I think this is my last bottle of this. Dark, purple black color. Smoky, savory, Brett inflected scent with a bit of blackberry fruit. Dense, smooth and silky palate. Very concentrated. Blackberry fruit, nice balance and a long silky finish. Surprisingly, the Brett on the palate is subtle compared to the scent. Finishes with a bit of ripe, fine grained tannins. Very interesting. Clearly on a long slow decline, but it should go longer if well stored, but I would drink up now.
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Last bottle from release, open in bottle for 8hrs. A polarizing wine back in the day...LOADED with brett stank reduction funk...lot of people were repulsed, plenty "flawed" notes in CT...but I never really had an issue with the funk, as it reminded me of Alban from the same period...but the hollow clipped finish is where this wine always lost me. Well...9yrs later...that funked up nose of reduction... sweet smoky asphalt, burnt rubber, compost manure is still there! Not repulsive to me...I actually like it! Crushed blackberries, violet florals, white pepper, smoked sausage...the fruit is still oozing and quite ripe and sweet...creamy and smooth dark liqueured berry fruits...licorice, peppered beef...tarted up cherry skin acidity is refreshing...all the funk is well intermingled...but still very prominent! Nice polish and sheen...florals and deep spices...THEN that clipped, fall off the cliff finish, ends it, just like that! We're done here...the poop show is over...now go home! An intriguing effort if anything...
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A rich nose, with stewed fruit and mulled spices. The age is evident, but the fruit is still broad and concentrated. Cherry and leather on the palate, but tastes a little hot even though it is 14.1%.
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Simply the worst bottle of wine that I have had the misfortune to taste more than once. The last of my three bottles, I brought this to a blind tasting of wines 10+ years old. One taster said “I note both dirty diaper and cow manure - I didn’t think that was possible.” Strong worlds, but not inaccurate. I love Rhys/Alesia, and I am glad I can focus on their wines I love.
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That fat bretty reduction was really mingled into the fruit here, keeping the wine from expressing itself. Which is a shame because the fruit was still quite rich. There was likely a quite long lived wine here. Lessons were learned.
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Surprisingly no signs of the overwhelming reduction seen previously. This is a meaty, dense Syrah still just showing some maturity. It's a bit tangy so the finish doesn't exactly come together. Not much in the way of tannin either. It's kinda jumbled but drinking much better than I expected. As mentioned the fruit has barely budged but I do not think there is room for improvement given the tannin situation. I would think most any Cali Syrah fan would like this if the bottle doesn't show the flaws many of these have shown.
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Dinner with Friends (Edwin's/Our Backyard by the Fire): A couple of our friends love brett in wines. I was going to open an older Pegau, but being 4th of July weekend, American wines were called for. Then I remembered I still had a lone bottle of this. Pop and pour, there is plenty of stink on the nose. A slight dill note as well as a brine quality which to me were separate but someone said pickle juice. In any event, the later blew off with air, while the barnyard was intense. Our friends loved it. Also some black raspberries on the nose. Much cleaner on the palate. This took about 20 minutes to start to open and then kept improving all night. Nice texture. Good complexity. Nice fruit. I can see why some would hate this (my wife did), but I found it complex and intriguing. Not really sorry its my last bottle, but not sorry I opened it anyway.
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this wine at a very strange nose. The erroneous were available to chat to a bowl nature, asparagus or artichoke was the background not much food. This was quite of pudding. The flavors have contracted significantly height berry flavors not much editing for definition. Labor was quite short not much of a lingering taste. Overall a fairly unsatisfactory bottle.
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Very similar to my first bottle 4 years ago. Funky nose of sulfur and damp molding underbrush. Underneath that is a full and lush Syrah, with a hint of mint.
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Another good showing. Lifted aromatics of earthy funk, olives, smoked meat and red and black fruit. Palate has smooth, round fruit with juicy acidity lying beneath providing pop. Seamless. Medium plus finish with sweet and savory. Fortunately, my bottles or my palate aren't getting the much maligned brett factor - the funk is just right and adds interest and complexity.
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Hugely funky nose is just gorgeous and complex - black fruit, olives, smoked meat and pepper with a good dose of Brett / funk. Nose just keeps getting better - love the interplay do sweet and savory. Palate is medium rich with smooth, velvet black fruit that is oh so fresh and light on its feet. A ton of energy across the mid palate. More terrific interplay of Sonoma fruit and funky, savory, peppery notes. Long finish. In a great spot!
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This was all over the place. There was some notes of brett floating around and that reduction. The alcohol also stuck out pretty badly. Disjointed enough that it distracted you from any positive qualities you wanted to hang onto. Not developing in a positive way in my estimation.
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PnP. Similar to my bottle 3 years ago, with more integration and more etoh poking out. Thought I had grabbed a PN, and was scratching my head for a while as I could imagine it being an big Cali RR PN but not Alesia/Rhys. On second trip to the bottle an 'a ha'. Still going well (but not as well as well as in '09).
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Surprinsingly good. Have had a great one, a poor one and now a good one. hmmm. Maybe I should have returned per Rhys web site, but thisi was pretty good.
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I took a gamble and popped my last bottle of this wine. From past experience, I thought I was just making room in the cellar and would have to pour it down the drain. Not true. Some funk, but manageable. I also have a decent tolerance for syrah funk. Crushed rock and pure blue and red fruit emerge. Some roasted pepper, cooked raspberry purée and mature cherry are intertwined with some moss, loam and a volcanic rock component. I like this wine. I might not seek it out but it deserved a second chance from me and it was redeemed.
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A polarizing wine......could be brett, definitely funk....and I like it! The nose is wild....barnyard, Hickory Farms Summer Sausage, leather, pepper, wild berries, tar. Perfectly fine on the palate...with creamy dark berry fruits(blackberry/blueberry), peppered beef, leather, kirsch liqueur....still nice acidity and beautiful florals, deep spices. If you don't mind the funk on the nose, a very nice pumped up Cali Syrah, balancing up nicely with its age. My best bottle yet.
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Drinking this almost four years after my first bottle, and again was greeted with an awful smell of rotten eggs, sulfer, bandaids and general funk. I had hoped that the wine would have resolved some of these issues in the bottle, but it appears not. I have one bottle left, but I don't have high hopes for it.
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I didn't really know what to expect from this wine before pulling the cork, but was immediately greeted by a big and rich syrah that somehow managed to keep from being over the top. The nose didn't change a whole lot over the 3 hours or so that I followed it, other than a little reduction blowing off within the first half hour. The mouthfeel was chewy and awash with blue/black berry fruit. I also picked up some meaty/iron-like tones on both the palate and nose.
This gave me the sense that it is still quite young, though seems to be drinking well at the moment. I think this is about as big/bold/chewy of a syrah as I can still enjoy.
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Full of brett; stinky, funky and full of barnyard shit and leather. There's some red and dark fruit initially underneath all the funk, but with air it just gets nastier and eventually the brett dominates anything that might be pleasurable in here.
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Not flawed with brett like many others have experienced but way over the top in style. Massive dark red and blue fruits on the nose and a few alcoholic fumes too, The flavor is similar with not so subtle or graceful gops of dak fruit. High tones and almost undrinkable for my apate. I can't believe that this Alesia wine is produced from the same folks as Rhys. This provides negative pleasure in that I could not finish a sigle glass and it gave me a massive headache. Unfortunately, I have another 4 bottles of expensive cooking wine.
This wine was a bretty poopy mess. Too bad because it seems like there is something interesting beneath the fecal stew. Hope my other two bottles fare better!
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14.1% alcohol. Somewhere between the flawed first and unflawed second bottles. Some brett and burnt rubber on the nose, but mostly clean. Plenty of peppery blue fruit and meat on the nose and palate. Texturally quite nice and a solid finish that dried out less than the most clean bottle of the three. B+
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14.1% alcohol. Okay, I'll admit it. This bottle surprised me. I was ready for the rubberized, difficult stuff I had tasted in the first bottle two years ago. Nope. This was as close to clean as this wine probably gets. Deep red/purple color. A touch of funk on the nose, but soaring blue and black fruits with a peppered meat edge to it, along with some stemmy qualities. In the mouth, rich and powerful, with loads of fruit and complexity fighting for the spotlight. Quite smooth on the finish. Drinking well -- if the bottle is clean. A-
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Nose on the wine was pretty bad upon opening. However I have had this wine before. I triple splash decanted over 2 hours and the funky nose was gone. What was left was a pretty tasty syrah. Nice black cherry,pepper and roasted meat flavors.
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Upon opening, popped and poured a bit into a glass. Major reduction and funk jumping from the glass. Poured another glass using a Vinturi and it helped a little bit. Opened enough to pair okay with some oven baked pasta with homemade tomato sauce. But on its own, it was just too funky and seemed a bit sweet to really enjoy. My last and least enjoyable of three bottles.
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Nope. Another clearly flawed bottle. Almost overpowering rotten eggs and buttered corn. I poured a glass and dumped. Waited an hour, poured a glass, and dumped. Then waited overnight, poured a glass, and dumped the remainder of the bottle. The reductive qualities did not blow off. But in spite of this note, I'm confident about what this winery is doing and how committed they are, and I'm sure there was nothing to suggest that some bottles were destined for the drain. These things are fungible and perishable even with the utmost care. But - if I were sitting on an unopened stash of these, I'd check in before further taking up cellar space.
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Held off until now due to reports of VA, but wanted check into recent Brett reports. PnP. Bare whiff of reduction notes on opening, then into highly expressive dark cherry, roasted meats, iodine and black pepper/spice. Palate has fairly high intensity cherry/blueberry fruit laced with almost burnt meats, iron, and some spice. Nicely balanced tannin and acid. Medium complexity and low medium finesse. Medium short length. Highly interesting syrah in a style I enjoy.
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Odd nose dominated by lactic aromas and some blue and black fruits. On the palate medium weight, blackberry and an interesting compost note but the lactic aromas distract... On day two, the funky nose is gone and I find the wine pleasant but more acid dominated. I will hold my last bottle for a few years to see what happens....
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Definately picked up the "funky" smell that other reviewers mentioned. Made it difficult to drink. Not sure how much of that was simply power of suggestion though...
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Deep red color. Initial nose of a blackberry milkshake. Later evolves to show some roasted meat, cardamom, and blueberry character. Palate impression initially is of blackberries and cream with a very round, low acid presentation. The finish is long with meat flavors emerging. Evolution in the glass adds notes of blood, iodine, and maybe a licorice note. The initial impressions show a wine that isn't all together right now, but that is hedonistic in its disorder. Time in the decanter/glass may help. On day two, this still shows a strange lactic quality (previously referred to as milkshake). Something here doesn't map to my template of what Syrah should taste like and it is distracting. Iron and mineral notes show underneath the blueberry milkshake nose. The palate remains disjoint and now seems a bit hot. Hold for development?
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I enjoyed this. The second day I picked up the funk more than the first, but many rhone wines have far more than this and it adds character. I picked a rich vanilla blueberry and liked this wine.
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This was consumed with Fu and his crew with some homemade fried chicken. The wine exceeded my expectation. Maybe a slight barnyard nose but the palate had meaty blood and dark berries and spices. I liked the complexity of this...
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My first thought was France. This may not be to everyone's taste, but I loved it. Initial hint of reduction blew off, revealing a melange of black cherry, roasted meat, blood (iodine), black pepper, with chewy mouthfeel and long finish. This is the first time I have gotten blood from a Cali syrah. Very impressive.
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Had this a over a year ago and liked it much better this time. A great nose. And I mean great. So Rhone. Red meat, spice, dark fruits with licorice and a hint of some espresso. The taste was similar and o so not overly fruity. The finish was short at first but improved with time. For me the wine was a bit too chewy. It didnt have that purity of a Rhone style wine that I would perfer. With that said a very enjoyable syrah that I would love to try again
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Meat, bacon, tar on an odd nose. A bit of tire rubber on the palate, finishing with a bit of clipping on the finish. The only thing that saves this at all is a relatively silky midpalate. In general I didn't like it.
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Opened my final bottle of this juice tonight to attend "Message to the Field"...Southwest Airlines annual message to their employees. Eye opening comments from their CEO.
That being said...initially reductive but not nearly as bad as some other bottles. Reduction, licorice, rich brambly blackberry fruit, and some citrus fruit. It's rich for sure but seems to possess enough acidity to keep it fresh. That being said, Traci wasn't a big fan. She thought it tasted like a malodorous armpit would smell. My only quibble with this bottle was that the finish was pretty clipped. Still much better than previous bottles.
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Had to toss the bottle of this we had previously, but this one was outstanding! Notes of bacon fat, espresso, and blackberry all poured into a structure that complemented food and didn't overpower. Some stink upon opening, but that blew off with less than an hour of decanting. Night and day versus the last bottle. Weird, but not that unusual, esp with 04 Alesias...
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Funky, funky nose, sulfur/eggs. Underneath that is a wonderful wine, with great legs. Structured and dense, but with just enough fruit to keep it together. Too bad about the nose, or this would be higher.
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I'm not getting any of the negative characteristics others have noted and am enjoying the wine. Perhaps it is because I'm on the tail end of a cold. Day 2 - I'm tasting more, and it is getting worse Day 3 - Repeat
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uhhh, I popped and poured into my decanter swirled and sniffed.............AND ALMOST THREW UP. 24 hours later the sewer gas smell is gone but so is everything else. What happened to these and are people getting credits from Rhys?
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The funk that everyone else has commented on was present in my bottle. Pretty nasty on opening, but it did blow off after about 1.5-2 hours. What's left behind is a jammy quaff, that went well with the duck cassoulet we made on NYE. It was an ok wine after all, but you wouldn't want to bring it to a dinner party.
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Decanted 4 hours before serving. Not enough time ... Offered a reductive nose of burnt rubber and tar. Some evidence of rich fruit hiding underneath, but very difficult to get past the aromas. I should have left this open for another night, and popped a different bottle.
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2nd bottle I've opened showing pronounced reduction. Decanted and tasted over 5 hours. At about the 4 hour mark the reduction started to blow off, yielding to dark, smoky fruit.
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A strikingly unique Syrah from California. The nose is full of spiced italian cold cuts, smoke, iodine, black pepper and pepsin. The palate is full of tar and scorched earth, dried black fruit, cloves, pepper and wet dog fur (yep, from my childhood). The finish shows tight tannins with remarkable smoothness on the finish which goes on and on. Finally, the wine has a very unusual fineness, even delicate feel given its complexity. Much improved from my tasting 15 months ago.
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Nose is really funky, doesnt fully follow through to the palate though as the depth of fruit balances it somewhat. On the palate its fairly interesting but ultimately flawed imo. If you dont like the funk I would drink these before the fruit fades and all your left with is brett.
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I really liked this wine. It seems to be entering its prime drinking window. Extremely flavorful, not over the top like so many other syrahs I've consumed lately. Happy to have a couple left.
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I just can't believe how much bacon fat comes through in this bottle. I drank one on 12/18/07 and my notes were "holy bloody meat bacon fat". 1 year later, still the same. what a monster. Deep red, almost black. Brooding. I'm shocked to read any notes below that say "elegant". Unlike any wine I've ever had and I really like that! Enjoyed with Yum! Bakery take-out.
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Boy was this funky for the first two hours- and that was after decanting and waiting a half hour. The nose was so off, that I almost opened another wine. Then, after hour two, it mellowed and very good flavors came around and were not over powered by the funkiness at the beginning (and saying funkiness is being nice). Either wait or decant a long while next time. disappointing for a $42 bottle of wine.
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Deep dense red color. The nose seems to cause some controversy as right out of the bottle it's funky and reduced smelling a little like a sulphury swamp thought not as bad as when I first tasted it about 18 months ago. A few hours in a decanter with a copper penny cleaned it right up. There's now a gorgeous nose of dark fruits, olives, and roasted meat. The palate shows good acidity with moderate tannins. Lush fruit and a long finish. The tannins have softened quite a bit since my last taste. Very good now with extended decanting. I expect a few more years in the cellar will do this some good.
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Very nice. Still young. Aromas of white pepper with floral notes, brambles, earthy. Smooth tannins. More refined than most Cali syrah. Still need a couple of years.
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Still pretty funky when first opened. Much better on day 2 - notes of flowers, minerals, and deep ripe fruit. Nice velvety texture. Could use some more freshness and vibrancy to help prop up its size.
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Still FUNKY....I can see some pucking their GUTS out drinkin this.....shows a little better than my last(first) bottle. Ooozing deep black berry fruit, funky funk funk roast beef blood, smoky cherry tar asphalt, slight acidic tingle. Nice florals and smoked sweet spice. Still not much of a finish...but gaining since the first. I like this wine, for now....but could EASILY be put off if my tastes change in the slightest. Not looking to buy more.....
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Considerable evolution over a 4-hour drinking window. Mint in the nose on opening turned to straightforward Cali syrah, which developed a slightly musty mushroom/olive nose before the palate really opened up at about three hours. Rich and complex, with good texture. Tapenade and mushroom, warm meat, a very nice last glass.
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Should have read the other notes first. Opened night one and could not stand the astringent tannins (loved the funky nose, but the combo was overwhelming). Forgot about it Day 2. Day 3 - funky nose has muted but still detectable (and somewhat intoxicating). The astringent nature of the wine has wholly subsided, and the purity and depth of fruit is superb. Wait 2-3 years to try the next bottle
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Showing some reduction. With plum, blueberry, coffee and oak underneath. Very dark and brooding with strong coffee notes I often find in Sonoma Coast syrah. Tannins should support some aging that will help bring the wine into better balance. Drink now-2013. 89+ pts.
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This wine has been calling my name every time I walk into the cellar so I broke down and opened one. Dumped into the decanter. The nose was all reduction. Poured a glass to sit a while and the reduction did not blow off. At the 2.5 hour mark, the reduction finally started to relent and yielded to the concentrated, dark fruit. The acidity that also stood out in the beginning was less noticeable. My remaining bottles will rest a few years before I open another.
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Wow, lots of animale/barnyard aromas dominating here. Smells more like a little brett to me than reduction but not sure. With time the nose settles down a bit into a crushed dark fruit, smoked meat, bretty sort of groove. On the palate this is loaded with rich, concentrated dark fruits, smoke, and also an intense savory, dried brown tobacco/animale flavor. There is an estery component to the sweetness here that to me speaks of overripe or bruised fruit. It's definitely not as fresh as some of the other Alesia syrahs. Lots of structure, with chewy, chunky astringent tannins that grow in intensity with time in the glass. Retasting 24 hours later, the brett notes have crossed the threshold for me, it's really kind of smothering the other components here, and after swallowing unfortunately it's all you can taste.
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After ordering a case of pinots/syrahs, I wanted to try a bottle from my last order. I have seen a lot of controversal reviews. My first Syrah from Rhys/Alesia.
Well, I love it. It is concentrated, but also has a smooth, harmoneous finish. Very rich, but not over the top for me. I decanted it for two hours and drank it over the next three hours. Wonderful wine.
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Another WOW. Very elegant. Not like OTT wines from Aussie/CA syrah's with a lot of heat I've had before. Nose of dark berries, soy sauce, salami rind. Nice long finish that's deep and thought provoking. Style is very Alesia/Rhys. I want more of this. Definitely I should get my full allocation plus more.
