Starting to fulfill its promise from 3 years afo. Terrific sappiness to the red cherry and crab apple fruit, ginger with green olive brine, still buried under a fluffy layer of chalky tannins, a bit of elemental sulfur reduction, and a hint of unresolved wood. Medium bodied and with a persistent, winning finish. Something very familiar as Bedrock to the pitch perfect ripeness of the fruit, but otherwise very N Rhone, perhaps nodding in the direction of Gonon. 93-94 now, 94-95 once the wood integrates a bit more.
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Used for a tasting event - went really well with: New York Strip, 61% Dark Chocolate, Blueberries & Raspberries. Overall smokiness and pepper notes, combined with dark fruits was the big hit of the night for most.
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Bought on auction a few years ago at ~$51/bottle, all in. A little closed initially. About an hour in, exploded in the glass. Strong pepper notes with smoked meat in the background. A little stemmy, floral-herb note peeks through to complement the flavors in a nice way. Lots of fruit up front with a nicely supporting tannins in the mid palate to finish. More smoked meat and pepper on the finish. The only thing that gives away it's a new world wine is a hint of sweetness on the finish. Low alcohol so no hint of alcoholic burn anywhere.
Really, REALLY nice domestic syrah. One of the best I've had in a long time. It's the closest to an imaginable hybrid of Cornas and Hermitage I've had from California, ever. I've had Arnot Roberts and Wind Gap/Pax, but they tend to have a carbonic maceration character. This one doesn't. While the Northern Rhones end on a more savory, minerally note, this one finishes a little sweeter. Super clean. Not too funky. For around $50 all in, one of the best values I've had in a long time. I imagine this holding up for another 2-5 years, but it's drinking absolutely spot on right now.
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Pop and pour as a last minute replacement for a corked Arnot-Roberts Syrah, this was very meaty and savory from the get go, and took its sweet time unfurling the fruit. Dark berry developed after a while, along with even more earthy character. This is a very feral Syrah, with moderate tannins, as well as a firm streak of acid running right down the middle of the palate. I suspect it would be a great match for roasted lamb, or maybe even some pulled pork. No rush to drink, as there is a lot of material here.
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Think I opened it too young. Decanted for two hours but was tight all evening.
Dried leaves, blackberry, black cherry, anise and black licorice on the nose. Medium intensity of aromas. The palate is pretty consistent with the aromas, adding blueberry, bit of smoked meat and, on the finish, malt. Medium + intensity of flavors. The palate is more to my liking than the nose, at least at this age.
Medium body, medium silky tannins that linger and great medium + acid, especially for Syrah. This wine is pleasant and has good structure, I just think it's too young right now. I recommend holding for 3-5 more years if you have these.
Day 2 - unchanged, still tight.
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Decanted via Vinturi. Midnight black. Nose of black fruit, bacon, pepper. Blackberry, iron and game on the palate. Medium body & finish, the acidity makes it seem weightless. Delicious now, but lots of time left.
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Going by memory. This syrah is deep ruby in color. On the palate, it exudes notes of blackberry, game, black pepper ending with smokey notes. Dense and full bodied.
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On the doorstep of prime time. Loads of cool climate Syrah notes:cloves, pepper, tapenade, smoke, black raspberry. All in balance. Two hours in anise notes emerge.
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Nose of cherry, roses, and baking spices. Black cherry, bacon fat, salumi, wet rocks, and a touch of acidity on the palate. Rubbery tannins with slightly sour cherry, bay leaf, summer savory, and peppered beef on the finish. Very smooth and drinking well right now.
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Tons of bacon fat on the nose. There’s a nice balance of dark fruit and leather on the palate, with a touch of spearmint. Drink now; might have a couple years left at most.
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Last bottle was 15 months ago. These are starting to get to the point of being very enjoyable. Big cool climate Syrah notes: smoke, clove, violets, tapenade, pepper. With air, blue to black fruits. Mid acidity, mid tannins. Drink or hold. Will go 10+ Decant 2+ if you can.
