Opulent dark berry nose. Cork was brittle despite the wax coating. No matter this wine rocks! I needed a burger wine and instead found a blockbuster Syrah gem that would have paired with the boldest beef or lamb preparation. Huge blackberry,. blueberry palate backed by smooth zesty tannin and tasty acidity. After two hours menthol appeared on the nose as another contributor noted. And also on the palate. What a find, I don't remember where or when I bought it but so glad I did. I kept adjusting my score upward as the wine opened.
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Deep dark and opaque purple in color as if time has not passed by. Some sediment is present at the bottom of the bottle.
On the nose there are dark fruits, blackberry and black raspberry. On the palate, the flavors are are jammy and cooked. A note of Chambord is also evident. Can’t discern much else as the alcohol is overpowering everything else. It is a big wine, and you can feel it, but there is also some acidity which is dearly welcomed. A hint of tannin arrives ephemerally leaving the palate longing for more. The finish is long and hot. Drinks like Port and better after dinner at this point.
It has to be difficult to get everything under control at 16.9% ALC. When a wine is this ripe, the notes of prunes and raisins arrive sooner than later. Time is not kind to this style of wine. I see the references to new world Côte-Rôtie but, to me, this drinks more like Amarone or a 2003 Châteauneuf-du-Pape to be more precise.
PAIRING: Skirt steak at Choripan. [D]
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This was a super interesting wine for me. A bit out of balance with 16.9% but I feel like I could see the vision and what the winemaker is going for. New world cote rotie. Reminds me of domaine Jamet. Spoiler alert: the wines get better!
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Pre-Tasting Lunch, Rhone Varietal Edition (Happ Inn - Northfield IL): Tasted double blind. Very ripe, still reasonably fresh, easily identifiable as New World (in contrast to this wine from 2003, which often seems more like Cote Rotie) which made me think this younger. Good concentration and length, but a sweet note on finish I didn't really enjoy.
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Serious wine. Dark, Deep and extracted without the typical jammy fruit profile associated with this style of wine. This is really a pax version of a good pumped up Côte rotie, which is a good thing in my opinion.
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Amazing wine. Inky purple. Fragrant nose. Lush plush complex integrated fruit that tastes like it was bottled yesterday. Age has mellowed the tannins and alcohol. Long finish. Crowd favorite wine.
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a few weeks back we had the 2003 so wanted to see how the 2002 shaped up and compared. Pax Mahle has definitely found terroir with this wine. the expression of both the 2002 & 3003 showed very similar spicy jammy full mouth delicious flavor profile,presentation and aftertaste. with each sip you enjoy and then want for more. a great sip showing wonderfully after 12 years
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A good wine, but I was underwhelmed. I suppose I had high expectations. Too high I guess. The wife said it was interesting because the woody flavors came first, then the fruit. I just rarely like wines with alcohol this high i guess. Great looking cork, dark color, still seems young, though light on fruit. I got dried plums, she got dark berries. An opaque wine with lots of sediment. Maybe the bottle was off, maybe it's just not my style.
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Uggghhh. Purchased off wine bid. Stewed flavors. Had another one of these 6 months ago and it was incredible. Not batting very well on the online purchases. Just a hint of what this wine should be.
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Syrah can be a funny thing (not haha funny). Sometimes it catches you off guard and sometimes your know exactly what you are getting. It if for the latter I choose to drink 10 year old PAX Syrahs; no surprises. Damn world is too full of surprises already. Dark and opaque, the nose is as perfect a Cali Syrah nose as you could want. Sweet blue black fruits with a touch of mushroom and black pepper. Once on the palate this reveals a cornucopia of great stuff: Blueberries, cassis, blackberries and black raspberries all reside here. Interesting notes of the aforementioned. A lovely interweaving of creaminess, plushness and balance with nothing sticking you in the eye. The pepper turns white and sneaks up from behind or toward the finish, say 4/5ths of the way through. Tannins are commanding but tame and acidity deft. Finish remains true and long.A fantastic mouth-feel but the big plus on this is a near imperceptible line of menthol running through it. It's really only noticeable until after the wine is gone and you breath in. Super interesting on this. I think here-in lies the Castelli-Knight magic. I opted for this as a Saturday mulling around the house drink, and I chose well.
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Not for the faint of heart. Deep purple in color, with an awesome nose of dark berries and buttery pie crust. Gobs of dark fruit in the mouth with plenty of toasty oak. I get the tar that others have mentioned on the finish. Great acidity keeps it all together. Complementary tannins, but strong enough to lead me to believe this has plenty of life ahead of it. Wish I had more.
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Deep almost opaque garnet color; berries on the nose; attractive lycerin feel in the mouth. A big wine with blueberries on the palate and a long satisfying finish. Still drinking well. I am sorry that I did not have more in the cellar. 92 points.
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This is very nice stuff. The wine is still a bit youthful, but not excess fruit at this point and the tannins are not overbearing. This wine likely goes years more if you leave it alone. It is still quite dark and little to oak on the nose at this point. I really liked this.
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Still quite yummy. Settled down a bit more since my last bottle. Tannins are still not fully resolve but still a mouth full in a good way. Oy, the aromas of this thing is just heady and intoxicating - in a good way. Love it!
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Big, powerful wine, long finish... better after decanting 30 minutes, continued to improve thereafter. Stood up well to Indian food, would have been delightful on its own. This is my last bottle, but if I had more I'd open over the next 5+ years to see how it evolves.
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Oh my, oh my, oh my! This is soooo good. Deep inky purple color with considerable weight in the glass. I knew I was in for a wonderful experience as I caught a big whiff of the excellent black fruit aromas that just goes on and on and on. Jammy, thick and rich mouthfeel. The 16.9% alcohol was barely discernable. WOW++!
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So Pax. So Castelli-Knight. So good. Mouthfilling flavors of blackberries, spice, and asphalt. Impeccably balanced and just fun to drink. The aromatics are not explosive, but this is still showing very well right now. One of my favorites.
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A lot ? too much of everything. Initially comes as quite sweet but quickly follews with smoke tar and some oak. Very thick and concentrated. Probably will be better with time.
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This baby has got 16.9% alcohol. Nose is rhubarb, raspberry and well, alchohol. Holy $%£!!! - ultra-concentrated and mouth filling. I'm not sure whether this qualifies as table wine or port, but it's good. The only thing I could imagine eating with this wine is strong mature cheese.
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1/29/2020 - ElAzul Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opulent dark berry nose. Cork was brittle despite the wax coating. No matter this wine rocks! I needed a burger wine and instead found a blockbuster Syrah gem that would have paired with the boldest beef or lamb preparation. Huge blackberry,. blueberry palate backed by smooth zesty tannin and tasty acidity. After two hours menthol appeared on the nose as another contributor noted. And also on the palate. What a find, I don't remember where or when I bought it but so glad I did. I kept adjusting my score upward as the wine opened.
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10/24/2019 - DoubleMagnum wrote: 87 Points
Deep dark and opaque purple in color as if time has not passed by. Some sediment is present at the bottom of the bottle.
On the nose there are dark fruits, blackberry and black raspberry. On the palate, the flavors are are jammy and cooked. A note of Chambord is also evident. Can’t discern much else as the alcohol is overpowering everything else. It is a big wine, and you can feel it, but there is also some acidity which is dearly welcomed. A hint of tannin arrives ephemerally leaving the palate longing for more. The finish is long and hot. Drinks like Port and better after dinner at this point.
It has to be difficult to get everything under control at 16.9% ALC. When a wine is this ripe, the notes of prunes and raisins arrive sooner than later. Time is not kind to this style of wine. I see the references to new world Côte-Rôtie but, to me, this drinks more like Amarone or a 2003 Châteauneuf-du-Pape to be more precise.
PAIRING: Skirt steak at Choripan. [D]
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2/23/2019 - Guns and Rosés Likes this wine: 90 Points
This was a super interesting wine for me. A bit out of balance with 16.9% but I feel like I could see the vision and what the winemaker is going for. New world cote rotie. Reminds me of domaine Jamet. Spoiler alert: the wines get better!
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12/10/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Pre-Tasting Lunch, Rhone Varietal Edition (Happ Inn - Northfield IL): Tasted double blind. Very ripe, still reasonably fresh, easily identifiable as New World (in contrast to this wine from 2003, which often seems more like Cote Rotie) which made me think this younger. Good concentration and length, but a sweet note on finish I didn't really enjoy.
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8/10/2016 - andtheodor wrote: 88 Points
Kind of clunky.
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8/9/2016 - Dalex Likes this wine: 92 Points
Serious wine. Dark, Deep and extracted without the typical jammy fruit profile associated with this style of wine. This is really a pax version of a good pumped up Côte rotie, which is a good thing in my opinion.
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3/4/2015 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Amazing wine. Inky purple. Fragrant nose. Lush plush complex integrated fruit that tastes like it was bottled yesterday. Age has mellowed the tannins and alcohol. Long finish. Crowd favorite wine.
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2/27/2015 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted about 90 minutes. Very nice lush black and blue fruit without being over the top. Tannins pretty much gone. Quite enjoyable.
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5/3/2014 - McKraftyWino Likes this wine: 95 Points
a few weeks back we had the 2003 so wanted to see how the 2002 shaped up and compared.
Pax Mahle has definitely found terroir with this wine. the expression of both the 2002 & 3003 showed very similar spicy jammy full mouth delicious flavor profile,presentation and aftertaste.
with each sip you enjoy and then want for more.
a great sip showing wonderfully after 12 years
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2/14/2014 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 89 Points
A good wine, but I was underwhelmed. I suppose I had high expectations. Too high I guess. The wife said it was interesting because the woody flavors came first, then the fruit. I just rarely like wines with alcohol this high i guess. Great looking cork, dark color, still seems young, though light on fruit. I got dried plums, she got dark berries. An opaque wine with lots of sediment. Maybe the bottle was off, maybe it's just not my style.
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11/20/2013 - Spookey wrote: flawed
Uggghhh. Purchased off wine bid. Stewed flavors. Had another one of these 6 months ago and it was incredible. Not batting very well on the online purchases. Just a hint of what this wine should be.
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6/8/2013 - King Cab wrote: 95 Points
Syrah can be a funny thing (not haha funny). Sometimes it catches you off guard and sometimes your know exactly what you are getting. It if for the latter I choose to drink 10 year old PAX Syrahs; no surprises. Damn world is too full of surprises already.
Dark and opaque, the nose is as perfect a Cali Syrah nose as you could want. Sweet blue black fruits with a touch of mushroom and black pepper. Once on the palate this reveals a cornucopia of great stuff: Blueberries, cassis, blackberries and black raspberries all reside here. Interesting notes of the aforementioned. A lovely interweaving of creaminess, plushness and balance with nothing sticking you in the eye. The pepper turns white and sneaks up from behind or toward the finish, say 4/5ths of the way through. Tannins are commanding but tame and acidity deft. Finish remains true and long.A fantastic mouth-feel but the big plus on this is a near imperceptible line of menthol running through it. It's really only noticeable until after the wine is gone and you breath in. Super interesting on this. I think here-in lies the Castelli-Knight magic. I opted for this as a Saturday mulling around the house drink, and I chose well.
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10/19/2012 - buckeye76 wrote: 93 Points
BLUEBERRIES, CURRANTS, BLACKBERRIES, AND TOBACCO IN THE NOSE. BLACK CURRANTS, BLACKBERRIES, AND BLACK CHERRIES IN THE FLAVOR. LONG FINISH.
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4/1/2012 - Knicksfan wrote: 95 Points
Seriously = this is a masterpiece. 10-years of patience have been rewarded by awesome complexity and beautiful integration. Truly wonderful.
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2/5/2012 - Knicksfan wrote: 95 Points
Expected this to be heading downhill. NOT. Powerful fruit well integrated with strong acid and tannin backbone. Spectacular.
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7/4/2011 - ggolec wrote: 93 Points
Not for the faint of heart. Deep purple in color, with an awesome nose of dark berries and buttery pie crust. Gobs of dark fruit in the mouth with plenty of toasty oak. I get the tar that others have mentioned on the finish. Great acidity keeps it all together. Complementary tannins, but strong enough to lead me to believe this has plenty of life ahead of it. Wish I had more.
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3/5/2011 - M Macht wrote:
Deep almost opaque garnet color; berries on the nose; attractive lycerin feel in the mouth. A big wine with blueberries on the palate and a long satisfying finish.
Still drinking well. I am sorry that I did not have more in the cellar. 92 points.
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7/28/2008 - Mr T wrote:
This is very nice stuff. The wine is still a bit youthful, but not excess fruit at this point and the tannins are not overbearing. This wine likely goes years more if you leave it alone. It is still quite dark and little to oak on the nose at this point. I really liked this.
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2/15/2008 - Love4Vino wrote:
Still quite yummy. Settled down a bit more since my last bottle. Tannins are still not fully resolve but still a mouth full in a good way. Oy, the aromas of this thing is just heady and intoxicating - in a good way. Love it!
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6/16/2007 - rharl wrote: 92 Points
Big, powerful wine, long finish... better after decanting 30 minutes, continued to improve thereafter. Stood up well to Indian food, would have been delightful on its own. This is my last bottle, but if I had more I'd open over the next 5+ years to see how it evolves.
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12/1/2006 - budman wrote: 92 Points
The heat was more evident than on my other bottle, but this is a BIG wine, stuffed with dark fruits. A very hedonistic experience. I wish I had more.
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9/22/2006 - budman wrote: 93 Points
Awesome. Great mouthfeel. Dark, black fruits. Purity of flavor, in spite of almost 17% alcohol!!!
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8/27/2006 - Love4Vino wrote:
Oh my, oh my, oh my! This is soooo good. Deep inky purple color with considerable weight in the glass. I knew I was in for a wonderful experience as I caught a big whiff of the excellent black fruit aromas that just goes on and on and on. Jammy, thick and rich mouthfeel. The 16.9% alcohol was barely discernable. WOW++!
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5/3/2006 - PHerreid wrote:
Hors d'oeuvres with real estate agents--jammy, dark smoky
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3/4/2006 - jerhardt wrote: 95 Points
So Pax. So Castelli-Knight. So good. Mouthfilling flavors of blackberries, spice, and asphalt. Impeccably balanced and just fun to drink. The aromatics are not explosive, but this is still showing very well right now. One of my favorites.
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5/29/2005 - Mike V wrote: 90 Points
A lot ? too much of everything. Initially comes as quite sweet but quickly follews with smoke tar and some oak. Very thick and concentrated. Probably will be better with time.
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4/18/2004 - Rani wrote: 92 Points
This baby has got 16.9% alcohol. Nose is rhubarb, raspberry and well, alchohol. Holy $%£!!! - ultra-concentrated and mouth filling. I'm not sure whether this qualifies as table wine or port, but it's good. The only thing I could imagine eating with this wine is strong mature cheese.
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