Not that great, sadly. I expect a deep, concentrated, savory, powerful wine from Hermitage, and this just did not deliver. It was thin, surprisingly light in body and flavor, lacking in both primary fruit, and pleasant secondary aromas of age. The wine is definitely beyond young, beyond middle aged, and is now frankly elderly. It appears pale, bricked, and has a huge amount of sediment (presumably precipitated tannins). A definite olive tapenade flavor classic for N Rhone Syrah is present, but other than that, I would have been hard pressed nail this wine for what it is. Its just a bit too old for its own good, and honestly, a wine from Hermitage should last 20 years no problem.
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Sadly, this seemed well past its prime. Lacked all fruit and the secondary flavors weren't really present. Got some smoked meat / beef blood but it was fleeting. Smelled better than it tasted. Enjoyable, mostly bc of the integrated tannins, but not what one expects from a Hermitage.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Cured meat, smoke and cranberries on the nose. Strawberries, cherry pit, olives, and salami on the palate. Medium body and refined, tannins completely integrated, but there is still some intensity. Very good and in it’s prime.
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Tuesday Night Double Blind $50+ (Alpharetta, GA): Dull maroon, cloudy core; sour nose, olives, cranberry, tapenade, sour plum, leather, Band-Aid; very sour palate, many turned off by the acid but I thought this was on the edge but not too acidic, granite, red fruit, lots of lift; older Cote Rotie?
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3/10/2021 - NoahCap wrote:
Not that great, sadly. I expect a deep, concentrated, savory, powerful wine from Hermitage, and this just did not deliver. It was thin, surprisingly light in body and flavor, lacking in both primary fruit, and pleasant secondary aromas of age. The wine is definitely beyond young, beyond middle aged, and is now frankly elderly. It appears pale, bricked, and has a huge amount of sediment (presumably precipitated tannins). A definite olive tapenade flavor classic for N Rhone Syrah is present, but other than that, I would have been hard pressed nail this wine for what it is. Its just a bit too old for its own good, and honestly, a wine from Hermitage should last 20 years no problem.
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8/1/2020 - Grapetimescomin wrote: 85 Points
Sadly, this seemed well past its prime. Lacked all fruit and the secondary flavors weren't really present. Got some smoked meat / beef blood but it was fleeting. Smelled better than it tasted. Enjoyable, mostly bc of the integrated tannins, but not what one expects from a Hermitage.
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12/9/2019 - davergny Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Cured meat, smoke and cranberries on the nose. Strawberries, cherry pit, olives, and salami on the palate. Medium body and refined, tannins completely integrated, but there is still some intensity. Very good and in it’s prime.
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1/31/2017 - Rezy13 wrote:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $50+ (Alpharetta, GA): Dull maroon, cloudy core; sour nose, olives, cranberry, tapenade, sour plum, leather, Band-Aid; very sour palate, many turned off by the acid but I thought this was on the edge but not too acidic, granite, red fruit, lots of lift; older Cote Rotie?
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12/1/2015 - Yagil wrote: 89 Points
Northern Rhone tasting (at Eli Raban's home, Rehovot): transparent light red-brown
fruity floral fresh aroma with tart notes
medium bodied, firm tannins, medium structure & complexity, pleasant but not great
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