Getting long in the tooth. Thinning out, though with plenty of meaty qualities still remaining here. Less spice and fruit, but residual salinity and a hint of rust. I doubt this has evolved so much since my last good bottle in 2022, but who knows?
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Vanishingly thin and lacking Hermitage weight, though some of the wispier characteristics of syrah are still present. Not a particularly convincing bottle in the context of the previous ones that I opened.
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"The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Chicago, IL): Somewhat light for an Hermitage, but plenty of red fruit here. This has lifted acidity and drinks in a very elegant, lighter style. Plenty of the expected Hermitage concentration here. Unequivocally a very old-school style of syrah that I really dig.
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Dinner at Pizzeria Bebu (Chicago, IL): Blood, meat, iron, rust, iodine, all that good stuff in a bottle with a terrible label that was 95% falling off. There's no mistaking the Hermitage on this bottle -- it's about as classic and correct as it comes. Still a generous helping of fruit as well to balance out all these feral syrah elements. Better than my previous bottle of this -- this seemed fresher and cleaner, and there was an awesome vibrant streak of acidity here too.
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Dinner at Cafe Istanbul (Chicago, IL): Lot 02. Classic Hermitage -- bloody and meaty, with just a slight bit of brett to supplement the dense black fruit. A nice pile of earth here as well. The palate comes across as somewhat rustic, with some good acidity to balance out the hefty black fruit and earth. Perhaps thinning a little bit, but still a very convincing wine. This is unmistakable Hermitage, unobscured by the copious oak that so many on the hill seem to like to wreck their wines with.
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4/5/2024 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Getting long in the tooth. Thinning out, though with plenty of meaty qualities still remaining here. Less spice and fruit, but residual salinity and a hint of rust. I doubt this has evolved so much since my last good bottle in 2022, but who knows?
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3/3/2024 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Vanishingly thin and lacking Hermitage weight, though some of the wispier characteristics of syrah are still present. Not a particularly convincing bottle in the context of the previous ones that I opened.
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11/10/2022 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
"The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Chicago, IL): Somewhat light for an Hermitage, but plenty of red fruit here. This has lifted acidity and drinks in a very elegant, lighter style. Plenty of the expected Hermitage concentration here. Unequivocally a very old-school style of syrah that I really dig.
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3/18/2019 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Dinner at Pizzeria Bebu (Chicago, IL): Blood, meat, iron, rust, iodine, all that good stuff in a bottle with a terrible label that was 95% falling off. There's no mistaking the Hermitage on this bottle -- it's about as classic and correct as it comes. Still a generous helping of fruit as well to balance out all these feral syrah elements. Better than my previous bottle of this -- this seemed fresher and cleaner, and there was an awesome vibrant streak of acidity here too.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/8/2019 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Cafe Istanbul (Chicago, IL): Lot 02. Classic Hermitage -- bloody and meaty, with just a slight bit of brett to supplement the dense black fruit. A nice pile of earth here as well. The palate comes across as somewhat rustic, with some good acidity to balance out the hefty black fruit and earth. Perhaps thinning a little bit, but still a very convincing wine. This is unmistakable Hermitage, unobscured by the copious oak that so many on the hill seem to like to wreck their wines with.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment