Blind. Iron, black fruit, cured meat, pepper and funky/earth notes. Medium-bodied. Lush, with flavors of mixed red and black fruit and cured meat. Medium+ finish.
Easy to pick out as the other Hermitage, holding on a bit longer than the Colombier in the first flight, however it does start to head downhill in the glass. Probably at peak an hour, or perhaps two, after being opened and double decanted off its sediment.
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PB deemed this gone - he is very wrong. Tasted over two days, does not move much, it's quite young with a core of chocolate, iron and black olives. While there is a whiff - just a whiff - of oxidation on the nose, it's not disturbing. A manly wine indeed, will only improve, I think.
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Might have waited a tad too long, but I'm still loving this wine. Just a hint of bricking around a translucent ruby core, the nose is full of balsamic, ripe red cherries, and figs(? first time this has ever come to mind). Soft on the palate, with bacon jam, earthy tannins, and good acidity all come together to make this super interesting. Probably better a couple years ago, but damn fun now!
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In a perfect place right now - full bodied, the vintage showing it's best, olies, tar, black fruit, a bit of a smooth operator, maybe, but there is plenty of freshness and local feel here. Has years to go, but no sin in opening one now. #gastro
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This bottle was much better than the previous which was close to undrinkable as a result of strong cabbage aromas. There were still some traces of cabbage but they were much an element of complexity to add to the sour cherry tinged fruit, good depth and kirsch sprinkled finish. So this bottle was quite good but I expect more from Hermitage.
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CC Bday Wine Dinner 2020!: Dark fruits, meats, dried leaves, slight leather. This didn't quite leave an impression tonight but might be fatigue being the last bottle for the night. 89
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Two years ago I commented on signs of evolution including hints of cabbage on the nose. This evolution has got a lot worse with this present bottle. Colour shows a lot of bricking at the rim. The nose is quite porty or maderised with much more marked notes of cabbage. The palate is better but here again the notes of madeira and cabbage are perceptible spoiling some potentially nice sour cherry fruit and other elements. Without the warning signs from my previous bottle I might have noted this one as flawed. I advise people with this wine in their cellars to take a look at one of their bottles. Maybe I got a bad lot albeit from a usually reliable supplier. Close to the threshold of undrinkable.
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This is still a good wine - fair bit of sediment that needs filtering out (may have just been stored improperly). Also, needs a bit of air to integrate but it comes together nicely
Not overly complex but pretty good syrah notes - requisite bacon fat and pepper are present - with a decent amount of acidity. Definitely not a pop n' pour
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Northern Rhone Dinner at Marc's (DC/Silver Spring MD): Plummy nose. Mostly primary, plum and other black fruit. Light earth starting to poke through. Balanced with solid acidity and grippy tannins. Solid wine, but needed a bit of time to open up.
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Delas Hermitage Masterclass with Steven Spurrier (Handford Wines, London): WOTN by miles. 8 year since we tried this last ( Papies 89) and Lord this has blossomed into something superb! Good color still. Nose is that love affair of Hermitage, roast meat, smoky touches, tertiary evolved dark fruits, leather. The wine is full of energy and vigor, lovely presence on the mid palate, harmonious and still with richness of fruit. Big but elegant and super long. 95
Comment of the Evening from Steven Spurrier : " The wine has shed its tannin but lost none of its structure"
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Rich and quite full bodied with round cherry tinged red fruit, good depth, some secondary signs of evolution such as a hint of cabbage on the nose, smooth texture, good balancing acidity and ripe structure. Good.
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Quite dark and dense appearance. Perfumed and perfectly sound. No off flavours at all. Solid flavour and still with a fair bit of good tannin. This needs air and I could have (single) decanted it at home before going out to lunch. This will keep well and maybe improve a bit. No hurry for the last remaining bottle.
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Tasted blind, from bottle. Clear, medium ruby. Legs. On the nose: Dark cherry, meat, smoke, black olive; also earth, sweet spice, clove spice. On the palate: Medium(+) acidity, full body, medium(+) flavour intensity of blackberry, dark cherry, smoked meat, pepper and earth. Medium(+) integrated tannins, long finish. Clean flavours and fairly lithe on its feet; this wine is 18 years old but does not feel like it has crested the peak yet. Drink between now and 2020.
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Hermitage Session (Extra Space): Tasted blind. Drank from bottle over 3 hours. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of violets, stony minerality, smoked bacon meat, blackberries, black cherries, olives, savoury soil/earth. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (13%), integrated fine high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of smokey meat, black cherries, blackberries, green olives, savoury earth. Very long finish. Very good quality. Surprisingly strong showing in the blind tasting amongst other big boy Hermitage like Chapoutier's Ermite and Jaboulet's La Chapelle. Supposed to be a lighter style of Hermitage but I guess the exceptionally strong vintage gave this a good boost. Still feels like it could go another 4-5 years.
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A fully mature beauty with a finish that lingers lovingly long with tender tannins. This elegant red berry, herb and spice queen also revealed excellent acidity. Paired perfectly with the beef at the IWFS Luncheon on the Carnival Vista, this Rhone was an excellent off choice from a Bordeaux.
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Haven't had this wine since 2006 and it hasn't moved much in the past 10 years. Really well made Hermitage here even if it's just a tad polished. Meaty notes, olives and a hint of chocolate. A lighter styled Hermitage, elegant. Happy to have more in the cellar for sure.
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decanted for 15 minutes. nonetheless essential--there's a lot of sediment. medium legs. subtle with a somewhat muted nose of dark berry and bloody meat. smoothly drinking blackberry, black cherry, and plum with leather and spice. moderate finish, and a true pleasure with great qpr.
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Weekly tasting group #199; New years tasting with some young and mature wines (@ My place): Beautifully mature and elegant bouquet with good spiciness and some minerals. On the palate red berries still, herbs and spices, beautiful acidity and soft tannin. Long finish and fully mature now, but no hurry either. Last time I tasted it (in 2009) it was still too young, but now it is an elegant and mature beauty. I have one more bottle for a special moment between now and 2018.
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Decanted an hour. Garnet. Medium legs. Red fruit, strawberry, and celery (which blows off) nose. Bloody meat, iodine, dark berries, and a mouthfilling finish. I'd decant this, but it's really drinking well as a food wine.
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Toronto Cru Monthly Tasting - July 2015 (Jay's Place - Toronto, On): Nice showing from this maturing wine. A bit more ripe and dark than I might usually prefer, but a bloody and maturing note provides appeal for me. The nose is of blackberry, violets, lavender, black olives, smoke, ink, iodine and beef drippings. The palate is maturing with moderate receding tannins and moderate acid. Solid hermitage in the early stages of its drinking window it seems. Will certainly hold and maybe even improve a tad.
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Opened at restaurant without decant. As it continued to open during the evening, I would recommend decanting for about an hour. Really nice expression of syrah and place. Light cherry aroma, with white pepper, blood and earth. Palate has medium weighted fruit that enters a little flat, but picks up balancing acidity and soft tannins along with rounder fruit by midpalate. Harmonious and expressive finish with fruit, meat and dirt all in play. Reminded me of Burgundy in its weight and structure, but certainly not in flavor profile.
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Auction Of Promises Tasting (At Home): Double decanted 2 hours before drinking. Red with brownish tones bricking at edge. Meat iodine and blood on the nose as well as black fruits. Cassis plum spice and pepper on the palate - good finish
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Klar, dyp rød med svakt oransjestikk i kanten. Flott, sødmefull, floral nese med kirsebær, velhengt kjøtt, søtlige tranebær, samt noe vanilje og krydder. Bløt og lett søtlig, varm frukt med fin fylde, men forholdsvis slank. Saftig og delikat, med fin syrestrek. Lett, tørr avslutning med mildt pepper.
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A nice surprise. Tasted this a couple of years ago and found it overdone, heated. While it is certainly toasted and quite obvious from a warm vintage, it has gained elegance, a peppery, iron-like character, true to the soil. While not a great Hermitage, rather a modern one, it is still a very good wine with years to go - I will wait at least 3 years before I try again, and I expect to find more of it's origins then - the oak is still evident here.
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Translucent ruby red, some bricking on the edge. On the nose there is grilled meat, provencal herbs, chocolate and black cherry. In the mouth this is beautifully balanced, graceful and fresh, yet nicely mature. A point, I would say. There is a savoury quality that I really like, on top of the macerated fruitmix. Good acidity carries the medium finish to a clean and persistent end while keeping it fresh and lively. Tannines completely integrated. This is a wonderful example of "entry-level" Hermitage, which I would certainly recommend to a friend, though definately not the probable WOTN of an imaginary tasting of wines of the Northern Rhone. 18/20
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Une très belle bouteille dont je n'attendais pas grande chose. Au début de son plateau de maturité, avec des notes d'épices et de cuir qui commencent à apparaitre. La texture est lisse, sans rugosité au niveau des tanins, et la finale soyeuse sans être très longue. Ce n'est pas l'Hermitage le plus complexe et puissant, mais il s'est avéré un excellent compagnon à table.
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Decanted for an hour. Beginning to brick. Medium legs. Red fruit nose. It's really in the mouth, not the nose. Raw, bloody meat. Iodine. Black raspberry and pepper. Vanilla. Tannins fully resolved. Balanced. Worthwhile.
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Completely maderized and over the hill. This wine was either too young and not showing, and now too old? Disappointing. Will try another bottle soon. Bad bottle? Let's hope. But I'm not sure really.
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TWATS XI (Mortons Steak House - Hong Kong, Kowloon): Black. Sh#t load of alch shouts out a turrets afflicted twat. Great nose, absolutely awesome, apparently Sim loves it. Tim describes as a Squirrels grip, coco orange. Greenie feels it is under aged. Blunder bust and oxymoron make it on to the table along with appetizers.
The praise continues. More chocolate, Carmel nougat, Tim declares that it is both a Jedi Knight and confounding all wrapped in a red cape. Greenie of lesser words. “ Shiraz”.
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Decanted 90 minutes (benefitted). Similar to bottle from '09. Features bright red fruits, nice acidity, softening tannins, and plenty of spice, smoke, earth, meat, pepper that evolved in-and-out during the evening. Agree that this lacks overt complexity, but has finesse and a strong sense that there is just more here than the "inventory" reveals.
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90s Northern Rhone Tasting (Dino's): At first rubber sneakers (think Converse All-Stars) or maybe rubber ball and a little stink foot. But oh so silky on the palate. Lots of sour cherry. Almost Barolo-like. Persistent with nice depth and length. Very elegant.
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Decanted 2 hours. Red with a violet tinge. Bright aromas of cherry and dark berries, pine resin, licorice, pepper and a little earthiness and bacon. High toned fruit with perfectly balanced edgy tannins and abundant acidity. Some complexity on the finish as well.
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Thanksgiving Rob and gang -- showing really nice, with not a touch of signs of age. A silky and rich syrah, with a wonderful earthiness and a velvety mouthfeel. I have had some disastrous .375s of this so I guess that's an interesting case study in bottle size. This .750 was awesome, with the classic Hermitage sauvage notes and fruit.
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Wonderful Hermitage with woodsy aromas of dried leaves, earth and luman soil. The tannis are well integrated for a smooth long lingering finish. very nice bottle of sine.
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Tasted September 26, 2007. Purple color in the glass, opaque looking throughout. Nose of Kirsch, dark berries and grilled meat. Rich flavors of plums, cherries and maybe a little espresso. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full body. Drink with a decant or continue to hold. As they say…tasted twice now with consistent notes.
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Half bottle format bought at the estate--the nose seemed a bit off/funky/dirty to me. Some off-putting sulfury copperiness. Much nicer on the palate, with dried roasted fruits, plum/prune elements, earth. Hope the half bottle here isn't over the hill. If it is "sound" this is the ultimate in turn-off for the non-French lovers. For the Europhiles, it is "loaded with funky earth and dried ultra ripe fruit"
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Opened and drank over two days, vacuvinned overnight. Deep garnet color. Meaty, with white pepper, briarberry and an array of dark fruits on the nose. Youthful and structured, with dark fruit, pepper and fresh herbs on the palate. Finishes strong. Still a bit primary now, but I think it will be something special given more time. 92+
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Anita: Very closed at first, pruney, old, about an 87 or 88! but 2nd night...Whoa! intense wild cherry, plum, yemen coffee (winey, higher notes),earth, a bit exotic;super silky entry, soft, med.- bod, nice full flavors, balanced, great bouquet, integrated t’s and high acidity--but dances and plays in your mouth. Turned very nice and lovely to drink. I recognize some of the qualities from when I bought it, too. I think very important to decant this kind of wine, or let it breath to let the flavors come around.
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WIML91,WA90,WS94 Tasted September 24, 2005 at a retail tasting. Not sure when the bottle was opened but served in Riedel restaurant styled stems. Light plum color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of cedar box, sage and light white pepper. Flavors of dark cherries, coffee, a little plum and some pepper on the finish. Good to excellent wine that should be approachable now but can obviously age in the cellar for upwards of another 10 years. Recommended.
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Tasted at a Northern Rhone tasting on 4/18/2005. Decanted for 15 hours before tasting.
The first bottle we opend of this wine was corked. FreeTheGrapes had opened it about midnight the night before and noticed the taint. He sent me an email, which I pickup up about 5:30 in the morning, so I was able to get the second bottle in the decanter then. Poured back in bottle about 12 hours later for the long journey up north, then poured back into a decanter for the tasting.
A sweetly spicy nose of freshly roasted coffee beans, pepper, maybe some cinnamon? Densely packed palate of blackberries with a hint of bacon already starting to show up. Excellent acidity, with a long, smooth finish.
Stylistically, a very classy wine. Showed every bit as well as the bottle I tried at Cindy's last year, which made me pick some up in the first place. 93 points.
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Wine Cask Futures Off-line Dinner (Wine Cask, Santa Barbara, CA USA): Nice nose of pepper and spice. Medium-full body with excellent balancing acidity, a juicy and dense wine with good tannic structure and a moderately long finish. Drinking extremely well and was a welcome, delicious, and refreshing change from the other monster and super-ripe (Dumol Eddie's Patch / Kongsaard Syrah, & etc.) wines at this dinner.
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($12) Pleasant Grenache-y strawberry fruit with some spices and pepper. Pleasant. I went back to re-taste and get a better sense of it the second day, but I had developed cold that kept me from smelling and tasting much of anything.
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8/18/2023 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
Blind. Iron, black fruit, cured meat, pepper and funky/earth notes. Medium-bodied. Lush, with flavors of mixed red and black fruit and cured meat. Medium+ finish.
Easy to pick out as the other Hermitage, holding on a bit longer than the Colombier in the first flight, however it does start to head downhill in the glass. Probably at peak an hour, or perhaps two, after being opened and double decanted off its sediment.
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2/19/2023 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
PB deemed this gone - he is very wrong. Tasted over two days, does not move much, it's quite young with a core of chocolate, iron and black olives. While there is a whiff - just a whiff - of oxidation on the nose, it's not disturbing. A manly wine indeed, will only improve, I think.
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12/24/2021 - ewhite wrote: 92 Points
Might have waited a tad too long, but I'm still loving this wine. Just a hint of bricking around a translucent ruby core, the nose is full of balsamic, ripe red cherries, and figs(? first time this has ever come to mind). Soft on the palate, with bacon jam, earthy tannins, and good acidity all come together to make this super interesting. Probably better a couple years ago, but damn fun now!
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8/23/2021 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
In a perfect place right now - full bodied, the vintage showing it's best, olies, tar, black fruit, a bit of a smooth operator, maybe, but there is plenty of freshness and local feel here. Has years to go, but no sin in opening one now.
#gastro
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1/6/2021 - pbaek wrote: flawed
Completely gone. Oxidized.
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12/6/2020 - eboracum wrote: 88 Points
This bottle was much better than the previous which was close to undrinkable as a result of strong cabbage aromas. There were still some traces of cabbage but they were much an element of complexity to add to the sour cherry tinged fruit, good depth and kirsch sprinkled finish. So this bottle was quite good but I expect more from Hermitage.
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10/3/2020 - dnnk88 wrote:
CC Bday Wine Dinner 2020!: Dark fruits, meats, dried leaves, slight leather. This didn't quite leave an impression tonight but might be fatigue being the last bottle for the night. 89
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1/12/2020 - eboracum wrote: 81 Points
Two years ago I commented on signs of evolution including hints of cabbage on the nose. This evolution has got a lot worse with this present bottle. Colour shows a lot of bricking at the rim. The nose is quite porty or maderised with much more marked notes of cabbage. The palate is better but here again the notes of madeira and cabbage are perceptible spoiling some potentially nice sour cherry fruit and other elements. Without the warning signs from my previous bottle I might have noted this one as flawed. I advise people with this wine in their cellars to take a look at one of their bottles. Maybe I got a bad lot albeit from a usually reliable supplier. Close to the threshold of undrinkable.
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12/16/2019 - wsammons Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is still a good wine - fair bit of sediment that needs filtering out (may have just been stored improperly). Also, needs a bit of air to integrate but it comes together nicely
Not overly complex but pretty good syrah notes - requisite bacon fat and pepper are present - with a decent amount of acidity. Definitely not a pop n' pour
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4/27/2019 - ericindc wrote: 89 Points
Northern Rhone Dinner at Marc's (DC/Silver Spring MD): Plummy nose. Mostly primary, plum and other black fruit. Light earth starting to poke through. Balanced with solid acidity and grippy tannins. Solid wine, but needed a bit of time to open up.
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2/1/2019 - NickNYC wrote: 88 Points
not a bad wine, but I had higher expectations. discreet nose and dense but round texture.
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12/19/2018 - amex777n Likes this wine: 95 Points
This bottle was fabulous. Nicely balance and delicious.
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11/20/2018 - Zweder wrote:
Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow" #033: Northern Rhône red (By JWS): In the bouquet tea, celery, soy and chocolate. On the palate the same impressions. Also mushrooms, still good acidity and some length. Overall the wine was a bit too tertiary for my taste. Pity. No score.
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6/11/2018 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
Delas Hermitage Masterclass with Steven Spurrier (Handford Wines, London): WOTN by miles. 8 year since we tried this last ( Papies 89) and Lord this has blossomed into something superb!
Good color still. Nose is that love affair of Hermitage, roast meat, smoky touches, tertiary evolved dark fruits, leather. The wine is full of energy and vigor, lovely presence on the mid palate, harmonious and still with richness of fruit. Big but elegant and super long. 95
Comment of the Evening from Steven Spurrier : " The wine has shed its tannin but lost none of its structure"
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2/27/2018 - cfk49 wrote: 91 Points
Quite a nice wine with black raspberry notes in nose and mouth, medium-weight. Still relatively young. New oak is entirely gone.
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12/25/2017 - eboracum wrote: 90 Points
Rich and quite full bodied with round cherry tinged red fruit, good depth, some secondary signs of evolution such as a hint of cabbage on the nose, smooth texture, good balancing acidity and ripe structure. Good.
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4/4/2017 - john_s Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quite dark and dense appearance. Perfumed and perfectly sound. No off flavours at all. Solid flavour and still with a fair bit of good tannin. This needs air and I could have (single) decanted it at home before going out to lunch. This will keep well and maybe improve a bit. No hurry for the last remaining bottle.
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3/7/2017 - ozyloy wrote: 93 Points
Tasted blind, from bottle.
Clear, medium ruby. Legs.
On the nose: Dark cherry, meat, smoke, black olive; also earth, sweet spice, clove spice.
On the palate: Medium(+) acidity, full body, medium(+) flavour intensity of blackberry, dark cherry, smoked meat, pepper and earth. Medium(+) integrated tannins, long finish.
Clean flavours and fairly lithe on its feet; this wine is 18 years old but does not feel like it has crested the peak yet. Drink between now and 2020.
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3/7/2017 - Derek Darth Taster Likes this wine: 95 Points
Hermitage Session (Extra Space): Tasted blind. Drank from bottle over 3 hours.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of violets, stony minerality, smoked bacon meat, blackberries, black cherries, olives, savoury soil/earth. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (13%), integrated fine high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of smokey meat, black cherries, blackberries, green olives, savoury earth. Very long finish.
Very good quality. Surprisingly strong showing in the blind tasting amongst other big boy Hermitage like Chapoutier's Ermite and Jaboulet's La Chapelle. Supposed to be a lighter style of Hermitage but I guess the exceptionally strong vintage gave this a good boost. Still feels like it could go another 4-5 years.
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2/25/2017 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 93 Points
A fully mature beauty with a finish that lingers lovingly long with tender tannins. This elegant red berry, herb and spice queen also revealed excellent acidity. Paired perfectly with the beef at the IWFS Luncheon on the Carnival Vista, this Rhone was an excellent off choice from a Bordeaux.
