We were so excited to drink this wine but it was past it's prime with notes of stewed prunes & raisin. Makes me worry about the rest of the 2014 Torrin wines we have.
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It really is a wonderful wine Nose of dark fruits laced with meat and minerality. Rounded fruits in the body with balanced acid and rounded tannins. Long finish. Just delicious
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Rich and bold. Black and blue fruits, dark chocolate and spices. Smooth texture. High alcohol and tannins burned off with air - lots of it. Latter pours were the best. I will do a much longer decant (4-6 hours) with remaining bottles.
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I have to stop thinking wines have peaked. 4 months ago, I was wrong about the previous tasting; and now, I've done it again.
This is everything you could want in a Syrah. Fully integrated tannins, lush mouthfeel, deep purple color, bouquet, long finish, fruit forward, but spice on the back.
Easily one of the most enjoyable wines I've had in some time.
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Clearly, I have no clue when it comes to judging a wine's longevity. This just keeps getting better. Everything I wrote last September, only more so.
If you can't delay gratification, you won't be disappointed by drinking now, even as a pop-n-pour. If you can't wait to open it, give it an hour and you'll be rewarded with a big but soft wine, with great fruit and a bouquet so amazing you'll want to climb into the empty glass.
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Beautiful Syrah, with the depth and structure of a young Hermitage. Dark lush fruit, full bodied with no hint of over concentration and any tannins are subtle giving the wine a silky texture. 94
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Delicious. Black fruits and a touch of spice. Tannins are in check and no alcohol heat or rough edges. Full-bodied but smooth, this wine is in a great place now. A fine first wine for 2021.
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Update to 2018 tasting. Feeling very sad that I "wasted" a bottle two years ago! Absolutely gorgeous bottle. As others noted, tannins are fully-integrated but this remains a big wine. No rough edges, no heat from the high alcohol, just what you want when opening something you've been holding for years.
100% Syrah, but worked with both steak (last night) and salmon (tonight). Not saying it was better on night 2, but it was a completely different experience. More fruit, washed down some chocolate chips very nicely!
Again, others have noted that now appears to be the time. I might hold one bottle out to see what happens a few years out, but drinking the others right now!
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Seemed to disappear before we could drink it ; ) Still has massive tannins but they are fine and well integrated. Despite the 16.2% alcohol, not hot. That said, the exuberant fruit has subsided and though currently plentiful, I worry that if one waits too long for the tannins to subside then the fruit will be too meager. Best bet is to decant and consume in the next year or so...?
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Popped and tasted. Thought it was spectacular at first. Muscular without being overpowering. Strong notes of cedar and vanilla. Opened in the company of its 2013 older brother and a Torrin GSM. Head and shoulders above the others at opening.
Deep purple, great bouquet of roses and red berries.
90 minutes after opening was still the strongest of the 3 wines, but then something happened. By 3 hours in, this had died.
Plenty of tannin left to let it cellar at least 2 more years. If you open it now, decant briefly then enjoy!
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Les Deux 2018 (Chez Gill): Final wine second flight. Yuck. Totally not my style. Once again, a soupy, varietally indistinguishable mess. The alcohol makes this basically port, without any of the charm. Poured out.
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Whopping 16.3% abv. Dark opaque plum color. Monolithic wall of fruit on nose, blackberries, stewed prunes, some high alcohol heat. Very full in mouth, big tannins, very long dry finish. Lush blue and blackberry fruit, wedding cake, chargrilled steak, smoked nuts, currants. Expect this to mellow and show more complexity in few years.
Day 3 - taking on notes of Demerara sugar, cherry jam and barbecue sauce. Tannins still lush, full, enjoyable. Finishes sweet and long.
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12/11/2023 - PinotPaul Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful. So many dimensions.
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9/16/2023 - EvanJB wrote:
Excellent
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4/7/2023 - Chez Barnacle Does not like this wine: 80 Points
We were so excited to drink this wine but it was past it's prime with notes of stewed prunes & raisin. Makes me worry about the rest of the 2014 Torrin wines we have.
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2/26/2023 - mliszt Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fabulous right now. Even my tequila drinking wife choice this tonight
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12/29/2022 - jaumealaska Likes this wine: 95 Points
It really is a wonderful wine Nose of dark fruits laced with meat and minerality. Rounded fruits in the body with balanced acid and rounded tannins. Long finish. Just delicious
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9/25/2022 - mvande21 wrote: 94 Points
Rich and bold. Black and blue fruits, dark chocolate and spices. Smooth texture. High alcohol and tannins burned off with air - lots of it. Latter pours were the best. I will do a much longer decant (4-6 hours) with remaining bottles.
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4/22/2022 - cdebeau Likes this wine: 94 Points
Liquid velvet, smooth tannins, opens ups beautifully after about an hour balanced blackberry and blue fruit
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1/14/2022 - Ploetzy wrote:
opening well with decant but young
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12/18/2021 - morewineplease! Likes this wine: 96 Points
I have to stop thinking wines have peaked. 4 months ago, I was wrong about the previous tasting; and now, I've done it again.