2 hour decant. Nose of olives, black pepper and red berry, following to the palate. Sour cherry finish with some baking chocolate notes. Medium+ acid, a touch of tannin chew. Young, but drinking with with some air. Drink now - 2032.
one of my favorite California Syrah sites since the Bonny Doon days. 2.5 hour decant. Pure olive and black pepper nose. It’s all savory at first sip too, but underneath those classic Syrah notes are dark berries and sour cherry. A suuuuper long finish. Great Santa Maria Valley Syrah.
Nose is a bit wan to start, but unfurls over 3 hours in the decanter to show a bit of black fruit and faint green olive brininess. Palate shows a much cooler climate influence than most Bedrock syrahs - lighter, almost fine-boned, and puts a premium on elegance rather than the concentration and power of Hudson or Griffins. Restrained but sweetish black fruits, Light ferric mineral, savory herbs, and more green olive, all welded to a steel core of acid and fine powdered tannins. Approachable now but surely better in 2-3 years, and will certainly last another 10 after that no problem. 91++
Medium ruby. On the nose medium + intensity aromas of blackcurrant, cranberries, black pepper, toast, black cherries, red plums. The wine is dry with medium + acidity, medium + tannins, fine and ripe, medium alcohol, and medium + body. The flavor intensity is medium + with blackcurrant, cranberries, black pepper, toast, black cherries, red plums as well as a distinct mineral note (noted as briny by a prior taster). Interesting, complex, balanced wine. A bit short on the finish. This wine right now seems a bit thin mid palate- but may just a need a few hours to open up.
This has evened out and incorporated a good bit since I received it on release (and almost immediately opened the first bottle). the briny note is not quite as predominant and the dark fruit is showing itself a little more readily. a very tasty wine, but still super young. needs some air or some more cellar time IMO
Nose: Smashed blackberry, roasted game, black pepper, lavender, rosemary.
Mouth: A smooth, blended wash of pureed huckleberry, blackberry, and currant fruit glide through before allowing in a deep soy sauce, black olive, and savory flashes of black and white pepper. Nicely polished tannins announce the finish. Well balanced, and lightly structured in a way that keeps everything intriguing.
Overall: Aromatic and balanced, smooth and polished, this rides the line nicely between California and the Northern Rhone, showing deep roasted game notes on the nose, (with the garrigue to match) while staying focused on the juicy up front fruit in the mouth. Really lovely, and with some room to run as well. Drink now - 2029.
Stewed red fruit and pink Bubblicious gum on the nose. deft and delicious without being showy. Darker fruits across the tongue; supple mid-palate. Finish is understated but correct, maybe a tad disappointing given the early stages of the experience.
Based on reviews I assumed this would be a lot leaner than it was. Medium bodied sure, but terrific substance and balance. Violets, pepper, nice darker red berry fruit and a savory, smoky element. Really well done. Drinking well now with some air, but probably now through 2035
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Medium bodied, cool weather, olive, strawberry, hint of smoke. Finish needs more time in bottle to really come through (2hr decant prior). For me I was looking for a bit more concentration and extraction.
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Fantastic Syrah. Definitely on the savory floral end of the spectrum. Floral spice and pepper notes on the nose. Palate is lithe, sharply cut, and showing just a hint of fruit mixed with pepper, leather, and a savory herbaciousness. Holds the finish well despite this being a mid weight “crunchy” wine.
Very nice wine. Light stone fruit on the tongue. Interesting spiciness--cinnamon--at mid-palate. Some very noticeable tannin. Not the biggest wine, but it is fairly full-bodied. Moderate finish. I have another bottle that I will ignore for some years.
POP tonight; I could tell this one was different from MTP's other Syrah's ; I don't think he has put out a syrah from the central coast before; Lighter body, Red raspberry, sour cherry; The finish was tight due to it being so young. After about an hour a nice hint of classic Syrah white pepper developed. This wine willl be better in a couple years, therefore I will hold onto the other 2 bottles for a bit.
Third bottle of this, for some reason have never written down detailed thoughts and I won’t break that streak now. Medium-bodied with fresh, mostly red fruit and only hints of meaty, olivey things. Great early-drinking Syrah (obviously) and a welcome addition to the lineup.
