Retail $80. 100% Syrah (Clones 877 & 470). Shockingly (at least to me), this is the last bottle of DuMOL that I had in my possession. How could that happen? (I have an idea: while the wines are consistently fantastic, they have also approached the stratosphere in price). This Jack Robert's Syrah is classic DuMOL: tons of fruit, particularly up front, with vanilla, sage, clove, black pepper, even sarsaparilla. Yeah, a ton going on here. A ton. That continues onto the palate with a velvety-smooth elixir of all that dark fruit and vanilla but also a cascade of complexity and impressive balance (particularly given the power). Whoa. While this wine was off the charts fantastic, I can't help but lament the fact that I have no more DuMOL.
Seymour Wine Club Meeting 4/21/18 (Home of the Alapatt's): Tasted blind and decanted for 1 hour. Aromas of cherry, game, raspberry and flowers. Flavors of cherry, raspberry, coffee and earth. Finished last 35 seconds with cherry and game notes. This tasted so young. Never would have guessed it was 12 years old. This, for me, was by far the best wine on the night. I gave it 94 points and it finished 1st.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was terrific. Large scaled but structured and balanced. Needed a coupe hours to fully open, but had a nose of grilled meats, smoke, and mild pepper. Explosive palate of still youthful purple fruit with plenty of cut along with repeating meat notes. Long finish with charcoal and granite elements mixed in the repeating fruit flavors. Very California but done well. Likely at peak for me, much more integrated than my prior bottle in 2009.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
First, this wine requires at least 2 plus hours time in a decanter to fully open. Only then can you truly experience its rich dark fruit with perfect harmony and balance of acidity and tannins for a lengthy and highly enjoyable finish. Certainly worthy of its critical acclaim.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This just didn't do it for me. Nothing "wrong" and improved over time but there are some flavors that I am not good at identifying that just kept me from loving.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Texture is soft and velvety, acids are good, but the overall topology is somehow out of balance; the various elements do not harmonize. Fruit is dropping away, which is fine, but the remaining elements do not come together in my opinion. This is definitely a wine that I enjoy drinking, but the QPR at $45 is questionable.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 30 minutes before service. In the glass, dark saturated purplish-black. On the nose, barnyard funk, stewed blackberries, and wet slate. On the palate, more of the same, with a soft finish and tannins that have more or less resolved. The funk was right on the edge between adding interesting complexity and detracting from the wine; without it, however, I don't think there would have been much more than pure fruit. I don't see this evolving from where it is, so drink up...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
In the heavily extracted California style with lots of pepper and dark fruits. I miss the tapenade component of many other Syrahs...it's a good wine for robust dishes (happily not as over-blown as some) but somehow misses the complexity of others in this vein. Very good but not a stand-out amongst so much competition.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very smoky nose. Pepper on the palate initially. Fairly tannic and tight still. Doesn't have that luxurious Lillian-type feel. I feel like this is still maybe a little young or just in between the styles I really love. Very good, not great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted and consumed over 2 nights, the wine returned to bottle overnight. Upon opening, an explosive wine with deep purple color. Nose was shy, with black cherries, violet, charcoal, and obvious oak influence. Palate was expansive, very fruit driven with black cherries, currants and blackberry, vanilla and coffee notes and plenty of white pepper. Chewy tannins and seemed tight. Finish was long with the fruit flavors continuing and giving way to more earth, mocha, and crushed rocks. A big wine, but balanced and focused, hiding the alcohol well. After 3-4hrs in the decanter seemed like it shut down, with the palate only showing some primary notes and the finish becoming clipped. At that point I put this away until night 2. Overnight, seemed to waken up some. nose was more expressive fruit notes and the oak had subsided. Tannins were still present and of the dusty/chalky variety. Still seemed tight and shy. Finish of good length and complexity, more pepper and an almost buttery note coming through, more so than the previous night. Overall, a very well done Syrah, though a little disappointing given the price and exceptional past experiences with Dumol wines. Still, hints at great potential and might just need time to open up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
5/16/2022 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 94 Points
Retail $80. 100% Syrah (Clones 877 & 470). Shockingly (at least to me), this is the last bottle of DuMOL that I had in my possession. How could that happen? (I have an idea: while the wines are consistently fantastic, they have also approached the stratosphere in price). This Jack Robert's Syrah is classic DuMOL: tons of fruit, particularly up front, with vanilla, sage, clove, black pepper, even sarsaparilla. Yeah, a ton going on here. A ton. That continues onto the palate with a velvety-smooth elixir of all that dark fruit and vanilla but also a cascade of complexity and impressive balance (particularly given the power). Whoa. While this wine was off the charts fantastic, I can't help but lament the fact that I have no more DuMOL.
www.thedrunkencyclist.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/31/2020 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 92 Points
I preferred this to the SQN Stein (different ages and grape I know) at 1/3rd the price. Both paired well with the steak and sides.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2019 - norsktorsk wrote: 94 Points
totally full on. long finish. rich midpalate Could wait some more but drinking well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2018 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Seymour Wine Club Meeting 4/21/18 (Home of the Alapatt's): Tasted blind and decanted for 1 hour. Aromas of cherry, game, raspberry and flowers. Flavors of cherry, raspberry, coffee and earth. Finished last 35 seconds with cherry and game notes. This tasted so young. Never would have guessed it was 12 years old. This, for me, was by far the best wine on the night. I gave it 94 points and it finished 1st.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2015 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was terrific. Large scaled but structured and balanced. Needed a coupe hours to fully open, but had a nose of grilled meats, smoke, and mild pepper. Explosive palate of still youthful purple fruit with plenty of cut along with repeating meat notes. Long finish with charcoal and granite elements mixed in the repeating fruit flavors. Very California but done well. Likely at peak for me, much more integrated than my prior bottle in 2009.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2015 - oenophilemoose wrote: 93 Points
First, this wine requires at least 2 plus hours time in a decanter to fully open. Only then can you truly experience its rich dark fruit with perfect harmony and balance of acidity and tannins for a lengthy and highly enjoyable finish. Certainly worthy of its critical acclaim.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2014 - Knicksfan wrote: 88 Points
This just didn't do it for me. Nothing "wrong" and improved over time but there are some flavors that I am not good at identifying that just kept me from loving.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2014 - alpha_ori Likes this wine: 89 Points
Texture is soft and velvety, acids are good, but the overall topology is somehow out of balance; the various elements do not harmonize. Fruit is dropping away, which is fine, but the remaining elements do not come together in my opinion. This is definitely a wine that I enjoy drinking, but the QPR at $45 is questionable.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2013 - jshufelt wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes before service. In the glass, dark saturated purplish-black. On the nose, barnyard funk, stewed blackberries, and wet slate. On the palate, more of the same, with a soft finish and tannins that have more or less resolved. The funk was right on the edge between adding interesting complexity and detracting from the wine; without it, however, I don't think there would have been much more than pure fruit. I don't see this evolving from where it is, so drink up...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2011 - Deb293 wrote: 90 Points
In the heavily extracted California style with lots of pepper and dark fruits. I miss the tapenade component of many other Syrahs...it's a good wine for robust dishes (happily not as over-blown as some) but somehow misses the complexity of others in this vein. Very good but not a stand-out amongst so much competition.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/11/2011 - jaylew1 wrote: 91 Points
Very smoky nose. Pepper on the palate initially. Fairly tannic and tight still. Doesn't have that luxurious Lillian-type feel. I feel like this is still maybe a little young or just in between the styles I really love. Very good, not great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2009 - fcs wrote: 92 Points
Excellent with pot roast and caramelized onions
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2009 - Nutty08 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted and consumed over 2 nights, the wine returned to bottle overnight. Upon opening, an explosive wine with deep purple color. Nose was shy, with black cherries, violet, charcoal, and obvious oak influence. Palate was expansive, very fruit driven with black cherries, currants and blackberry, vanilla and coffee notes and plenty of white pepper. Chewy tannins and seemed tight. Finish was long with the fruit flavors continuing and giving way to more earth, mocha, and crushed rocks. A big wine, but balanced and focused, hiding the alcohol well. After 3-4hrs in the decanter seemed like it shut down, with the palate only showing some primary notes and the finish becoming clipped. At that point I put this away until night 2.
Overnight, seemed to waken up some. nose was more expressive fruit notes and the oak had subsided. Tannins were still present and of the dusty/chalky variety. Still seemed tight and shy. Finish of good length and complexity, more pepper and an almost buttery note coming through, more so than the previous night.
Overall, a very well done Syrah, though a little disappointing given the price and exceptional past experiences with Dumol wines. Still, hints at great potential and might just need time to open up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment