Open and drank over four days. An incredible wine that pushes the limits to what a Syrah can offer in terms of transparency, purity of fruit, structure (think all things Pinot like). This may be atypical for the variety in most regions. I wish there were more places to find this type of rendering of the grape. I've seen it most recently similarly expressed at Renaissance in their 2002 Serra Nevada Syrah, but it didn't reach the heights that this wine obtained.
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excellent on PNP. Herbaceous fruit with some meaty and mineral aspects, but tannins have melted away to give this a nice soft mouthfeel, even while there is some nice acidity to it. Best bottle of my bunch, so far, by a long shot. Can't understand how people thought this was on the downhill 3 years ago - still improving, to my taste, from my cool cellar! I like this much better than I did 3 or 4 years ago.
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Vegetal taste profile in a solid back bone of minerality, fruit and acidity.. All secondary tastes of forest floor, mushroom and red fruit. medium length and pleasant finish. Much better than the bottle that I opened 6-7 years ago.
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It may seem iconoclastic relative the general blase character depicted of this wine in the below cellar tracker notes, but for my palate this is a stupendous wine. Right off the initial pour, I was really taken by the delicate floral tones and "truthfulness" of the bouquet. It dances on the palate with balance and lightness I frequently miss in the wines I find myself drinking lately, old and new. There's such an intense sour pickle-brine (or grapefruit pith) finish, and I just love it. It's very lengthy in its seasons to my senses. I feel there is something unique and true in this wine. Is this a reality? I have no real sense of the provenance of the grapes that went into this bottle, or vineyard from which they were harvested, etc., etc. Whatever the case may be, this wine strikes me as special and something deserving respect and appreciation.
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Open for four hours. Aromas are dark with a streak of acidity to them, but overall the notes are quite lovely and the acidity adds a nice high tone to those dark fruits; nice exuberance. Palate entry is mild, with more darkly complected fruit; perhaps ripe plum skins, red grapes. Finish is slightly stewed with more dark fruits, pervasive acidity, and a slightly over ripe character. I think I had my ideal window correct as ending at 2014, as this bottle does seem to be on the decline vs other bottles I've had prior. Still enjoyable today, but drink up. My best bottle was consumed in 2010.
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On P&P shut down tight. Second night it blossomed. Very well balanced with maturing fruits, mineral, earth and fresh cracked black pepper. After 2 hours the fruit became pretty sweet, almost like a ripe gamay. Overall quite nice.
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All things considered I think this has aged well as it's drinkable compared to the peppery mess when I first tried it 3.5 years ago. That being said it's far from AG's 92 score. This has syrah characteristics but not the jammy Aussie style, not the meaty N Rhone style, not the mix Cali provides. It's lighter, mostly red raspberry on the nose with secondary notes of beef jerky, potpourri and herbs. The potpourri and red raspberry take center stage on the palate with white pepper and neutral oak supporting. Integrated light tannins and medium acidity. This would not be a re-buy but I plan on enjoying the rest of the bottle rather than pouring it down the drain like I would have in 2010.
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Open 4 hours. Aromas are quite lovey, on the darker side of the spectrum, with some plum skins, cedar bark, and tons of awesome earthy minerals and graphite. Smells complete and ready. Palate entry is soft and smooth, offering mellowed tannins, light acid, and sweet plum and dark cherry notions. Very soft and caressing, but also not necessarily luxurious. Soft and spicy finish, with dark red apple skins, cassis, and lightly puckering tannins and acid. I think this wine is completely ready to go at present and would not hesitate to complete the remaining bottles. I don't believe there's any interesting tertiary development ahead of what it currently is that would top its current balance. I agree with my previous note from 2010 on the drinking window and also that it was at best an hour open.
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spicy, blueberry, nice complexity with well balanced tannins and just a little acidity. Has some interesting secondary notes on the palate, not quite "smoky/meaty" but an earthiness comes through. Fell apart on day 2 so drink up if you have any.
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For such a maligned wine, this to me is one of the more striking, intriguing, complex, and thought provoking bottles of syrah I've had in a long time. Each swirl brings a new facet to the nose; chameleon to extreme, I even got overnight soaked mung beans, which is very specific and distinctive and something I've never found in a wine before. For a while now I've often been bored by the wines available in my cellar, but this one woke me up. Drink an experience.
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PNP through Nuance Wine Finer. Dark purple color. Some funk, a little blueberry on nose. Juicy, round, spicy profile on palate, with a blueberry-ish finish. Not as bad as I was expecting based on Cinderella Wine furor, but not something I'd rebuy. Too spicy and blueberry for me. 87 pts. Aloha!
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So much better this time. Slightly sweet nose of red berry and menthol. Dark ruby, light-med body, kirsh and mineral palate with a medium finish. Time has helped this one a lot.
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Took some time for the wine to ope up and show a spicy syrah profile yet very Italian with plenty of acidity and tannin. A bit disjointed, but pleasantly intense and a good match for burgers.
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2+ hr. decant. I was expecting the same as the prior bottle but found the bouquet a bit more floral and the palate more plum and spices than blood orange. Lightweight but packs a punch of flavor. High acidity strikes a good balance toward the finish. Pairs very well with pasta Bolognesa.
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Refreshingly tart, with red berries and rhubarb, plum, Christmas spice and pepper, old leather, blood and meat; chocolate tanins on the finish. Sweet and pungent nose of red fruit, sopressata, rose, and spice.
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Better than I remember it. This is a super juicy and spicy wine, which made it perfect for the first snowy day of the year. I opened it a couple of hours in advance and let it breathe in the bottle. Great minerality and the spiciness of the syrah really comes forth. Very well balanced - smooth and long. I thought tonight that this was excellent for the $20 spent and if my experience from the past year and a half is accurate, it is still on an upward trajectory. I can now declare it a Garagiste winner and I wish I had more.
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I finally popped my bottle and I honestly can't understand all the hate. It's a fairly restrained wine that didn't rock my world, but it by no means was offensive. In fact it was actually pretty good, just not great. For me it was a nice and dusty mix of red and dark fruit, some pepper and earth becoming more obvious on the palate. If I'm going to ding it for something it's the short finish, but overall this is really very good--just not excellent.
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Just another case of a wine getting smacked on the internet, and everyone jumping on board. Is this wine worth $50 retail? Definitely not, but I certainly didn't think it was bad. As its been pointed out before and at the dinner last night, this bottle was representative of the region and the varietal. I won't be running out to buy another one, but definitely drinkable.
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NY/NJ WLTV Offline (Fonda Del Sol, NYC): Served blind. Medium intensity ruby color in the glass. Funky nose with notes of red fruit, black pepper, and a lot of greenness or pyrazine. Similar notes on the palate. Medium high to high acidity. Medium high tannin. Short finish. Definitely old world based on the structure. The greenness had me thinking a French cabernet franc, and the pepperiness had me thinking it might also be a somewhat under ripe French GSM blend, perhaps with some stemminess.
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Classic Syrah nose--sour cherries and some meatiness/jerky. Maybe a little greenness. Light to medium mouthfeel not at all jammy. Really nice sour cherries on the palate. Medium finish has very light tannins and some bitterness. My guess for those that hate it is they got a bad bottle. Not amazing, but not terrible.
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Good wine, but still young. Would cellar for another 5 years. Tasted next to 06 K Vintners Phil Lane. Both were very good, but Phil Lane was ready to be consumed
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Aromas of sour cherry and red raspberry. Lush mixed berry fruit with a mineral laced background. Very interesting. Dry finish with moderate tannins. Has a sweet/sour end that I enjoy.
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Wow... really solid wine. Not sure if I got an off bottle last time or it was just an off day for me but this was really nice tonight. Don't reach for this bottle if you want a typical syrah, it is better to think of it as a french/italian fusion of style. dark fruit with lots of mineral and earth with perhaps a squirt of lemon. Nice.
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Fragrant floral nose, meaty flavor. Brooding cherry-raspberry fruit and rhubarb, beef blood, with earthy undertones and cinammon oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on the finish. Juicy, not tart acids, make this an eminently drinkable food wine.
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Fairly consistent notes as seven months ago. Still a funky, vegetative, asphalt nose. Berry and sour cherry palate. Firm tannic structure. Nice strong finish. This wine is not for everyone, but for a lover of "old world style" European this could be considered nirvana at its best. The sour cherry really grows on you!
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Better than expected, with solid syrah flavors of plum and blackberry on a slightly smoky medium bodied frame. Lacks the peppery notes of most syrahs, but it was a pleasant drink with Italian fare.
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PnD let breathe for 3hrs. Tasted alongside the 2005 Ridge Lytton West Syrah. The Ridge left it in the dust. Purple red not saturated with a red rim. Floral red raspberry and earth nose.Medium(-) weight sour earthy mid-palate. Sharp slightly vegatal flavors with red raspberry notes and a short finish that is a bit chemically. Much better with food. Not even close to worth the original retail price but glad to have experienced as part of the Cindy 3 pack.
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Pop and pour. barnyard on nose, very dark color with hint of blackberries. Reminded me of a Syrah and smooth finish. Last bottle in the cellar. Probably the most talked about wine (2010) in the wine library / cinderella wine community
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I found this one less convincing. Maybe it's shutting down. All I'm getting is black fruits and bitterness. I stood it up and decanted, and it's perfectly clear, just not quite the interest I found in the prior bottles.
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NC Cindy Tasting. At this point, Bill pulled out his last bottle of Les Cretes 2005, to initiate the new member of our tasting group. I continue to feel that this wine is certainly not pour-down-the-sink material, and overall continues to track my prior notes, with a score falling between the two prior bottles. I write about it mostly for completeness, and to note an unusual aroma and flavor of scallions or green onion that was picked up by nearly everyone at the tasting. It wasn't unpleasant, but manifested itself mostly as a depth of flavor that none of us had picked up on before. This remains a good red wine to serve with seafood, though clearly still not worth the original $45 asking price.
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Much better showing having stood it up beforehand and decanted. Would have been even better if I gave it more time in the decanter. Still, this is terrific. A very impressive producer.