This is everything you could want in a Syrah. Fully integrated tannins, lush mouthfeel, deep purple color, bouquet, long finish, fruit forward, but spice on the back.
Easily one of the most enjoyable wines I've had in some time.
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8/7/2021 - morewineplease! Likes this wine: 95 Points
Update to 9/2020 tasting.
Clearly, I have no clue when it comes to judging a wine's longevity. This just keeps getting better. Everything I wrote last September, only more so.
If you can't delay gratification, you won't be disappointed by drinking now, even as a pop-n-pour. If you can't wait to open it, give it an hour and you'll be rewarded with a big but soft wine, with great fruit and a bouquet so amazing you'll want to climb into the empty glass.
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6/10/2021 - jaumealaska Likes this wine: 94 Points
No notes taken but impressions follow Fishback’s. Fortunately I have a number of these and can enjoy them over the next 10 years. Great wine!
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4/11/2021 - Steve Fishback wrote:
Beautiful Syrah, with the depth and structure of a young Hermitage. Dark lush fruit, full bodied with no hint of over concentration and any tannins are subtle giving the wine a silky texture. 94
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2/7/2021 - The Wine Write wrote:
Heady, lush, decadent. Glycerin on the swallow. Delicious, but you really feel the heat.
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1/1/2021 - Crunge wrote: 94 Points
Delicious. Black fruits and a touch of spice. Tannins are in check and no alcohol heat or rough edges. Full-bodied but smooth, this wine is in a great place now. A fine first wine for 2021.
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12/22/2020 - jeffmudd wrote: flawed
Serious downer, corked.
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12/10/2020 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Raised a point from last year. We loved it. Notes of black pepper and licorice combined with a core of sweet tannins. Scrumptious.
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11/27/2020 - STM82 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine but lost a couple points due to the noticeable alcohol. 16.3% is pushing it.
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9/5/2020 - morewineplease! Likes this wine: 94 Points
Update to 2018 tasting. Feeling very sad that I "wasted" a bottle two years ago! Absolutely gorgeous bottle. As others noted, tannins are fully-integrated but this remains a big wine. No rough edges, no heat from the high alcohol, just what you want when opening something you've been holding for years.
100% Syrah, but worked with both steak (last night) and salmon (tonight). Not saying it was better on night 2, but it was a completely different experience. More fruit, washed down some chocolate chips very nicely!
Again, others have noted that now appears to be the time. I might hold one bottle out to see what happens a few years out, but drinking the others right now!
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7/22/2020 - samiamx_1999 wrote: 92 Points
Seemed to disappear before we could drink it ; )
Still has massive tannins but they are fine and well integrated. Despite the 16.2% alcohol, not hot. That said, the exuberant fruit has subsided and though currently plentiful, I worry that if one waits too long for the tannins to subside then the fruit will be too meager. Best bet is to decant and consume in the next year or so...?
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7/2/2020 - Amerique wrote: 90 Points
Metallic flavors, closed, maybe corked
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5/17/2020 - GoHawkeyes wrote:
Jane and Lorrie loved this wine
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1/30/2020 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Needs a day to breathe
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1/18/2020 - samiamx_1999 wrote: 90 Points
Solid.
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12/1/2019 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep purple in color, almost like ink. Complex mouthful of fruit and black pepper but vibrant with lots of energy and verve. A great wine.
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10/22/2019 - mliszt Likes this wine: 93 Points
NEEDS A BIT MORE TIME. WILLLLL BE GREAT BUT NOT QUITE YET. NEEDS AIR. PATIENCE
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11/7/2018 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Rich, delicious blackberry fruit, cassis, black olive, and tea leaf flavors, excellent structure, ample tannin, took 1 day to fully open up
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9/26/2018 - morewineplease! Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and tasted. Thought it was spectacular at first. Muscular without being overpowering. Strong notes of cedar and vanilla. Opened in the company of its 2013 older brother and a Torrin GSM. Head and shoulders above the others at opening.
Deep purple, great bouquet of roses and red berries.
90 minutes after opening was still the strongest of the 3 wines, but then something happened. By 3 hours in, this had died.
Plenty of tannin left to let it cellar at least 2 more years. If you open it now, decant briefly then enjoy!
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8/31/2018 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Les Deux 2018 (Chez Gill): Final wine second flight. Yuck. Totally not my style. Once again, a soupy, varietally indistinguishable mess. The alcohol makes this basically port, without any of the charm. Poured out.
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6/21/2018 - norsktorsk wrote: 92 Points
i thought this was drinking nicely now.
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3/11/2018 - dclaggett Likes this wine: 94 Points
Whopping 16.3% abv. Dark opaque plum color. Monolithic wall of fruit on nose, blackberries, stewed prunes, some high alcohol heat. Very full in mouth, big tannins, very long dry finish. Lush blue and blackberry fruit, wedding cake, chargrilled steak, smoked nuts, currants. Expect this to mellow and show more complexity in few years.
Day 3 - taking on notes of Demerara sugar, cherry jam and barbecue sauce. Tannins still lush, full, enjoyable. Finishes sweet and long.
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