Colour still deep. Rich fruit on nose with secondary aromas. Large scaled on palate but balanced despite the alcohol. Classy wine very well handled. Last bottle but will still keep
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Tasted blind. Concentrated berry nose with a rock sort of minerality; smells Spanish. An irresistible combination of dense purple fruit, spice, and cocoa/broken rock minerality. Big tannins. Still has at least another decade ahead of it.
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PNP. Cork perfect. Color opaque garnet w ruby edges. Nose is dense with dark fruit lashed with American oak. Swishing reveals tons of tannin that hints at oak on the finish with reasonable amount of acid. Sipping allows this to fully strut its stuff, and it is hefty with fruit and structure in perfect balance. This is a baby. No signs at all of aging and I will wait 6-10 yrs to drink my last bottle.
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What a great wine. Seamless and lush, with terrific balance and unusual freshness. Violets and dark fruits adorn the bouquet, which is more interesting than many much more expensive wines. Last bottle, sadly, and the saying is true now more than ever... they don't make 'em like they used to.
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This is another great York Creek Petite Sirah. Appearance is still dark purple to the rim, nose of graphite, funky barnyard, crushed berries. Tannins have melted away, and the remaining core of dark fruit comes through with a nice level of acidity. This is a very enjoyable companion to grilled meats. Everyone wanted more, two still in the cellar, I vote for drinking within the next 3-5 years.
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I've never been all that pleased with how these York Creek Petite Sirahs age; In youth they are dense and barely approachable, then they stay that way for a very long time until they fall off the edge of the flavor cliff. At least that's been my experience... until now. Not only does this bottle of 1996 break that pattern, it is probably the best example of a Petite Sirah that I can recall. Fresh, juicy, and succulent, but with plenty of powerful tannins. Extracted but developed, and a long, intense finish. Actually, this is not just a great Petite Sirah, it's a great wine.
Thanks to Ben to take the initiative to open this up. Big and dense black and purpleness. Sweet corn/sweet grass aromas. Oddly, palate gives a lemon lime accent. Dense and this could seemingly have lived forever, but alas... Day 6. A sweet honey in the nose and finally some fruit that doesn't seem so youthful. The wine shows a little bit of orange at the rim. Black and purple fruits again, but today the wine seems to have shed some of it's imposing body. A floral whisper to the palate and not the sweet palate that the first couple days were framed by. Tannin still rushes to the front. Full body, medium acid, medium tannin. For a fifteen year old wine to hold strongly to day 6, I'd say this wine has fifteen more good drinking years ahead of it. As this opens up in the glass a potpourri starts to to emerge, a crazy pineapple note on the palate whizzes passed my head.
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popped and poured. color nearly opaque deep crimson with no signs of bricking. nose with primarily blackberry & black raspberry with hints of other dark fruit menthol, dill and oak. this evolved to dusty waxy plums with more secondary meaty spicy pepper aromas after a few hours. on the palate, this seems a bit monolithic although it has some zip. tannins are now softened and smoother, and finish is medium length. this is the fourth time i have tasted this wine and it has progressed nicely. i actually think that this has significantly more time ahead of it. planning to wait 3-5 yrs to open next one.
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Mega Slide (Waterford Wines Milwaukee): density of color and opacity. no signs of age on this baby. inky and almost black. thin rim. plum and the lightest note of raisination. a bit of jam in the nose. light iron and then some green grass. corn sweetness with a mellow mid palate. tannin is still dominant but not overpowering. there is a lightness of body that accompanies this monster structure and deep flavor profile. I will try my hardest to see if the other bottle I have can 'live forever.' after 2 hours in the decanter it's beginning to show so gravelly and the florals are popping out of this one.
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Mega-Slide! (Waterford Wine Co. Tasting Room): Decanted Smells so fresh and young yet. No signs of age. Fresh blackberry, stone and bramble. Cedar notes. Fresh, austere blackberry notes. Some dusty cocoa flavors. Big tannins yet. Still a youngster, and it seems to have the fruit and acidity to go and go. Thanks to Nick for opening this baby.
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Excellent example of this varietal. Not the most complex wine but very well made. Nice full mouth feel and a medium-long finish. The wine is still drinking quite young; wish I had more.
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5/7/2021 - redders Likes this wine: 92 Points
Colour still deep. Rich fruit on nose with secondary aromas. Large scaled on palate but balanced despite the alcohol. Classy wine very well handled. Last bottle but will still keep
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10/24/2018 - FullPolicyLimits wrote:
Takes about an hour to open up. Do not decant, pop and pour. Ridge at it's finest. Yummy.
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8/26/2017 - Doc90 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted blind. Concentrated berry nose with a rock sort of minerality; smells Spanish. An irresistible combination of dense purple fruit, spice, and cocoa/broken rock minerality. Big tannins. Still has at least another decade ahead of it.
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6/10/2016 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 92 Points
Wine-pages Glasgow Festival of Wine Pre Offline (Cail Bruich, Glasgow): Very attractive, very approachable nose. This is so much more approachable than the Santa Cruz Mountains merlot.
Lots of juicy black fruit on the palate. Very enticing.
Drying tannins on the finish.
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2/18/2015 - chcook Likes this wine:
PNP. Cork perfect. Color opaque garnet w ruby edges. Nose is dense with dark fruit lashed with American oak. Swishing reveals tons of tannin that hints at oak on the finish with reasonable amount of acid. Sipping allows this to fully strut its stuff, and it is hefty with fruit and structure in perfect balance. This is a baby. No signs at all of aging and I will wait 6-10 yrs to drink my last bottle.
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11/9/2014 - robmatic wrote: 93 Points
What a great wine. Seamless and lush, with terrific balance and unusual freshness. Violets and dark fruits adorn the bouquet, which is more interesting than many much more expensive wines. Last bottle, sadly, and the saying is true now more than ever... they don't make 'em like they used to.
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10/20/2013 - markydecker Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is another great York Creek Petite Sirah. Appearance is still dark purple to the rim, nose of graphite, funky barnyard, crushed berries. Tannins have melted away, and the remaining core of dark fruit comes through with a nice level of acidity. This is a very enjoyable companion to grilled meats. Everyone wanted more, two still in the cellar, I vote for drinking within the next 3-5 years.
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1/12/2013 - robmatic Likes this wine: 94 Points
I've never been all that pleased with how these York Creek Petite Sirahs age; In youth they are dense and barely approachable, then they stay that way for a very long time until they fall off the edge of the flavor cliff. At least that's been my experience... until now. Not only does this bottle of 1996 break that pattern, it is probably the best example of a Petite Sirah that I can recall. Fresh, juicy, and succulent, but with plenty of powerful tannins. Extracted but developed, and a long, intense finish. Actually, this is not just a great Petite Sirah, it's a great wine.
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1/1/2012 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Thanks to Ben to take the initiative to open this up. Big and dense black and purpleness. Sweet corn/sweet grass aromas. Oddly, palate gives a lemon lime accent. Dense and this could seemingly have lived forever, but alas...
Day 6. A sweet honey in the nose and finally some fruit that doesn't seem so youthful. The wine shows a little bit of orange at the rim. Black and purple fruits again, but today the wine seems to have shed some of it's imposing body. A floral whisper to the palate and not the sweet palate that the first couple days were framed by. Tannin still rushes to the front. Full body, medium acid, medium tannin. For a fifteen year old wine to hold strongly to day 6, I'd say this wine has fifteen more good drinking years ahead of it. As this opens up in the glass a potpourri starts to to emerge, a crazy pineapple note on the palate whizzes passed my head.
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10/26/2011 - presterjohn Likes this wine:
dusty blue edge with round black fruit, still firm and young, lovely
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9/6/2011 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Very obviously plummy in character (not pruney!). Ripe, rich and hiding its tannins well until the very back end. Lots of time left here.
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4/22/2011 - chcook wrote: 90 Points
popped and poured. color nearly opaque deep crimson with no signs of bricking. nose with primarily blackberry & black raspberry with hints of other dark fruit menthol, dill and oak. this evolved to dusty waxy plums with more secondary meaty spicy pepper aromas after a few hours. on the palate, this seems a bit monolithic although it has some zip. tannins are now softened and smoother, and finish is medium length. this is the fourth time i have tasted this wine and it has progressed nicely. i actually think that this has significantly more time ahead of it. planning to wait 3-5 yrs to open next one.
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3/8/2011 - WineDoctors wrote: 86 Points
With beef shortribs. Probably past, not very dynamic in the glass.
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2/18/2011 - Samadhi wrote: 96 Points
Amazing bottle of outstanding wine. The only bad thing about it is I don't have any more!
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9/4/2009 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Mega Slide (Waterford Wines Milwaukee): density of color and opacity. no signs of age on this baby. inky and almost black. thin rim. plum and the lightest note of raisination. a bit of jam in the nose. light iron and then some green grass. corn sweetness with a mellow mid palate. tannin is still dominant but not overpowering. there is a lightness of body that accompanies this monster structure and deep flavor profile. I will try my hardest to see if the other bottle I have can 'live forever.'
after 2 hours in the decanter it's beginning to show so gravelly and the florals are popping out of this one.
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9/4/2009 - Beavis77 wrote:
Mega-Slide! (Waterford Wine Co. Tasting Room): Decanted
Smells so fresh and young yet. No signs of age. Fresh blackberry, stone and bramble. Cedar notes.
Fresh, austere blackberry notes. Some dusty cocoa flavors. Big tannins yet. Still a youngster, and it seems to have the fruit and acidity to go and go.
Thanks to Nick for opening this baby.
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6/24/2007 - AzorianMatador wrote: 92 Points
Excellent example of this varietal. Not the most complex wine but very well made. Nice full mouth feel and a medium-long finish. The wine is still drinking quite young; wish I had more.
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2/2/2003 - Spencer wrote: 91 Points
Still very young, but excellent. Will continue to improve for quite a while.
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