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As I'd been warned, it was heavily reduced on opening. So I splash decanted it last night, returned it to the bottle and saved it for tonight. Much, much nicer tonight, though there is still a hint of reduction. The color is a deep, almost black purple. The nose has bright red fruits (cranberry, tart cherry) mixed with a good dose of black olive and wet clay. It lacks the over ripeness that plagues a lot of California cracks at this variety. Prior to tasting it, I'd probably guess Northern Rhone from a relatively ripe year (or so I'd like to think). In the mouth, it's much bigger with more richness than I expected from the nose, but there is substance there too, in the form of decent acidity and a firm, but fine, tannic spine. A very nice effort, and I'll leave my other bottle to age for a couple of years.
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Holy bloody meat bacon fat! Took 2 hours for all of this to blow off. Wow. Big old bloody steak wrapped in bacon! Man! Really different and young. Wait 2 years for the next? Enjoyed with shrimp scampi from Let's Dish.
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Big and bold but not the disjointed mess other people have remarked upon. Lots of fruit with real Syrah characteristics, decent lushness but not blowsy or candied. Perfect for lovers of CA wines or when the goal is fruit rather than complexity.
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My experience here mirrors manhy previous notes. Decanted for two hours. Holy shit. No really, totally crapadelic on first glass. Funked all the way up, yet lurking below is intense dark fruit. With heavy swirling and extended air more meaty notes emerge with deep blackberry and blueberry. Long, meaty, chewy finish. Built to last. I like this, but patience is required here. My other bottles will sit for 3 years.
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Decanted 2 hours. Slightly odd nose, strong floral notes and maybe a hint of reduction (but nothing like the severe sulphur and rubber some have reported with this vintage of Alesia). Color is intense red with a fair amount of pinkishness to the hue. This wine isn't super dark, but seems to have a staining quality to it -- the legs have a lot of color to them. Palate is full and rich. Some candy, sweet tannins, and cassis and other dark fruits. I might have guessed this to be a cabernet if it was served blind. Finish is nice, longish, and has a significant lingering coconut aspect.
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Decanted for 3 hours. This wine was garnet/dark garnet in the glass. On the nose, aromas of blackberries, raspberries and black cherries with notes of smoked meat, white pepper and tar. On the palate, flavors of blueberries and blackberries led the forefront with notes of smoked meat and minerality giving way to a herbs and pepper on the finish. Definitely looking forward to opening the next bottle with a bit more bottle age... HS91
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Certainly more shy on the nose than the Sonoma, and I think less expressive overall at this stage. I find none of the flaws that some others have described here, nothing bretty or reductive. It's not short or hollow either, but not the fullest or longest. If anything, at this stage it's more remarkable for being a bit unremarkable.
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Decanted about 6 hours prior to consumption. Tire rubber dominates the nose and was still present 6 hours later. Dark full, deep and wide fruit on the palate. Clearly needs some time to stitch together and unwind but a great hedonistic drink now if you can decant the reduction off. Just not sure where that huge reduction is going to go.
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OC Wine Dinner--"Pair This" (Antonello In Costa Mesa): Could swear I have tasted this wine one other time, I think courtesy of Jason Hagen at one of our Fratello's gigs. gave it roll again and it really impressed me. Big core of black, slutty fruit, round, plush and forward. Would have liked to try this again today but very much enjoyed it.
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Decanted, only to smell barnyard, sulphur and rotten eggs. Took one sip and put back in the bottle. Next day, same routine with almost the same result - but, the fruit started to appear. Put it away and waited another night. Third night was the charm, as the horrific smells almost fully receeded to evolve into an earthy, dense, enjoyable syrah.
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Somewhat reduced nose, a touch of sulfur-like component, underneath - barely perceptible is some gorgeous fruit waiting to come out, mainly of the rich and black variety, smoke...
WOW on the palate, wow, triple-double secret probation wow, delicious - I'll describe the flavors, but the thing that stands out after the first sip is that I am still tasting the wine over 45 seconds later - perfect detail all along, not a fading finish, rather a permanent stain on your palate of flavor...sweet fruit, carried by firm acidity and backbone of ripe tannins, what I keep getting in waves are the blackest fruit, smoked meat, dramatic intensity. I have one of my 3 bottles remaining and will most likely sit it out for a while. Delicious wine, very showy now, but I'd like to see where this will go. ****/*****.
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Wild wine. Nose not particularly impressive, but may be because it was breezy outside. Seemed a combination of barnyard, fresh leather, tar and wet forest. Tasted of briar patch, cheap lavender perfume, asian spice potpourri, and black berry. A dark wine with a full body and powerful tannins that finish rather rough and astringent. This wine is not as much about ripeness and fruit. At 14% alcohol, its a downright whimp for a new world shiraz. It is about exoitic complexities of less ripened syrah from the Sonoma Coast area. It is somewhat out of balance though with the powerful tannin. This wine could go anywhere in the future. Hard to say, but fun to contemplate.
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after an hour or so decant a great nose of chocolate and black fruit. the palate was pure. Chocolate, blacbbery, and some tar. Great feeling wine. Mouth coating. But then the wine just quit. no finish what so ever. Too bad because it took away from what could have been a beauty.
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Pretty good stuff with some classic syrah tones. Big and Caliesque but good balance with some nice pepper tones. Very pure colo; nose a little off-putting but did not repulse me like many of this style. Shoudl improve but hard to say how long-lived it will be.
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Wine evolved in decanter. Definitely put on weight. Lots going on in the nose. Flint and steel. Floral. Dark berries. Slight chocolate. Taste is very pure. Dark blackberries moving to blueberries. Pepper. Slight chocolate. Good acidity. Although the dark berries seem heavy, the weight is light on the tongue. Long, dry finish. I enjoyed this wine. REading the other notes, I would say that the nose was somewhat off to begin with, but got better in the decanter. I decanted this wine for over two hours, but was sampling along the way. I enjoyed it the whole time, but thought it was more expansive after about two hours.
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Badly reduced? Sulfur and rubber. Never resolved. Good fruit, but obscured by problems. Hard to say that this bottle is "flawed" rather than just "inferior". Nasty.
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Dark oozberry in color. Oh yea....funk-show-brother reduction nose! I love it! Alban-like sweet asphalt, tar, smoked meat, white pepper, florals. A smooth power in the mouth...rich and juicy blackberry, cherry, blueberry fruit, slight acidic tingle, sweet asphalt, peppered beef, flint stone. Love the florals, smoky spice...reminds me a little of a Pax Obsidian? But where is the finish??? You get a little spice like in the end....then it's gone! Left with a hollow shell? Pax and Alban will linger for minutes....this wine vanishes...leaves you with a wax-like nothing-ness? To bad for the ending, because to wine rocked up until. 5pt deduction because.
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Umm... there seems to be something wrong with this wine. It emits very unpleasant aromas. I suspect reduction: sulphur, cabbage, rubber... even get a bit of a horsey character which might even indicate brett. What can I say? It's a complex nose but in this case it's not a good thing. Oh well. The wine tastes pretty good. It's just difficult to get without holding your nose or using a really long straw. I'll have to open another bottle before making a buying decision next year.
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Funky nose. Some dark red fruit but little else. The ALC seems higher than stated on bottle and does come though. Nice long smooth finish. I will try again in a year, but right now this is not my style.
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freash out of the gate, big and blueberry, nice and silky. then has some spice and clove as the sweetness of the blueberry subsides after 30 minutes to 1 hour or so. nice fruit foraward syrah, but also has lots of grilled meat and pepper too. by the endo of the night it was more lavendar, spice, meat and pepper. what a nice ride.
very tasty.
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Weird, weird, weird. I have little to add to the prior notes, but I did have to give the bottle a good shake to release some fizz. Good? Not sure. Will let the rest sit for a while and see where it goes.
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I loved this initially with its intense olive aroma and classic structure. Vastly better than the Sonoma Coast Syrah from the fall release. But I have to admit that after a few minutes it got really weird. Some people found the scents off-putting; I didn't, but can certainly understand how this wine became controversial, or so variable depending on where you catch it.
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Wow, was this ever stinky when I first opened it - lots of rotten eggs. I left it open for 24 hours and it was much better, albeit showing very unusual aromas and flavors. I like Rollerball's observation of salinity. And, the nose actually reminds me of tequila. The fruit is very dark and reclusive, wrapped in smokey herbs. Decent concentration, relatively low tannins for a syrah. This gets extra points for individuality.
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Not nearly as reduced as my earlier 04 PN from Alesia, though I decanted for 2.5+ hours while the duck roasted...
Every descriptor for the nose is BIG...smoke, as in fresh meat on the grill smoke, no char, complimentary green herbs, white pepper, black olives, tar, Lord have mercy this is going to be fun, the nose is truly invigorating...the palate albeit structured, is quite simply the textbook equivalent of balance, sweet red fruit merging to black across the palate, liquid smoke, sweet and gorgeous choco laced black fruits, and a loooooong finish that keeps going...this is one damned fine wine. Damn fine.
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Point: Something unique, finally, for a change. But I'm alone in a crowd of nay sayers. It's salty and enticing; singular. You defintely can't eat just one. I've never tasted a syrah quite like it and I wish I hadn't had both bottles before I could give them several years to integrate. I voted to give it a 92.
Counterpoint: One often wonders what happens to the old vineyard dogs or the flip-flops worn to too many beaches or that hat worn to during many sweaty softball seasons. I believe we've found the answer to all the above with this lovely wine.
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Begins with blueberry and--something--Is this an off bottle?; but evolves to a sweet and daring perfume of cloves and intoxicating wild flower, sea water, and spring forest, which is reminiscent of (but more dangerous than) the 2003 Clos Mimi Petite Rousse that first got me interested in Syrah. In 2.5 hours, this wine has changed dramatically several times and has now reached a well-built spicy cherry that crashes unevenly on every shore the tongue. The receding waves are ripe and bitter sweet. Overall a bit too hot. The crowd here was intrigued but largely turned off, possibly because it did not pair well (and showed bitterly) with the bright tomato sauce on the chicken / prosciutto ravioli. Personally I'm perplexed; but I like that. Epilogue: 20 minutes later, hot medium-rare beef on the nose. Score reflects the very interesting nature of the wine tempered by the fact that it was so controversial.