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Like many here, I picked this up as part of a Cindy 3-pack and opened it tonite with much trepidation given its reputation (see numerous scores of 50-60 below). I chose a night with no guests and I had a backup bottle ready in case this one was going down the drain. On opening, the nose had a slight bit of funk, which brought to mind the (real) fontina produced alongside this wine, but also some nice fruits. The taste was subdued blackberries with a slight bite of pepper and some cloves. Smooth and mellow, with nice tannins at the end, it was actually a very enjoyable wine that went well with the tartiflette I had made. In the end, I found myself agreeing with most of what was said in the WA review. Was it a 92? Not in my book, but I'm willing to do 90.
What about the other reviews? Either there is some serious bottle variation, or some of the lots of this wine were cooked or otherwise spoiled. There's no other explanation that would make sense.
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Better than my previous bottle as it was rounder and less tannic, though I gave it more air to try to offset those issues. Still fairly high acidity with red fruit, but the fruit shined through more this time making for a more enjoyable wine.
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Plum, raspberry, spice, pepper, stone, earth and smoke. Really fresh feel from the acidity. I did not see this as stinky or funky, to me it was very clean. This is a unique beauty that keeps evolving, savory, gamy and grapefruit flavors also show.
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This was out of whack on opening, too much acidity, out of balance. Night 2 - went from disjointed to really nice, that acidity mellowed out, the fruit came forward into balance, nice peppery spice throughout pulling it together, still managing to be quite light though despite the fruit and spice. Was an 88, now a 91.
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N: Juicy blackberry, pepper, beef blood, minerals. P: Fresh and tart berry flavors build on the attack and ebb into a lingering finish that I can't fully describe - it's a bit like the astringency of oils from citrus peel but substantially mellower and balanced by a touch of milk chocolaty sweetness. Herbal, maybe, like chewing on the bundle of herbs you stuff into a Thanksgiving turkey. I thought this was pretty good last time, and I definitely feel that it's improved in the last 8 months - the finish may continue to open and improve with age. Interesting, with some strong varietal character, and went great with our pizza tonight. I'm a liker...
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This wine is simply awful. Lot's of tasting notes here dance around the topic ("not my cup of tea", for example). But, the truth is that this wine is very bad. It's poorly made and is seriously Non Delicious. Even with food this wine is simply disgusting. It resembles flat, soapy dishwater. It has ZERO fruit, ZERO body and ZERO number of reasons for buying it. I tasted two bottles for these notes. This wine is awful. I only scored it 50 points because it's made from grapes. Then I dumped it.
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(From memory.) I thought this bottle represented a unique mountain Syrah, as the Garagiste folks proposed. A lot of pepper, a little olivey/granite sort of note, and a touch of dark meaty fruit. Savory. Nowhere as good/fun/interesting as the tourette.
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Clear garnet color, fresh evergreens and blackberry nose. Mint, tar and ripe cherry/berry palate, extremely fresh expression of syrah. Nice, long and clean finish, the whole vindicates the decision to grow this variety in such an unlikely place.
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Much, much better than the last time I had this. Still very light for syrah, with a reticent nose notable for its raspberry, grapefruit and white pepper. On the palate, though, sour cherry really came through very nicely, with an undercurrent of black pepper, allspice, and garrigue. The wine built into a reasonably full but still delicate mid-palate, then tapered off gracefully but perhaps with undue haste. A red wine to pair with lighter fare, I had this with a fennel-turkey risotto and the pairing worked to a tee. The wine cut through the fat and starch of the risotto while adding an extra depth of rich spiciness, all while not masking the delicate flavor of parsley and sweet onion in the dish. There's still no way this is a $50 wine, but with the careful pairing, this was very, very nice and definitely worth the $20 actually paid. You've got to know what you're getting with this wine, but it delivers on its own terms. I'm surprised to be sorry to see this go. On the other hand, I don't think you'll see any benefit from further aging, so drink 'em if you've got 'em.
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2 hr. Decant. Not what I was expecting. Nose of cherry and blood orange with a hint of leather. Fruity on the palate. Light weight. Surprisingly light for the strong flavors. Strawberry with orange and a bit of plum but complemented with some acidity. Finish is surprisingly long. From previous notes I thought I wouldn't like it but I am glad I have another bottle.
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A nose of sour strawberry or maybe watermelon. Flavors of sour cherry and tar. Some minerality and earthiness, even some stone. Interesting. Not quite my cup of tea, but very good.
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Cloudy, medium body, medium-high acidity. Reminds me a little of a low end N. Rhone, with primarily understated red fruit and a little tar and pepper on the short, somewhat tannic finish. Still a pretty decent food wine.
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Best bottle yet, and last; sorry to see these go. Animal, sulfur, tart berry, woodsy nose. Broad range of flavors including sweet and tart underripe berry, lime, red licorice, salty stone, and hints of balsa. Great depth while remaining light. Balanced through the admirable finish. Dangerously drinkable; wish i had more.
Drink now and over the next four years. 90
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Interesting and no where near as bad as I had expected. Has a lot going on. Some chocolate, raspberry, plum, orange peel with surprisingly smooth transitions.
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Cherries and tart red fruit on the attack and mid-palate, initially this wine tasted as if it had residual sugar. Off balance on the finish, fruit dissipates and tannins fail to emerge, more or less. Galloni's comment, "...tannins are beautifully folded into the layers of fruit..." might mean that there is less tannic expression at the finish since it has diffused to the mid-palate.... Ok, after a few hours, this wine really improved. A more substantial finish emerged, the tannic-fruit balance improved. Add 2 points, much better.
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Good, but not as good as in the past. Light sweet raspberry, licorice and citrus with a bit of lavender. Candied, but not sweet or full, finishing briefly. Again, interesting, but unremarkable.
Drink now. 84 -JRS
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this wine confused the heck out of me... at first I thought all the haters were crazy... thought it was interesting ... but as 4 hours turned into 8 the wine just seemed to evolve into a vegetal/barnyard mess.. first shot at hour 2 - 89 by hour 8 and the next day 82 - much more interesting than good
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stunning! marvelous nose of aged meat, hops, pepper, bay, and allspice. robust and earthy on the palate, with an intense smokiness and long finish. a wine that is rich without being heavy or cloying in the least. my favorite syrah in years.
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Funky nose with strong notes of asphalt and faint dark berry. Pepper and spice on the palate. The best part of this wine is the long lasting finish. The fruit may eventually come out given some time. Drank 8 Oct 2010. Drank again the next day after the wine had had time to settle down. It was much smoother and fruiter after a day.
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Opened up a little muddy. There was a fair bit of sediment, which I decanted as carefully as possible. Should have left it standing for a few days first. No matter, after an hour or so in the decanter, it was singing: black fruits, earth, and an herbal streak. Lovely stuff.
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Initial nose unpleasant, but taste was ok. Decanted and run through vinturi. Very Peppery , and light grapefruit notes. After an hour I actually enjoyed this, as did others in the party. Certainly lots of syrah character, but less of the fruit, and more secondary characteristics. Very interesting. I understand the controversy with this wine. Unable to give a point value in this very polarizing wine--you will either like it or pour it out, but it is so different that it may be impossible to predict even with known palate preferences.
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Initial funk on the nose and palate. After a couple of hours it becomes an interesting wine. Old world syrah is the best way to describe. Better on day two.
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Gamy, savory, mineral-infused Syrah. Gorgeous earthy and meaty tones, great acidity, and a real sense of place. A beautiful counterpoint to the rubbish Shiraz that is so common. If you didn't like this, I'm sorry but I just don't think I can help you.
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light wine on pour - nose had some red fruits and rose/floral nose - this followed through with a very light drinking wine with subtle red almost rasberry fruits coming thorugh some earthyness to it- sort of in the Burgundy style - finish had a grapefruit citrus to it- Interesting wine and not what many think of when they read Syrah- This is a wine to be paired with dished you would have a Pinot Noir with. Wife enjoyed this alot for its light drinking ease. Low alcohol makes it very food friendly-
Interesting that I can not find the vintage anywhere on the bottle- Lots of Sediment- Purchased as part of a pack and I guess it pro-rated out to $20- not really a great buy but something that makes me want to understand the region it came from and the style of wines produced their
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This is syrah at its most ethereal, stretched taut by mountain exposure to the point where it achieves a delicacy you simply don't find elsewhere. Color is dark red but nowhere approaching purple. The nose is a mix of dusty red berries (syrah?), light floral notes and minerals. Medium bodied at best, in the mouth the sour cherry and red berry fruit is a suggestion not a statement, with a lightly tannic finish and zesty acids so that again it doesn't resemble conventional syrah. It's like the opposite of a good Morgon, in the sense that there you get unexpected depth of material in a wine that is light by nature, and here you get an airy lightness from a grape that is typically vinified so it's like being smacked with a fruit bomb two-by-four. 13% alcohol.
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Popped and poured. Probably would have been better with Vinturi. Dark purple. Bacon and pepper nose. Muted blueberries, dark cherries, spicy pepper, leathery tannins, and a medium finish. OK, but not a good value.
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Medium dark rather translucent yet dull cherry red. Ripe, thick skinned cherry and cranberry fruit along with earthy underbrush, Good-n-Plenty, an exotic orange zest twist, and a nearly haunting floral element on the nose. This has the combination of subtle yet evident sweetness and silky feminine texture that I associate with Burgundy or perhaps a relatively Burgundian Pinot from the New World. This seems to be getting an unfair beat-down from other tasters, perhaps based on certain expectations for a highly scored Syrah based wine.
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this wine is a case of the good and the bad, it has two faces, in the end its kind of average, but the potential shows, maybe future vintages will hit the mark
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Extremely light in color for a syrah. Herbal qualities, mushrooms, and barnyard on the nose. Blood (iron) and kumquat (?!?) dominate the palate. Sour finish. Perhaps it will come around with decant?
Not AS bad with some air... but still pretty out there. Not sure how to score this one. As weird and at times off-putting as it is it is interesting enough to keep me coming back. Really hard to score this one. 80-85? haha
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Popped and poured, after an hour: Cloudy dark red color; Earthy dark fruit notes, no over-ripe tones or oak on the nose; Cherry and bits of apple on the mid-palate; full-bodied bold finish that terminates rather quickly over about 10 sec; Tartness and acidity on the finish. Italian Syrah, interesting experiment.
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I opened a bottle last night. The wine needs at least one hour of decanting but venturi does the trick.
This wine is very good if you are into old world wines. I would never guessed that this is syrah in the blind tasting-smells just like Burgundian pinot, medium body. Lots of horse manure, earth, mushrooms, etc on the nose but in the good way. Great texture and mouthfeel. I agree with Gary that transition through midpalate could've been better but it is not hollow. No excessive acidity as some reported. Good overall balance.
At $25 this is a great value.
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I disagree with most of the comments. Once this was decanted for about 2 hours it was singing. Much more new world than I would have thought, but a great wine. My expectations were low, but this was a pleasant surprise.
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NC Cindy tasting. Very light for syrah, translucent, almost like a pinot noir. Ironic, since this was the first wine tasted due to curiosity on a pinot noir evening. On the nose, very funky, with overtones of cheese and barnyard. Some spices, as well, and maybe some grapefruit, but almost none of the dark fruits one would associate with syrah. A bit scary on the nose, actually. On the palate, extremely light. Again, almost pinot-like, but with a harder edge. None of the cola aspects you might get if this really were a pinot, strong notes of grapefruit are clearly present. I've seen other notes describing pepper, and although I do think there is a little bit of white pepper evident, it is an accent, not a main characteristic. This would be a good red wine to pair with fish, as it has some structure, but wouldn't overwhelm a lighter dish. The finish is not large, but lasts surprisingly long if your palate is clear. Not a great wine, my wife valued it at $15. We paid $20 pro-rated as part of the CW three-pack. I don't feel ripped off for that, although there's no way I would pay the $49 list price for this wine.
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Not sure of the real price I paid since it was in a 3 pack and was the throw in bottle..funky nose, ok terrible nose, only thing normal was color, a ruby red. A terrible wine, made it past a couple sips, not sure what RP was thinking, somehow turned out to be a decent cooking wine.
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Adequate color and green bouquet of cucumber pickle with salty-mineraly taste and light weight on the palate., so much so that you could put it in a baujolais tasting! It says 13% alcohol on the bottle that the fruit contains it surprisingly very well. Definitely lacks the delicious factor.
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Decanted about 5 hours. The nose had lots of cherry and strawberry, a little pepper and leather, and some green vegetables at the end. The palate had a good mix of strawberry and green vegetables mixed with peppercorns and earth. The finish had a nice dose of sour cherry.
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base: 50 pts color & appearance - max 5 pts: 5 aroma & bouquet - max 15 pts: 12 flavor and finish - max 20 pts: 15 overall quality & potential - max 10 pts: 5 OVERALL: 87 the same rustic bitterness as in previous bottle...
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Don't get much on the nose, some pepper and a hint of dark fruit (cherry and plumb). High acid with pepper, a touch of green olive brine, and bitterness on the palate (some say grapefruit, maybe over brewed tea). Smooth mouthfeel. Had the first glass on a PnP through the vintori and capped off the bottle. Had another glass during dinner (4hrs later) and the wine had smoothed out. Not horrible, defiantly drinkable (better with food) but I will not be seeking the wine out.
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Consistent with prior notes. Maybe a little black licorice in the mix as well. Now that I know what I'm getting into with this bottle (after popping my first), I can appreciate it a little more. Very good, but you'd be a sucker to pay more than 20USD.
Drink now. 88 -JRS
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base: 50 pts color & appearance - max 5 pts: 5 aroma & bouquet - max 15 pts: 13 flavor and finish - max 20 pts: 14 overall quality & potential - max 10 pts: 5 OVERALL: 87 rustic "old world" bouquest as well as finish, as you would expect from rugged mountain terrain. One must like bitterness to enjoy this wine.
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Around 1+ hr in decanter @68F. I tasted a small portion of this on opening and it was only slightly smoother/sweeter/funkier than after decanting, where it showed more dry, peppery, and tannic. I was rushed into eating tonight and wasn't able to taste this beforehand and with full attention. Here are my impressions gathered mainly from consumption with dinner. Lighter colored with just a little fine, red silt at the end of the bottle. The bouquet brought aromas of strawberry, red cherry, Herbs de Provence, and cracked green & red peppercorn. The palate was light to medium bodied showing what was for me a nice, elegant mouthfeel. The combination of green peppercorn and sour cherry does show a little like grapefruit rind on the mid-palate, however I like how the finish resolved in a way that wasn't artificial, chemically or otherwise off-putting. Other flavors of lavender, tobacco leaf, and leather also appear throughout. I thought this drank a little like a lean CdR in flavor profile. I can see how some might find this thin and low on fruit concentration, but the fact that the bottle was gone between the two of us before either knew it next to an uneventful evening meal like tonight's says a lot about how drinkable this wine is and how well it serves with food. I marked this one at $10 from the pack buy, and it definitely stands as one of the better QPRs in my recent purchasing. Other stats: medium- finish; high acidity; low on oak flavors; medium+ on tannins; dry.
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Dark red, heavy pepper on nose, pepper and greenery on palate (combination could indicate grapefruit); after initial shock at strength of pepper (which is quickly adjusted to), the herbaciousness grows; interesting quaff 50/4/8/13/7
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I approached it with much trepidation because of some of the negative reviews; I was prepared to pop another wine if worst came to worst and it had to go down the drain. I decanted it for about 2 hours prior to drinking, and paired it with my beef stew. As it turned out, it was not nearly as bad as I had feared it might be. I found it medium-bodied, with smoked ham, green chilli, peppercorn, a little sweat, beet, and enough plummy fruit to please. A good deal funky, sure, but that’s what I want in an Old World syrah, and it’s not overbearing either. For my palate, this was a solid 90pt-type wine. My friend who joined me for dinner agreed on this assessment.
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Popped and poured, then drank over a few hours. Dark purple color, nose of plummy red fruit, a lot of white pepper, and smoke -- you can tell has seen oak, but it's not overpowering. Gets better on the palate, where the fruit comes in more and integrates nicely with the spice. Reasonably full bodied but not huge, with some tannin on the back end and a nice oaky finish. This got better with a little air; the pepper faded and the fruit came to the front. Probably could use decanting, and I bet it would improve with a little age.
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On the second day, this time this wine actually reminded me of a Frank Cornelissen (Contadino but even the Susucaru) wine, minus those wines' VA and extreme eccentricity. I was surprised to find myself making the comparison, but it is a positive one in my book. Definitely a wine that will please the Garagiste crowd more than the Wine Library / Cindy crowd (but I'm glad I bought bottles from both).
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The nose on this was a bit strange, but I couldn't put my finger on any one particular component. This was lighter bodied than most Syrahs I have had with definite acidity to the point that it drinks almost more like a white wine. There is a distinct note of grapefruit, including a bit of the bitter pith, but it was not overwhelming for me, just interesting. There is also a component that reminded me and my companions of flat soda fizz. Also got quite a bit of pepper coming through as the evening progressed. I did notice that the entire side of the bottle was coated in a fine sediment, so if this has been shipped it might be best to give it several weeks to settle and you might want to decant.
I would not pay the full retail price for this, but I'm pleased with it for the deal I got.
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Taste: A splash of fruit, a burst of biting acidity, and then quickly clamps down and is dominated by a tight bitterness. Strange. If the midpalate and finish open up this might be nice, but for now it's just awkward.
Update: After two days (under N) this has opened up and softened nicely. Still with some interesting and unusual bitterness, but it is now much more balanced, with strawberry flavors fading to a bit of a grapefruit finish over ~20 seconds. Drank well with cheese tortellini with pesto.
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This is a very odd wine. At first, lots of candied fruit, almost cheap pinot noir like. As time wore on the fruit became less candied and darker. Also significant tannins became prominent. Not sure what to make of this wine. Nothing Italian about it that I could find - very clean and new worldish in that sense. Pretty good but not all that pleasurable especially as the tannins became more mouth drying and the fruit fell into the background.
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I actually found this second bottle to be better than the first bottle a month ago. All I did was put it through my Vinturi after popping the cork and the wine tastes very nice. Much more fruit (kind of reminds me of strawberry Twizzlers actually) than I remember before in the body and the finish. A bit of a wine nerd wine though.
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A dusty purple color, like a bruise before it turns green... some sour cherries, some pepper, have you ever actually tasted pencil shavings?? Stop it already. Spicy on the tongue or did I cut myself shaving? Not battery acid, much better.
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Wow - much different than my first bottle. Everything was muted - nose, palate, finish. Nothing distinct or notable. Did not perform well in a blind tasting.
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Better on night two. At first - juicy and fresh - clearly syrah, but low on complexity. Gained more depth on the second night and was very easy and enjoyable to drink. If they grew Syrah in the Loire, that's how I imagine it would taste...
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A very sweet syrah that lacks structure. Dominant flavors of strawberries and gummy bears are uncharacteristic for the varietal. A real disappointment.
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I like this. Not a typical syrah, but nicely food friendly, good acids, red fruits. Nothing amazing here but a nice wine that goes with more than just steak.
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Ran through Vinturi and decanted for about an hour. The color looks more like a Pinot than a Syrah. On the nose, strong leather and black pepper scents mixed with a rubber tire funk and a slight hit of black currants. Upfront I got a big smack of fruit and black pepper, continuing to a black tea and pepper on the mid palate. The finish was surprisingly short. This wine was all upfront. As the wine breathed, some inoffensive vegetal flavors came out with the black tea in the mid-palate. Good mouth feel and structure, not as chewy as the usual Syrah, more like a Crozes-Hermitage.
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mediocre at best, not worth $48 by FAR... some citrus notes early on that are off putting, then gets into more stone fruit flavors, like apricot, that are out of place in a red wine to me...
