A Syrah Friday at Domaine
Domaine Wine Storage, Chicago IL
Tasted Friday, August 15, 2014 by KeithAkers with 514 views
Introduction
It was pretty simple, I had a friday off and James sent out an email getting some people together to drink syrah at Domaine. So, I ordered a bunch of Lillie's Q for everyone just to make things extra fun.
1996 Fox Creek Shiraz Reserve 91 Points
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
Nose: Unmistakably Aussie on the nose with eucalyptus, dark red cherries, licorice, black fruits, spice, and a touch of purple florals. There is a lot of balance to this with the fruit still well being there.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium acidity and silky tannins. The structure is still there with dark red cherries, eucalyptus, black fruits, licorice, violets, and some incense on the back end.
Overall: This was drinking beautifully. It is extremely balanced with a real nice dark red fruit core.
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1986 Seppelt Shiraz Show Sparkling Great Western 92 Points
Australia, Victoria, Western Victoria, Great Western
Nose: There is a lot of life in this with black cherries, black fruits, yeasty tones, spices, eucalyptus, and some piney tones. There is excellent depth to this with a lot of polish and balance to the tones.
Taste: Full bodied with crisp medium+ acidity. The feel is very polished and silky with a real youth to it and black cherries, yeasty tones, black fruits, eucalyptus, and baking spices on the back end.
Overall: There was still some bubbles left to this, but it was more like drinking an aged Shiraz. This was a much better bottle than previous and it showed off all sorts of beautiful balanced fruit.
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2000 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Nose: The nose just screams Northern Rhone (though not necessarily Cornas) and is loaded with black fruits, bacon fat, black cherries, tobacco, leather, and bits of black olives. The nose is very complex, but it doesn't seem to get out of second gear.
Taste: Full bodied with medium+ acidity and silky tannins. The structure is certainly there, but it isn't overpowering with black fruits, bacon fat, black olives, leather, black pepper, and some spice notes.
Overall: This is a gorgeous Clape that has a rustic elegance to it. I think I did want more of the savage side that Clape can normally show, but this was still a joy to drink.
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2010 Marie et Pierre Bénetière Côte-Rôtie Cordeloux 91 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Nose: The nose was absurdly tight at the beginning. It took a lot of coaxing and swirling for about a half hour before much was revealed. When it did open up a bit, there was excellent balance and class with crushed rocks, black cherries, violets, black pepper, bacon fat, and tobacco tones. It took a bunch of goes to get all of the tones, but it was gorgeous when it did show.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and extremely youthful tannins. The structure was very youthful with black cherries, crushed rocks, bacon fat, and black pepper tones poking through underneath.
Overall: There is a ton of upside to this, it was just in a very fussy stage. This needs at least another 8 years of nap time, and quite possibly more. This will reward patience as there is a ton of complexity even at this nascent stage.
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2006 Huerta de Albalá Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz Taberner #1 86 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz
Nose: The nose is on the forward side with red fruits, blueberries, red cherries, and some liqueur tones. There is decent depth to this, but the complexity really isn't there.
Taste: Full bodied with resolved tannins and no noticeable acidity. The initial attack is plush with red fruits, liqueur tones, and red cherries. But, it does fall off and thin out on the mid-palate and finish.
Overall: I'm not sure how well this has held up over the years. I would seem to think that this was better in it's immediate youth as the fruit would've been more fresh. The palate does thin out and I would say that it's time to drink these up.
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2003 Copain Syrah Hawks Butte Vineyard 91 Points
USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands
Nose: The nose is very slick and polished with dark red fruits, black cherries, spice tones, licorice, and some liqueur notes too. While the nose is on the more forward side, it is well balanced with good depth.
Taste: Full bodied with medium acidity and silky tannins. The feel is very polished and plush with dark red fruits, black cherries, spice tones, and some licorice. There is nice layering with a dark red fruit core.
Overall: This was a lovely Copain. There is a seamless quality to this with excellent fruit on both the nose and palate.
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2003 The Standish Wine Company The Relic 72 Points
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Nose: While this wasn't a full on mess, it wasn't all too good on the nose with vicks cough syrup, red cherries, berries, and some tomato tones. There isn't much depth and it's much more on the surface as well.
Taste: Medium bodied with low acidity and no real tannins. This was certainly flabby and lacking with vicks cough syrup, red cherries, and berries.
Overall: It didn't feel like a flawed bottle as much as it was a wine that is well past it. I'm sure the more forward style of it would've been spot on about 8 years ago, but this just didn't really come off as a good wine.
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2005 L'Aventure Estate Cuvée 89 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Nose: The nose is on the sleek and polished side with licorice, liqueur tones, black cherries, black fruits, and a noticeable amount of oak underneath. The oak isn't in the forefront, but it is there.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium/low acidity and supporting tannins. The feel is balanced with licorice, black cherries, black fruits, some black pepper, and oak on the back end.
Overall: The oak hasn't absorbed, but it isn't overpowering. This definitely feels in a drink now mode as the finish is slightly clipped too.
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2010 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph 92 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
Nose: The nose is on the tighter side from the outset, but it opens up beautifully with black pepper, leather tones, earth notes, tobacco, and black cherries. There is excellent depth even with the nose being on the tighter side.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium+ acidity and silky tannins. The structure is very youthful along with black pepper, leather tones, black cherries, spice notes, and a touch of earth on the back end.
Overall: This still needs a good amount of time. While this is extremely good right now, this has a ton more to give and I'd love to see where it is in another 6-8 years.
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2007 Christophe Billon Côte-Rôtie La Brocarde 90 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Nose: This shows some oak at first, but it peels back into red fruits, bacon fat, violets, licorice, black cherries, and some spice tones. There is medium depth to this with excellent balance.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium acidity and silky tannins. The feel is well balanced and more on the lighter side with red fruits, black cherries, licorice, and a good dose of bacon fat.
Overall: The oak did pull back with some air, but it was there a bit at first and somewhat remained. I would like to see where this goes with some age as it did show an elegant side.
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2009 Wind Gap Wines Syrah Sonoma Coast 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Nose: The nose evokes the Northern Rhone with black olives, black cherries, black pepper, red and black currants, and some smoke tones. There is a laid back quality to the fruit with a old world sensibility at the same time.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium acidity and youthful tannins. The structure is certainly there, but it isn't too overpowering with black olives, black cherries, black pepper, with red and black currants on the back end.
Overall: This is a gorgeous cool-climate syrah from California. This shows off the best of both sides with one foot rooted in California and the other foot rooted in the Northern Rhone.
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2012 Stolpman La Cuadrilla Red 90 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Ballard Canyon
Nose: The nose has a brighter take to it with red fruits, spices, red cherries, red florals, pepper, and licorice. The nose is more on the red-fruited side with nice depth.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium acidity and silky tannins. The feel is more on the plush side with red fruits, red cherries, pepper, and spice tones.
Overall: This is an outstanding Syrah blend. It has a really good red fruit core with a very open-knit style to it.
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