Soaked and crumbly cork like all of them. Perfectly stored throughout its life nonetheless.
Sadly pretty bbq sauce’d at this point. Definitely past its undoubtedly delicious peak.
Nothing like the nearly immaculate 04 lauterbach (with an even worse cork) 2 months ago.
Lots of alcohol heat cutting up the raisiny, pruny bbq sauce one note essence. Oh well, they all can’t be winners. Pop and pour to 8 hours in the decanter later, no change.
The lauterbach was exactly the opposite, beautiful soft mature fruit, meat, funk, fresh vibrancy etc. This one was not sadly.
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Toughened wax capsule, cork broke off at nearly its bottom. Had to push the remaining cork in the bottle and decant through a screen. Lots of sediment. Intially a tired garnet in the glass with brown tones and slight bricked edges, accompanied by a decent nose of black and red fruits, forest floor, pink pepper, and a touch of garrique. Subsequently left to decant for 5 hours and brought over to a neighbor's dinner event for pairing with smoked beef brisket. After 5 hours of decanting, the color was now reddish purple extending out to thinning edges, the very aromatic nose now featured blue and black fruits, peppery spice, a touch of oxidation, and alcohol. Very structured now, mild tannins, and a great match for smoked brisket. Was everyone's favorite on the night. Will not get any better as fruit is becoming quite poor, so best to soon consume.
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Nose The wine is pronounced intensity with primary aromas of blackberry, dark cherry, black plum, dried herbs, earth, pencil shavings, white pepper, and old oak.
Palate The wine is a dry acid bomb with medium, soft tannins, high alcohol and a medium body. The wine exhibits medium flavors of blackberry, sour cherry, black cherry, and faint sage.
Conclusions This wine is good. Despite the very high acid, the wine is fairly well balanced among the alcohol, acid and tannins. The fruit flavors are not as forward as they once likely were given the age of the wine
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Similar notes as previous tastings. Blueberries, black raspberries, plums, black cherries, and a hint of floral in the nose. Black raspberry, blackberries, black cherries, earthiness, and spice in the flavor. Well balanced, nice complexity, and a long smooth finish
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A simple decant, stunning on all levels, at or near the perfect window of drinking. One of the most enjoyable Pax wines I’ve had, and I’ve had a lot..this being my last one of 4/2004s, it has continued to evolve masterfully. Drink now, and possibly thru 202o.
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Over the hill, although the cork was well preserved under the wax and came out without issue with an Ah-So. Recently purchased on the secondary market, this simply lacked fruit and was boring. A dominant green olive note and high acidity. My last of the bunch of aged Pax I've purchased, and the consistent theme is inconsistency. Some bottles aged well, whereas many did not.
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Better than the "expert" ratings. Blueberries, black raspberries, and black cherries in the flavor. Black raspberry, blackberries, black cherries, and spice in the flavor. Well balanced with hints of earthiness in the smooth medium to long finish
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Aging beautifully with Lively acid, purple hues, blue berry, sandlewood notes on the nose, med + bodied, med + finish evolving all night. You can finally see the cool climate AVA shining thru. Really nice..
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Aerated & filtered to decanter. Tar black, resolved tannins, diminishing deep black fruit giving way in balance to cigar box & dusty pepper spice. IIRC finish seems to have shortened a bit. Still excellent but time to drink up.
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This wine did not show as well as I was expecting. Popped and let sit about 30 minutes in the glass and drank over 2 hour period. The nose was fine but the wine had an almost astringent like quality to it. I know Syrah's can go through a "dumb phase" but was expecting much much more from a 10 year old Pax. Not sure if decanting longer would have made a difference. I have a number of other '04s by Pax so will be trying them out soon.
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Still quite dark and tight and unfortunately decanted only 30 minutes before folks started to drink. Actually pretty well balanced and dry and much more evocative of N Rhone than Cali fruit bomb. Pretty if not quite the hedonistic wine I anticipated.
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An inky garnet color; opaque. Complex aromas and flavors of blackberry, some raspberry, leather, bacon fat, creosote, pepper and minerals. Big, rich and fairly intense fruit in the mouth. Excellent structure and balance. The tannins are soft and well integrated into the wine. A medium to long finish. Drinking at a plateau of maturity now. Pairs well with lamb. My kind of wine.
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Still inky, black color. The nose showed quite a bit of complexity with some smoked meat, dark raspberry, boysenberry, and minerals. The palate seemed a little lean at first, but as it opened, it expanded into a lovely wine with a palate that matched the nose with an emphasis on an intriguing mineral streak. This full-bodied wine had the acidity to balance the fruit, and the tannins were well matched with the fruit's intensity. The finish was moderate with dark fruit and minerals to close. Overall, this has aged well and exchanged some of its youthful fruit for more complex mineral notes. Well done.
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Beserkerfest Napa Halloween Party (Napa Valley Wine & Cigar): These really do age well. This is still young and needs a few years. Typical for this wine. Nice black raspberry fruit. Very much a cool climate Syrah. Great structure and as the wine fills out, it really has a lot to offer. Strong backbone of acidity. I did chuckle at the over-sized bottle.
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I continue to be pleasantly surprised by how most of the mid 2000 Pax's are performing for me. Intoxicating nose with a bouquet that really gets the salivary glands working. Dark red and blue fruit which seems bigger than it is initially but quickly turns balanced and even a bit lean on the mid palate. Definitely cool climate Ca syrah here. Still has plenty of tannin and structure to hold, but just not sure about the mid palate. Nice wine though.
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drank with 04 pax moriah... my tasting note was nearly identical to before only i noticed much less new oak influence and the wine had softened tannin wise... this is a much better wine than the moriah and has none of the balance and textural issues of the moriah... i like kietkopelli's note below... for this style of wine i think you get a lot more bang for your buck in barossa, mclaren vale, eden valley australia. drink now or hold a couple of years... very good wine in general...
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Bright aromas of red stone fruit, licorice, dry cumin, white flower petal, iron shavings and a little bacon fat. Lively on the palate and through the finish with an effusive minerality, bright red fruit, champhor, sea spray and dried herb. A wonderful freshness. Just lacks a little depth and texture.
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This was way better than the bottle that I had tasted back in November. That one must have not been stored well as it seemed a little over this hill. This bottle had a lot of life left and terrific complexity.
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Tim's 40th Birthday Pax Tasting (Issaquah, Washington): Blue fruits and sweet cassis appeared on the nose. The palate showed dark blue fruit and sweet cherry notes followed by violets and rose pedals. Also present are notes of leather, toast and cedar with velvety soft tannins.
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Either my pallet has become desensitized to the fruit bomb or this wine has lost a lot of it punch. Blueberries and bacon fat still dominates but much more subdue compared to a year ago. I'll drink 2 bottles this year and let the rest sit in the fridge for a few years and see how they turn out.
Remember you don't drink the label.
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Drank over two nights. Decanted for one hour upon opening. Lots of restrained fruit with a well balanced palate that grew and evolved over the course of the evening. I had high expectations for the second night and was subsequently disappointed. Most of the fruit had dissipated and I was left with lots of tannins and menthol. I thought for sure it would explode on the second night and it fizzled. For a initially well-structured 04, it fizzled pretty quickly.
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If you like big, dense, fruity Syrah this is the wine for you. At north of $50 I think it's not a great value especially when there are so many wines from Australia with similar profile for much less. With that said, this wine is huge with dark fruits, bacon fat and pepper. The nose is so ripe you'd think you're about to drink some blackberry fruit preserve. Spices are underneath the buttery oak which is a cause for concern for me since I not big on oaky Syrah. In the mouth the fruit is a lot brighter than the nose like fresh raspberries and tart cherries vs blackberry jam on the nose. Bacon fat and some serious pepper come through the 15+% alcohol does make it a bit hot but I would have never guessed it's 15%. Finishes moderately long though tannins are a bit too soft for my liking.
Remember you don't drink the label.
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So far this is superior to the bottle last month. There is a nice creamy incense (stem?) vanilla bean theme off the nose to go with the ripe boysenberry and black raspberry fruit and a light molasses wash. Served with a slight chill.
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Whether vintage or style, this wine is riper than the 05 and 06 vintages of Pax that has consisted of the majority of my tastings thus far from this winery. A bit bigger and less complex and distinctive than other Pax wines I've had, this still features outstanding fruit purity if not also an "all of the above" character. The 2005 Alder Springs is a superior wine. This might integrate and improve, or it might shed its fat and leave the alcohol naked for the world to see above all else. QPR at current prices much more sane than at release prices. Best to focus on 05 and beyond, and Wind Gap.
Update: on day 2 it all came together. Granted, served cool and with food, but much better put-together. Raised score by 1 point, really a range of 88-92 as each pour was different.
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Another outstanding Pax wine. Still developing and not near falling apart like some predicted. This wine has excellent red fruit, balance and a smiooth mouth feel. Begining to show just a very tiny bit of mature syrah pepper. I've had other Pax wines with a more peppery component. There was a cedar component to this wine which was a surprise.
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To me this wine was similar to the 03 castelli knight in terms of some rather unyielding tannins and acid that balanced and offset the fruit more than I would have preferred.. Very purple and obviously not evolved...not sure it will evolve or if it does, not sure if it will be favorable.
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Very dark color, plenty of purple at the rim showing moderate + extraction. On the nose very aromatic with plenty of new French oak barrique spice > or = intense dark > red fruits and plenty of earthy tar, bacon notes... certainly a floral aspect. On the palate surprisingly high acidity, a firm and taut, moderately broad midpalate that transitions smoothly into a high, largely unintegrated, firm tannic structure... alcohol was guessed at 14.5... about a percent less than the label. Good balance between the fruit intensity and new oak use (both are very high), the wine tends toward the harder side of the balance spectrum with tannins and acids > etoh and glycerol. Average length, high intensity, good complexity. The wine has average finesse, a fine texture, and a good sense of place. Wine drank fine the next morning and while it didn't get more complex, the texture and finesse improved slightly. Certainly an excellent example of this style of wine.
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An outstanding bottle. Nose was dominated by lavendar and floral aromas, very inviting. The palate was loaded with blackberries, more lavendar, raspberry, a touch of bacon and a nice anise note. The wine was in excellent balance. The tannins were extremely soft and well integrated. It was rich with a velvety texture. I really enjoyed this.
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Alas, my last bottle of this fine wine! The color is a medium to dark inky violet color. Upon opening the bottle the wine gave off intense bouquet of gunpowder that blew off with time with just a touch of bacon fat. One hour of air gave this bottle new dimension of flavor. The fruit tastes like an intense rasberry with a blackberry core. The tannins are still evident on the tongue which with more bottle age may reveal even more fruit flavor which is quite restrained right now.
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This was my first Pax wine, and I was quite impressed by what was in the glass. The nose really surprised me because of its complexity that I assume came from whole cluster pressing. Initially, this wine pumped out leafy/stemmy aromatics wrapped around blackberries and olives. This medium-bodied wine is not heavy but has great stuffing with loads of dark fruit and a healthy dose of oak which became more noticeable with air. There are still some tannins lurking on the long finish. Overall, this has a great nose, a plush mouthfeel, and a solid finish.
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Quite solid, I thought. I did not get the Minderaser impression JackStraw did (although I totally know what he is talking about - great description of lots of overripe Cali Pinots and Syrahs I've had recently). This wine had great concentration and richness without being sweet, like good dark chocolate, and showed nice notes of stone and subtle dark fruit.
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My first Alder Springs wine from what has become my favorite winery. Day one the wine had very meaty characteristics with a very long, floral finish. I did not get a lot of alcohol and it was in no way disjointed. Day two the wine showed much more blue fruits and tasted a lot like the Walker Hill Syrah from Pax. The alcohol was a bit more noticable on day two. There is just some fantastic fruit in all the Pax wines. All in all, not my favorite Pax wine, but certainly a good one.
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Didn’t wow me, but still a nice wine that is finally coming together. Nice nose of crushed rocks, roasted meats, pepper and sappy fruit. Nose also possessed a cool soft aspect with a touch of medicine. Palate seemed decently balanced with good acidity and fruits. Medium bodied with a nice full finish.
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I struggle again with Pax. Perhaps I drink them too early, but I'm like 0 for 5 with them in the past couple years. First night this was a mess...like doing Minderaser shots. Anyone remember mind erasers...Vodka and Chambord...not a taste I look for in my $50 Syrah. Too much, too ripe, too much alcohol. Night two, wine has softened considerably, but there's a lack of acidity that leaves me with a mouthful of drippy dark fruit that feels flabby and toasted. I can see how this has a market, but it is not my cup of tea.
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Saxum/Rhone Ranger dinner with Justin Smith (New York): Very aromatic with flowers, olive, red and dark fruits, spices, herbs and a touch of caramel on the nose. The palate is comparatively one-dimensional and doesn't show the complexity/interest of the nose, with big dark fruit flavours, vanilla, toast, low acidity and fairly soft tannins.
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My first 2004 to open since I bought a handful on release. Based on the CT notes, this seemed like the best of the bunch to try early. Some olive in this wine, along with some tart blackberry and some toasted notes. Further, there seems to a good sized amount of whole cluster aromatics to boot, which add a menthol note to the bouquet. The palate is medium weight, with a fair amount of chalk on the finish. Will look to see how this wine evolves over the next 24 hours but much tamer in expression that I was expecting...............now, at 24 hours open, the wine is much softer, more polished. The acidity and tart qualities remain present, which I don't prefer but overall, medium-full weight and smooth edges.
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Anwar and his wife brought this over to our house for dinner last weekend. My wife made a spicy beef stir fry and this was the wine I matched with it. Not a bad match. I tried this again after dinner without food to make sure my assessment of the wine was correct. Medium to full bodied. This was decanted before it was brought over. Loaded with black fruit, currant and black pepper. Structured tannins. Another fine Pax Syrah. 90-91 points.
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Splash decanted. Deep black/purple color. Jammy blackberry fruit, purple flowers, black licorice, and some nice meat/bacon fat flavors on the finish. Super-ripe and heavily extracted, with lots of oak and alcohol, but enough acid balance and freshness to make this tasty bottle.
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Aromas of mocha, violets, red fruits and briny black olive. Creamy in the mouth where the mocha dominates. Crisp finish that is a little out of balance with the density on the palate. Very good but I prefered this more in its youth. This is the second Pax in a week dominated by oak characteristics. I am concerned that the oak with outlive the fruit.
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Double decanted for two hours. Very powerful nose of cherries, dark fruits, and strong floral notes. The palate is very pure and balanced with moments where the acidity races ahead of the fruit. The tannins are upfront and making a statement, and the finish is a bit short, but this wine matched well with the turkey and trimmings.
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Day 1 - not giving up much, comes off as acidic...Day 2 - nose of black fruit, licorice, leather and minerals...mostly balanced, not acidic at all...full mouthfeel and lingering finish...very good now, but likely better in a couple years...91+
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2004 Pax Horizontal Tasting (all but one!) (My House): Full deep opaque black/purple color. Lovely chocolate ripe black fruit on the nose. Zingy bright black fruit witha long coffee finish. Still young and tight. 93+ pts.
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Beautiful, aromatic nose of flowers and black cherries, picking up some meatiness and a touch of oak. A big but nimble wine, it offers an intense core of fruit that should blossom with time. Decent amount of grip (decanted for 3+ hours and it needed it), but it's starting to shed its tannic grip to reveal the delicious cool climate fruit. Everything is in it's place with a great minerality, a solid structure and a wire of acidity carrying the fruit through the finish. Nicely done.
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Nose of tobacco with dark brooding fruit in the background. Tastes of cherries and blackcurrant. Great freshness and acidity. Full bodied. Well integrated alcohol and oak. Extracted. 60 second finish.
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Decanted for about 3 hours. Intense berry flavors, and yes there is some blueberry, but not over the top like some aussie shiraz. The berry flavor is rounded with a smoked meat and bacon backbone and a nice finish. Interestingly, I detected no heat at all - and I am sensitive to the high alcohol hot finish that you can get with some wines. In fact, the Neal cab we drink with this had a more noticeably hot finish.
We drank this at Charlie Palmers here in DC - paired very well with a perfectly cooked porterhouse. I like my steak rare+ and the grill chef nailed it perfectly. The sides were different and delicious.
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Look, i've been worried about this one given some of the early tasting notes as i've, through a series of complicated events, wound up with a lot of this. however, its drinking well right now. the contrast with the oz shiraz i also like is there and its clearly a pax. the crushed stone element is especally nice, and the fruit is more laid back than some of the oz stuff. try a bottle now if you have several
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A delicious nose of ripe black cherry and raspberry that stays just the right side of sappy, a strong minerality, flowers, a touch of camphor and a slight brambly edge. The medium bodied palate is full of juicy red fruits, a bright licorice and stony element. The finish shows rather tight with substantial tannin and a bright acids. Very good now but needs another 2-3 years to come together. This wine is a little different that most of the bigger, fatter Pax wines having a fresher, lively character. Considerable upside.
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4/21/2024 - Neumann U47 wrote:
Soaked and crumbly cork like all of them. Perfectly stored throughout its life nonetheless.
Sadly pretty bbq sauce’d at this point. Definitely past its undoubtedly delicious peak.
Nothing like the nearly immaculate 04 lauterbach (with an even worse cork) 2 months ago.
Lots of alcohol heat cutting up the raisiny, pruny bbq sauce one note essence. Oh well, they all can’t be winners. Pop and pour to 8 hours in the decanter later, no change.
The lauterbach was exactly the opposite, beautiful soft mature fruit, meat, funk, fresh vibrancy etc. This one was not sadly.
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8/6/2023 - wicozani Likes this wine: 94 Points
Toughened wax capsule, cork broke off at nearly its bottom. Had to push the remaining cork in the bottle and decant through a screen. Lots of sediment. Intially a tired garnet in the glass with brown tones and slight bricked edges, accompanied by a decent nose of black and red fruits, forest floor, pink pepper, and a touch of garrique. Subsequently left to decant for 5 hours and brought over to a neighbor's dinner event for pairing with smoked beef brisket. After 5 hours of decanting, the color was now reddish purple extending out to thinning edges, the very aromatic nose now featured blue and black fruits, peppery spice, a touch of oxidation, and alcohol. Very structured now, mild tannins, and a great match for smoked brisket. Was everyone's favorite on the night. Will not get any better as fruit is becoming quite poor, so best to soon consume.
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3/25/2022 - Bob & Sue Atlanta wrote: 96 Points
Now I know why I waited. Extraordinarily youthful with harmonial balance.
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2/12/2022 - Tony Ling Likes this wine: 95 Points
PNP into tasting glass (“Flower” day): Medium ruby with purplish hues.
Super inky, earthy, savory and garrique to the nose. Very dark black plummy fruits. Very complex indeed.
Great structure and have lots of inner energy on the palate here. Super clean and persistent finish.
Great wine! Easily 94-95 points.
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12/15/2020 - Libbidog Likes this wine: 89 Points
Appearance
The wine is deep ruby
Nose
The wine is pronounced intensity with primary aromas of blackberry, dark cherry, black plum, dried herbs, earth, pencil shavings, white pepper, and old oak.
Palate
The wine is a dry acid bomb with medium, soft tannins, high alcohol and a medium body. The wine exhibits medium flavors of blackberry, sour cherry, black cherry, and faint sage.
Conclusions
This wine is good. Despite the very high acid, the wine is fairly well balanced among the alcohol, acid and tannins. The fruit flavors are not as forward as they once likely were given the age of the wine
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10/10/2020 - Acohen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark raspberry, blueberry with minerality and balance that led to long lingering finish
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9/20/2020 - bigbass250 wrote:
donated wgbh
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6/6/2020 - bigbass250 Does not like this wine:
heavy sediment, bad cork, sour taste, will try again tonight to see if anything changed
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3/12/2020 - bigbass250 Likes this wine:
just opened first of 10 bought at auction cork not good but seems like it has plenty of life left in it after it opens up
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9/30/2019 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similar notes as previous tastings. Blueberries, black raspberries, plums, black cherries, and a hint of floral in the nose. Black raspberry, blackberries, black cherries, earthiness, and spice in the flavor. Well balanced, nice complexity, and a long smooth finish
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12/16/2018 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similar notes as previous tastings
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10/14/2018 - wino121 wrote: 95 Points
A simple decant, stunning on all levels, at or near the perfect window of drinking.
One of the most enjoyable Pax wines I’ve had, and I’ve had a lot..this being my last one of 4/2004s, it has continued to evolve masterfully.
Drink now, and possibly thru 202o.
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3/7/2018 - GoBlue2002 Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Over the hill, although the cork was well preserved under the wax and came out without issue with an Ah-So.
Recently purchased on the secondary market, this simply lacked fruit and was boring.
A dominant green olive note and high acidity. My last of the bunch of aged Pax I've purchased, and the consistent theme is inconsistency. Some bottles aged well, whereas many did not.
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11/17/2017 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Better than the "expert" ratings. Blueberries, black raspberries, and black cherries in the flavor. Black raspberry, blackberries, black cherries, and spice in the flavor. Well balanced with hints of earthiness in the smooth medium to long finish
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5/20/2017 - wino121 wrote: 93 Points
Even with a crumbling cork it was stellar, no sign of age yet, deep fruit with a smashing nose.
Another work of art...
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2/10/2017 - wino121 wrote: 91 Points
Aging beautifully with Lively acid, purple hues, blue berry, sandlewood notes on the nose,
med + bodied, med + finish evolving all night.
You can finally see the cool climate AVA shining thru.
Really nice..
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8/22/2016 - mike l. Likes this wine: 93 Points
dark serious pungent and still exhibiting ripe garrigue character that i find divine and very reminiscent of the rhone.
just brilliant, and a good time to drink up.
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3/24/2016 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Terrific Syrah
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9/21/2015 - IAmVintage wrote: 90 Points
Aerated & filtered to decanter. Tar black, resolved tannins, diminishing deep black fruit giving way in balance to cigar box & dusty pepper spice. IIRC finish seems to have shortened a bit. Still excellent but time to drink up.
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8/27/2015 - Mscruggs wrote: 87 Points
This wine did not show as well as I was expecting. Popped and let sit about 30 minutes in the glass and drank over 2 hour period. The nose was fine but the wine had an almost astringent like quality to it. I know Syrah's can go through a "dumb phase" but was expecting much much more from a 10 year old Pax. Not sure if decanting longer would have made a difference. I have a number of other '04s by Pax so will be trying them out soon.
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8/3/2015 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark brooding color, good palate, a bit of alcohol on the initial palate, short finish. Nice with turkey burgers.
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7/3/2015 - MLwine wrote: 89 Points
Nice, with plenty of fruit still and some added complexity, but marred by way too much alcohol. That'll never go away.
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5/9/2015 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP. Lovely in its maturity. Has the complexity to support the high alcohol. Has at least another 5-10 years of glory. 15.4%
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3/20/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark almost black in the glass with silky smooth mouthfeel and nice spice on the finish. Drinking well at present.
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2/13/2015 - Mr T wrote:
Still quite dark and tight and unfortunately decanted only 30 minutes before folks started to drink. Actually pretty well balanced and dry and much more evocative of N Rhone than Cali fruit bomb. Pretty if not quite the hedonistic wine I anticipated.
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2/18/2014 - redz wrote: 89 Points
decanting 4 hours helped, but still too much tar and ink to be alot of fun... Full bodied and smooth.
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1/28/2014 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 94 Points
Profound Syrah from Mendocino
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12/24/2013 - redz wrote: 89 Points
not as much flavor as before...inky and dark but low on taste
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11/27/2013 - ewasowicz wrote: 94 Points
Dark ink color
Nose: anise and butterscotch very different
Taste: fruity, light oak, cherry
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6/15/2013 - Chainthroer wrote: 92 Points
An inky garnet color; opaque. Complex aromas and flavors of blackberry, some raspberry, leather, bacon fat, creosote, pepper and minerals. Big, rich and fairly intense fruit in the mouth. Excellent structure and balance. The tannins are soft and well integrated into the wine. A medium to long finish. Drinking at a plateau of maturity now. Pairs well with lamb. My kind of wine.
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12/22/2012 - Meerlust wrote: 90 Points
Still inky, black color. The nose showed quite a bit of complexity with some smoked meat, dark raspberry, boysenberry, and minerals. The palate seemed a little lean at first, but as it opened, it expanded into a lovely wine with a palate that matched the nose with an emphasis on an intriguing mineral streak. This full-bodied wine had the acidity to balance the fruit, and the tannins were well matched with the fruit's intensity. The finish was moderate with dark fruit and minerals to close. Overall, this has aged well and exchanged some of its youthful fruit for more complex mineral notes. Well done.
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11/1/2012 - wino121 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking peak or near peak, a fabulous effort!
All you would expect from Pax.
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5/5/2012 - WineDoctors wrote: 89 Points
Massive, yet lean, unfiltered, drinking window starting to close. Good with chocolate sicilian cake. mild stewed fruit component.
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1/28/2012 - Acohen wrote: 92 Points
Big lush wwith lots of raspberry and kir on the front and some liquor and menthol on the finish
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10/31/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
Beserkerfest Napa Halloween Party (Napa Valley Wine & Cigar): These really do age well. This is still young and needs a few years. Typical for this wine. Nice black raspberry fruit. Very much a cool climate Syrah. Great structure and as the wine fills out, it really has a lot to offer. Strong backbone of acidity. I did chuckle at the over-sized bottle.
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9/4/2011 - Ekoostik wrote:
I continue to be pleasantly surprised by how most of the mid 2000 Pax's are performing for me. Intoxicating nose with a bouquet that really gets the salivary glands working. Dark red and blue fruit which seems bigger than it is initially but quickly turns balanced and even a bit lean on the mid palate. Definitely cool climate Ca syrah here. Still has plenty of tannin and structure to hold, but just not sure about the mid palate. Nice wine though.
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7/18/2011 - markjanes wrote: 87 Points
drank with 04 pax moriah... my tasting note was nearly identical to before only i noticed much less new oak influence and the wine had softened tannin wise... this is a much better wine than the moriah and has none of the balance and textural issues of the moriah... i like kietkopelli's note below... for this style of wine i think you get a lot more bang for your buck in barossa, mclaren vale, eden valley australia. drink now or hold a couple of years... very good wine in general...
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6/4/2011 - pgordon62 wrote: 91 Points
Bright aromas of red stone fruit, licorice, dry cumin, white flower petal, iron shavings and a little bacon fat. Lively on the palate and through the finish with an effusive minerality, bright red fruit, champhor, sea spray and dried herb. A wonderful freshness. Just lacks a little depth and texture.
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4/23/2011 - last chance wrote: 93 Points
This was way better than the bottle that I had tasted back in November. That one must have not been stored well as it seemed a little over this hill. This bottle had a lot of life left and terrific complexity.
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4/23/2011 - jce733 wrote: 93 Points
Tim's 40th Birthday Pax Tasting (Issaquah, Washington): Blue fruits and sweet cassis appeared on the nose. The palate showed dark blue fruit and sweet cherry notes followed by violets and rose pedals. Also present are notes of leather, toast and cedar with velvety soft tannins.
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2/19/2011 - kietkopelli wrote: 86 Points
Either my pallet has become desensitized to the fruit bomb or this wine has lost a lot of it punch. Blueberries and bacon fat still dominates but much more subdue compared to a year ago. I'll drink 2 bottles this year and let the rest sit in the fridge for a few years and see how they turn out.
Remember you don't drink the label.
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11/15/2010 - winelovr2001 wrote: 91 Points
A nice syrah, good extraction and some nice spice.
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9/20/2010 - Wop wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. This was fantastic, lots of ripe dark fruit but balanced with enough acidity to keep the wine fresh and not flabby.
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7/21/2010 - bmwcarl wrote:
Drank over two nights. Decanted for one hour upon opening. Lots of restrained fruit with a well balanced palate that grew and evolved over the course of the evening. I had high expectations for the second night and was subsequently disappointed. Most of the fruit had dissipated and I was left with lots of tannins and menthol. I thought for sure it would explode on the second night and it fizzled. For a initially well-structured 04, it fizzled pretty quickly.
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5/22/2010 - kietkopelli wrote: 88 Points
If you like big, dense, fruity Syrah this is the wine for you. At north of $50 I think it's not a great value especially when there are so many wines from Australia with similar profile for much less. With that said, this wine is huge with dark fruits, bacon fat and pepper. The nose is so ripe you'd think you're about to drink some blackberry fruit preserve. Spices are underneath the buttery oak which is a cause for concern for me since I not big on oaky Syrah. In the mouth the fruit is a lot brighter than the nose like fresh raspberries and tart cherries vs blackberry jam on the nose. Bacon fat and some serious pepper come through the 15+% alcohol does make it a bit hot but I would have never guessed it's 15%. Finishes moderately long though tannins are a bit too soft for my liking.
Remember you don't drink the label.
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5/10/2010 - silton wrote: 91 Points
So far this is superior to the bottle last month. There is a nice creamy incense (stem?) vanilla bean theme off the nose to go with the ripe boysenberry and black raspberry fruit and a light molasses wash. Served with a slight chill.
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4/7/2010 - silton wrote: 90 Points
Whether vintage or style, this wine is riper than the 05 and 06 vintages of Pax that has consisted of the majority of my tastings thus far from this winery. A bit bigger and less complex and distinctive than other Pax wines I've had, this still features outstanding fruit purity if not also an "all of the above" character. The 2005 Alder Springs is a superior wine. This might integrate and improve, or it might shed its fat and leave the alcohol naked for the world to see above all else. QPR at current prices much more sane than at release prices. Best to focus on 05 and beyond, and Wind Gap.
Update: on day 2 it all came together. Granted, served cool and with food, but much better put-together. Raised score by 1 point, really a range of 88-92 as each pour was different.
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4/3/2010 - Jay Hack wrote: 91 Points
Another outstanding Pax wine. Still developing and not near falling apart like some predicted. This wine has excellent red fruit, balance and a smiooth mouth feel. Begining to show just a very tiny bit of mature syrah pepper. I've had other Pax wines with a more peppery component. There was a cedar component to this wine which was a surprise.
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12/11/2009 - Mr T wrote:
To me this wine was similar to the 03 castelli knight in terms of some rather unyielding tannins and acid that balanced and offset the fruit more than I would have preferred.. Very purple and obviously not evolved...not sure it will evolve or if it does, not sure if it will be favorable.
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7/31/2009 - markjanes wrote: 89 Points
Very dark color, plenty of purple at the rim showing moderate + extraction. On the nose very aromatic with plenty of new French oak barrique spice > or = intense dark > red fruits and plenty of earthy tar, bacon notes... certainly a floral aspect. On the palate surprisingly high acidity, a firm and taut, moderately broad midpalate that transitions smoothly into a high, largely unintegrated, firm tannic structure... alcohol was guessed at 14.5... about a percent less than the label. Good balance between the fruit intensity and new oak use (both are very high), the wine tends toward the harder side of the balance spectrum with tannins and acids > etoh and glycerol. Average length, high intensity, good complexity. The wine has average finesse, a fine texture, and a good sense of place. Wine drank fine the next morning and while it didn't get more complex, the texture and finesse improved slightly. Certainly an excellent example of this style of wine.