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In glass 30 minutes. This started out very primary, with one character, but shifted into over drive with an hour and a half air. The nose shows some crushed volcanic rocks, bloody ground beef, iron, graphite, bird dander, powdered sugar/flower mixture, and plum sauce with the sugar removed. Stunning, really. The palate is incredibly soft, and started out showing some light minerals, gummy worm candy, blood orange, light beef, beet juice, and nice soft tannins. With more air the palate becomes a mouth full of crushed up rocks and minerals that is quick shocking. Finish is showing more rocks, peppercorns and chili flakes. In it's prime this was a 91+ point wine. After 4 hours of air, it began shutting down and didn't have quite the complexity on the nose nor the pure crushed minerals on the palate. Perhaps it needs a year to mellow, but I'd still drink this within 4 or so years. I look forward to watching the evolution over the next few days. Really tasty stuff; not sure I got the same wine as the other folks here. Update: This was really only drinking at it's best for an hour or so before getting less interesting. Still a good drink though.
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On Day One I ran it through a Vinturi into the decanter and drank over four hours. To me the nose and palate were overwhelmed by black pepper and spicy notes. On Day Two spicy, black pepper is still on the nose but now there were also fake fruit scents that reminded me of strawberry Twizzlers. Fruit was not detectable on the palate, just the same pepper notes. Acidity seemed more pronounced on day two
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quite a stink on the nose. loads of black pepper and spice with sour cherries. nicely balanced with a lingering tart finish. nicely made. has cotes du rhone characteristics.
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A lot of pepper and spice, but perhaps a tad more vegetal than I'd like ... to me this tasted like a good quality Crozes or St Joseph (but doesn't have the meat/bacon of Hermitages). Quite smooth, intense and well made. Noticeable but round tannins. 89 Day 2 - Gained a certain elegance today, tannins more integrated ... lovely stuff. 90
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At it's best, it had tastey sweet berry fruit with a touch of tartness with a solid earthy/herbal (lavender) balance. With extended air it becomes a little too candied for my palate. A good wine, but doesn't impress much.
Drink now. 87 -JRS
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Not entirely my style, but still a good wine. It takes a while to open up, but once it does it has a nice white pepper nose with a little bit of strawberry, and then a smooth medium-bodied taste, medium finish. Fairly good for the Cindy price of ~$20 as part of the 3-pack. Can't give it more than 89 for my palate though.
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Given the AG reviews, I had expected more. Initial impressions: manages to be unique but somewhat boring at the same time. Will follow over the course of a few days.
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Two hour decant. A dark and brooding wine with aromas of cassis and back pepper. Ripe, concentrated briar fruit hits full force on the entry. Becomes more earth and oak driven on mid palate with sweet tannins and some black pepper on the finish. Missing some refiinment at this point, but a nice bottle at the price I paid.
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White pepper and blackberry/spice nose. Nice full palate with round tannins and a lengthy finish. Kind of Aussie but kind of Rhone. Very smooth and drinking well right now. Paired really well with spicy Chinese food.
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Tastes more N. Rhone meets S. Rhone than anything else (CA, WA, Aussie – The WA review is misleading as Garagiste suggests) but is distinct in a very interesting and pleasurable way. Medium bodied and ready to drink.
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Dark in color. Intense aromas of blackberry, strawberry, charcoal and dried flowers with just a hint of licorice. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a long finish. - JD92+
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An earthy aroma, with some black fruit mixed in but tight on the nose. A pleasant flavor or black fruit with a little spiciness but not strong. An ok syrah, but not worth a repeat purchase. Kinda meh.
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Weird and stinky, but clearly Syrah. ...Syrah that aspires to be Aglianico, but pepper, acid and smoke none-the-less, with a hint of compost and lighter-fluid that enhances, rather than taints. I don’t know what you’d pair it with, Dim Sum? Cuttlefish Risotto? Wild Boar with Persian Spice? Rattlesnake Gumbo? Burritos after last call? Not a f***ing Roast Chicken or Salade Nicoise, that’s for sure. Good recommendation. Very funk-heavy Italian craziness on the nose and front, and very light on the back in a French, but not a purple tongue-coating,Rhone kind of way. I’m going to drink a little bit of this for next few nights.
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2/17/2021 - z_willus_d wrote: 94 Points
Open and drank over four days. An incredible wine that pushes the limits to what a Syrah can offer in terms of transparency, purity of fruit, structure (think all things Pinot like). This may be atypical for the variety in most regions. I wish there were more places to find this type of rendering of the grape. I've seen it most recently similarly expressed at Renaissance in their 2002 Serra Nevada Syrah, but it didn't reach the heights that this wine obtained.
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4/18/2018 - mdvino63 Likes this wine: 90 Points
excellent on PNP. Herbaceous fruit with some meaty and mineral aspects, but tannins have melted away to give this a nice soft mouthfeel, even while there is some nice acidity to it. Best bottle of my bunch, so far, by a long shot. Can't understand how people thought this was on the downhill 3 years ago - still improving, to my taste, from my cool cellar! I like this much better than I did 3 or 4 years ago.
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9/10/2017 - gajalaa Likes this wine: 87 Points
Good table wine ruby color nice balance, pepper on nose mineral, earth palate of cracked black pepper. Still ok but past its peak
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5/26/2017 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Racy. Pure mountain syrah. Great value.
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5/5/2017 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Lighter on its feet than most new world syrah interpretations. Very unusual (to me) flavors of herbaceous sweetness. Attention grabbing in a good way.
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1/4/2017 - Winiac wrote: 90 Points
Vegetal taste profile in a solid back bone of minerality, fruit and acidity.. All secondary tastes of forest floor, mushroom and red fruit. medium length and pleasant finish. Much better than the bottle that I opened 6-7 years ago.
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9/11/2016 - z_willus_d wrote:
It may seem iconoclastic relative the general blase character depicted of this wine in the below cellar tracker notes, but for my palate this is a stupendous wine. Right off the initial pour, I was really taken by the delicate floral tones and "truthfulness" of the bouquet. It dances on the palate with balance and lightness I frequently miss in the wines I find myself drinking lately, old and new. There's such an intense sour pickle-brine (or grapefruit pith) finish, and I just love it. It's very lengthy in its seasons to my senses. I feel there is something unique and true in this wine. Is this a reality? I have no real sense of the provenance of the grapes that went into this bottle, or vineyard from which they were harvested, etc., etc. Whatever the case may be, this wine strikes me as special and something deserving respect and appreciation.
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3/30/2016 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 88 Points
Open for four hours. Aromas are dark with a streak of acidity to them, but overall the notes are quite lovely and the acidity adds a nice high tone to those dark fruits; nice exuberance. Palate entry is mild, with more darkly complected fruit; perhaps ripe plum skins, red grapes. Finish is slightly stewed with more dark fruits, pervasive acidity, and a slightly over ripe character. I think I had my ideal window correct as ending at 2014, as this bottle does seem to be on the decline vs other bottles I've had prior. Still enjoyable today, but drink up. My best bottle was consumed in 2010.
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2/6/2016 - bablues wrote: 90 Points
Coravin - Still holding strong. Prepare and beef are present on the nose. Palate is also some pepper and dark fruit.
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12/6/2015 - hanower wrote: flawed
Bad/soft cork. Unusable.
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3/1/2015 - tbone wrote:
On P&P shut down tight. Second night it blossomed. Very well balanced with maturing fruits, mineral, earth and fresh cracked black pepper. After 2 hours the fruit became pretty sweet, almost like a ripe gamay. Overall quite nice.
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10/30/2014 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 86 Points
Better than a few years ago, but slightly past peak. Some syrah characteristics but a slightly off taste.
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6/2/2014 - WDK wrote: 83 Points
A monday night quaffer. Dark ruby, sweet gummy bear flavors and a short musty finish.
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5/25/2014 - cobbpa wrote: flawed
Corked
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3/6/2014 - David_T wrote: 88 Points
All things considered I think this has aged well as it's drinkable compared to the peppery mess when I first tried it 3.5 years ago. That being said it's far from AG's 92 score. This has syrah characteristics but not the jammy Aussie style, not the meaty N Rhone style, not the mix Cali provides. It's lighter, mostly red raspberry on the nose with secondary notes of beef jerky, potpourri and herbs. The potpourri and red raspberry take center stage on the palate with white pepper and neutral oak supporting. Integrated light tannins and medium acidity. This would not be a re-buy but I plan on enjoying the rest of the bottle rather than pouring it down the drain like I would have in 2010.
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12/28/2013 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 89 Points
Open 4 hours. Aromas are quite lovey, on the darker side of the spectrum, with some plum skins, cedar bark, and tons of awesome earthy minerals and graphite. Smells complete and ready. Palate entry is soft and smooth, offering mellowed tannins, light acid, and sweet plum and dark cherry notions. Very soft and caressing, but also not necessarily luxurious. Soft and spicy finish, with dark red apple skins, cassis, and lightly puckering tannins and acid. I think this wine is completely ready to go at present and would not hesitate to complete the remaining bottles. I don't believe there's any interesting tertiary development ahead of what it currently is that would top its current balance. I agree with my previous note from 2010 on the drinking window and also that it was at best an hour open.
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10/9/2013 - aruddy wrote: 90 Points
Still holding strong, incredible smoky meat flavors. Very unique. Love this wine.
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7/1/2013 - njgolfer wrote: 87 Points
spicy, blueberry, nice complexity with well balanced tannins and just a little acidity. Has some interesting secondary notes on the palate, not quite "smoky/meaty" but an earthiness comes through. Fell apart on day 2 so drink up if you have any.
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5/17/2013 - z_willus_d wrote:
For such a maligned wine, this to me is one of the more striking, intriguing, complex, and thought provoking bottles of syrah I've had in a long time. Each swirl brings a new facet to the nose; chameleon to extreme, I even got overnight soaked mung beans, which is very specific and distinctive and something I've never found in a wine before. For a while now I've often been bored by the wines available in my cellar, but this one woke me up. Drink an experience.
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3/27/2013 - aruddy Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good but not great. Smooth and lightly rustic.
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3/24/2013 - NoWineWiz wrote: 88 Points
Nose of cherries & flowers. Sour cherries and spice palate with a consistent pepper background. Medium finish.
