Double filteted/decanted. Loads of sediment & funky nose to start but quickly opened up. Perfect with duroc chop pan fried with shrooms & pancetta layered into mushroom ravioli. I sensed savory acidity ala pomegranate seeds that have started to ferment with a nice savory earthiness. Long red fruit finish with just a hint of absinthe. Past its prime? Not for me, evolving character of really well aged wines like this is a lovely unique experience.
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Opened the bottle and let it sit for one hour. The nose was somewhat oxidized - lots of musky notes. Palate shows good structure, with vibrant acidity and cherries, blueberries that came out as the wine breathed more. Leather notes and wet forest floor - with still strong tannins - tinged the medium finish, which showed also some smoked meat notes.
Overall a good wine, but I think this bottle was past its peak. I will give it 88, but I am sure that better kept bottles out there could be excellent even though this was anything but a stellar vintage.
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Decanted 30 min. Earthy forward on the 👃 — wet soil, leather, lemon, light ripe raspberries. Very dry, light structure , medium tannins. Light alcohol on the finish.
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Friday Group Brown Bag Tasting (Eagle Brook CC): Blind. Earth, roasted game and tea with little fruit. Tea and game qualities follow through on the palate, which shows more fruit than the bouquet suggests.
I had quickly double decanted this off its sediment and intended it to be in the first flight, but when the wines were randomly rearranged it was moved and I think it suffered for it.
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Chinese hot pot at home in Hong Kong. No restaurant open for diner. Normal life for the past 2yrs. Lucky this wine was still in the cellar. Had one last year and this one is still very similar. Deep ruby to purple, no sign of aging. Medium nose, developed, with aromas of dried blood, iron, tapenade, black berry liqueur. Medium body, soft, slight grip, coats well the mouth with sweet blueberry flavours, iron, dried meat and quite mineral. Good length. Went extremely well with the hot pot beef slices in spicy broth.
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Enjoyed very much with turkey chili and cornbread while watching the Super Bowl. Dark fruit with enough body to counter the spices of chili and a nice lingering smooth finish.
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Dark ruby with slight bricking. Lovely aromas of reddish black berries, licorice, smoky herbs and violets. A refined medium-bodied palate shows silky red berry fruits, hint of tobacco and pepper, medium acidity, full resolved oak and tannins and a nice lingering mineral and floral tinged finish.
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Decanted for an hour. Nose of black fruits, currants. Beautiful clear reddish purple color. Ripe plums, cassis, a hint of minerals and dried herbs. Delicious.
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Still developing nice complexity. Nose of floral candied violets and fresh rolled cuban cigar- deep but with green overtones and slight barnyard funk - and ripe plumb undertones. Taste: smooth, really nice, juicy sweet citrus orange on the back sides of the tongue, a bit of tar and mineral elements up front. Good integration with a hint of green herbal, almost menthol/eucalyptus presentation. Worth the wait. Eminently drinkable!
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Very nice wine that looks young win the glass. Nice aroma of red fruits, game and pepper. The taste was silky offering flavors of red fruit, game meat and pepper.
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Decanted by a friend at home around 2pm and tasted from 6pm through 9pm. This started out very soft and reticent but as it got more air (after 4 hours) it opened up and was very good with braised short rib and pappardelle. Soft, fully integrated tannin and medium- acidity. Spicy, with plum, cherry and savory meat elements. Plenty of life left but quite enjoyable in an old-school style.
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Bricking slightly. Notes of black pepper and bacon on the nose. A bit lean these days with fruit having faded and not much of interest to replace it. Showed better 3-4 years ago.
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Decant for 45 mins, lots of residual at the bottom.
Appearance : pale to medium garnet, tears with petillance.
On nose : medium intensity, just a subtle of red fruit : cherry, truffles, liquorice, pine, beacon, some black pepper spiciness. A bit old but still have complex territory aroma.
On palate : medium intensity flavour, medium+ acidity, medium+ but fine tannin desolved by the time of aging, medium alcohol, medium body. This wine is a bit over peak but still got medium+ body, quite pleasant on palate. Some old black tea, pine and spiciness with medium finishing.
Despite of the starting of the declining conditions, it is still pleasant and balance. Even tough 2000 is a terrible year for Hermitage, it turns to elegant style as time goes by. It just like a man just retired at this point, no harsh feeling but no vividness as well. I still love this as it should be drunk now, to enjoy the sunset of the life of this wine.
Some previous comments were so negative, I believe that is because of the cellaring conditions more than the wine itself. Cheers!
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From our cellar. We enjoyed this wine with a MT Ribeye. It was better than 8 years ago. It doesn't seem to have evolved very much. Barely bricking. Nice nose. Very clear and fresh, young tasting. Fairly light in weight, cherry, pepper & mineral on the palate, fair acidity. It is developing some secondary characteristics. Seems like it has more time, but it is very good place right now. Not sure I'd chance holding it more than 4-5 more years.
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open for a couple hours, decanted for 1, quite a nice bottle, tannins totally resolved leaving a smooth wine with dark red fruits with decent acidity. Not the level of the big boys but enjoyable. No sense of decline and no problems in any regard.
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Dark red fruits, a bit of black pepper with very subtle smoke and herbal tea on the nose. Red fruits, light spice, tannins fully integrated, this bottle was pristine and at its peak- very enjoyable.
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Just drank 8th of my 12 bottles, worrying about some other reviews indicating this might be over the hill. I have had no such issues and all of the bottles I have consumed were excellent. I have seen no evident bottle variation in the case I bought, which was imported by Ex Cellars Wine Agencies, Inc from Solvang, CA.
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4th bottle in 4 nights, 1st bottle down the drain. 2nd bottle 75 points. 3rd bottle 85 points, some fruit, but thin. 4th bottle, ripe mouthfeel and plenty of fruit, mineral and toasty, smoky character. Long, balanced finish. 93 points. All purchased at the same time. 4 bottle left. My luck 3 bad 1 good.
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Purple color with a brown rim and with a vague plum flavor masked by unpleasant acidity and tannins. What a disappointment. Surprised that a Hermitage wine could be outdated at age 15. Second bottle just as unpleasant.
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Coravined. Brickish red in color. Red cherries, black olive paste, smoke, touch of pork fat makes up an interesting nose. Sweet-tart cherry liquer, leather forms a rather interesting palate that shows good acidity and fine tannins that are a touch drying on the finish. The nose is far better than the palate.
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Decanted an hour. Lovely nose of dark cherry and spice. Oak, cherry, red fruit and spice fill the palate. The finish is long and the tannins have gone. Great pairing with meat.
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Last tried this 4 years ago. The wine has developed a lovely nose since then: walnuts, bacon fat, cassis. Then hints of leather, perhaps a faint cherry pastille impression. Quite good on the palate: tart but ripe fruit, rich mid palate flavors, rather long finish. Tannins have receded into the background and the wine has a great supple mouthfeel that gives it a very pleasant aftertaste. Probably at peak now.
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Opened by Otis. Opened but not decanted 3 hours before dinner. Paired with smoked bacon wrapped duck breasts. My favorite of the 4 Syrah that we opened. 3rd time I have had this wine and the best showing yet. Medium red color. Smooth and elegant texture. Notes of toasted oak, cherries and dried berries. Long finish. 93-94 points.
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- Garnet color with medium forming legs. It's unbalanced and has flavours of blackberry and mushroom - Great body, great legs. Rich jams and leather. But get on it this is drinking well but will some fruit later on.
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garnet. bricking, but pretty stable in that regard. medium legs. decanted about 1/2 hr. lotsa sediment. nose of blood, leather, and red fruit. woody and leathery, with red berry and cherry notes through to the midpalate. still discernibly a fruit juice, and this seems to have more room to mature than others have suggested....
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Guigal Hermitage Vertical (Palo Alto): Very Bretty, lacking in fruit; full bodied, drying in the midpalate. Flat flavor, high alcohol. 82. My #8, Group's #7.
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Sad to hear about recent bad experiences with this one, my bottle was quite different though - elegant, earthy and mineral with vibrand acidity and fruit.
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Very disappointing. I bought 2 of these upon release, stored impeccably. I had the first bottle probably in about 2004, and enjoyed it very much (so I remember...). This one showed very little signs of age in the color, and the cork was amazingly only wet a couple of milometers up, it as perfect. So it really showed no signs of age, very youthful. Very much a kirsch component on the nose. Popped and poured upon the recommendations of several on this thread. Over the hill. All kirsch. My wife and I tried to muscle through a glass and a half, but bailed and opened a 2010 CDR. I'd drink these up if you're still holding...chalk another one up to holding a bit too long.
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Garnet with bricking. Medium legs. Red fruit, mostly, with an almost ethereal palate. Somewhat attenuated body of acidic berry and cherry. It's not really primary, but still fruit forward.
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So 4 and 1/2 years after the last bottle, the impression is still the same. This is an interesting wine, but way overhyped by the WS. Colour is showing some age with garnet and brick notes to the plummy red colour. Rim is pretty much orange. Nose is complex and interesting, stills lots of blood, meat and smoke, fruit has subsided, maybe a little black cherry and blackberry. Palate is pretty soft, low tannin, still some acidity, dry with red cherry and berry fruit. Maybe hints of leather and brush, still has some sweetness to the fruit. Medium finish. Overall, very pleasant and a nice wine, but not 97 points.
Picking this up after 3 days - not much has changed, soft and delicious, but definitely at or past peak.
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As prior notes have indicated, this doesn't get better in the decanter, and really falls off a cliff after a couple of hours of opening. So if you've got it, make sure to pop-n-pour and drink it now, as it's not likely to get any better. Head-to-head challenge against an '01 Mitolo, Savitar Shiraz (Austrailian/McLaren Vale). No contest; the Aussie completely kicked sand in this Frenchy's face. The Guigal was just average, at best, and just not worth the $60 original retail IMHO.
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Decanted with Blanco at Alvins. Medium to light red color, a bit of browning at the edges. Slight nose of dark fruit and earthiness, and a bit of funk. Donna said it tasted sour. The wine is somewhat thin on the palate, some plums, maybe some cassis. A bit spicy, with some tartness. Not particularly elegant or long. It's very likely seen better days and should've been opened a few years ago. Tannins fading, along with the fruit. Definite earthiness, some bark, game and forest floor perhaps. Do not decant next time as it's not necessary and the wine likely fades over time opened.
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very nice immediately upon opening. Ruby red (not at all like California syrah, with little of the extracted syrah nose and taste of California counterparts). But. . . the initial excitement disappeared within an hour as the wine fell apart, and it was undrinkable on night two.
3 on the AF scale.
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A very deep dark red wine with a layered nose of bacon, black olives, floral, sun dried tomatoes, and herb garden. This wine requires many sniffs to find all of nuances of its nose. It has a soft fruit with flavor of dark fruit, sweetness, tartness and spicy through the mid palate. A soft tannic finish which lingers and lingers will make you remember this wine. Take your time with this wine is deserves it.
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Opaque ruby with thick legs. Nose has really emerged since the wine was opened. Very lovely bottle bouquet of the kind only the Northern Rhones seem to be able to achieve. Very smooth and harmonious in the mouth, seamless really. This is in a way understated, but in a very good way. Elegant, no hard edged, tannins present but only add structure. I wish I had more, as this will keep, although probably right at its peak now. 5-13-17-9: 94/100.
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Dallas Offline - Great Hosts (Nice Italian Place - Name Undisclosed): Opened at a wine dinner. Nose of black fruit, gun powder, roasted game, black pepper, and a very nice floral component. On the palate, black fruit, a little funk, herbs, pepper, smoked meat. Finishes with nice tannic grip and decent acidity. I would be holding this for a while longer, it needs a little more time to knit together.
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Medium red, just a hint of orange at the edge. Nose- oak, taste-oak, finish-drying out. I am starting to come to the conclusion that I do not like Guigal's wines. Not a bad wine, and I am sure pleasing to many people, just not what I like to drink. Had some decent fruit and some other flavors. Other than being over oaked, the balance was ok. Not worthy of the title of Hermitage. Not going to get any better. Bad QPR.
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Double decanted for three hours, served at room temperature. Color: Medium red with Brown hue. Nose: Wild Strawberry Marmalade, Vanilla, White Pepper, Black Cherry. Palate: see nose. Finish: Medium. Tannins: Medium. Alcohol: 13 % well integrated. Medium bodied mouthfeel with initial vanilla and wild strawberry candy. Spicy mid-palate transitions into a mouth-watering red fruit finish. A hint of oxidation and browning color suggest this is in the right place to drink now. Wonderful food wine and quite exotic for an old world Syrah. 91-92 points.
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med red color; very light cedar, black olive nose; opened 45 min- still very tight, not a friendly wine; would look good with grilled red meat/onions or garlic but based on acidity-"palate cleansing character"- NOT flavor- invisible finish; maybe closed down- but after 10 yrs so little promise?
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Bright red color. Fantastic nose of red raspberry liqueu, violets, minerals, smoke and herbs. Sweet raspberries, plums, good dose of herbs and minerals on a silky medium weight palate. Lovely wine for the price.
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Decanted for sediment and drank over three hours. Rust hue in the glass with bricking. Nose of red berries, with plums, smoke and leather. Smooth red fruits on the palate, with blood, leather, and black pepper. The fruit lasted about an hour before thinning out. Time to drink up.
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Syrahs on a Sunday Afternoon: Ruby in color, clear and bright. It took some time to open, then the was raspberries and violets. On the palate, this is mature. A bit thinner. Black raspberries. Noticeably old world and "lighter" but quite enjoyable. Still some slight tannins, but I would drink these, no value to waiting.
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Popped and poured. Medium ruby color with a clear hue. No bricking. Tart cherry nose with some blood and smoke tones. Medium body. Ripe raspberry, vanilla, meat, and a mix of herbs. Pleasant finish that still shows a bit of smooth tannins. A bit of an oxidative note (that I don’t think is a condition issue) keeps this from getting a higher score. Good, but not exceptional. Drink up in the next 2 years.
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Chicago Wine Mafia Offline Dinner (Chateau VinoMe): Allred brought this bottle over. 2nd time I have had this within the last year. The bottle at Otis' CDP was off and this bottle showed so much better. Creammy vanilla nuances with smoke and ripe berry notes. The tannins were integrated and the wine was drinking superbly. 92 points.
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Briefly decanted for sediment. Effusive notes of roasted meat, maybe some bacon too, savory herbs and red fruit upon opening. Later on everything settles in nicely- aromas of red currants, thyme and spice, with a subtle meaty undertone. Well-balanced, with red fruit flavors and good underlying acidity. Finishes nicely with subtle pepper and herbal qualities.
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At San Antonio Wine Geeks event. My #9 of the night. Elegant mature nose of spicy tea, red berries, leather. Nice subtle palate with redcurrants, flowers, and raspberry flavors with a good depth of mature flavors. Zestful acidity with pure fruit on a nice finish. Finish just a bit short.
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Blind Night (Jeff): Tasted double blind. Everyone guessed Bordeaux blend. Dark brick red color. Plumb and soy sauce notes on the nose. Mature blackberry, anise, plumb and earth. Well balanced. Smooth elegant finish. Drink now. No where near the 97 points anointed by Wine Spectator. 13% alcohol. My second bottle.
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-- tasted a single glass non-blind over approx. 15 min. --
Rather open-knit; cherry flavor with a slight oxidative note running throughout; not funky. Overall impression: good-not-great. gut impression score: 88- 90.
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This may have been an off bottle -- not corked -- just off. Nose was immediately gamy with some bacon fat and leather which I expected. Palate however was hollow and lacked substance. There was some fruit but definitely more subdued.
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Nice nose with complex composition of leather, smoke, mature wood and fruits. Palate with plums, mature fruits. Fine mature tannins too. Seems to be very drinkable now - especially if one like mature syrah ;-)
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From very first sniff could recognize that this is a good one! It had basic syrah's red fruit and spiciness. On the palate it had some leather ans spices too. Tannins were ripen and some of the acidity was still there. Everything was in excellent balance.
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Disappointing. A clean but simple red wine; perfectly drinkable but perfectly forgettable, with little evidence of any kind of distinction. Remote fromn the wine I remember from 2006 -- could it be closed down?
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Half bottle. Drank over two nights, fingers crossed as I poured on the second, but didn't work. Murky, ripe, stewy flavors. Really high-toned nose. This has got to be a less than perfect bottle. Tastes WAY older than it is.
WLTV Forum Offline Montclair (Table 8, Montclair, NJ): Full throttle nose that draws you in at first, but then quickly dissipates to the point where you question if someone switched glasses on you. Well balanced flavor with a slightly fruity/woodsy finish. Still a bit of heat on the end and enough fruit to make me believe this can still improve, but it is in a great place now.
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Probably in my top ten wines of all time. Quite ready to drink now. Really beautiful, subtle, elegant. Not much more to ask for. It feels almost a little loose and unstructured now, the tannins have eased off so much, but somehow still holds so much power; I was practically shaking my head in amazement.
An incredible couple of days in Guigal land. The 98 and 03 La Turque on Thursday, and then an old friend, the 2000 Hermitage last night. We enjoyed the Hermitage with perfectly grilled Delmonico steaks, and I can't imagine a better match for this muscular, meaty, peppery, tarry, moccha-tinged syrah. FRuit tended to blackberries and plums. Enough tannins and acidity to last for a few more years, but I think it's at its peak right now. Velvety mouth feel, 45-second finish. Wonderful bottle.
This wine is in a beautiful place right now. Tannins have softened up and some nice smoked meat, bacon, cocoa, complex elements showing. Dried fruits, fig, plum. Velvety and rich, still holding nice acidity. After open for a little bit, it seemed to flesh out a bit with the acidity and tannin structure firming up a bit. Quite complex.
Remains a very pleasant wine. Ruby, nice nose, medium weight palate, good clean finish. Nothing outstanding, complements food well, and also is pleasant on its own. A wine to open on an evening when wine is not meant to be the star.
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Interestingly the foil and cork both say d'Ampuis, but the bottle label is that of the regular Hermitage. A strangely sweet almost cough syrup like nose. On the palate there is some meat and earth components, but it was dominated by candied cherries. An otherwise smooth and mellow medium bodied wine with an unremarkable finish. An off bottle?
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Aerate decant and pour. Color dirty ruby with slight bricking at the rim, some sediment in bottle, medium body. Off to a rough start, with initial nose of brett and stewed plum, and nondescript awkward flavors. After an hour of air, medium depth nose of blackberry, plum, damp earth, and hints of garrigue. On the palate, blackberry liqueur, black plums, grapes, some meat juice for umami effect, leather and white pepper. A rather short finish of black and red fruits, earth. Medium acid, medium level tannins that were barely noticeable for the first three hours but became more evident at the tail end of the last glass. Overall it showed VG/Exc flavors, but restrained in both depth and complexity and I can't imagine it getting any better. Perhaps 2-3 years left. Glad I did not serve this to Holiday guests, but unfortunately makes this a forgettable birthday for me. A far cry from the bloated pro score. A fair value.
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Very nice, but not knocking anyones socks off. Medium bodied, elegant, well balanced. Some red and black fruits, a bit of pepper, mineral, and some herbiness. At $60, an over-priced, over-rated wine. Drink over next 4-5 years.
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Decanted 4 hours. Reddish purple, still through to the rim. Medium legs. Nose of cherry. Acidic attack with red and dark fruit, leather, and wet stone. Restrained palate with a moderate finish, reminding me why I dislike Parkerized syrah. Great with duck cassoulet.
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Very nice. Not what I was expecting from a Guigal Hermitage - that is, not overripe or overoaked. In fact, nicely balanced, with a pleasant richness and subtle fruit.
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Tasted at Otis' Cellar Diminishment Party. Did not think this bottle was showing as well as it should have. Aromas of stewed tomatoes.. Tannic with notes of crushed grape skins, licorice and wet earth. An off bottle. 84 points.
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Smells of cabbage (mercaptan) on pouring. Ruby red with light brick notes.This blows off to sour cherry notes and dry fruit. Medium body with terrific balance. Wonderful fruit and round soft tannins. At its peak. Drink now. Loved it!
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Had this at restaurant Kuu in Helsinki.Dark red with browning rims in the glass.Developed nicely during a couple of hours.Medium nose with funky hints and bacon.On the palate nicely smooth and mellow with some dark fruit,liquorice,slightly barnyard/funky tones,olives,bacon and softened tannins.Paired very well with veal.
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I liked this wine better than most on this forum. Although I have experienced some bottle variation. This wine had a nice texture with typical bacon/meat and leather aromas and flavors. I thought it was a solid effort. Paired well with duck breast, spinach and sweet potatoes.
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First pour is a bit understated but in many ways classic. Then we ran it through the Vinturi and viola! A Hermitage w/ earth, white pepper, black fruit, and leather. Not WOTY/97pointer, but perfect for our Tour de France tasting!
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Initially with quite a bit of gamyness, garrigue, and and bacon fat with smoke. Eventually developed some more fruit and brown spice in the glass. Gripping tannins with good complexity. Seemed to fall a bit flat on hindpalate and finish.
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This started out doing a cheap Cotes du Rhone impression that was not very promising. However, this really gained depth and complexity with decanting. After two or so hours the nose really became more complex, showing smoke, pepper, tar and anise hints all overlaying some serious fruit - but hard to pick out what it is. The palate is about the same stage of evolution, while the tannins are pretty soft, there is still a good bite of acidity - pretty smooth, ripe with blackcherry, plum and currant fruit, some smoke and a tarry blackcurrant finish. Overall, I enjoyed this, but have to wonder that if you served to a group without the chance to follow over several hours that it would be pretty disappointing for the reputation. No way is this 97 WS points.
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Very subtle prune, meat juice, Anise, smoke on a very elegant styled wine. It is not a bad wine just would like more of everything in the wine. Expected a bit more..
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Dark burgundy red, big gorgeous nose of high toned ripe red fruit, brown sugar, herbs and black cherry, suave and earthy palate with great balance and perfectly developed secondary characters, long caramel finish, drink up
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Beautifully floral nose - lots of lavender and sandalwood with a strong cedar backbone. Still quite young and tannic palate - some nice blackberry fruit, limestone with a nice meaty mid palate. Still too young, but going to improve as I watch the Red Sox kick some Blue Jay butts.
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Decanted for 10 hours. Deep purple, with long legs. Initially just dark fruit and tannin (fusing the lips the gums). By dinner, blackcherry, blackberry, old blueberry, mushroom, and earth. Finish beyond moderate and on the short side of long. Great with provenal lamb.
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purple color. on the nose, this shows gorgeous blackberries and currants upon opening. but over the course of the night, the nose opened up wonderfully and the wine got exponentially more expressive, showing strawberries, black pepper and earth along with dark fruits and a hint of violet. rich palate, great structure, but surprisingly approachable. still very powerful, but i was really impressed by how the black plum, leather and animal hide, pepper, spice, earth and toast notes all glided across the palate so nicely. this was great, and will only get better. don't be scared to drink now, but give it lots swirl time and don't drink it too quickly! aged 24 months in oak barrels. 13% alcohol.
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Dark ruby colour; almost opaque at the centre. Aromas of smoke, meat, spice, plums, fur, blackberry, and flowers. Restrained on the palate, shows good grip, with some red fruit and lots of tannin and balanced acidity. Moderate finish, ~30s, with red fruit and a hint of coffee. Dusty. This wine is just a pup. Anyone who said this wine was ready or on its last legs is high. This still needs some significant cellaring and I wouldn't consider opening another bottle for another 5+ years if this showing is representative.
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Sour plum, earth, closed and not to interesting. Left it in the decanter for dinner the next night. This wine took 30+ hours to open up to Sweet plum, mushroom, truffle and the complex finish changed to sweet tannins and as soft as you could ask.
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Blackberry, black pepper and earth. Excellent mid palate depth with a very elegant, complex finish. This wine showed quite well tonight. Served with venison fillets in a cherry reduction sauce and gruyere scalloped potatoes. 13% alcohol.
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From a 375ml opened by zepplan. Deep garnet color, throwing a bit of fine sediment. Meaty plum, smoke and earthy tones. On the palate...bacon fat and dark fruit with a slight tannic bite. Bit of toasted wood on the finish. Thanks zep! 93+ pts.
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Intensely fruit-forward nose with cherry and red fruit. Medium-bodied in the mouth with surprising sweetness. Still relatively young with mouth-coating tannis, but drinking well. Like a previous poster, I left wishing the wine had just alittle bit more weight.
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Intense, but pleasant light fruit notes (cherry / strawberry) on the nose. Drinking quite well at the moment. Tannins still coat the teeth, but the wine is immensely more approachable now than it was 1 year ago and, as a result, shows significantly more fruit on the palate than it did before. Medium-bodied with a seductive character. However, it left me wishing there was just a bit more weight to the wine. This still has some room left to age, but is perfect now with a meal that can break through the tannin that still remains.
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Very good, great length, developing nose, decanted two hours, druvk over three hours, held together well, many years left, could be much better in a coupleof years.
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Ruby red with slightly brownish rim. Nice dark berry nose with spices. Well balanced, medium body with medium tannins and acid. Nice long finish. Very nice overall
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Black-red. Slightly dusty nose of ripe fruit, running towards currents or cassis. Rich palate, fairly long, good ripeness and substantial tannins. An enjoyable hermitage to consume on the young side.
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Complex nose. Not overly fruity, but nice, black berry slightly spicy (cinnamon?) aroma. On the palate, medium to full bodied with dense tannins that indicate a need for further aging. With time, opened up to be a seductive wine. Although it will never be a powerhouse, it will have great potential in a couple years.
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This bottle opened extremely well at Tre Scalini. I’m not sure that it’s 97, but I am sure that it is a wonderful bottle. And, you can’t go wrong drinking great wine... (91++)
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Hermitage-lite. Had all the elements of Hermitage w/o the depth or intensity. Light meat notes, slight stony notes. Clean and good finish with berries. Flavors like meat actually intensified with the food. Perfect food wine. Bad price. Braised short ribs w/ polenta.
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Ruby red, with blue edges. A clean perfumed nose, with raspberry and floral overtones. Like the '98 Guigal Hermitage I recently tried, I detected a watermelon candy nuance that was not unpleasant but not really representative of the appellation. A very young-tasting wine that needs a couple years to flesh out and gain depth. Flavors and tannins are quite symmetrical. Medium-bodied, I did NOT get the "ultrathick" and "ultrarich" descriptor noted in the WS review - especially in juxtaposition with the Pride and SQN syrahs we tried later. Nice long finish. Right now, I'd rather drink the '98. The '00 may surpass it with time.
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Tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Bottle provided by Bob Bartnett. Bright disc. Deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense smoke, vanilla, black fruit and bacon aromas. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, full but ripe tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Medium, smooth finish.
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4/19/2024 - IAmVintage wrote: 92 Points
Double filteted/decanted. Loads of sediment & funky nose to start but quickly opened up. Perfect with duroc chop pan fried with shrooms & pancetta layered into mushroom ravioli. I sensed savory acidity ala pomegranate seeds that have started to ferment with a nice savory earthiness. Long red fruit finish with just a hint of absinthe. Past its prime? Not for me, evolving character of really well aged wines like this is a lovely unique experience.
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5/23/2023 - pmik Likes this wine: 92 Points
Vinnørd
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11/3/2022 - Duce wrote: 89 Points
Tired
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10/4/2022 - BillyT wrote: 91 Points
This wine was excellent but when you drink Guigal La La's there is no comparison so the 91 score belies how good this was. Drank for son's baptism.
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8/17/2022 - pmik Likes this wine: 92 Points
Vinnørd
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4/29/2022 - Condrieu82 wrote: 88 Points
Opened the bottle and let it sit for one hour. The nose was somewhat oxidized - lots of musky notes. Palate shows good structure, with vibrant acidity and cherries, blueberries that came out as the wine breathed more. Leather notes and wet forest floor - with still strong tannins - tinged the medium finish, which showed also some smoked meat notes.
Overall a good wine, but I think this bottle was past its peak. I will give it 88, but I am sure that better kept bottles out there could be excellent even though this was anything but a stellar vintage.
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4/29/2022 - bucktooth22 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted 30 min. Earthy forward on the 👃 — wet soil, leather, lemon, light ripe raspberries. Very dry, light structure , medium tannins. Light alcohol on the finish.
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3/20/2022 - Eric wrote:
ESTG Northern Rhône: Mmm, I love the basic Guigal Hermitage which seems to do so well with age. Dry, tannic, smoky, meaty, love the nose, dusky.
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3/18/2022 - AllRed wrote: 85 Points
Friday Group Brown Bag Tasting (Eagle Brook CC): Blind. Earth, roasted game and tea with little fruit. Tea and game qualities follow through on the palate, which shows more fruit than the bouquet suggests.
I had quickly double decanted this off its sediment and intended it to be in the first flight, but when the wines were randomly rearranged it was moved and I think it suffered for it.
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1/28/2022 - Chekib m. Likes this wine: 92 Points
Chinese hot pot at home in Hong Kong. No restaurant open for diner. Normal life for the past 2yrs.
Lucky this wine was still in the cellar. Had one last year and this one is still very similar.
Deep ruby to purple, no sign of aging.
Medium nose, developed, with aromas of dried blood, iron, tapenade, black berry liqueur.
Medium body, soft, slight grip, coats well the mouth with sweet blueberry flavours, iron, dried meat and quite mineral. Good length.
Went extremely well with the hot pot beef slices in spicy broth.
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12/2/2021 - SeaSea wrote: flawed
Winebid purchase. Cooked/oxidized. Down drain.
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10/16/2021 - erictayl wrote: 88 Points
Subtle nose and palate. If I’m drinking mid-priced Rhône syrah, I’m looking for more than this. Maybe just over the hill.
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10/4/2021 - GArpaia Likes this wine:
Med tawny. Pronounced. Only secondary and tertiary.
Cinammon, clove, coffee. Plum, tobacco, mushroom, caramel, meat, soy sauce, olive.
Med+ acidity. Med and ripe, soft but firm tannin. Med alcohol. Med+ body. Long.
Outstanding: complexity, balance, length.
Fully developed. Not varietal characteristics.
D3
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2/17/2021 - pmik wrote: 91 Points
Vinnørd. 91+
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2/7/2021 - Grandparules Likes this wine: 94 Points
Enjoyed very much with turkey chili and cornbread while watching the Super Bowl. Dark fruit with enough body to counter the spices of chili and a nice lingering smooth finish.
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1/6/2021 - devraj Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark ruby with slight bricking. Lovely aromas of reddish black berries, licorice, smoky herbs and violets. A refined medium-bodied palate shows silky red berry fruits, hint of tobacco and pepper, medium acidity, full resolved oak and tannins and a nice lingering mineral and floral tinged finish.
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11/12/2020 - pawa Likes this wine: 93 Points
More towards the blue than brick. More perfumed than meaty. Can't believe this is 20 years old. Very impressive.
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10/30/2020 - MJMorris55 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. Nose of black fruits, currants. Beautiful clear reddish purple color. Ripe plums, cassis, a hint of minerals and dried herbs. Delicious.
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8/21/2020 - Dickdoc49 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Consistent with my previous
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1/18/2020 - Jayloop Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still developing nice complexity.
Nose of floral candied violets and fresh rolled cuban cigar- deep but with green overtones and slight barnyard funk - and ripe plumb undertones.
Taste: smooth, really nice, juicy sweet citrus orange on the back sides of the tongue, a bit of tar and mineral elements up front. Good integration with a hint of green herbal, almost menthol/eucalyptus presentation.
Worth the wait. Eminently drinkable!
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11/24/2019 - carstenf wrote: 80 Points
Too late.....not much fruit.
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11/20/2019 - Olivier Kunz Does not like this wine: 50 Points
Dead
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3/10/2019 - wineman73 wrote: 93 Points
Very nice wine that looks young win the glass. Nice aroma of red fruits, game and pepper. The taste was silky offering flavors of red fruit, game meat and pepper.
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3/9/2019 - oldwines Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted by a friend at home around 2pm and tasted from 6pm through 9pm. This started out very soft and reticent but as it got more air (after 4 hours) it opened up and was very good with braised short rib and pappardelle. Soft, fully integrated tannin and medium- acidity. Spicy, with plum, cherry and savory meat elements. Plenty of life left but quite enjoyable in an old-school style.
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3/3/2018 - Winedad53 wrote: 88 Points
Bricking slightly. Notes of black pepper and bacon on the nose. A bit lean these days with fruit having faded and not much of interest to replace it. Showed better 3-4 years ago.
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1/20/2018 - HL Pong Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decant for 45 mins, lots of residual at the bottom.
Appearance : pale to medium garnet, tears with petillance.
On nose : medium intensity, just a subtle of red fruit : cherry, truffles, liquorice, pine, beacon, some black pepper spiciness. A bit old but still have complex territory aroma.
On palate : medium intensity flavour, medium+ acidity, medium+ but fine tannin desolved by the time of aging, medium alcohol, medium body. This wine is a bit over peak but still got medium+ body, quite pleasant on palate. Some old black tea, pine and spiciness with medium finishing.
Despite of the starting of the declining conditions, it is still pleasant and balance. Even tough 2000 is a terrible year for Hermitage, it turns to elegant style as time goes by. It just like a man just retired at this point, no harsh feeling but no vividness as well. I still love this as it should be drunk now, to enjoy the sunset of the life of this wine.
Some previous comments were so negative, I believe that is because of the cellaring conditions more than the wine itself. Cheers!
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8/12/2017 - wine4ever Likes this wine: 91 Points
From our cellar. We enjoyed this wine with a MT Ribeye. It was better than 8 years ago. It doesn't seem to have evolved very much. Barely bricking. Nice nose. Very clear and fresh, young tasting. Fairly light in weight, cherry, pepper & mineral on the palate, fair acidity. It is developing some secondary characteristics. Seems like it has more time, but it is very good place right now. Not sure I'd chance holding it more than 4-5 more years.
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7/23/2017 - Two Winos Likes this wine: 90 Points
Might be past its prime. Was a good bottle of wine, but a little flat at this point.
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3/13/2017 - giba ochman wrote: 92 Points
Good. Drink now
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11/2/2016 - asgerG wrote: 92 Points
Den Blinde Hane#2 (Hos Asger): Mature and well balanced, still fresh. Drink now-onwards
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7/18/2016 - UMhemePA Likes this wine: 90 Points
pale red to brown rim, full bodied, dark berries dried cherries, blackberries, hint of chocolate.
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7/9/2016 - berkeleywinedog Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last bottle of the case - still drinking beautifully and wish I had more. Perfectly balanced syrah.
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3/28/2016 - Louvin Likes this wine: 93 Points
open for a couple hours, decanted for 1, quite a nice bottle, tannins totally resolved leaving a smooth wine with dark red fruits with decent acidity. Not the level of the big boys but enjoyable. No sense of decline and no problems in any regard.
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10/21/2015 - SIV Likes this wine: 89 Points
Garnet, medium+ opacity, orange halo, moderate+ viscosity. Clear, bright.
Red cherry, slightly stewed. Strawberry jam. Ripe fig. Wood, smoke, cinnamon. Slight funk. Maybe wet hay. Barnyard floor. Hint of rose petal.
Full body. Astringent. Moderate+ acid, moderate tannin. Chewy and a bit tart. Long finish with slight bitterness and slight funk.
Interesting, complex. I need to go find some cheese.
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5/3/2015 - foodandwineblog wrote: 93 Points
Dark red fruits, a bit of black pepper with very subtle smoke and herbal tea on the nose. Red fruits, light spice, tannins fully integrated, this bottle was pristine and at its peak- very enjoyable.
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3/15/2015 - berkeleywinedog wrote: 93 Points
Just drank 8th of my 12 bottles, worrying about some other reviews indicating this might be over the hill. I have had no such issues and all of the bottles I have consumed were excellent. I have seen no evident bottle variation in the case I bought, which was imported by Ex Cellars Wine Agencies, Inc from Solvang, CA.
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3/8/2015 - ekenneth wrote: 94 Points
This was soooo good. Smelled like bacon and blackberries, with a slightly oily viscosity and a little umami. Brilliant.
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2/26/2015 - jsteach wrote:
4th bottle in 4 nights, 1st bottle down the drain. 2nd bottle 75 points.
3rd bottle 85 points, some fruit, but thin. 4th bottle, ripe mouthfeel and plenty of fruit, mineral and toasty, smoky character. Long, balanced finish.
93 points. All purchased at the same time. 4 bottle left. My luck 3 bad 1 good.
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2/16/2015 - tcosgriff Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Purple color with a brown rim and with a vague plum flavor masked by unpleasant acidity and tannins. What a disappointment. Surprised that a Hermitage wine could be outdated at age 15. Second bottle just as unpleasant.
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1/4/2015 - devraj Likes this wine: 90 Points
Coravined. Brickish red in color. Red cherries, black olive paste, smoke, touch of pork fat makes up an interesting nose. Sweet-tart cherry liquer, leather forms a rather interesting palate that shows good acidity and fine tannins that are a touch drying on the finish. The nose is far better than the palate.
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12/28/2014 - roasted hill Likes this wine:
Decanted an hour. Lovely nose of dark cherry and spice. Oak, cherry, red fruit and spice fill the palate. The finish is long and the tannins have gone. Great pairing with meat.
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12/17/2014 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Spot on, and likely as good as it was going to get!
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9/16/2014 - KPB wrote: 92 Points
Last tried this 4 years ago. The wine has developed a lovely nose since then: walnuts, bacon fat, cassis. Then hints of leather, perhaps a faint cherry pastille impression. Quite good on the palate: tart but ripe fruit, rich mid palate flavors, rather long finish. Tannins have receded into the background and the wine has a great supple mouthfeel that gives it a very pleasant aftertaste. Probably at peak now.
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8/3/2014 - Vino Me wrote: 93 Points
Opened by Otis. Opened but not decanted 3 hours before dinner. Paired with smoked bacon wrapped duck breasts. My favorite of the 4 Syrah that we opened. 3rd time I have had this wine and the best showing yet. Medium red color. Smooth and elegant texture. Notes of toasted oak, cherries and dried berries. Long finish. 93-94 points.
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7/16/2014 - Iam Redwood wrote:
Brought to club
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4/3/2014 - Iam Redwood wrote: 90 Points
- Garnet color with medium forming legs. It's unbalanced and has flavours of blackberry and mushroom - Great body, great legs. Rich jams and leather. But get on it this is drinking well but will some fruit later on.
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3/23/2014 - roasted hill wrote:
garnet. bricking, but pretty stable in that regard. medium legs. decanted about 1/2 hr. lotsa sediment. nose of blood, leather, and red fruit. woody and leathery, with red berry and cherry notes through to the midpalate. still discernibly a fruit juice, and this seems to have more room to mature than others have suggested....
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3/19/2014 - europat55 wrote: 87 Points
1978-2003 Guigal Hermitages (Tom's house in Palo Alto, California): Sweet, young, modest nose. Some heat (B+/B++). Sweet, young, palate (B/B+).
My #6, Group's #7 (105 pts). Tasted blind.
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3/19/2014 - aagrawal wrote: 82 Points
Guigal Hermitage Vertical (Palo Alto): Very Bretty, lacking in fruit; full bodied, drying in the midpalate. Flat flavor, high alcohol. 82. My #8, Group's #7.
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3/16/2014 - Firefly78 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Sad to hear about recent bad experiences with this one, my bottle was quite different though - elegant, earthy and mineral with vibrand acidity and fruit.
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3/15/2014 - blaine wrote:
Very disappointing. I bought 2 of these upon release, stored impeccably. I had the first bottle probably in about 2004, and enjoyed it very much (so I remember...). This one showed very little signs of age in the color, and the cork was amazingly only wet a couple of milometers up, it as perfect. So it really showed no signs of age, very youthful. Very much a kirsch component on the nose. Popped and poured upon the recommendations of several on this thread. Over the hill. All kirsch. My wife and I tried to muscle through a glass and a half, but bailed and opened a 2010 CDR. I'd drink these up if you're still holding...chalk another one up to holding a bit too long.
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2/15/2014 - roasted hill wrote:
Garnet with bricking. Medium legs. Red fruit, mostly, with an almost ethereal palate. Somewhat attenuated body of acidic berry and cherry. It's not really primary, but still fruit forward.
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11/22/2013 - thebonnydooner wrote: 91 Points
So 4 and 1/2 years after the last bottle, the impression is still the same. This is an interesting wine, but way overhyped by the WS.
Colour is showing some age with garnet and brick notes to the plummy red colour. Rim is pretty much orange. Nose is complex and interesting, stills lots of blood, meat and smoke, fruit has subsided, maybe a little black cherry and blackberry. Palate is pretty soft, low tannin, still some acidity, dry with red cherry and berry fruit. Maybe hints of leather and brush, still has some sweetness to the fruit. Medium finish. Overall, very pleasant and a nice wine, but not 97 points.
Picking this up after 3 days - not much has changed, soft and delicious, but definitely at or past peak.
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11/11/2013 - andtheodor wrote: 89 Points
Double blind. Chocolate mint, carob, some weediness but also sweet berry preserves. Nondescript to my palate. New world?
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6/22/2013 - pinothoarder wrote: 90 Points
As prior notes have indicated, this doesn't get better in the decanter, and really falls off a cliff after a couple of hours of opening. So if you've got it, make sure to pop-n-pour and drink it now, as it's not likely to get any better. Head-to-head challenge against an '01 Mitolo, Savitar Shiraz (Austrailian/McLaren Vale). No contest; the Aussie completely kicked sand in this Frenchy's face. The Guigal was just average, at best, and just not worth the $60 original retail IMHO.
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6/9/2013 - paul canet wrote: 93 Points
Bu pour un souper de noel, quelle belle bouteille, juste a point. Tout etait integre, de la syrah comme on l'aime...