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5/24/2009 - jnanz wrote: 93 Points
An outstanding bottle. Nose was dominated by lavendar and floral aromas, very inviting. The palate was loaded with blackberries, more lavendar, raspberry, a touch of bacon and a nice anise note. The wine was in excellent balance. The tannins were extremely soft and well integrated. It was rich with a velvety texture. I really enjoyed this.
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3/23/2009 - WineArchitect wrote: 92 Points
Alas, my last bottle of this fine wine! The color is a medium to dark inky violet color. Upon opening the bottle the wine gave off intense bouquet of gunpowder that blew off with time with just a touch of bacon fat. One hour of air gave this bottle new dimension of flavor. The fruit tastes like an intense rasberry with a blackberry core. The tannins are still evident on the tongue which with more bottle age may reveal even more fruit flavor which is quite restrained right now.
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3/22/2009 - Meerlust wrote: 92 Points
This was my first Pax wine, and I was quite impressed by what was in the glass. The nose really surprised me because of its complexity that I assume came from whole cluster pressing. Initially, this wine pumped out leafy/stemmy aromatics wrapped around blackberries and olives. This medium-bodied wine is not heavy but has great stuffing with loads of dark fruit and a healthy dose of oak which became more noticeable with air. There are still some tannins lurking on the long finish. Overall, this has a great nose, a plush mouthfeel, and a solid finish.
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3/14/2009 - herberto wrote: 93 Points
Quite solid, I thought. I did not get the Minderaser impression JackStraw did (although I totally know what he is talking about - great description of lots of overripe Cali Pinots and Syrahs I've had recently). This wine had great concentration and richness without being sweet, like good dark chocolate, and showed nice notes of stone and subtle dark fruit.
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3/8/2009 - danseng wrote: 90 Points
My first Alder Springs wine from what has become my favorite winery. Day one the wine had very meaty characteristics with a very long, floral finish. I did not get a lot of alcohol and it was in no way disjointed. Day two the wine showed much more blue fruits and tasted a lot like the Walker Hill Syrah from Pax. The alcohol was a bit more noticable on day two. There is just some fantastic fruit in all the Pax wines. All in all, not my favorite Pax wine, but certainly a good one.
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2/5/2009 - tyvoodoo wrote: 91 Points
Didn’t wow me, but still a nice wine that is finally coming together. Nice nose of crushed rocks, roasted meats, pepper and sappy fruit. Nose also possessed a cool soft aspect with a touch of medicine. Palate seemed decently balanced with good acidity and fruits. Medium bodied with a nice full finish.
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1/18/2009 - decaturwinedude wrote: 85 Points
I struggle again with Pax. Perhaps I drink them too early, but I'm like 0 for 5 with them in the past couple years. First night this was a mess...like doing Minderaser shots. Anyone remember mind erasers...Vodka and Chambord...not a taste I look for in my $50 Syrah. Too much, too ripe, too much alcohol. Night two, wine has softened considerably, but there's a lack of acidity that leaves me with a mouthful of drippy dark fruit that feels flabby and toasted. I can see how this has a market, but it is not my cup of tea.
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10/17/2008 - Cheryl wrote:
Justin Smith of Saxum Comes to NYC (New York, NY): Nice
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10/17/2008 - salil wrote: 87 Points
Saxum/Rhone Ranger dinner with Justin Smith (New York): Very aromatic with flowers, olive, red and dark fruits, spices, herbs and a touch of caramel on the nose. The palate is comparatively one-dimensional and doesn't show the complexity/interest of the nose, with big dark fruit flavours, vanilla, toast, low acidity and fairly soft tannins.
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9/1/2008 - FakeAccount wrote: 85 Points
Horribly acidic. Can't help but wonder if this was a flawed bottle.
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8/14/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
My first 2004 to open since I bought a handful on release. Based on the CT notes, this seemed like the best of the bunch to try early. Some olive in this wine, along with some tart blackberry and some toasted notes. Further, there seems to a good sized amount of whole cluster aromatics to boot, which add a menthol note to the bouquet. The palate is medium weight, with a fair amount of chalk on the finish. Will look to see how this wine evolves over the next 24 hours but much tamer in expression that I was expecting...............now, at 24 hours open, the wine is much softer, more polished. The acidity and tart qualities remain present, which I don't prefer but overall, medium-full weight and smooth edges.
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7/28/2008 - ChrisR wrote: 89 Points
Plush black fruits and quite a bit of toasty oak, big, a little soft and unstructured. No heat and no really evident tannins.
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6/14/2008 - Ali wrote: 80 Points
hot and out of balance. Maybe a bad bottle?
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4/1/2008 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
Anwar and his wife brought this over to our house for dinner last weekend. My wife made a spicy beef stir fry and this was the wine I matched with it. Not a bad match. I tried this again after dinner without food to make sure my assessment of the wine was correct. Medium to full bodied. This was decanted before it was brought over. Loaded with black fruit, currant and black pepper. Structured tannins. Another fine Pax Syrah. 90-91 points.