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11/7/2012 - bg3034 wrote: 87 Points
PNP through Nuance Wine Finer. Dark purple color. Some funk, a little blueberry on nose. Juicy, round, spicy profile on palate, with a blueberry-ish finish. Not as bad as I was expecting based on Cinderella Wine furor, but not something I'd rebuy. Too spicy and blueberry for me. 87 pts. Aloha!
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8/28/2012 - thebonnydooner wrote: 90 Points
very dark, good acidity and ripe dark cherry and mulberry fruit, tasty long finish.
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5/23/2012 - WDK wrote: 90 Points
So much better this time. Slightly sweet nose of red berry and menthol. Dark ruby, light-med body, kirsh and mineral palate with a medium finish. Time has helped this one a lot.
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4/27/2012 - Johnny C NYC wrote: 87 Points
Immensely better with the age; smooth and much more rounded - nice complexity. Rough edges gone - drink up ladies and gents... 50 5 12 14 6
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1/28/2012 - Biskuit wrote: 89 Points
Needs lots of air to show well.
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1/4/2012 - IlonaN wrote: 87 Points
Took some time for the wine to ope up and show a spicy syrah profile yet very Italian with plenty of acidity and tannin. A bit disjointed, but pleasantly intense and a good match for burgers.
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11/21/2011 - vinniemontoni wrote: 88 Points
2+ hr. decant. I was expecting the same as the prior bottle but found the bouquet a bit more floral and the palate more plum and spices than blood orange. Lightweight but packs a punch of flavor. High acidity strikes a good balance toward the finish. Pairs very well with pasta Bolognesa.
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10/30/2011 - jayw wrote: 91 Points
Refreshingly tart, with red berries and rhubarb, plum, Christmas spice and pepper, old leather, blood and meat; chocolate tanins on the finish. Sweet and pungent nose of red fruit, sopressata, rose, and spice.
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10/29/2011 - pifcho wrote: 91 Points
Better than I remember it. This is a super juicy and spicy wine, which made it perfect for the first snowy day of the year. I opened it a couple of hours in advance and let it breathe in the bottle. Great minerality and the spiciness of the syrah really comes forth. Very well balanced - smooth and long. I thought tonight that this was excellent for the $20 spent and if my experience from the past year and a half is accurate, it is still on an upward trajectory. I can now declare it a Garagiste winner and I wish I had more.
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9/30/2011 - Bumbanian wrote: 90 Points
The finish on this continues to improve.
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9/28/2011 - DRod wrote: 88 Points
I finally popped my bottle and I honestly can't understand all the hate. It's a fairly restrained wine that didn't rock my world, but it by no means was offensive. In fact it was actually pretty good, just not great. For me it was a nice and dusty mix of red and dark fruit, some pepper and earth becoming more obvious on the palate. If I'm going to ding it for something it's the short finish, but overall this is really very good--just not excellent.
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9/20/2011 - jcha24 wrote:
Just another case of a wine getting smacked on the internet, and everyone jumping on board. Is this wine worth $50 retail? Definitely not, but I certainly didn't think it was bad. As its been pointed out before and at the dinner last night, this bottle was representative of the region and the varietal. I won't be running out to buy another one, but definitely drinkable.
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9/19/2011 - amgryger wrote:
NY/NJ WLTV Offline (Fonda Del Sol, NYC): Served blind. Medium intensity ruby color in the glass. Funky nose with notes of red fruit, black pepper, and a lot of greenness or pyrazine. Similar notes on the palate. Medium high to high acidity. Medium high tannin. Short finish. Definitely old world based on the structure. The greenness had me thinking a French cabernet franc, and the pepperiness had me thinking it might also be a somewhat under ripe French GSM blend, perhaps with some stemminess.
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9/12/2011 - awinejourney wrote: 87 Points
Classic Syrah nose--sour cherries and some meatiness/jerky. Maybe a little greenness. Light to medium mouthfeel not at all jammy. Really nice sour cherries on the palate. Medium finish has very light tannins and some bitterness. My guess for those that hate it is they got a bad bottle. Not amazing, but not terrible.
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8/26/2011 - bkay wrote: 90 Points
Good wine, but still young. Would cellar for another 5 years. Tasted next to 06 K Vintners Phil Lane. Both were very good, but Phil Lane was ready to be consumed
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8/6/2011 - bin905 wrote: 91 Points
Blueberry, tar, earth and spice flavors with fine tannins. Well-balanced, multi-layered.
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7/30/2011 - ecola Likes this wine:
Aromas of sour cherry and red raspberry. Lush mixed berry fruit with a mineral laced background. Very interesting. Dry finish with moderate tannins. Has a sweet/sour end that I enjoy.
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7/11/2011 - Sakas Likes this wine: 88 Points
Wow... really solid wine. Not sure if I got an off bottle last time or it was just an off day for me but this was really nice tonight. Don't reach for this bottle if you want a typical syrah, it is better to think of it as a french/italian fusion of style. dark fruit with lots of mineral and earth with perhaps a squirt of lemon. Nice.
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6/29/2011 - patsox wrote: 88 Points
Surprisingly good given prior reviews. A somewhat exotic, intriguing nose. Expansive fruit and good length. Altogether enjoyable.
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6/24/2011 - TCKM wrote: 88 Points
Consistent with prior bottles
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4/30/2011 - jayw wrote: 89 Points
Fragrant floral nose, meaty flavor. Brooding cherry-raspberry fruit and rhubarb, beef blood, with earthy undertones and cinammon oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on the finish. Juicy, not tart acids, make this an eminently drinkable food wine.
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4/29/2011 - wmccone54 wrote: 88 Points
Fairly consistent notes as seven months ago. Still a funky, vegetative, asphalt nose. Berry and sour cherry palate. Firm tannic structure. Nice strong finish. This wine is not for everyone, but for a lover of "old world style" European this could be considered nirvana at its best. The sour cherry really grows on you!
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4/25/2011 - IlonaN wrote: 87 Points
Better than expected, with solid syrah flavors of plum and blackberry on a slightly smoky medium bodied frame. Lacks the peppery notes of most syrahs, but it was a pleasant drink with Italian fare.
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4/23/2011 - aafflyer wrote: 90 Points
Went really well with a spicy marinated tri-tip done on my smoker.
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4/20/2011 - df1962 wrote: 87 Points
PnD let breathe for 3hrs. Tasted alongside the 2005 Ridge Lytton West Syrah. The Ridge left it in the dust. Purple red not saturated with a red rim. Floral red raspberry and earth nose.Medium(-) weight sour earthy mid-palate. Sharp slightly vegatal flavors with red raspberry notes and a short finish that is a bit chemically. Much better with food. Not even close to worth the original retail price but glad to have experienced as part of the Cindy 3 pack.
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4/18/2011 - broughstyle wrote: 85 Points
Pop and pour. barnyard on nose, very dark color with hint of blackberries. Reminded me of a Syrah and smooth finish. Last bottle in the cellar. Probably the most talked about wine (2010) in the wine library / cinderella wine community
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4/10/2011 - 14frimaire wrote:
I found this one less convincing. Maybe it's shutting down. All I'm getting is black fruits and bitterness. I stood it up and decanted, and it's perfectly clear, just not quite the interest I found in the prior bottles.
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4/6/2011 - ksteiner wrote: 90 Points
Earthy old world taste.
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3/19/2011 - Phredd wrote: 87 Points
NC Cindy Tasting. At this point, Bill pulled out his last bottle of Les Cretes 2005, to initiate the new member of our tasting group. I continue to feel that this wine is certainly not pour-down-the-sink material, and overall continues to track my prior notes, with a score falling between the two prior bottles. I write about it mostly for completeness, and to note an unusual aroma and flavor of scallions or green onion that was picked up by nearly everyone at the tasting. It wasn't unpleasant, but manifested itself mostly as a depth of flavor that none of us had picked up on before. This remains a good red wine to serve with seafood, though clearly still not worth the original $45 asking price.
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3/14/2011 - 14frimaire wrote:
Much better showing having stood it up beforehand and decanted. Would have been even better if I gave it more time in the decanter. Still, this is terrific. A very impressive producer.
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2/27/2011 - Quarked wrote: 90 Points
Like many here, I picked this up as part of a Cindy 3-pack and opened it tonite with much trepidation given its reputation (see numerous scores of 50-60 below). I chose a night with no guests and I had a backup bottle ready in case this one was going down the drain. On opening, the nose had a slight bit of funk, which brought to mind the (real) fontina produced alongside this wine, but also some nice fruits. The taste was subdued blackberries with a slight bite of pepper and some cloves. Smooth and mellow, with nice tannins at the end, it was actually a very enjoyable wine that went well with the tartiflette I had made. In the end, I found myself agreeing with most of what was said in the WA review. Was it a 92? Not in my book, but I'm willing to do 90.
What about the other reviews? Either there is some serious bottle variation, or some of the lots of this wine were cooked or otherwise spoiled. There's no other explanation that would make sense.
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2/26/2011 - vinole wrote: 88 Points
Better than my previous bottle as it was rounder and less tannic, though I gave it more air to try to offset those issues. Still fairly high acidity with red fruit, but the fruit shined through more this time making for a more enjoyable wine.
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2/21/2011 - spo wrote: 91 Points
Plum, raspberry, spice, pepper, stone, earth and smoke. Really fresh feel from the acidity. I did not see this as stinky or funky, to me it was very clean. This is a unique beauty that keeps evolving, savory, gamy and grapefruit flavors also show.
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2/4/2011 - ecola wrote: 89 Points
Aromas of black pepper and a little stinky action. Medium body and dry on the palate. More minerality than fruit. I like this. ($49)
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1/6/2011 - Biskuit wrote: 91 Points
This was out of whack on opening, too much acidity, out of balance. Night 2 - went from disjointed to really nice, that acidity mellowed out, the fruit came forward into balance, nice peppery spice throughout pulling it together, still managing to be quite light though despite the fruit and spice. Was an 88, now a 91.
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1/5/2011 - Bumbanian wrote: 89 Points
N: Juicy blackberry, pepper, beef blood, minerals. P: Fresh and tart berry flavors build on the attack and ebb into a lingering finish that I can't fully describe - it's a bit like the astringency of oils from citrus peel but substantially mellower and balanced by a touch of milk chocolaty sweetness. Herbal, maybe, like chewing on the bundle of herbs you stuff into a Thanksgiving turkey. I thought this was pretty good last time, and I definitely feel that it's improved in the last 8 months - the finish may continue to open and improve with age. Interesting, with some strong varietal character, and went great with our pizza tonight. I'm a liker...
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12/29/2010 - Varus wrote: 50 Points
This wine is simply awful. Lot's of tasting notes here dance around the topic ("not my cup of tea", for example). But, the truth is that this wine is very bad. It's poorly made and is seriously Non Delicious. Even with food this wine is simply disgusting. It resembles flat, soapy dishwater. It has ZERO fruit, ZERO body and ZERO number of reasons for buying it. I tasted two bottles for these notes. This wine is awful. I only scored it 50 points because it's made from grapes. Then I dumped it.
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12/27/2010 - drinkfunkyanddance wrote:
(From memory.) I thought this bottle represented a unique mountain Syrah, as the Garagiste folks proposed. A lot of pepper, a little olivey/granite sort of note, and a touch of dark meaty fruit. Savory. Nowhere as good/fun/interesting as the tourette.
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12/12/2010 - SteveG wrote: 91 Points
Clear garnet color, fresh evergreens and blackberry nose. Mint, tar and ripe cherry/berry palate, extremely fresh expression of syrah. Nice, long and clean finish, the whole vindicates the decision to grow this variety in such an unlikely place.
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12/8/2010 - Phredd wrote: 89 Points
Much, much better than the last time I had this. Still very light for syrah, with a reticent nose notable for its raspberry, grapefruit and white pepper. On the palate, though, sour cherry really came through very nicely, with an undercurrent of black pepper, allspice, and garrigue. The wine built into a reasonably full but still delicate mid-palate, then tapered off gracefully but perhaps with undue haste. A red wine to pair with lighter fare, I had this with a fennel-turkey risotto and the pairing worked to a tee. The wine cut through the fat and starch of the risotto while adding an extra depth of rich spiciness, all while not masking the delicate flavor of parsley and sweet onion in the dish. There's still no way this is a $50 wine, but with the careful pairing, this was very, very nice and definitely worth the $20 actually paid. You've got to know what you're getting with this wine, but it delivers on its own terms. I'm surprised to be sorry to see this go. On the other hand, I don't think you'll see any benefit from further aging, so drink 'em if you've got 'em.
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12/5/2010 - vinniemontoni wrote: 89 Points
2 hr. Decant. Not what I was expecting. Nose of cherry and blood orange with a hint of leather. Fruity on the palate. Light weight. Surprisingly light for the strong flavors. Strawberry with orange and a bit of plum but complemented with some acidity. Finish is surprisingly long. From previous notes I thought I wouldn't like it but I am glad I have another bottle.
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11/25/2010 - jkwatson wrote: 91 Points
I really like this. Stony, mountain Syrah. I'd buy more!
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11/24/2010 - wineward wrote: 86 Points
A nose of sour strawberry or maybe watermelon. Flavors of sour cherry and tar. Some minerality and earthiness, even some stone. Interesting. Not quite my cup of tea, but very good.
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11/23/2010 - vinole wrote: 86 Points
Cloudy, medium body, medium-high acidity. Reminds me a little of a low end N. Rhone, with primarily understated red fruit and a little tar and pepper on the short, somewhat tannic finish. Still a pretty decent food wine.
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11/20/2010 - CdP in NYC wrote: 90 Points
Best bottle yet, and last; sorry to see these go. Animal, sulfur, tart berry, woodsy nose. Broad range of flavors including sweet and tart underripe berry, lime, red licorice, salty stone, and hints of balsa. Great depth while remaining light. Balanced through the admirable finish. Dangerously drinkable; wish i had more.
Drink now and over the next four years. 90
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11/14/2010 - WinePT wrote: 86 Points
Interesting and no where near as bad as I had expected. Has a lot going on. Some chocolate, raspberry, plum, orange peel with surprisingly smooth transitions.
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10/27/2010 - winetennis wrote: 87 Points
Cherries and tart red fruit on the attack and mid-palate, initially this wine tasted as if it had residual sugar. Off balance on the finish, fruit dissipates and tannins fail to emerge, more or less. Galloni's comment, "...tannins are beautifully folded into the layers of fruit..." might mean that there is less tannic expression at the finish since it has diffused to the mid-palate.... Ok, after a few hours, this wine really improved. A more substantial finish emerged, the tannic-fruit balance improved. Add 2 points, much better.
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10/25/2010 - CdP in NYC wrote: 84 Points
Good, but not as good as in the past. Light sweet raspberry, licorice and citrus with a bit of lavender. Candied, but not sweet or full, finishing briefly. Again, interesting, but unremarkable.
Drink now. 84 -JRS
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10/19/2010 - The Tourist wrote: 86 Points
this wine confused the heck out of me... at first I thought all the haters were crazy... thought it was interesting ... but as 4 hours turned into 8 the wine just seemed to evolve into a vegetal/barnyard mess.. first shot at hour 2 - 89 by hour 8 and the next day 82 - much more interesting than good
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10/17/2010 - handymom wrote: 89 Points
nicely balanced. not heavy but full of flavor. taste of baked apple in cinnamon and brown sugar or of caramel apple
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10/15/2010 - sadofsky wrote:
Earthy and herbal. Very good. Look out for sediment though.
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10/11/2010 - cse wrote: 92 Points
stunning! marvelous nose of aged meat, hops, pepper, bay, and allspice. robust and earthy on the palate, with an intense smokiness and long finish. a wine that is rich without being heavy or cloying in the least. my favorite syrah in years.
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10/8/2010 - wmccone54 wrote: 87 Points
Funky nose with strong notes of asphalt and faint dark berry. Pepper and spice on the palate. The best part of this wine is the long lasting finish. The fruit may eventually come out given some time. Drank 8 Oct 2010. Drank again the next day after the wine had had time to settle down. It was much smoother and fruiter after a day.
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10/3/2010 - 14frimaire wrote:
Opened up a little muddy. There was a fair bit of sediment, which I decanted as carefully as possible. Should have left it standing for a few days first. No matter, after an hour or so in the decanter, it was singing: black fruits, earth, and an herbal streak. Lovely stuff.
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9/19/2010 - JasonNYC1 wrote:
Not bad but not great. A bit funky but seemed to work with food due to some nice acidity.
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9/18/2010 - hamiltoncd wrote:
Initial nose unpleasant, but taste was ok. Decanted and run through vinturi. Very Peppery , and light grapefruit notes. After an hour I actually enjoyed this, as did others in the party. Certainly lots of syrah character, but less of the fruit, and more secondary characteristics. Very interesting. I understand the controversy with this wine. Unable to give a point value in this very polarizing wine--you will either like it or pour it out, but it is so different that it may be impossible to predict even with known palate preferences.
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9/16/2010 - jtinto wrote: 88 Points
Initial funk on the nose and palate. After a couple of hours it becomes an interesting wine. Old world syrah is the best way to describe. Better on day two.
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9/14/2010 - andtheodor wrote: 91 Points
Gamy, savory, mineral-infused Syrah. Gorgeous earthy and meaty tones, great acidity, and a real sense of place. A beautiful counterpoint to the rubbish Shiraz that is so common. If you didn't like this, I'm sorry but I just don't think I can help you.
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9/8/2010 - mfp wrote: 87 Points
Consistent with prior notes.
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9/7/2010 - kahuna75 wrote: 87 Points
light wine on pour - nose had some red fruits and rose/floral nose - this followed through with a very light drinking wine with subtle red almost rasberry fruits coming thorugh some earthyness to it- sort of in the Burgundy style - finish had a grapefruit citrus to it- Interesting wine and not what many think of when they read Syrah- This is a wine to be paired with dished you would have a Pinot Noir with. Wife enjoyed this alot for its light drinking ease. Low alcohol makes it very food friendly-
Interesting that I can not find the vintage anywhere on the bottle- Lots of Sediment- Purchased as part of a pack and I guess it pro-rated out to $20- not really a great buy but something that makes me want to understand the region it came from and the style of wines produced their
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9/3/2010 - abunai wrote: 87 Points
base: 50 pts
color & appearance - max 5 pts: 5
aroma & bouquet - max 15 pts: 12
flavor and finish - max 20 pts: 15
overall quality & potential - max 10 pts: 5
OVERALL: 87
heavy minerality - needs fatty food to compensate
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8/21/2010 - bevetroppo wrote: 89 Points
This is syrah at its most ethereal, stretched taut by mountain exposure to the point where it achieves a delicacy you simply don't find elsewhere. Color is dark red but nowhere approaching purple. The nose is a mix of dusty red berries (syrah?), light floral notes and minerals. Medium bodied at best, in the mouth the sour cherry and red berry fruit is a suggestion not a statement, with a lightly tannic finish and zesty acids so that again it doesn't resemble conventional syrah. It's like the opposite of a good Morgon, in the sense that there you get unexpected depth of material in a wine that is light by nature, and here you get an airy lightness from a grape that is typically vinified so it's like being smacked with a fruit bomb two-by-four. 13% alcohol.
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8/12/2010 - TCKM wrote: 88 Points
Give this a two hour decant and you will be pleasantly surprised.
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8/8/2010 - CdP in NYC wrote: 88 Points
Consistent w/ prior notes...some nice citrus tones in there as well. Great bottle.
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7/27/2010 - Tuffdawg wrote: 87 Points
Initially a burgundian like nose. Earthy, mushrooms, some funk, but not rediculous. Peppery on the palate with dcent red and black fruit. In balance.
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7/18/2010 - merryberry wrote: 87 Points
Popped and poured. Probably would have been better with Vinturi. Dark purple. Bacon and pepper nose. Muted blueberries, dark cherries, spicy pepper, leathery tannins, and a medium finish. OK, but not a good value.
