Syrah Young and Old (Winchester): Somehow a little less punk than the last time it tasted. Someone said it faded in the mouth - I didn’t find this at all, far from it. After a bit of time - and sausages - it became more compelling - definitely top 2-3 red for me…
Less expressive than the 2020 but intensely appealing nonetheless. Blood again/game. Bit drying and ends quickly. Not very exciting for me, despite my love of Syrah and Northern Rhone. Small berries and wet earth but not quite memorable. A companion at the tasting disagreed with my assessment and preferred this one to the 2020. Always worth noting!
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2017 N Rhone and Friends (Winchester): Woof. Tannic. Grippy. Someone said “Allemand” and I am there. If this were a recording of “whats so funny bout peace love and understanding” it would be the glorious acoustic number from Nick Lowe’s “Untouched Takeaway”album.
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One of the most impressive young northern Rhones that I have tried. Quite a few people whose palates I respect have been raving about this, and based on this I can see why - whisper it but I can see the comparisons to the benchmark Cornas producer. Savoury and meaty nose with blueberry fruit, typical of Cornas. Exactly the right balance between the playfulness from the juicy fruit and the seriousness from the firm tannins. Some resemblance to Gilles stylistically but less dark-fruited and structure, with more fun and purity of fruit.
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Early look into this one. Inky purple / deep red in colour. Meaty and savoury on the nose. Dark cherry on the palate. Olives. Good fruit and nicely balanced. Fairly approachable now but this will go for years. Great quality/price dynamic.
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Strong tipocity - no oak, opens up after about an hour. Hints of pepper and dark fruit with strong tannins that fade over time. A fun bottle today can imagine will cellar for 20 years
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Small bottle from Zak. Double blind. Classic N Rhone Syrah nose - this has a ton of olives, dark fruits - black cherry and blackberry, along with some violets. Very aromatic. The olives are the wrinkly black Spanish kind. Very purple on the nose. Classic with good oomph and excellent focus. The palate is similar - very aromatic and bright with olives, bright fruit and violets - more crunch on palate than the nose with the similar excellent focus - really delicious and complex. Some minerality and salinity show in palate as the olive differentiates and we se some rocks. Finish is very pretty and complex. Maybe lacking a little energy and length but just a bit. Very purple and saline. 2nd pour shows great florals on nose - a real robe with great depth and complexity. My guess is Cote Rotie or Cornas, young but not completely new, so maybe 2012-2016 or so. Looking over old notes, the olive and saline minerality pushed me towards Cuchet Cornas. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5/20.
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This pours purple and frothing. First taste is like a barrel sample, vigorously fresh and alive fruit but no hint of being from the Northern Rhone. Over a couple of hours gradually settles and some acidity and tannin poke through the fruit and a more classic (if red rather than dark fruited) Cornas emerges but still with a soft caress of fruit. Far too young. Leave for a couple of years now.
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This has an initial profile of olives, black pepper, singed sage, violets, hints of coffee grinds and some fresh rubber which is usually an indication of reduction for me. Underneath the nose this wine shows good fruit on the palate with blackberries and currants adding to the savory mix. The fruit, tannins and acidity are very nicely balanced in this wine. The tannins are abundant, but very fine and deftly spar with the fruit for an engaging drink.
I'm sure it will be better with time, but it is lovely today.
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A Syrah blended from several vineyards (60% from the 1950s, 40% from 2004-05). Fermented without destemming as whole bunches. Macerated for 3 weeks. Aged for 16-18 months in old Burgundy pièces (4-8 yo) and larger (400-500 l) oak casks. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 13,5% alcohol. Slow-oxed for 6-7 hours.
Almost fully opaque, youthful blackish red with a subtly purplish hue and a pale, translucent ruby-red rim. Very open, expressive and youthful nose with intense primary aromas of blackberries, blood, some crushed peppercorns, light bilberry tones, a little bit of stony minerality, a hint of ink and a floral touch of violets. The wine feels ripe, silky and medium-to-moderately full-bodied on the palate with quite intense primary flavors of fresh blackberries and boysenberries, sweeter blueberry tones, some crushed peppercorns, light mineral notes of sun-baked stones and gravel, a little bit of blood and even a hint of rusted iron. Despite the silky, suave mouthfeel, the wine is wonderfully firm as well, thanks to its high acidity and ample - yet very ripe and gently grippy - tannins. The finish is pure, juicy and so clean with ripe - yet not sweet - fruit flavors of boysenberries and brambly blackberries, some crushed peppercorns, a little bit of sanguine iron, light floral notes of violets and a hint of sweeter bilberry. The aftertaste feels long, supple and succulent with gentle tannic grip that slowly grows in intensity as the tannins pile up on the gums.