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Decanted for four hours before this note. This is a very subtle wine with notes of strawberry, sweet smoke, and white pepper. This seems built for nearer-term drinking, not long term aging.
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Wow, surprising style! I was expecting a fate later riper typical CA style. This was savory and spicy, quite narrow and fine on the palate. Tannins on the attack were sauve, but turned slightly bitter and green on the back end(whole cluster?). Finish is a bit narrow, but nice mineral note. In the northern Rhône style for sure, needs so time to soften and fan out a bit.
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Aerated and tasted from the bottle. The wine was not impressive or memorable and while not tannic seemed tight. Then aerated into the decanter for 30 minutes and the wine opened beautifully. Opposite of a Cal fruit bomb. Lighter color and texture with less alcohol and fruit and subtle finish. May have been overpowered by the grilled lamb chops. More of a Rhône style. Definitely needs more cellar time or serious decant at this point.
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A northern rhone style -- not expected but great! The label mentions that it is an Estrella River clone -- grafted in 1987. 2017 could be the only vintage.
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loved this when I had a peek in November and love it still now. Grapefruit zest, black olive and plum on the nose. medium/light body emphasizes the savory characteristics i look for in cool-climate syrah (again, olives, touch of smoke, moist pork chop), balanced with ample but not overflowing fruit. this is so easy - just too easy to drink.
This seems to have picked up body (or I perceive more structure) since the last time I had it 6 months ago... settling into itself, and my guess is, preparing to transform over the coming years. My wife commented that the tannin & mouthfeel could stand to integrate... my guess is that this is going to be a lovely med-term (5-10 year) ager. great wine.
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delicious as always from Bedrock. Improved overnight. would hold the rest of these because I think there is still a lot of upside here... but great now
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Proof that a great Bien Nacido Syrah need not be high in alcohol. This one comes in at 12.5% and shows all of what I have come to love about BN. Loads of pepper, olive, mint, black raspberry, anise, earthy mineral finish. Really nice even at this young age. No harm having one now, but cellaring probably improves these. 93-94 No decant.
Day 2 - even better.
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4/1/2024 - ohne_musik wrote: 94 Points
Starting to fulfill its promise from 3 years afo. Terrific sappiness to the red cherry and crab apple fruit, ginger with green olive brine, still buried under a fluffy layer of chalky tannins, a bit of elemental sulfur reduction, and a hint of unresolved wood. Medium bodied and with a persistent, winning finish. Something very familiar as Bedrock to the pitch perfect ripeness of the fruit, but otherwise very N Rhone, perhaps nodding in the direction of Gonon. 93-94 now, 94-95 once the wood integrates a bit more.
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3/24/2024 - carlsport Likes this wine: 94 Points
Used for a tasting event - went really well with: New York Strip, 61% Dark Chocolate, Blueberries & Raspberries. Overall smokiness and pepper notes, combined with dark fruits was the big hit of the night for most.
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3/3/2024 - budosyu wrote: 95 Points
Bought on auction a few years ago at ~$51/bottle, all in. A little closed initially. About an hour in, exploded in the glass. Strong pepper notes with smoked meat in the background. A little stemmy, floral-herb note peeks through to complement the flavors in a nice way. Lots of fruit up front with a nicely supporting tannins in the mid palate to finish. More smoked meat and pepper on the finish. The only thing that gives away it's a new world wine is a hint of sweetness on the finish. Low alcohol so no hint of alcoholic burn anywhere.
Really, REALLY nice domestic syrah. One of the best I've had in a long time. It's the closest to an imaginable hybrid of Cornas and Hermitage I've had from California, ever. I've had Arnot Roberts and Wind Gap/Pax, but they tend to have a carbonic maceration character. This one doesn't. While the Northern Rhones end on a more savory, minerally note, this one finishes a little sweeter. Super clean. Not too funky. For around $50 all in, one of the best values I've had in a long time. I imagine this holding up for another 2-5 years, but it's drinking absolutely spot on right now.
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8/23/2023 - Mootsie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last of six. Best of six. Drink.