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5/12/2013 - ghood wrote: 91 Points
Showing more life than my last half bottle drank about a year ago. This one can still go some, but good now. Roasty, meaty, with good acid.
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5/11/2013 - cephomer wrote: 89 Points
Decanted with Blanco at Alvins. Medium to light red color, a bit of browning at the edges. Slight nose of dark fruit and earthiness, and a bit of funk. Donna said it tasted sour. The wine is somewhat thin on the palate, some plums, maybe some cassis. A bit spicy, with some tartness. Not particularly elegant or long. It's very likely seen better days and should've been opened a few years ago. Tannins fading, along with the fruit. Definite earthiness, some bark, game and forest floor perhaps. Do not decant next time as it's not necessary and the wine likely fades over time opened.
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2/23/2013 - thwacker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep, rich on the palate, elegant on the nose, tons going on with this wine, still years to go.
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2/6/2013 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 87 Points
very nice immediately upon opening. Ruby red (not at all like California syrah, with little of the extracted syrah nose and taste of California counterparts). But. . . the initial excitement disappeared within an hour as the wine fell apart, and it was undrinkable on night two.
3 on the AF scale.
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1/30/2013 - ronnietob Likes this wine: 91 Points
nice hermitage, still vivid.
Will not get better. Tannins nice in balance. Nice color, getting a little brown. Drink now.
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12/24/2012 - otisabdul Likes this wine: 93 Points
Starting to hit its stride. Still years from peaking however.
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7/29/2012 - Zed57 wrote: 94 Points
complex and fascinating this big beauty is ready to drink now.
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7/11/2012 - pointrob wrote: 92 Points
full mouthfilling tannin with good aromas and depth
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6/28/2012 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 93 Points
It tastes like game, earth, and minerality... with a defining backbone of cherry fruit!
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6/27/2012 - OregonWineGeeks Likes this wine: 95 Points
A very deep dark red wine with a layered nose of bacon, black olives, floral, sun dried tomatoes, and herb garden. This wine requires many sniffs to find all of nuances of its nose. It has a soft fruit with flavor of dark fruit, sweetness, tartness and spicy through the mid palate. A soft tannic finish which lingers and lingers will make you remember this wine. Take your time with this wine is deserves it.
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6/17/2012 - MicklethePickle wrote: 94 Points
Opaque ruby with thick legs. Nose has really emerged since the wine was opened. Very lovely bottle bouquet of the kind only the Northern Rhones seem to be able to achieve. Very smooth and harmonious in the mouth, seamless really. This is in a way understated, but in a very good way. Elegant, no hard edged, tannins present but only add structure. I wish I had more, as this will keep, although probably right at its peak now. 5-13-17-9: 94/100.
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4/7/2012 - Javachip wrote: 88 Points
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 4/7/2012 (Casa Red Guy, San Diego): Tasted blind. Clear medium garnet-ruby. Bouquet of saddle soap, charcoal, stewed red plums, earth, minerals. I guessed "pinot or syrah." Next.
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3/15/2012 - GalvezGuy wrote: 90 Points
Dallas Offline - Great Hosts (Nice Italian Place - Name Undisclosed): Opened at a wine dinner. Nose of black fruit, gun powder, roasted game, black pepper, and a very nice floral component. On the palate, black fruit, a little funk, herbs, pepper, smoked meat. Finishes with nice tannic grip and decent acidity. I would be holding this for a while longer, it needs a little more time to knit together.
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3/15/2012 - BobJohnson1 wrote:
Medium red, just a hint of orange at the edge. Nose- oak, taste-oak, finish-drying out. I am starting to come to the conclusion that I do not like Guigal's wines. Not a bad wine, and I am sure pleasing to many people, just not what I like to drink. Had some decent fruit and some other flavors. Other than being over oaked, the balance was ok. Not worthy of the title of Hermitage. Not going to get any better. Bad QPR.
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1/13/2012 - Paul from the Oblong Table wrote: 89 Points
Well balanced but appeared to be "thin". The taste was there but it didn't have the big full-of-fruit CA appearance.
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12/31/2011 - lator wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted for three hours, served at room temperature. Color: Medium red with Brown hue. Nose: Wild Strawberry Marmalade, Vanilla, White Pepper, Black Cherry. Palate: see nose. Finish: Medium. Tannins: Medium. Alcohol: 13 % well integrated. Medium bodied mouthfeel with initial vanilla and wild strawberry candy. Spicy mid-palate transitions into a mouth-watering red fruit finish. A hint of oxidation and browning color suggest this is in the right place to drink now. Wonderful food wine and quite exotic for an old world Syrah. 91-92 points.
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11/15/2011 - vinojones wrote: 87 Points
med red color; very light cedar, black olive nose; opened 45 min- still very tight, not a friendly wine; would look good with grilled red meat/onions or garlic but based on acidity-"palate cleansing character"- NOT flavor- invisible finish; maybe closed down- but after 10 yrs so little promise?
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5/26/2011 - kenv Likes this wine: 93 Points
WCC Blind Rhone Varietals from Around the World (Salty's Pub, Clifton Park, NY): Smoky nose of dark tannic red fruit. Long finish. Needs time. 2 votes for WOTF.
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4/22/2011 - devraj wrote: 93 Points
Bright red color. Fantastic nose of red raspberry liqueu, violets, minerals, smoke and herbs. Sweet raspberries, plums, good dose of herbs and minerals on a silky medium weight palate. Lovely wine for the price.
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4/7/2011 - Fielding wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for sediment and drank over three hours. Rust hue in the glass with bricking. Nose of red berries, with plums, smoke and leather. Smooth red fruits on the palate, with blood, leather, and black pepper. The fruit lasted about an hour before thinning out. Time to drink up.
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3/27/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 90 Points
Syrahs on a Sunday Afternoon: Ruby in color, clear and bright. It took some time to open, then the was raspberries and violets. On the palate, this is mature. A bit thinner. Black raspberries. Noticeably old world and "lighter" but quite enjoyable. Still some slight tannins, but I would drink these, no value to waiting.
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2/25/2011 - huntinpagan wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured. Medium ruby color with a clear hue. No bricking. Tart cherry nose with some blood and smoke tones. Medium body. Ripe raspberry, vanilla, meat, and a mix of herbs. Pleasant finish that still shows a bit of smooth tannins. A bit of an oxidative note (that I don’t think is a condition issue) keeps this from getting a higher score. Good, but not exceptional. Drink up in the next 2 years.
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2/10/2011 - yui wrote: 90 Points
anniversary wine
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1/10/2011 - ekenneth wrote: flawed
Corked.
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11/18/2010 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
Chicago Wine Mafia Offline Dinner (Chateau VinoMe): Allred brought this bottle over. 2nd time I have had this within the last year. The bottle at Otis' CDP was off and this bottle showed so much better. Creammy vanilla nuances with smoke and ripe berry notes. The tannins were integrated and the wine was drinking superbly. 92 points.
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11/13/2010 - AllRed Likes this wine: 92 Points
Briefly decanted for sediment. Effusive notes of roasted meat, maybe some bacon too, savory herbs and red fruit upon opening. Later on everything settles in nicely- aromas of red currants, thyme and spice, with a subtle meaty undertone. Well-balanced, with red fruit flavors and good underlying acidity. Finishes nicely with subtle pepper and herbal qualities.
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11/6/2010 - macker100 wrote: 89 Points
At San Antonio Wine Geeks event. My #9 of the night. Elegant mature nose of spicy tea, red berries, leather. Nice subtle palate with redcurrants, flowers, and raspberry flavors with a good depth of mature flavors. Zestful acidity with pure fruit on a nice finish. Finish just a bit short.
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11/6/2010 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 90 Points
San Antonio Wine Geeks - The Great Gathering (aka: Steak porn/Wine Orgy); 11/5/2010-11/6/2010 (The Home of Steve Treu): A nice break from the bdx blends. Floral nose, with some black pepper and slight amount of burnt rubber. Round lush palate, mostly integrated tannins, with dark berries, but becomes slightly hollow leading into a clipped finish that was surprisingly simple, but strong stone element. Good.
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10/13/2010 - jeff nowak wrote: 90 Points
double blind. syrah? you've got to be kidding me. smooth and mature in my book. a pleasant quaffer.
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10/13/2010 - kstoddard Likes this wine: 91 Points
Blind Night (Jeff): Tasted double blind. Everyone guessed Bordeaux blend. Dark brick red color. Plumb and soy sauce notes on the nose. Mature blackberry, anise, plumb and earth. Well balanced. Smooth elegant finish. Drink now. No where near the 97 points anointed by Wine Spectator. 13% alcohol. My second bottle.