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1/28/2017 - pbaek wrote:
Haven't had this wine since 2006 and it hasn't moved much in the past 10 years. Really well made Hermitage here even if it's just a tad polished. Meaty notes, olives and a hint of chocolate. A lighter styled Hermitage, elegant. Happy to have more in the cellar for sure.
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5/7/2016 - roasted hill wrote:
consistent notes, as expected....
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3/18/2016 - roasted hill wrote:
decanted for 15 minutes. nonetheless essential--there's a lot of sediment. medium legs. subtle with a somewhat muted nose of dark berry and bloody meat. smoothly drinking blackberry, black cherry, and plum with leather and spice. moderate finish, and a true pleasure with great qpr.
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1/4/2016 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Weekly tasting group #199; New years tasting with some young and mature wines (@ My place): Beautifully mature and elegant bouquet with good spiciness and some minerals. On the palate red berries still, herbs and spices, beautiful acidity and soft tannin. Long finish and fully mature now, but no hurry either. Last time I tasted it (in 2009) it was still too young, but now it is an elegant and mature beauty. I have one more bottle for a special moment between now and 2018.
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12/20/2015 - roasted hill wrote:
Decanted an hour. Garnet. Medium legs. Red fruit, strawberry, and celery (which blows off) nose. Bloody meat, iodine, dark berries, and a mouthfilling finish. I'd decant this, but it's really drinking well as a food wine.
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7/29/2015 - Wine Canuck wrote: 91 Points
Toronto Cru Monthly Tasting - July 2015 (Jay's Place - Toronto, On): Nice showing from this maturing wine. A bit more ripe and dark than I might usually prefer, but a bloody and maturing note provides appeal for me. The nose is of blackberry, violets, lavender, black olives, smoke, ink, iodine and beef drippings. The palate is maturing with moderate receding tannins and moderate acid. Solid hermitage in the early stages of its drinking window it seems. Will certainly hold and maybe even improve a tad.
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3/10/2014 - thomaskeil wrote: 93 Points
Opened at restaurant without decant. As it continued to open during the evening, I would recommend decanting for about an hour. Really nice expression of syrah and place. Light cherry aroma, with white pepper, blood and earth. Palate has medium weighted fruit that enters a little flat, but picks up balancing acidity and soft tannins along with rounder fruit by midpalate. Harmonious and expressive finish with fruit, meat and dirt all in play. Reminded me of Burgundy in its weight and structure, but certainly not in flavor profile.
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10/26/2012 - stephen locke wrote: 92 Points
Auction Of Promises Tasting (At Home): Double decanted 2 hours before drinking. Red with brownish tones bricking at edge. Meat iodine and blood on the nose as well as black fruits. Cassis plum spice and pepper on the palate - good finish
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10/6/2012 - -E- wrote: 91 Points
Klar, dyp rød med svakt oransjestikk i kanten. Flott, sødmefull, floral nese med kirsebær, velhengt kjøtt, søtlige tranebær, samt noe vanilje og krydder. Bløt og lett søtlig, varm frukt med fin fylde, men forholdsvis slank. Saftig og delikat, med fin syrestrek. Lett, tørr avslutning med mildt pepper.
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9/23/2012 - pereik wrote: 94 Points
Rich, sweet nose with black fruit, spices and forrest floor. In the mouth the wine follos the nose. Very pleasent mouth feel. Deep and mulitlayered.
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3/30/2012 - beatles wrote: 91 Points
A nice surprise. Tasted this a couple of years ago and found it overdone, heated. While it is certainly toasted and quite obvious from a warm vintage, it has gained elegance, a peppery, iron-like character, true to the soil. While not a great Hermitage, rather a modern one, it is still a very good wine with years to go - I will wait at least 3 years before I try again, and I expect to find more of it's origins then - the oak is still evident here.
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2/25/2012 - jkoenen wrote: 92 Points
Translucent ruby red, some bricking on the edge. On the nose there is grilled meat, provencal herbs, chocolate and black cherry. In the mouth this is beautifully balanced, graceful and fresh, yet nicely mature. A point, I would say. There is a savoury quality that I really like, on top of the macerated fruitmix. Good acidity carries the medium finish to a clean and persistent end while keeping it fresh and lively. Tannines completely integrated. This is a wonderful example of "entry-level" Hermitage, which I would certainly recommend to a friend, though definately not the probable WOTN of an imaginary tasting of wines of the Northern Rhone. 18/20
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2/15/2012 - ludwigbpm wrote: 92 Points
Une très belle bouteille dont je n'attendais pas grande chose. Au début de son plateau de maturité, avec des notes d'épices et de cuir qui commencent à apparaitre. La texture est lisse, sans rugosité au niveau des tanins, et la finale soyeuse sans être très longue. Ce n'est pas l'Hermitage le plus complexe et puissant, mais il s'est avéré un excellent compagnon à table.
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2/11/2012 - roasted hill wrote:
Decanted for an hour. Beginning to brick. Medium legs. Red fruit nose. It's really in the mouth, not the nose. Raw, bloody meat. Iodine. Black raspberry and pepper. Vanilla. Tannins fully resolved. Balanced. Worthwhile.
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9/16/2011 - mcarpentier wrote: 80 Points
Completely maderized and over the hill. This wine was either too young and not showing, and now too old? Disappointing. Will try another bottle soon. Bad bottle? Let's hope. But I'm not sure really.
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8/6/2011 - tplskylrk wrote:
TWATS XI (Mortons Steak House - Hong Kong, Kowloon): Black. Sh#t load of alch shouts out a turrets afflicted twat. Great nose, absolutely awesome, apparently Sim loves it. Tim describes as a Squirrels grip, coco orange. Greenie feels it is under aged. Blunder bust and oxymoron make it on to the table along with appetizers.
The praise continues. More chocolate, Carmel nougat, Tim declares that it is both a Jedi Knight and confounding all wrapped in a red cape. Greenie of lesser words. “ Shiraz”.
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1/10/2011 - thomaskeil wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 90 minutes (benefitted). Similar to bottle from '09. Features bright red fruits, nice acidity, softening tannins, and plenty of spice, smoke, earth, meat, pepper that evolved in-and-out during the evening. Agree that this lacks overt complexity, but has finesse and a strong sense that there is just more here than the "inventory" reveals.
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3/13/2010 - Papies wrote: 89 Points
Nice well aged and enjoyable wine but lacks complexity and was tight on the nose. Good finish.
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3/10/2010 - jahlove wrote: 92 Points
90s Northern Rhone Tasting (Dino's): At first rubber sneakers (think Converse All-Stars) or maybe rubber ball and a little stink foot. But oh so silky on the palate. Lots of sour cherry. Almost Barolo-like. Persistent with nice depth and length. Very elegant.
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1/3/2010 - equinoise wrote:
Well enjoyed bottle. Unfortunately, drank amongst several other bottles and made no particular notes.
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4/20/2009 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Occasional tasting group: C9duP 1998 - 2001 plus a few extra's. (@ PVa): Perfumed, refined and elegant bouquet. Juicy and soft strawberries and raspberries. Good sweetness, acidity and bitterness. Elegant and exiting wine with a long finish.
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3/9/2009 - thomaskeil wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Red with a violet tinge. Bright aromas of cherry and dark berries, pine resin, licorice, pepper and a little earthiness and bacon. High toned fruit with perfectly balanced edgy tannins and abundant acidity. Some complexity on the finish as well.
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11/28/2008 - danstrings wrote: 93 Points
Thanksgiving Rob and gang -- showing really nice, with not a touch of signs of age. A silky and rich syrah, with a wonderful earthiness and a velvety mouthfeel. I have had some disastrous .375s of this so I guess that's an interesting case study in bottle size. This .750 was awesome, with the classic Hermitage sauvage notes and fruit.
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11/14/2008 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Martin Weiner Hermitage and Cote-Rotie Tasting Dinner (Chave, Chapoutier and Guigal) (Martin Weiner's Westwood Home): Medium red violet color with pale meniscus; ripe berry, port and plum nose; ripe berry, plum and spice palate, a little tight and young yet; medium-plus finish 92+ pts.
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6/4/2008 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 87 Points
FRENCH BAKERY Northern Rhone BYO Dinner; 6/3/2008-6/4/2008 (The French Bakery, Kane Concourse, Bay Harbour Islands, FL): Deirdre's wine, courtesy of Richard. Flight 2A, came in last with only Roberta's vote vs its 2003 sibling, and the 1995 Tardieu-Laurent Hermitage. It wasn't memorable or distinctive.
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5/10/2008 - Jim wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful Hermitage with woodsy aromas of dried leaves, earth and luman soil. The tannis are well integrated for a smooth long lingering finish. very nice bottle of sine.
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3/23/2008 - danstrings wrote: flawed
Ughhhh, absolutely gone. This .375 went completely bad and this was completely undrinkable. Rotten mildewy nose, rotting leaves and sewage! Sigh...
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9/26/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91
Tasted September 26, 2007. Purple color in the glass, opaque looking throughout. Nose of Kirsch, dark berries and grilled meat. Rich flavors of plums, cherries and maybe a little espresso. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full body. Drink with a decant or continue to hold. As they say…tasted twice now with consistent notes.
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9/26/2007 - win wrote: 91 Points
More bacon fat as it opened up. Very French.
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9/2/2007 - danstrings wrote: 91 Points
AC's tomato tasting--whewwww, much better than last showing, loaded with olive espresso eath elements...
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8/30/2006 - danstrings wrote: 88 Points
Half bottle format bought at the estate--the nose seemed a bit off/funky/dirty to me. Some off-putting sulfury copperiness. Much nicer on the palate, with dried roasted fruits, plum/prune elements, earth. Hope the half bottle here isn't over the hill. If it is "sound" this is the ultimate in turn-off for the non-French lovers. For the Europhiles, it is "loaded with funky earth and dried ultra ripe fruit"
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6/3/2006 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Opened and drank over two days, vacuvinned overnight. Deep garnet color. Meaty, with white pepper, briarberry and an array of dark fruits on the nose. Youthful and structured, with dark fruit, pepper and fresh herbs on the palate. Finishes strong. Still a bit primary now, but I think it will be something special given more time. 92+
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5/16/2006 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Anita: Very closed at first, pruney, old, about an 87 or 88! but 2nd night...Whoa! intense wild cherry, plum, yemen coffee (winey, higher notes),earth, a bit exotic;super silky entry, soft, med.- bod, nice full flavors, balanced, great bouquet, integrated t’s and high acidity--but dances and plays in your mouth. Turned very nice and lovely to drink. I recognize some of the qualities from when I bought it, too. I think very important to decant this kind of wine, or let it breath to let the flavors come around.
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9/24/2005 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91,WA90,WS94
Tasted September 24, 2005 at a retail tasting. Not sure when the bottle was opened but served in Riedel restaurant styled stems. Light plum color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of cedar box, sage and light white pepper. Flavors of dark cherries, coffee, a little plum and some pepper on the finish. Good to excellent wine that should be approachable now but can obviously age in the cellar for upwards of another 10 years. Recommended.
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4/18/2005 - SacredCow wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at a Northern Rhone tasting on 4/18/2005. Decanted for 15 hours before tasting.
The first bottle we opend of this wine was corked. FreeTheGrapes had opened it about midnight the night before and noticed the taint. He sent me an email, which I pickup up about 5:30 in the morning, so I was able to get the second bottle in the decanter then. Poured back in bottle about 12 hours later for the long journey up north, then poured back into a decanter for the tasting.
A sweetly spicy nose of freshly roasted coffee beans, pepper, maybe some cinnamon? Densely packed palate of blackberries with a hint of bacon already starting to show up. Excellent acidity, with a long, smooth finish.
Stylistically, a very classy wine. Showed every bit as well as the bottle I tried at Cindy's last year, which made me pick some up in the first place. 93 points.
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3/19/2005 - PaulH wrote: 92 Points
Wine Cask Futures Off-line Dinner (Wine Cask, Santa Barbara, CA USA): Nice nose of pepper and spice. Medium-full body with excellent balancing acidity, a juicy and dense wine with good tannic structure and a moderately long finish. Drinking extremely well and was a welcome, delicious, and refreshing change from the other monster and super-ripe (Dumol Eddie's Patch / Kongsaard Syrah, & etc.) wines at this dinner.
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10/1/2004 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Winery: perfumey, berries, soft, full, long fin.; licorice, herbal quality, yummy.
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1/2/2002 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
($12) Pleasant Grenache-y strawberry fruit with some spices and pepper. Pleasant. I went back to re-taste and get a better sense of it the second day, but I had developed cold that kept me from smelling and tasting much of anything.
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