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8/2/2023 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Pop and pour as a last minute replacement for a corked Arnot-Roberts Syrah, this was very meaty and savory from the get go, and took its sweet time unfurling the fruit. Dark berry developed after a while, along with even more earthy character. This is a very feral Syrah, with moderate tannins, as well as a firm streak of acid running right down the middle of the palate. I suspect it would be a great match for roasted lamb, or maybe even some pulled pork. No rush to drink, as there is a lot of material here.
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7/4/2023 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot Likes this wine: 89 Points
Think I opened it too young. Decanted for two hours but was tight all evening.
Dried leaves, blackberry, black cherry, anise and black licorice on the nose. Medium intensity of aromas. The palate is pretty consistent with the aromas, adding blueberry, bit of smoked meat and, on the finish, malt. Medium + intensity of flavors. The palate is more to my liking than the nose, at least at this age.
Medium body, medium silky tannins that linger and great medium + acid, especially for Syrah. This wine is pleasant and has good structure, I just think it's too young right now. I recommend holding for 3-5 more years if you have these.
Day 2 - unchanged, still tight.
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6/30/2023 - maxmanx wrote:
Really good on PnP. Love Morgan's Syrah's! Not sure these need to age any more.
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6/23/2023 - maxmanx wrote:
PnP & ready to go! Enjoyed this at Hooker house, and bought a couple more bottles.
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4/14/2023 - Bryan49 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted via Vinturi. Midnight black. Nose of black fruit, bacon, pepper. Blackberry, iron and game on the palate. Medium body & finish, the acidity makes it seem weightless. Delicious now, but lots of time left.
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1/25/2023 - kirbo1967 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very smooth and integrated. Blue fruits and quite refreshing for a Syrah. Well done
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1/1/2023 - rougeamore Likes this wine: 90 Points
Going by memory. This syrah is deep ruby in color. On the palate, it exudes notes of blackberry, game, black pepper ending with smokey notes. Dense and full bodied.
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12/13/2022 - Mootsie Likes this wine: 94 Points
On the doorstep of prime time. Loads of cool climate Syrah notes:cloves, pepper, tapenade, smoke, black raspberry. All in balance.
Two hours in anise notes emerge.
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8/22/2022 - VAGenius Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose of cherry, roses, and baking spices. Black cherry, bacon fat, salumi, wet rocks, and a touch of acidity on the palate. Rubbery tannins with slightly sour cherry, bay leaf, summer savory, and peppered beef on the finish. Very smooth and drinking well right now.
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8/11/2022 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 92 Points
A lighter Syrah -- like a great Côtes du Rhône
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6/10/2022 - kkleg Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tons of bacon fat on the nose. There’s a nice balance of dark fruit and leather on the palate, with a touch of spearmint. Drink now; might have a couple years left at most.
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4/30/2022 - joraesque wrote: 89 Points
Hasn't aged well. All the original crunchy fruit aromatics have now mostly faded away, leaving somewhat of a void… drink up. 12.5% ABV.
88-89
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2/11/2022 - alohaboys Likes this wine:
Wonderful wine and low alc
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2/2/2022 - Mootsie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Last bottle was 15 months ago. These are starting to get to the point of being very enjoyable. Big cool climate Syrah notes: smoke, clove, violets, tapenade, pepper. With air, blue to black fruits. Mid acidity, mid tannins. Drink or hold. Will go 10+ Decant 2+ if you can.
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12/5/2021 - RPerro Likes this wine: 91 Points
2 hour decant. Nose of olives, black pepper and red berry, following to the palate. Sour cherry finish with some baking chocolate notes. Medium+ acid, a touch of tannin chew. Young, but drinking with with some air. Drink now - 2032.
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11/11/2021 - adnorthup wrote:
one of my favorite California Syrah sites since the Bonny Doon days. 2.5 hour decant. Pure olive and black pepper nose. It’s all savory at first sip too, but underneath those classic Syrah notes are dark berries and sour cherry. A suuuuper long finish. Great Santa Maria Valley Syrah.