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10/9/2010 - grafstrb wrote:
-- tasted a single glass non-blind over approx. 15 min. --
Rather open-knit; cherry flavor with a slight oxidative note running throughout; not funky. Overall impression: good-not-great. gut impression score: 88- 90.
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9/14/2010 - J-Sho wrote: 82 Points
This may have been an off bottle -- not corked -- just off. Nose was immediately gamy with some bacon fat and leather which I expected. Palate however was hollow and lacked substance. There was some fruit but definitely more subdued.
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8/1/2010 - MaHaMa wrote: 92 Points
Nice nose with complex composition of leather, smoke, mature wood and fruits. Palate with plums, mature fruits. Fine mature tannins too. Seems to be very drinkable now - especially if one like mature syrah ;-)
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8/1/2010 - Mige wrote: 92 Points
From very first sniff could recognize that this is a good one! It had basic syrah's red fruit and spiciness. On the palate it had some leather ans spices too. Tannins were ripen and some of the acidity was still there. Everything was in excellent balance.
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7/10/2010 - Dickdoc49 wrote: 90 Points
Light amber color not terribly concentrated very nice balance good structure mod long finish ( not a 97 pt wine) my second tasting
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4/28/2010 - KPB wrote: 87 Points
Disappointing. A clean but simple red wine; perfectly drinkable but perfectly forgettable, with little evidence of any kind of distinction. Remote fromn the wine I remember from 2006 -- could it be closed down?
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4/18/2010 - ghood wrote: 85 Points
Half bottle. Drank over two nights, fingers crossed as I poured on the second, but didn't work. Murky, ripe, stewy flavors. Really high-toned nose. This has got to be a less than perfect bottle. Tastes WAY older than it is.
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4/15/2010 - jjoyce wrote:
WLTV Forum Offline Montclair (Table 8, Montclair, NJ): Full throttle nose that draws you in at first, but then quickly dissipates to the point where you question if someone switched glasses on you. Well balanced flavor with a slightly fruity/woodsy finish. Still a bit of heat on the end and enough fruit to make me believe this can still improve, but it is in a great place now.
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4/8/2010 - John McCabe wrote: 97 Points
Probably in my top ten wines of all time. Quite ready to drink now. Really beautiful, subtle, elegant. Not much more to ask for. It feels almost a little loose and unstructured now, the tannins have eased off so much, but somehow still holds so much power; I was practically shaking my head in amazement.
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4/2/2010 - eudora wrote: 96 Points
An incredible couple of days in Guigal land. The 98 and 03 La Turque on Thursday, and then an old friend, the 2000 Hermitage last night. We enjoyed the Hermitage with perfectly grilled Delmonico steaks, and I can't imagine a better match for this muscular, meaty, peppery, tarry, moccha-tinged syrah. FRuit tended to blackberries and plums. Enough tannins and acidity to last for a few more years, but I think it's at its peak right now. Velvety mouth feel, 45-second finish. Wonderful bottle.
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3/17/2010 - jjclips2 wrote: 92 Points
This wine is in a beautiful place right now. Tannins have softened up and some nice smoked meat, bacon, cocoa, complex elements showing. Dried fruits, fig, plum. Velvety and rich, still holding nice acidity. After open for a little bit, it seemed to flesh out a bit with the acidity and tannin structure firming up a bit. Quite complex.
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2/27/2010 - Rechrom wrote: 89 Points
Remains a very pleasant wine. Ruby, nice nose, medium weight palate, good clean finish. Nothing outstanding, complements food well, and also is pleasant on its own. A wine to open on an evening when wine is not meant to be the star.
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1/23/2010 - Hazeo wrote: 87 Points
Interestingly the foil and cork both say d'Ampuis, but the bottle label is that of the regular Hermitage. A strangely sweet almost cough syrup like nose. On the palate there is some meat and earth components, but it was dominated by candied cherries. An otherwise smooth and mellow medium bodied wine with an unremarkable finish. An off bottle?
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12/26/2009 - Mlyles wrote: 90 Points
Decent hermitage, lacked the concentration that usually accompanies Guigal Hermitage. Definitely improves with air.
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12/15/2009 - i musicisti di boston wrote:
rather light, but well balanced and enjoable. a bit tame for my taste...
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11/28/2009 - Vinacull wrote: 87 Points
Aerate decant and pour. Color dirty ruby with slight bricking at the rim, some sediment in bottle, medium body. Off to a rough start, with initial nose of brett and stewed plum, and nondescript awkward flavors. After an hour of air, medium depth nose of blackberry, plum, damp earth, and hints of garrigue. On the palate, blackberry liqueur, black plums, grapes, some meat juice for umami effect, leather and white pepper. A rather short finish of black and red fruits, earth. Medium acid, medium level tannins that were barely noticeable for the first three hours but became more evident at the tail end of the last glass. Overall it showed VG/Exc flavors, but restrained in both depth and complexity and I can't imagine it getting any better. Perhaps 2-3 years left. Glad I did not serve this to Holiday guests, but unfortunately makes this a forgettable birthday for me. A far cry from the bloated pro score. A fair value.
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11/27/2009 - wine4ever wrote: 89 Points
Very nice, but not knocking anyones socks off. Medium bodied, elegant, well balanced. Some red and black fruits, a bit of pepper, mineral, and some herbiness. At $60, an over-priced, over-rated wine. Drink over next 4-5 years.
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10/25/2009 - roasted hill wrote:
Decanted 4 hours. Reddish purple, still through to the rim. Medium legs. Nose of cherry. Acidic attack with red and dark fruit, leather, and wet stone. Restrained palate with a moderate finish, reminding me why I dislike Parkerized syrah. Great with duck cassoulet.
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10/10/2009 - herberto wrote: 92 Points
Very nice. Not what I was expecting from a Guigal Hermitage - that is, not overripe or overoaked. In fact, nicely balanced, with a pleasant richness and subtle fruit.
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9/11/2009 - Vino Me wrote: 84 Points
Tasted at Otis' Cellar Diminishment Party. Did not think this bottle was showing as well as it should have. Aromas of stewed tomatoes.. Tannic with notes of crushed grape skins, licorice and wet earth. An off bottle. 84 points.
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8/20/2009 - jsmd wrote: 93 Points
Smells of cabbage (mercaptan) on pouring. Ruby red with light brick notes.This blows off to sour cherry notes and dry fruit. Medium body with terrific balance. Wonderful fruit and round soft tannins. At its peak. Drink now. Loved it!
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8/20/2009 - Henman wrote: 90 Points
Had this at restaurant Kuu in Helsinki.Dark red with browning rims in the glass.Developed nicely during a couple of hours.Medium nose with funky hints and bacon.On the palate nicely smooth and mellow with some dark fruit,liquorice,slightly barnyard/funky tones,olives,bacon and softened tannins.Paired very well with veal.
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8/5/2009 - dea wrote:
I liked this wine better than most on this forum. Although I have experienced some bottle variation. This wine had a nice texture with typical bacon/meat and leather aromas and flavors. I thought it was a solid effort. Paired well with duck breast, spinach and sweet potatoes.
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7/7/2009 - Grinner wrote: 92 Points
First pour is a bit understated but in many ways classic. Then we ran it through the Vinturi and viola! A Hermitage w/ earth, white pepper, black fruit, and leather. Not WOTY/97pointer, but perfect for our Tour de France tasting!
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4/7/2009 - Dr. Pato wrote: 82 Points
Tastes like watered down cote du rhone. 97 by PM at WS. He must have drank something else. I traveled many miles to find it.Six bottles. What a joke.
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3/1/2009 - J-Sho wrote: 91 Points
Initially with quite a bit of gamyness, garrigue, and and bacon fat with smoke. Eventually developed some more fruit and brown spice in the glass. Gripping tannins with good complexity. Seemed to fall a bit flat on hindpalate and finish.
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2/15/2009 - WetRock wrote:
EWG Does Syrahs Blind From Around The World (Conrad Greens Abode): Nose sows slight oxidation and green grape skins. Balanced feel with a big finish. Unsure if it was closed or just an early drinker but clearly from France.
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2/15/2009 - thebonnydooner wrote: 91 Points
This started out doing a cheap Cotes du Rhone impression that was not very promising. However, this really gained depth and complexity with decanting. After two or so hours the nose really became more complex, showing smoke, pepper, tar and anise hints all overlaying some serious fruit - but hard to pick out what it is. The palate is about the same stage of evolution, while the tannins are pretty soft, there is still a good bite of acidity - pretty smooth, ripe with blackcherry, plum and currant fruit, some smoke and a tarry blackcurrant finish. Overall, I enjoyed this, but have to wonder that if you served to a group without the chance to follow over several hours that it would be pretty disappointing for the reputation. No way is this 97 WS points.