A wonderfully pure, juicy and honest Cornas - albeit one that is surprisingly fresh and delicate not only for a Cornas, but also for a 2017 Syrah. If one is expecting a big, ripe and tough Cornas, this certainly isn't anything like that: this feels more like a classic St. Joseph or a warm-vintage Crozes Hermitage. If something is left for wanting here, is some roughness and rusticity - this is just slightly too clean, polished and fruity for what I like in a Cornas: no meat, olives or funk and just a pinch of black pepper. Nevertheless, this is a tasty and convincing yet not dead-serious effort where the pure, vibrant Syrah fruit is wonderfully at the fore. Most likely this will only get better as the wine ages and loses its exuberantly youthful fruit, albeit this is wonderfully accessible and delicious already now. Priced according to its quality at 34€.
Slow ox’d for five hours. One cannot expect anything but primary fruit at this point and that is indeed what we have here on the nose. High pitch blackberry, ground black pepper, floral notes with hints of minerals and bouillon. Mid to full bodied on the palate with awfully attractive ripe blueberry and blackberry laden fruit. Superbly fresh, very bright in its expression. Excellently structured with tightly gripping tannins. Refined and just very pretty. Feels effortless and confident, nothing forced or clumsy about it. Remarkably juicy and joyful. I’ve been skeptical about the vintage early on but I just might buy some of this for the cellar.
10/21/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Syrah Young and Old (Winchester): Somehow a little less punk than the last time it tasted. Someone said it faded in the mouth - I didn’t find this at all, far from it. After a bit of time - and sausages - it became more compelling - definitely top 2-3 red for me…
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10/20/2023 - ricard Likes this wine: 93 Points
Less expressive than the 2020 but intensely appealing nonetheless. Blood again/game. Bit drying and ends quickly. Not very exciting for me, despite my love of Syrah and Northern Rhone. Small berries and wet earth but not quite memorable. A companion at the tasting disagreed with my assessment and preferred this one to the 2020. Always worth noting!
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5/28/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:
2017 N Rhone and Friends (Winchester): Woof. Tannic. Grippy. Someone said “Allemand” and I am there. If this were a recording of “whats so funny bout peace love and understanding” it would be the glorious acoustic number from Nick Lowe’s “Untouched Takeaway”album.
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4/2/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 93 Points
One of the most impressive young northern Rhones that I have tried. Quite a few people whose palates I respect have been raving about this, and based on this I can see why - whisper it but I can see the comparisons to the benchmark Cornas producer. Savoury and meaty nose with blueberry fruit, typical of Cornas. Exactly the right balance between the playfulness from the juicy fruit and the seriousness from the firm tannins. Some resemblance to Gilles stylistically but less dark-fruited and structure, with more fun and purity of fruit.
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11/11/2022 - PC73 wrote: 91 Points
Early look into this one. Inky purple / deep red in colour. Meaty and savoury on the nose.
Dark cherry on the palate. Olives. Good fruit and nicely balanced.
Fairly approachable now but this will go for years.
Great quality/price dynamic.
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3/27/2022 - seattlecook Likes this wine: 91 Points
Strong tipocity - no oak, opens up after about an hour. Hints of pepper and dark fruit with strong tannins that fade over time. A fun bottle today can imagine will cellar for 20 years
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1/25/2021 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 95 Points
Small bottle from Zak. Double blind. Classic N Rhone Syrah nose - this has a ton of olives, dark fruits - black cherry and blackberry, along with some violets. Very aromatic. The olives are the wrinkly black Spanish kind. Very purple on the nose. Classic with good oomph and excellent focus. The palate is similar - very aromatic and bright with olives, bright fruit and violets - more crunch on palate than the nose with the similar excellent focus - really delicious and complex. Some minerality and salinity show in palate as the olive differentiates and we se some rocks. Finish is very pretty and complex. Maybe lacking a little energy and length but just a bit. Very purple and saline. 2nd pour shows great florals on nose - a real robe with great depth and complexity. My guess is Cote Rotie or Cornas, young but not completely new, so maybe 2012-2016 or so. Looking over old notes, the olive and saline minerality pushed me towards Cuchet Cornas. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5/20.
