Welcomed in the new year and the very cold temperatures with an afternoon of Syrah at Domaine. Nice mix of wines, and had a good time with everyone as usual.
Beautifully rustic nose with dark fruits, earth, meat, and pepper. Drinking beautifully well (as are many 2006 Northern Rhones) with lots of meat, spice, and dark fruits on the palate. Great balance and acidity too.
An intriguing region in California when it comes to Syrah in my mind. I like what the team at Briceland did here. Restrained nose of dark fruit, olive, meat and some earth. The palate was certainly cool with a lot of dark fruit. Would have scored a bit better with me if there was more meat/pepper, but this was really really nice.
Another in a line of great, young Syrah's from the Gonon brothers. Powerful aromatics of earth, plum, spices, and meat are deep and complex. The palate is still rigid with a brutally firm structure. It'll be an even greater wine in 7+ years as the olive and meat flavors on the palate deepen and the tannins soften a bit.
I know this vineyard site well through the wines of Jim Mack and Jemrose and I like what the team at Carlisle did here too. More rustic than most Californian syrah this has distinct pepper and olive notes wrapped around the dark fruit on the nose. The palate was pretty good, but a bit too much heat creeped in for me.
Another solid showing. Still very young but has all the elegance to really round into something special with time. As I've said before, this won't have the power of some vintages, but what it lacks in power it makes up in with its elegance. Gorgeous tones of olive, earth, and blackberry on the palate. Nice acidity, great structure. Beautiful stuff.
Needed some air, but I found this absolutely delightful. Very rugged with a big dose of meat, black cherry, olive and spice on the nose. The palate was gorgeous too with great texture, elegance, and complexity. I've only had Astralis twice, and both times it has been quite the beauty.
I loved this wine. Gorgeous texture and complexity to the fruit it had gorgeous lanolin and tropical fruit notes woven seamlessly together. The palate remained fresh too with a great spike of acidity on the finish.
Seems to be from the Robert Parker school of Cote Rotie. Just a big over-oaked mess at this point. None of the rusticity that I was hoping for and at the end of the day just a bore.
I couldn't get enough of this wine. Everything you can ask for in a young Cornas...wild meaty tones that were drenched in olive and dark fruit tones. Its palate was silky already with incredibly depth and complexity. Going to be a superstar with time...but will I be able to wait on my bottles?
2007 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage 88 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
Lots of pepper and cherry. Mouthfeel was on the rich side, but had good acidity to even things out.
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2006 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage 91 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
Beautifully rustic nose with dark fruits, earth, meat, and pepper. Drinking beautifully well (as are many 2006 Northern Rhones) with lots of meat, spice, and dark fruits on the palate. Great balance and acidity too.
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2011 Briceland Vineyards Syrah Lake County 88 Points
USA, California, North Coast, Lake County
An intriguing region in California when it comes to Syrah in my mind. I like what the team at Briceland did here. Restrained nose of dark fruit, olive, meat and some earth. The palate was certainly cool with a lot of dark fruit. Would have scored a bit better with me if there was more meat/pepper, but this was really really nice.
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2010 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
Another in a line of great, young Syrah's from the Gonon brothers. Powerful aromatics of earth, plum, spices, and meat are deep and complex. The palate is still rigid with a brutally firm structure. It'll be an even greater wine in 7+ years as the olive and meat flavors on the palate deepen and the tannins soften a bit.
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2011 Zichichi Family Vineyard Petite Sirah Estate
USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
Label reads 14.9% and I tasted every bit of it. Nearly undrinkable for me.
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2008 Carlisle Syrah Cardiac Hill 87 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley
I know this vineyard site well through the wines of Jim Mack and Jemrose and I like what the team at Carlisle did here too. More rustic than most Californian syrah this has distinct pepper and olive notes wrapped around the dark fruit on the nose. The palate was pretty good, but a bit too much heat creeped in for me.
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2008 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Another solid showing. Still very young but has all the elegance to really round into something special with time. As I've said before, this won't have the power of some vintages, but what it lacks in power it makes up in with its elegance. Gorgeous tones of olive, earth, and blackberry on the palate. Nice acidity, great structure. Beautiful stuff.
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1999 Clarendon Hills Astralis 93 Points
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Clarendon
Needed some air, but I found this absolutely delightful. Very rugged with a big dose of meat, black cherry, olive and spice on the nose. The palate was gorgeous too with great texture, elegance, and complexity. I've only had Astralis twice, and both times it has been quite the beauty.
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1999 Henschke Sémillon "Louis" 93 Points
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley
I loved this wine. Gorgeous texture and complexity to the fruit it had gorgeous lanolin and tropical fruit notes woven seamlessly together. The palate remained fresh too with a great spike of acidity on the finish.
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2007 Patrick & Christophe Bonnefond Côte-Rôtie 80 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Seems to be from the Robert Parker school of Cote Rotie. Just a big over-oaked mess at this point. None of the rusticity that I was hoping for and at the end of the day just a bore.
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2006 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot 94 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
I couldn't get enough of this wine. Everything you can ask for in a young Cornas...wild meaty tones that were drenched in olive and dark fruit tones. Its palate was silky already with incredibly depth and complexity. Going to be a superstar with time...but will I be able to wait on my bottles?
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2001 Kongsgaard Syrah Hudson Vineyard 75 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Another oaky mess for me that was fueled by intense alcohol and candied black fruit. Not my thing at all.
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