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2/2/2008 - 2loyal wrote: 90 Points
Better blanced than I expected. Alcohol was pretty well hidden, and the fruit was tasty. Not just a "Parker wine".
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1/28/2008 - Siggy wrote: 90 Points
Splash decanted. Deep black/purple color. Jammy blackberry fruit, purple flowers, black licorice, and some nice meat/bacon fat flavors on the finish. Super-ripe and heavily extracted, with lots of oak and alcohol, but enough acid balance and freshness to make this tasty bottle.
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1/11/2008 - pgordon62 wrote: 90 Points
Aromas of mocha, violets, red fruits and briny black olive. Creamy in the mouth where the mocha dominates. Crisp finish that is a little out of balance with the density on the palate. Very good but I prefered this more in its youth. This is the second Pax in a week dominated by oak characteristics. I am concerned that the oak with outlive the fruit.
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11/23/2007 - elliott.h.farber@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
Double decanted for two hours. Very powerful nose of cherries, dark fruits, and strong floral notes. The palate is very pure and balanced with moments where the acidity races ahead of the fruit. The tannins are upfront and making a statement, and the finish is a bit short, but this wine matched well with the turkey and trimmings.
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11/6/2007 - olm2000 wrote: 91 Points
Day 1 - not giving up much, comes off as acidic...Day 2 - nose of black fruit, licorice, leather and minerals...mostly balanced, not acidic at all...full mouthfeel and lingering finish...very good now, but likely better in a couple years...91+
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11/2/2007 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
2004 Pax Horizontal Tasting (all but one!) (My House): Full deep opaque black/purple color. Lovely chocolate ripe black fruit on the nose. Zingy bright black fruit witha long coffee finish. Still young and tight. 93+ pts.
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5/3/2007 - tconcilio wrote: 93 Points
In one word "LUSH!" This is a big big wine. Lots of fruit, tannin, and structure. Another wonderful Pax wine.
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3/12/2007 - SeaSmoke wrote: 94 Points
Excellent!
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2/14/2007 - SeaSmoke wrote: 93 Points
Oustanding wine. Lots of fruit. This wine needs more time in the bottle.
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1/23/2007 - bsherwin wrote:
Beautiful, aromatic nose of flowers and black cherries, picking up some meatiness and a touch of oak. A big but nimble wine, it offers an intense core of fruit that should blossom with time. Decent amount of grip (decanted for 3+ hours and it needed it), but it's starting to shed its tannic grip to reveal the delicious cool climate fruit. Everything is in it's place with a great minerality, a solid structure and a wire of acidity carrying the fruit through the finish. Nicely done.
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12/31/2006 - Employee500 wrote: 91 Points
A little too rich for my taste, at least with dinner, but clearly outstanding...needs time to soften.
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12/25/2006 - kstoddard wrote: 94 Points
Nose of tobacco with dark brooding fruit in the background. Tastes of cherries and blackcurrant. Great freshness and acidity. Full bodied. Well integrated alcohol and oak. Extracted. 60 second finish.
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10/27/2006 - madeiradog wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for about 3 hours. Intense berry flavors, and yes there is some blueberry, but not over the top like some aussie shiraz. The berry flavor is rounded with a smoked meat and bacon backbone and a nice finish. Interestingly, I detected no heat at all - and I am sensitive to the high alcohol hot finish that you can get with some wines. In fact, the Neal cab we drink with this had a more noticeably hot finish.
We drank this at Charlie Palmers here in DC - paired very well with a perfectly cooked porterhouse. I like my steak rare+ and the grill chef nailed it perfectly. The sides were different and delicious.
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10/24/2006 - winestem wrote: 88 Points
Seemed more pinot-like than syrah! Beautiful color, and a good bouquet of sour cherries. Still very young, with good tannin.
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9/4/2006 - E wrote:
Very acidic...not up to par for a pax
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8/21/2006 - Employee500 wrote: 90 Points
Stunning out of the bottle, but I made the mistake of decanting (other than a small glass) the remainder and it closed down hard...
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7/12/2006 - d7jersey wrote: 90 Points
Drank well, getting to the monster status
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7/3/2006 - E wrote: 93 Points
Look, i've been worried about this one given some of the early tasting notes as i've, through a series of complicated events, wound up with a lot of this. however, its drinking well right now. the contrast with the oz shiraz i also like is there and its clearly a pax. the crushed stone element is especally nice, and the fruit is more laid back than some of the oz stuff. try a bottle now if you have several
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5/31/2006 - pgordon62 wrote: 92 Points
A delicious nose of ripe black cherry and raspberry that stays just the right side of sappy, a strong minerality, flowers, a touch of camphor and a slight brambly edge. The medium bodied palate is full of juicy red fruits, a bright licorice and stony element. The finish shows rather tight with substantial tannin and a bright acids. Very good now but needs another 2-3 years to come together. This wine is a little different that most of the bigger, fatter Pax wines having a fresher, lively character. Considerable upside.
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1/14/2006 - d7jersey wrote: 86 Points
not as big and complex as the other Pax i have tasted didnt complete the circle.
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12/20/2005 - shemmy wrote: 86 Points
Quite acidic and tannic, even after hours in the decanter. Not a great Pax, at least at this point.
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