Ok, let me start with I like their cabs, but not so much their sauv blanc and syrah. I already confessed, so I will admit that I place this wine in the middle of the syrah pack. I is easier to say what is wrong , than what is right. To start with the fruit forwardness did not overly impress, good but not great. The acidity, tannins, legs and aroma were good, not great (I use can you smell it "across the room" test). The last item is price - for the price did I get my money's worth, here it cam up short. I have 2 more bottles, but I personally do not think that will add anything, maybe even decrease my opinion.
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60 minute decant. Nose of black cherry, roses, violets, and tea. Quick bite of dark fruit and meaty notes, then the palate unfolds white pepper, iron, and black tea flavors. The black tea continues on the finish, adding dry black fruit, black olive, dried cherry, and a long lingering finale of tannins and dusty earth. In the late stage of life.
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45 minute decant. Nose of sweet dark red cherries. Palate shows layers of sweet black cherry, cocoa, wet stones, and white pepper with tannins that caress the tongue. The tannins unfold on the finish, adding graphite, granite, plum skins, and a kiss of oak. Super balanced and sophisticated wine.
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PNP-Served up with home made Pizza for family Valentines day dinner. Amazingly smooth tannins. Border line on cassis syrup without going over for me, so darn easy to drink. Day two the other fruit and chocolate notes started to shine. More balanced fruit than stewed meats. Not a Northern Rhone or new world fruit bomb. Lovely take on Syrah from a fantastic vineyard and team. Thanks Lite for the inspiration! 94
Wow- that’s the first word that comes to mind. I am and have been a buyer of their portfolio of wines, first Araujo and now Eisele and while both the estate and altagracia have transitioned into really good juice, I feel like the first few renditions of the Syrah went backwards (feels like they tried to do Northern Rhone but felt forced)- wow no more. This vintage of this Syrah is a knockout. I tasted the 2016 shortly after bottling which felt more of a Northen lean than this vintage (I love northern but also love this style).
Sorry but this is a sultry Sharon Stone dressed in her all white leg crossing scene. If that scene didn’t do it for you, male or female, maybe this wine isn’t for you.
Deep dark and brooding, with beautiful cassis, hint of vanilla (not overt simply beautifully integrated), firm plum (not stewed, not sweet, not unripe), herb, and what seems to be the beginning of a mineral streak but you have to look for it, lush tannins, and a spicy finish (not overtly black or white pepper). I tried to hold out to see how this would develop over time but between the two of us this wine didn’t stand a chance.
One note for whatever it’s worth- since Latour took over, I wouldn’t have thought this would have been produced by them rather would have expected this to be a bada-s Napa producer (Bevan, Smith, Kinsman, Melka, TRB, etc).
Winorama: A winter in Wineland III; 1/4/2019-1/13/2019 (Portland/Willamette, Eureka, Napa): This was quite nice. Very dark and deep but not overdone. There's vanilla which sometimes I find offputting and in this case seemed to be a nice component of the overall wine. Lots of more exotic spices. It's definitely a fruit syrah (e.g. not the meaty-briney thing of northern rhones), but well done and well structured and most importantly not overdone so I found it quite enjoyable.
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4/7/2024 - Mortgage92 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ok, let me start with I like their cabs, but not so much their sauv blanc and syrah. I already confessed, so I will admit that I place this wine in the middle of the syrah pack. I is easier to say what is wrong , than what is right. To start with the fruit forwardness did not overly impress, good but not great. The acidity, tannins, legs and aroma were good, not great (I use can you smell it "across the room" test). The last item is price - for the price did I get my money's worth, here it cam up short. I have 2 more bottles, but I personally do not think that will add anything, maybe even decrease my opinion.
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3/3/2024 - VAGenius Likes this wine: 93 Points
60 minute decant. Nose of black cherry, roses, violets, and tea. Quick bite of dark fruit and meaty notes, then the palate unfolds white pepper, iron, and black tea flavors. The black tea continues on the finish, adding dry black fruit, black olive, dried cherry, and a long lingering finale of tannins and dusty earth. In the late stage of life.
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3/2/2023 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine:
Men Who Wine
Topic: Rhone
This bottles shows a modern yet reserved style of Napa Syrah. It showed well but was overshadowed by terroir of Chave & Guigal.
What does stand out about this wine is the mouth feel. Very round hitting all corners. A very pleasurable wine.
Drink or hold
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9/7/2022 - VAGenius Likes this wine: 95 Points
45 minute decant. Nose of sweet dark red cherries. Palate shows layers of sweet black cherry, cocoa, wet stones, and white pepper with tannins that caress the tongue. The tannins unfold on the finish, adding graphite, granite, plum skins, and a kiss of oak. Super balanced and sophisticated wine.
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2/14/2021 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 94 Points
PNP-Served up with home made Pizza for family Valentines day dinner. Amazingly smooth tannins. Border line on cassis syrup without going over for me, so darn easy to drink. Day two the other fruit and chocolate notes started to shine. More balanced fruit than stewed meats. Not a Northern Rhone or new world fruit bomb. Lovely take on Syrah from a fantastic vineyard and team. Thanks Lite for the inspiration! 94
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2/7/2021 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow- that’s the first word that comes to mind. I am and have been a buyer of their portfolio of wines, first Araujo and now Eisele and while both the estate and altagracia have transitioned into really good juice, I feel like the first few renditions of the Syrah went backwards (feels like they tried to do Northern Rhone but felt forced)- wow no more. This vintage of this Syrah is a knockout. I tasted the 2016 shortly after bottling which felt more of a Northen lean than this vintage (I love northern but also love this style).
Sorry but this is a sultry Sharon Stone dressed in her all white leg crossing scene. If that scene didn’t do it for you, male or female, maybe this wine isn’t for you.
Deep dark and brooding, with beautiful cassis, hint of vanilla (not overt simply beautifully integrated), firm plum (not stewed, not sweet, not unripe), herb, and what seems to be the beginning of a mineral streak but you have to look for it, lush tannins, and a spicy finish (not overtly black or white pepper). I tried to hold out to see how this would develop over time but between the two of us this wine didn’t stand a chance.
One note for whatever it’s worth- since Latour took over, I wouldn’t have thought this would have been produced by them rather would have expected this to be a bada-s Napa producer (Bevan, Smith, Kinsman, Melka, TRB, etc).
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1/10/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Winorama: A winter in Wineland III; 1/4/2019-1/13/2019 (Portland/Willamette, Eureka, Napa): This was quite nice. Very dark and deep but not overdone. There's vanilla which sometimes I find offputting and in this case seemed to be a nice component of the overall wine. Lots of more exotic spices. It's definitely a fruit syrah (e.g. not the meaty-briney thing of northern rhones), but well done and well structured and most importantly not overdone so I found it quite enjoyable.
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