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Wow. Apparently I'm one of the believers, and then some. The truly powerful nose shows brambly black fruit and raspberry, with pepper and beef in the mix as well. The blackberry-laden palate brings a surprising amount of acidity and minerality -- but not so much that you don't realize that this is from California. The finish lasts forever, with the emphasis squarely on herb tones. This is an excellent effort, and it shows great complexity. I already prefer it to the Alesia Pinots, which aren't too bad themselves. I'm looking forward to many more Syrahs from the Rhys folks.
P.S. -- I opened a second bottle on 7/17/07 and faced the same problem that other tasters here have. The wine was reduced and altogether off-kilter. I guess some bottles are more noticeably flawed than others, because my first experience was absolutely fantastic (and without any trace of such issues). I've had some "fizz" problems with Rhys's Alesia Pinots, too, but those have resolved themselves with just a bit of air. Unfortunately, there was no resolution in this instance. I hope the Rhys folks can get these technical kinks ironed out, because they detract from what would otherwise be marvelous wines. (I've lowered my earlier score by a point, even though I thoroughly enjoyed my earlier taint-free bottle, simply to account for the technical flaws I found on the second occasion.)
P.P.S. -- I opened a third bottle on 9/16/08, and it was much more like the first that I had. No real fizz or reduction problems. Just good, viscuous, beefy, blackberry-heavy Syrah. I'm still having more luck with Rhys's Syrahs than its Pinots.
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After reading a few surprisingly negative notes, I couldn't resist the lure of trying this bottle. Opened a full hour before the first glass was poured, the nose is every bit as troublesome as prior notes suggest -- spent fireworks, rotten eggs, and boiled asparagus dominate. Over the course of three hours, this unappealing nose did not resolve. On the palate, however, the wine shows more promise with notes of roasted meats, rich sweet fruit, and an enduring finish. In short, I have no idea and cannot rate this wine at this point. I'll give the good folks at Rhys the benefit of the doubt and lay the remainder down for a while.
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Massive nose of burnt rubber (Elena said 'flies'). This has not totally disappated even after vigourous swirling in the decanter and (now) O/N. Reluctant blackberry nose. Good fruit with a peppery core and dried berries. Nice body. A trace of sweetness. Certainly no big flaws or abuses here - assuming the nose is a post-bottling/travelling artifact - but not really compelling or interesting.
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This stinks! Literally. There is an overpowering sulphury stench rising from the glass. Lots of aeration and a copper penny helps dissipate the sulphur. After 30 minutes in the glass some beautiful fruit is revealed on the nose. Dark fruits, blackberry, and blueberry are noticeable, along with some smoke and just a hint of wood. On the palate, the wine reveals mouth puckering tannins and watering acidity. Nice sweet ripe fruit and a medium to full body. Long finish. Well balanced. An excellent Syrah from California. If drinking now, decant for a couple hours to let the sulphur dissipate. 50 + 5 + 12 + 16 + 9
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Drank in halves. Immediately rebottled and refrigerated half in a 375 after opening.
First half: This was beautiful. Tons of red fruit with great acid on the attack. Very bright and upbeat on the palate, with a lengthy and complex finish. The wine was plain delicious, making it easy to just drink, but it really deserves a moment more to savor.
Second half: Slightly muted as compared the first day, but more complex. The fruit/acid balance is still there, but the volume is turned down. Now there's an strong undercurrent of mushrooms and leather to add a lot of interest to this.
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Thanks to Jason for bringing this wine to the SLH OC O/L. Very nice and IMO, drinking well right now. A nose of pepper, meat and perfume. The palate is soft and balanced, with a nice inky feel of chocolate and some blue fruit, finishing with a nice kick of spice. I likey.
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1/10/2023 - Pinotfanbg Likes this wine: 87 Points
I think this is my last bottle of this. Dark, purple black color. Smoky, savory, Brett inflected scent with a bit of blackberry fruit. Dense, smooth and silky palate. Very concentrated. Blackberry fruit, nice balance and a long silky finish. Surprisingly, the Brett on the palate is subtle compared to the scent. Finishes with a bit of ripe, fine grained tannins. Very interesting. Clearly on a long slow decline, but it should go longer if well stored, but I would drink up now.
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3/15/2021 - Jdwinedrinker wrote:
Ok to drink but I think it’s over the hill
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4/16/2020 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 89 Points
Last bottle from release, open in bottle for 8hrs. A polarizing wine back in the day...LOADED with brett stank reduction funk...lot of people were repulsed, plenty "flawed" notes in CT...but I never really had an issue with the funk, as it reminded me of Alban from the same period...but the hollow clipped finish is where this wine always lost me. Well...9yrs later...that funked up nose of reduction... sweet smoky asphalt, burnt rubber, compost manure is still there! Not repulsive to me...I actually like it! Crushed blackberries, violet florals, white pepper, smoked sausage...the fruit is still oozing and quite ripe and sweet...creamy and smooth dark liqueured berry fruits...licorice, peppered beef...tarted up cherry skin acidity is refreshing...all the funk is well intermingled...but still very prominent! Nice polish and sheen...florals and deep spices...THEN that clipped, fall off the cliff finish, ends it, just like that! We're done here...the poop show is over...now go home! An intriguing effort if anything...
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3/27/2020 - djs Likes this wine: 92 Points
Would never be confused for anything from Burgundy but has held up well and is an enjoyable drink in a more new world Cali style.
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2/2/2018 - myofin Likes this wine: 92 Points
A rich nose, with stewed fruit and mulled spices. The age is evident, but the fruit is still broad and concentrated. Cherry and leather on the palate, but tastes a little hot even though it is 14.1%.
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1/21/2018 - DesMarteau Likes this wine: 94 Points
light mouthfeel...changing flavors...kiwi, blueberries, kirsch, cherry...integrated tar and spice...really good!
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1/8/2018 - Cow Town Does not like this wine:
Simply the worst bottle of wine that I have had the misfortune to taste more than once. The last of my three bottles, I brought this to a blind tasting of wines 10+ years old. One taster said “I note both dirty diaper and cow manure - I didn’t think that was possible.” Strong worlds, but not inaccurate. I love Rhys/Alesia, and I am glad I can focus on their wines I love.
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12/15/2017 - WetRock wrote:
That fat bretty reduction was really mingled into the fruit here, keeping the wine from expressing itself. Which is a shame because the fruit was still quite rich. There was likely a quite long lived wine here. Lessons were learned.
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11/8/2017 - tomlee wrote: 78 Points
Easily the most bretty wine I have ever had surpassing anything from Pegau and Beaucastel. Virtually undrinkable.
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7/5/2017 - WetRock wrote:
Surprisingly no signs of the overwhelming reduction seen previously. This is a meaty, dense Syrah still just showing some maturity. It's a bit tangy so the finish doesn't exactly come together. Not much in the way of tannin either. It's kinda jumbled but drinking much better than I expected. As mentioned the fruit has barely budged but I do not think there is room for improvement given the tannin situation. I would think most any Cali Syrah fan would like this if the bottle doesn't show the flaws many of these have shown.
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7/4/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
Dinner with Friends (Edwin's/Our Backyard by the Fire): A couple of our friends love brett in wines. I was going to open an older Pegau, but being 4th of July weekend, American wines were called for. Then I remembered I still had a lone bottle of this. Pop and pour, there is plenty of stink on the nose. A slight dill note as well as a brine quality which to me were separate but someone said pickle juice. In any event, the later blew off with air, while the barnyard was intense. Our friends loved it. Also some black raspberries on the nose. Much cleaner on the palate. This took about 20 minutes to start to open and then kept improving all night. Nice texture. Good complexity. Nice fruit. I can see why some would hate this (my wife did), but I found it complex and intriguing. Not really sorry its my last bottle, but not sorry I opened it anyway.
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5/31/2014 - dougie wrote: 88 Points
Another meh bottle. Not great, but not bad.
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4/30/2014 - Blcmdpa@gmail.com wrote: 86 Points
this wine at a very strange nose. The erroneous were available to chat to a bowl nature, asparagus or artichoke was the background not much food. This was quite of pudding. The flavors have contracted significantly height berry flavors not much editing for definition. Labor was quite short not much of a lingering taste. Overall a fairly unsatisfactory bottle.
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2/10/2014 - jwebtx wrote: flawed
dumped down drain. too much funk
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2/3/2014 - karpos wrote: 90 Points
Very similar to my first bottle 4 years ago. Funky nose of sulfur and damp molding underbrush. Underneath that is a full and lush Syrah, with a hint of mint.
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12/8/2013 - dougie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another good bottle! No funk at all.
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6/29/2013 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Another good showing. Lifted aromatics of earthy funk, olives, smoked meat and red and black fruit. Palate has smooth, round fruit with juicy acidity lying beneath providing pop. Seamless. Medium plus finish with sweet and savory. Fortunately, my bottles or my palate aren't getting the much maligned brett factor - the funk is just right and adds interest and complexity.
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6/2/2013 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Hugely funky nose is just gorgeous and complex - black fruit, olives, smoked meat and pepper with a good dose of Brett / funk. Nose just keeps getting better - love the interplay do sweet and savory. Palate is medium rich with smooth, velvet black fruit that is oh so fresh and light on its feet. A ton of energy across the mid palate. More terrific interplay of Sonoma fruit and funky, savory, peppery notes. Long finish. In a great spot!
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4/24/2013 - jfkwines wrote: 90 Points
Funky smell, but wine worked well especially after a flat bottom decant of about 45 minutes.
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10/31/2012 - mlawren1 wrote: 86 Points
Bit funky nose, almost black olives. The glass opens up to more stone fruit and berries. Weird wine.