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11/7/2021 - ohne_musik wrote: 91 Points
Nose is a bit wan to start, but unfurls over 3 hours in the decanter to show a bit of black fruit and faint green olive brininess. Palate shows a much cooler climate influence than most Bedrock syrahs - lighter, almost fine-boned, and puts a premium on elegance rather than the concentration and power of Hudson or Griffins. Restrained but sweetish black fruits, Light ferric mineral, savory herbs, and more green olive, all welded to a steel core of acid and fine powdered tannins. Approachable now but surely better in 2-3 years, and will certainly last another 10 after that no problem. 91++
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9/5/2021 - pickhardt Likes this wine:
Great intensity and development of flavors over 4 hours.
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3/3/2021 - mac-eye wrote: 93 Points
Very nice, even immediately after open & decant. Good balance. Could use a little more fruit, but this is better than too much.
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2/8/2021 - dbay Likes this wine: 89 Points
Medium ruby. On the nose medium + intensity aromas of blackcurrant, cranberries, black pepper, toast, black cherries, red plums. The wine is dry with medium + acidity, medium + tannins, fine and ripe, medium alcohol, and medium + body. The flavor intensity is medium + with blackcurrant, cranberries, black pepper, toast, black cherries, red plums as well as a distinct mineral note (noted as briny by a prior taster). Interesting, complex, balanced wine. A bit short on the finish. This wine right now seems a bit thin mid palate- but may just a need a few hours to open up.
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2/7/2021 - mattstolz11 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This has evened out and incorporated a good bit since I received it on release (and almost immediately opened the first bottle). the briny note is not quite as predominant and the dark fruit is showing itself a little more readily. a very tasty wine, but still super young. needs some air or some more cellar time IMO
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1/30/2021 - 1997cobalt Likes this wine: 89 Points
Not quite as good as I wanted it to be. A bit soft on the finish and not enough pop on initial tasting
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10/25/2020 - Mootsie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really coming together since our last bottle 18 months ago. Deep spice, clove, violet with cranberry and black raspberry.
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10/8/2020 - RoyaltyCoins wrote: 93 Points
Medium purple.
Nose: Smashed blackberry, roasted game, black pepper, lavender, rosemary.
Mouth: A smooth, blended wash of pureed huckleberry, blackberry, and currant fruit glide through before allowing in a deep soy sauce, black olive, and savory flashes of black and white pepper. Nicely polished tannins announce the finish. Well balanced, and lightly structured in a way that keeps everything intriguing.
Overall: Aromatic and balanced, smooth and polished, this rides the line nicely between California and the Northern Rhone, showing deep roasted game notes on the nose, (with the garrigue to match) while staying focused on the juicy up front fruit in the mouth. Really lovely, and with some room to run as well. Drink now - 2029.
93
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9/19/2020 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Stewed red fruit and pink Bubblicious gum on the nose. deft and delicious without being showy. Darker fruits across the tongue; supple mid-palate. Finish is understated but correct, maybe a tad disappointing given the early stages of the experience.
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9/7/2020 - ex-sommelier Likes this wine:
Based on reviews I assumed this would be a lot leaner than it was. Medium bodied sure, but terrific substance and balance. Violets, pepper, nice darker red berry fruit and a savory, smoky element. Really well done. Drinking well now with some air, but probably now through 2035
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7/26/2020 - Gnieboer wrote: 90 Points
Medium bodied, cool weather, olive, strawberry, hint of smoke. Finish needs more time in bottle to really come through (2hr decant prior). For me I was looking for a bit more concentration and extraction.
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7/24/2020 - joraesque wrote: 92 Points
This reminded me a lot of Sandler's 2015 Connell Vineyard Syrah.
91-92
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7/16/2020 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic Syrah. Definitely on the savory floral end of the spectrum. Floral spice and pepper notes on the nose. Palate is lithe, sharply cut, and showing just a hint of fruit mixed with pepper, leather, and a savory herbaciousness. Holds the finish well despite this being a mid weight “crunchy” wine.