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7/15/2010 - tcfishler wrote:
Medium dark rather translucent yet dull cherry red. Ripe, thick skinned cherry and cranberry fruit along with earthy underbrush, Good-n-Plenty, an exotic orange zest twist, and a nearly haunting floral element on the nose. This has the combination of subtle yet evident sweetness and silky feminine texture that I associate with Burgundy or perhaps a relatively Burgundian Pinot from the New World. This seems to be getting an unfair beat-down from other tasters, perhaps based on certain expectations for a highly scored Syrah based wine.
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7/14/2010 - Joelene wrote: 87 Points
this wine is a case of the good and the bad, it has two faces, in the end its kind of average, but the potential shows, maybe future vintages will hit the mark
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7/12/2010 - Sakas wrote: 80 Points
Extremely light in color for a syrah. Herbal qualities, mushrooms, and barnyard on the nose. Blood (iron) and kumquat (?!?) dominate the palate. Sour finish. Perhaps it will come around with decant?
Not AS bad with some air... but still pretty out there. Not sure how to score this one. As weird and at times off-putting as it is it is interesting enough to keep me coming back. Really hard to score this one. 80-85? haha
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6/25/2010 - winetennis wrote:
Popped and poured, after an hour: Cloudy dark red color; Earthy dark fruit notes, no over-ripe tones or oak on the nose; Cherry and bits of apple on the mid-palate; full-bodied bold finish that terminates rather quickly over about 10 sec; Tartness and acidity on the finish. Italian Syrah, interesting experiment.
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6/5/2010 - Eugene wrote: 90 Points
I opened a bottle last night.
The wine needs at least one hour of decanting but venturi does the trick.
This wine is very good if you are into old world wines.
I would never guessed that this is syrah in the blind tasting-smells just like Burgundian pinot, medium body. Lots of horse manure, earth, mushrooms, etc on the nose but in the good way.
Great texture and mouthfeel. I agree with Gary that transition through midpalate could've been better but it is not hollow. No excessive acidity as some reported. Good overall balance.
At $25 this is a great value.
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6/5/2010 - bablues wrote: 91 Points
I disagree with most of the comments. Once this was decanted for about 2 hours it was singing. Much more new world than I would have thought, but a great wine. My expectations were low, but this was a pleasant surprise.
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6/4/2010 - Phredd wrote: 86 Points
NC Cindy tasting. Very light for syrah, translucent, almost like a pinot noir. Ironic, since this was the first wine tasted due to curiosity on a pinot noir evening. On the nose, very funky, with overtones of cheese and barnyard. Some spices, as well, and maybe some grapefruit, but almost none of the dark fruits one would associate with syrah. A bit scary on the nose, actually. On the palate, extremely light. Again, almost pinot-like, but with a harder edge. None of the cola aspects you might get if this really were a pinot, strong notes of grapefruit are clearly present. I've seen other notes describing pepper, and although I do think there is a little bit of white pepper evident, it is an accent, not a main characteristic. This would be a good red wine to pair with fish, as it has some structure, but wouldn't overwhelm a lighter dish. The finish is not large, but lasts surprisingly long if your palate is clear. Not a great wine, my wife valued it at $15. We paid $20 pro-rated as part of the CW three-pack. I don't feel ripped off for that, although there's no way I would pay the $49 list price for this wine.
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5/31/2010 - corkscrews wrote: 75 Points
Not sure of the real price I paid since it was in a 3 pack and was the throw in bottle..funky nose, ok terrible nose, only thing normal was color, a ruby red. A terrible wine, made it past a couple sips, not sure what RP was thinking, somehow turned out to be a decent cooking wine.
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5/27/2010 - Winiac wrote: 87 Points
Adequate color and green bouquet of cucumber pickle with salty-mineraly taste and light weight on the palate., so much so that you could put it in a baujolais tasting! It says 13% alcohol on the bottle that the fruit contains it surprisingly very well. Definitely lacks the delicious factor.
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5/25/2010 - mmurry Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted about 5 hours. The nose had lots of cherry and strawberry, a little pepper and leather, and some green vegetables at the end. The palate had a good mix of strawberry and green vegetables mixed with peppercorns and earth. The finish had a nice dose of sour cherry.
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5/24/2010 - abunai wrote:
base: 50 pts
color & appearance - max 5 pts: 5
aroma & bouquet - max 15 pts: 12
flavor and finish - max 20 pts: 15
overall quality & potential - max 10 pts: 5
OVERALL: 87
the same rustic bitterness as in previous bottle...
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5/24/2010 - njAndrew wrote: 86 Points
Don't get much on the nose, some pepper and a hint of dark fruit (cherry and plumb). High acid with pepper, a touch of green olive brine, and bitterness on the palate (some say grapefruit, maybe over brewed tea). Smooth mouthfeel. Had the first glass on a PnP through the vintori and capped off the bottle. Had another glass during dinner (4hrs later) and the wine had smoothed out. Not horrible, defiantly drinkable (better with food) but I will not be seeking the wine out.
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5/23/2010 - winegr wrote: 88 Points
Lightbodied, but pretty solid stuff. Nice balance. Very drinkable with light foods.
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5/18/2010 - kidujp wrote: 60 Points
Crap
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5/17/2010 - CdP in NYC wrote: 88 Points
Consistent with prior notes. Maybe a little black licorice in the mix as well. Now that I know what I'm getting into with this bottle (after popping my first), I can appreciate it a little more. Very good, but you'd be a sucker to pay more than 20USD.
Drink now. 88 -JRS
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5/12/2010 - bmwcarl wrote:
Good but didn't drink like a syrah, more like a zin. Lots of earthy notes and pepper but no fruit. Not much finish but still a very nice table wine.
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5/10/2010 - mfp wrote: 89 Points
Good, but not great. Pungent and funky and would never have guessed a syrah. Oily texture. Some dark fruit. Overall a pleasant wine.
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5/8/2010 - abunai wrote: 87 Points
base: 50 pts
color & appearance - max 5 pts: 5
aroma & bouquet - max 15 pts: 13
flavor and finish - max 20 pts: 14
overall quality & potential - max 10 pts: 5
OVERALL: 87
rustic "old world" bouquest as well as finish, as you would expect from rugged mountain terrain. One must like bitterness to enjoy this wine.
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5/8/2010 - z_willus_d wrote: 88 Points
Around 1+ hr in decanter @68F. I tasted a small portion of this on opening and it was only slightly smoother/sweeter/funkier than after decanting, where it showed more dry, peppery, and tannic. I was rushed into eating tonight and wasn't able to taste this beforehand and with full attention. Here are my impressions gathered mainly from consumption with dinner. Lighter colored with just a little fine, red silt at the end of the bottle. The bouquet brought aromas of strawberry, red cherry, Herbs de Provence, and cracked green & red peppercorn. The palate was light to medium bodied showing what was for me a nice, elegant mouthfeel. The combination of green peppercorn and sour cherry does show a little like grapefruit rind on the mid-palate, however I like how the finish resolved in a way that wasn't artificial, chemically or otherwise off-putting. Other flavors of lavender, tobacco leaf, and leather also appear throughout. I thought this drank a little like a lean CdR in flavor profile. I can see how some might find this thin and low on fruit concentration, but the fact that the bottle was gone between the two of us before either knew it next to an uneventful evening meal like tonight's says a lot about how drinkable this wine is and how well it serves with food. I marked this one at $10 from the pack buy, and it definitely stands as one of the better QPRs in my recent purchasing. Other stats: medium- finish; high acidity; low on oak flavors; medium+ on tannins; dry.
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5/7/2010 - Johnny C NYC wrote: 82 Points
Dark red, heavy pepper on nose, pepper and greenery on palate (combination could indicate grapefruit); after initial shock at strength of pepper (which is quickly adjusted to), the herbaciousness grows; interesting quaff 50/4/8/13/7
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5/7/2010 - vinotintoiowa wrote: 82 Points
disappointing. weak, like a pinot, did not drink like a syrah.
italian wines should have italian names.
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5/5/2010 - heythatslife wrote: 90 Points
I approached it with much trepidation because of some of the negative reviews; I was prepared to pop another wine if worst came to worst and it had to go down the drain. I decanted it for about 2 hours prior to drinking, and paired it with my beef stew. As it turned out, it was not nearly as bad as I had feared it might be. I found it medium-bodied, with smoked ham, green chilli, peppercorn, a little sweat, beet, and enough plummy fruit to please. A good deal funky, sure, but that’s what I want in an Old World syrah, and it’s not overbearing either. For my palate, this was a solid 90pt-type wine. My friend who joined me for dinner agreed on this assessment.
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5/4/2010 - coremill wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured, then drank over a few hours. Dark purple color, nose of plummy red fruit, a lot of white pepper, and smoke -- you can tell has seen oak, but it's not overpowering. Gets better on the palate, where the fruit comes in more and integrates nicely with the spice. Reasonably full bodied but not huge, with some tannin on the back end and a nice oaky finish. This got better with a little air; the pepper faded and the fruit came to the front. Probably could use decanting, and I bet it would improve with a little age.
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5/1/2010 - jim dixon wrote: 90 Points
On the second day, this time this wine actually reminded me of a Frank Cornelissen (Contadino but even the Susucaru) wine, minus those wines' VA and extreme eccentricity. I was surprised to find myself making the comparison, but it is a positive one in my book. Definitely a wine that will please the Garagiste crowd more than the Wine Library / Cindy crowd (but I'm glad I bought bottles from both).
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4/29/2010 - K is for Kate wrote: 89 Points
The nose on this was a bit strange, but I couldn't put my finger on any one particular component. This was lighter bodied than most Syrahs I have had with definite acidity to the point that it drinks almost more like a white wine. There is a distinct note of grapefruit, including a bit of the bitter pith, but it was not overwhelming for me, just interesting. There is also a component that reminded me and my companions of flat soda fizz. Also got quite a bit of pepper coming through as the evening progressed. I did notice that the entire side of the bottle was coated in a fine sediment, so if this has been shipped it might be best to give it several weeks to settle and you might want to decant.
