Barbara County Syrah. It was seriously bad wine. Harsh sour notes and overwhelming prunes were all that appeared. This bottle came from a massively discounted offer from Invino and I worry about the provenance. It was labeled as "Santa Barbara County"
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11/6/2018 - Quarked wrote: 89 Points
Young, almost blue. Very tasty, with room to develop.
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10/3/2018 - Giggs wrote: 92 Points
Sweet and pure QPR masterpiece.
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7/26/2018 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Excellent again. Bright fruits, spices, floral and dust. Very complex wine and great value.
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6/16/2018 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Day 1: Similar to my first experience and much better than the 2nd bottle. Northern Rhone like in regards to green olives, white pepper and earth. Nice fruit featuring cherries and blueberries. Nice concertation on this wine and medium to long finish. Very tasting! This bottle should evolve but right now 92 points!
Day 2: Still singing. Very similar to day 1 which means plenty of future ahead on this wine. Picks up a charcoal element on the palate/finish which is wonderful. Full bodied effort and delicious. 92 +
Day 4: Skipped day 3. Still amazing. This wine will have some bottle variation but what wine does not. If you could get this bottle every time back up the truck. Nice fruit still there with some bacon and menthol quality that was not there on day 1 or 2. Long finish!!! 93 points
Recommendation: A tough one here. Some bottles of this will drink great out of the gate while this one does I like it even more on day 4!
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5/26/2018 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
Day 1: Underbrush, violets, boysenberries, sour cherries, and crushed rock. Concentrated on the palate/finish. Young but tasty. This wine has had a tendency to improve on day 2 and 3. 90 points
Day 2: Violets, underbrush, spices, sour cherries and dust. Aromatic but palate is not as intense. For sure Cali style Syrah. A bit different but equally as good. 90 points
Day 3: On the decline. Very muted nose and palate. Not quite the same. 85 points
Recommendation: Drink this on day 1 with a few hour decant. Consume this on the younger side.
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1/26/2018 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Day 1: Fragrant on the nose with roasted meats, cedar, dark fruits. On the palate a big, powerful wine with dark fruits, spices, floral and chalk. Medium plus finish Good value for around $20.
Day 2: Picking up some underbrush on the nose and palate. Still a big wine with no signs leading to consume this wine young. Really nice fruit and medium plus, balanced finish. Great value!!! 91 points
Day 3: Wow much more balanced across the board. Nose is more mellow and matches the palate. Subtle spices, floral, dark fruits, coffee beans and roasted meats. Medium plus finish and nice acidity. This is a real steal and will be picking up the rest of the bottles at a wine shop sale for $19.50 with tax. Hard to beat that! 92 points
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11/26/2017 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 90 Points
A very good QPR. www.winelx.com
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11/13/2017 - ABOVETHEINFLUENCE wrote:
effusive nose of bitter blackberry,evergreen, stale coffee,cinnamon, a bright bitterness on the palate keeps this in check, tons of prunes day 2 with a cut of wild blackberry ,you could hold this but maybe it loses it's bite....that's not syrupy, fresh and airy texture, drink now
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10/22/2017 - wrm wrote: 89 Points
Good QPR, but needs some time as it still comes across as quite primal.
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6/21/2017 - kronfeld Likes this wine: 89 Points
black berry pie with some tannic structure. A little hot tasting (14.9%) but enjoyable.
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4/26/2017 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 90 Points
A nose of some dark fruit and spice, dark purple in color. A medium to full bodied red, with blueberry, plum, chocolate and spice on long finish, a very good QPR. www.winelx.com
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4/16/2017 - drpiper wrote: 88 Points
Dark purple; impenetrable and murky
N: Barnyard, stewed fruits, green olives, brine, leather
P: Blueberry pie, stewed plums, mint, basil, acidic dark cherries
F: Tannic raisins, black tea, seared meat, browned butter
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11/18/2016 - gravedee Likes this wine: 90 Points
Jammy, funky with some barnyard floor aromas, unique.
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