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7/16/2020 - EMark Likes this wine:
Very nice wine. Light stone fruit on the tongue. Interesting spiciness--cinnamon--at mid-palate. Some very noticeable tannin. Not the biggest wine, but it is fairly full-bodied. Moderate finish. I have another bottle that I will ignore for some years.
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5/22/2020 - JimSlatin wrote: 90 Points
POP tonight; I could tell this one was different from MTP's other Syrah's ; I don't think he has put out a syrah from the central coast before; Lighter body, Red raspberry, sour cherry; The finish was tight due to it being so young. After about an hour a nice hint of classic Syrah white pepper developed. This wine willl be better in a couple years, therefore I will hold onto the other 2 bottles for a bit.
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5/16/2020 - zscheiner wrote:
Third bottle of this, for some reason have never written down detailed thoughts and I won’t break that streak now. Medium-bodied with fresh, mostly red fruit and only hints of meaty, olivey things. Great early-drinking Syrah (obviously) and a welcome addition to the lineup.
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12/25/2019 - kkleg Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for four hours before this note. This is a very subtle wine with notes of strawberry, sweet smoke, and white pepper. This seems built for nearer-term drinking, not long term aging.
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11/10/2019 - Gnieboer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Definite cool weather Syrah, but still needs some time to unfold, the tannins still have a good grip on it.
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11/8/2019 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow, surprising style! I was expecting a fate later riper typical CA style. This was savory and spicy, quite narrow and fine on the palate. Tannins on the attack were sauve, but turned slightly bitter and green on the back end(whole cluster?). Finish is a bit narrow, but nice mineral note. In the northern Rhône style for sure, needs so time to soften and fan out a bit.
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11/6/2019 - Cellarseller wrote: 90 Points
Aerated and tasted from the bottle. The wine was not impressive or memorable and while not tannic seemed tight. Then aerated into the decanter for 30 minutes and the wine opened beautifully. Opposite of a Cal fruit bomb. Lighter color and texture with less alcohol and fruit and subtle finish. May have been overpowered by the grilled lamb chops. More of a Rhône style. Definitely needs more cellar time or serious decant at this point.
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9/27/2019 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 93 Points
A northern rhone style -- not expected but great! The label mentions that it is an Estrella River clone -- grafted in 1987. 2017 could be the only vintage.
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5/23/2019 - Jahull03 wrote:
loved this when I had a peek in November and love it still now. Grapefruit zest, black olive and plum on the nose. medium/light body emphasizes the savory characteristics i look for in cool-climate syrah (again, olives, touch of smoke, moist pork chop), balanced with ample but not overflowing fruit. this is so easy - just too easy to drink.
This seems to have picked up body (or I perceive more structure) since the last time I had it 6 months ago... settling into itself, and my guess is, preparing to transform over the coming years. My wife commented that the tannin & mouthfeel could stand to integrate... my guess is that this is going to be a lovely med-term (5-10 year) ager. great wine.
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4/9/2019 - Mootsie Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cool climate Syrah characteristics: clove, pepper, violet and olive. Tight, needs a few years yet, but a really nice wine.
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4/1/2019 - joraesque wrote: 92 Points
Opened up after 20 minutes in the decanter + 20 minutes in the glass. Medium-plus-bodied, high-toned, perfumey, and feminine.
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2/23/2019 - mattstolz11 Likes this wine: 93 Points
delicious as always from Bedrock. Improved overnight. would hold the rest of these because I think there is still a lot of upside here... but great now
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1/10/2019 - jrkennedy37 wrote:
Um, love this. Wish I had 10 more bottles than the meager 3 I ordered.
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11/25/2018 - Neras Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark red, purple. Start to open after a couple of hours. Pebber, stone, dark berries. Very fresh and quite tannic. Long taste and deep, solid core.
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10/13/2018 - Mootsie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Proof that a great Bien Nacido Syrah need not be high in alcohol. This one comes in at 12.5% and shows all of what I have come to love about BN. Loads of pepper, olive, mint, black raspberry, anise, earthy mineral finish.
Really nice even at this young age. No harm having one now, but cellaring probably improves these. 93-94 No decant.
Day 2 - even better.
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