I would not pay the full retail price for this, but I'm pleased with it for the deal I got.
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4/28/2010 - Bumbanian wrote: 87 Points
Smell: Bright strawberry through and through
Taste: A splash of fruit, a burst of biting acidity, and then quickly clamps down and is dominated by a tight bitterness. Strange. If the midpalate and finish open up this might be nice, but for now it's just awkward.
Update: After two days (under N) this has opened up and softened nicely. Still with some interesting and unusual bitterness, but it is now much more balanced, with strawberry flavors fading to a bit of a grapefruit finish over ~20 seconds. Drank well with cheese tortellini with pesto.
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4/26/2010 - pkatz wrote: 88 Points
This is a very odd wine. At first, lots of candied fruit, almost cheap pinot noir like. As time wore on the fruit became less candied and darker. Also significant tannins became prominent. Not sure what to make of this wine. Nothing Italian about it that I could find - very clean and new worldish in that sense. Pretty good but not all that pleasurable especially as the tannins became more mouth drying and the fruit fell into the background.
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4/26/2010 - mikev101 wrote: 89 Points
Very pleasant, not much on the nose...sweet, medium bodied...would not spend $50 on it, but for what I spent, worth it.
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4/24/2010 - TheWinedown wrote: 84 Points
Well built, solid wine. Just not for me. Scents/taste of led and sour cherries. It's just not it for me. I need some more balance on the back end.
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4/23/2010 - Justin B wrote: 90 Points
I actually found this second bottle to be better than the first bottle a month ago. All I did was put it through my Vinturi after popping the cork and the wine tastes very nice. Much more fruit (kind of reminds me of strawberry Twizzlers actually) than I remember before in the body and the finish. A bit of a wine nerd wine though.
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4/19/2010 - winepog wrote: 85 Points
A dusty purple color, like a bruise before it turns green... some sour cherries, some pepper, have you ever actually tasted pencil shavings?? Stop it already. Spicy on the tongue or did I cut myself shaving? Not battery acid, much better.
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4/19/2010 - Bdbrutus wrote: 88 Points
Sour cherry, vanilla, roses on the nose, but pretty subdued. Smooth tannins. Interesting wine, old world for sure.
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4/17/2010 - pete s. wrote: 84 Points
Wow - much different than my first bottle. Everything was muted - nose, palate, finish. Nothing distinct or notable. Did not perform well in a blind tasting.
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4/17/2010 - Jack252 wrote: 82 Points
One dimensional, thin and a bit sour. Only got worse on day 2. I wish I didn't have one more of these.
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4/16/2010 - pifcho wrote: 89 Points
Better on night two. At first - juicy and fresh - clearly syrah, but low on complexity. Gained more depth on the second night and was very easy and enjoyable to drink. If they grew Syrah in the Loire, that's how I imagine it would taste...
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4/11/2010 - WDK wrote: 83 Points
A very sweet syrah that lacks structure. Dominant flavors of strawberries and gummy bears are uncharacteristic for the varietal. A real disappointment.
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4/10/2010 - tmarman Likes this wine:
A lot of people hated this wine, but we really enjoyed it. Didn't take detailed notes. Decanted for a couple of hours.
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4/9/2010 - redrhonewine wrote: 88 Points
I like this. Not a typical syrah, but nicely food friendly, good acids, red fruits. Nothing amazing here but a nice wine that goes with more than just steak.
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4/8/2010 - Jack O'Brien wrote: 88 Points
Interesting wine; Well made, nice spicy raisin and blueberry aromas and flavors. Unique fragrance and taste.
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4/7/2010 - chriskalb wrote: 75 Points
not very fond
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4/7/2010 - VanVino Likes this wine: 88 Points
Ran through Vinturi and decanted for about an hour. The color looks more like a Pinot than a Syrah. On the nose, strong leather and black pepper scents mixed with a rubber tire funk and a slight hit of black currants. Upfront I got a big smack of fruit and black pepper, continuing to a black tea and pepper on the mid palate. The finish was surprisingly short. This wine was all upfront. As the wine breathed, some inoffensive vegetal flavors came out with the black tea in the mid-palate. Good mouth feel and structure, not as chewy as the usual Syrah, more like a Crozes-Hermitage.
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4/3/2010 - Grape_ape wrote: 85 Points
mediocre at best, not worth $48 by FAR... some citrus notes early on that are off putting, then gets into more stone fruit flavors, like apricot, that are out of place in a red wine to me...
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3/31/2010 - austinwino Likes this wine: 88 Points
nose took a little while to open up. Notes of plum. muted tannins. decent mid palate of
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3/30/2010 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 90 Points
In glass 30 minutes. This started out very primary, with one character, but shifted into over drive with an hour and a half air. The nose shows some crushed volcanic rocks, bloody ground beef, iron, graphite, bird dander, powdered sugar/flower mixture, and plum sauce with the sugar removed. Stunning, really. The palate is incredibly soft, and started out showing some light minerals, gummy worm candy, blood orange, light beef, beet juice, and nice soft tannins. With more air the palate becomes a mouth full of crushed up rocks and minerals that is quick shocking. Finish is showing more rocks, peppercorns and chili flakes. In it's prime this was a 91+ point wine. After 4 hours of air, it began shutting down and didn't have quite the complexity on the nose nor the pure crushed minerals on the palate. Perhaps it needs a year to mellow, but I'd still drink this within 4 or so years. I look forward to watching the evolution over the next few days. Really tasty stuff; not sure I got the same wine as the other folks here. Update: This was really only drinking at it's best for an hour or so before getting less interesting. Still a good drink though.
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3/29/2010 - Pats-Pwr wrote: 84 Points
On Day One I ran it through a Vinturi into the decanter and drank over four hours. To me the nose and palate were overwhelmed by black pepper and spicy notes. On Day Two spicy, black pepper is still on the nose but now there were also fake fruit scents that reminded me of strawberry Twizzlers. Fruit was not detectable on the palate, just the same pepper notes. Acidity seemed more pronounced on day two
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3/27/2010 - ml1 wrote: 88 Points
quite a stink on the nose. loads of black pepper and spice with sour cherries. nicely balanced with a lingering tart finish. nicely made. has cotes du rhone characteristics.
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3/25/2010 - Bricks wrote: 88 Points
Definitely would decant or let open for a bit. Enjoyed the taste more than the smell but like its complexity and would rebuy. I give it a thumbs up
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3/17/2010 - Hazeo wrote: 90 Points
A lot of pepper and spice, but perhaps a tad more vegetal than I'd like ... to me this tasted like a good quality Crozes or St Joseph (but doesn't have the meat/bacon of Hermitages). Quite smooth, intense and well made. Noticeable but round tannins. 89
Day 2 - Gained a certain elegance today, tannins more integrated ... lovely stuff. 90
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3/16/2010 - CdP in NYC wrote: 87 Points
At it's best, it had tastey sweet berry fruit with a touch of tartness with a solid earthy/herbal (lavender) balance. With extended air it becomes a little too candied for my palate. A good wine, but doesn't impress much.
Drink now. 87 -JRS
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3/15/2010 - Justin B wrote: 89 Points
Not entirely my style, but still a good wine. It takes a while to open up, but once it does it has a nice white pepper nose with a little bit of strawberry, and then a smooth medium-bodied taste, medium finish. Fairly good for the Cindy price of ~$20 as part of the 3-pack. Can't give it more than 89 for my palate though.
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3/15/2010 - benny wrote: 92 Points
Nicely balance. Well integrated. Medium weight . Payed 20 but worth 30+. Should have bought more via the Cinderella Package.
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3/15/2010 - CdP in NYC wrote:
Given the AG reviews, I had expected more. Initial impressions: manages to be unique but somewhat boring at the same time. Will follow over the course of a few days.
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3/14/2010 - pete s. wrote: 89 Points
Two hour decant. A dark and brooding wine with aromas of cassis and back pepper. Ripe, concentrated briar fruit hits full force on the entry. Becomes more earth and oak driven on mid palate with sweet tannins and some black pepper on the finish. Missing some refiinment at this point, but a nice bottle at the price I paid.
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3/14/2010 - equinoise wrote:
Should have given this more air. It was definitely unusual, but the circumstances did not permit full appreciation.
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3/13/2010 - ksde wrote: 90 Points
White pepper and blackberry/spice nose. Nice full palate with round tannins and a lengthy finish. Kind of Aussie but kind of Rhone. Very smooth and drinking well right now. Paired really well with spicy Chinese food.
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3/13/2010 - CTmark wrote: 85 Points
Popped and poured. Not bad, but overwhelming black pepper. Cherry and black pepper. Would not buy again.
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3/12/2010 - jim dixon wrote: 91 Points
Tastes more N. Rhone meets S. Rhone than anything else (CA, WA, Aussie – The WA review is misleading as Garagiste suggests) but is distinct in a very interesting and pleasurable way. Medium bodied and ready to drink.
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3/8/2010 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 92 Points
Dark in color. Intense aromas of blackberry, strawberry, charcoal and dried flowers with just a hint of licorice. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a long finish. - JD92+
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12/27/2009 - rjrausch wrote: 88 Points
An earthy aroma, with some black fruit mixed in but tight on the nose. A pleasant flavor or black fruit with a little spiciness but not strong. An ok syrah, but not worth a repeat purchase. Kinda meh.
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9/30/2009 - ekenneth wrote: 92 Points
Weird and stinky, but clearly Syrah. ...Syrah that aspires to be Aglianico, but pepper, acid and smoke none-the-less, with a hint of compost and lighter-fluid that enhances, rather than taints. I don’t know what you’d pair it with, Dim Sum? Cuttlefish Risotto? Wild Boar with Persian Spice? Rattlesnake Gumbo? Burritos after last call? Not a f***ing Roast Chicken or Salade Nicoise, that’s for sure. Good recommendation. Very funk-heavy Italian craziness on the nose and front, and very light on the back in a French, but not a purple tongue-coating,Rhone kind of way. I’m going to drink a little bit of this for next few nights.
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