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9/23/2012 - shemmy wrote:
Drinkable. Which is far more than I can say for the bottle I had several years ago.
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9/1/2012 - WetRock wrote:
This was all over the place. There was some notes of brett floating around and that reduction. The alcohol also stuck out pretty badly. Disjointed enough that it distracted you from any positive qualities you wanted to hang onto. Not developing in a positive way in my estimation.
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8/11/2012 - dougie wrote: flawed
poured down the drain.
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6/17/2012 - mlawren1 wrote: 91 Points
was a bit simple up front, syrupy cherry. Gives way to some nice vanilla and plum with berries underneath.
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6/6/2012 - thomaskeil wrote: 90 Points
PnP. Similar to my bottle 3 years ago, with more integration and more etoh poking out. Thought I had grabbed a PN, and was scratching my head for a while as I could imagine it being an big Cali RR PN but not Alesia/Rhys. On second trip to the bottle an 'a ha'. Still going well (but not as well as well as in '09).
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3/31/2012 - dougie wrote: 91 Points
Surprinsingly good. Have had a great one, a poor one and now a good one. hmmm. Maybe I should have returned per Rhys web site, but thisi was pretty good.
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3/3/2012 - reese wrote: flawed
Sewer stew. Something went really wrong with this bottle. Stunk up the kitchen for a good while after I had poured it down the drain.
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1/14/2012 - rdsboca wrote: 88 Points
I took a gamble and popped my last bottle of this wine. From past experience, I thought I was just making room in the cellar and would have to pour it down the drain. Not true. Some funk, but manageable. I also have a decent tolerance for syrah funk. Crushed rock and pure blue and red fruit emerge. Some roasted pepper, cooked raspberry purée and mature cherry are intertwined with some moss, loam and a volcanic rock component. I like this wine. I might not seek it out but it deserved a second chance from me and it was redeemed.
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1/6/2012 - mlawren1 wrote: 88 Points
Bit to much vanilla, some nice fruit but just just disjointed in the glass. Doesn't come together.
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11/1/2011 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 92 Points
A polarizing wine......could be brett, definitely funk....and I like it! The nose is wild....barnyard, Hickory Farms Summer Sausage, leather, pepper, wild berries, tar. Perfectly fine on the palate...with creamy dark berry fruits(blackberry/blueberry), peppered beef, leather, kirsch liqueur....still nice acidity and beautiful florals, deep spices. If you don't mind the funk on the nose, a very nice pumped up Cali Syrah, balancing up nicely with its age. My best bottle yet.
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9/6/2011 - Screameagle wrote: 90 Points
Just a very nice bottle of syrah that is drinking great. Happy to have a bottle left. I love the Rhys wines and this is no exception.
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6/25/2011 - mlawren1 wrote: 92 Points
Almost pinot like on the open, lots of earth and barnyard. opens up into plums and berries. not your typical cali syrah, but really nice wine.
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3/31/2011 - Cow Town wrote: flawed
Drinking this almost four years after my first bottle, and again was greeted with an awful smell of rotten eggs, sulfer, bandaids and general funk. I had hoped that the wine would have resolved some of these issues in the bottle, but it appears not. I have one bottle left, but I don't have high hopes for it.
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3/30/2011 - pjhr wrote: 93 Points
Best bottle of the three! The barnyard nose has integrated beautifully with rich blackberry, earth, and spice notes on the palate.
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1/23/2011 - lbrent wrote: 89 Points
Rich deep fruit, blackberry kirsch. Nice iron-earth. No brett issue.
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1/23/2011 - lbrent wrote:
Rich deep fruit, blackberry kirsch. Nice iron-earth. No brett issue.
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1/13/2011 - rjoyer wrote:
I didn't really know what to expect from this wine before pulling the cork, but was immediately greeted by a big and rich syrah that somehow managed to keep from being over the top. The nose didn't change a whole lot over the 3 hours or so that I followed it, other than a little reduction blowing off within the first half hour. The mouthfeel was chewy and awash with blue/black berry fruit. I also picked up some meaty/iron-like tones on both the palate and nose.
This gave me the sense that it is still quite young, though seems to be drinking well at the moment. I think this is about as big/bold/chewy of a syrah as I can still enjoy.
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11/27/2010 - scooter260 wrote: 80 Points
I thought my last bottle was unique with all the meat/bacon and funk. Now I think this is just plain shit. Glad these are gone.
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9/16/2010 - salil wrote: flawed
Full of brett; stinky, funky and full of barnyard shit and leather. There's some red and dark fruit initially underneath all the funk, but with air it just gets nastier and eventually the brett dominates anything that might be pleasurable in here.
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9/11/2010 - Chateaunewf wrote: 83 Points
Not flawed with brett like many others have experienced but way over the top in style. Massive dark red and blue fruits on the nose and a few alcoholic fumes too, The flavor is similar with not so subtle or graceful gops of dak fruit. High tones and almost undrinkable for my apate. I can't believe that this Alesia wine is produced from the same folks as Rhys. This provides negative pleasure in that I could not finish a sigle glass and it gave me a massive headache. Unfortunately, I have another 4 bottles of expensive cooking wine.
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6/17/2010 - Screameagle wrote: flawed
Brett City. Down the drain.
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4/15/2010 - wequedad wrote: flawed
Just awful. Poured this and two more down the drain.
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12/31/2009 - theRealPepe wrote: flawed
This wine was a bretty poopy mess. Too bad because it seems like there is something interesting beneath the fecal stew. Hope my other two bottles fare better!
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12/10/2009 - gutt22 wrote:
14.1% alcohol. Somewhere between the flawed first and unflawed second bottles. Some brett and burnt rubber on the nose, but mostly clean. Plenty of peppery blue fruit and meat on the nose and palate. Texturally quite nice and a solid finish that dried out less than the most clean bottle of the three. B+
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11/9/2009 - gutt22 wrote:
14.1% alcohol. Okay, I'll admit it. This bottle surprised me. I was ready for the rubberized, difficult stuff I had tasted in the first bottle two years ago. Nope. This was as close to clean as this wine probably gets. Deep red/purple color. A touch of funk on the nose, but soaring blue and black fruits with a peppered meat edge to it, along with some stemmy qualities. In the mouth, rich and powerful, with loads of fruit and complexity fighting for the spotlight. Quite smooth on the finish. Drinking well -- if the bottle is clean. A-
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10/24/2009 - shaferguy91 wrote: 90 Points
Nose on the wine was pretty bad upon opening. However I have had this wine before. I triple splash decanted over 2 hours and the funky nose was gone. What was left was a pretty tasty syrah. Nice black cherry,pepper and roasted meat flavors.
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10/16/2009 - decaturwinedude wrote: flawed
Another bottle crapped the hella-funked up to shittyness. Love Rhys/Alesia, but the '04 Chileno has had some issues.
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10/7/2009 - JFish wrote:
Upon opening, popped and poured a bit into a glass. Major reduction and funk jumping from the glass. Poured another glass using a Vinturi and it helped a little bit. Opened enough to pair okay with some oven baked pasta with homemade tomato sauce. But on its own, it was just too funky and seemed a bit sweet to really enjoy. My last and least enjoyable of three bottles.
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10/3/2009 - NDrulz wrote: 91 Points
Funk is gone, good on 1st evening, wonderful on 2nd day
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10/1/2009 - pakabear wrote: 80 Points
Consistent to my previous note, rotten fruit smell dominates, just too weird and not enjoyable.
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9/20/2009 - babnik wrote: flawed
My yearly checkup on this wine... it is still a mistake.
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9/8/2009 - Moorese wrote: flawed
Nope. Another clearly flawed bottle. Almost overpowering rotten eggs and buttered corn. I poured a glass and dumped. Waited an hour, poured a glass, and dumped. Then waited overnight, poured a glass, and dumped the remainder of the bottle. The reductive qualities did not blow off. But in spite of this note, I'm confident about what this winery is doing and how committed they are, and I'm sure there was nothing to suggest that some bottles were destined for the drain. These things are fungible and perishable even with the utmost care. But - if I were sitting on an unopened stash of these, I'd check in before further taking up cellar space.
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9/1/2009 - thomaskeil wrote: 91 Points
Held off until now due to reports of VA, but wanted check into recent Brett reports. PnP. Bare whiff of reduction notes on opening, then into highly expressive dark cherry, roasted meats, iodine and black pepper/spice. Palate has fairly high intensity cherry/blueberry fruit laced with almost burnt meats, iron, and some spice. Nicely balanced tannin and acid. Medium complexity and low medium finesse. Medium short length. Highly interesting syrah in a style I enjoy.
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8/24/2009 - JeffcB wrote: flawed
Undrinkable. At best. Tastes like a cheap barbecue sauce. Only worse.
Mistakenly noted on pinot before somehow.
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8/17/2009 - EMichels wrote: 85 Points
Barnyard funky nose
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8/17/2009 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
Less barnyard on the nose and more complexity on the palate compared with the prior bottle.
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8/9/2009 - reese wrote: 88 Points
Odd nose dominated by lactic aromas and some blue and black fruits. On the palate medium weight, blackberry and an interesting compost note but the lactic aromas distract... On day two, the funky nose is gone and I find the wine pleasant but more acid dominated. I will hold my last bottle for a few years to see what happens....
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8/1/2009 - Patch wrote:
Definately picked up the "funky" smell that other reviewers mentioned. Made it difficult to drink. Not sure how much of that was simply power of suggestion though...
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7/30/2009 - GA wrote: 87 Points
7/09 Odd nose - olive finish - may have been slightly off. 87 pts.
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7/29/2009 - Cheryl wrote: flawed
Syrahs and Duck (PDH, New York City): Dirty nose, cardboard on palate.
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7/29/2009 - JOsgood wrote:
This had a dirty and funky flavor profile that never blew off. It was hard to drink. Possibly flawed.