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12/13/2020 - benhalton wrote:
This pours purple and frothing. First taste is like a barrel sample, vigorously fresh and alive fruit but no hint of being from the Northern Rhone. Over a couple of hours gradually settles and some acidity and tannin poke through the fruit and a more classic (if red rather than dark fruited) Cornas emerges but still with a soft caress of fruit. Far too young. Leave for a couple of years now.
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4/17/2020 - poppacork Likes this wine: 93 Points
This has an initial profile of olives, black pepper, singed sage, violets, hints of coffee grinds and some fresh rubber which is usually an indication of reduction for me. Underneath the nose this wine shows good fruit on the palate with blackberries and currants adding to the savory mix. The fruit, tannins and acidity are very nicely balanced in this wine. The tannins are abundant, but very fine and deftly spar with the fruit for an engaging drink.
I'm sure it will be better with time, but it is lovely today.
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2/8/2020 - forceberry wrote: 91 Points
A Syrah blended from several vineyards (60% from the 1950s, 40% from 2004-05). Fermented without destemming as whole bunches. Macerated for 3 weeks. Aged for 16-18 months in old Burgundy pièces (4-8 yo) and larger (400-500 l) oak casks. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 13,5% alcohol. Slow-oxed for 6-7 hours.
Almost fully opaque, youthful blackish red with a subtly purplish hue and a pale, translucent ruby-red rim. Very open, expressive and youthful nose with intense primary aromas of blackberries, blood, some crushed peppercorns, light bilberry tones, a little bit of stony minerality, a hint of ink and a floral touch of violets. The wine feels ripe, silky and medium-to-moderately full-bodied on the palate with quite intense primary flavors of fresh blackberries and boysenberries, sweeter blueberry tones, some crushed peppercorns, light mineral notes of sun-baked stones and gravel, a little bit of blood and even a hint of rusted iron. Despite the silky, suave mouthfeel, the wine is wonderfully firm as well, thanks to its high acidity and ample - yet very ripe and gently grippy - tannins. The finish is pure, juicy and so clean with ripe - yet not sweet - fruit flavors of boysenberries and brambly blackberries, some crushed peppercorns, a little bit of sanguine iron, light floral notes of violets and a hint of sweeter bilberry. The aftertaste feels long, supple and succulent with gentle tannic grip that slowly grows in intensity as the tannins pile up on the gums.
A wonderfully pure, juicy and honest Cornas - albeit one that is surprisingly fresh and delicate not only for a Cornas, but also for a 2017 Syrah. If one is expecting a big, ripe and tough Cornas, this certainly isn't anything like that: this feels more like a classic St. Joseph or a warm-vintage Crozes Hermitage. If something is left for wanting here, is some roughness and rusticity - this is just slightly too clean, polished and fruity for what I like in a Cornas: no meat, olives or funk and just a pinch of black pepper. Nevertheless, this is a tasty and convincing yet not dead-serious effort where the pure, vibrant Syrah fruit is wonderfully at the fore. Most likely this will only get better as the wine ages and loses its exuberantly youthful fruit, albeit this is wonderfully accessible and delicious already now. Priced according to its quality at 34€.
Horrendous label, though.
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2/8/2020 - kuumies wrote:
Slow ox’d for five hours. One cannot expect anything but primary fruit at this point and that is indeed what we have here on the nose. High pitch blackberry, ground black pepper, floral notes with hints of minerals and bouillon. Mid to full bodied on the palate with awfully attractive ripe blueberry and blackberry laden fruit. Superbly fresh, very bright in its expression. Excellently structured with tightly gripping tannins. Refined and just very pretty. Feels effortless and confident, nothing forced or clumsy about it. Remarkably juicy and joyful. I’ve been skeptical about the vintage early on but I just might buy some of this for the cellar.
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