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2/7/2009 - otisabdul wrote: 91 Points
Best after 3 hours of air. Tight core of blackberry fruit shaded with earthy peaty notes. Long and sinewy. Hold.
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1/5/2009 - cvvhrn wrote: 90 Points
Nicely done. Hints of jerky and pepper on the nose with dark fruit, liquid smoke, molasas, and spice ont he palate. Soft mouthfeel and nice finish.
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11/8/2008 - dea wrote: flawed
totally corked
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7/20/2008 - jivey wrote: 90 Points
Very subtle prune, meat juice, Anise, smoke on a very elegant styled wine. It is not a bad wine just would like more of everything in the wine. Expected a bit more..
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6/24/2008 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Was very smooth and drinkable, but a bit underwhelming. I've had two before, about 5 years ago, and they seemed to show more personality.
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5/24/2008 - duchamp wrote: 93 Points
Dark burgundy red, big gorgeous nose of high toned ripe red fruit, brown sugar, herbs and black cherry, suave and earthy palate with great balance and perfectly developed secondary characters, long caramel finish, drink up
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4/27/2008 - remeny1 wrote: 88 Points
Good nose, many layers and well integrated tannins, after about 30 minutes in the glass though, got a bit vegetal. Not bad at all, fun to drink
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4/4/2008 - jreis wrote:
Beautifully floral nose - lots of lavender and sandalwood with a strong cedar backbone. Still quite young and tannic palate - some nice blackberry fruit, limestone with a nice meaty mid palate. Still too young, but going to improve as I watch the Red Sox kick some Blue Jay butts.
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3/23/2008 - roasted hill wrote:
Decanted for 10 hours. Deep purple, with long legs. Initially just dark fruit and tannin (fusing the lips the gums). By dinner, blackcherry, blackberry, old blueberry, mushroom, and earth. Finish beyond moderate and on the short side of long. Great with provenal lamb.
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3/22/2008 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 92 Points
purple color. on the nose, this shows gorgeous blackberries and currants upon opening. but over the course of the night, the nose opened up wonderfully and the wine got exponentially more expressive, showing strawberries, black pepper and earth along with dark fruits and a hint of violet. rich palate, great structure, but surprisingly approachable. still very powerful, but i was really impressed by how the black plum, leather and animal hide, pepper, spice, earth and toast notes all glided across the palate so nicely. this was great, and will only get better. don't be scared to drink now, but give it lots swirl time and don't drink it too quickly! aged 24 months in oak barrels. 13% alcohol.
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3/9/2008 - ecnemergut wrote: 90 Points
As before, but quite a bit less intense than before.
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2/10/2008 - futronic wrote: 91 Points
Dark ruby colour; almost opaque at the centre. Aromas of smoke, meat, spice, plums, fur, blackberry, and flowers. Restrained on the palate, shows good grip, with some red fruit and lots of tannin and balanced acidity. Moderate finish, ~30s, with red fruit and a hint of coffee. Dusty. This wine is just a pup. Anyone who said this wine was ready or on its last legs is high. This still needs some significant cellaring and I wouldn't consider opening another bottle for another 5+ years if this showing is representative.
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12/24/2007 - bnorrish wrote: 85 Points
Disappointing. Nothing special. More like a Cote du Rhone.
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12/1/2007 - jivey wrote: 91 Points
Sour plum, earth, closed and not to interesting. Left it in the decanter for dinner the next night. This wine took 30+ hours to open up to Sweet plum, mushroom, truffle and the complex finish changed to sweet tannins and as soft as you could ask.
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10/12/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 94 Points
Blackberry, black pepper and earth. Excellent mid palate depth with a very elegant, complex finish. This wine showed quite well tonight. Served with venison fillets in a cherry reduction sauce and gruyere scalloped potatoes. 13% alcohol.
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10/7/2007 - remeny1 wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for an hour. Good red fruit and a bit of leather. Nose a little weak. Good drinking wine, but nothing special.
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9/15/2007 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
From a 375ml opened by zepplan. Deep garnet color, throwing a bit of fine sediment. Meaty plum, smoke and earthy tones. On the palate...bacon fat and dark fruit with a slight tannic bite. Bit of toasted wood on the finish. Thanks zep! 93+ pts.
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9/14/2007 - Tom_B wrote: 93 Points
A Tremendous, and elegant wine. Lots of smoked meat and bacon fat on the nose. Classic Northern Rhone syrah.
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7/15/2007 - ecnemergut wrote: 94 Points
Intensely fruit-forward nose with cherry and red fruit. Medium-bodied in the mouth with surprising sweetness. Still relatively young with mouth-coating tannis, but drinking well. Like a previous poster, I left wishing the wine had just alittle bit more weight.
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5/18/2007 - cortoncharlie wrote:
Very tight
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11/10/2006 - Ryan D wrote:
Intense, but pleasant light fruit notes (cherry / strawberry) on the nose. Drinking quite well at the moment. Tannins still coat the teeth, but the wine is immensely more approachable now than it was 1 year ago and, as a result, shows significantly more fruit on the palate than it did before. Medium-bodied with a seductive character. However, it left me wishing there was just a bit more weight to the wine. This still has some room left to age, but is perfect now with a meal that can break through the tannin that still remains.
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11/4/2006 - Rechrom wrote: 89 Points
Very good, great length, developing nose, decanted two hours, druvk over three hours, held together well, many years left, could be much better in a coupleof years.
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4/9/2006 - pmik wrote: 90 Points
Ruby red with slightly brownish rim. Nice dark berry nose with spices. Well balanced, medium body with medium tannins and acid. Nice long finish. Very nice overall
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3/31/2006 - vinaigre wrote: 91 Points
Montreal Offline: Northern Rhone (Restaurant Chez Cristophe): Medium-dark ruby red. Nose of red cherries, vanilla and red fruits. Nice body with well integrated tannins, not overly acidic but present. Medium length.
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2/27/2006 - shemmy wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with prior notes. Medium-bodied, but sweet and clear. Definitely gained body in the decanter and glass.
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2/3/2006 - KPB wrote: 90 Points
Black-red. Slightly dusty nose of ripe fruit, running towards currents or cassis. Rich palate, fairly long, good ripeness and substantial tannins. An enjoyable hermitage to consume on the young side.
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9/26/2005 - PatLee wrote:
Reminds me more of a New World Syrah. Lots of upfront fruit. Predominantly sweet palette. Quite enjoyable, but probably drank way, way too young.
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7/21/2005 - Ryan D wrote:
Complex nose. Not overly fruity, but nice, black berry slightly spicy (cinnamon?) aroma. On the palate, medium to full bodied with dense tannins that indicate a need for further aging. With time, opened up to be a seductive wine. Although it will never be a powerhouse, it will have great potential in a couple years.
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7/15/2005 - Paul from the Oblong Table wrote: 91 Points
This bottle opened extremely well at Tre Scalini. I’m not sure that it’s 97, but I am sure that it is a wonderful bottle. And, you can’t go wrong drinking great wine... (91++)
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11/19/2003 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Hermitage-lite. Had all the elements of Hermitage w/o the depth or intensity. Light meat notes, slight stony notes. Clean and good finish with berries. Flavors like meat actually intensified with the food. Perfect food wine. Bad price. Braised short ribs w/ polenta.
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9/5/2003 - otisabdul wrote: 90 Points
Ruby red, with blue edges. A clean perfumed nose, with raspberry and floral overtones. Like the '98 Guigal Hermitage I recently tried, I detected a watermelon candy nuance that was not unpleasant but not really representative of the appellation. A very young-tasting wine that needs a couple years to flesh out and gain depth. Flavors and tannins are quite symmetrical. Medium-bodied, I did NOT get the "ultrathick" and "ultrarich" descriptor noted in the WS review - especially in juxtaposition with the Pride and SQN syrahs we tried later. Nice long finish. Right now, I'd rather drink the '98. The '00 may surpass it with time.
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8/27/2003 - Paul from the Oblong Table wrote:
Supposedly 97 Spectator--time will tell
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8/22/2003 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 89 Points
Tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Bottle provided by Bob Bartnett. Bright disc. Deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense smoke, vanilla, black fruit and bacon aromas. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, full but ripe tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Medium, smooth finish.
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