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7/13/2009 - fredb wrote:
Deep red color. Initial nose of a blackberry milkshake. Later evolves to show some roasted meat, cardamom, and blueberry character. Palate impression initially is of blackberries and cream with a very round, low acid presentation. The finish is long with meat flavors emerging. Evolution in the glass adds notes of blood, iodine, and maybe a licorice note. The initial impressions show a wine that isn't all together right now, but that is hedonistic in its disorder. Time in the decanter/glass may help. On day two, this still shows a strange lactic quality (previously referred to as milkshake). Something here doesn't map to my template of what Syrah should taste like and it is distracting. Iron and mineral notes show underneath the blueberry milkshake nose. The palate remains disjoint and now seems a bit hot. Hold for development?
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7/3/2009 - pinotwinelover wrote: 90 Points
I enjoyed this. The second day I picked up the funk more than the first, but many rhone wines have far more than this and it adds character. I picked a rich vanilla blueberry and liked this wine.
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6/21/2009 - hudamang wrote: 90 Points
This was consumed with Fu and his crew with some homemade fried chicken. The wine exceeded my expectation. Maybe a slight barnyard nose but the palate had meaty blood and dark berries and spices. I liked the complexity of this...
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6/6/2009 - cookie7 wrote:
Not enjoyable. Yes it had the funk, but that alone was not the problem - lots of alcohol very little fruit - no balance.
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5/26/2009 - yui wrote: 89 Points
A little funky, sulfur upon opening. Some of it blew off but still was evident. Nice silky syrah. lts of berries.
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5/24/2009 - rmodak wrote: 91 Points
My first thought was France. This may not be to everyone's taste, but I loved it. Initial hint of reduction blew off, revealing a melange of black cherry, roasted meat, blood (iodine), black pepper, with chewy mouthfeel and long finish. This is the first time I have gotten blood from a Cali syrah. Very impressive.
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4/8/2009 - BonnieM wrote:
Guess we were lucky, there was no funk at all in this bottle. Lovely example of syrah-spice and licorice mixed with dark fruit. Very enjoyable.
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4/2/2009 - charbo wrote:
Had this a over a year ago and liked it much better this time. A great nose. And I mean great. So Rhone. Red meat, spice, dark fruits with licorice and a hint of some espresso. The taste was similar and o so not overly fruity. The finish was short at first but improved with time. For me the wine was a bit too chewy. It didnt have that purity of a Rhone style wine that I would perfer. With that said a very enjoyable syrah that I would love to try again
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3/13/2009 - vanpe003 wrote: 85 Points
Meat, bacon, tar on an odd nose. A bit of tire rubber on the palate, finishing with a bit of clipping on the finish. The only thing that saves this at all is a relatively silky midpalate. In general I didn't like it.
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2/11/2009 - tonyvelebil wrote: 89 Points
Opened my final bottle of this juice tonight to attend "Message to the Field"...Southwest Airlines annual message to their employees. Eye opening comments from their CEO.
That being said...initially reductive but not nearly as bad as some other bottles. Reduction, licorice, rich brambly blackberry fruit, and some citrus fruit. It's rich for sure but seems to possess enough acidity to keep it fresh. That being said, Traci wasn't a big fan. She thought it tasted like a malodorous armpit would smell. My only quibble with this bottle was that the finish was pretty clipped. Still much better than previous bottles.
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2/11/2009 - BHull wrote: flawed
nose was so off it was not drinkable, similar to many previous notes
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2/9/2009 - jbposell wrote: 91 Points
Had to toss the bottle of this we had previously, but this one was outstanding! Notes of bacon fat, espresso, and blackberry all poured into a structure that complemented food and didn't overpower. Some stink upon opening, but that blew off with less than an hour of decanting. Night and day versus the last bottle. Weird, but not that unusual, esp with 04 Alesias...
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2/6/2009 - karpos wrote: 89 Points
Funky, funky nose, sulfur/eggs. Underneath that is a wonderful wine, with great legs. Structured and dense, but with just enough fruit to keep it together. Too bad about the nose, or this would be higher.
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1/20/2009 - Ski4Vin wrote:
I'm not getting any of the negative characteristics others have noted and am enjoying the wine. Perhaps it is because I'm on the tail end of a cold.
Day 2 - I'm tasting more, and it is getting worse
Day 3 - Repeat
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1/2/2009 - JonnyB wrote: flawed
uhhh, I popped and poured into my decanter swirled and sniffed.............AND ALMOST THREW UP. 24 hours later the sewer gas smell is gone but so is everything else. What happened to these and are people getting credits from Rhys?
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1/1/2009 - uhclem wrote: 87 Points
The funk that everyone else has commented on was present in my bottle. Pretty nasty on opening, but it did blow off after about 1.5-2 hours. What's left behind is a jammy quaff, that went well with the duck cassoulet we made on NYE. It was an ok wine after all, but you wouldn't want to bring it to a dinner party.
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12/29/2008 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
Barnyard funk on the nose and palate with dark blackberry, smoke and pepper notes on the lively finish.
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12/23/2008 - scottj wrote:
Decanted 4 hours before serving. Not enough time ... Offered a reductive nose of burnt rubber and tar. Some evidence of rich fruit hiding underneath, but very difficult to get past the aromas. I should have left this open for another night, and popped a different bottle.
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12/20/2008 - JFish wrote:
2nd bottle I've opened showing pronounced reduction. Decanted and tasted over 5 hours. At about the 4 hour mark the reduction started to blow off, yielding to dark, smoky fruit.
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11/30/2008 - N2Vin wrote: 94 Points
A strikingly unique Syrah from California. The nose is full of spiced italian cold cuts, smoke, iodine, black pepper and pepsin. The palate is full of tar and scorched earth, dried black fruit, cloves, pepper and wet dog fur (yep, from my childhood). The finish shows tight tannins with remarkable smoothness on the finish which goes on and on. Finally, the wine has a very unusual fineness, even delicate feel given its complexity. Much improved from my tasting 15 months ago.
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11/28/2008 - conform wrote:
First bottle of this I've had to show the reductive nose that others have commented on.
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11/26/2008 - Ekoostik wrote: 84 Points
Nose is really funky, doesnt fully follow through to the palate though as the depth of fruit balances it somewhat. On the palate its fairly interesting but ultimately flawed imo. If you dont like the funk I would drink these before the fruit fades and all your left with is brett.
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11/22/2008 - Screameagle wrote: 91 Points
I really liked this wine. It seems to be entering its prime drinking window. Extremely flavorful, not over the top like so many other syrahs I've consumed lately. Happy to have a couple left.
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11/14/2008 - scooter260 wrote: 91 Points
I just can't believe how much bacon fat comes through in this bottle. I drank one on 12/18/07 and my notes were "holy bloody meat bacon fat". 1 year later, still the same. what a monster. Deep red, almost black. Brooding. I'm shocked to read any notes below that say "elegant". Unlike any wine I've ever had and I really like that! Enjoyed with Yum! Bakery take-out.
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11/7/2008 - dougie wrote: 88 Points
Boy was this funky for the first two hours- and that was after decanting and waiting a half hour. The nose was so off, that I almost opened another wine. Then, after hour two, it mellowed and very good flavors came around and were not over powered by the funkiness at the beginning (and saying funkiness is being nice). Either wait or decant a long while next time. disappointing for a $42 bottle of wine.
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11/4/2008 - kris.h wrote: 92 Points
Deep dense red color. The nose seems to cause some controversy as right out of the bottle it's funky and reduced smelling a little like a sulphury swamp thought not as bad as when I first tasted it about 18 months ago. A few hours in a decanter with a copper penny cleaned it right up. There's now a gorgeous nose of dark fruits, olives, and roasted meat. The palate shows good acidity with moderate tannins. Lush fruit and a long finish. The tannins have softened quite a bit since my last taste. Very good now with extended decanting. I expect a few more years in the cellar will do this some good.
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10/11/2008 - onewineheaven wrote: 94 Points
Very nice. Still young. Aromas of white pepper with floral notes, brambles, earthy. Smooth tannins. More refined than most Cali syrah. Still need a couple of years.
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10/10/2008 - babnik wrote: flawed
Stinky and leaves a bad aftertaste.
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9/10/2008 - jwwinec wrote:
Still pretty funky when first opened. Much better on day 2 - notes of flowers, minerals, and deep ripe fruit. Nice velvety texture. Could use some more freshness and vibrancy to help prop up its size.
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9/3/2008 - Mrbuzz wrote: 91 Points
Still FUNKY....I can see some pucking their GUTS out drinkin this.....shows a little better than my last(first) bottle. Ooozing deep black berry fruit, funky funk funk roast beef blood, smoky cherry tar asphalt, slight acidic tingle. Nice florals and smoked sweet spice. Still not much of a finish...but gaining since the first. I like this wine, for now....but could EASILY be put off if my tastes change in the slightest. Not looking to buy more.....
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8/7/2008 - budman wrote: 87 Points
Odd nose. Smelled like rubber bands. The palate, however, was pleasant. Strange wine.
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7/31/2008 - jbposell wrote: flawed
Grim. Stinky upon opening, acidic and disjointed. Never came around. Tried it on Day 2, same deal.
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7/22/2008 - conform wrote:
Considerable evolution over a 4-hour drinking window. Mint in the nose on opening turned to straightforward Cali syrah, which developed a slightly musty mushroom/olive nose before the palate really opened up at about three hours. Rich and complex, with good texture. Tapenade and mushroom, warm meat, a very nice last glass.
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7/20/2008 - spacewrangler wrote: 89 Points
Super stinky roast beef and bloody raw beef to start. Coffee, soy and plum round this out. Very odd nose/funk - but tasty nevertheless.
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7/19/2008 - CMCLR wrote: 83 Points
Too much funk on the nose. Strange almost.
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6/15/2008 - Art Vandelay wrote:
Undrinkable thus no score.
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6/6/2008 - CMCLR wrote: 85 Points
Funky nose. Cross between coffee grounds and barnyard.
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5/3/2008 - Schudog wrote: 91 Points
Should have read the other notes first. Opened night one and could not stand the astringent tannins (loved the funky nose, but the combo was overwhelming). Forgot about it Day 2. Day 3 - funky nose has muted but still detectable (and somewhat intoxicating). The astringent nature of the wine has wholly subsided, and the purity and depth of fruit is superb. Wait 2-3 years to try the next bottle
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4/28/2008 - riccodog13 wrote: 89 Points
Showing some reduction. With plum, blueberry, coffee and oak underneath. Very dark and brooding with strong coffee notes I often find in Sonoma Coast syrah. Tannins should support some aging that will help bring the wine into better balance. Drink now-2013. 89+ pts.
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2/21/2008 - JFish wrote:
This wine has been calling my name every time I walk into the cellar so I broke down and opened one. Dumped into the decanter. The nose was all reduction. Poured a glass to sit a while and the reduction did not blow off. At the 2.5 hour mark, the reduction finally started to relent and yielded to the concentrated, dark fruit. The acidity that also stood out in the beginning was less noticeable. My remaining bottles will rest a few years before I open another.
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2/12/2008 - jbaron wrote:
Another barnyard.
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2/6/2008 - 5laton wrote:
Wow, lots of animale/barnyard aromas dominating here. Smells more like a little brett to me than reduction but not sure. With time the nose settles down a bit into a crushed dark fruit, smoked meat, bretty sort of groove. On the palate this is loaded with rich, concentrated dark fruits, smoke, and also an intense savory, dried brown tobacco/animale flavor. There is an estery component to the sweetness here that to me speaks of overripe or bruised fruit. It's definitely not as fresh as some of the other Alesia syrahs. Lots of structure, with chewy, chunky astringent tannins that grow in intensity with time in the glass. Retasting 24 hours later, the brett notes have crossed the threshold for me, it's really kind of smothering the other components here, and after swallowing unfortunately it's all you can taste.
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1/25/2008 - dougie wrote: 92 Points
After ordering a case of pinots/syrahs, I wanted to try a bottle from my last order. I have seen a lot of controversal reviews. My first Syrah from Rhys/Alesia.
Well, I love it. It is concentrated, but also has a smooth, harmoneous finish. Very rich, but not over the top for me. I decanted it for two hours and drank it over the next three hours. Wonderful wine.
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1/22/2008 - yui wrote: 93 Points
Another WOW. Very elegant. Not like OTT wines from Aussie/CA syrah's with a lot of heat I've had before. Nose of dark berries, soy sauce, salami rind. Nice long finish that's deep and thought provoking. Style is very Alesia/Rhys. I want more of this. Definitely I should get my full allocation plus more.
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1/18/2008 - realale wrote:
As I'd been warned, it was heavily reduced on opening. So I splash decanted it last night, returned it to the bottle and saved it for tonight. Much, much nicer tonight, though there is still a hint of reduction. The color is a deep, almost black purple. The nose has bright red fruits (cranberry, tart cherry) mixed with a good dose of black olive and wet clay. It lacks the over ripeness that plagues a lot of California cracks at this variety. Prior to tasting it, I'd probably guess Northern Rhone from a relatively ripe year (or so I'd like to think). In the mouth, it's much bigger with more richness than I expected from the nose, but there is substance there too, in the form of decent acidity and a firm, but fine, tannic spine. A very nice effort, and I'll leave my other bottle to age for a couple of years.
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12/20/2007 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Spice, blackberries, pepper and minerals. Full bodied effort that will improve with time.
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12/18/2007 - scooter260 wrote: 90 Points
Holy bloody meat bacon fat! Took 2 hours for all of this to blow off. Wow. Big old bloody steak wrapped in bacon! Man! Really different and young. Wait 2 years for the next? Enjoyed with shrimp scampi from Let's Dish.
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12/15/2007 - Tree512 wrote: 89 Points
Big and bold but not the disjointed mess other people have remarked upon. Lots of fruit with real Syrah characteristics, decent lushness but not blowsy or candied. Perfect for lovers of CA wines or when the goal is fruit rather than complexity.
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12/8/2007 - decaturwinedude wrote: 90 Points
My experience here mirrors manhy previous notes. Decanted for two hours. Holy shit. No really, totally crapadelic on first glass. Funked all the way up, yet lurking below is intense dark fruit. With heavy swirling and extended air more meaty notes emerge with deep blackberry and blueberry. Long, meaty, chewy finish. Built to last. I like this, but patience is required here. My other bottles will sit for 3 years.
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11/30/2007 - conform wrote:
Decanted 2 hours. Slightly odd nose, strong floral notes and maybe a hint of reduction (but nothing like the severe sulphur and rubber some have reported with this vintage of Alesia). Color is intense red with a fair amount of pinkishness to the hue. This wine isn't super dark, but seems to have a staining quality to it -- the legs have a lot of color to them. Palate is full and rich. Some candy, sweet tannins, and cassis and other dark fruits. I might have guessed this to be a cabernet if it was served blind. Finish is nice, longish, and has a significant lingering coconut aspect.
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11/26/2007 - ChillyWino wrote: 88 Points
Deep purple. Excellent nose of dark fruits, spice, smoke, and earth. A good feel and solid finish. Seemed to be missing a little in the mid palate.
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10/18/2007 - HurrahSyrah wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. This wine was garnet/dark garnet in the glass. On the nose, aromas of blackberries, raspberries and black cherries with notes of smoked meat, white pepper and tar. On the palate, flavors of blueberries and blackberries led the forefront with notes of smoked meat and minerality giving way to a herbs and pepper on the finish. Definitely looking forward to opening the next bottle with a bit more bottle age... HS91
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10/8/2007 - clee wrote: 70 Points
Heavily reduced on the nose and wildly alcoholic on the palate.
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9/22/2007 - NDrulz wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for one hour - funky rubber smoky nose but complimented shrimp etoufee wonderfully. A complex wine for a complex dish.
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9/12/2007 - JScott wrote: 89 Points
Certainly more shy on the nose than the Sonoma, and I think less expressive overall at this stage. I find none of the flaws that some others have described here, nothing bretty or reductive. It's not short or hollow either, but not the fullest or longest. If anything, at this stage it's more remarkable for being a bit unremarkable.
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9/9/2007 - Paul Lin wrote:
OC Wine Dinner (Antonellos - Orange County, CA): I somehow missed tasting this one. Oops!
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9/9/2007 - pakabear wrote: 81 Points
Decanted for 6 hours. Initially and after the decant the nose was so bad I couldn't even smell it. Lots of rotten fruit, bacon and barnyard (crap).
Taste was a bit sweet with fairly good balance. I just can't get over that nose.
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9/8/2007 - WetRock wrote:
Decanted about 6 hours prior to consumption. Tire rubber dominates the nose and was still present 6 hours later. Dark full, deep and wide fruit on the palate. Clearly needs some time to stitch together and unwind but a great hedonistic drink now if you can decant the reduction off. Just not sure where that huge reduction is going to go.
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9/8/2007 - Frank Murray III wrote:
OC Wine Dinner--"Pair This" (Antonello In Costa Mesa): Could swear I have tasted this wine one other time, I think courtesy of Jason Hagen at one of our Fratello's gigs. gave it roll again and it really impressed me. Big core of black, slutty fruit, round, plush and forward. Would have liked to try this again today but very much enjoyed it.
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9/7/2007 - Cow Town wrote: 87 Points
Decanted, only to smell barnyard, sulphur and rotten eggs. Took one sip and put back in the bottle. Next day, same routine with almost the same result - but, the fruit started to appear. Put it away and waited another night. Third night was the charm, as the horrific smells almost fully receeded to evolve into an earthy, dense, enjoyable syrah.
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8/31/2007 - CO CHRIS wrote:
14.1% alcohol...Decanted for 1.5 hours...
Somewhat reduced nose, a touch of sulfur-like component, underneath - barely perceptible is some gorgeous fruit waiting to come out, mainly of the rich and black variety, smoke...
WOW on the palate, wow, triple-double secret probation wow, delicious - I'll describe the flavors, but the thing that stands out after the first sip is that I am still tasting the wine over 45 seconds later - perfect detail all along, not a fading finish, rather a permanent stain on your palate of flavor...sweet fruit, carried by firm acidity and backbone of ripe tannins, what I keep getting in waves are the blackest fruit, smoked meat, dramatic intensity. I have one of my 3 bottles remaining and will most likely sit it out for a while. Delicious wine, very showy now, but I'd like to see where this will go. ****/*****.
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8/1/2007 - N2Vin wrote: 90 Points
Wild wine. Nose not particularly impressive, but may be because it was breezy outside. Seemed a combination of barnyard, fresh leather, tar and wet forest. Tasted of briar patch, cheap lavender perfume, asian spice potpourri, and black berry. A dark wine with a full body and powerful tannins that finish rather rough and astringent.
This wine is not as much about ripeness and fruit. At 14% alcohol, its a downright whimp for a new world shiraz. It is about exoitic complexities of less ripened syrah from the Sonoma Coast area. It is somewhat out of balance though with the powerful tannin. This wine could go anywhere in the future. Hard to say, but fun to contemplate.
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7/23/2007 - charbo wrote:
after an hour or so decant a great nose of chocolate and black fruit. the palate was pure. Chocolate, blacbbery, and some tar. Great feeling wine. Mouth coating. But then the wine just quit. no finish what so ever. Too bad because it took away from what could have been a beauty.
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7/15/2007 - keithgg wrote: 90 Points
Pretty good stuff with some classic syrah tones. Big and Caliesque but good balance with some nice pepper tones. Very pure colo; nose a little off-putting but did not repulse me like many of this style. Shoudl improve but hard to say how long-lived it will be.
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7/14/2007 - NolesOnTop wrote:
Wine evolved in decanter. Definitely put on weight. Lots going on in the nose. Flint and steel. Floral. Dark berries. Slight chocolate. Taste is very pure. Dark blackberries moving to blueberries. Pepper. Slight chocolate. Good acidity. Although the dark berries seem heavy, the weight is light on the tongue. Long, dry finish. I enjoyed this wine. REading the other notes, I would say that the nose was somewhat off to begin with, but got better in the decanter. I decanted this wine for over two hours, but was sampling along the way. I enjoyed it the whole time, but thought it was more expansive after about two hours.
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7/13/2007 - jbaron wrote: flawed
Badly reduced? Sulfur and rubber. Never resolved. Good fruit, but obscured by problems. Hard to say that this bottle is "flawed" rather than just "inferior". Nasty.
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6/16/2007 - Nevin wrote: flawed
lots of sulfur in the way of what might have been a nice wine
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5/21/2007 - Mrbuzz wrote: 91 Points
Dark oozberry in color. Oh yea....funk-show-brother reduction nose! I love it! Alban-like sweet asphalt, tar, smoked meat, white pepper, florals. A smooth power in the mouth...rich and juicy blackberry, cherry, blueberry fruit, slight acidic tingle, sweet asphalt, peppered beef, flint stone. Love the florals, smoky spice...reminds me a little of a Pax Obsidian? But where is the finish??? You get a little spice like in the end....then it's gone! Left with a hollow shell? Pax and Alban will linger for minutes....this wine vanishes...leaves you with a wax-like nothing-ness? To bad for the ending, because to wine rocked up until. 5pt deduction because.
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5/16/2007 - babnik wrote: flawed
Umm... there seems to be something wrong with this wine. It emits very unpleasant aromas. I suspect reduction: sulphur, cabbage, rubber... even get a bit of a horsey character which might even indicate brett. What can I say? It's a complex nose but in this case it's not a good thing. Oh well. The wine tastes pretty good. It's just difficult to get without holding your nose or using a really long straw. I'll have to open another bottle before making a buying decision next year.
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5/11/2007 - ErichZ wrote: 88 Points
Funky nose. Some dark red fruit but little else. The ALC seems higher than stated on bottle and does come though. Nice long smooth finish. I will try again in a year, but right now this is not my style.
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5/9/2007 - spacewrangler wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 4+ hours. Great syrah showing lots of complexity: roast beef, pepper, dark berries, chocolate and on and on.
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5/4/2007 - AlexRed wrote: 92 Points
freash out of the gate, big and blueberry, nice and silky. then has some spice and clove as the sweetness of the blueberry subsides after 30 minutes to 1 hour or so. nice fruit foraward syrah, but also has lots of grilled meat and pepper too. by the endo of the night it was more lavendar, spice, meat and pepper. what a nice ride.
very tasty.
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5/2/2007 - shemmy wrote:
Weird, weird, weird. I have little to add to the prior notes, but I did have to give the bottle a good shake to release some fizz. Good? Not sure. Will let the rest sit for a while and see where it goes.
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4/26/2007 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 86 Points
I loved this initially with its intense olive aroma and classic structure. Vastly better than the Sonoma Coast Syrah from the fall release. But I have to admit that after a few minutes it got really weird. Some people found the scents off-putting; I didn't, but can certainly understand how this wine became controversial, or so variable depending on where you catch it.
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4/15/2007 - jwwinec wrote: 90 Points
Wow, was this ever stinky when I first opened it - lots of rotten eggs. I left it open for 24 hours and it was much better, albeit showing very unusual aromas and flavors. I like Rollerball's observation of salinity. And, the nose actually reminds me of tequila. The fruit is very dark and reclusive, wrapped in smokey herbs. Decent concentration, relatively low tannins for a syrah. This gets extra points for individuality.
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4/15/2007 - CO CHRIS wrote:
14.1% alc...
Not nearly as reduced as my earlier 04 PN from Alesia, though I decanted for 2.5+ hours while the duck roasted...
Every descriptor for the nose is BIG...smoke, as in fresh meat on the grill smoke, no char, complimentary green herbs, white pepper, black olives, tar, Lord have mercy this is going to be fun, the nose is truly invigorating...the palate albeit structured, is quite simply the textbook equivalent of balance, sweet red fruit merging to black across the palate, liquid smoke, sweet and gorgeous choco laced black fruits, and a loooooong finish that keeps going...this is one damned fine wine. Damn fine.
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4/14/2007 - Rollerball wrote: 89 Points
Point: Something unique, finally, for a change. But I'm alone in a crowd of nay sayers. It's salty and enticing; singular. You defintely can't eat just one. I've never tasted a syrah quite like it and I wish I hadn't had both bottles before I could give them several years to integrate. I voted to give it a 92.
Counterpoint: One often wonders what happens to the old vineyard dogs or the flip-flops worn to too many beaches or that hat worn to during many sweaty softball seasons. I believe we've found the answer to all the above with this lovely wine.
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4/3/2007 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points
Begins with blueberry and--something--Is this an off bottle?; but evolves to a sweet and daring perfume of cloves and intoxicating wild flower, sea water, and spring forest, which is reminiscent of (but more dangerous than) the 2003 Clos Mimi Petite Rousse that first got me interested in Syrah. In 2.5 hours, this wine has changed dramatically several times and has now reached a well-built spicy cherry that crashes unevenly on every shore the tongue. The receding waves are ripe and bitter sweet. Overall a bit too hot. The crowd here was intrigued but largely turned off, possibly because it did not pair well (and showed bitterly) with the bright tomato sauce on the chicken / prosciutto ravioli. Personally I'm perplexed; but I like that. Epilogue: 20 minutes later, hot medium-rare beef on the nose. Score reflects the very interesting nature of the wine tempered by the fact that it was so controversial.
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4/1/2007 - Stephan O wrote: 93 Points
Wow. Apparently I'm one of the believers, and then some. The truly powerful nose shows brambly black fruit and raspberry, with pepper and beef in the mix as well. The blackberry-laden palate brings a surprising amount of acidity and minerality -- but not so much that you don't realize that this is from California. The finish lasts forever, with the emphasis squarely on herb tones. This is an excellent effort, and it shows great complexity. I already prefer it to the Alesia Pinots, which aren't too bad themselves. I'm looking forward to many more Syrahs from the Rhys folks.
P.S. -- I opened a second bottle on 7/17/07 and faced the same problem that other tasters here have. The wine was reduced and altogether off-kilter. I guess some bottles are more noticeably flawed than others, because my first experience was absolutely fantastic (and without any trace of such issues). I've had some "fizz" problems with Rhys's Alesia Pinots, too, but those have resolved themselves with just a bit of air. Unfortunately, there was no resolution in this instance. I hope the Rhys folks can get these technical kinks ironed out, because they detract from what would otherwise be marvelous wines. (I've lowered my earlier score by a point, even though I thoroughly enjoyed my earlier taint-free bottle, simply to account for the technical flaws I found on the second occasion.)
P.P.S. -- I opened a third bottle on 9/16/08, and it was much more like the first that I had. No real fizz or reduction problems. Just good, viscuous, beefy, blackberry-heavy Syrah. I'm still having more luck with Rhys's Syrahs than its Pinots.
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3/28/2007 - Moorese wrote:
After reading a few surprisingly negative notes, I couldn't resist the lure of trying this bottle. Opened a full hour before the first glass was poured, the nose is every bit as troublesome as prior notes suggest -- spent fireworks, rotten eggs, and boiled asparagus dominate. Over the course of three hours, this unappealing nose did not resolve. On the palate, however, the wine shows more promise with notes of roasted meats, rich sweet fruit, and an enduring finish. In short, I have no idea and cannot rate this wine at this point. I'll give the good folks at Rhys the benefit of the doubt and lay the remainder down for a while.
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3/24/2007 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Massive nose of burnt rubber (Elena said 'flies'). This has not totally disappated even after vigourous swirling in the decanter and (now) O/N. Reluctant blackberry nose. Good fruit with a peppery core and dried berries. Nice body. A trace of sweetness. Certainly no big flaws or abuses here - assuming the nose is a post-bottling/travelling artifact - but not really compelling or interesting.
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3/23/2007 - kris.h wrote: 92 Points
This stinks! Literally. There is an overpowering sulphury stench rising from the glass. Lots of aeration and a copper penny helps dissipate the sulphur. After 30 minutes in the glass some beautiful fruit is revealed on the nose. Dark fruits, blackberry, and blueberry are noticeable, along with some smoke and just a hint of wood. On the palate, the wine reveals mouth puckering tannins and watering acidity. Nice sweet ripe fruit and a medium to full body. Long finish. Well balanced. An excellent Syrah from California. If drinking now, decant for a couple hours to let the sulphur dissipate. 50 + 5 + 12 + 16 + 9
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2/23/2007 - Rich Hanna wrote: 94 Points
Drank in halves. Immediately rebottled and refrigerated half in a 375 after opening.
First half: This was beautiful. Tons of red fruit with great acid on the attack. Very bright and upbeat on the palate, with a lengthy and complex finish. The wine was plain delicious, making it easy to just drink, but it really deserves a moment more to savor.
Second half: Slightly muted as compared the first day, but more complex. The fruit/acid balance is still there, but the volume is turned down. Now there's an strong undercurrent of mushrooms and leather to add a lot of interest to this.
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2/16/2007 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Thanks to Jason for bringing this wine to the SLH OC O/L. Very nice and IMO, drinking well right now. A nose of pepper, meat and perfume. The palate is soft and balanced, with a nice inky feel of chocolate and some blue fruit, finishing with a nice kick of spice. I likey.
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2/15/2007 - Paul Lin wrote: 88 Points
Fratello's Offline - Santa Lucia Highlands (Laguna Niguel, CA): Obviously too young to drink. My notes say "pepper and funk." I recall some plum as well.
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